All good things must come to an end

Life has been anything but slow around the Stepp household lately and of course the first item on the chopping block has been my blog.  Not to my liking, the posts have been few and far between.  I actually have a list of blogs to post, but they will have to wait until I can find more time to finish them.  Hopefully over the holidays I'll have more time to do just that.

I am finishing up my second photography workshop with Clickinmoms and I am so sad to see it end.  It has been such an amazing experience and the knowledge that I have learned is invaluable.  There's just something about being able to capture a precious moment of your child that warms your heart.  For those of you interested in learning more about photography, I highly recommend Clickinmoms.  It is a fabulously talented group of women and they are all so inspiring!

Our last project for this workshop was to take a set of pictures using lifestyle photography techniques.  Basically, you tell a story with your pictures. :)  I have been desperately wanting to photograph one of our trips to the commissary, but just never got the courage to do so.  I finally did and I am so happy I did.  Sure, I got lots and lots of strange looks and I am sure many people thought I was a "crazy mom" snapping away as we walked the aisles, but it was so worth it and was so much fun.  Be brave and do it yourself!!

Here is the story of our trip to the commissary yesterday. :)

Hawaiian Vacation

Just over a week ago the Stepp family had the amazing opportunity to vacation in Hawaii!  After living in California for 7 years we decided it was time to see what all they hype was about.  I have to say that I absolutely loved it!!  Growing up visiting the Gulf Coast, I have always loved the beach.  It was pretty much a guarantee that I would love the beaches of Hawaii as well.  While the beaches in Alabama are beautiful, they just can't compare to the turquiose blue water of Hawaii.  It was amazing!! 

My sister, Heather, met us in Honolulu.  Having her there was great because it allowed us to do some things on our own while she watched Dunebuggy.  We are pretty strict when it comes to Gwyneth's schedule, it's always worked for us and keeps the whole family happy so we don't like to stray from it when possible.   With a bedtime of 8pm it doesn't allow for many nighttime activities.  Our hotel hosts a Luau twice a week so we took advantage of Heather's babysitting services so we could attend.

We stayed at the Hale Koa, a military hotel, in Waikiki.  The place was amazing!  It was right on the beach and they had so many amenities.  There were three pools, several restaurants, and even an Exchange for shopping.  And the best part is that you can stay there for a fraction of the cost of what it would be at a non-military hotel just next door.  I can't wait to go back one day!  In fact I am now convinced that Brandon needs to find a job at Hickam AFB so we can move there!

Playing with Aunt Ha Ha aka Aunt Heather. 

 

Possibly my favorite picture.  She loved the ocean!

The bucket and shovel was a huge hit with Gwyneth. 

 

She even tried to crawl in the bucket at one point, but didn't quite fit.

 

 

Taking a break at Pearl Harbor.

Gwyneth enjoyed our tropical drink decorations and loved the cherry garnishments.

A beautiful day on the beaches of Waikiki.

 

 Must get back to Hawaii ASAP!!

17 months

Gwyneth turned 17 months yesterday...wow!  Our little girl is so amazing and we love watching her grow up and meet new milestones. 

At 17 months Gwyneth...

...is 26 lbs.

...is getting brave and will climb on any and everything.

...is starting to test her mommy and daddy's patience.  She will look at us while she knows she is doing something wrong just to see what our reactions will be.  I think the terrible twos really start much earlier than two years old.

...can point at pretty much every body part when asked to.  Her latest are the elbow and bicep or "muscle."

...knows that kissing a "boo-boo" will make it better.  When she hurts herself we will ask her "where does it hurt?"  She responds by pointing/showing us where she hit herself and then expects a kiss to make the hurt go away.

...is still crazy about black olives!  Lucky for her, mommy doesn't like them so she gets to eat lots of olives when we have pizza night.

...has learned the art of backing into chairs vs. climbing in on her knees then turning around.

...can point at mommy's belly when you ask her "where is the baby?"  Although, this sometimes results in Gwyneth lifting her shirt and pointing at her own big belly. :)

...will let us know when she poops by saying "doo doo."  We may have to start potty training soon!

Happy 17 months Gwynnie!  Mommy and daddy love you very much!

It's a BOY!!

We are thrilled to announce that Gwyneth is going to have a little brother!!  I have been so anxious to find out the sex of this baby.  With Gwyneth we found out at 18 weeks and this time around we had to wait until 21 weeks due to scheduling conflicts.  Well it was well worth the wait to see our precious baby boy!  

 

 

Technology is so amazing and it's such a wonderful feeling when you get to see your baby on the screen during an ultrasound.  Here's to 19 more weeks and a health baby boy! 

Tomorrow....Hawaii!!

Boy or Girl?

Tomorrow afternoon we have an ultrasound and will hopefully be able to find out the sex of Baby Dos!  We have taken a poll of our family and we have 8 people that say girl and 6 that say boy.  I will be thrilled either way, but right now my gut feeling is boy.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about having a little boy.  I am by no means a baby expert and when it comes to little boys I am clueless.  I guess every mom is a little clueless at first but quickly gets the hang of it all.  It's all a part of the never ending mommy learning curve.

We are so excited and can't wait to find out in just over 24 hours!! 

Gwyneth's First MLB Game

We've been hesitant to take Dunebuggy to sporting events since we're well aware that it requires more time corralling baby than actually watching the game.  Now that Gwyneth is a little older we thought it might be fun to take her to her first Major League Baseball game.  Brandon found an awesome deal on StubHub for four tickets right next to the field for only $11 apiece, so we jumped on it and decided to go see the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

After dropping off my parents at the airport Sunday morning, we headed to Anaheim.  All was going well....Gwyneth was in the backseat napping and the traffic was minimal.  We arrived at the stadium and parking was a breeze.  So far this was looking like it could be the easiest trip to a baseball game we have ever experienced.  

The walk into the stadium was warm but bearable.  We were prepared for the sunny day and had lathered ourselves and baby with sunblock.  Going to the game we were prepared to leave after about five innings.  We didn't want to subject ourselves to too much sun and although Gwyneth was feeling better she was still not 100%.  

Before heading to our seats we got the obligatory stadium hotdog for me. :)  As we walked down toward the field we quickly realized our seats were not going to be in the shade.  By the time we got to our seats we were already sweating!  There was no question as to why these seats were so cheap, we were sitting on what felt like the surface of the sun.  The seats were so incredibly hot that our butts were burning...literally.  The lady sitting just behind us offered to give us ice to "ice" down our seats but the thought of sitting in a wet chair didn't sound appealing to me.  We began to have flashbacks of a game we went to in Pittsburgh several years ago where we were completely miserable watching the game in unbearable heat.  As we sat there yesterday swimming in sweat, our plan of staying five innings decreased with each passing minute.  After just two innings we decided to throw in the towel.

It wasn't the ideal situation for Gwyneth's first baseball game, but since the tickets were so cheap, we're not too distraught about leaving early.  It would have been perfect for a pale family if it had been cloudy and twenty degrees cooler...perhaps the Mariners should be our team.

Gwyneth's First Trip to the Beach

Grandmama and Granddaddy Raymond have been visiting with us this week and Gwyneth is loving spending time with them.  I was worried she would be a bit scared of them since she hasn't seen them in person in about four months.  Occasionally she has a bit of stranger danger and we never know how she will react to unfamiliar people.  Gwyneth took to them well and you'd never know she doesn't see them on a regular basis.  I know she will be sad to see them go Sunday; as will I.

My parents mentioned an interest in going to the local beaches.  Once we heard the news that the space shuttle Endeavour was being retired to a Los Angeles museum and would be performing a fly over on it's way to the Los Angeles airport, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see both the beaches and a piece of history.

We almost had to cancel our trip since Gwyneth was feeling a bit under the weather.  We have been battling ear infections lately and she started showing the tell tale signs of another infection Thursday.  When she woke up Friday morning I knew we needed to get her to the doctor before the weekend started.  We are leaving for Hawaii at the end of the month and we can't fly with a sick baby girl!  I was able to get an appointment with her doctor Friday afternoon so we decided to still make our trip to see the shuttle and beach that morning.

I knew we were close to the beaches, but have yet to visit them since we arrived in Riverside.  It was just over an hour to Newport Beach and well worth the drive.  I absolutely love the beach!  I have dreams of one day living on the beach yet I somehow don't see that in our near future. :(  The weather couldn't have been more perfect, a warm 80 degrees and sunny with a constant beach breeze.

We arrived at Huntington Beach where we decided to park and wait for the space shuttle.  Gwyneth has never been to the beach so I wasn't sure how she would react.  This was a good trial run for our Hawaii trip. :)  She really liked the beach, but was a bit scared of the sand.  I think the texture of it and the fact that it stuck to her was a bit awkward for her.  We decided it would be best to leave her tennis shoes on to lessen the chance of a possible beach meltdown....it worked.

Gwyneth really enjoyed watching the seagulls walk the beach.  She kept pointing and yelling "bu", her pronunciation of "bird."  She also enjoyed watching the many surfers and other beach visitors.  We were not the only people with the idea of catching a glimpse of the shuttle from the beach.  The beach slowly became more crowded as we drew closer to the arrival of the flyover.  Unfortunately, the shuttle left much to be desired for us.  We thought we were in the direct path of it's decent into the airport, however we were only able to see the shuttle from afar as it headed further up the coast.  We didn't get that spectacular flyover we anticipated, but I am still glad we were able to witness a piece of American history.

We then headed back to Riverside for Gwyneth's appointment with the pediatrician.  I am so glad I made the appointment because just as I suspected she had another ear infection.  The doctor indicated it was a pretty nasty one and since this is now the third ear infection in just two months we have been referred to an ear, nose, and throat specialist to help determine the cause of her recurring infections.  We immediately started antibiotics and hopefully can knock this thing out before we fly to Hawaii next weekend....aloha for now!

16 Months

Gwyneth turned 16 months on the 7th!  She is really growing up fast and is not so much a baby anymore.  She is like a sponge learning new things everyday.

At 16 month's Gwyneth...

....is 25 lbs.

....loves pancakes, yogurt, and avocados.

....has a boyfriend (a boy toddler that she plays with) at day care and they are so sweet together!  He greets her every morning when we arrive and he helps guide her into the room.  When it's time to go play outside the teacher said that he corrals her towards the hallway so they can walk out together. :)

....has learned to take off her diaper (I see now why mom's that cloth diaper prefer snaps to velcro).  Luckily, I have been a witness of each diaper removal so there have been no messy incidents but I am sure they will come with time.

....can identify all the animals on her safari blanket.

....still loves reading books and can point at objects in the book when you ask her to find them.

....has 12 teeth (6 on top and 6 on bottom).

....is constantly on the go!  She isn't wasting anytime trying to learn to run.

....is very ticklish like her mommy. :)

....still loves her favorite show "melmo" aka Sesame Street.

....can say milk, food, more, and please in baby sign language.

....throws her arms in the air when you say "Touchdown!"

....can say "Roll", but we are still working on "Tide." :)

This past Saturday was the wing picnic.  It was the biggest picnic I have been to since Brandon has been in the Air Force, complete with a stage and band.  The Riverside community actually put on the picnic and not the wing itself.  Albertson's, a local grocery store, was a big sponsor and they provided the standard picnic fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and baked beans.  After scarfing down our hot dogs, we got popsicles which were a welcomed treat in the 100 degree weather.  Gwyneth had her first popsicle which she insisted on holding herself...total mess.

And once it was gone she cried for more. :(

There were bounce houses set up for the children and a big blow up slide that they were spraying with water.  Gwyneth really wanted to play with the big kids and was staring and pointing at the water slide.  Maybe next year baby. :)

Daddy's Girl

Gwyneth has been sick this week and it's no fun seeing her feel bad.  She's had her ups and downs and even though she continues to run a fever and have a yucky cough she still manages to do everything with that beautiful smile on her face.

She definitely has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.  I glanced over at her this evening and she was happily pulling apart a roll of toilet paper.  I asked Brandon why he gave it to her and his response was "she was going to cry."  She's got him right where she wants him!

The aftermath...

The daddy-daughter fun continued later into the evening when Brandon let Gwyneth play in the kitchen sink.  I never know what these two will get into!

Baby Bed Head

A glimpse of what bed head looks like for a curly haired 15 month old....

I love her and her crazy hair!

UCR Botanic Gardens

Well, I have once again neglected the blog. :(  I have been very busy lately chasing a toddler, growing a baby, working, and taking a photography class to name a few things.  Hopefully I can get back in the blog groove and be better about updating!!

Brandon has been out of town all week and we can't wait for him to come home tomorrow afternoon!  I decided to get Gwyneth out of the house today so we explored the Botanic Gardens at UC Riverside.  We only saw a small portion of the garden but I plan to go back in the near future.  We have been lucky the past few days and have had relatively cooler weather, less than 100 degrees.  This morning it was cloudy so I am glad we took advantage of it otherwise we would have been miserable.

Here are a few pictures from our trip this morning.

Gwyneth is at such a fun age right now.  It amazes me everyday when she learns something new.  I feel so lucky to be this little girl's mommy!

Big Sister Gwyneth

That's right...the Stepp Family is growing!  Brandon, Gwyneth, and I are thrilled to announce that Baby Stepp #2 is due February 4, 2013.

This pregnancy has been quite different from the first.  With Gwyneth, I never felt nauseous or really tired.  This time around, I feel nauseous all the time and exhausted.  Maybe this baby is a boy or maybe it's just true, every pregnancy is different.  We will know the answer to that in less than two months!

Gwyneth is 14 Months

I've been a bit slow on the posts lately.  There hasn't been much going on here in the Stepp household.  Brandon has been busy at work, he just recently took a trip to England for a week, and I have not been a very motivated mommy lately so our daily activities have not been very post-worthy.

Gwyneth turned 14 months old on the 7th and she is definitely transforming from baby to toddler status.  She is walking more and more although she still doesn't walk 100% of the time.  She is still faster crawling so she tends to crawl if she wants to get somewhere fast.  We bought her first pair of tennis shoes this past weekend and she loves them!  You ask her about her shoes and she immediately points at her feet.  Brandon took them off the other night and she got upset, insisting he put them back on.  

At 14 months Gwyneth...

...weighs 24 lbs (BIG girl!).

...stops in her tracks when she hears the Sesame Street theme song.

...loves green beans and mandarin oranges.

...says "hi" and waves when someone new walks into the room.

...blows kisses and gives hugs on command.

...can point at her hair, ears, nose, teeth, and belly on command.

...enjoys story-time before bed, insisting on sitting in mommy or daddy's lap and turning the pages.

...only uses her paci and lovey at nap and bedtime.  As soon as we pick her up, she throws them both in the crib.

...insists on calling mommy "dada."  However, many things these days are called "dada."

...has 9 teeth, including 2 molars, and 2 more upper teeth coming in any day now.

Here are some recent pictures of our precious Dunebuggy.

She loves playing in her pool and in the water in general. :)

Showing her sassy side.

This is right before she threw the big rock on Daddy's toe!  Ouch!

She breaks sticks in half and can't figure out why they won't go back together.

I hope the Stepps will be a bit more adventurous in the upcoming months so we can have some fun things to blog about.