Because Mommy was there too...

As usual, I have neglected my blog.  With our upcoming move, I have decided to start back up.  This will be a way of keeping our friends and family up to date on our transition to the Midwest.

I was looking through my pictures of Gwyneth and Fletcher the other day and realized they all had one thing in common...I'm not in them!  I am always behind the camera.   Not to mention there is always an excuse to not be in pictures as a new mom...my hair isn't done, I have no make-up on, I am still in my pajamas at 3 in the afternoon, I am still carrying the baby weight, etc., etc.  I decided it was time to break out the tripod and the remote and do my first attempt at self-portrait photography.  After all, my kids will want pictures with me in them one day.  I don't want them to look back at pictures of them growing up and wonder where mommy was.  I want them to see pictures of themselves with the mommy that loves them so much!

Self-portrait photography was a bit harder than I had imagined.   When you are behind the camera it is easy to adjust your settings and focus but when you get in the picture yourself there is a much greater skill involved.   Yesterday I learned I definitely need a lot more practice on mastering the focus in a self-portrait situation, but I captured a few images and I love them.  They may not be the best pictures I have ever taken, but I am in them and capturing moments with my children means the world to me. :)

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.