Fall Fun
What a difference a year makes! It was this time 1 year ago that I was learning about life as a stay-at-home-working mom. After about 10 weeks maternity leave I threw myself back into work during the busy season...Isabelle was a far cry (no pun intended) from sleeping through the night, I was still nursing and her reflux made every feeding tortuous, and Brian was at home, looking for a job. Right now I couldn't even tell you what a typical day was like 1 year ago. Crazy how that whole "momnesia" thing works...I still think of Izzie at 3 months as being some of my happiest days ever.
October 2010, little bald baby in bumbo in bakement
Things are definitely much different now. My little 15 month old makes me laugh and smile more than ever. For the most part I've figured out how to do this working and stay at home mom thing. Even though the bakement lights are still on till almost midnight most nights, the house is quiet till 7 am. And while I cherish every minute that I can be with Isabelle, I know that she is in the best of hands when I cannot be with her. I'm sure I do my fair share of moaning and groaning to my husband about how exhausted I am after a long day of playing, feeding, errands, and working late. But it is my choice (well, for the most part) to work at night so that I can spend more time with Izzie. A choice I am very lucky to have, because the truth is I really am thankful that I can be both a stay-at-home mom and a working mom. It might be the hardest, but it's the best of both worlds.
Isabelle and her cousin, Betsy Grace, are quite a pair. I get the biggest kick out of watching them interact.
Not sure who is mimicking who here, but it sure is cute!
Eating their crackers at the kiddie table. Pretty soon they'll be having a "proper" tea together with their dolls.
Last weekend we had family in town, and Uncle Eric helped Isabelle take her first tricycle ride.
Things are definitely much different now. My little 15 month old makes me laugh and smile more than ever. For the most part I've figured out how to do this working and stay at home mom thing. Even though the bakement lights are still on till almost midnight most nights, the house is quiet till 7 am. And while I cherish every minute that I can be with Isabelle, I know that she is in the best of hands when I cannot be with her. I'm sure I do my fair share of moaning and groaning to my husband about how exhausted I am after a long day of playing, feeding, errands, and working late. But it is my choice (well, for the most part) to work at night so that I can spend more time with Izzie. A choice I am very lucky to have, because the truth is I really am thankful that I can be both a stay-at-home mom and a working mom. It might be the hardest, but it's the best of both worlds.Isabelle and her cousin, Betsy Grace, are quite a pair. I get the biggest kick out of watching them interact.
Not sure who is mimicking who here, but it sure is cute!Eating their crackers at the kiddie table. Pretty soon they'll be having a "proper" tea together with their dolls.Last weekend we had family in town, and Uncle Eric helped Isabelle take her first tricycle ride.
A couple weeks ago we went to Aw Shucks Farm with playgroup and it was the perfect way to get this Fall started!
Some mighty cute babies and their mommies...Ansley on the right has one more triplet who didn't make it into the picture! I was watching her in awe the whole morning. And I think I'm busy?
The older kids got to "plow the field".
There are the triplets!
After feeding the animals and going on a hayride, each child got to pick out a pumpkin. My little farm girl, hard at work.
Ooh, I could just eat her up. 
Isabelle is just one of the boys...she LOVES anything with wheels. 
Therefore this place was heaven for her. She had a fit when I finally had to pull her off the tractor. 
And of course she walked laps around this old truck. Coolest. thing. ever. 
When she's not roughin' it with the boys, Isabelle is roughin' it with Crockett. She is obsessed with finding balls and toys for Crockett, dropping them in front of her (sometimes fussing at her when she doesn't take them)...and then of course she cries when Crockett won't give them back. Unfortunately a few minutes after taking this picture I learned the hard way that taking photos of a moving baby can be dangerous...
Poor thing fell flat on her face (on concrete!) when I was looking at the camera instead of her. Here is her little fat lip that was a result of the fall. Just a typical day in the life of a 15 month old!
My favorite: Isabelle loves to make Crockett her seat. She finds where Crockett is laying, and slowly backs up into her, then plops down so that her back has a nice resting spot.
Perfect for mixing invisible food in the measuring cup. 
Believe it or not, cake is still a rare treat in the Barksdale house (at least for Isabelle!). On this night, she came home after a day with Cici to a warm house full of the aroma of freshly baked cake. I decided to let her in on one of the great perks of being a baker's daughter.
Isabelle doesn't spend much time in the bakement (the gated play area I created seems more like a jailhouse to her) but when I do need to get some work done with her around, I do my best to get her in on the action. A bowl and spatula makes her happy for a bit.
The strings on an apron can keep her busy for several minutes.
Always taste your product.
Mmmm, that invisible batter sure is yummy.
Sweet Isabelle sometimes joins us on wedding cake deliveries. She is a trooper! Last Saturday on our way to the Duke Mansion, Brian and I noticed she was being awfully quiet in the backseat...when we turned around to look we saw her little hand inside my pastry bag full of icing. She ain't no fool!
The latest wedding cakes...more classic, white, elegant!
Some mighty cute babies and their mommies...Ansley on the right has one more triplet who didn't make it into the picture! I was watching her in awe the whole morning. And I think I'm busy?The older kids got to "plow the field".
There are the triplets!
After feeding the animals and going on a hayride, each child got to pick out a pumpkin. My little farm girl, hard at work.Ooh, I could just eat her up. 
Isabelle is just one of the boys...she LOVES anything with wheels. 
Therefore this place was heaven for her. She had a fit when I finally had to pull her off the tractor. 
And of course she walked laps around this old truck. Coolest. thing. ever. 
When she's not roughin' it with the boys, Isabelle is roughin' it with Crockett. She is obsessed with finding balls and toys for Crockett, dropping them in front of her (sometimes fussing at her when she doesn't take them)...and then of course she cries when Crockett won't give them back. Unfortunately a few minutes after taking this picture I learned the hard way that taking photos of a moving baby can be dangerous...
Poor thing fell flat on her face (on concrete!) when I was looking at the camera instead of her. Here is her little fat lip that was a result of the fall. Just a typical day in the life of a 15 month old!
My favorite: Isabelle loves to make Crockett her seat. She finds where Crockett is laying, and slowly backs up into her, then plops down so that her back has a nice resting spot.
Perfect for mixing invisible food in the measuring cup. 
Believe it or not, cake is still a rare treat in the Barksdale house (at least for Isabelle!). On this night, she came home after a day with Cici to a warm house full of the aroma of freshly baked cake. I decided to let her in on one of the great perks of being a baker's daughter.
Isabelle doesn't spend much time in the bakement (the gated play area I created seems more like a jailhouse to her) but when I do need to get some work done with her around, I do my best to get her in on the action. A bowl and spatula makes her happy for a bit.The strings on an apron can keep her busy for several minutes.Always taste your product.
Mmmm, that invisible batter sure is yummy.
Sweet Isabelle sometimes joins us on wedding cake deliveries. She is a trooper! Last Saturday on our way to the Duke Mansion, Brian and I noticed she was being awfully quiet in the backseat...when we turned around to look we saw her little hand inside my pastry bag full of icing. She ain't no fool!
The latest wedding cakes...more classic, white, elegant!
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