monthly project {four people times twelve} // january

i have a huge list of blogs bookmarked on my computer. some i read almost daily, others i just check in every now and then. there is a photographer, tara whitney, whose photography style i really like. not sure how i found her, but i check in every now and then...this morning i found a post where she started a monthly project to take a picture of her family each month to post and then jot down notes from that month. i like it. we rarely get a good family photo...make that we rarely get a family photo. i think we have all of two pictures of the four of us! so, i've decided to join in! care to join as well???

i'm going to cheat right off the bat and use this picture taken in december. we don't have one from january and four people times eleven just doesn't sound as good!!! this picture was taken at madison's birthday celebration. we've been on a roll for birthdays with 8 birthday parties in the last 8 weeks (including one this weekend for baby bennett!).


speaking of being on a roll - maya has rolled over from her tummy to her back twice. the first time was a few weeks ago - jan 7 - when she was eleven weeks old. not that i'm trying to compare (but i guess i am!), kellen did it the first time when he was seven weeks old and was rolling from his back to his tummy by fifteen weeks. hmmm...is someone being held just a little too much?!


actually our girl turned a big corner in january - she's finally sleeping WAY more on her own. good thing too, cause my arms were getting tired! january 13 it just happened - she napped on her during the day and then that evening i swaddled her up in some brand new swaddle blankets, fed and rocked her to sleep then actually laid her down and she didn't start screaming for the first time ever! she slept until 2am (ish), i fed her and then laid her back down again until around 6am. could. not. believe. it! was it he blankets? was she just ready? i'll never know and really i don't care. just happy that she's doing it!


kellen's words and language development is just expoding! and he's starting to give up his words for the real ones - ie. no more wa wa, it's water (which is somewhat sad for us!). he's an incredible big brother - always concerned for where baby maya is and loves to give her kisses and beep her nose. he loves books like crazy and tends to want to read the same ones over and over and over! he absolutely loves the garbage truck and every thursday he awakens to the sound of the garbage truck and yells for me to take him outside to watch. the garbageman waves and it makes his day! his two year molars are pretty much all in now, so yay to no more teething! (right?!)

we tried and failed to get a picture with the two kiddos at picture people last weekend. k just would not sit still for a picture with m. he barely stayed still for a picture of himself, but we did get one good one of just him! frustrating, but there was nothing we could do. huess i didn't need to buy those coordinating outfits that i bought for that picture! oh well, we'll try again soon.

we went to the beachhouse for a weekend in january. it's so nice to just relax and not feel bad about sitting on the couch pretty much the whole day! we managed to take one walk to the coffee shop with kellen in the bob and maya in the ergo.


i've been stalking the rei website for their annual bob stroller sale to purchase a double! can't wait for that!!! maybe it will give me the motivation to pick an event to start training for. i was considering the first ever portland half marathon - but it was too expensive (really the half is more than the whole? couldn't do it on principle!).

aa is as committed as always to his workout and physical therapy regime. he gets up daily around 4:45am to get it all in - i am in awe of how he does it.

we've been watching mad men on dvd from netflix. i love netflix! we've also gotten into modern family. the office dissapoints so far! i loved my book club book selection in january - five quarters of the orange. a great read if anyone is looking for a good book. i'm hosting in feb.

i've been trying to cook more interesting and healthy meals for our family. so far the last couple of weeks i have done a pretty good job. my next mission is to get kellen to eat more...make that some amount of vegetables. currently the only veggies he eats is the carrots in the apple carrot sauce i buy him at trader joes! yesterday we made a smoothie and we put a bunch of spinach in it. he ate it up! high five to me!!! :)

also food related...trying to waste less and be more conscious about the food that goes into our mouths. watching food, inc and an oprah about it has inspired me to want to buy a whole cow from a local farmer, well...maybe just a quarter!

i started taking a baby boot camp class at the nike gym. great class, but since it's all nike spouses that take the class...it made me wish that i was a nike spouse (can enjoy all the benefits at working at such a great company, but get to stay home with my babes!). not looking forward to going back to work. :(