Yikes

With all the goings on around here, it's really hard to keep up a blog. I'm really not sure how other moms do it. Moms? Advice?

Finn is now 14 months old, and he's so active! Between playing/learning with him, cooking all of our food daily, designing a monthly magazine from home, marketing for Little Lion and doing artwork for Little Lion ... I barely get time to shower, let alone blog. So, the blog gets left out. But it'll remain here for a day when I will be able to post how I want, more often.

I'm actually looking to point this blog back into the direction that I wanted it to go in. I'm very much a supporter of living green in simple ways, educating those who aren't aware of the impact of things they do on a daily basis; but also, the importance of supporting local businesses, artisans, professionals. I wanted this blog to be about all that and how it can impact your family's health, wealth and well being. All that with some updates on us and our kiddos for examples.

I'm not going to do the monthly Finn updates anymore. I have a few reasons for that .... protection, privacy, time management, etc. He's growing, and those of you who really want to know how he is can find me on facebook at www. facebook.com/crunchygranolamama . Not everyone out there is bound for good and positive thoughts, and, after a few weird events, I'm at a point that I'm a little fearful of posting him on my blog. So, there will be tidbits, but find me on FB if you want to keep up on pics and milestones. :) He's darn cute. Here's some of his latest pics. There are tons more, and if any of the family is interested in ordering, please message me on facebook for more details. Linda Ford is a local photographer (yay for local and not SEARS Portrait studio!), who you can find here. I met her at one of Finn's friend's birthday parties because she is also a photog for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. 
When she found out photos were never offered to us for Kaia, she offered to shoot Finn for us. She was amazing with him, and I highly recommend. Having been to SEARS, there is simply no comparison with the quality of work and the personability of Linda. She's outright amazing at what she does.

These pictures are all copyright of Linda Ford. Downloading them from here is illegal and subject to prosecution.

He would NOT wear the hat.

Finn is ONE!

Mommy's hand keeps me safe.

Where's my robe and cigar?

So, while I'm on the subject of shopping locally, I'd like to mention a great arts & crafts fair happening this weekend in Westlake, OH. It's St Bernadette's Annual Artisan Affair, and you can find information about it here. The proceeds from the event will go to their school and also to The Gathering Place to help people who have been touched by cancer. See, shopping at Walmart won't donate money like that. ;) It's a great place to find high quality gifts for Christmas, while keeping money in the community in which you live. Keeping money local means better education for our kids, thriving local business, which is the heartbeat of any community, and feeling good that your purchase dollars went straight to the hands that made it. I will be there for Little Lion Designs.

I have several new pieces showing, like this guy ...

Finn named him "Raffey".

... as well as a new product ... LLD Minis with Easels make great stocking stuffers!

I'll also have over 60 prints available for purchase. And, as always, a percentage of all of my sales will go to the Children's Heart Foundation. (Now that's something to feel good about!) Most artisans have gifts under $50/25/15, and all are handpicked and of the highest quality we have locally. Show is from 9am - 3:30 pm this Saturday. See the link for details.

In light & love, as always,
Stephanie

No longer 0!

Finn is now 1! I can hardly believe it. Seems like yesterday he was this little teensy peanut.

Finn's first day.

I can hardly believe how much he knows already. I think he's smarter than me. He picks up things that I never would have realized that he was picking up. I caught him brushing his own hair the other day. When I saw it, I said, "are you brushing your own hair??? Can you brush mommy's hair?" and he walked over and brushed my hair. Smarty pants!

He loves to say "hi" and wave. He says it in this long drawn out way, with the sweetest baby voice.... "hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii". Darn cute. He calls me "mom" now. When he's trying to get my attention, it reminds me of Stewey on "The Family Guy".... "mom, mama, mom, mama, meme, mem, mom, mama!". He also knows when dad's not around and will call for him. He knows that our cat's name is mustache but that he's also a kitty. He's getting good with animal sounds. Here's a video of me asking him what a monkey says, what a kitty says, and what a fish says.....and he answers! Check out his fish face!

He also loves to give big kisses. He knows that at night before bed, he kisses Kaia goodnight. So, now, as soon as we say "say goodnight to Kaia", he makes a kissy mouth and leans in. So heartwarming. He'll point to her picture and say "kay kay".

He's an excellent walker now. He still falls when he's tired, but he's almost running and can get up without pulling himself up on furniture. He knows what "come here" means and is so good at listening and obeying to the word "no". Sometimes it hurts his feelings, but for the most part, he's good.

He also has grown accustomed to pointing to what he wants. When he eats, we have a few choices out for him and he'll point to the one he wants a bite of next. Or he'll point to his water and say "wa wa".

Climbing is his favorite thing. He tries to climb to get everything. It scares me, but I try not to inhibit him too much with it. He loves to climb the mommy mountain, and if I sit down, he's climbing me or rolling around on me. Here's a video.

Finn had his first birthday party at Wendy Park/Whiskey Island last Saturday. Thank you to all the family who drove from near and far....for all the food and gifts....Finn is a lucky little dude! I'm so glad  you all could make it. It was a beautiful day.  I made him a vegan/gluten free cake (because he is very food sensitive), and I figured he wouldn't eat it because he's not a sweet food fan. In fact, the cake actually made him cry. Here's a video.

I almost forgot! He loves to dance! I'm not sure if you can see this video, but it's the only one we have of him dancing. This was at Midwest Reggae Fest, where we took Finn camping for the first time. He loves reggae! Click here: Finn Skankin to Reggae!

Last but not least, you can see pics of finn's birthday bash at the lake at my facebook page here. 
If we aren't friends, send me a request, and then you can see them. :)

On his actual birthday, we took him to the zoo. He loved it!

We love Polar Bears!

Such a sweet little noggin.

Checkin' out the animals.

All in all, I have to say, this year has been the happiest of my life. It's strange to have such a happy year follow such gut wrenching times that were nearly impossible to get through. The light of life shines through this little boy, and everyone who sees him can see it. He's already been called an "old soul" by so many. I have a feeling he's going to lead a very special life. I'm sure all parents feel this way, and it's my job to nurture those qualities and let him be who he is. And who he is is a very short tempered, feisty, impatient little man with a huge heart, big smiles and warm hugs who just wants to be loved and who so obviously is loved....very very much.

Happy birthday, Finnegan!
Love,
Mommy

Happy birthday baby girl

Dear Kaia,
I miss you! I love you! I want to make those things clear. Papa and I just laid in bed at 9:16 and remembered the moment when you entered our lives. We were so scared, but had no idea the real fear was to come when your heart started to stop. Now it's two years later, and look how much you've grown us! Papa, brother Finny and I are going to the beach today to celebrate you, as a family. You've given us, us. We're a close-knit family of 4 with so much love because of you. I hope to see you there at the beach. I got you cupcakes and pink candles. Are you able to have one? I'll save you the pink cupcake. I cried picking out the candles. How many people have to buy candles for their child's birthday, when their child isn't on earth with them? It breaks my heart that I cannot hug you. It hurts bad. I know you are okay and you are free and happy and that your work here was done. But I will never stop being selfish about wanting you here. I will always miss you. As your mother, you, my baby, will always come first. You are the head of this family, and your little brother is your right hand man. He's kind of taken over the house right now. He kissed your picture this morning when we said happy birthday to you. He's such a sweet soul, and I know you know that. I see him looking at you and laughing. You're a good big sister. Today is your day. Nobody can steal that from you. Do what you please. And if what you please is to visit mommy and family today, then we would love to see you. All my love and adoration and thanks....from the depths of my ever growing heart.

Love, mommy

So many updates!

I finally opened my Artfire account. You can see all the artwork I currently have available for instant purchase. You can also contact me for special order requests. Here's a link to my shop littleliondesigns - ArtFire Artisan Studio. Of course, you can always still shop at my etsy site. However, my etsy site has all of my options on there, not just the items I currently have in stock. littleliondesigns - Etsy Studio

I would like to shamelessly ask if you all would be so kind as to vote for my business in this year's Start Up Nation's New Business contest. It's so hard being a full time mom, doing all my marketing, fund raising and artwork. I spend most of my time doing the first 3, that I barely get to do any artwork. Times are a little tough right now. And this mom needs your help. You can vote for me once a day (no registration required....literally just click and done!)by clicking here.

Lastly, MARK YOUR CALENDARS! LLD will be at this year's Hessler Street Fair, May 21-22! I cannot wait to do this event. I've been wanting to since I started LLD, and I cannot wait. Have I said I cannot wait? For Hessler details, click anywhere on this sentence to be taken to their website.

Okay, I lied! This is the last announcement. I'm also doing the Avant Garde Arts & Crafts show to benefit the Cleveland APL. That show is June 11 in Middleburg Heights. Click here to go to their facebook event page.

my kids

I love saying "my kids". I can't describe the feeling that gives me inside. Such a proud statement. ;)
I came across this pic of Kaia yesterday and realized we have the exact pic of Finn. Can you tell which is which?

Finn and Kaia looked almost identical at birth. Finn just looks like a boy version of her. I'm in love with my family. Disgustingly in love with them. Typical mother hen. lol.

Happy 4 month birthday!

Wowie Zowie! Finn is 4 months old today. And just like the little bugger he is, he waiting until today to grab his feet for the first time. Heck yeah! I've been trying to get him to do this for a long time now. I talk into his feet, and he loves it. Giggles and giggles.

Tried to get a photo of him grabbing them, but he never cooperates with that. So, here's in between grabs!

Little dude is now, hmmm, I really don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say 14 lbs. He's not super chubby, but has some chubb. He's not a huge eater. He's more of a grazer, which is a little tough through the night, but at least he's still good at nursing. I know he'll only be little for so long, so I try not to complain about waking up too much.

We've definitely noticed that he's very opinionated. He's his mother's son. lol. His favorite toy is his sunshine that Auntie Jen (not my blood "relative" Jen, my earth relative Jen) got him. He loves to suck on the rays.

Finn and Mr. Sunshine

Finn's got the funniest hair. It's short in the back but long right behind his ears. And I mean, super long! Like 3 inches long. We call him our little Hasidic Jew. You can't see it really good here (and this was over a month ago when he had more back hair and shorter side hairs), but I love the back of his head.

Finn loves to type on the keyboard. 

Today we got a new washing machine. I know this isn't the most exciting new to everyone out there, but, trust me, if you lived with the washer we're using now (you can hear it a block away. I'm not kidding) then you would be stoked. We got a LG front loader steam washer, which is going to clean our diapers so so much better than the old washer. There's a load in now, in fact. :) Not to mention the energy efficiency of it. It's eco-friendly! Hooray!

We have a big Christmas planned with Christmas Eve at the Urban's, Christmas morning at our house, afternoon at Eric's sister's house, and Christmas night we'll drive to PA to spend time with my brother (can't wait to see him!) and my dad, stepmom, stepsis & her man, and my nephew. We have definitely seen our fair share of blessings and miracles this year. There is definitely peace in our household, and I hope it's in yours, as well.

Love & light!
The Urbans

We are a family of four.

Peace on earth.

VA Beach

Finn had his first real road trip. We trekked it to VA Beach for my cousin's wedding. Finn did amazing in the car and LOVED socializing with everyone. We've come to learn that Finn has a rough time sleeping (meaning he just won't do it) if there is ANYTHING at all going on around him. He's got to be in the action at all times.

My cousin was in the Navy. So we found it appropriate to put the little sailor outfit (that the Troubadours bought) on Finn. Here's a pic.

attention!

 

how cute am i?

With my pops!

Finn got his first picture at the ocean with his Grandpa Randy.

Then we walked down to the beach where daddy held him tight.

How sexy is he?!

He also took his first swim! Here's a pic and youtube video. He loved it and even kicked and did frog legs. :) His little arms were doggie paddling. I was so proud.

I even have a cloth swim diaper!

Here's the video:


It was so great having the family together. It's not often that I get to see all my aunts and cousins and grandma too! It wouldn't have been possible without my Aunt Jodi getting the amazing beach house...well....any Michael and Nicki getting married. ;) I love you all! Hugs to my amazing family!

tiny footprints

Look at these. I finally did it. Finnegan's hand and footprints....

I meant to do this when he was first born, but, let's face it, NOTHING gets done when  you have a newborn. A good friend of mine, Galen, sent a wonderful little gift package for Finn. She makes some really amazing things for kids and some pretty nifty adult invitations and such too. Check out her etsy shop. One of the things she sent in her package were these adorable little note cards. There are 4 different designs, but these two worked best for hand and footprint cards. I'm going to mount one on a fabric covered canvas and hang one by ribbon in Finn's nursery. :) The other three go to Finn's grandparents. I'll post a pic of the nursery art when it's done. For now, here's the cutie hand/footprints.

tiny footprints can make some big steps

Finn is 3 months! (and has been now for a week)

Swimming on the bed.

HOLY MOLY time flies! Finn is 3 months old, and I feel like I have a toddler already. I'm sure those with toddlers are saying, "you just wait, woman." But he is SO BIG. He weighs almost 13 lbs and is like 8 feet tall now. ;) I am so amazed each day by how much he learns. He literally wakes up every day with a new talent. I swear he learns them in his dreams. Sometimes he wakes up and looks different. Overnight! That's just crazy to me.

Things have been smoothing out a bit around the Urban household. We're establishing a routine now that is being led by Finn. We have bedtime at night in a good routine and the morning nap all set. The only thing left to work out is getting him to go down for his afternoon nap at the same time each day. I figure that will come with time. He's still not sleeping through the night, and I don't expect him to until he's on solids. I get up with him about 4 times each night for feeding and changes.

So far, we're still doing great with nursing (knock on wood cuz there were some rough times I didn't think we'd get through.) Finn is breastfed full-time right now as to avoid nipple confusion, which he was starting to get when we giving him pumped milk in bottles at night. I would say it was confusion though. It was more like "screw you, mom. I want the fast method, and I know you are going to give it to me if I freak out on your boob and scream for an hour." It took one day of only putting him to the breast, and he was back to normal. I was so proud of him. He's an amazing learner (and relearner!).

And to all those nay sayers that said we would give up cloth diapering in two weeks, I say "I told you so!". We've been 100% cloth 100% of the time, and I find it extremely easy to manage. I'm quite proud of our diaper stash. He's just now pretty much grown out of his newborn Kissaluv diapers and we're moving on to our stage 2 and beyond stash of BumGenius, Fuzzibunz and GroVias. So far, the GroVias (which I had high hopes for because they are uber cute and a righteous idea) fall short of impressing me and the Fuzzibunz are winning. We do have 3 types of BumGenius, all of which I'm super happy with. All in all, I think we are set with diapers for life....all for around $450-500 total. Sweet!

Enough of that. Let's get to the fun stuff! Here's all the stuff (that I can think of right now) that Finn can now do.

1. He smiles and laughs like crazy! I gave him his first airplane ride and he laughed and giggled so hard he could barely catch his breath. It was so funny. When he wakes up and sees me, he smiles so big, which makes it a-okay for me to wake up 4 times a night for him. ;)

2. He kinda sits up on his own now. I video taped it yesterday, because it was the first time he sat up and played with a toy. He can't do it for a very long time, but will for a few minutes.

Just the dudes being dudes.

3. He talks. He loves to have a conversation. I talk, he talks, I talk again, he talks back. He's quite the conversationalist.

4. He digs his walker. Seriously, he's been in that thing for a month now, which is insane! He loves to play with the toys that are fixed on the tray. He has always been able to move the balls from one side of the arch to the other.

Walker = fun times!

5. He holds his own bottles. No joke.

Holding his bottle

6. He can pick up objects and loves to rub his crinkle blanket in his face. Anything soft he'll rub on his cheeks.

7. He loves to hug.

8. He's saying consonants as of yesterday. They are clear letter sounds instead of just unrecognizable babble.

9. He's doing great with strangers now. He went from not tolerating other people (other than me...not even Eric!) holding him to (since Thanksgiving) loving other people holding him. He even let Aunt Tina babysit him for Eric and my first night out. :)

With the Troubadours of Divine Bliss. They came to see him when they were in town.

10. He now acknowledges the cats and follows them with his eyes as they walk by. Up until this week, he never knew they were there.

That's all for this month. Stay tuned for more Finn updates (hopefully) each month. Although I might skip a month here and there like I did for month 2. What can I say.....it's crazy busy with a baby and there's always more fun things to do than put the baby down to type on the computer. ;)

Happy holidays from the Urbans!
Steph

Finn's first photoshoot

my cutie patootie son

He's quite the model! My good friend Shannon offered to shoot him, and, of course I jumped at the opportunity! She did an amazing job! In fact, I would highly recommend her if any of you need photos for ANYTHING (she does it all!). Check out her blog http://shannonmillerphoto.blogspot.com

Just look at this amazingness! Don't you just want to eat him and squeeze him and love him to pieces? I do. Well, I do that anyway. :) I'm so blessed to know this little man. He's growing up so fast! Updates on his "can dos" to come soon!

Finn kept petting Kaia's urn, which led to this picture "We are Family".

Love

Who can resist those eyes?

Nakedness rules on soft fuzzy rugs!

New schtuff!!!

Well, I finally did it. I finally got prints of my artwork made and ready to sell. Get any one of your favorite LLD pieces now in an 8x10 matted print. These prints are matted to 11x14, and have a crisp black bevel. They come complete with backing and in a bag with the title of the piece and artist's signature on the front and an LLD sticker on the back. They are GORGEOUS! You can see the details of ...the fabric beautifully, and the color is very true to the real thing! I have over 70 prints ready to ship right now! Order yours today on my etsy site. Here's the link to the prints http://www.etsy.com/listing/61302364/little-lion-designs-prints-fully-matted

And new pieces are up! All are for sale on my etsy site.

Lastly, I have another show coming up this Saturday at St. Bernadette's in Westlake. If you're interested in coming, there's a facebook page set up for it here.
Here's the details:
Time: Saturday, November 13 · 9:00am - 3:30pm
Location: St. Bernadette School/Parish Activities Center
2300 Clague Rd.
Westlake, OH 44145

That's all for now. LLD will also be in 3-4 locations during the entire month of December. All of my work will be out and about town so I can concentrate on finishing Christmas orders and taking our little trip to VA Beach. :)

In Light & Love,
Stephanie

Another giveaway. I LOVE this one!

Just in time for Finn's 3rd week birthday. :) I'm a huge fan of http://www.etsystalker.com. They feature some amazing artisans that I would never have found otherwise. They're all people like you and me, trying to sell their wares on etsy. One day, I grabbed my courage and asked her if she would consider featuring me. She agreed! And today, there's an interview and a giveaway right here (click here).
The winner will be chosen on September 19th, so be sure to leave your comment before then to be eligible to win.

I'm really proud of this one, if you couldn't tell. Be sure to check it out and follow her page. There are giveaways all the time, and the art is always amazing!

Finn updates to come soon....as soon as I can figure out how to get video onto the computer. ;)

One year of bliss down....50+ to go.

Today is the day I said "I do" to my amazing husband, one year ago. I cannot believe it's been a year already! We have become such a team, we truly have "become one". I thank God every day for Eric. He's my best friend, such a supportive partner, a voice of reason (when my head gets wacky!) and such a positive person to walk this path of life we are on. PLUS, he gave me the two greatest gifts of my lifetime....my daughter and my ? (we'll find out super soon here!).

I feel so blessed to have married someone so perfect for me. And I'm so excited to watch him grow as a father, as my partner and as himself through time.

I have to say, I'm a little depressed we didn't get to spend our 1st anniversary here again:

Going through our photos is so bittersweet. We had an amazing time, but we also had just lost our daughter, one month before. I am truly thankful that I had such a beacon of light in such a dark time though. Thank you, my HUSBAND! And I love you more and more each day!

Love,
Your WIFE!!!

Show this Saturday! Come one, come all! Sales on certain pieces, too!

Hello all! This Saturday, from 12-5pm, there is an art show being put on by the Cleveland Craft Coalition. Little Lion Designs will be there, along with 20 other local artisans, selling their wares. The show is called the "True Colors: Exposed" show and is located at two Lakewood locations (right next to each other). LLD will be selling tons of artwork, some at discounted prices, at River Colors Studio (please click name to go to their website).
They are located here:
1387 Sloane Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
(216) 228-9276

The second location is Blackbird Baking CompanyBlackbird Baking Company, which is located here:
1391 Sloane Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
(216) 712-6599

Hope to see you there!
Stephanie