Sweet Samma

my sweet Samma

tomorrow is your birthday

tomorrow you will be three years old

lately you've been telling me how badly you want to grow up

how you want to eat your vegetables so you can grow big and strong, like daddy

i tear up every time you tell me how badly you want to be a "big girl"

because i just want to keep you this age forever

 we've had quite a year, me and you
a few weeks after your second birthday i became pregnant with your baby brother and from that moment on i was determined to soak up every moment of your last year as an only child
and i did
we went on vacations. we went swimming, paddleboarding, and surfing.
we went to sea world. we went everywhere and did everything. and then we stayed in bed all day. we snuggled. we went to the pumpkin patch, your favorite, and we chased firework shows all over san diego.

 

this was a big year for our little family

we welcomed your little brother, Trey, and the three of us became the four of us

and even though i often worried how i would adjust and how i could possibly love another child as much as i love you, i never worried about you

 

you are strong and sweet
you are spunky but rarely sassy
you are my sunshine
you really are

you have adjusted to your role as big sister like i knew you would

last week as i was taking pictures of Trey, with my phone, the flash kept going off and you immediately threw your entire body over him (poor Trey) to cover and protect him from the bright light and you yelled "Mama! That light is hurting his eyes! Stop that!"
you've shown me over and over that you would do anything for him
in fact, you have even offered him your beloved, and i'm told "magical", white blanket

you start preschool tomorrow
it's the best present your daddy and i could give you because you are always wanting to play with your "friends". it doesn't matter that you've never met a single kid in your new class because you think everyone is your friend and all you ever want is to play and have fun.
you do life right, Samma Bear

 

Samma Grace, you are my heart

you are an example to everyone who knows you on how to live life with enthusiasm and an open heart. you love to laugh and forgive easily 

 

you like tools and tutus
firetrucks and fancy dresses

you like to pretend that you are a kitty cat and you'll sometimes stay in character for hours
it's perfect because you remind me so much of a cat in that you are playful and fun with everyone but affectionate with very few people

when i call you "Samma Grace" you like to say,
"i'm not Samma Grace, i'm the Samma Bear"

and you are

you are my Samma Bear and i am the luckiest mama in the world because you always will be

happy birthday, samma bear
and it's no surprise that such a "daddy's girl" would be born on her daddy's birthday

Friday Five

one

 

Coconut Almonds

 

I'm obsessed with these! Right now, I'm just eating them by the handful but I can't wait to experiment in the kitchen and bake up some cookies or something yummy with them, too!

 

 

two

 

run: breeze by short

 

I have these in every color because i'm living in them right now. they are perfect for running errands with a crazy toddler and a growing belly! Now I just need Lululemon to make them in more colors...

 

 

three

 

 

Pineapple Tunic

 

I ordered up a size in this cover-up to allow for my growing baby belly but even at 17 weeks the medium is big. I opted to keep it in the bigger size because when I put it on I had a major Mrs Roper moment that I was loving and I wanted to ensure it would last me through this pregnancy as September and October are the hottest months around here and I'll be at the pool as much as possible!

 

 

four

 

 

RoseArt Popsicle Sidewalk Chalk

 

I saw these at Target a few weeks ago and had to have them. We use sidewalk chalk around here almost every day so these were just too cute to pass up! Usually, we sit in the driveway and wait for daddy to come home and work on our letters, numbers, and shapes.

 

 

five

 

Cuccio Milk & Honey Body Butter

 

When I found out I was pregnant with Samma, a friend suggested this body butter to me. She swore by it for preventing stretch marks. I'm not sure if it's this lotion, genetics, or both but I never got any stretch marks and I'm not taking any chances this time around! I slather this on in the mornings and use a Vitamin E oil at night since the oil can transfer to clothes I prefer to use it when I'm in my pajamas. The milk & honey body butter smells great, absorbs quickly, and is supposed to provide 24 hour hydration. Hopefully it works this time around, too!

 

Trader Joe's Tuesday

Lavender Salt Scrub

 

 

Trader Joe's Lavender Salt Scrub

 

 

My sister first recommended this to me, on vacation, after a long day at the pool that left me grimy with sunscreen build-up and chlorine. She left a scoop for me in my hotel bathroom and I was instantly hooked! You can pick up a jar for about $5 in Trader Joe's but I guess Amazon is pretty proud of that shizz and they're selling it for $15 a tub.

 

 

Coconut Body Butter

 

 

Trader Joe's Coconut Body Butter

 

I love this body butter. It's made up of simple ingredients (coconut oil, shea butter, vitamin e) and it smells like summer. Again, it is way more on amazon.com so get it in store if you can.

 

 

 

Vitamin E Oil

 

Trader Joe's Vitamin E Oil

 

I have been using this, at night, in the place of Bio Oil on my stomach to prevent stretch marks with this pregnancy. What I like about all Trader Joe's products, whether it's food or beauty products, is that they don't use extra ingredients and never anything that you can't pronounce. This oil is made up of soybean oil, vitamin e, and coconut oil.

 

 



Happy Mother's Day

 

 



Easter 2013

Easter 2013

 

 

This Easter was a relatively quiet one. We had a small luncheon in our backyard with close family followed by an egg hunt for these two little clowns.

 





 best family shot we could get...I'll take what I can get in this GO!GO!GO! phase

 

my absolute favorite part of the day was the confetti-eggs egg fight

 



 I think they were supposed to be for the little kids?

 

 

this little girl loves her Grandma Sally

 

 

and this little girl loves her Papa

 

me with my sisters, our grandma, the clown i gave birth to, and my sister's baby on board

Easter will have another egg hunter next year!!

 

 

 post-egg-hunt costume change

 

 

 

 

One thing I really love about our little neighborhood is that they really try and make things special for the kids on Easter, 4th of July, and Christmas. I also love that they have the same bunny (and Santa)year after year because it has already made for some hilarious photo comparisons!

 

 

 



Happy Belated Birthday, Samma Bear! (picture overload ahead)

Way back in early February my little Samma Bear turned two!

(and her daddy had a birthday that day, too)

Between the post-party detox, clean up, and living with a now two-year-old. I've been a little swamped and haven't had a minute to document it. So...in the spirit of  "better late than never"

 

 

 

Samma's Milk & Cookies 2nd Birthday Party

 

 



 

and since it was daddy's birthday too...

 

 

 

We didn't throw Samma a big 1st birthday party. Looking back, I'm so glad we waited until her 2nd birthday to throw a big party. She was old enough to really enjoy the giant Dora jumpy as well as being surrounded by friends, family, and a ton of cookies. I decided to go with a Milk & Cookies theme because I wanted to be able to invite a lot of people without the pressure of feeding a lot of people. Yes, I just said that out loud.  It turned out about as cute as anything I've ever seen, if I do say so myself, and I owe Aunt Elley and Auntie Neah a huge thanks for all they did to help me get ready.

 

 

 

(Aunt Eddie, Mama, Auntie Neah, Aunt Elley)

 

 

How cute is this sign my sister made?!

 

 

I think the "mik mustaches" were the biggest hit of the entire party

 

 

If you can't tell, Dora kinda hijacked the Milk & Cookies theme. This is what happens when my husband listens to his Dora-loving-daddy's-girl instead of his anti-character-theme-wife

 

 

GG wanted to play in the jumpy, too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and how cute is this dress Auntie Neah got her from SheShe Made?

 

 

sign of a good party? crashed out baby in her birthday dress and all

 

 

Her actual birthday was on a Monday morning and that was when she got her new kitchen and I let her have leftover birthday cookies for breakfast

 

since Monday was also CJ's birthday we spent the day at the beach and then got home in time to grill out in the backyard and give Samma her new Dora quad.

 

 

even two months later, the Dora photobomb still freaks me out!

 

 

From what I can remember

 It was a fun weekend full of birthdays, Super Bowls, and one too many cookies!!