Life Happens...

Holy Moly Batman! It has been 2 months since my last post!

When I started this blog, my sweet baby was napping twice a day, sitting by herself, and allowing mommy a plethora of opportunities for mid-day blogging. Welp, times have changed my friend! I now have a coo coo crazy 15mo old running around, climbing on things, teething molars and fighting naps. (Umm, those molars are no joke folks!)  I'm super psyched to be back to the blog this afternoon. I have so much to catch up with! We've had a hospital stay for a baby butt pimple gone awry ( yep, you read that right!), a family photo shoot, words are being spoken, steps are being taken, daily mama drama and a family trip is coming up! Where do I begin!?

I'd love to share our latest family pics with you - A windy day in the Kansas City West Bottoms. I loved the urban setting and the easy breezy pictures we captured with the help of Wendy Cantwell.
Tallan has officially decided she is over the adorable hair accessories we've gotten away with in previous photo shoots, so her hair is a little wild, but I love it. If you would have told me 15mo ago, that a gorgeous, fair-skinned, blue-eyed, red headed child would be coming out of me...I wouldn't have believed you. Oh, but Miss Tallan Hope, with her silly mommy faces and perfectly drama free attitude, has made me cherish the little silly things about myself that I see in her daily.

Enjoy the pics! Butt pimple stories, cloth diaper tips, and silly mommy stories coming soon to the blog. Promise I won't stay away so long next time!

In a Texas State of Mind

Five and a half years ago, Matt and I moved to Kansas City to embark on our first adventure as a married couple. He was accepted into pharmacy school here, and through the years I have grown to love this city and what it has to offer. After pharmacy school graduation, we decided to stay here to grow our family and experience life as a new pharmacist and a new stay at home mom. I am grateful daily for the life we live here; but from time to time, I reminisce about a place I hold very dear to my heart. Just a tiny little place called Texas...have you heard of it?

Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, then relocated to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, I like my hair high, my belts sparkly and my music country. My roots have cowboy boots and my occasional curse words have a slight Texas twang. I don't miss the Dallas traffic, or the Panhandle cell phone reception....but the food and the fine people are constantly on my mind. Most importantly, a piece of my heart is in Mansfield, Texas, where my immediate family still lives today.

About a month ago, Tallan and I sneaked onto an airplane and headed to Texas to surprise Mimi (my mother) with a special visit. We had such a great time, and she was so shocked to see us! With family time in the works and good Tex-Mex in my belly, I had one more thing to check off my list during our stay.

From the moment I learned I was pregnant with Tallan, I hoped we would one day have the opportunity to take pictures in a field of bluebonnets: Texas springtime personified. Lucky for me, I have a friend that could make that happen, and I couldn't be happier with the results. Tamera Lewis, with Snap'd Photography, helped us capture sweet Tallan in one of the most beautiful settings: a Texas bluebonnet field at sunset.

We had such a great time visiting family and are so thankful for the relationships Tallan is building with her grandparents. My visits to Texas always have a funny way of  allowing memories of my past to meld with my present...and give me a glimpse of the future.

Smooches for All!

Last year on Valentine's day, my hubs and I fancied ourselves up and headed to Capital Grille here in KC. By fancy, I mean we had a gift card, Matt wore a dry cleaned shirt, I sported a sexy little maternity number and squeezed my plump water logged feet into some 6 inch nude platform pumps baby! I was 8 weeks from giving birth and we cherished our last date together as just "Matt & Tara."

This year....I have a hair appointment  That's right. This sexy mama is throwing on some yoga pants, grabbing a cold one (decaff frappacino that is) and getting my ombre on at the hair dresser this V-day! The romance of it all is that my dear hub will be watching Tallan, giving me some mama time, and that's the best present I could ask for... a man who understands a good hair do means a happy, sexy, confident wife...and you know where that leads! He's not stupid! If he pays for my hair appointment and I put out, does that make me Julia Roberts? Anyhooooo.....

On another note, Valentine's has given me the excuse to dress Tallan Hope up for yet another themed at-home photo shoot. This time all we needed was a tube of lipstick, our favorite head band, and a nakey baby. I love they way they turned out! This girl is a HAM!

We hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether you're out with your main squeeze, or staying in and squeezing your main...wait, that doesn't quite make sense. You know what I mean ya'll! MUAH!

                        

ER Plight & a Texas Flight

Well, I made it 8 months before having a scary mommy story to tell. Thank heavens this story does not involve sweet Miss Tallan, but yours truly.

Before the Christmas holiday, Tal and I had planned a trip to Texas to see my family. A couple days before departing  however, I awoke feeling terrible nauseous. I spent the better part of a morning and an afternoon fighting the inevitable...and finally gave in a couple hours before hubbo got off work! It's one thing to worship the toilet gods by yourself; but leaving a screaming baby in her crib while you do so, is heart wrenching! With a very sour tummy, I set out on these very small, yet important daily tasks:

• Nurse Tallan all day - Success!
• Feed myself - FAIL (too nauseous)
• Google search "Pregnant with IUD" - which is waaaaay too common for my liking people!
• Puke again - SUCCESS!
• Push fluids - eh, somewhat successful

Hubs came home, and took over with Tallan (have I mentioned she won't take a bottle? Boob only? Well now ya know.) With Matt home, I could now focus on some quality toilet time. Noticing my hands were cramping after my most recent upchuck, I started to get worried. Hand cramps turned to arm cramps, turned to calf cramps. LOOOOOONG story short: Mama had to get to the hospital for some high quality muscle relaxers and fluids before the night was over. (No, the end to that story was not that simple, and YES the wait in the ER with total body cramps was horrible...but I'm tired of typing this story.)

Mucho thanks to my MIL & SIL who rushed to help with Tallan at home so Matt could be with me! Apparently nursing a baby all day literally sucks the life out of you. (Now, why not the fat? COME ON!)

Scary story accomplished, and still a bit weak tummied, Tal and I made it to Texas a day later! Cue happy music now! No melt down, fun new Picalo carrier used & no throwing up for either of us. We had such a great time in Texas with family. Tallan got to see her Mimi & Grumpy, Uncle Whiskey, & Great Gma. We were so thankful for the opportunity to visit!

A wonderful part about our Texas trip, was I got to catch up with an old friend; and was so excited for her to shoot pics of Tallan in the fall foliage. Local Texas peeps, Tamera with Snap'd Photography is flipping amazing, super speedy and affordable! I could not be happier with our photo's! Thanks Miss Tamera, for making our Texas trip not only great to see fam, but a wonderful time we marked with your photos. See a couple shots of Tallan Hope below, as well as a candid iphone shot of her and her Mimi. Adorbs!

All photos above courtesy of Snap'd Photography

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

30 seconds...GO!

Feels like Fall in Kansas City!
I have had a Fall Tallan Hope picture in my head since she was born; and yesterday, Matt and I finally made it happen. I pictured a cute, chubby, nakie baby, in a new handmade owl hat, sitting in a pumpkin, looking perfectly Fall Fabulous! This concept turned out to be harder that I thought...but produced the exact photo op I was hoping for...and a couple more memory makers. 

For the quick shoot, I am grateful for my OCD/Type A organization and planning. 

1- Buy large enough pumpkin for my plump little peanut
2 - Hollow pumpkin and carve leg holes...easier said than done
3 - Scope out fun little "fall-ish" spot in the front yard

4 - Prime the location with quilt & pumpkin / test shoot for perfect depth of field (ooh big words!)
5 - Daddy brings out baby Tallan, only in her cloth diaper, owl beanie and leg warmers
6 - We realize our genes have given Tal a bubble butt and this baby booty WILL NOT FIT!

PLAN B
7 - Momma cuts the entire back out of the pumpkin to make room for Tallan Tush!
8- Sitting in my photog spot, allowing daddy to place Tal in her pumpkin, I am READY!

Welp, Matt and I had about 30 seconds of shooting before Tallan let us know pumpkin wasn't her outfit of choice. We called a wrap on our photo session not even a minute after we started...BUT not before we got the perfect little shot I had been hoping for. 

It took a little snuggle and lotta boob before she forgave me.
One day, she'll look back and thank me for her awesome picture....I HOPE!