Over the weekend I caught myself reminiscing on Ava's infant days; I was trying to figure out a specific date that one of her milestones occurred on. For the life of me, I couldn't remember the exact date. It really started to bother me as the time passed and I still couldn't recollect. Thankfully, I had written it out in a blog post, so I was able to go back and kind of relive the moments on that past date. I was so grateful for my blog more than ever yesterday. These are the moments that I am thankful that I blog out my life experiences, not only for my readers, but for myself as well.

After this incident, I decided I needed to transfer milestone information into Ava bug's baby book and my pregnancy scrapbook. Yes, you guys.. I'm that mom! I know you weren't surprised though. During my pregnancy with Ava I made a scrapbook full of notes, ultrasound pictures, and my maternity pictures. It was a great way to document my pregnancy, and I included mommy and daddy pages as well. Before Justin deployed he included a sweet, sweet note for his growing baby and that note warms my heart over and over again.

I purchased Ava's "first year" baby book a couple weeks before I had her. I have filled all the pages in her first year book, and I love that she has her hospital bracelets, confirmation of birth, and even umbilical stump ( I know it's morbid) in one handy place. Documenting these events have been so very important to me as my baby grows. Tonight I even included Ava's infant gloves from her first week of life.

I can't tell you how happy it makes me knowing that one day my little girl will ask me for her baby books when she begins to start her own family. Inside these books are our history with her so far. I don't think I'll make a book for each year of her life, but I always see myself scrapbooking for the sake of having my memories tangible, and the dates! With the busy lives that we live, please remember how important it is to document the special moments, and even the more trivial ones.

We all have five minutes out of our day to write something down or to blog something out. That's the one benefit of technology that I have yet to resent. Being able to share everything with my daughter. Even this website. I hope that by reading about all of the moments I had as a new mommy that someday it helps her with her little ones. That was the exact point of this post guys. Life moves by so fast. On days like yesterday, it's nice to have those fond memories handy somewhere. Whether it be a journal, blog, or written down on an old paper napkin.. make it happen!

Check out some of the pages from Ava's books! Please excuse the terrible lighting.. I took these last night. How many of my readers scrapbook their special milestones? How many have scrapbooked once they had children? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or by email!

Happy Sunday all!

♥- Leilani

Photography

I'm going to make this short, but I just had to share. Today I had a fabulous time exploring Seattle with my sweet family. I took a million photos "story telling" our day, and I just couldn't fight the overwhelming feeling I had to pursue thoughts of photography. I've never had a passion for photos (until now), I've never had this urge to go out and take a camera along (until now). Having a beautiful family has shifted my thoughts on what's important while documenting our lives.

With all the money we have invested in family photos, and the money we will invest in the future, it really makes sense to invest in a great quality camera, and learn how to shoot and edit myself. I don't see myself making this a career choice, but I do see myself using my new found skills to ensure that my family always has beautiful, everyday life, storytelling photos. I have found the importance in a moment. I have seen first hand how one photo can cause a million emotions. I want that for myself and my family. I want to be able to take photos everyday, not just because of an occasion. On days like today when we head out to the zoo, or the water, I want to capture the special daddy/daughter moments that Justin and Ava have. I want Justin to be able to capture the special moments that Ava bug and I share too. It's important to have these moments documented. Life is going by so incredibly fast, and I don't want to skip a beat.

On that note, I'm off! I'm excited for this new chapter opening in our lives. I'm also excited that I live in a part of our nation that offers a ton of mentors and help! I don't know where this new journey will take us, but I'm excited that Justin and I have both committed to it.

Happy Saturday all!

♥- Leilani

Success!

Yesterday's cake smash session went off without a hitch. I could not have chosen a better Pacific Northwest photographer for this special occasion. I was so stressed about everything, especially since we were running late yesterday. Chloe was seriously so laid back and mellow. Ava got her first boo boo on her face from falling. I both love and hate that she is walking for this very reason. It really is just a little bump by her eye, but that didn't stop me from crying. You'd think that after almost a year of knowing that when mama cries it causes baby to cry, that I would stop.. Yeah, hasn't happened. When we finally did hit the road, I ended up going over a pothole that was determined to ruin the smash cake. Thank goodness it was still salvageable. Picture days have always stressed me out because I try to have everything as "perfect" as possible. I'm happy to report (despite the minor bumps) yesterday was pretty perfect. The location of the studio put me in a good mood. I really  don't know why (I don't spend a lot of time in Tacoma), but I appreciate the scenic parts of downtown Tacoma.

The studio we were in had these huge windows with these long, white curtains. Apparently it was an old news tribune building. The feel of everything was just so relaxed, and I felt instant happiness. Ava bug took to Chloe extremely well. She's usually pretty timid and watchful of strangers, so imagine my surprise when she walked to Chloe and grabbed her hand. I knew then, we had found our new family photographer. Ava is so stingy when it comes to smiles, and I am so glad we found someone that is able to get that out of her. I can hardly wait to get the images back. I saw a preview last night, and I was so very fond of the photos she did post. Ava looks so much older, she looks so grown up, and she looks like a toddler. I didn't cry over the picture, but I can't promise to keep composure when I see them all. The smash cake photos, and the nursing photos are the ones that have me the most giddy. As much as I wish Justin could have been there with us, I had so much fun.

I'm really glad I made the decision (more like Justin's school schedule made the decision) to downsize Ava's actual birthday party. I don't feel as stressed, and I know her party is going to be more personal for us. Since her daddy will be away during the day on Saturday, I plan on taking my Princess out for the ultimate Birthday treat! Pedicures, potential zoo day, maybe even the beach (weather permitting). Whatever we end up doing, I just want it to be all about her. I plan on taking videos galore on Saturday, so watch out for those. This past year has really allowed me to value video footage like never before. It really is amazing to relive certain moments of your life, even if just for a brief second.

With that being said, I'm off! I'm going to be that cheesy mama that makes a special video for her daughter each year of her life. Those of you who know me.. heck those of you who read this blog, know how much the Type A person in me loves documentation.

Happy Thursday all!

♥- Leilani