Catfood27Cents

7/52

 Ronan - has been sick since Wednesday.  :( I just feel awful for him.  

Isla and Stellan - have been in cahoots all day.  We had to do some work in the back yard to keep the yard from flooding so it's basically a dirt pile at the moment.  Of course, this makes for some great times when you're very small.  

Wolf - first pic, taken last Sunday - flying high and feeling great on a SUPER bright sunny Sunday.  Last pic? Feeling like crap on a super bright sunny Saturday.  Alas. 

Here's hoping for a healthier week next week. 

6/52

A portrait of my children each week. 

Ronan: Looks forward to coming home for some iPad time after school to play his new favorite game, Terraria. 

Isla: Attended her first formal dance with her father, the Sweetheart Ball.  She loved the dressing up, getting fancy hair and all the attention. Only two more days in that cast!!!! YAY!

Stellan: Wild thing wouldn't let me get a good pic of him.  But man o man, do I love his Max costume. 

Wolf: Oh, you know, just innocently tearing through every and all cabinet, basket, drawer, bin, what have you that he gan get his hands into.  :) 

Until next week...

a 52 project? A photo of my children every week?

Well, I want to try.  I'm quite keen on these things.  Watching other people's children grow and change throughout one year has been really interesting see.  I'd love to create a book at the end of the year of all of the photos I put in this series.  How lovely would that be?  I've actually been taking photos quite regularly, but nothing to get too excited about.  So, I'll catch up in this post... then, ideally, I hope to update with a 52 photo every weekend at the end of each week.  Who will be in these photos?  Well, ideally I'll have a picture of each kiddo, but hey, more than one in a frame counts, and really I'll take whoever I can get.  At least one child each week.  Ideally all four, but, you know.  I'll do the best I can.  If you're doing a 52 project let me know?  Maybe we can inspire each other to keep it through to the end of the year?  

1/52 

 

 

 

 

 

2/52

 

 

3/52

 

And, just for some quick recap of the last few weeks...

Isla broke her left arm.  Mending it required pins and five+ weeks in a full arm cast.  That sucked. A lot. But happily (?) surprisingly (?) she's totally unfazed and continues to play hard.  Can't keep a good 5 year old down, I suppose.  

Stellan's vocabulary has exploded.  He knows all of the things.  All the colors.  All the animals.  All the sounds.  All the nuances.  It's pretty much blown my mind.  He even knows the names of dinosaurs.  Crazy I tell you.  I'm glad I wasn't worried because he wasn't talking as early as his siblings, because yeah, he's just fine.  Oh, did I mention he's beginning to speak in Spanish to our nanny?  Yeah, that too.  He knows Spanish.  I don't know Spanish.  That's crazy.  And his voice is super cute.  Almost three is peak cuteness.  So so cute. 

Ronan is a Minecraft master.  Loves school.  Might have a couple girl crushes.  (I approve of them all) And is pretty much just becoming a big kid.  How?  Yeah, it's madness.  

Wolf is crawling now and cruising like a boss in his hula walker thing that we unearthed from the attic that used to belong to Ronan.  He mastered that in a few quick beats and is tooling all over the downstairs of our house.  He's thoroughly enjoying his power.  

I hope your New Years has been off to a wonderful start.  

xo Cat

 

2015

While 2014 was not epically hard in really any particular way, I am not sad to see it go and say hello to 2015.  The New Year always inspires me.  I can start again!  I make goals!  (Not really into resolutions)  Things are going to be BETTER this year! LOL   Perhaps I place some unrealistic expectations on the flip of a calendar page, but whatever, at 37, I probably won't be changing my thoughts about this too soon.

Anyway, to briefly recap, Christmas was nice.  Seeing it through the eyes of your children always brings back the magic of the holidays.  While I felt like it blasted past faster than you can say Rudolf, it was full of family and fun.  

With four little ones, we've been busy.  Really busy.  In fact, carving out time to blog has seemed SO low on the list of things I need to prioritize that it's ridiculous, but I did make it one of my um, goals, for the new year- somewhat more regular post updates.  

The kids start back to school on Monday (oh yeah, I never really posted about why we stopped homeschooling) but needless to say, they are actually excited to be getting back to their (wonderful amazing) school, and I am looking forward to finishing the last two episodes of Serial (remember that time thing?) so nobody spoil it for me!!! I want to see if my theories of how it ends are correct!  

And as far as all that goes, we are all doing okay here.  There's been a little flu, a little (okay a lot) of congestion, lots of drizzly weather and a really wonderful sense of friendship with the people with whom we spend our days.  Things are good.  I'm looking forward to making them better and better.  

With that, here's a few photos.  

Jan. 1

January 2

Wolf: Five Months

Oh Wolfie, five months already.  Geez.  Well, you enjoyed your first vacation which was our long summer trip to Ohio.  Three weeks being spoiled by Nana and Papa, it went too fast.  You had a lot of fun being snuggled by everyone, being Baptized, rolling over and such.  

We're used to hearing comments from random people such as, "wow, he's the most adorable baby I've ever seen", and the like.  Yawn - tell me about it.  But you're more than just skin deep baby person - you've got soul.  Lots of laughter and happiness pours out of you.  And if someone near you is upset?  You cry too.  It's hard to believe that in a month you will be theoretically old enough to give solids.  But you're not near sitting up on your own yet, so I'm in no hurry whatsoever.  You're doing just fine with mama as your main meal.  I'm happy to keep it that way for a while.  Don't grow up too fast little babers.  We want to enjoy this last run of infancy for as long as possible.  Love you lambie.  

Freeze Frame

Just always stay true to yourself.  

Wolf: Four Months

Um, didn't I JUST update this blog with three months?  How is this possible?  

sweet little chub a lub. 

You are really just so sweet and pleasant.  You love a good snuggle and a good long nursing session.  You're easy to take places (minus the car ride- you don't like those) and we just love your good nature. We love you Sweet Wolfie.  Love you forever. 

playing with the Lensbaby

Post Partum, Four Months

Well, this is defintely the crappiest part of the post partum experience in my opinion.  Still hanging on to enough pounds that my pre-pregnancy clothing doesn't look right or fit right and my hair is all falling out.  Just when I think I can't possibly lose any more - more comes out.  It's pretty disturbing.  

Knowing that we aren't having any more babies has, I think, made me feel like I need to be "old me" again.  No more babies.  You're done.  Get back in shape.  Be "you" again.  Do everything you used to do before you had kids.  Be sexy.  Be spontaneous.  Eat right.  Wear cute clothes.  And do it all with four kids under seven years old and oh, right, one of them is still an infant who needs you to feed him with your own body several times a day - and regularly spits up all over your cute clothes that are carefully chosen for their a) breastfeeding friendliness and b) slimming properties.  That's like, four total outfits. 

I'm not complaining.  But I'm not going to pretend this time around hasn't been hard.  I've been working through some mild post partum anxiety/depression what have you, for a bit now.  I could feel it creeping on not long after Wolf came home.  The shock of his hospitalization, being away from him during the time when I needed to be with him most.  Those feelings still sneak up on me from time to time and choke me and sting my eyes unexpectedly before I can push them back.  This all translated into a more anxious me.  Where are the other kids?  Why isn't Brandon home yet?  Catherine where did you go?  

The post partum experience is as varied as the women who experience it.  It varies between pregnancies.  Like snowflakes - no two are alike.  And sometimes it's hard.  I'm not going to pretend it isn't and I'm not going to "carefully curate" my blog to project an image that it is easy.  

And yes, that might not be pretty, but it's the truth.  

But there are bright things about now, to be sure.  For one, well, Wolf is super bright.  

And as the baby, I can tell he will be spoiled.  

And Stelly has the cutest words for things.  His sword he calls his "ssshhing" (like the sound a sword makes when you're wielding it. Ah-dorable) and he calls this pink rope that I've tied into a lasso for him his - wait for it - it's going to kill you - his "yee hah".  Yes, his "yee hah".  

"Momma?  Where my Yee hah?"

Now if only I could get a good photo of him...

In an effort to nurture myself as much as possible, I am really pouring my creativity into photography and have been so happy to have had several families and babies and clients over the last couple months.  I really love how there is always somewhere to go with photography.  Something to aspire to. Something to create.  That has definitely made me happy and having a supportive family has been critical to allow this to happen and continue to happen.  

I created a new streamlined website that I am pleased with, so if you're bored, feel free to click on over to www.catrunyan.com and check it out.  Critical feedback is always welcome.  

I'm also happy that we'll be visiting my parents with the kids this summer and we're really looking forward those cool Ohio evenings.  My dad has really been going all out creating wooden swords for the boys and a bow set for Isla.  There's talks of maybe a backyard campout and of course lots of walks in the woods where I played as a child.  Obviously I'll be bringing my camera and am excited for the vastly different scenic opportunities.  

I will admit.  I am not excited for the drive.  Wolf is NOT a happy car baby.  Hopefully the small fortune I've spent on car entertainment for him will pay off.  Kicky piano thing, make him happy!!!! 

But either way, we'll get there and it'll be good.  

And don't worry about me.  I'm taking care of myself.  It's reminding myself that it's one step at a time and I'll get there and it'll be good.  

kitty sparkles says " 'sup"? 

Five year old photos

Recently I snapped some pretty shots of Isla on the beach to commemorate her fifth birthday. 

How much has changed in the last five years.  But you still want me to sing "The Sunshine Song" (you are my sunshine) to you every night.  Baby Mousie, although you don't cuddle her as much, is still your technical favorite toy.  You put your sunglasses up on top of your head like a headband (like I do) and ask, "do I look like a Mommy?" You love to play dress up and school and are excited to start homeschooling this coming fall.  (I'm excited too!) You are funny and brave and even though you look so grown up in these photos, you're still my little baby girl.  I love you. 

Isla is two, three, and four.

 

to Isla on the eve of five

when i have said my evening prayer,

and my clothes are folded on my chair,

mama and papa switch off the light,

i'll still be four years old tonight.

 

but from the very break of day,

before the children rise and play,

before the darkness turns to gold,

tomorrow i'll be five years old…

five kisses when i wake,

five candles on my cake.

 

a goodnight kiss for the four year old

to send her to sleep and to dreaming.

and blessings to the five year old

who'll climb out of bed in the morning.

 

from The Birthday Book

 

goodnight sweet four, we're looking forward to knowing lovely five.