creep{s}.

hi, my name is kiranda.

i have a lover named zachary scott.

and we're creeps.

i'm sure all of you loverly friends have been over to Holly's place, right?

oh, you haven't?

go ahead. i'll wait.

.....

okay. so holly is my favorite. here's some things you may or may not know about holly.

1) she lived in vegas. like for real. 2) she's preggers. how cayoot. and 3) her man is Jacob {or J, or @the_manski}. if you follow holly on IG, {which you should} you'd know that she just recently moved to California and, *drumroll* got engaged and married all within the last few weeks.

SAY WHAT?!

yes, i know. awesome-sauce, right?

HOLLY AND J!

well. zachary scott and i are big IG creepers to both holly and jacob.

 how did i find out about the engagement? i got a text from zach to check IG.

and when i realized they'd gotten married too, all i could think was,

"i gotta tell zach! he's gonna be so happy!"

creep.

and if that doesn't scream creep-status:

zach and i will have entire text message conversations about holly and j and how much we think they RAWK and how excited we are for their baby and how we take over their IG feeds with random-ness and we love how they can keep up with us and our weirdo-ness. yea....creeeeeep.

BUT GET THIS.

last night. zachary and i took a break from writing songs via skype and actually started scouring pinterest for ideas for weddings gifts for these two loverbirds. we came up with a whole host of ideas. then we stayed up until 2am designing one of them. 

{i'm pretty excited about it}

but here's the best part.

we haven't met holly or j in person. 

:JAWDROP:

:D

we're creepy.

and to further our creep status

whilst being super bored this morning, after joking about how zach and i are going to pack up and move to california and buy the house right next door to these two...

i started looking at real estate.

in their zip code.

CREEP.

♥ you two. //

{me and zachary mustache you a question}

DISCLAIMER: we're not real stalkers or anything. we just get really jazzed for cool people who are in love and doing the damn thing. you two are my love role-model. for-sheeze. but i really am considering a move to be your neighbors. what can i say..

twelve months of mommyhood.

the year started with me being in my second trimester.  i started and failed a 365 photo challenge. we found out that baby b was a girl. austin turned eleven months. i did an aerobathon and almost died. we bought new furniture, our first grownup purchase. austin learned to walk! bought my first DSLR and fell in love.

....................................

in february, austin turned 1! i had awesome pregnancy hair. we added a new member to the family. make that two members to the family {*cough* new car}. new tattoos. SPD ruined my life. bellybutton stuff took over my wardrobe. i vlogged  and sounded weird.

....................................

march came and austin joined The Little Gym. i realized that a lot of the friends i made at JBLM were really losers. austin had his first haircut!! we flew down and spent spring break in san diego. while down in california, i pierced my lip. hubs got his official orders to move to Texas. we danced for babies. i was a pregnant, fitness-loving fool and austin had his first ear infection.

....................................

april fools brought on the fall of the century. we got a new buddy. husband was almost the ex husband... just kidding. lol  happy 2 year anniversary to us. we celebrated by going to see a show with my classmates. totally soooo over being pregnant. pre-term labor? yep. BEDREST. BELLA WAS BORN!!! adventures in the nicu. austin goes to visit the grandparents.  start the process of discovering bella's biliary atresia diagnosis.

....................................

bella has HIDA scan and two liver biopsies. mother's day. bella comes home from the hospital. austin meets his little sister. i discovered pinterest and lost more time. #momof2. GRADUATION! cut my hair super duper short. pnw bloggy playdate. ate the best salad of my life at wendys...for FREE.

....................................

june came around and i went to bloggy bootcamp!!!! bella had her kasai procedure and proved she was a gangster baby. fathers day came around and the kids had things to say to their dad. we essentially spent most of june in and out of hospitals and keeping tabs on the bellalina. it was a stressful month, to say the least. we also drove over to spokane to celebrate my grandmothers 75th birthday, while charlie went to air assault school. it was a great week with my family.

....................................

july brought about serious tests to my character, but change has been permanent. my mom came over and we celebrated the fourth really laid-back style. made the leap and started my photography business. the army medical department turned 236 and we celebrated. austin had his first kiss.  charlie turned 25. i started getting incredibly sad about moving away from washington. i discovered zucchini and became obsessed with it. {thanks pinterest} this video rawked my face and can make me laugh for hours.

....................................

my besties and i got together for another closet fat kid pig-out reunion. i had a big crush on bella's doctor. i did a 20SB blog swap and met Elaine. my grandmother passed away. :( making summer 2011 one of the worst i can ever recall. and i discussed the ongoing debate of SAHM and WOTH moms. 

....................................

my ppd started getting worse, but i didn't know it. i participated in a post-wide/ nationwide singing competition- operation rising star. i made it three rounds before getting cut due to lack of audience votes. laaaame. resentment was hitting full force.  we went to the puyallup fair and austin was in AWE. 

PPD smacked me in the face. another girls night for CFK!  oh, and i turned 24 and had my senior recital on the same day! and there was also this big ole uproar that facebook changed again. but i like it.

....................................

october brought on a pumpkin patch takeover. it was fun exploring since they're a little older than austin was last year. austin started potty learning and then decided he'd rather just play with the potty. i made the Pioneer Woman's chicken tortillas soup and have since made it at least once a week. bella beat me up. i had a change of heart about being a SAHM thanks to Jesus. my littles showed me that sibling love starts early. pinterest gave some thin-spiration. i had an ear-infection!! and we had family pictures with amy from photographybyamylee and a good life blog.

....................................

in november we went crazy. well, the truth is we've always been crazy. lol my family came to visit and i had a revelation about motherhood. pinterest inspired yet another thing: glowstick bathtime!! we kept up the tradition of weekly dance parties... everyday we  shufflin! i also flashed back to the 2008 version of me.  november blurred into december and i was totally not ready for it. i finished my bachelor's degree at Cornish College of the Arts. i packed up my house and moved cross country to texas. i spent Christmas in San Diego and i'm about to go through a MAJOR life event. 

....................................

in retrospect, 2011 was one of the most challenging years i've ever had. it was filled with incredible joy and incredible sadness. i'm ready for 2012 to hurry up and get here. there's so many resolutions i have that just happen to coincide with beginning january 1st. no matter what, i'm determined to grow and change and be a better person in the new year. i hope you've enjoyed the journey of mommyhood this year. so saddle up, refresh your google reader and hang on. i'm about to DOMINATE 2012 babeh!

from 2008 to now.

i've been blogging since 2005. i first started on myspace, then livejournal, then blogger with a single blog and now a mommy blog. needless to say, there's a lot of stuff i find out about myself by just reading back over old posts. so tonight i'm scrolling over my blog and i find this...i wrote it back in 2008.

i've learned that...

+i've learned that you cannot make someone love you. all you can do is be someone who can be loved. the rest is up to him.

+i've learned that no matter how much i care, some people just don't care back.

+i've learned that it takes years to build up trust and only seconds to destroy it.

+i've learned that it's not what you have in your life, but who you have in your life that counts.

+i've learned that you can get by on charm for about 15 minutes, after that, you'd better know something.

+i've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to the best that others can do.

+i've learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

+i've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person i want to be.

+i've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. it may be the last time you see them.

+i've learned that you can keep going, long after you think you can't.

+i've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

+i've learned that either you control your attitude, or it controls you.

+i've learned that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

+i've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

+i've learned the money is a lousy way of keeping score.

+i've learned the my best friend and i can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

+i've learned that sometimes the people who you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

+i've learned that sometimes when i'm angry, i have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

+i've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance...same goes for true love.

+i've learned that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

+i've learned that you should never tell a child his dreams are unlikely or outlandish, few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if he believed it.

+i've learned that your family won't always be there for you. it may seem funny, but people you aren't related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. families aren't always biological.

+i've learned that no matter how good friends are, they're going to hurt you every once in awhile and you must forgive them for that.

+i've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

+i've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

+i've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

+i've learned that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. and just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

+i've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

+i've learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

+i've learned that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

+i've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

+i've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

holy moly...most of that is VERY relevant to my life today. sometimes i'm astonished at how insightful i was at the ripe ole' age of 20. lol

i'm still alive...i promise. :)

see. we took this yesterday.

toldja!

where have i been? yeesh...where do i start?

first, let me apologize for my super long absence as of late. it's been over a week and a half since i posted and then before that i was dealing with some family issues. the funny thing is, i've been at my computer essentially the entire time. but i've been working on other thangs...

{just fyi...it's 2:30am. so i think bullets are the way to go right now}

~ if you didn't know, i'm starting a photography business. 

and while it's a TON of fun...it's a LOT of work.

why didn't anyone warn me?

live in the PNW and are interested? hollerrrr.

~i started school last week. ugh.

 it's my last semester and senior-itis is like to the enth degree over here.

thankfully, i only have classes twice a week for 3hrs/day. 

~coinciding with school, i have my recital THIS friday!

which is also my birthday!! more deets HERE.

if you're in the PNW this weekend, you HAVE to come check it out.

FREE music. and ME. and cake...

because it's my birthday.

~my birthday is this weekend.

AWESOME. can't wait for 24.

~i've been competing in a singing competition.

i made the audtitions 

and the first round of semi-finals.

and the second round of semi-finals.

this thursday is the next round!

i'll be singing "Price Tag" by Jessie J.

~i've just had not much to say.

that old adage about if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all?

yea, that's applied. but it's also true for if you literally have NOTHING to say...

i could post pics of my kidlets. 

but i'm working on editing shoots so much i haven't picked up my camera 

unless i'm getting paid 

horrid.

but have no fear friends. i'm coming back. i'm going to post daily.

i WILL get back on the blogging wagon. TRUST.

i miss youuuuuuuz. 

and here's a little glimpse of life as of late...via the iphone.

good times. :)

oh hai...i think i've caught it too.

what, you ask? i think i've caught the "summer blogging fart"- illness that's been going around.

"summer blogging fart" illness? say whaaaa?

basically, not being able to blog. not having anything really interesting to say. having days go by between posts. having far too many pictures to edit. or having too many pictures that you think no one will care about. or even having no picture at all! it's a terrible disease and i think i've been hit with it.

so first. i apologize to y'all who find a dip in posts these days. it's not that i don't have anything to say. i have PLENTY. it's not like there's nothing "blog-worthy" going on. even if it is something "mundane or boring". lol it's just that i don't have TIME. with the hubs working overnights, i'm left with a VERY small window to blog. he works from 6pm-6am, then has PT til 7:30. when he comes home, he crashes out. there are probably four hours TOTAL where i don't have to deal with the kids.

 he sleeps all day, they don't. they also won't go to bed until super late. by that time, i struggle with keeping my eyes open and try to post something that makes sense. and by 3am, i'm crashed out too. only to repeat the horrible cycle all over again. plus i've got a lot of things going on: prepping for returning back to the corn for the semester, my senior recital, trying to start a business, doctor appointments...and all that along with my normal daily activities: cleaning the house, laundry, doing the dishes, cooking, grocery shopping, working out...AND making sure i have time for the kidlets.

*whew*

is anyone else tired just from reading that? because i am. lol

so fear not- i haven't left you. i miss blogging dearly. and when charlie goes back to working days {sept 1st} i'm going to jump for joy. these days i feel like a single parent because i really am doing it all by myself {oh hai resentment...my good ole' friend}- minus the work outside the home thing. but whatever. this too shall pass, right?

and i'll leave you with this cute photo of my kidlets...being lazy bumps on the boppy pillows. 

lol cute, right?

mommyhood, blog.

hey oh hey oh hey! 

we're finally back from our week long vacation!!

who doesn't love a last minute roadtrip, right?

in any case, we're home. my husband is finally home too from air assault school. and we're slowly getting back into the swing of things. this includes... {duh duh duuuuh} my going back to work for a little bit. not regularly...still part-time..but this means being away from my behbehs. BUT..this also means making a few dollars. and who doesn't love money?! 

i just wanted to give you a quick update:

for starters, mommyhood has a new dotcom name. welcome to www.mommyhood-blog.com YAH! i've been going back and forth on trying to find a decent blog url that didn't make me cringe and after realizing that the two i wanted we're up for sale for two years {what sucks is that they're not even being used!!} i just happened to search for mommyhood {DASH} blog and it was available! i own this baby for two years so YEA! *insert fistpump here*. all that being said, if you need to change any links...get tah changin! oh and also, if you happen to come across any links here that don't work, PLEASE shoot me an email and let me know! i'm new to this dotcom change thing so there might be kinks in the system. 

mommyhoodblog {at} gmail {dot} com

also! i've added a new feature on the sidebar...it tells you which posts are coming soon. no, i'm not drafting and scheduling posts! i just don't have that kind of time and i enjoy the creativity that comes with crafting posts at random! lol. BUT- this is a reminder for ME on which things i want to share with you all AND it lets you know what's coming. as a person who HATES surprises...yea, i'm looking out for you too.

well. those are all of my unimportant announcements for now. i've gotta unpack and get things organized and i've got LOTS to share. i took over 1500 pictures last week {just in the first few days...my battery died before the weekend was over} so be on the lookout for a photo dump! lol

and just because...

for serious, where did this little big boy come from?

please vote? bc i looooove you.

calling all july sponsors & advertisers!!!

CALLING FOR JULY SPONSORS & ADVERTISERS!!

mommyhood. is all about connecting and sharing.

it's a lifestyle blog covering a range of topics

like parenting, music, fitness, and photography, to name a few...

i'd love to partner with shops, brands, and other blogs 

for advertising here on mommyhood.

interested?

click the advertise here button up above!

don't want to sponsor monthly, but still want a review and/or giveaway of your product/services? 

NO PROBLEM! just shoot me an email and we'll work something out!

questions? comments? 

inquiries about traffic or anything else?

email me: mommyhoodblog {at} gmail {dot} com

CAN'T WAIT TO WORK WITH YOU!

Oh What Lovely Sponsors: Through The Lens of KG!

who is that gorgeous lady pictured with me, you ask?

well she's the genius behind Through The Lens of Kimberly Gauthier, that's who! if you haven't been by her blog, you really are missing out. if you know me, you know that i've recently become a photohobbyist and am trying to soak up as much info i can about it. her blog is perfect for people like me! and maybe people like YOU too! there hasn't been one post that i've read where i didn't learn something new to apply to my own photography. she really is amazing.

she blogs, she's a photographer, she does photo sessions and even gives lessons! oh, AND she's a sponsor of mommyhood. that last one makes her my favorite..lol kidding!

she makes me want to shoot from the hip!

she makes you think about good vs bad photography

and she makes it okay to experiment in manual

{i'm trying to implement all of these right now}

Kimberly offers photo sessions! Great pics at great rates! She even has a package directly for social media!!! Because you KNOW we all need a great profile pic! Now don't worry about it- let Kimberly take over for you! Seriously, she's talented guys! 

AND BONUS! If you LIKE her on facebook, you get a copy of her free e-book, FIVE EASY STEPS TO SHOOT IN MANUAL. that's pretty sweet, if you ask me! so go check out her blog and get tah subscribin' and likin'!!

are you interested in sponsoring or advertising on mommyhood? click for more info...

Oh, What Lovely Sponsors!

i'm so honored that these ladies have decided to sponsor mommyhood this month. i'm really excited to share them all with you. do yourself a favor, check them out! you'll never forgive yourself if you don't!

okay, enough guilt. 

photo credit: Kimberly Gauthier flickr

if you've ever read "You're Not A Photographer", you've gotten a great laugh at all the fauxtographers out there. well, this awesome woman is nothing like them. she's an amateur photographer who has some seriously pro skills. her website [which includes her blog, flickr,  and information about her business] is chalked to the brim full of great information for the everyday photographer looking to up their skill level. just in the few weeks i've known her, i've learned so much. so i know you will too. do yourself a favor...GO!

[source]

do you swoon over sweet babes in super cute, personalized head accessories? yea, me too! you're gonna love the cute things Lyndsay does with yarn for your littles. i'm already drooling over these giraffe hats for austin and bella. can't you just see the adorbs-ness!? skwee! you wanna be mom of the year? get some her creations for your littles. for serious.

[source]

are you into rockabilly fashion? how about customized rings, pouches, aprons, and headscarfs...to name a few? yea, well you're gonna wanna head on over to Ribbon Rings and check out all of the wicked things that Ashley is putting out! i am totally getting into the rockabilly look lately so when i saw her shop i just HAD to ask her to be a sponsor. thankfully, she totally agreed! so i'm encouraging all of you young, hip mamas to go check out her stuff and order with a quickness! 

do you want to sponsor or advertise here on mommyhood? click for more info...

mommyhood with a new-ness, friends.

oh hey, we're back home. sorry for the lack in posting the last couple of days. i'm trying to get out of "hospital mode" and back into mommyhood mode.

that being said....

there's NEW. STUFF. here at the ole' mommyhood blog!!!

have you seen it? 

{psst- it's all over on the sidebar....}

first order of newness: I CHANGED BLOG DIRECTORIES. TBB was cool, but this blog is about so much more than babies. it's called mommyhood, right? so i should join Top Mommy Blogs! and that's what i've done friends. please, please and thank you to be clicking and voting for this hear blog.  what's in it for you, you ask? well when people read this blog my head expands um, i keep writing. also, more people are inclined to sponsor or advertise here. also, that means giveaways. SEE! YOUUUUU benefit. 

{if you could see me right now, i'm pointing at you through the computer screen.}

second order of newness: did you know that my daughter is a gangster? not in the gun-toting, toss you in the river with a slab of concrete kind. but the kind that totally does things her own way. sound familiar? if you clicky click on that gangster button, you'll read all about her hilarious antics. seriously, she's kind of a big deal. so do it. 

third order of newness: {AND THE MOST EXCITING!} mommyhood now sells ad space.
i'll let you marinate on that for a minute.... *silence* okay. are you done? GOOD. i figured the present is the best time, right? so i'm opening up mommyhood. i've already got two fabulous sponsors and you should really go check them out. i'll highlight them in the next few posts...don't you worry.

so friends. i hope you're as excited about the newness as i am. seriously, i woke up and ran to my computer to type this. i'm that nerdy, um awesome.

because my day wouldn't be complete without you...

it's my clickin' dance...wanna get in on it?

hey y'all. it's that time again.

they reset votes over at Top Baby Blogs.

sooooo.... wouldja? couldja? help a sistah out and get tah clickin?

i'll strike this pose for ya. lol

BBCSea: more awesomeness, wine, and lots of stepping & repeating.

i assume you listened to me when i prompted you HERE to go eat, right?

good.

so where was i?

oh right! the awesomeness that was bloggy bootcamp seattle style! i can't reiterate over and over again just how awesome the weekend was. i learned so much. i never felt overwhelmed. true, i do want to try everything but i know there is just a better way to do it rather than jump right in and go for it, ykwim? i'm still working on finding my "voice"...but i have a better idea on how to do that thanks to this conference. now onto more of the awesome speakers...

i am KICKING myself right now for accidentally using the wrong lens for this picture. 

these two amazeballs ladies are Mamakat and Danae again!!

these gorgeous ladies talked about writing and content on your blog.

more specifically, narrative ark. 

or is it arc? meh. i don't know!

they made something that usually gives me a headache, TOTALLY easy to understand.

and i hope i do them proud. 

follow their tweets: 

Danae: @fedexmylife

Kat: @mamakatslosinit

oh hai Marlynn. 

this little bundle of awesome-sauce is Marlynn Schotland.

psst- she borrowed my phone charger during the conference. 

we connected via twitter when she called out for tech help. lol

yea..i'm cool now.

anyone who knows me knows that i tend to pile a lot of stuff on my plate at once. i forget that despite calling myself a super mom, i'm not really one. at least...i'll never be as super as i'd like to be. she spoke all about finding peace within the chaos. and Lord knows, i could use a bit of that. especially as a mom of two.  she made it okay for me to be a piler rather than a filer...as long as the piles make sense to me! and she made it okay to put MY priorities first, not the ones that society tells us we should have. thanks Marlynn. you rocked it! oh and your kiddos are just too cute for words! 

follow her tweets: @designmama

it was around this time that i had to bolt out of the conference room and go pump. lol. so i apologize for the things i missed. i had only pumped a little bit waaaay early in the day and at this point, i had lumps the size of kentucky in my bra. trust me...not a good look friends. BUT- i haz photos.

**let me apologize in advance for the horrificness of the quality of these pictures.

 i really need to learn how to edit flash photos.**

Dave Mirassou and I.

 yep, his family is the oldest wine making family in the country.

i pretty much LOVE his wine.

{can't you tell by the obviously tipsy look i'm rocking here?}

check out his fb page: HERE

ZOMG! It's me and Jenny {from the spot!}

*starstruck*

follow her tweets: @jennyonthespot

omg. omg. it's Tiffany Romero! 

she's super pretty. and her voice is like BUTTAH on the mic. 

follow her tweets: @TiffanyRom

me and Stasha. 

okay, i swear i've met her somewhere before. is it just me ?

in any case...SHE FRACKIN ROCKS. HILARIOUS.

and we took some funny pictures at the wine tasting/after party.

follow her tweets: @NorthWestMommy

stasha & rachel from and then, she {snapped}

rachel- tiffany-kerri

the bravest men alive!! lol

seriously...one of the best weekends of my life.

second only to THIS one.

if there's a conference within 200miles of your hometown...i HIGHLY suggest you go.

seriously. it was the best decision i made regarding this blog.

AND i met some of the coolest ladies this side of the mississippi! 

NO. LIE. 

Thanks again to the sponsors:

Mirassou Winery

Sony Electronics

Truvia

Invisalign

Collective Bias

and of course,

The SITS Girls