flashback friday: {a recap of adventures}

so i already posted that wednesday was our fifth wedding anniversary, right?  well, here's a little more on that note that i want to share.  i had to wait til now because this was something i put together for sam, & i wanted him to see it from me first... not my blog, ya know?

anywho, i had a blast putting this together & it really makes me realize how much sam & i have been able to do together & how much fun i've had with this guy.  i'm not joking when i say i've watched this mini-movie hundreds of times already {i'm sure of it} & i love it.  every. single. time.

enjoy.


sam + amy from amylee on Vimeo.


that was fun right? if you answered yes, i'd love a vote! two clicks is all it takes.

top ten{ish} of twenty-ten

wow, it was really hard picking my top ten favorite pictures of parker.  the ones that made the cut for some reason or another just caught my eye tonight, but this is by no means an all-inclusive list.  ask me tomorrow & there will be others that are in my top ten too.

so, in chronological order, here are my favorite ten{ish} pictures of parker from the year twenty-ten:

1.  one day old

i've never posted this picture on my blog even though it is one of my favorites.  i remember this like it was yesterday.  i took it with my iPhone in the middle of the night in the hospital, during parker's first night out of my belly.  he was so perfect & i remember just marveling at this little human who was now completely dependent on my care. 

2.  two days old

another picture that isn't necessarily my favorite due to it's photographic genius.  this one takes me back, & completely encompasses what {newborn} motherhood is to me.  it's 3am, glasses on, spit up on your shirt, amazingness.  amazing because you are caring for this brand new little person who couldn't be any more angelic than seen right here.

3.  one month old

ok so i didn't take this one, my sister did.  but i did do the editing & it was taken in my living room in the days prior to my having a nice camera, & it's one of my absolute favorites.  from one month old, this little man was busting with personality.

4.  three months

this was taken with the webcam on my iMac.  it makes me laugh & i like it.  same eyes, different nose, different mouth.  we were pouting that i had to go back to work the next day.  boo.

5.  three months

ok, another one taken by my sister.  sorry, i'm totally breaking the "pictures must be taken by you" rule, but eh whatev, it's my blog right & that's how i roll.  plus, everything that came out of her camera seems to be photographic-parker-is-hilarious-and-adorable genius.  this face is so typical of parker.  he is SUCH a happy baby.

6.  four months

i had set p-ray down for a minute while i was getting ready to feed him.  apparently it only took a minute for him to get as into whatever game was on as sam was.

7.  six months

i loved my sweet little baby in these spooky skeleton pj's.  everyone said he looked like one of the bad guys from karate kid & that makes me laugh.  cause c'mon, what's funnier than a six month old doing karate?  parker definitely has some mad ninja skills.

8.  six months

this is not typical of parker.  he was so tuckered out after a night of halloween partying that he literally fell asleep without a peep in sam's lap while he was skyping with his parents.  i like to pretend he's a little ewok in this picture.  i really like ewoks.

9.  seven months

and here we are at the "kids do gross things" stage of life.  so soon?  apparently.

10.  seven & a half months

could this kid get any cuter?  could those cheeks be any more kissable?  no & no.  this little boy is so much fun.

and for good measure,

11.  eight months

i've posted this one on my photo blog, but not here.  this picture makes me happy for so many reasons.  a happy glowy baby, the holidays, a growing love {obsession} with photography, and cute polar bear pajamas.  it's a win win.

wanna join in on the top ten of twenty-ten photo fun?  check out one of these blogs & link up:

a sorta fairytale

the paper mama

naptime momtog

amber's articles

from here to eternity

click it up a notch

saw something here you liked? keep it coming by voting for us! thanks friend.

wordless{ish} wednesday: five years.

today sam & i celebrate five years of marrital bliss.  life is good when you're married to your best friend.  words don't describe how fortunate i feel to have found someone who completes me as well as sam does.  as cliche as that sounds, it's true.  from day one, being with him has been so easy, so natural, so second nature, so fun, so adventurous, so right.

definitely looking forward to the next five years.

linking up with a little king & i, paper mama, & a beautiful mess.

also definitely looking forward to your vote.  as a happy anniversary present, maybe?

a good life giveaway - {lil junebug boutique} - winner!

 mr. random.org picked lucky commenter #3 which was:
britney, from "best of our love"!!

i've contacted britney & she's responded & is suuuuper excited to claim her prize to Lil Junebug Boutique.

make sure you stop by becca's super cute etsy shop & browse her uh-dorable hair bows & clips.  they're too cute to pass up!


ya like the chance to win free cool stuff? give us a vote to keep it comin'!

paparazzi & some mom stuff

so on christmas eve sam & i decided to start our christmas shopping {yes, s.t.a.r.t. our shopping.  oops}.  first stop?  cabela's.  only because we had a cabela's giftcard burning a hole in our pocket from forever ago & decided to see if there was anything we could put it to use on for parker.  like ya know, a gun, some ammo, or a bow & arrow.  joking.  we were looking for a new coat & thought we might get lucky.  we didn't, so sam bought some under armour.

anywho, i played paparazzi & followed them through the store.  i thought p-ray might be impressed with all the stuffed animals but apparently it wasn't his thang.

but you know what he did get excited about that day?  yelling his lungs out through a tube of gift wrap at target.  i'm sure all the other shoppers thought it was as hilarious as i did when he was laughing hysterically & screaming from the sound of his own voice amplified through three feet of gift wrap.

people without kids love that sort of thing, right?

and while we're on the topic of what people with no kids think, can i just say i have totally turned into "that mom"?  ya know, the one you swore you wouldn't be.  the one that plans her day around nap time, who is lucky to have at least put mascara on that day, who finds herself tripping over toys in an unkept house, while complaining about laundry & making up lyrics to her kid's toys' songs?

and if you don't have kids & you're reading this right now & you don't think you'll be that mom... you're wrong.  you will be. {well,  unless you're a guy}

the thing is, i'm also that mom who thinks she has the coolest, funniest, cutest, smartest, most advanced kid in the whole world.  and i wouldn't trade any of it for a second.

and you know what?  i compensate for all those other things, too.  life isn't bad. at all.  i find excuses to occasionally get dressed up, my house might not be in perfect order every day but i usually stay on top of things, sam helps me with the laundry, & parker may hear "twinkle twinkle little star" one hundred times a day, but he also listens to death cab for cutie, elliot smith, coldplay, band of horses, arcade fire, & bright eyes with me.

turns out there is nothing wrong with being "that mom".

and?  i looooove nap time.  there is nothing wrong with needing to be home for nap time, either.  don't know why?  you'll find out when you're a mom.


and? i looooooove your votes. always have, always will.

eight months

just when i thought this little guy couldn't grow any faster, he's gone & aged another month.  he has changed so much in the last month, it's nuts.  p-ray is eight months old.  i know he's still a baby, but he feels so much like a little boy to me now.  he has so much personality & seems very kid-ish to me.  it's so crazy how much & how quickly they change.

here's my little baby all growed up to eight months.
{compare previous monthly pics here.}

parker seems to have lost a teeny bit of his baby chub this month, & it may or may not have been due to the development of his newest milestone: CRAWLING.  he is fully mobile now, people.  the kid gets up on his hands & knees & goes wherever the heck he wants to go.  if you're in his way, he pushes up on his feet & will crawl right over you.

he crawls from room to room & will crawl to your feet & pull on your leg to be picked up.  if you're holding him & he wants to go to someone else, he leans out of your arms & reaches for them.  he has shown a bit of fear for the first time, like when we use the paper shredder or vacuum.  he loves to ride in the shopping cart  & sits in high chairs at restaurants.  he still loves bath time & would stay in there all night if he could.  he gets so excited when he sees his mom or dad but still loves everyone he meets.  he's discovered his boy parts & reaches down there during diaper changes.  typical boy.

speaking of diaper changes, they have become an all out war.  i have no idea how someone who only weighs twenty pounds could be so hard to control, but he manages to squirm & wiggle his way onto his belly while we're trying to put on a new diaper or change his clothes.  he HATES being on his back & will roll over immediately if put down on it.  taking this eight month picture took lots of distraction & help from sam.

he's tried sweet potatoes, peas & brown rice, bananas, & apples & apricots now but doesn't really get the big deal about solid foods.  he is still 100% breastfed & i'm worried he'll never eat real food.  it's gonna make it pretty weird for the teenage years.

he has three teeth now {two bottoms, one top}.  he wears size four diapers, eighteen month onsies, & six to twelve month clothes.  he weighed twenty pounds at his last doctor appointment.

and he is still so dang cute.

love this kid.


and i still love your votes. they're my favorite.

{merry christmas.}

some shots from christmas morning.  we didn't go crazy with presents this year, just a few fun things & a few needed things.  sam's parents are here & it's been great doing the family thing.  we've been eating tons of junk, watching basketball, watching movies, putting together puzzles & of course, playing with this little guy. 

i hope the holiday finds you in good spirits & in good company!  merry christmas.


we would {love} a vote for christmas. it could be my merry christmas present.

weekday recap - {in iPhone pics} w.6

parker & i made it to stroller strides this week.  once.  go us!  he gets all zipped up in his bear suit to stay nice & cozy.  also?  if you want a kid to sleep for hours, this is the magical suit for that.  when he naps in this suit he sleeps for hours.  every. single. time.

we met up with some other moms for a playdate & perused the mall.  dear lindsey: when i said you should get that hair clip because it will go with anything... i was serious.  it totally pairs with your baby sling perfectly.  right?

i worked half a day on wednesday, & had to battle crazy last minute mall shopper traffic to pick parker up from the sitter.  sam got home not much after us to commence our long holiday weekend full of celebrations.  kinda wish i could go back to this day & live it all again.  it's been that fun.

we spent the day cleaning, folding laundry, & getting the house ready for sam's parents to arrive.  nothing like a squeaky clean house to start off a holiday weekend.

for sam & i, christmas eve was all about starting & finishing our christmas shopping... nothing like a little holiday procrastination.  christmas eve for parker was spent in new pajamas, playing with nana & papa, & counting down 'til santa came. 

hope you all had a great week counting down til christmas!  merry christmas friends!

did you take your "week in camera phone" pictures? 
there's only one rule to linking up... your pictures have to be taken by your camera phone.  that's it! you don't even have to have a picture for every day.  got one camera phone pic of something fun from this week?  link up!

grab the code below & put it in your post to have the linky with all the thumbnails show up on your blog too.  the more kids who come out to play, the more fun it will be, right?

grab the code here:

<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=64413" type="text/javascript"></script>

...and get on the linky here:

our tree

in christmases past, i've been all about keepin' it classy with the white lights/red bows/silver bulbs christmas tree decor.  apparently having a kid has changed me.  we went crazy with all sorts of lights & fun ornaments this year.

some of the ornaments we've had for a while, some are new.  here's the rundown of the ones with some meaning behind 'em:

• snowman: i painted this little guy last week.  i'm crafty. • wsu football snowman: gift from co-worker last year • star: sam & i got this tree topper the first year we were married • felt "p": gift for parker from jill & corbin.  p-ray loves it!  • wsu cougar snowglobe: gift from sam's mom, go cougs. • giraffe: parker's pick for 2010.  he loves him some giraffes. • painted polka-dot ornament: i painted this last week too. it's pretty awesome. • glass thingy: gift from my aerobics instructor!  i drop & do ten every time i look at it.  • bulb w/ picture: gift from heather.  that's p-ray's picture in there. cute, right? i know. heather's the bomb.  • fox: my pick 2010, because why not? • baby shoe: gift for parker from the mother-in-law • "faith" star: got it as a hand out at church last week.  gotta remember the reason for the season.

i love all our mish mashed ornaments & i am super excited to add to our hodge podge tree every year.
mostly because of this little guy.

he's so cute.  and helpful.  ok, mostly just cute.




we {love} your votes.  every single one of 'em.

wordless{ish} wednesday: lazy saturday

parker was all sorts of cute saturday morning.  so, of course i had to take some pictures.
...it started off with a "oh, you're bringing out the camera?  let me give you my {new} fake picture smile!"

...then it got a little more genuine.

...then i could no longer resist the cuteness that is fleecy pajamas.

i mean c'mon. they have polar. bear. feet. is there anything cuter?

ok. maybe one thing.

i'm entering this last shot into the paper mama's photo challenge & the simplicity photo challenge.  the paper mama's theme is "winter" & i don't know anything more wintery than a baby snuggled up in polar bear & penguin fleecy pajamas.   right?  
simplicity's theme is "love"... so uh, duh.





if you agree that babies in fleecy pj's rock, than go ahead & click. twice. thanks!