the first four steps

Today will forever be marked as the day that Everly first walked, at least in our home it will be.  In the past week, we have been getting a little half step, but it was more of a "hey I'm kind of falling, so I might as well just take a step".  But this evening, E took four steps in a row.  We were hanging out in her nursery putting away some laundry and changing her sheets when it all went down. They were slow, and surprisingly steady.  And, because the working mom gods were with me, after a nine hour work day, I was there.  We immediately called daddy at work to tell him, and then made our phone calls to our grammie, grandma, and auntie!  And after keeping my phone very close to me, I did catch her second set of steps.

And no, this is not a picture from today.  

Today, we were actually wearing our Monster's Inc. onesie, 

lime green striped pants, and barefoot little tootsies!

love you so much Everly

your proud mama may have gotten a little teary eyed during the whole thing

and hey, we can say you took your first steps at 10 months [barely]

you are rockin' it dear!

well hello october

My favorite month is officially here, and life is good.  Still crazy busy, but good.  And to really put the whipped cream on top of the pumpkin spice latte, the weather has been perfect, and almost fall-like.  I even broke out a jacket or two last week on my bike rides to school, and the crisp morning air has just put me in a very good mood.  [Last fall was crazy hot, and I was crazy pregnant = not my favorite thing]. This is my first October as a mom, and man, I'm loving it.  Sure, decorating for Halloween posed to be a tad challenging since the spaces I used to use are now in the perfect reaching height of a little someone. Thankfully, I have a fantastic mantle in our new [old] home that is perfect for holiday awesomeness.  And a really cute front porch that loves some fall decor as well.  I've always dreamed of the day when I would get to dress my babes up for Halloween, and this year, it is all happening. So because it is now technically October, here is the first [and I'm sure not last] post of Everly is some October lovin' goodness.

happy fall, happy october!
p.s. no glitter was consumed in the making of this post
and least not that I know of

hazel

there is one thing that I cannot get enough of in life right now, babies

and right now I am very blessed to be surrounded by so many new little ones

a few weeks back we welcomed our newest addition to the group

miss hazel

and thankfully, I was lucky enough to get to take her picture

just hours after being born

little Hazel was brought into this world with an amazing natural delivery

and getting to talk with her mama about the experience just hours after her birth

was a pretty amazing thing

it is strange, in the current climate around deliveries in the U.S.,

I really do feel a kinship to other moms who have shared in unmedicated deliveries

because right now, they are hard to come by

and man, look at how great both mom & baby are doing so soon after delivering

Hazel was already rocking clothes

[don't worry, there had been lots of skin to skin lovin' earlier in the day]

I don't think poor Everly had clothes on until we left the hospital

it seriously never even crossed my mind

anyways, Hazel, we can't wait to hang out with you more

and I'm very thankful to get the opportunity to pick up a camera

and help capture some moments for the loved ones around me!

oh hey, I'm 47 weeks old

sorry I haven't been writing lately

I've been too busy re-arranging my home

I am currently liking an open concept space

with all coffee and end tables pushed to the sides of the room

this allows me maximum play space

lately I've also been helping mom and dad with everything

you want me to put away laundry?

consider it done

well, maybe not done, but I will gladly pull every piece out of the basket

throw it over my head behind me

and go back for more

mom and me also went through the shoes in my closet

turns out my foot is growing pretty fast

and I'm in between baby shoes, and the shoes I actually need for walking

so I guess we will be on the hunt for those

[and mom is taking any suggestions]

we also ripped apart my room and put away all of the little clothes I've grown out of

[and no, mom isn't ready to get rid of any of it yet]

we are officially gearing up for fall

mom loves the chilly weather for extra long snuggles

and my mom and dad even picked out some special fall clothes for me last night

in other news, I got a new baby doctor

and man, was mom a happy lady after my check-up

I now weigh 16 pounds 1 ounce

and according to this doctor, that puts me in the 10th percentile for weight

which we are all great with

dad called my new doctor "an old hippie"

and we kind of love that about him

he pointed out how I have great weight on my thighs

and my chin and cheeks, and that no part of me looks too little

finally, someone who gets that I'm just tiny

and mom was very happy to have a "professional" see more than my numbers

finally, I am very close to walking

I even took a half step at my grammy's house this past week

but only my mom saw it

so everyone is looking forward to a repeat performance

-Everly Mae

first spaghetti dinner

Tonight, Everly got to have her first spaghetti dinner.  She was pretty into it, ate a good amount, and threw even more on the floor.  Her poor dad was very stressed by the mess she was making, but hey, she was having the time of her life.  So we just drew a quick bath, got out the hose,  and called it a night.

 happy first spaghetti everly!

instant gratification

Weddings these days are attacked by technology every which way.  I am so conflicted, because yes, you have hired an amazing professional to document the day, but I just can't seem to put my phone down.  Yes, just five years ago when the Mr. and I were married, the iPhone was not what it is today.  It was the time before social media took over the world, and in some ways, that is pretty great.  But today, I'm going to share one part of social media & weddings that I love, personalized hash tags.  Yes, the good ole' hash tag has made its way into even the world of weddings, and I'm very okay with it.  Last weekend [was that just last weekend, it already feels like it was a month ago, at least] our awesome friends got married, and had an equally awesome wedding celebration.  And I'm not just saying it because we love the couple, their wedding rocked.  When I saw the little instagram hash tag cards Jaymee designed in the boxes we were packing up for the reception I literally squealed with delight.

So, suggestions for rocking a personalized hash tag at your wedding, here you go:

-Check in advance for just the right hash tag that will not be shared by others.  If you have a unique spelling to your name as our Jaymee does, then, you will have an easy time with this one.
-Make sure to share with your guests the hash tag to use.  Even though Jaymee did this, some guests still weren't sure which hash tag to use, so they made up their own variations, which was pretty entertaining in itself.
-If you are participating in the hash tagging, STAY OUT OF THE WAY of the professional photographer.  Thankfully, we happened to know the photographer at this wedding, because she has also shot every important moment of our lives.  So when we were being obnoxious with our phones at the end of the night, we could all have a good laugh about it, but I wouldn't suggest this with a professional you do not know.  Thanks Sarah for not punching me in the face when I smacked your oh so expensive camera with my iPhone!

I think the reason why I love this idea so much is the instant gratification that comes with it. Every person who took a shot of your wedding can share it immediately where you the bride, and all your family, can enjoy them together.  I loved when Jaymee and I were enjoying some quiet time at the "after party" skimming through their hash tag, because at that point, that was all the energy we had left!  Back when I was married I remember I had only one picture taken of my wedding ceremony that I got to see before our professional ones were ready, and that one just wasn't enough.  I also love that you can catch the moments that your professional photographer may not be present for.  For example, who knew the lighting in the stark white waiting room with funky botanical prints hanging on the walls at the venue was going to yield some of my favorite photos of Everly and I?!?  I also love that you can instantly see parts of the wedding you weren't physically a part of, because who can be everywhere all at once?  Not this mama!  Oh, and sometimes you get a photo like this one that instantly becomes the lock screen on your phone...

Thanks to the following wedding guests for sharing your photos with my via #drewandjaymee - 

@megacatz  @carriekeyes   @jsrp     @qwelli