23 things to do before 24

1. Develop an idea I have, and open an etsy shop

2. Crochet a granny square blanket

3. Create a blog I'm proud of (and a name!)

4. Dedicate more time for my relationship with Jesus.

5. Write a letter to at least one person a month.

6. Take the Handmade pledge..YAY!!!

7. Find some friends to craft with

8. Create a schedule for housework.

9. Sew a dress or skirt for myself.

10. Journal my pregnancy from last year.

11. Sew curtains for master bedroom and stain my dresser.

12. Learn how to use my camera...not using Auto all the time

13. Work hard to lose my "babyskin" by going to the gym 3x a week.

14. Complete my pre/post natal fitness instructor certification.

15. Go on an awesome road trip.

16. Bake and decorate an amazing cake for Cohen's first birthday

17. Buy some original art for my home.

18. Give blood

19. Keep Flickr updated (take more pics)

20. Write love letters to my husband.

21. Plant a wicked awesome garden.

22. Take Cohen for a walk (when its nice outside)

23. Write a children's book with Jason

Today is my 23rd birthday...and those are my goals.

I love my little family!

xoxo

i guess its my birthday soon

My birthday is on Sunday. My feelings toward it are neutral. I don't have a problem with the age (23). I have always love birthdays and was always super excited for mine. But this year is different and I don't know why.

In an effort to increase my own personal excitement I put together a wish list:

an sweet Team Lovely Painting by Elsie
awesome plaid ipod touch skin

Chariot jogging stoller with bike attachment

fujimax instax (I would even take one without hello kitty on it)

amazing hoodie by Replicca

toms (love this pair)

my own sewing machine (again hello kitty version not required)

all images not sourced are from google images

tamara

xoxo

a little thrown together

this is the kind of day its been here (the view from my kitchen window)

I had a great crafting day on Saturday. Cohen was sleeping and Jason was working. It was so awesome to have some time to work on my Style School projects!

My little son is super adorable. This week he learned how to sit on his own. Sometimes he falls i.e the pic above. It makes him so much happier (if that was possible). He just hates his exersaucer now. He also started to babble a whole lot more. Cohen just brings me so much joy. If I'm ever tired or cranky he just smile at me and my mood instantly changes.

I love being a mommy!

I can't wait until he says cute things like Holly's boy Simon! (mommy I ate a candle..hilarious)

all for now,

tamara

xoxo

mommy post

Well..today is the day..Cohen is just over 6 months old..and I've decided to stop giving him any breastmilk. I am feeling so guilty about this but I think its time.
When he was almost two months old I was admitted to the hospital with a staff infection and mestitis. The end result was that my left breast had to lanced and drained due to a severe infection and my milk never returned. My right breast was still producing but hardly anything at all. I was nursing and feeding him formula for every feeding. When he cut two teeth and learned how to bite and I stopped nursing him altogether..I figured he wasn't getting much anyways and I didn't want to be a chew toy.
SO..up until today I've been pumping every few hours and then topping up his bottles of formula with breastmilk. I know its good for them but I don't think the amount that he gets is really going to help him.
It will be nice not to have to worry about pumping and everything...but I loved being able to supply my baby with "nature's food", whatever little bit it was. I know I probably could have seen myself pumping for another year but I know the longer I do the harder it will be for me to stop.
Nothing about my post natal recovery was good. I had planned to breastfeed until 9 months for sure so all this is just hard to swallow. I feel like I'm letting myself down. Wish me luck!

While I feeding Cohen is breakfast my mind started to wonder to his first birthday party. I want it to be so special. I love summer parties. Jason and I's birthdays are both in the dead of winter so it will be nice to celebrate in some warmer weather.

We have super tree in our backyard for a tire swing and that's what I want to get Cohen for his birthday.
I started to search for some pictures and became really inspired by the glorious trees with tire swings on them....

all pics found on flickr

love lune

I won Studio Lune's Holiday Giftaway. Today I received my loot and this is some of what I won:

Thank you so much Jill and Mel!


tamara

xoxo

a dream

I always thought that as soon as I was a stay at home wife/mother I would have all the time in the world to further my relationship with Jesus. I would always say "Ok God, just let me stay at home and then I will have time for you" But I realized that's not the case. It doesn't matter whether you work or not, you will always have an excuse..you have to make time.

I had a dream the other night that was very bizarre in some of the details. (like all dogs DO go to heaven but they have to be given a shot for pain, because on the journey to heaven their paw nails melt!) I know .... crazy. In my dream, we all new Jesus was coming back and we were just sitting outside waiting..like we knew it was for sure going to happen in a matter of minutes. But I had a sudden panic that I didn't know if I was going to heaven or not. And I was looking for Jason and he was asleep on the couch watching tv. (which is something we argue about often) And I told him..How can you sleep on a day like this???? Anyways, for me this dream was a wake up call..if I want to have peace about my eternal future..I have to make time for a relationship with Jesus. I want to be secure about my future and the future of my family. I have son to raise now and I want to be an example for him. After my dream I woke up Jason and we had a good talk at 6:30 in the morning, and Jason was suprisingly alert..If you knew Jas then you would know that he loves his sleep and almost nothing interuppts it. We made a decision to shut the tv off in the evening and do our personal and couple devotions. We don't even have cable so all that's on is usually just those lame entertainment news shows.

I think this will really help us make time for Jesus and eachother.
This was kinda personal but it feels good to have a place to vent and just "talk" it out!

xoxo

A year in pictures

Maybe its because I have a baby now..but I'm becoming really obsessed with taking as many pictures I can. I'm not really into "photography" but I love having pictures of things and people that I love.

So one of my goals for 2010 is to take a picture everyday. Here is what I have so far:

Also I entered Janel's Peace..Pass it on giveaway with this photo: I tried to hold up Cohen's fingers but he just wouldn't cooperate.

have a great weekend!

xoxo