#fivemonthsandcounting

it feels so 'been said before' to say, god dammit i am going to lose (at least) 10lbs if it kills me slightly disables me. my wedding is in five months-now that it is less than six away i feel like it is so close! i don't think that i need to lose a ton of weight, but i am definitely excited about toning up and getting healthy. no more soda, seriously limited sweets, and fresh completely made by us meals (no boxed anything).
to kick off our new lifestyle we have picked back up p90x and are feeling very determined to stick with it! so far both tim and i have done a cardio disc on our own and are doing another one like ab ripper or yoga together when he gets home. also, i am going to start doing the treadmill in the gym here at our apartments; it is pretty mice and cutting edge but when you live in a complex with 500+ units it is hit or miss if you'll get a turn.
so, i totally fell in love with the idea of clean eating from jess at irocksowhat. i mean, duh! what a basic idea to be more healthy<--i know i have gotten so lazy in the kitchen and my kids end up eating mac and cheese three days in a row. on top of this i am also going to try and stay away from as much dairy and bread as possible-not totally cutting it out, but just seriously limiting it.
here is a little info via http://www.eatcleandiet.com/

"It is eating the way nature intended. You eat the foods our bodies evolved to function best on, and that makes you feel – and look – fantastic. When you Eat Clean you eat more often. You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. These practices keep your blood-sugar levels stable and keep you satisfied. The best part is that if you need to lose weight it will happen almost without you having to try. And yes, you can have a treat now and again."

i can't wait to try out all of the yummy recipies i am finding. last night we started with this one from our bon appetit magazine:

Chickpea salad with lemon and fresh herbs

2 15oz cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp chopped fresh italian parsley

4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

8 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 small garlic cloves, pressed

2/3 c of freshly grated parmesan, or we used feta

coarse salt to taste

mix all together and chill for a little bit

you can add some siracha to give it a kick and experiment with different herbs, cheeses, and added veggies!

i think i am going to start checking in mondays with a weigh in and some recipies that we are trying, but for now...ugh, i am at 148lbs. which, don't get me wrong isn't the most horrible weight for someone who is 5'8" and twenty-six years old with three kids (one in the last year) but i really want to get down to 140lbs-138lbs-ish and then lose inches most of all. bye bye muffin top! before i got pregs with stella i was at my smallest ever! it was nuts all i did was cut out sweets and soda and WALKED (i don't know mileage) but for two hours a day on all different terrains. i got down to a size 3, but sadly my hips spread so much with s that nothing pants wise i had just invested in wardrobe wise will ever fit again. so here's to hoping for a size 4?

things overheard at church this week.

i don't claim to be any sort of marital genius. it is no secret that i have been married and ran like hell when i couldn't give anymore of me in trying to rectify what was left of a emotionally tragic relationship.
it is also no secret that i have found love again, in my best friend. someone who compliments me perfectly who expects nothing more than my love, gives his all, and in return gets it all back. it is something magical.
this week at church the topic was marriage (we have been in a long series all revolving around love, relationships, and abuse.) and it was a talk in which the 'message' vibrated through my being and i feel the pull to tell you about some of the points: the work that goes into your marriage is the most important work you can ever do.

disclaimer: i am in NO WAY being judgmental or trying to force anything on anyone. these opinions are my own and something i am personally taking to heart. you can take as little or as much away from this as you like. i am purely on a mission to give tim and my family the marriage and life they deserve and i feel these are all great points.

1. count YOUR blessings. 'comparison' is the theif of joy: an evil that slips into your heart and wreaks havoc-it is so easy to find imperfections in your home when you are measuring them against everyone else.
i am guilty of it. being a devoted blogger i come across a lot of moments i am jealous of and feel the struggle to turn my back on the temptation to think less of my own life abundant with blessings. or even torture tim with the attempt to be more like someone else.

2. social networking is a-moral, it can be used for good. it can be used for evil. right now stop and recall how many conversations you have had with different friends where fb, blogger, twitter, and more have caused an issue in a relationship? unfortunately, it is used for bad more than good.
what are you posting? think about it: as a married mom do you take a photo of you in a string bikini with a drink in hand surrounded by friends of the opposite sex to dinner and pass it around? is this something that makes your significant other feel good?

3. set boundaries. practice mental monogamy. pay attention to your media intake. practice vocal monogamy. keep me from paying attention to what is worthless Psalm 119:37

4. lead by example. this one really resonates with me-it is our job to teach our children how to be husbands and wives; especially today with so much negative outside influence from friends, media, and so on.
when a healthy relationship is so prevalent in your household. i LOVE jess from irocksowhat 's quote on top baby blogs 'wife to josh. mother to wyatt. not reversed.' lead with grace.

5. have a date night. once a week, or once a month. trade friends, or save for a babysitter.

6. submit to one another out of reverence for Christ 1 Corinthians 13:5. submission works both ways. are you setting up your spouse to fail? or supporting them to be great?

7. build intimacy. at the top of the man's list is sex and at a woman's is compassion.

stella's birthstory.

it may have not have been natural or to our favorite band or even exactly the way i pictured it. but it was stella's birth and it changed who i was for forever. her story is being featured over at spearmint babya kick arse everything awesome site. check it out: http://www.spearmintbaby.com/

i heart faces: slice of life.

this is easily my new favorite photo. there is something just so 'magical' about the play happening in this photo...or maybe it is the way stella is blurry in the background or how the sun is streaming in. i just love it.

my week in phone pics.

despite the amazing-ly crazy epic fun week that we had, i have a lack of phone photos for you.
surprised?

sunday: we piled the kids into the car for our second trip to a children's museum that week (to ours, where we have a membership this time) we also happened to be meeting up with a friend who was going to let the bigs hitch a ride to their dad's for a couple of weeks. sad face.
then we hit up a hockey game with corbin, lennox, and their mommies/daddies.
monday: stella and i slept in and then played with her new toys.
tuesday: stella's birthday! so we sat around a drank milk all day.
wednesday: one year well check with two shots. of course dr. ginsberg was impressed with stella's progress and genius. we also got the final go ahead to see a audiologist at children's to possibly get tubes put in.

thursday: we took daddy's car to get an oil changed and then being the best f. wife ever i also washed and vacuumed out his car. would you believe stella slept through the whole thing?! she was SUPER good at the honda dealership eating her fish crackers and strawberries. oh, and before we did any of this...i got tim's fav chili that i make going in the crock pot. the keys to his heart? i haz them.
friday: we met a new blogger friend resse and her mommy amanda along with jill/corbin and ellie/amanda and had an epic day of fun in the pnw sun! and finally, i got tim to help me rehang stella's wall collage...since moving her in with the bigs.
today: uneventful and lacking cell phone photos. the end.

whoa, spring.

i love when my weekends start off with a bang-and when i say bang, i mean with a epic bloggy baby party complete with maple whiskey bacon cupcakes.

stella and i got the pleasure of meeting another one of our favorite pnw bloggers amanda and resse from raising reese. jill and corbin, and amanda and ellie  were there too!

it all started with a dieing desire to finally get to meet amanda and reese, the gorgeous ladies behind raising reese. first amanda and i took the girls to open gym at a local place for the girls to use the tramp and dive into the icky foam pit!

we started with a meet up at the germ pit at our local mall and quickly moved onto lunch with the little ones. with the sun streaming in we decided to hit up the little park next to the mall for some walking, playing, and sunshine. every last second was so fun! 

before we headed back to our cars we figured it was a absolute must to hit up cupcake royale down the street (you remember, where we threw rowan's birthday party last year?). we got a little lost on the way but it was still fun walking and chatting!

i didn't have my stroller so we piled ellie and stella into hers-it was quite hilarious! (then there was the part where we made them share a swing too.)

thanks for such a fun day ladies!

the birthday girl.

dress: old navy
headband: a gift from a little king and i

the end of an era: the cupcake months. aka stella is one!

wow, here we are a whole year later since the day stella blessed out lives. what an amazing year it has been! full of firsts, adventures, learning, curiosity, and growing as a family. stella is the perfect addition and balances us all well-the best parts of tim and i in both looks and personality.

i won't have stella's official check up stats until tomorrow (shots, ouch!) and i will update with them as soon as we are home. in the meantime: stella is walking, talking (mama, dada, uh-uh, no, stella, sissy, and more), signing, eating with her fingers, using only sippy cups, drinking whole milk, sleeping through the night, playing with toys the way they are meant, she mothers her dolls, climbs stairs, talks on the phone, plays the drum, stacks blocks, knocks them down, and more...i could go on and on.

her favorite foods are bananas, oatmeal, waffles, cucumbers, blue berries, strawberries, macaroni, peas, carrots, rice, soup, beans, mandarin oranges, applesauce, yogurt and granola, pretty much whatever!

at her last check she weighed around 21lbs. we plan on staying rear facing till at least 2, maybe more. we might get the final say on tubes for her ears since we have been battleing one ear infection after another since she was born. sad.

stella's favorite thing to do is play with her friends; corbin, lennox, ellie, bennett, hailey, parker, ruari, josh, eep sorry if i am forgetting anyone! we try to do at least one play date a week or more if we can. she loves going to the museum or the mall to play. loves loves the park, going on walks, and when daddy pushes her in a swing.

it is so crazy to think back over the last year. i have already done this twice before so i knew exactly how fast it really goes! it is nuts.

it's a birthday filled week: a letter from daddy!

first of all let's get this out of the way: it is stella's birthday today!

your favorite hi, baby. baby is a baby no more! she is a walking, talking, playing, learning one year old. well...she will be officially at about 5pm tonight.
sorry if you were looking for 'it's a birthday filled week' posts yesterday. we were absolutely exhausted from a weekend of partying and fun and i figured you would forgive me this one time.
later today if i survive my finals i will have up stella's monthly photo set and stats and a look back on the last twelve months. savor them, because the cute little numbers in cupcakes will be no more-it has progressively gotten harder and harder to tame stella into the rocking chair month after month and i figure being so cute and all she has earned herself a retirement from it.
oh, and-insert seriously sad face here; i took almost NO photos at stella's party. it was so crazy and there were so many people here that before i knew it the party was ending and i hadn't picked up my camera at all! weirdly, i am ok with it-i got a few and the memories are there for good.
so, all week i have been saving the best for last-a letter from daddy to stella on her special day. when he handed it to me last night, i was a balling sappy proud mama dripping tears all over my math final study stuff.
do you have your tissues?

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Dear Stella
I remember the day your mother told me that you were going to be joining us in this world, the rush of thoughts and emotions that flooded my head.  I was going to be a father.  When we found out that you were going to be a girl, I wondered what kind of craziness is our house to become, you being girl number 3.  I was going to be way outnumbered, but somehow knew you would help balance our family.  I waited anxiously as you grew inside your mother’s belly.  I wondered who you would look like, hoping you would look more like your beautiful mother more than me.
I can remember the day just like it was yesterday, I was at work and knew that your mother was going in for a doctor’s appointment.  We weren’t expecting you for  at least another week or two.  But then I got a phone call, It was your mother; she said “you need to leave work right now; I am on way to the hospital, meet me there”.  I was on my way very shortly and was very excited, I was so anxiously awaiting your arrival.  After being at the hospital for a few hours, you made your appearance; my little Stella was finally here.
The first couple weeks you gave us a scare, you weren’t gaining weight like you should’ve.  But that didn’t last long, you were on your way to be the becoming the strong little girl you are today.  It seemed like just yesterday that whenever you would cry the one song I would sing that would make you stop and smile was Old Mac Donald.  I do appreciate that you have moved on from Old Mac Donald to taking a liking to Arcade Fire.  Keep up the good taste in music.  I remember giving you your first bath, you getting your first tooth, eating solid foods, saying “dada” and “mama” for the first times.  It all feels like it just happened yesterday.
You have become such a great little person in the first year being here.  You have built quite the personality for yourself.  I love how you are calm and reserve, silly and funny, curious and adventurous, and such an easy baby to take care of.  I cannot wait to see the great person that you will grow up to be.  But don’t grow up too fast, because your first year already went way too fast.  Never stop smiling and never lose that sense of curiosity and adventure.  Happy 1st Birthday to my always precious little Stelly, I can’t believe that you are already 1.

Love,
Daddy

t-birds vs. americans

what a fun weekend, seriously one for the books! it was go go go all weekend with museum trips (two in one week!), dinner out, stella's party, life, church, and then we got invited to the last t-birds game of the season by tessa, tyson and lennox.
it was so perfect-we were set up in a suite so it was a great space for the babes to roam around while the adults watched the game and talked. did i mention that jill and corbin were there?!
stella brought a bag full of toys, snacks and some pjs to change into when it got later; it looked like everyone else had the same idea! we hardly ended up watching the game at all; we were having so much fun chatting and playing with the babies!
stella is such a little person now (it seriously happened over night). she was walking all around and interacting with her friends-sharing and gabbing away.
i am not sure why but i was loving my favorite black and white lr preset when editing these photos:

it's a birthday filled week: some thoughts from natalie!

ok, so you already know i have to most amazing man in my life that i get to call stella's dad and my f. hubs. he is the yin to my whatever and more! with stella's first year coming to a close i asked a few of his oldest friends to chime in on the 'changes' they have seen in him since we found out that stella would be blessing us with her arrival.

tim has known natalie since grade school in minnesota and somehow both wound up in washington and she has become one of our closest friends. i was so excited when she agreed to share her thoughts and i was practically balling at how sweet the letter she sent me was! lets hear what she has to say!

ps: stella's party was amazing and i a. forgot candles and b. forgot to take any photos of the deco or pretty much anything except her opening gifts. so sue me, i guess i was just preoccupied with all of the fun! post to come soon...

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When Melissa asked me to write up a little diddy on my impression of Tim becoming a dad and the changes I’ve noticed in him, it immediately brought me back to the 5th grade when Tim was the new kid in class. He sat at my table along with Billy kautz, another new kid. I remember Billy told everyone at the table that I farted (which I SWEAR ON MY LIFE it was my shoe) and Tim stuck up for me. 

And then there was middle school; little fishes in a big pond and our first encounter with co-ed dances. As if this wasn’t awkward in itself, I wasn’t allowed to have a boyfriend yet (per my mom’s rules) so while all my friends were high- fiving their boyfriends I was getting teased because I couldn’t have one. Tim never teased me, though. 

When I reached high school and wearing your boyfriend’s football jersey during the school pep rally and home games meant you were notably in the ‘cool’ crowd, you could imagine how devastated I was when my boyfriend broke up with me the DAY before one of the biggest home games of my senior year. Here I was, jersey-less. Even though Tim was friends with my ex he offered to let me wear his jersey during the game, saving me from social suicide!

After rekindling our friendship a few years ago when we both realized we lived in Washington it didn’t surprise me that he offered to drive me to the airport so I could avoid paying over-priced parking fees, or invite me along to enjoy pee-wee T-ball so I could meet Melissa, a new friend.  Since I was going through a tough time in my personal life being around Tim was something to look forward to. He taught me that no matter what point you’re at in your life, it’s worth enjoying even if it’s the road less traveled. I saw Tim happily take on a relationship with a courageous mother and her two exquisite little girls. Talk about estrogen overload; but the man wore it proudly.

When heart throb number three came along (enter Stella) I saw a fearless daddy excited to embrace his new life. I wish I could give you a story where I noticed some remarkable change, but Tim embraced parenthood long before Stella. He wasn’t just ‘Tom’; he was a friend, role model, and nurturing guardian to two little girls outside of his gene pool. Nothing shy of setting the blueprint for how all men should act. 

Happy 1st Birthday Stella. It took you merely a minute to steal your dad’s heart and wrap him around your tiny finger. Imagine what you did in a year! 

custom keepsake tile review and giveaway.

i was so excited when i was asked to review these customizable keepsake tiles by sadie ryan keepsakes, of course i replied right away with a yes! 


somethings i am loving about it: 
it is very well made; sturdy, clean, sharp, and detailed. 
it is creative; it is a wonderful way for me to display stella's announcement without sticking it in a boring old frame. 
sadie ryan tiles are a great company to do business with; they communicate great and the shipping was very quick! 
options; you have many choices when customizing your tile-you can do a plain color OR black/white photo, you can do an invitation, an announcement, or just a simple photo.


i would absolutely recommend this item-i am already thinking about having something similar made with our wedding invitations.


and, guess what? you can win one too! here is how...
please leave an individual comment for each thing that you do and each one is worth one entry.
you must:
1. leave me a comment letting me know what you would put on your tile.
there are a few other ways that you can enter:
1. follow me, or let me know that you already do! 
2. follow sadie ryan keepsakes on facebook.
3. tweet this giveaway with this: @olive_juiced win a beautiful custom Sadie Ryan Keepsake tile! http://tinyurl.com/4qnjs8w


the giveaway will run until 8pm on the 2nd of april. good luck!

it's a birthday filled week: guest blogger rachael!

it's almost time for the party to start-while you wait for a party post check out some of the amaizing guest posters that i have this week! stella has some really awesome people who love her!

i asked my long long time friend's wife rachael to chime in today. she is an amazing writer (her blog) and mother to two beautiful kids-one of which who is one! let'shear what advice she can give to stella and i!

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So often as a parent you are pulled emotionally in two directions at the same time. You so look forward to watching your child change and grow, while not wanting to let go of where they are now. For me, my baby turning one was NOT one of these times. There was only one emotion and it sounded something like “Nooooooo!”. I was desperate to avoid the loss of “babyhood”, aching to keep my sweet boy small, still willing to rock and nurse and still needing me more than anyone else in the world. I yelled at friends who dared use the word “toddler”, dreaded the days leading up to the event, and made many a mountain out of molehills. The day of his first birthday party, I had a meltdown of epic proportions -about frosting of all things – the utensil-throwing-drawer-slamming-leave-mommy-alone-while-she-freaks-out kind of meltdown that comes out of nowhere and can only happen when the problem is Definitely. Not. Frosting.

I was reeling, really. It didn’t help that I had lost my mom two months before, my mind often slipping back to the fact that his grandma wouldn’t see him turn one. Nor did it help that it was becoming apparent I would be going back to work soon, leaving my NOT toddler with a daycare for the first time. I was a mess. Landon wasn’t my first baby but it had been 10 years, so I’d forgotten that there are positives to this transition.

A first birthday is not the end of your relationship with your “baby”. In fact, it’s just the beginning.

 LJ is now 19 months old. He’s an amazing bundle of energy and an unending source of joy. Over the last 7 months, my baby has become a boy. His first wobbly steps have turned into a confident walk and run, independently climbing on chairs and couches and going up and down stairs. To say that the second year is a language explosion is an understatement – the words that he learns every day bring surprise and laughter to our home. His facial expressions are priceless, he sleeps through the night, and he can “help” bring stuff to Mama or Daddy or put his shoes in his room. Every single day, he amazes me.

 So Melissa, take a moment to say goodbye to your baby Stella. Examine her face, the roundness of her cheeks, the pudgy little fingers on her oh-so-soft hands. These things won’t change overnight, but they will change. Gratefully, with that change will come the discovery of a person – one who may not need you as much as they used to, but who loves you with every ounce of their being. And they’ll say so.

Just this week, Landon started to say “Love you!”. He’ll probably stop soon because I make him repeat it so often, but it is so incredibly gratifying, so capable of brightening even the worst day, so AMAZING to hear that you’ll actually be glad that you weren’t actually able to keep your baby a baby after all.

 Happy Birthday, Stella. Don’t forget as you run off to discover the world to come back to Mama every now and then to say “wa-woo!”

it's a birthday filled week: something from aunt holly!

woo-hoo, today is party day! the decorations are hung, the balloons are blown up, the cake is waiting to be smashed, and now were just waiting for guests to arrive. i am so excited for today we have some good guest posts lined up (not that every last one hasn't been amazing!)

last night i made stella's first birthday slideshow to play in the background at her party and to have as a keepsake and it totally got me all teary! what an amazing blessed year our family has had especially with stella joining us. i can't wait to make more memories with my little ones!

i asked stella's aunt holly to say a few things today. tim's first niece vivian was born just a short two months before stella and we can already tell that they will grow up being the best of friends! it is so fun putting them in matching outfits and taking photos. i can't wait to read this!

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eating bugs. playing “dress up.” duck hunt. being terrorized by pigs. legos. green bean casserole. marco! polo!

These are just a few of the memories I have of your daddy (as his big sister) growing up.  Now our childhood is past and we each have our own dear daughters. You have your daddy’s sense of adventure and love for exploration – barriers may slow you down, but they won’t stop you! You get that same mischievous twinkle in your eye when you get an idea to do something you know you’re not supposed to do. And you have the sweetness that makes it plain fun to hang out with you.

hanging out on the floor gym. swim party. cousins photo shoot. sleepover. tearing up a magazine while yelling “No No!” at the top of your lungs. eating cupcakes.

These are some of the memories that we have made with you. You are already one year old, and I can’t wait to see all the new memories we will create with you as you grow up. (Ask your dad for his opinion, but you might want to skip trying some of the things he did . . . green bean casserole, for instance.)

Love and Kisses from your Aunt Holly

it's a birthday filled week: guest blogger allie!

it is friday! which mean that tomorrow is stella's big beach birthday bash and i can't wait to share photos with you guys! i am not going too crazy and trying to keep it simple but memorable-so stay tuned.

i am feeling so blessed by the amazing blog friends that stella and i have made this last year! today allie from it's a wonderful life is helping us out with a guest post. her little henry is such a stud and stella is totally calling husband dubs on him. i love love love allie, she is such a sweetheart and good mom! i can't wait to hear what she has to say!

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I was so excited when Melissa asked me to write a post in honor of Stella's big O-N-E.I have loved watching Stella grow and following the adventures of Melissa and her adorable family (have you all seen her engagement photos? I told you, adorable!). Ummm, ok. Stella is going to be one? Where has time even gone? Henry and I had the opportunity to meet Stella last summer and our babies just sat on the blanket, unable to even crawl at the time. Now I'm watching videos of Stella making soup and walking wobbly towards her daddy and it's blowing my mind. 

Let me just say: ONE IS FUN. So much fun. I'm loving watching my little Henry turn into an individual. Already I see his personality developing, such a strong willed and determined boy with a love for animals and the occasional snuggle. We can communicate some and I'm having a complete blast actually knowing what he wants instead of frantically handing him everything off of the counter as he screams, sprawled out on the floor. 

Just last week my husband looked at me and said, "I like this age. He's just so funny and starting to do so many awesome things..." Awesome things like high-fives and throwing balls and eating the cat. If I could, I'd freeze time right here for just a little bit longer than I know it's going to last. I'm in love.

Happy Happy Birthday Stella!

it's a birthday filled week: a letter from stella's godparents!

whew! what a great week of stella birthday fun posts we have had so far!

when i started asking people to participate in this special week the first place i went to was stella's godparents jesse and adrienne. we didn't even have to think twice when choosing these amazing people to help guide stella through life. of course they were totally on board and even asked if they could send her a hand written copy to have as a keepsake...um, yes!

tim and jesse have been best friends since high school and even though half the us now separates them they have still been able to maintain what i think is an amazing kind of friendship. i can only dream for stella to have and hold lifetime friendships like this close to her own heart.

i was a puddle of happy tears when i read what they had to say!

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Dear Stella Jolie,

Happy 1st Birthday sweet girl!  It's hard to believe you are already 1 year old!  We still very clearly remember the night we got the phone call saying that you made your debut into the world.  It was a moment full of joy and excitement.  We were so thrilled for your mom and dad and so very anxious to meet you.  We did get to meet you about a month after you were born and let me just say you were even more adorable in person than in all of the awesome pictures we saw.  It was love at first sight! A few weeks later, your mom and dad called us and asked us to be your godparents.... a phone call that changed our lives.  We can't even begin to explain how honored and excited we were.  We talked about how we wanted to watch you grow up and be a support system for you.  We talked about all of the fun and exciting events to come.  We talked about our wishes for you and how we wanted you to grow up knowing how loved you are.  We were so honored to be invited to be such a big part of your life!

We live in Georgia, so we don't get to see you as often as we would like.  It's a good thing your mom is so great about documenting your growth and milestones through pictures, videos, phone calls, and e-mails!  We love to see videos of you singing and laughing!  It's awesome to see pictures of you with your big sisters too!  We really want you to know how much we love you.  We are so proud to be your godparents.  You are in our hearts and on our minds everyday.  We vow to always love and support you and always be here for you in any and every way possible.  We miss you terribly, but we hope that you have an amazing 1st birthday.  You have grown and accomplished so much in this first year, we can't wait to see what your future has in store for you!

Happy Birthday Stella!

Love Always,

Adrienne & Jesse

it's a birthday filled week: a hilarious story from chelsey!

there is nothing like a baby with a mustache to get me through my day! stella wanted to put on her best one for you since it is her big day coming up!

i am so excited about this little story that chelsey from the paper mama put together for stella-it has been so fun getting to know the gorgeous ruari and her mama over the last year-ish. we are so bummed they live so far away but are totally looking forward to the times we get to see them coming up here! prepare to laugh your butt off and some adorable babies with mustaches and their special story!

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Wow... Little Miss Stella Boo is already turning 1? I can't believe it. I remember stumbling across the Hi, Baby blog WAY back when I first started blogging. I think Ruari and Stella were destined to be friends from the beginning. You see, they both had mustaches... Yes. Baby mustaches. And, they felt like they may be the only babies in the WHOLE wide world that have mustaches. So alone.

So alone.

Until one day I just randomly googled: "Baby Mustaches" and the Hi, Baby blog came up (ok, not really... but, that would be funny if it did! Ok, I just googled baby mustaches. You should totally try it). So, when I told baby Ruari that I had come across ANOTHER baby with a mustache... she was BEYOND thrilled! She spit out her food and screamed, "Goo!" 

So Melissa and I planned a baby meet up in hopes that our babies would become friends and accept their mustaches! At first they were very shy....

But, with time and lots of texting (cause Stella and Ruari already have cell phones) they grew close... and then became friends. And, with this new support they both learned that even though they are babies with mustaches... they are beautiful and awesome just they way they are. 

Happy Birthday baby Stella! You are beautiful and amazing!

♥ Chelsey and Ruari

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