Rosie is 8 Month's Old!

"Rosie Ray" as we like to call her is a total ball of energy!
She keeps us on our toes constantly.

During her 7th month she learned how to sit up on her own and loves playing with toys while sitting up. She has great balance and rarely falls over but even if she does she goes right on playing without crying. Rosie absolutely loves swimming in the pool. She kicks and splashes and giggles a lot. She babbles like crazy all day long and has started saying "dadada" as well. She melts our hearts now because she reaches out for us to pick her up and then pats us on the back repeatedly afterward.

This last month she learned how to jump, that is pretty much all she does all day long (in our laps, in the walker, in her bed, etc.) Lately, she has so much energy that we have to wear her out before bedtime and so we put her in the "Jenny Jump Up." Andrew taught her how to crawl this last week and she still sort of cries and whines like we are torturing her when we want her to show off her new trick. It is hilarious and so darn cute when she slides down on her belly and pushes with her feet and elbows (military style) to get closer to us and then pauses to put her face down on the floor and pout only to start up again. My favorite new trick that she has learned is clapping. When we sing Patty Cake or clap for her then she starts clapping as well and I love it! The last thing that I have documented and noticed is that Rosie sometimes has shy moments when will lay her head down on my shoulder if someone is trying to talk to her.

I love this girl and I especially love seeing how much she loves Andrew and I back. We are so lucky to be her parents.

Happier Than Ever

I have been thinking a lot lately and I have concluded that right now in my life I am happier than ever.
I can't tell you another time when I have felt happiness, peace and love at this kind of level. It has something to do with the fact that I am no longer a college student jumping through hoops for my professors and everything to do with the fact that I love my little family and the stage we are in at this very moment.

Our life together is not perfect but it is in my eyes as I seek to find the good in those less than perfect moments. We still make very little money working less than ideal jobs but somehow we make ends meet for the necessities and whatever we have leftover we spend happily on movies and food. We have always loved living close to both of our families but we find ourselves enjoying it even more as Rosie gets to know her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins so well. We are so fortunate to have good friends who we love spending our nights with playing cards and talking about life and of course laughing a lot too. Andrew and I have told each other countless times since Rosie was born how blessed we are to have a healthy and happy little girl. She fills each day with new and exciting wonders and so much joy. We have and are currently seeing so many blessings pouring into our lives and we are grateful for the gospel that helps ground us and provide hope for the future.

Life is simple but wonderful right now and I dare say that I am happier than ever.

Rosie is Four Month's Old...Wait Whoops Six Month's Old!

Okay so we are squishing these two posts into one because somehow life got the best of me again and I have slipped behind on recording. But to help myself remember the small, simple beauties of my everyday with Rosie I keep a long running note on my phone and add to it each time I see or experience something new and exciting with her.


(**Disclaimer: This part was written two months ago when I began this post so I left it as is and didn't add a word.) This girl is growing up fast, yet she still feels and looks so tiny to me. She has learned to like tummy time [finally] and we have even witnessed her rolling over from her back to her tummy a few times just this last week (end of April...) We love to cheer her on as she discovers new things. Rosie loves one-on-one attention so she can look us in the eyes. She loves to smile and talk to us a lot everyday. I have a feeling she will be a little chatter box. Grandma Helen gave her some laminated pictures and we carry them around with us everywhere because she really likes to look at them. She focuses really hard and gets a serious face on like she is studying each one. Another funny thing that she has started doing is trying to eat her fists, sometimes both at the same time.


Month five was spent living at my parent's house while Andrew was in NYC for an internship. We spent a lot of time playing with grandmas, aunts and cousins. My mom and sisters helped me train Rosie to take bottles in order to fatten her up. She was a little on the small side at her four month Dr. appointment so we took her eating/sleeping/pooping patterns pretty seriously that month. My mom also encouraged me to get Rosie sleeping in her crib instead of her swing and by the end of the month when we moved home, she was sleeping in a crib like a champ.

Rosie turned six months a little over a week ago and boy have we seen the changes rolling in everyday in the last little while. She can now sit up on her own and grins so big like she is proving that she is a "big girl" while doing so. She is a pretty good eater though I only get around to feeding her real baby food about once or twice a day (I know I should be better about this.) We started giving her a snack called "Puffs" this last week and she has a little bit of a hard time keeping them in her mouth but she is persistent at trying to eat them. Her giggle is now a daily occurrence and each time I hear it my heart melts. I'm certain there is nothing cuter. Rosie's little personality has starting showing a lot more lately. She is goofy like her dad and gets hangry like her mom. She has started sticking the tip of her tongue out and waiting until someone notices and laughs and then she laughs too. Her first experience swimming was this last month and she kicks and splashes in the water a lot. The last little thing I want to record about her is her new trick: Babbling. It is hilarious and I have tried to capture it on video so many times. She babbles playfully, happily and sometimes it gets serious and sounds like she is lecturing me about something that she really wants me to hear.

Oh how we love her so!
(more and more each day!)

Small Shop Roundup

Oh boy has this space been neglected for the past little while...I have been working my tail off preparing for this event with my sister and taking care of my little family. We are so excited/nervous about how quickly it is approaching. We hope you will come out and join us! (even if only to gaze at all of the goodies and grab lunch/dinner from one of the delicious food trucks that will be there.) 

Mark your calendars for a day of shopping from all of your favorite small shops in one spot! There is a week of amazing giveaways lined up that have already start on Instagram; make sure to follow @loulouandcoshop in order to participate in the giveaways each day.

Here is a list of the talented vendors that will be participating:
@dreamcatcherbaby
@loulouandcoshop
@letsplayground
@kortnijeane
@lot801
@light_and_ink
@anniekblake
@inkh_designs
@justbuttonsandbows
@lauragzundelart
@lolliesandlaceboutique
@flowersweremountains
@tatertotshoppe
@camilialund
@susanna_avila
@hellomaypole
@ellouiseandco
@kendalnb
@shopjellabee
@ellienewellart
@tnees_tpees
@chankklas
@paigecanderson
@statedsimply
@adorneventstyling
@mydearhazel
@lexzurcher
@hellosparrow
@paperbanditpress
@nicole_hum_stitchery
@kenzoony
@madebyjewls
@flordeluzshop
@starandarrowdesigns
@kmpayton

#smallshoproundup #loulouandcoshop #handmade #supportthehandmade #local #provo

What it means to be a Mother.

{this is my mother on her wedding day}

Every woman in the world is a mother. There are so many women in my life that I look up to. These women have what it takes to be mothers. Their individual examples have shaped my beliefs of what it means to be a mother. I owe everything to my mother and her devotion to me and my sisters.

A mother is kind.
A mother is patient.
A mother is loving.
A mother stays up late to help you finish seemingly endless school projects (even when you are in college).
A mother is playful.
A mother is creative.
A mother is her child's first best friend.
A mother is lovely.
A mother is graceful.
A mother can multitask like it's no one's business.
A mother is reliable.
A mother is devoted.
A mother cares more about others than herself.
A mother is smart.
A mother gives her all even when there is nothing left to give.
A mother is honest.
A mother loves to talk to her child about anything and everything.
A mother is beautiful.
A mother is unforgettable.

Of course there are a bajillion more aspects that make up a mother but these are some that stand out to me. My thoughts have continually been focused on motherhood ever since I became pregnant a little over a year ago.

I am so grateful for Rosie. She has given me the opportunity to be a mother. And now that I am in these shoes I feel how big they are and how hard I am going to have to work to fill them. I only hope I can embody the above mentioned characteristics and be a good mother to Rosie. She deserves the world and I will do my best to give her the tools to succeed in life as the women in my life have done for me.


Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers {women} out there. I hope you feel *especially* loved and appreciated today.

Lou Lou and Company at Bijou Market

Bijou Market only comes around 2x a year and I swear it should be considered it's own holiday because it is so much fun. I have loved crafting and creating for this year's upcoming spring event the very most!! I feel like I have finally found something that I love to make and that I love to see on Rosie as well as other sweet baby girls. Bijou is this Friday and Saturday and you do not want to miss out!

Look for the Lou Lou & Company booth because we will have our prices discounted 10%-30% off of everything we make.

There is a link to our shop on the side bar of my blog if you are interested in checking out the different products we make.

Morning Smiles x100

Rosie is in somewhat of a routine now that she is three months old. She wakes up in the morning and after eating she usually goes back down for a long nap (2-3 hours). Each time she wakes up, I look forward to being the one who picks her up out of her swing because I am greeted by the
most
adorable
really
HUGE
smiles.
Of course we have hundreds of these cheesy grin of photos by now but here are a few that I love.
Other times we can catch a sweet Rosie smile are during a diaper change, while giving her a bath, and always when she is talking to her daddy.

Happy 3 months little lady! You are becoming cuter and more fun each day.

Toe Fuzz

This girl always has so much fuzz in between her toes and it cracks me up.

Rosie is Two Month's Old

Wow time sure does fly! I can't believe my baby is two months old and counting. I'm sure I will be saying those words for the rest of her life (like most other parents) but she really is growing too fast.

In the last month Rosie has become a lot more aware of her surroundings and a lot more playful. She loves to make eye contact and smile and coo at whoever is talking to her. She loves to wiggle on her fluffy pink rug on the floor. In fact she wiggles so much now that it's hard to get a clear picture of her at all anymore because usually one limb or another is blurry. Her dad loves to come home from school at night and spend time with her. He can make her smile bigger than anyone else. They have a special little connection and I love it. Rosie loves to go for long walks and we have been lucky to have such nice weather lately that she and I have gone out almost everyday. She still loves to be swaddled tight for her naps and sleeping at night. She sleeps in her swing because she loves the motion and most nights she only wakes up once to eat and then goes right back down. Rosie loves taking baths. She smiles and kicks like crazy in the warm water. And I have to say there is nothing better than a clean yummy baby.

We took her to her 2 month doctor appointment and she weighed in at 10lbs 9oz and measured 24 inches long. She had to get shots that day and that was the hardest thing for me to watch. For the next two days she was a pretty sad girl who wanted to be held and cuddled a lot.

Rosie is such a sweet addition to our family. She brings happiness into our lives everyday and we love her.

What we did to celebrate

Our anniversary celebration this year included Rosie for several reasons. One being that she doesn't always take a bottle for a babysitter and another being just the fact that we love her too much to leave her. So we planned our day to be as baby friendly as possible and she tagged along.

Andrew worked a half day and I got our taxes filed in the morning and then at noon it was off to Salt Lake to play. We rarely make it up there so it is always a fun adventure when we do. We decided to go to the zoo and it was a blast. We loved seeing all of the animals and despite the fact that it was windy and chilly outside, it was a huge success. Most of the animals were out and about and so active. My three favorites were the otters, the little monkeys and of course the TIGER.

All of the animals seriously loved Andrew and came right up to the glass to play with him. The monkeys were the funniest by far and kept reaching out to touch his face that was right up close to the glass. So entertaining. After the zoo we did a little shopping. Andrew and I each got a few things to spruce up our wardrobe. It's always fun to get a few new things that I can look forward to wearing. Then it was off to our dinner reservation. I have to admit this part of the evening was not too baby friendly and we got some stares in the restaurant but Rosie was beyond perfect and allowed us to enjoy eating our fancy meal together. We met the sweetest couple sitting across from us at dinner. They overheard us telling the waitress that it was our anniversary and the man faked having to go to the bathroom only to order and pay for two delicious appetizers for us. The waitress came out to take our order and brought us the two dishes saying that some people in the restaurant wished us a happy anniversary.

I was blown away by the generosity.

I thanked them a million times because I knew it couldn't have been anyone else in the restaurant but them. We ended up talking to them for more than half of our meal until they were finished and ready to leave. At which point I thanked them again from the bottom of my heart for being so thoughtful and sweet to us even though we were practically strangers. They simply said how they remember being in our same situation not long ago

They asked us to pass it on one day in the future.
And to that I responded, "Will do."

I hope to remember this special act of kindness when Andrew and I are older and more financially stable. I would love to pass on the thoughtfulness of this sweet couple to another family. It made our night so memorable.

Year Three in Review

It's been 3 whole years since Andrew and I got married. And even though it's cheesy and cliche, I have to say, these have been the best years of my life. In this one year alone so many exciting things have happened so I decided to do a little recap.
Year 3 in review (March 2013-March 2014):

-finished up Winter 2013 semester (I was sick and tired and didn't find out why until April 18th)
-found out we were having a baby
-worked our tails off during the summer to save up money
-celebrated our birthdays in June and announced to family that a baby would be joining our family in December
-I was served court papers to be sued in a lawsuit for being involved in a three-car accident in the summer of 2012 (this is currently still going on by the way)
-went to the doctor more times in my entire life combined (over the whole nine months of pregnancy)
-got to see our baby on ultrasound 5 different times (one of which we found out we were having a girl)
-prepared a baby girl nursery in our second bedroom that was formerly storing art and lots of other junk that I was too lazy to go through and throw away until then
-Andrew got a new job illustrating courses for BYU Independent Study
-started my last semester of college in Fall 2013
-created lots of art (both Andrew and I)
-I finished my BFA show and put it up in the HFAC for others to see (all while 35 weeks pregnant)
-finished Fall semester in December two days before my due date
-spent Christmas relaxing and enjoying time together and with family
-got to meet our new baby girl on December 30th and spend two days of bliss in the hospital just the three of us
-our first night home from the hospital was New Year's Eve
-Andrew started school again in January (weirdest feeling that I wasn't going back!)
-Rosie had her two month doctor's appointment and had to get a few shots which was the saddest thing for me to watch
-currently I stay home and take care of Rosie everyday and continue to work part-time as an apartment manager and Andrew is finishing up this semester of school and still working for BYU Independent Study as an illustrator (he hates leaving home everyday because he says he misses Rosie too much)

Happy Anniversary Andrew
I love you
Here's to year four
Onward and upward (hopefully)

Baby Bracelets

So I have teamed up with my sister to sell again at this spring's Bijou Market in April and this time I will be making baby bracelets. I love putting them on Rosie to give her a little bling on a daily basis. I am excited to be able to offer these handmade bracelets to other moms now too because there is nothing much sweeter than a little babe adorned with some jewels.

Here are a couple shots of Rosie wearing her bracelets all dressed up in her Sunday best.
The quality of the bracelets endures through lots of wear and even bath time. They are made with 14K gold plated or sterling silver plated beads and clasps. There is a link to our shop over on the sidebar of my blog (Lou Lou & Co) with some of my bracelets and my sister's gorgeous swaddle blankets for sale.

Right now we are having a giveaway on our Instagram account. If you want to enter or hear about future products and giveaways go follow along. You can find us at @loulouandcoshop.

Rosie's Blessing

Rosie was able to be blessed by her sweet Dad this past Sunday. He put a lot a thought into the words he said.

He blessed her to be a faithful daughter of God with a strong understanding of who she is.
He blessed her with a desire to serve others.
He blessed her to be healthy and strong as she obeys the commandments.
He blessed her to have a desire to strengthen her mind and to learn about the joys and wonders of the earth.
He blessed her to be happy and caring toward others.

Probably my most favorite part is when he blessed her to be able to confront difficulties with joy.

This picture absolutely melts my heart.

One Month Ago...

...I had a belly the size of a bowling ball.
...I was still experiencing heartburn daily.
...I had swollen hands and ankles.
...I was still feeling sweet kicks and hiccups inside my belly.
...I endured contractions and labor that lead to the birth of our new baby girl
with my biggest supporter and cheerleader by my side (aka. Andrew).
...We enjoyed familiarizing ourselves with our baby's tiny features.
And... (according to Andrew) we stole the sweetest and most beautiful baby girl
from the hospital and brought her home with us for good.

One month ago we became a family of three.