I have had some free time to work on some personal projects. My latest endeavor is to learn more about the digital camera my sister is letting me borrow and to learn to edit my favorite shots.

This is the 'before' shot.

This is using a preset to enhance color. I like how the blues pop a little more, but it still isn't as bright as I would like.

Now, here is the color I am talking about! But...not perfect. The red is a little too fluorescent and now Matt's face looks a little overexposed.

Try, try, again, but I thought I would post my first attempts, so I can see improvement when I learn more.

Jeffrey's christening was yesterday. He was an absolute angel. We had such a great day celebrating such a happy occassion with family and friends.

I don't know if we will ever have a family picture with us all looking the same way!

Awww....my little prince.

I love kissing those cheeks!

Almost 20 Months

Matthew is so 'busy,' it is hard to take a picture of him. He is in constant motion. Jeff and I joke that he is either going 110% or he is sleeping! So, I had to get creative with this post. I decided to take pictures of things that he enjoys right now.

Of course, Mattew LOVES his baby brother. He is always by J's side. It is so sweet to see how protective Matt is.


Matthew likes puzzles right now. I think these ones are a little to easy for him at this point. But, he loves them!




Matthew also loves to read. He especially likes flip books. He even has memorized a few of them, so when we turn to certain pages, he will "read" a few words, before I get to them.

And, Matt's favorite bedtime buddy is 'Teddy AKA Ted.' He reaches for him as soon as we put him to bed. So sweet!

Other things Matt likes to do are go to swim class, play at the park, and recite 'A,B,C,D' in the morning when he thinks no one is listening.

Matthew still 'babbles,' but he knows more words than he lets on. I hear him talking to himself in the morning and words come out....he just likes to talk to Ted and not Mom/Dad.

Play Time with M & J

Matthew has really grown attached to Jeffrey. He loves to hold his hand and kiss his forehead. It almost brings tears to my eyes to see him acting so loving towards his baby brother. Today, while Matthew was 'talking' to J and holding his hand, Jeffrey smiled at him...it was so sweet! I love seeing their bond grow each day.

And, today I saw a side of Matthew that I had never seen before. We were playing at an indoor playground. Any time one of the other kids made their way over to sneak a peek at J, Matthew stopped what he was doing, ran as fast as he could over to J's side, covered him with his own little body and yelled 'Noooo!' He was SO protective of Jeffrey. It was cute, but at the same time I wasn't sure how to react.

I absolutely love having two little boys so close in age. I just know they will become the best of friends.

J loves his baths just as much as his big brother. He has such a sweet face. I had to post this picture!

Matthew may look like Jeff, but he sure reminds me a lot of myself! Case and point - the color coordinated legos above.

Two Months!

Jeffrey is two months old! He is such a sweet baby. J loves to listen to music, spend time with his big brother Matthew, and snuggle with Mommy. He can roll from his tummy to his back and SMILES all the time. AND, he is sleeping through the night. Yay!

At his doctor appointment this week, J measured 23 3/4" long and weighed 14 lbs 3 oz.

He is a happy, healthy boy. My only wish is that he could stay this little for a little while longer...

When you become a mother, your leisure reading transitions from 'In Style' to reading about all things baby + child + health. My most recent reading has led me on a path to better eating. Of course, I have known all along that fast food + junk food are not healthy choices for my own body or for my family, but now that Jeff and I have little eyes watching our every bite, it is all the more important for us to make better choices.

Things that are IN:
Michigan grown produce - Eat healthy + support Michigan
Quinoa - subsitute for rice- loaded with antioxidants and a much healthier choice than rice
Organic Yogurt - Calcium sans the hormones
Free Range Beef - Thank you Mom + Dad for supplying us with 'happy' beef
Green Tea - antioxidant rich + little caffeine
Raw Almonds - grab a quick handful before raiding the cupboards for a 'snack'
Pure H20 - trying to convince Jeff to put a reverse osmosis purifier in our new kitchen

Things that are OUT:
Produce grown out of the country - who KNOWS what's in there
Soda + Cofffee - yes, we all know it's not so good...but it tastes so good!
Junk - cookies, candy, sugar ceraels...not found in our cupboards
The color white - bread, rice, pasta, whatever
Sugar/Artificial Sweeteners

Things we are working on:
Chicken - Want to find some 'organic' chicken, but without sacrificing taste (Tofu just isn't the same)
Milk + Eggs - gonna try the 'organic' milk this week