Nine Months

My head is spinning as I write this.  Is it just me, or does a crawling child with so much energy just totally take everything out of you?  Today has been especially exhausting because Risden and I are both fighting head colds and between reaching for Kleenex and keeping him out of sink cabinets I'm spent.  Oh man, but is he as cute as ever?!  He has grown so much in the past 9 months, it's hard to believe he's the same little guy.  He has perfected crawling and can get across our condo in seconds.  Most recently he has also started to walk with his walker and can stand on his own for a split second.  He babbles all the time, preferring "dadadada" and a few other silly sounds.  He still loves studying things and can easily play with a tag for 20 minutes in the car.  His giggles are hilarious, and he laughs pretty much on command.  Tonight while Judd was giving him a bath he pooped in the bathtub and of course, thought it was hilarious.  Our little guy is so sweet and fun, I can't believe that a year is just around the corner.  Crazy!

 

Eight Month Update

Is it just me or does every month come quicker than the last!?  Risden has changed this past month more than any other so far.  About two weeks ago he started crawling and practically grew up overnight.  He went from being my little babe who would stay where I put him, to a pre-toddler with his own agenda.  He started showing signs of crawling (getting on all-fours and rocking back and forth) and within three days figured out how to move his legs and arms to get him moving.  Within a week nothing was off-limits.  

Being as prepared as I am, I ordered a baby gate back in April, only to find it was too small when we opened it when he was officially on the move.  Oops.  So, for about a week while we awaited the replacement, Judd and I were on high-alert (we have a very long interior staircase up to our condo).

One of Risden's favorite games is chasing our cat Hulk.  Hulk wants just about nothing to do with Risden, which sort of breaks my heart because Risden get's rejected all day long. :-/  

As crazy as it is that Risden has started crawling, it has been so fun to watch him get around and get into things he finds interesting.  Plus, his naps have drastically increased in length, and have become very predictable.  I finally have the schedule I have been dying to put him on!    

  

In Defense of the Pinterest Mom

I've been seeing a lot of hype on social networks lately that basically scream, "down with the Pinterest mom! You're making us all look bad!"  I understand that it can be extremely overwhelming to glance through Pinterest and see all of the fabulously beautiful things you could be doing with your time and money and feel really deflated.  I on the other hand, still love Pinterest, and find so much happiness is seeing all sorts of beauty in one place.

What is the purpose of beauty anyway?  God made beautiful sunsets that happen day after day, He created majestic mountain peaks and crystal clear rivers.  So much of our world is beautiful, but for what purpose other than to be beautiful and bring joy to those that experience it?  I think this is part of the reason that I love beautiful things.  I love the joy that a beautiful cake can bring to a party, or the fun decorations that distinguish this celebration from any other day.  I love creating beautiful things from other items that aren't inherently beautiful.  And I love the simple joy that comes from beautiful celebration.

For years I was able to focused my creative energies on my ventures in Architecture school and the work I did after.  Now that Risden is here and I am currently a full-time mom, I do not have this outlet built-in.  Even with my hands full between feeding, bathing and simply just raising a son, I still have as strong of desire as ever to put my hands to use.  And most of all I have Pinterest to thank for all of the ideas and inspiration.  I've never been great at coming up with ideas out of the blue, but I am great at copying!  Even Pablo Picasso was onto something:

"Good artists copy, great artists steal"

Sure paper plates and store-bought cake do not mean a bad party.  The people present are always the most important.  But I do believe that a beautiful backdrop can set this moment apart from others.  This life is meant to be celebrated and beauty is meant to be enjoyed.

And so, in defense of the Pinterest mom, I am not trying to make you feel bad about yourselves by baking a beautiful cake, or trying to decorate well for a party.  My intention is to use my gifts to celebrate, honor, and create an atmosphere that is to be enjoyed.

Here are a few of my recent creative ventures that I have been so honored to be asked to help with:

A friend's First Birthday cake:

Photo Credit: Stephanie Whitehill, Elevate Photography

Our Church, All Souls of Boulder's Celebratory Dinner:

 

 

Photo Credit: Fuse Photographic

Seven Months

It's hard to believe that our cute little dude is seven months old already!  He is really starting to develop quite the personality and getting more and more fun every day.  In fact, today Judd got him giggling on command so hard and for so long, it was hilarious!  Risden is not crawling yet, but he constantly gets onto all fours and rocks back and forth, so we don't think it will be long... He loves cuddles (more like squirming and crawling all over us), kisses (too many kisses!!), waking up from naps, peas, sweet potatoes, water, toys, laughing at Hulk (don't touch please), examining straps, and being tickled.  If he's fed and well slept he's a pretty content and smiley little dude.  We love you so much Risden!

 

Remembering the Birth

Today marks 7 months since Risden's birth.  In a moment of nostalgia, I am remembering his beautiful birth and want to share more pictures.  Judd and I told his birth story here and I included only a few photos.  My friend Laura Ramos at Fuse Photographic spent the entire night with us coaching me and photographing us.  At first I was not sure how I felt about birth photography, but am soooooo glad we had her there to capture these priceless moments.