Mayfield Park

If you ever need a gorgeous backdrop for a photo, just find a muddy brown lake like this one. She's a real beauty huh?

Well this trip to Mayfield Park was back in our hotel living days shortly after moving to Austin. We did everything we could to stay out of the hotel as long as possible on the weekends. But it was the middle of June and hot and humid, so our trips to the park were most enjoyable on the drive there and back inside the AC blowing car. We also became regulars at one of the mall play gyms........AND around Costco pretending like we're shopping but just there for the samples, just being honest here.

Back to this park: we went on a Saturday morning before it was extremely hot and sticky and it was actually a beautiful place. I heard there were peacocks that roamed around here and thought Lincoln might get a kick out of it. So we walked around the trails trying to track a peacock down-- we could hear them, but never did quite spot one until the very end. Turns out they roam around this garden and pond area by the parking at the end of the trails. Good thing the trails were a hit with Lincoln because he wasn't a fan of those peacocks. C'mon peacocks, can't you be a little more entertaining for my boy?

we're sure glad we have you Zilker

Probably my favorite place in Austin right now. I know we have so much more to explore, but Zilker Park is a tiny taste of what I imagine Central Park to be like-- but for now I'll just say it's the best.

It's huge (that's what she said), with trees everywhere, running trails, a train ride the goes around the park, volleyball courts, playgrounds, up against the lake and next to the botanical gardens, an outdoor theater and stage for concerts, PLUS a great view of downtown.... you get the idea. These pictures don't even showcase the beauty since we were only in one secluded section of the park.

 Lincoln will just run around as far as you'll let him. I've brought toys every time, but I'll probably stop. He's not even interested in them when he's there. He loves to wave at people walking by and point out the planes flying overhead. He stares at the dogs...maybe gets trampled by a few....he will chase the birds....and then get chased by a few. As for me-- I sit and relax and watch people obsess over their dogs with other dog owners and then pick up their dog's warm poop.... I get to watch a double feature of an outdoor yoga class and a moms&strollers fitness class while I lazily lay there eating all of Lincoln's animal crackers. Oh, and there's always some random person doing something like baton twirling or practicing their own version of martial arts. Either way, we're kinda in love with this place. 

With a name like Deerdorf, how could this mountain not be special to us?

I'm usually the worst at keeping surprises. THE WORST. Especially with Ryan. And ESPECIALLY when it comes to telling him.... oh ya know... we're pregnant again. Yeah, it's a little hard. (That's what she said). But somehow, I managed to go a full week until we made our trip out to his family's ranch in Colorado. It was actually quite funny because the whole time we were there I was extremely tired, taking one to two naps every day. Surprisingly, Ryan just thought I was taking advantage of the vacation and available family to babysit.

I decided to tell him a few days into our trip. Lincoln was down for the night and the sun was just beginning to set. We decided to go for a hike and watch the sun go down. It was a good idea.... but a bad idea at the same time. I had no energy whatsoever and Ryan, who was unaware I was pregnant, was showing no mercy and we had few breaks as we practically ran to the top to catch the sunset.

We made it, barely. And the view was perfect. This is my most absolute favoritest time of the year there. Everything is green green green. Right before haying season so I had zero allergies while I was there. Could you imagine me telling Ryan this glorious news with blood shot eyes, a runny/stuffed nose, and a scratchy throat? Not a pretty sight.

We took in the beautiful view and then I asked him, "What would make this night better?" And his first response was.... "snacks?" Yes Ryan, snacks would have been nice. His second choice, "Having Lincoln up here with us." I finally told him, "What about having Lincoln and his sibling up here with us because 9 months from now we can!" One of the best parts of telling your husband you're pregnant is their reaction immediately after telling them. Completely priceless, which is why, like I did with Lincoln, filmed the whole thing and plan on showing our next child the moment daddy found out the happy news. We are ecstatic for baby boy 2 to join our family and eventually all 4 of us hiking this mountain together. :) And when he gets older, I can say, "Here are pictures the night your daddy found out you were coming. Look how cool your parents were and still are!"

looks like the boy:girl ratio will be going up in January

We've pretty much started the countdown already and 2015 is going to be a great year.

one for the parenthood score board and the shortest trip to Tucson ever.

Lincoln's been on a roller-coaster with his eating habits: when he's up he eats anything and everything, and when he's down, he will only eat bread, applesauce, and now blueberries. It's a battle every time I try to get him to eat something else, a battle that he always wins.

I tell ya, I'm catching on to Lincoln's sneakiness and manipulations. Yes, for a one year old he's become quite the feisty one. What I've noticed is that he only wants what Ryan and I are eating, not what's on his own plate.....LITERALLY. We could all be eating the same thing, and he could have his own serving on his own tray, but if it's in OUR plates, he wants OURS instead. So we end up giving him our chunk of food and I end up eating the tiny scraps off his tray for myself. 

One night it hit me though. What if, just what if, I pretend to make myself a big bowl of veggies all for myself!!!! and I'd sit on the floor and eat them right of the bowl with my fingers and pretend like I don't want to share. I'll tell you what happened. He came over to me and sat next to me peering into the bowl, then peering up at me like, "Aren't you going to share?" And this is where your acting skills as a parent comes in. At first, you need to act reluctant because it's SOOOO DELICIOUS you want it all for yourself, but then after he bats his eyes at you, you have a change of heart and allow him to grab some. He takes a bite.....and then another. Worked like a charm.

It was Lincoln and I, sitting on the kitchen floor, eating a bowl of veggies straight out of the bowl, hovering over them and taking turns eating our carrots, peas, and corn. This was the first time he was eating something more than bread. I attribute my success to Lincoln's natural greediness to take whatever I have, but mostly to my amazing acting skills. And because of my success, this was the first time I started keeping score: 1 Point for Mom! :)

And as far as the shortest trip to Tucson ever? We drove 1.5 hours on Saturday down to Sabino Canyon, but Lincoln was really on one. He had a crappy nap beforehand, which made him extremely irritable. We sat to have a little lunch and if we didn't have the blueberries right in his lap he would scream. We stayed 1.5 hours and then drove 1.5 hours back home. It was rough. I think the only time he was being cute was when we gave him the map and let him lead the way on the trail. That was short lived though because he biffed it TWICE and did two face-plants onto concrete. That was the cherry on top of our disastrous Saturday day trip. Making memories right?

mothers

And since I saw all my mom friends posting these ADORABLE pictures of them and their kids being all cute....I thought I'd share MY Mother's Day pictures.

This is what I got: Lincoln giving DAD the kiss and the other?

Him squirming out of my arms to push the stroller. 

This is my mother's day picture, just keeping it REAL folks. :) 

I'm not sure what's funnier. Lincoln looking like he's busting out of his diaper??

 or me getting kicked in the bladder but still smiling about it??? What I'm really thinking is: "Lincoln, let go of this stupid stroller and act like you love me gosh DANGIT!!!!"

Ryan walked through the door a few weeks ago after work and told me to close me eyes. I love surprises, especially from Ryan. He can be surprisingly romantic. Well, I close me eyes, and when he tells me to open, he has a bouquet of daisies held out for me with a big grin (I'd take daisies over roses ANY day). As pretty as the flowers were, what was even more beautiful were the words he said to me after.

And, in summary, this is what he said. 

I wanted to get you flowers to show you how grateful I am you are able to be home with Lincoln. I know it is hard work, but it's the most important work you could do as a mother. You are a great mom and wife.Lincoln and I are blessed to have you.

Those words were simple but extremely meaningful to me, especially since I've struggled emotionally on becoming a mother even before Lincoln was born. A little background of my struggles...

Ryan and I were married almost 5 years before we got pregnant. He had brought up the "baby-talk" several times in our marriage, but I managed to either sway the topic of conversation onto a different path, or pacify him saying "I'm not quite ready now, I feel I will be soon..." He was ready, I was not. As I look back now, my fears were mostly a result of not feeling like I would be a good mother. I had COMPLETE lack of maternal instincts. I thought my desire would eventually come, but I preferred looking at babies only from a distance. I felt like those maternal instincts and love for babies would eventually find its way in my heart.

And then we got pregnant, unexpectedly.

Before Lincoln was born, I had no hesitation going back to work. I was lucky to have a job I LOVED-- My boss, my friends at work, my hours..... I was foolishly convincing myself that having a baby wouldn't affect me working as a nurse.

But something someone changed whatever plans I had for myself.

Lincoln was born and my life changed. And I knew within the first week of maternity leave I couldn't go back to work as a full-time nurse; I couldn't leave Lincoln with someone else to care for him while I was gone all day. My priorities changed. Any desires that I had for myself were set aside, and the desires I had for Lincoln became my priority.

I knew I wanted to be the one to be home and raise him myself. I wanted to be the one he saw first in the morning and after his naps, I wanted to be the one to feed him, play toys with him, read to him, and chase after him. I was there the first time he rolled over, the first time he crawled, the first time he stood and the first time he walked. It's not always easy; it can be tiring and frustrating and I'm working on my patience daily. Some days I think working 2 shifts a month aren't enough, and most days I still feel inadequate as a mother, but through the good, the bad, and sometimes ugly parts of raising a child, I know I am doing the Lord's work and that is the most beautiful thing in the world. I cherish the divine calling I have of being a mother, especially Lincoln's mother. :) I'm grateful 14 months ago I got to become a mother to this wonderful boy..... 

And through everything I have experience so far with Lincoln, my appreciation for my own mother has grown heaps and bounds. She has always been an example of a selfless caring mother and I love her for all that she has, and continues to do for me.

This picture is a few months old, but it's definitely one of my favorites.

the cauliflower bandwagon

Remember that month when Ryan and I went super clean and healthy with eating? Yah, it only lasted a month but to our defense it was extremely intense. It was CLEAN to the EXTREME. You can read about it HERE.

Anyhoo, some of the recipes were surprisingly delicious...others, not so much. But this one? Delicious, incredibly easy, super healthy, AND!!! DRUMROLL PLEASE............... Lincoln approved!!! 

I know what you're thinking. I'm part psychic (not psycho). 

You're thinking, this is SOOO last year. I've seen this on Pinterest forever. Well, you're right. But I finally made it last October and have made it several times since then and just want to say "make it already!"

You can find several variations, but HERE is the recipe I used.

And to make it even easier, just throw the cauliflower in a steamer to soften instead of boiling in water and broth. And to make it even easier, I may be guilty of using garlic powder instead of sauteing them. 

the one from Easter

Lincoln is going through a funk right now. I think the genes he got from his mom are taking over with a vengeance because all he wants to eat is bread. I promise I had a bunch of food on his tray before I took this picture. Anything that isn't bread gets a quick swipe onto the floor. He's slowly breaking out of his bread funk and actually ate some tomatoes and carrots yesterday. It's quite unfortunate he is being so picky during this Easter dinner. He missed out on some of Gma Tina's ribs and sweet potatoes. :)

And guess what was part of Lincoln's Easter basket but not necessarily IN it. 

Papa and Nana Z built his first fort!

I really need to take more pictures to show off their awesome work. His fort came equipped with a little bow & arrow and basket hanging from the entrance....thank goodness for awesome grandparents who go above and beyond to compensate for the parents who didn't even by their own child an Easter basket. :) That's just in their job description of being a grandparent right?

Happy Easter!

our prince turns 1

And here we are, almost a month later...

I've finally found some time to sit and write a post on Lincoln's birthday.....and not just the cliche, "Where does the time go?" and "He's growing up too fast" remarks. I've ran those lines into the ground this past month and even as I'm typing it, I'm thinking, "Seriously, this year has gone by too fast. Please slow down." 

We have a little tradition around here when it comes to birthdays. Ryan was the one who started this tradition actually. Naturally, I didn't love the idea since it started on his birthday, but once I had mine, I was completely on board. The tradition is terribly abused, but hey, it's only once a year. 

Our birthday tradition is as follows: Your birthday celebration isn't just one day, it's the entire week of your birthday!

See why this tradition can get terribly abused? We try and milk it for all we can get by saying

 "......but it's my birthday week!!"

Well, Lincoln had his birthday week alright... and then some. His birthday fell on a Thursday and his birthday party was planned for Saturday. But family got sick and we reschedule his party for the following week, which meant this boy had 9 days of wearing his birthday crown. 

And here we go, pictures over the span of his "birthday week +2 days"

Actual birthday morning.

I was completely stoked to go in there the morning of, video camera in hand, singing happy birthday and cheerfully starting his birthday week celebration. He knew it was a special day alright. He hammed it up for the camera when usually, on any other day, he would have been fussy having to wait any longer than necessary for his breakfast.

Some may think this is bed head, when in fact it's not. That's his hair 24/7. And it's become one of his characteristics I love most about him. 

He suited up for the day in his outfit and crown....

Showing off his teeth....

& smiling for all of mommy's pictures......

......except for this one. 

Maybe because our lunch date with daddy was over. Yes, I'm sure that's what it was. He has a keen sense of when it's time to get back in the car seat and he really dislikes being in his car seat. Almost as much as his dislikes when all the food is gone. Lincoln is weighing just over 23lbs at his one year appointment. 85% for weight, and 95% for height. He's a big boy.

So about that birthday party we were going to have- Well, Papa Z was recovering from being sick, Great Gma had just caught bronchitis, and Uncle Zach was throwing up all night from some food poisoning. Considering we only invited 6 people over and 3 of them were sick, we had to ixnay the par-tay till the following weekend. That just meant more time wearing his crown he loved.  

And the conclusion of his Birthday Week +2 days, we had his party.

We have realized there is a form of true happiness that can only come through being a parent
and we are blessed to be parents of Lincoln. We've rocked with him, sang to him, changed his diaper, fed him, changed his diaper again, stacked blocks with him, re-stacked them after he knocked them down again, read to him, taped pages in the book he tore while we were reading to him, cleaned out the fridge trying to feed his erratic picky appetite, changed his diaper again, bathed him, took him on stroller rides, bike rides, hikes, trips, dressed him, drove him to the doctors, comforted him after shots, hugged him, kissed him, chased after him, gave him piggy-back rides, clapped for him when he rolled over, cheered for him when he started crawling, clapped AND cheered when he started standing, and went full-blown crazy when he started walking.
We do this, happily, because of what Lincoln has given us: he's given us the gift of being HIS parents and all the happiness that comes with it. We love you Lincoln!
At the end of the party, I wanted to get a picture of everyone with Lincoln. Lincoln was everything but cooperative. I can't blame him. He partied hard and it was time for his nap. So even though he wasn't smiling on the outside for these pictures, I'm sure he wanted to on the inside. :)