Little Photographer and Good times

So I have been meaning to post some photos but alas my time has been not spent at the computer.
Dakota has been really into taking pictures lately and while I know handing the camera over to a four and a half year old (we had a half birthday for dakota and now she corrects everyone, where as before the half birthday she would if someone asked her how old she was she would come ask me) anywho so I hand over the camera and then I get these presents when I upload the photos. I may be her mother, but I say the girl has talent.

This is her photo study of what used to be an outside candle holder.

I love how she got it from different angles and up close.

Funny lady.

There are more photos but I don't think you all would get the same enjoyment that I do so I will leave it at that for now.

Our little leela is growing and just putting a smile on my face everyday and she is smiling too and I just love it.
This morning she was smiling for dakota which was sweet and probably the first time for real.
Dakota seems to want to be in her face so leela can't focus on her and if dakota is not too close she is moving a million miles a minute. So today I really tried to explain stay a little ways back and sure enough the smiles came with ease.

There is something about a person smiling just because they see you that makes you feel like a million bucks.

In-Love

dakota and gaggi at 3am

What an amazing couple of weeks. Our beautiful miss Leela Amber is here and she is beautiful and smells of a new baby and I am just overwhelmed with emotion and love and adoration.

I have to thank my mom for blessing me with awesome birthing genes. Our little lady was born at home (actually my parents home where dakota was born). And while this sounds crazy I love labor and delivery. I love it like I loved the marathon while I was running it I was not so sure I loved it

but once I was done looking back I loved it.
She was born at 742 am and so it was a very peaceful, calm morning. My mom and dad were there of course as was dakota and randy and also my girlfriend tisa
and all of them helped me in ways only the ones who love you can.
And beautiful, amazing, wonderful karni, my midwife, who words can not describe the care and love and support she gave me as well as diane her assistant who was also there with dakota. Both of them are just beyond words.
Dakota was amazing
she would sway with me during me contractions, which she thoughtfully referred to as concentrates because tisa had explained to her that while I was having a contraction I needed to concentrate. But she stayed through it all and at one point she tried to shush me because I was getting to loud for her comfort.
Like dakota lillie, leela amber came fast. I would say all in all I was in labor for about four and a half hours. And there were times I was thinking in my head 'I can't do this, they are going to need to get me to the hospital for some pain meds' but we didn't and she arrived healthy and beautiful.

Dakota is an awesome big sister! She loves her little sister A LOT! And I think so far the transition for her is going well.
We have had a busy four weeks. Last weekend not only was dakota a flower girl (daddy was the best man) in a wedding but she also had her first dance recital. Saturday was the wedding
and she was beautiful and she and her friend kyra danced the night away.
Then on sunday she was up on stage tap dancing away.
Well the dance number was a little questionable but she was so cute it brought tears to my eyes.
When I say questionable I mean there was some dancing, some silliness, some standing, some looking around, some waving, it was a hoot.
Other than that we have been trying to get out more and more to the parks to play with friends. It is impossible to keep a four and a half year old in, especially when her name is dakota lillie, aka girl on the go.

I am loving life with my two girls and while it is so hard in some ways randy being out of work right now it has been wonderful having him home with us. He gets up with dakota on the days when I am up more with leela at night and just the time he is getting with us is really a blessing. It has been hard getting on the computer but I would like to start posting more so we shall see, but that is all for tonight.

baby is here

Hey people it's Randy. Kristen had the baby on Friday, a healthy baby girl. Mom and baby are doing great.
I have been uploading photos with many more to come. Hope all is well, I'm sure she will update you all with the details in a few days

http://themoorefamilyphotos.shutterfly.com/

A good couple of days.

Really I should say a good week.
Monday was the wonderful shower.
Tuesday my girlfriend and her kiddos arrived
Wednesday Randy, Dakota and I went to the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum.

Today dakota got her costume for her upcoming recital
and we played the rest of the day with tisa, joey and violet.
So tisa and i have been friends for a long time I was first friends with her brother, winter, but she stole me away, hehehe. She and I were roomies up in berkeley. We had the cutest little apartment and we were a great match. She did most (all) of the cleaning and I did some of the cooking and I was always bringing fresh flowers home. Dakota and joey are only about three months apart and they are a hoot together. So on tuesday they were reunited and off to play they came is briefly to eat but other than that they were off exploring and being daredevils (riding joey's scooter down this incredible steep hill) there was part of me thinking this is going to end badly and I should step in but the other part was that is totally what I would have been doing when I was a kid and the were both fine. And little miss violet, who will be two in july, was keeping up with the big kids no problemo and it was sweet because they were really happy to have her.
Wednesday I realized that our little family is going to be growing very very very soon and I wanted a family outing before we grew.
We headed up to the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, mainly to see the butterflies alive exhibit but really the whole place was really neat.



Dakota was into it all and by the time we made it to the butterflies (it was cold so we did it last in hopes it would warm up, which it did while we were in the exhibit) she was into it but seemed liked she enjoyed the other things more.

In the insect room they had the chrysalises of the butterflies that put into the butterfly exhibit which I thought was really cool.

And then the butterflies were just beautiful.

It was a really nice day.
dakota testing her photography skills, watch out papa

Today Dakota went to dance class and we were surprised to learn the girls were getting their costumes and they got to do their dance in them which was so fun. Dakota is so excited.

After that we went to see karni which is always awesome, hearing junebugs heartbeat and really just karni's presence is so calming and nurturing I always leave feeling so good and ready for the arrival of this little junebug.
Tisa, joey and violet came with us so after the appointment we headed to the park. And after that it was off for ice cream, me wanting ice cream can you imagine.

We did some running around after that because this little one is coming really really soon. I don't think I will be getting another post in before the arrival. So with that I say good night and think amazing thoughts for me and junebug.

Showered with Love

me 38 weeks andi 34

My girlfriends had a beautiful shower for me and andi today.
It was so sweet with tons of yummy food and two cakes, that were AWESOME, I wish that I had gotten pictures.
I feel so loved and so lucky to have such awesome people in my life.

Amy, Noah and Layla made the trek down to celebrate with us and dakota and noah didn't miss a beat.

Although I have not updated you all. Dakota has informed me that she will not be marrying noah or anyone for that matter!
Nope she realized that when people get married they move out of their parents house and she has no intentions of doing that she will be living at home FOREVER!
And it was the sweetest thing ever, later on in the day dakota shared with noah her plans and he said that he was still going to marry her, is that not just too much.
Those two crack me up. I hope no matter if the marry or not that they have this awesome friendship always.
It was just a great morning. And we were not near either of the play structures and all the kids did so well finding other things to do and even being able to see the structure it was never really brought up or a concern

which was great.
They were running and climbing and playing hide and seek.
There were swings that they were playing at a lot but still it makes me happy when I see dakota just enjoying what is around her because that is what being a kid is about just having fun, right?
total temptation they so wanted to get in that mud

Thanks again ladies what a great day and what great friends you are!
One of these time when we are all together we have to get a photo of all of us kids moms all of us!

Painting

Today was our good friend Maya's birthday party, Happy Birthday Maya!
It was a great party, with face painting

and hill climbing
and butterfly wing painting

and bubbles and yummy cupcakes, it was just great.
Dakota went a little crazy with the face painting, not only did she have her face done but both hands and a rainbow and a mommy with face paint too.
painted face and naked belly

When we got home the painting fun was not over.
I have been wanting her to paint my belly and seeing how I am 38 weeks now I thought we better do this before it is too late.


So more paints came out and she went to work.
It is a large canvas and she really worked the whole thing.

She did a "sunset" so maybe junebug is coming at sunset we shall see.
Dakota came around sunset too, things that make you go hmmmmm.

I want to do it a couple more times if allowed she was really into it and it was fun for me too.
But like I said I am 38 weeks this baby could come at any time.
I have the curse of thinking that she is coming early which translates into "be prepared for a week late you fool for thinking you are going early"
so we shall see. One friend has made a june 9th prediction, we shall see if she is right???

Where can you get the best corn burritoes in Ventura?

My House!

My wonderful hubby made dinner tonight, his specialty, corn burritos, he even makes his own red sauce that is so yummy.
There is something so nice about not having to come up with dinner, when someone else takes care of it, such a treat. Thank you my love.
I have this condition it is called being pregnant, which I love it is awesome BUT I love to eat and my stomach is crammed way up next to my lungs so I haven't felt hungry in awhile now. But I love food and eat as if my stomach is not squished and then I feel awful and full and can't breathe because my full squished stomach is in turn squishing my lungs. I need to learn to eat small meals, I tell myself this even when my insides are normal, but do I listen NO. Am I going to start now? Probably not but it is something that I think about.
blurry but you get the point

So I am 37 weeks and I can't believe it. I can tell junebug is running out of room because her movements are telling me so. I feel like in the last two days I have grown a lot! Junebug is going to be here soon, so soon and I know that at that moment it will feel like I just found out that I was pregnant but at this moment if feels like forever.