2014...already??

So here we are in 2014, I can't believe it!

I had such an eventful 2013 that it went by so quickly, too quickly! I spent the first half of the year with huuuuge anticipation for June and it seemed like time was craaaaaawling... then BAM! January 1st, 2014!

Obviously, as anyone who has ever had a baby knows, time FLIES when you have a little one... We were no exception to this phenomenon. I'm hoping that I will learn to keep up with it or at least get used to it... I'm still just blown away some days that I have a daughter and she's already ...months old. Can't imagine when it becomes ...years old!! 

So yes, I am hoping for a lot of things in 2014, but mainly just the chance to enjoy it fully. As in, time not whizzing by me!

I have lots of photos backlogged for the blog... Nothing new there these days so I'm just going to once again skip them and share some more recent ones. :)

Our beautiful tree.

Playing with f-stops, tripods, and Christmas lights...

 

My gorgeous bowl of white hyacinths that started blooming perfectly just before Christmas.

And bokeh!

 

Getting back into lightroom and editing photos into B&W.

Just love the mood.

 

My lavender/blue hyacinths that bloomed right before New Year's.

 

Enjoying what my camera can do in literally no light.

 

And I had so much fun with the fireworks display on New Year's Eve!!

 

 

(These are my favorite because it's like gold glitter in the sky!.....it has my name all over it! Lol!)

So that's pretty much it!

Thanks 2013 for an amazing year!

Where have I been?

Funny how such a small person can take so much of your time... 

Sometimes it's frustrating to never have time for anything or anyone else... 

But I know this time is fleeting....

So I try to embrace the lazy days and cherish every little milestone, giggle, and smile.

She's the most beautiful, wonderful, calm baby I've ever met. And she's mine!! *

Summer passed us by so incredibly fast... No idea where it went!

So I'm trying to milk fall for all it's worth and so far have been rather successful. :)

Some faithful blog fans have asked when I'm going to continue blogging (so here's for ya'll!).

I'll confess, I did consider just letting the blog slide and just moving on.

And I'll admit I did feel a little more than overwhelmed to pick up from where I left off and bring the blog up to date with everything that has happened (and all the new pictures)... but honestly, it's just so much work and time that I don't have to do so.

Therefore, I'm just gonna say HI, HERE I AM!! 

And try to get here a little more often and share my latest pictures and going ons. :)

She's getting much bigger and is becoming less dependent on me (ok, so I get 10 minutes to myself every so often instead of 2 minutes ;) lol) so maybe I have a chance to get back into the blogging groove.

I really do enjoy having a little journal to look back on!

So thanks if you're still here following! 

And hope you had a great summer and equally wonderful fall. :)

 See ya soon!

*I know all mothers feel this way and I'm totally biased. :D

Cuteness overload alert!

I'm the mama so I'm allowed to say that they're the cutest I've ever seen. :) 

Most adorable lady bug outfit. 

Manta being so sweet. 

 

Those are the cutest "shoes" ever. And the cutest leg rolls.

 

And this is the sweeeeeeeetest bear who ever lived. 

 

Awwwwww...!

I'm a MOM!

Well, technically I'm an Äiti (which is mother in Finnish) but that is why I haven't been around to blog! Newborns are work! ;)

But I never have I ever been rendered as speechless and unable to express myself as I am now. This little one has just taken my breath away and turned my brain to mush. :D Parenthood! ;)

Elisabeth Louise was born June 9th at 1.14 a.m. and weighed a teeny weeny 3085g.

The last picture was from my 25th birthday just 3 days after bringing her home. I assure you, the bags under my eyes have almost gone away. She's an incredibly peaceful baby (and every time I say it I must knock on wood, lol!). We are just so blessed! :)

I have more pictures to share from my birthday, midsummer as well as a garden update (!) but I'm running out of time so it will have to wait! 

Until next time! :)

Lately...

These past few days I have been nesting. It's what crazy pregnant women do. Like reorganize walk-in closets, scrub the grout in the shower, vacuum behind couches, reorganize and clean the kitchen cabinets... ya know. It's time consuming. It's tiring. But I'm admittedly rather house-proud and I'm expecting someone very special to come along soon, so it can only be expected!! :)

Also, I've been reading up more on birth since it's getting closer. I have been saying all along (much to the amazement of many) that I'm not scared or nervous and I'd like to go the natural route if possible. So I've been googling natural births and finally caved in and watched "The Business of Being Born" (produced by Ricki Lake of all people, lol!). I wasn't planning on watching it (I had heard about it many months ago) since I figured it would be a lot about how crappy the American health care system was etc (and I just find that sad and depressing since there are those near and dear there), but I read there were a lot of good natural (home) birth experiences on there that I wanted to see, because honestly, who has seen one?

It could be hormones, it could be that I'm sentimental, but I cried throughout the whole thing almost!! I really felt like so many women put into words what I've been meaning all along when I say birth is something I want to experience. And if seeing babies being born isn't enough to bring you to tears, then...you're not me. :D 

If you're interested, check it out. I'll admit it's a little hippy-dippy with the home birth stuff, but it really has a beautiful message for the empowerment of women, no matter your choices.

So lots of pregnancy/birth stuff going on in my brain right now... Which is why I haven't been bothered to crochet. Or do much of anything really. Even the weather has been bad, so I've spent my downtime watching Downton Abbey (thanks pinterest for the idea --I'm hooked!) and sleeping.

I'm waiting for better weather to take some photos outside with the hubster and some blooming apple trees, but I was inspired today by the evening light and ideas from my sister to take photos by the window. 

Hubby helped of course, but I gave him direction. So you could say it was a team effort. ;) 

I know I'm not easy to photograph. :D

Those were the two I liked best. :)

It's pretty late here in my parts, so off to bed it is. 

Tomorrow: gardening!!

I can't wait! I have been missing that place but we sure did need the rain!

See ya soon I'm sure! 

Summer dreaming...

Oh how I wish it were May/June...! 

Not only then will I start my maternity leave, but I'll be waiting to meet my baby girl (who is active and kicking these days) for the first time!

 

All of the flowers in this post were taken during May/June last year... I can wait to make bouquets and posies and put them all over the new apartment. (Hopefully, and very likely, we will have moved by then!)

 

I know for me the gardening season may be too much/too hard considering what this body is going to endure... but I can't help but hope I'll be able to pitch in at the garden and do my favorite things (planting, weeding, and planning!). 

Well, the planning bit I've already started in my mind... ;) And on my pinterest gardening board.

And I will definitely be able to help grow the seedlings. Oh my...all the possibilities!!

 

 

She will be born during a most fragrant time of the year... lilies of the valley, lilacs...

Oooh and all the pansies to come next year! ♥♥♥

Our next apartment will have a balcony, so you can only imagine what I will have in little pots out there. ;)

(Especially if you followed the blog before this, A Sorta Fairytale, when we had a little patio decked out in pansies for the summer!)

Ah, those colors. ♥

Only a few more months to go... ;)

♥ Home again ♥

 MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We are finally home again and boy, does it feel it good!! 

I loved our three weeks in Florida and we got to do and see and eat a lot of good stuff in addition to much wanted family time... but home is home. Ain't no getting around it. :)

So basically I've slept almost the entire day... not really jet lag per say, just happy to be in my own bed and enjoying cuddling with my big Koda bear and sleeping off three weeks of being on the go. 

I guess now that I've come clean to all my friends and family, I can post it here as well... 

This family is growing by one little girl as of June!! :)

.........so not sure if that explains why I was a HORRIBLE blogger last fall... talk about all day every day  "morning" sickness!!! Luckily that went away just in time for our trip and I was able to enjoy the time there to the fullest! :)

We had such an eventful trip (mainly shopping, lol!) but here are some highlights. 

Honestly, I didn't take many pictures. What can I say, I've seen it all a million times before so not much there seems special to me. Therefore, I passed on plenty of touristy shots. :D 

We celebrated Christmas Eve in South Florida Finnish style at my sister's with her family and my brother and his family. :)

Before the evening's festivities, hubby and I got up early and went to the beach to watch the sunrise. 

 

We celebrated Christmas morning in Northern Florida with my in-law's. It was our Baby Nephew's first Christmas and everyone outdid themselves with the presents! I think we all got pretty spoiled! :D 

After Christmas hubby headed for a mini trip to Maine to see relatives and I met my sister in Upstate New York to see my godmother. Here are a couple snapshots from where we stayed as well as the granny square blanket completed!!!

This picture doesn't do the colors and justice, but as you can see, it was a gray day. She loved the blanket as well and I think as a sometime crocheter, she understood what I meant when I said I crocheted it with her in mind and love and well wishes put into every stitch. 

 

After our respective trips, we continued spending time with my in-laws in Orlando.

I took lots of pictures of my nephews, including the furry one, Harley. :)

And I was amazed by this crazy huge flock of birds at my mother-in-law's house. They were some kind of little bird and there were soooo many of them swooping around in a cloud! Here they just look like little black specks, go figure. :D

And that's it. All the photos I took that weren't people pictures. I guess it was just one of those vacations. Like I said, it's hard to take pictures of things that are so ordinary to you. Especially when Florida is not a naturally beautiful state (besides the beach of course!). 

Ah, so back to daily life. 

I've graduated. Should probably get a job. Ick! ;)

I'm pregnant. Should probably start crocheting some girly stuff! (YAYYY!)

And I'm home... which means things are as they should be. :)

Hope your new year is off to a great start and only good things are to come!!

I think 2013 has a lot of good in store for me!! :)

Ponderings

Oh me oh my.

It seems this fall, I'm in a funk.

It's not a bad funk, I am actually quite happy... but I just can't seem to get anything done.

So very tired!!

Honestly, I'm looking forward to our trip to the States SO much that I am just counting down the days (41, if you were wondering). :)

I know why I am looking forward to our trip... can't wait to see special people, do special things, eat special foods etc etc. 

So, I am hoping time will pass quickly but painlessly. I can't wait for November to be over! (a sad thing to say on only the 3rd!) :D

It's stressful graduating and having to take care of all these final things and tests and such. Let alone, find a job!! We're gonna be fudged come January if things don't work out... and for some reason, I just can't find the energy or enthusiasm for job hunting. I suppose going to school for "the wrong degree" might have some effect on my mood. :P

Coulda, shoulda, woulda. 

Consequences are what they are... I just hope it all works out in the end.

So now that I have vented my frustrations and worries, I can focus on more "fun" things. :)

Like cleaning the house! Brushing the poor knotted mess of a dog! Cleaning the fish tank! Doing the dishes!

AHAHAHHAHAH!!!

It's a miracle I got out of bed before noon. ;)

I don't want to make this a pictureless post, so these are some pictures from last Sunday. I did a two year photo shoot of my friend's daughter and took some sweet family pictures of them too. :)

We went to the arboretum... which was still then covered in snow. Fortunately (?) the snow has since melted.

 I totally can relate to these roses covered in snow.

Thanks for stopping by, despite my glum mood. 

:)

Hope your weekend is a happy one!!