Baby Emmett

Well, here he is. My perfect little angel #3.

I'll be back very soon to catch up on blogging, including our awesome beach vacation and the arrival of this little guy.

But for now, I just wanted to send out a little announcement that he's here and that it's been beautiful.

Emmett Mario Da Costa

Born May 22, 2012

8:39 am

7 pounds, 3 ounces

20 inches

Christian's 3rd Circus/Pool Birthday Party

Aw man, I really had a lot of fun planning this party. I found adorable little circus plates at Target that were perfect (C is obsessed with elephants and animals and I love color) and after poking around on Pinterest and receiving amazing help from family and friends, I was able to throw a really cute party for my lil' man. Another great factor was that the Palmers were down visiting for their annual Florida trip, so it just felt like one fun, complete party... :)

Here's the little man being sung to and blowing out the candles. (The flags on the cake weren't the best for picture taking). And I know the top picture is a little blurry and off center, but I love it anyway. He looks so happy. :)

Anyhow, we celebrated on May 5th at my lovely friend Lacy's pool and we stuffed ourselves with hot dogs, cowboy caviar, pasta salad, chips, popcorn, snow cones, soda, cookies, and cake. I'm pretty sure all the parents hated my guts for having so many sweets. But hey, it was a party, and a circus themed one at that! :)

Here are some of the decorations. Both the back drop and popcorn cupcakes were ideas from Pinterest, so I can't really take credit there, but I was proud of myself for cheapifying it! The back drop was crazy expensive to rent, so I bought a 2 dollar plastic table cloth and a 2 dollar roll of red streamers, and my mom and I cut and glued to make it come together. I also made the flags that went on the cake, another idea that came via my darling friend Natasha, and I added a little hat and saddle to Christian's favorite elephant toy. :)

We also had a super cute popcorn machine and a snow cone machine courtesy of yet another amazing friend. Unfortunately we burned the popcorn twice, so it ended up being more of a decoration, but the snow cones were definitely a hit. :)

I could kick myself for not getting a picture with everyone who was there, but I at least have a video of it. Thank you Lacy! Anyhow, here's the list: Lowrys, Palmers, Kings, Whites, Sirmans, Toblers, both sets of grandparents, and Lowry Seniors. And I'll admit, I did have a moment looking around during the party when I might have gotten a little teary-eyed thinking of the huge amount of love that was there. I am often overwhelmed by the blessings of such amazing friends and family...

Anyhow, the party was great fun and we're so grateful for everyone's help and the gifts Christian received. It was a perfect day. :)

And just so I don't forget, here are a couple pics of C's actual birthday a few days before.

Wally and I blew up a bunch of balloons and put them in his room so he could find them when he woke up, and then my mom bought him a huge chocolate cake and we celebrated with a Five Guys lunch. Not too shabby for a 3 year birthday... :)

Second Half of April Via the Phone

I'm in a race against the clock to get all caught up before this baby comes. 3 days and counting! Holy wow! Anyway, just a few fun things we did during the second half of April.
~ The pool! It was finally warm enough for the kids to swim without chattering teeth! And Damon took to it like a champ!
~ Parks
~ Exploring
~ Spending some rare quality time with Daddy. The picture on the bottom right is one of my favorites. Isn't Wally handsome?
~ Homemade pizzas
~ Lunch with uncle Renato
~ secret hugs with girlfriends... :)
~ a picture of me preggers just for memory keeping
~ and painting. Got the idea from Pinterest. And the lady must not have boys like mine. She claims her mess-free painting kept her kids entertained all week. It lasted about 20 minutes with mine. But at least I was able to take an uninterrupted shower. So....a success there. :)

And that's about it! I've got C's 3rd birthday to post as well as our annual friend beach vacation. Hopefully I can get to it within the next couple days! :)

A Sneak Peak Just For Kira...

... and because this picture melts my heart. 

The Boys... and Lots of Paint

So, I finally did it. I dug out the big camera and took a few shots of my two rambunctious little boys. I've been meaning to do it for a long time now; I wanted some memories of a time when it was just the two of them. Originally, I had envisioned a cool location, with cute colorful outfits and some neat props, but yeah right. Who was I kidding!? There was just no time!!!! So, I stripped them down, headed out to the backyard, gave them some paint, and let them go at it. It ended up having more of a "lost boys" kind of feel, which I liked even better. I was only able to get a few shots since it was cold, and Christian stepped in ants, and I got paint on my camera, and Damon gagged himself with a brush full of paint causing him to throw up his dinner (which was rather colorful mixed with all the paint). But at least for a little bit, they had a blast painting on the paper, the table, and each other....

Christian ~ My tall, lanky, sweet, sensitive little man. You run like crazy (I'm thinking cross country?), yell "I love you mommy" after I close your bedroom door at night, and get so excited when it's time to brush your teeth. You obsess over lining up your toys and making sure your books are all set up a particular way, love to jump as high as you can on the trampoline, and cry when you see someone else who is sad whether on a cartoon or in a book. You throw tantrums like I've never seen another almost 3 year old do, get angry when things don't go exactly the way you want them to, and insist on reading three books every night before bed. You love to sing, and give besitos to me and your brother, and get so excited when Damon finally wakes up from his nap so you can play together. You've got a crazy sweet tooth, love movies with animals in them, and prefer the swing to the slide. You also know all your shapes, letter and colors and can count to ten in both English and Spanish. Your speech is improving, you love to watch videos and look at pictures of yourself and your brother, and you still insist that I feed you even though you're perfectly capable of doing so yourself. You would rather be outdoors than in, sleep with at least 6 different blankies at night, and you love to cuddle. You cry quite a bit, I must admit, and usually over small trivial things, and you like to pretend something hurts if you feel like I'm not giving you due attention, and you get really mad if Damon doesn't want to play with you. You're cautious, but with a gentle push, you find that you love lots of new things. And you prefer to watch in a new situation first before venturing out. You're kind, energetic, and stubborn. And sometimes your daddy and I worry that your frustration and irritation over the small things might get in the way of your being content and happy in the future. And yet, I know that your sensitivity towards others will make you gentle and loving, and I think that will be one of your greatest qualities...
I can't believe in a few days you'll be turning 3! We love you to the moon and back lil' man. :)

Damon ~ My happy go lucky, little muscle man. And I truly mean muscle man. At 18 months, you literally have a six pack and even the pediatrician has commented on your muscular build (your father is very proud :)). You love balls, snack all day long, and insist on feeding yourself. You absolutely love the water, have awesome balance (I'm assuming this comes from the trampoline), and love to be outside. You don't watch first, you just plunge right in. You eat dirt. And sand, and crayons, and just about everything else. You prefer the tallest and fastest slides to the swing and love to get dirty. You've already got a repertoire of about 15 words and refuse to go to sleep without your special blankie. You tell me when your diaper needs to be changed and could go walking outside for hours. You love bubbles and paint and cars. You're bold and enthusiastic and happy with whatever is going on. You love to sing. At home, in the car, before bed. All the time. You love to yell "mommy", run over to me, and sit in my lap. And you absolutely love to jump on the couch cushions and be thrown high in the air. You also love to hit. And bite. We're working on that. :) You love your brother and want to do whatever he's doing. And because you're fearless, you attempt to. I find a new scrape, scratch, or bruise on you almost every day, and I can't even count the number of times you've hit your head on something. You've got endless amounts of energy, love sleeping in your big boy bed, and are doing things at a much faster rate than your brother did, no doubt because you have him as a role model to look up to. And you love to make messes.
You head to nursery next week and I can't believe how fast you've grown. We love you lil' buddy!

I was only able to get a couple shots of them together with the phone.

Brothers ~ You know, when I pictured myself having kids a few years back, I always imagined boys close together running around like that little tornadoes, playing hard and fighting hard. And that's exactly what you guys do. As soon as Damon learned to walk, the two of you have really gotten close. You scream and run and throw things and jump in circles and copy each other all the time. You also fight a lot, which is to be expected. And since you, Christian, are the big brother, you come out on top. Though, Damon, you can certainly hold your own. And though there is quite a bit of fighting over the same toy or the same toy, or the same toy, there are also many sweet moments when I'll find you, Christian, reading Damon a book or trying to explain what to do with the train tracks or jumping around in a crazy, silly way making Damon roll on the floor, cracking up. You love being together in the same room. Your daddy and I will hear both of you laughing or playing before you run into our room each morning to wake us up. It's been so sweet to watch the two of you grow together over the last year. You are definitely buddies and I hope you continue to be close and that this next little boy will join right in with the two of you.

It has been so much fun having you little boys in our family. And in just 23 days, there will be three of you. Thank goodness I have a good pair of running shoes and do pretty well without a lot of sleep. I'm sure it will be endless craziness.

Bring it on.... :)

February - April in Instagrams

Even though I haven't picked up my big camera in, like, forever, I have been capturing little moments with my phone and the most genius app out there, Instagram. It's been awesome and just perfect and convenient enough for me to snap a shot here and there of these little rascals. And a huge thank you to Lillie for showing me how to collage it all. :)

~ So, in a few quick bullets, here's what's been happenin' at the Da Costa house.
- Sea World,
- parks
- BUBBLES! (these kids are obsessed. Can't even tell you how many bottles I've bought)
- strawberry picking
- frozen yogurt
- kiddie pools
- animals (Christian has an obsession with lining them up and then NO ONE can touch them. Try telling that to Damon! I've had to "hide" them more than once...

 - Easter (there was SO. MUCH. CANDY!!!!!)
- quiet time (that made me laugh out loud. More like one tiny quiet moment that I decided to capture. It's NEVER quiet in this house)
- our first trip back to the beach (so much fun hanging with friends, burying daddy, and soaking up the sun)
- making a jungle gym in the middle of the living room with my couch pillows. They'll jump around and crack up for hours.
- more parks
- Damon wandering the house looking for buckles to buckle
- hanging out at Mima's and Papi's

And that's about it. To say I'm worn out at the end of the day is an understatement! Hoping I can survive these last few weeks of pregnancy... :)

Photography and Lessons Learned...

I wanted to talk a little bit about my photography. One because I love it, and two because through it, I've been able to learn and grow as a person. During the second half of the year (last year), I was able to really practice. In a moment of pure gutsiness, I sent an email out to the gals in my ward asking if they wanted to offer up their kids or families as test subjects. I didn't guarantee them anything and I made sure everyone knew it was for PRACTICE, that I had a lot to learn. There was a great response and I was able to get in some really good practice. I had a blast, too. And even though I made a ton of mistakes, one being making a family drive 20 minutes south for a particular location but forgot to take in daylight savings which resulted in NO PICS at all because it was dark by the time we got there, I was able to learn a lot about myself, my style, and what I ultimately wanted to do with my photography. The goal was, and still is, to open my own business one day. But I was really careful about how I wanted to go about it. Wally wanted me to charge up front, but I just didn't feel comfortable doing that when there was so much for me to learn. I didn't and don't want to just give myself a name, take a few shots, pop them up on the Internet, and call myself a photographer. I really want to know and learn the craft. Plus, I want to be fully prepared to start a business. I know what that entails and it is no small thing to do that right.

Anyway, though I was being cautious, I did think it was possible in the relative near future. But as the holidays came around, as the boys got older, as I dealt with family stresses and my pregnancy, as our budget became tighter, as the birth of our third baby got closer, and as Wally became more and more unavailable, I started to really doubt it would be possible. I mean, I wasn't even taking pictures of my own kids. I found my life being completely dominated by everyone and everything else, and when I found that I had hardly time to shower, I realized that this whole photography thing was not an option. At least not now. And I may have secretly been a little bitter about it. I'll admit that I went through a "what about me?" phase. I felt that my entire life was about supporting Wally, getting him through work and school, the kids, and our home. And though I was happy to do it, I was desperate for some time for me or to feel like I was creating or accomplishing something. And I began to focus on it. I even cried when Wally was called to the high council because I felt like he was being blessed with great work, and here I was having nothing to offer but cleaning house, chasing the boys, and waving my arm around in Relief Society as the chorister. It's hard for me to feel like I'm not contributing. (By the way, I'm thrilled that Wally was called to the high council. I am so blessed to have a husband worthy of such a calling). Anyway, it was especially hard not having time to continue with photography. Even now, since it's been so long, I'm wondering if I've forgotten everything that I've already learned. I began to think that this whole photography thing probably wouldn't happen until Wally was out of school and the kids were in school. Which puts me right around 40. Well, maybe 36, but again, I was a bit negative. :)

Anyway, things began to change over the last month or so. I've had some sweet experiences that have made me realize that everything I thought about myself and my goals are true, but OK. The truth is that it's not my time. Right now is about Wally and the kids. It's not about me, and though it's been hard, I've come to a sort of peace regarding that understanding. I also had to come to peace with the fact that I'm not one of those super mom/wife/business women/etc. that I thought I could be. I mean, there are plenty women out there who have more kids than I do, have husbands who are home even less than mine, and yet still seem to be able to make their businesses flourish or build their own furniture or make their own food blogs, etc. I really thought I could do that. You know, do it all. But I can't. And realizing that was a tough pill to swallow. Anyway, the point it that even though I do still get sad sometimes when I see other photographers working, I've learned to be at peace with taking the back seat. At least for now....

And so, my photography is on hold. I mean, I'll take any opportunity I can to practice and do it. I LOVE it, but a serious business will have to wait until I feel like I really know what I'm doing and for when I have the time to dedicate to it. And that may be a little while. Anyhow, I did want to post a few of the pictures that came from the end of last year. Though they aren't perfect, I am really proud of them. :)

Destined for a Life of Dirt, Bugs, Burps, and The Color Blue...

Even though it is already common knowledge, I wanted to say a few words here about my third pregnancy. One, so I can remember the pregnancy itself, and two so that this little guy will know how thrilled we are to have him join our family. And excited we are!
Wally and I always felt that we'd wait until we were ready to start having kids (it ended up being 6 years into marriage), and then once that happened, we'd just have them all close together, and then afterwards, just have fun. And we've been so blessed that the Lord has allowed us to do just that. So, in just 6 short weeks, on May 22nd, baby boy #3 will be joining our family, making it 3 kids in 3 years. C and D are 18 months apart, and D and #3 will be 19 months apart. And yes, I've gotten the looks and have heard it all. That we're crazy and blah, blah, blah, and maybe we are. But it's exactly what we want and we're so happy about it. And that's not to say that doing it this way has been a piece of cake. On the contrary. It's not been easy, what with me being pregnant, Wally NEVER being home with work and school and dental school application stuff, me working, having two crazy energetic boys, and everything else that comes with life, but again, it's what we want and what has made us so freakin' happy! :)
So, about the pregnancy. The first semester was not as easy I hoped it would be. I wasn't sick at all with Damon, and I was hoping this one would be the same, but no... The entire time I felt like I was locked in a car with the worst possible nausea just on the verge of throwing up but never actually doing it. With Christian, I threw up all the time and I think in some ways, that was easier, since there was a least a small period of relief afterwards. With this one, it just felt like I was about to for 12 weeks straight. Seriously miserable. Plus there were some family issues that created a huge amount of stress for me, enough so that we were worried about how it would affect the baby, but with prayer and priesthood blessings, we were able to work through everything, and the second half of the pregnancy has been great. I feel really good, besides being tired, and my body feels strong enough to keep on with my 4 mile runs. I'm hoping to keep running until I deliver, so we'll see...
We're excited it's another boy, which I felt it was from the very beginning. I think Wally may have liked a girl, but not overly so, and now we're anticipating a house full of crazy with three boys taking it over.
And some other facts:
~ I've gained about 22 pounds so far.
~ Cravings have included cheese, cold fruit (particularly pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries), Publix subs made with lots of turkey, veggies, banana peppers, and sub sauce (thank you Amelia for introducing me to the best sauce ever!), and coke zero (which I've really had to exert self control over).
~ Aversions - water. So weird, but water makes me sick to my stomach. And too many sweets do, too. I allow myself one sweet thing a day. Even though I want to overdo it, when I do, I get super sick. Which is a good thing, I guess... :)
~ I really want to name the baby Emmett Mario. Emmett just because I love the name, and Mario after my grandfather and my favorite uncle. Wally's not really on board, though. So we'll see what happens...
~ I'm really hoping for a simple delivery. You know, one where I go in, have the baby, and then leave the hospital two days later. No complications, no spending days in the NICU, just a nice, regular delivery. I think I deserve that after the first two... Cross your fingers for me. :)
And that's about it. I'm really excited to see what he's going to look like. Christian and Damon look nothing alike, so will this guy look like one of them? Or something else entirely different? Either way, we'll find out in just 6 short weeks! :)

A Few Pics and Even Fewer Words Just to Get Us From October - February!

OK, a few bullets to accompany these quick pics! P.S. It was really hard for me to just upload the pics without messing with them first, but I will never catch up if I edit all the ones I want to share. :)
~ Pumpkin patch - the kids actually had the most fun during the hay ride!
~ Damon's first birthday! We held it at a park. It was freezing cold (mad love sent to Wally for bundling up and getting there so early to hold the tables), almost everyone we invited had to back out last minute, so it was small. But perfect. And Damon started walking just a week after! But more on him and his bro later. :)
~ Yes, I'm wearing the same jacket in almost every picture. I REALLY love that jacket.
~ Christmas. It was just amazing. Though things have been tight, with the love and help of our families, the kids loaded up with clothes, toys, and a trampoline. Which they insist on jumping on every single day! Not only that, but Wally's parents came up and helped us remodel my bathroom. Well, they remodeled. I kept the kids out of the way and did the easy jobs like grout and seal tile. Anyway, it was an absolute dream come true to get rid of the old, 70s tile and finish with a beautiful, white one that actually LOOKS clean once I've cleaned it. I remember feeling so overwhelmed with our blessings during the break.
~ Sea World! I convinced Wally to spend some of our tax returns on annual tickets to Sea World. The kids love it!
~ A trip to the temple. C's favorite song to sing right now is "I Love to See the Temple", so it was neat for him to actually see it and make the connection.
~ And some other things that I'll be posting about soon: my pregnancy with little boy #3, some photography, the boys, Wally's call to the high council (apparently we're that old), and some other little tidbits...
Until then... :)