Sunday, December 28, 2014

2014 in Review

Y'all.  I blogged 33 times this year.  That's well over 50 less times than in years past, and over 130 less than my peak year (0'11 what what!).

It makes me a bit sad.  But, it is what it is.  I don't want my blog to fizzle or die a slow death.  Hopefully that's not what's happening.  I love it for the sheer power of being a time capsule of our lives.  It's my journal.  It's my scrapbook.  It's my digital memory filling in the blanks where my real memory has failed me.  It's a snapshot in time, of a feeling, of a thought - that just can't be replicated later.  I love it for all of these reasons.  I will keep at it, even if that does mean fewer and fewer posts.  I want to keep it alive.

Anyway, I like to do a recap post at the end of each year, with the highlights of my blogging for the past 12 months.  It's always pretty labor intensive, but I love the summary it provides.  This year should be pretty easy. :)

January

I made some 2014 goals (guess I should update on how I did with those!)


February



I talked about Harper at 18 months (complete with black eye!).  She had just started walking at 17 months, so it was a perfect time to write about her.




I spilled the big news that Harper was going to be a big sister!  (Taking deep, don't you dare throw up, breaths while doing so!)

March



We found out Baby #2 was a girl




I mused on beauty in sickness and other motherhood surprises.




I shared our new beadboard in the kitchen!  (It looks so different now in that room!)



I shared a Clubfoot Files post about our nightly routine putting her shoes on (and I had that awkward, newly pregnant belly going on!)

April 



We celebrated Easter.  Harper ate chocolate.



I tried to capture the delicate, contradictory feelings of frustration and overwhelming love of a fiesty little one. (Ahh, those feelings still persist)

May

May was allll about the back yard redo!  It was a TON of work (and $!) but it was great to have a happy, usable space come summer.  We were out there a lot.  Well.worth.it.

Here are my updates, 



Parts One



Two



and Three (I miss you, summer!)




We picked berries (and ate them).




We enjoyed the beginning of summer. Harper wore my pregnant self out tearing through the playground.

June



We went to the beach!  Harper was mildly cooperative.

I got (gestational) diabetes.  Boo.

July 


We did summery stuff.



My belly kept expanding.



Harper celebrated her birthday - luau style! 

August



Our sweet second daughter Quinn made her way into the world, three days past due! 

September

More Quinn posts followed, as I ...



...shared her birth story....



...and posted about her nursery....



... and shared her newborn photos (oh, the good old days when she had hair on her head)

October



We went to the lake! and a pumpkin patch! with great friends! all in one! 


November 



We dressed up for Halloween.

December



I shared our cards.  Christmas happened too - but that has yet to be posted :)


*********************************

It has been quite a year!  Our family grew from three to four, and we watched both of our daughters grow so quickly before our eyes.  This life - such a blessing.  Can't wait for the next year! 

Happy New Year! 


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Merry!

Here are our sweet little munchkins via Christmas card (front and back).



It should be noted that it's near impossible to make my tornado of a toddler cooperate for a photo shoot, thus the smooshed baby photo won.  I compensated by putting a more realistic (smiling!) Quinn on the back.  I figured Harper's already had two years of card stardom, so she wouldn't care.

Also of note:
- Major credit to Emily for the idea to use the wagon!  (and to even get the wagon in the first place, when Harper was a new walker!)
- I took these photos in manual in our backyard!!!  This is important, because I've had my Canon Rebel for 3 years and never learned anything but auto.  I always wanted to, but was mostly lazy.  I know there are tutorials out there, but I could just never focus enough.  SO on Black Friday I bought the intro class on ShootFlyShoot (Kevin of The Lettered Cottage fame) for half off.  I haven't even finished all of the videos but have the basics down!  It's been great to have a "class" that keeps me focused.  Worth the $ for sure!  
- I also edited it in Photoshop Elements, which I've had for a year and barely know how to use.  The photos aren't great, but it's a huge improvement over what I used to be able to do, so I'm pretty proud!  I just have to keep practicing - too bad my subjects are so wiggly.
- We tried to keep the wagon from rolling using a rock. That didn't work.  However, the rock stayed, looking like poop under the wagon.  My infantile photoshopping skills were unable to remove it.

And for funsies, some outtakes (I only took 180 pictures, don't worry...) (Tony hates me.)




And the cards from the past two years, starring my crazy first born:

2013:


2012:



(I need to take more photos like this of Quinn!  She chews her fist in the exact same way)

Saturday, December 13, 2014

At a Glimpse

So, I discovered yesterday it's been over a month since I last blogged.  I knew it had been a while, but not that long! No need to waste sentences explaining why the absence or bemoaning the loss of the community of blogging, etc. but I do miss it!

Life has continued on.  Here's a glimpse.

















Maybe I'll get around to writing again one day. :)

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Clubfoot Files: How You Can Help

Welcome to another edition of The Clubfoot Files!  It's been awhile!




Clubfoot is a very small part of our lives now.  Harper wears her brace at night, but putting it on is such an ingrained part of our nightly routine that I don't even think of it.  I don't think of Harper as a "kid with clubfoot" like I used to.  And rightfully so - she's been cured, and our current setup is simply prevention of recurrence.  She was fully healed, thanks to a fairly easy, fairly painless, and fairly inexpensive treatment process (ok, it wasn't always easy, painfree, or cheap, but compared to many other birth defects, it's easy!).  

Harper at 2 years old showing you can still be sassy in your brace shoes.

The Ponseti method of casting and bracing allowed her to have a fully-functioning foot by the time she needed to use it to crawl and walk and run and dance and jump (ok, she's not really jumping yet - her jump is a hilarious yet unsuccessful attempt to leave the ground.  but that's just lack of coordination.)  

You can also have a nice bedtime snack of cucumber and corn while wearing your special shoes.
   
Yet there are children all over the world who are born with clubfoot and do not get the chance to be so easily healed.  They live in areas where, due to lack of resources, education, and support, they never receive treatment.  They grow up with a debilitating physical impairment that causes them physical and mental suffering.  They cannot work, they are ostracized, they cannot walk without pain.  Considering how relatively easy it is to cure clubfoot, it's a terrible shame that so many children grow up without the chance to be healed.


Although clubfoot is so common, treating it is not a cause that is widely recognized or supported by the masses.  There are many great organizations that work to help those affected, but they simply aren't commonly known outside of the clubfoot community.  In a world where there are so many causes pulling at our hearts and our wallets, it's hard for clubfoot treatment to compete.

I've mentioned here before about Miraclefeet.  I have nothing to do with this nonprofit beyond the fact that I follow the work they do to help treat clubfoot worldwide and I like what I see.  When Harper outgrows her braces, I send them to Miraclefeet so they can recycle them and give them to kids who cannot afford them otherwise.  They are a small, relatively new charity in the world of charities, but I know they are making great strides to helping kids worldwide get a new chance at life.  They are growing and reach out to 12 different coutries currently.  They empower local health workers to practice the Ponseti method, which has an exponential effect on the number of children who can be helped.  They have even worked to develop a new brace that costs only $20! and can be mass produced (so awesome) for use in many of the impoverished countries they work in.


I really encourage you to go to their website to learn more about their work.  (Again, I have no affiliation with them, I'm just encouraged by their work!  I know there are many groups out there working to help clubfoot, and I think those are great too!  I just happen to have more personal experience with Miraclefeet.)


What's great about clubfoot is how treatable it is - and how relatively inexpensive it is to treat.  Often, plaster casts and braces are all you need, which is easily implemented in countries with few resources - no fancy surgeries or medicines needed.  


Through Miraclefeet, a $250 donation will pay for the COMPLETE Ponseti treatment for one child.  This includes the casting, the braces, and even transportation to the clinic where treatment will occur (undoubtedly a big obstacle for many families).  We've easily spent thousands more than that on Harper's treatment, as we are lucky enough to be able to see specialists and buy new braces and fancy socks.  


It's somewhat mind-blowing to me that a child's entire life can be turned around for the cost of part of our grocery budget for a month or less than what we'll spend on electronics that will be discarded in a year or two.  A sweet little baby who happened to be born with a little crooked foot in a country where treatment is just not a readily-available option can have the chance to walk with no pain and avoid a lifetime of burden associated with clubfoot.  Yes, $250 is a lot of money, but when you think about the entire life-changing power it has, it's really a very small cost. 


We have been blessed with much.  No, not much compared to the ideals in our country, but so very much compared to most of the world.  I am so glad we were able to donate to Miraclefeet this year, changing one child's life, a child we will never know or meet, forever.  I cannot wait to help more children next year.  It's a cause that is near and dear to my heart and I am so glad to pay it forward.  I want to make it a priority.


I write this not to pat myself on the back, because man I wish we could donate more and more!  Our donation is small.  But I'm hoping I can use this blog as a platform to reach other clubfoot parents who are as extremely blessed as we are.  We have had the opportunity to treat our children in top quality hospitals with brand new braces and even cute cast covers. We didn't have to worry about our safety in traveling to the doctor.  We didn't have to worry about our child being shunned in a world that doesn't understand why her foot just happened to be a little crooked when she was born.  We don't have to fear for our child's future.


I'm hoping if you are a clubfoot family and have room in your budget this year, you will consider also paying it forward and helping another little baby have a better life, just like you helped your own baby.
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