A Summer Wedding

It has already been a month since my brother's wedding and I have yet to share any of it with you!

Yes, my brother got married! We were thrilled when he popped the question last December and a little nervous when they set the date for 8 weeks after my baby's due date. But Stephen came early and was cleared to fly, so we all made it! Whew!

John and Ellen were married on July 30th, on Ellen's parent's farm. It was a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful (really hot) day. They will forever be the cutest couple alive in my opinion. See for yourself:

photo from last summer

John had asked his brothers-in-law to be his groomsmen and William to be his ring bearer. Can I just say that I would have been devastated if Stephen and I couldn't have been there?! It would have crushed me. But he got his shots and could fly, so we were there! No worries!

The rehearsal the night before went really well. I was acting as the wedding coordinator and thankfully everyone was pretty easy going and let me boss them around. Just kidding! But everyone did great; William and my niece Charlotte (flower girl) were perfect!

Saturday morning finally arrived and William woke up with a 104 degree temperature. Argh. He was a champ though and didn't let it get him down. We tried to keep him better hydrated and medicated for the rest of the day. He even went without a nap all day because he was needed for the photos. He did great for photos too, but had a hard time really smiling. Totally understandable little dude.

I'm so glad I got this photo! It was one of very few smiles of the day. My two handsome guys!

The ceremony was beautiful. It was really hot and the sun was beating down hard; no one except me complained. I stayed in the back to help cue everyone when to walk down, which they totally could have done without me. Stephen stayed asleep until it was William's turn. Perfect, right?! Well, my sister saved the day and rocked two babies until I could get him. And then I ended up feeding him until he fell asleep. As I looked around, the surrounding trees acted as great mom hide-outs as two or three of us ended up rocking little ones.

And then Mr. & Mrs. Hagen walked down the aisle! I have to say, I love that there is another Mrs. Hagen! My grandma will always be Grandma Hagen to me, and my mom is now Grandma Hagen and will always be to my children. And now there is another Mrs. Hagen!! (I have two Aunts who are also Mrs. Hagen) My brother is one of two "Hagen" grandchildren (boys with the last name Hagen). So, there aren't going to be many Mrs. Hagen's around!

The reception was super cute. I wish I had taken a few more pictures, but this will give you an idea.

I call this "Stroller Row" 

It was incredible how many babies were at this wedding!

There were at least five babies under 7 months old!
And nine kids ages 2-7.

In 20-30 years, there could be a lot of weddings to celebrate together!

Stephen was pretty fussy the whole time, but my relatives were still happy to hold him and love him. I was so thankful for that because I had so many people to catch up with! It was a late evening for us, we got home around 10 p.m. with our feverish toddler who hadn't napped all day.  Near the end, he he looked like he was falling asleep standing up, but he had so much fun dancing and watching the band!

I got some great photos of my parents and my sisters with their families that day. I failed to have someone take a photo of my little family though. . .

I did manage to get one of me with the bride and groom!

It was a wonderful day and I am so happy for my brother and his wife! I loved seeing all the family together and just so thankful nearly everyone could be there. Its times like this that make it really hard to live so far away. Admitting that I won't see my new sister-in-law again until next summer brought tears to my eyes as I said goodbye.

It has already been a month since my brother's wedding and I have yet to share any of it with you!

Yes, my brother got married! We were thrilled when he popped the question last December and a little nervous when they set the date for 8 weeks after my baby's due date. But Stephen came early and was cleared to fly, so we all made it! Whew!

John and Ellen were married on July 30th, on Ellen's parent's farm. It was a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful (really hot) day. They will forever be the cutest couple alive in my opinion. See for yourself:

photo from last summer

John had asked his brothers-in-law to be his groomsmen and William to be his ring bearer. Can I just say that I would have been devastated if Stephen and I couldn't have been there?! It would have crushed me. But he got his shots and could fly, so we were there! No worries!

The rehearsal the night before went really well. I was acting as the wedding coordinator and thankfully everyone was pretty easy going and let me boss them around. Just kidding! But everyone did great; William and my niece Charlotte (flower girl) were perfect!

Saturday morning finally arrived and William woke up with a 104 degree temperature. Argh. He was a champ though and didn't let it get him down. We tried to keep him better hydrated and medicated for the rest of the day. He even went without a nap all day because he was needed for the photos. He did great for photos too, but had a hard time really smiling. Totally understandable little dude.

I'm so glad I got this photo! It was one of very few smiles of the day. My two handsome guys!

The ceremony was beautiful. It was really hot and the sun was beating down hard; no one except me complained. I stayed in the back to help cue everyone when to walk down, which they totally could have done without me. Stephen stayed asleep until it was William's turn. Perfect, right?! Well, my sister saved the day and rocked two babies until I could get him. And then I ended up feeding him until he fell asleep. As I looked around, the surrounding trees acted as great mom hide-outs as two or three of us ended up rocking little ones.

And then Mr. & Mrs. Hagen walked down the aisle! I have to say, I love that there is another Mrs. Hagen! My grandma will always be Grandma Hagen to me, and my mom is now Grandma Hagen and will always be to my children. And now there is another Mrs. Hagen!! (I have two Aunts who are also Mrs. Hagen) My brother is one of two "Hagen" grandchildren (boys with the last name Hagen). So, there aren't going to be many Mrs. Hagen's around!

The reception was super cute. I wish I had taken a few more pictures, but this will give you an idea.

I call this "Stroller Row" 

It was incredible how many babies were at this wedding!

There were at least five babies under 7 months old!
And nine kids ages 2-7.

In 20-30 years, there could be a lot of weddings to celebrate together!

Stephen was pretty fussy the whole time, but my relatives were still happy to hold him and love him. I was so thankful for that because I had so many people to catch up with! It was a late evening for us, we got home around 10 p.m. with our feverish toddler who hadn't napped all day.  Near the end, he he looked like he was falling asleep standing up, but he had so much fun dancing and watching the band!

I got some great photos of my parents and my sisters with their families that day. I failed to have someone take a photo of my little family though. . .

I did manage to get one of me with the bride and groom!

It was a wonderful day and I am so happy for my brother and his wife! I loved seeing all the family together and just so thankful nearly everyone could be there. Its times like this that make it really hard to live so far away. Admitting that I won't see my new sister-in-law again until next summer brought tears to my eyes as I said goodbye.

Blessings for Generations

When I was born, my dad's cousin Jerilyn crocheted a blanket for me. I'm sure all my siblings have one. My cousins probably do too! When William was born, she gave me one for him. And when Stephen was born, she sent one for him too.

When I looked at Stephen's, it looked really familiar. It turns out it is the same pattern as mine, which of course my mother saved for me! The colors are a little different, but the pattern is the same. How fun is that!

my baby blanket - made in 1983

Stephen's blanket - 2016

Thank you Jerilyn for blessing all of us!

When I was born, my dad's cousin Jerilyn crocheted a blanket for me. I'm sure all my siblings have one. My cousins probably do too! When William was born, she gave me one for him. And when Stephen was born, she sent one for him too.

When I looked at Stephen's, it looked really familiar. It turns out it is the same pattern as mine, which of course my mother saved for me! The colors are a little different, but the pattern is the same. How fun is that!

my baby blanket - made in 1983

Stephen's blanket - 2016

Thank you Jerilyn for blessing all of us!

Baby B2: Three Months Old

Stephen Christopher is now three months old. He looks a lot bigger than he did a month ago. The last time I had his measurements taken, he was 10 pounds 5 ounces and 23 inches long!

This month was a fun one! We brought out the toys and he loves them. He bats at the hanging toys from his activity mat and smiles as he hears them jingle. When on his tummy, he no longer cries but will try to lift his head up and then relax and chew on his fist. He smiles a lot now and will coo and even laugh!

He still has fits of colic/gas but the hours of crying seem to be behind us! We are still figuring out a routine but I feel much more confident in reading his tired cues now than I did a month ago. I also know that he will cry for 3-5 minutes in protest of every nap while I cuddle him and sing, so I can push through that without too much stress. I think this baby would be a great napper if his brother would leave him alone long enough to fall asleep! [insert frustration]

He has blessed us with three nights of 5+ hours of sleep in a row so we are feeling pretty good this week. Although once he wakes up at 3 a.m. it is nearly impossible to get him to sleep for a solid hour again . . . but we are thankful regardless.

He went on his first flight at the end of July to attend my brother's wedding and meet my whole family. He did really well on the flights and wasn't too fussy in the terminal. The five hour lay over we had was a bit too long for all of us and we will try to avoid that next time.

He has found his hands and won't let them go! Most of my photos look like this now!

He smiles at William, but isn't too sure about all the noise toddler boy makes. He puts up with William's hugs and pats pretty well. William just loves being near him and can't keep his hands off of him! And he definitely wouldn't leave Stephen alone during the photo shoot!

 I'll do a real "3 Year Old" shoot with William in just six weeks, but he really wanted one done today.

The blanket was made by my dad's cousin. Read more about it here.

Stephen Christopher is now three months old. He looks a lot bigger than he did a month ago. The last time I had his measurements taken, he was 10 pounds 5 ounces and 23 inches long!

This month was a fun one! We brought out the toys and he loves them. He bats at the hanging toys from his activity mat and smiles as he hears them jingle. When on his tummy, he no longer cries but will try to lift his head up and then relax and chew on his fist. He smiles a lot now and will coo and even laugh!

He still has fits of colic/gas but the hours of crying seem to be behind us! We are still figuring out a routine but I feel much more confident in reading his tired cues now than I did a month ago. I also know that he will cry for 3-5 minutes in protest of every nap while I cuddle him and sing, so I can push through that without too much stress. I think this baby would be a great napper if his brother would leave him alone long enough to fall asleep! [insert frustration]

He has blessed us with three nights of 5+ hours of sleep in a row so we are feeling pretty good this week. Although once he wakes up at 3 a.m. it is nearly impossible to get him to sleep for a solid hour again . . . but we are thankful regardless.

He went on his first flight at the end of July to attend my brother's wedding and meet my whole family. He did really well on the flights and wasn't too fussy in the terminal. The five hour lay over we had was a bit too long for all of us and we will try to avoid that next time.

He has found his hands and won't let them go! Most of my photos look like this now!

He smiles at William, but isn't too sure about all the noise toddler boy makes. He puts up with William's hugs and pats pretty well. William just loves being near him and can't keep his hands off of him! And he definitely wouldn't leave Stephen alone during the photo shoot!

 I'll do a real "3 Year Old" shoot with William in just six weeks, but he really wanted one done today.

The blanket was made by my dad's cousin. Read more about it here.

A Onesie for a Wedding

Last month, my brother got married! I know, I need to post more about, please be patient! A few weeks before we flew out, I found myself looking at my tiny 2 month old asking "What does a newborn wear to a wedding? An outdoor, summer wedding?" I didn't want to spend a lot money on a suit that a) wouldn't really fit him and b) he would only wear for a few hours . . . so, what's a girl to do?

Well, thanks to Pintrest and my sleepless nights, I found a tutorial to embellish a plain white onesie with a vest and tie. Perfect! So, one weekend, I had Chris take the boys to the park and I got busy (instead of taking a nap...).

I drew out a pattern only to realize that I had one 6" square of navy blue fabric, so I tossed the pattern and cut the fabric in half, and then shaped it to the onesie. It didn't turn out anything like the tutorial I read, but it worked well enough. It was supposed to overlap in the middle and have buttons . . . oh, well.




The bow tie was easy enough so I decided to make two. One for the wedding and another just for fun. They are interchangeable with a snap!




Other than iron-transfers, this was my first time sewing something on a onsie. It was a lot tricker than I expected because I couldn't get the tiny onsie to lay flat under the needle.

I was at JCPenny and found a pair of matching shorts for just a few dollars and that completed his look! Of course, I didn't take a single photo of my son on the day of the wedding, so here's a picture my mom took of us together.




Isn't he handsome!?

Last month, my brother got married! I know, I need to post more about, please be patient! A few weeks before we flew out, I found myself looking at my tiny 2 month old asking "What does a newborn wear to a wedding? An outdoor, summer wedding?" I didn't want to spend a lot money on a suit that a) wouldn't really fit him and b) he would only wear for a few hours . . . so, what's a girl to do?

Well, thanks to Pintrest and my sleepless nights, I found a tutorial to embellish a plain white onesie with a vest and tie. Perfect! So, one weekend, I had Chris take the boys to the park and I got busy (instead of taking a nap...).

I drew out a pattern only to realize that I had one 6" square of navy blue fabric, so I tossed the pattern and cut the fabric in half, and then shaped it to the onesie. It didn't turn out anything like the tutorial I read, but it worked well enough. It was supposed to overlap in the middle and have buttons . . . oh, well.




The bow tie was easy enough so I decided to make two. One for the wedding and another just for fun. They are interchangeable with a snap!




Other than iron-transfers, this was my first time sewing something on a onsie. It was a lot tricker than I expected because I couldn't get the tiny onsie to lay flat under the needle.

I was at JCPenny and found a pair of matching shorts for just a few dollars and that completed his look! Of course, I didn't take a single photo of my son on the day of the wedding, so here's a picture my mom took of us together.




Isn't he handsome!?