Baby shower pictures

The memories i hope never to forget....

My dearest daughter,

I sit here watching you grow and learn and it hits me everyday that you are growing up! I close my eyes and wish for time to slow down for a little while and let me soak in every inch of your curiosity, your laughter, and your unconditional love towards me and Mr. Craig.

But most of all, I want to be able to never forget the little things that you do each day that make my life more complete with every passing moment.

1. When I took you into your room to change your diaper and in your little voice you said, "What we doing?" and I replied, "I'm gonna change your butt." And with that same innocent little voice you said, "aw damnit!" =) Perfect timing, the best part is that you have no idea how well that fit the situation, but since you heard Mr. Craig say it that day, you figured that it fit any situation.

2. When you sit down on the floor in the living room playing the guiter hero guitars, and you sing at the top of your little voice. And the "Outside chicken song" was born. "Outside and the ketchup and the chicken...lalalalalalalalala" I have no idea where the "Outside chicken song" came from or if you just were singing about your day, but it made my heart melt.

3. When you sit on your training potty and have me put your hair in pigtails and paint your toe nails. It's a bonding that only a mother and daughter can have with one another.

4. When you call out my name after a nap to come and get you.

5. When you help me clean the tub by crawling onto my back and yelling "WEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

6. How making my bed is an adventure of forts, caves and nap time.

7. How when you hear sad music, you have to cuddle with me to know it's going to be alright.

8. How you grab on to the back of my shirt when you put your little arms around me and hug me. How you pull back and kiss my glasses to show me that you love me. And how you pat my back to show me that you've learn how to console.

9. How when I'm sad and a tear is shed, you run up to my face as fast as you can and touch your little finger to the tear and ask, "You okay?"

10. How you melt Mr. Craig's heart by getting so excited to see him when he gets home. And by yelling out daddy you can see the light in his eyes and face re-ignite.

11. How you cry when we leave your grandparents house because you love them so dearly.

12. How you share a bowl of cereal with me every morning, even if you've already eaten.

13. The first thing you say to me in the morning is "On", and you point to the wall where the light switch is.

14. Your love for pajamas and how you would live in them all day, every day if we let you.

15 How independent you've become. Like how you think that you don't have to sit in the bathtub anymore.

16. Your imagination. You will stand at the fireplace all day long with your little cups and plates, and pretend to be making food in the kitchen like mommy and then you give a plate to Mr. Craig with a wash rag on it, and ask him, "do you like?" and wait for him to sample what you've made.

17. When I made red velvet cake, and you thought that it was a huge bowl of ketchup, and you were so mad at me for not letting you eat it. But when I put the "ketchup" in the oven, you had a meltdown and starting to yell, "Keppage, Keppage!"

You amaze me little one. You have become such a big girl with a huge personality and a heart so full of love, anyone who gets to share in knowing you is truly blessed.

I love you Bean.

AH!!!!! 5 weeks to the day left to go

I keep forgetting that time is slowly slipping by and the timer in my belly is going to go off soon! It shocks me when I get a little notification from babycenter every week that I only have oh so much time left before we are a family of four...holy cow! haha this is going to be crazy. I'm getting really excited to meet the little guy. I wonder what he's demeanor will be, whose hair color he'll have, if he'll even have hair! I can't wait to hold his little fingers and count his little toes, and to see how Elena will welcome him home. It might be a little crazy for a little while, but I know that she'll love him and be a big helper. I honestly can't wait to be done being pregnant, because then I can hold Elena again. It's so hard to hold her with this big stomach in the way and once she finally does get comfortable with me, then the baby starts kicking at her and she gets all frustrated. It's hard to explain to an almost 2 year old that it's not mommy that's moving, it's the baby.
Things are going well around here for the most part, both Mr. Craig and I are still looking for jobs for year round, and have not found anything yet. But things will look up if we keep faith. Which I have to admit is one of my many faults. I'm a get things done right and now type of personality which is hard when you live up here in the great north of Minnesota. I have to remind myself that not a lot of people work that way up here, and that it's all about patience. Which is something I've been trying to crash course learn.
Our rental house is hot, and the little one doesn't want to sleep, nor can Mr. Craig and I. So it's been a few sleepless nights with fans pointed right at all of us. But this is what playing in pools are for and taking cooler baths, and the best part is that Elena can run around in nothing but a diaper when she gets over heated. So she's loving the naked baby days! And it's times like these that I pull out the camera to use for blackmail pictures much later in life for her. hahaha!
I've been really keep up on this craft blog and have been making many projects. A couple of bunnies for elena, some pillows, some organizer buckets, a few shirts for the baby, a stocking for me ( I have had Daniel's and Elena's done now for a while and never got around to doing one for me. And now I need to make one for the baby!) These stockings that I purchase take about 4 months for me to actually finish. I probably could have one done in like a month if I could sit down and just do it, but something always comes up, and my crafts get put away. I've gotten more pages done of elena's baby scrapbook, and fixed about a dozen holes in Mr. Craig's jeans/workpants/nice coats/etc. I'm getting really good at hand sewing! It's becoming a little difficult at the moment though, my hands have become a little swollen so it's bothering my carpal tunnel a little too much, but a little bit of time with an ice pack makes it work out! I'm becoming dedicated to my crafts! hahaha!
Anthony, Mr. Craig's youngest brother is home now from Rome for a few months before he heads back for more schooling in priesthood. It's been great to see him! Last time I saw him was two years ago at this exact time, so he remembers me as being pregnant, so it's only fitting that I am the exact amount of pregnant when he returns home for the first time in two years! haha. Since he left things have change alot, and I'm so happy that he got to meet Elena for the first time. He is her god father as well, so it was a little more for us to have him meet her. But of course she was hyper and playing with all the little cousins that were there so it wasn't much time for him to spend with her. She was too busy playing kitchen! But all the same, it was great to see his face when he first met her. We've sent pictures to him of her growing up so that he didn't feel like he missed out too much, but it's still hard when you're so far away to feel close to family.
I guess that's really all that's been going on right now, just kind of random stuff here and there! but thanks for stopping by, and I'll put up more pictures of crafts and things I've been doing and pictures of elena soon!


Peace and love

Father's day gifts

For Dan from Elle Bean

For Dan's Dad, David, from Elle bean

(it says i love you)

For my dad from Elle Bean.

It all turned out soooo cute! Elena had fun helping me out with all of the presents!

Here is her coloring on the floor while I finished the presents.