Tabi

baby & the beach

2012-02-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

we've had an INCREDIBLE stretch of weather in the northwest the last week or so, and it looks like it's going to continue. high 50's and sunny...that NEVER happens in february, so it's been an amazing treat! for me, however, it makes being indoors with a newborn all the more difficult. i don't mind it when the weather's less than ideal, but once the sun is out, i want to be out!

so on saturday, we packed up our little guy and headed for the oregon coast. it was quite a production - packing up the stroller (and bassinet attachment, just in case), making sure my diaper bag had every item baby could possibly need (including about 3 changes of clothes, lots of layers and lots of blankets), not to mention getting ourselves ready. i now understand why the 'leaving the house process' takes so much longer once you have a baby. and it doesn't help that i tend to over pack in general.

but once we were on our way, it was magical - the car lulled mister ronan to sleep for the entire 1 1/2 hours to the coast. he was out until we stopped for the first time at a viewpoint overlooking manzanita. these were our views while i nursed the little man...not too shabby!

{an old bronco out for a spin on a gorgeous day - it was begging to have its picture taken!}

{a view of the manzanita coastline from above - stunning!}

it was tempting to spend the entire day driving up and down the coast enjoying the incredible views, and that's what we did for the first part of the day. we drove through the town of manzanita, a town we weren't very familiar with, and fell head over heels in love with it - their beach , the homes, the slower pace - and we dreamt of some day owning our very own beach cottage there. some day.

{the manzanita beach - low 60's, bright sunshine - just gorgeous!}

then we headed back north to cannon beach, one of our favorite beaches, and took the little mister for his first stroll on the beach. he was snug as a bug in his 'bucket' and slept through the whole experience. and our trip wouldn't have been complete without a stop at the lumberyard for an early dinner and bruce's candy kitchen for some caramel corn and a caramel apple.

it was our first full day excursion with our little man and it couldn't have been better! i can't wait to return to the coast many times this summer and make more memories with our little one. :)

the crib

2012-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

it's been a long time since i've participated in a photo challenge. between starting a new job and getting pregnant with my first baby this past year, life became more than a bit crazy, and as a result, photography took a back seat.

my sweet little munchkin is now 3 weeks old, and i'm slowly but surely starting to return to the land of the living! :) until now, most pictures i've taken of him have been with my handy-dandy camera phone, while my dslr has been sadly neglected. and even those photos taken with the 'good' camera hadn't even made it to the computer, much less edited and posted.

until today, that is. while waiting for my little man to get up for his next feeding, i started perusing some of the blogs i used to follow before life changed so very drastically, and i became inspired to join a few photo challenges.

this is one of my favorite photos taken in january. i love that it portrays what is now normal for us - life with a babe, our sweet little miracle.

this was taken the first time we put him down for a nap in his 'big bed'. he took to the crib right away, mama's sweet little man!

[found here: http://thepapermama.com/2012/01/the-paper-mama-favorite-photo-challenge.html]

he's here to stay

2012-02-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

yesterday as the hubs and i sat on the couch watching 'the bachelor' ( i know, i'm ashamed, but i can't stop - that courtney chick is sooooo far off her rocker, i'm mesmerized and must see how long ben keeps her around!), baby ronan in his swing next to us, i looked over at him and it hit me like a ton of bricks - HE'S HERE TO STAY.

we have a baby
it's not temporary
he's ours to raise, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

the reality and responsibly of that is scary and so very exciting at the same time, and i'm not sure at what point it'll be fully sunk in that we're parents and our lives are forever changed.

meanwhile, the first 3 weeks have flown by and yet at the same time, it seems like our little man has been with us forever.

highlights from week 3 -

i finally got over the nasty cold i contracted toward the end of ronan's first week and which lasted thru the 2nd week. once i was getting over it, the hubs got sick. we were a sorry bunch! luckily everyone is now back to normal, and ronan managed to stay healthy which was my biggest fear
realized how quick baby boy is growing - at his 2 week appt, he was up to 8 lbs 12 oz, a 12 oz increase from his birth weight. so much for being concerned that he was getting enough to eat! oh, and he was an inch longer as well (up to 21.5 inches). i'm going to assume that he's more than 9 lbs by now
ronan slept in his crib for the first time - and we've made that a permanent transition. as a result, the quality of my nighttime sleep has improved drastically!
breastfeeding has become much easier, from a pain perspective especially, but also, we're both "figuring it out"
i spent an hour shopping at costco - only my second time out of the house since baby other than doctor's appointments - and it was awesome! just me, senior citizens and stay at home moms...
gave ronan a bath all by myself - it's funny the things i now find daunting
put on make-up for the first time since ronan was born...and felt like a new woman!
we started baby wise. more on that later
we introduced ronan to his swing...and he loves it! sometimes, it's the only way to get him to sleep
we left ronan with grandma for the first time and went out to a VERY QUICK dinner because that's all this mama could handle
i went for my first walk since baby
we took ronan out to dinner with us (gustav's happy hour!) - luckily he slept the entire time and was securely tucked away in his car seat. we also ran into corie, our doula there - small world!
all in all, things are finally starting to feel "normal" again - not the kind of normal we had before baby, a new normal. the kind where every day doesn't feel like one big haze. every day is still blending into the day before, and most days i still don't know what day of the week it is, but ronan seems to be getting on a bit of a feeding/sleeping schedule which allows me to somewhat schedule my days too. oh, and i've learned to take at least one daily nap while he naps. it's amazing what that hour or two of sleep can do!

{carmen & lucy visit - oh, and they brought burgerville!}

{ronan & zoe getting to know each other}

{nothing more attractive than daddy & baby}

{good morning mama!}

{red robin - almost worth leaving baby for the first time}

{tummy time while gazing out the window}

{trying really hard to wake up}

{all bundled up for his first big adventure to gustavs!}

{talking with uncle ryan}

{mama & her love - taken by bobi - love this picture!}

newborn learnings

2012-01-29T07:50:00.000-08:00

as the oldest of 9 children, i've often felt like i'ad already been a mom many times over, so the idea of having my own children was never daunting or scary. i always thought i'd be more than adequately prepared for when it happened. i mean, i had changed more than my fair share of diapers growing up, had baby-sat (both my own siblings and neighborhoods full of kids) more than anyone else i knew, and had always loved babies. plus, i love to read/research, and i had done plenty of that in regards to childcare in the months leading up to ronan's birth, so i felt as prepared as i could be.

but having my own child, someone who depends on me for EVERYTHING is a completely different story! i often found myself overwhelmed and unsure about what to do these first few weeks of ronan's life. so before this time become a distant memory, for my sake i wanted to jot down some of my key learnings, mostly practical, that i've taken away (from our pediatrician, mommy friends and online resources).

hiccups are normal - ronan get the hiccups A LOT! after almost every feeding, and while they don't seem to bother him all that much, it breaks my heart to see his whole body shake with them for long stretches of time. but according to his doctor, hiccups are very normal, some babies are just more prone to them, and really they're just caused by spasms of the esophagus. the best thing i can do is make sure he's adequately burped and wait it out.
keep the baby uprightt - at a 45 degree angle at least - after a feeding, for about 15 minutes. this should greatly help with tummy/gas issues and even hiccups.
burp sitting up - rather than placing ronan over my shoulder and patting his back, our pediatrician said a better method when babies are this young is to sit them up, place your hand under their chin to hold their head in place, and pat them on the back. this method has definitely been more successful with ronan.
pump legs in bicycle motion - advice given by a dear friend and mommy of two, this helps extract the gas bubbles that sometimes cause him pain.
congestion is normal - i managed to catch a pretty bad cold toward the end of ronan's first week home, and it lasted over a week. i was extremely congested among other things, and started to notice that ronan was also becoming more congested. on the couple of occasions i asked the pediatrician and his nurse about this, i was reassured that congestion is very normal in newborns and it would only be concerning if he was so congested it interfered with him breastfeeding. most likely he didn't catch anything from me, and it was important for me to NOT keep my distance from him, as the antibodies provided in my breast milk were very much needed by him. i was advised, however, to not kiss on him while sick, and let me just say that was the hardest thing ever!!
rapid breathing or panting is normal - again, very common in newborns, and i noticed it never lasts for very long.
using a pacifier is ok - this is more of a personal decision and something i just had to come to terms with. i had sworn i wouldn't use a pacifier with my children but that went out the window the at ronan's first dr. apt on day 2 when he was screaming bloody murder b/c his feeding was long overdue. the paci worked wonders, and while we won't be using it all the time, it's definitely come in handy since. plus i was reading pacifiers have been show to decrease the risk of SIDS...go figure.
newborns don't require daily baths - they don't really get dirty, so sponge baths every few days or even once a week are adequate, especially until their umbilical stump falls off. also, it's important to keep water out of their ears when washing their hair as it could lead to ear infections.
newborns can't see clearly more than 12-18 inches away - apparently, their eyesight is perfect from the beginning, but their brains can't process all the information they see until about 6 months of age, so in the beginning, they can only focus on objects 12-18 inches away. they also love high contrast colors, and i definitely notice he's drawn to black & white. the nurse recommended a black & white mobile...maybe a project i can work on when my crafty sister comes to visit in a week. :-)
spit-up is ok - as long as it's not projectile vomit, it's normal for babies to spit-up
colic usually doesn't set in until the 3rd week or so - i always assumed that colicky babies were like that from the very beginning, but that's supposedly not the case. also, in order for a baby to be considered 'colicky' they must cry for more than 3 hours/day, 3 times/week for at least 3 months. so far so good with ronan, and i'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed. i CANNOT imagine how difficult it would be to have a baby that was inconsolable for that length of time.
hats are good - babies (and probably adults also) lose about 80% of their body heat through their heads, so our doctor recommended a hat for ronan, and the romo mama in me is more than happy to oblige. even though our house has been kept at 72-73%, it always seems just a bit cold, especially downstairs, so having a hat on his sweet little head just makes me feel better.

i know this list will continue to grow as i continue to learn the oh-so-many things i DIDN'T know about raising a newborn!

would also love to hear what you other moms out there learned along the way...

**********

and because i can't help myself, here's a quick pic of my little man in one of the most adorable little outfits he's received - and so appropriate for our little RBI! :)

Ronan Brent Isaacson - the first 2 weeks

2012-01-25T10:50:00.000-08:00

i have a baby.
he's 2 weeks old.
his name is ronan brent isaacson and he's the new love of my life.

i've waited so long to be a mom, and now that i have a little one to hold, it seems surreal. just like often times during my pregnancy it felt surreal that it was really my turn to share in the joy of awaiting a little one to call my own, two weeks into it, i still have moments when i can't believe there's a baby sleeping in the room next door and he's mine, all mine.

these first 2 weeks have been a blur. in some ways the days have flown by, but more often than not, it feels like we've been on this new-parent journey forever. it must be the sleepless nights, the days and nights that all blend together until you have no idea what time of day it is, much less what day of the week or what the date is. everything revolves around the next feeding, the next nap, the next diaper change...and then the cycle continues.

there are so many other words i could use to describe these first 2 weeks and how i've felt -

zombie

hazy

exhausted

emotional

painful

scared

worried

overwhelmed

LOVE

but really, there are no words that can adequately express what it's like. i don't think anyone or anything could every prepare a first time parent, especially a first time mom, for the reality of bringing a baby home for the first time. and that's probably why not a lot of mom's talk about it. or they don't want to remember or admit what it's really like. or they forgot. and now that i'm in the thick of it, i can say it's one of those things that must be experienced first-hand to be understood and appreciated.

let's just say, the first couple of weeks we've been in 'survival mode'. where having time to take a shower is a true luxury, where every cry, hiccup, sniffle, sneeze, stuffed nose is cause for alarm and results in a call to the pediatrician's office, where overwhelming exhaustion threatens to take over at all times, and where leaving the house for any other reason than a doctor's visit takes much more effort than it could ever be worth.

and yet, all of that is completely overshadowed by the vast and fierce love i feel for my son, my baby. it's a love unlike any other, and one that truly can't be understood until experienced, just like i'd been told so many times in the past. it's a love that reaches to the very core of who i am as a woman and now a mom and an emotion so strong it almost scares me. i definitely understand the term 'mama bear' now, that's for sure!

i've already had moments of panic where i feel like ronan's getting too big too quickly. i want to freeze time, i want him to stay my newborn infant for just a while longer. i can already see the physical changes in him as each day goes on. he's getting bigger, more alert, and while those are all great things, i want and need more time to savor him as the baby i brought home from the hospital. to kiss those tiny fingers and toes, to smell the intoxicating newborn smell, to have him fall asleep on my chest and hear his heartbeat sync with mine. i'm told each stage in a baby's life has it's own special moments, but for now, my heart is completely enamored with the ronan i know at 2 weeks old.

**********
the things that helped us survive the first 2 weeks -

visitors who came bearing food - having a fridge stocked up with meals and meals dropped off by family and friends was such a blessing especially the first week! i'm convinced there's no better gift one can give first time parents in the first few weeks than food.
swaddleme swaddlers - sure, we learned how to swaddle using swaddle blankets in one of the many baby prep classes we took, but when it came down to it, swaddling a live baby vs. a doll - 2 very different things! it's a good thing we received some swaddleme blankets as gifts because they've been used every single day and make swaddling a piece of cake!
boppy nursing pillow - i know some moms don't find this product very useful, but i brought it to the hospital and began using it for nursing from the very beginning. i've tried using a regular pillow, but it's not the same.
boppy newborn lounger - this has been a great way to have ronan hang out with the fam on the couch and it's also been great for his daily tummy time.
iphone - the first couple of weeks i didn't have time nor the desire to get on the computer. but my iphone became invaluable especially during those late night feedings. the aps that got the most use - pinterest, facebook, words with friends, baby center & tetris. my iphone was also the primary photo taking mechanism these first couple of weeks. always handy and so much easier to take videos and pictures than pulling out my big DSLR. the majority of the pictures taken have been taken with my phone.
babyconnect app - this app has been a lifesaver in tracking feedings and diaper changes (yes, one of the many fun things that must be done!) highly recommend for parents of newborns
baby center - the website, the app, the forums, all of it! such an invaluable resource both during pregnancy and now as a new mom.
lansinoh lanolin
the bassinet attachment for our stroller - this has been ronan's crib since we brought him home. i thought i'd be able to put him in his crib from day 1, but that didn't happen. we'll probably never use the bassinet stroller attachment again after this, so it's been great to get this use out of it. the stroller/bassinet is right by the bed and makes middle of the night feedings so much more convenient.

best advice received -

give breastfeeding at least 2 weeks - contrary to what EVERY SINGLE lactation specialist will tell you, breastfeeding hurts, it REALLY hurts, even if you're doing it right! our doctor came to visit us our second day in the hospital and i'll never forget his perspective on it: "they're going to tell you it's not supposed to hurt - that's bulls**t! it's not natural, and it will hurt. but stick with it for 2 weeks, and it will get better after that" and i must say, he was right. it's still not completely pain-free, but every day is better than the day before and i'm determined to stick with it.
sleep when the baby sleeps - i heard this from everyone! but i've never been able to take naps. ever. i was always envious of people who could take 30 minute power naps in the middle of the day. so i assumed it would be the same now. wrong! i guess the body does get to a certain level of exhaustion where it will nap anywhere, anytime. it's so tempting to want to clean the house, catch up on laundry, watch mindless tv, etc. while the baby sleeps, but the few times i've done that i've really paid for it at night when getting up to feed mister ronan has been excruciatingly unbearable. so i've learned to take at least one nap while he's sleeping during the day. i still feel like i will never again be caught up on sleep, but that nap has made a big difference.
i'm sure there's more, but that's all i can think of right now...

**********

and because i can hear my little man call for me, that's all i have time for. except to share some of my fav pictures from the first couple of weeks - all taken with my handy-dandy iphone. enjoy!

[at the hospital]

[with auntie jen]

[daddy's little man at his first dr's apt]

[happy on his lounger]

[he's getting ready for the superbowl!]

[there's room for everyone on the couch]

[with grandma]

just two days...

2012-01-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

before baby boy isaacson's official due date. i was convinced he was going to come early, but it looks like he's determined to prove me wrong. :) i suppose there ARE still 2 days left, but since i haven't felt a SINGLE contraction yet, i'm going to assume he's going to be the stereotypical 'late' first baby.

THIS WEEK marked my first official full week of maternity leave.

I ENJOYED time to just relax, watch tv, read and get ready for baby.

I DIDN'T ENJOY the return of the rain. december spoiled us with it's incredible weather; i'd forgotten how annoying it can be to be out & about in the rain, especially when you can't move as quickly to get out of it! plus this weather makes me CRAVE coffee like nobody's business - the real stuff, not the decaf that i indulge in every so often.

I ALSO got a bit stir crazy at times because it's just not in my nature to relax for very long. so i found other ways to occupy my time (cleaning, baking, laundry, errands), which is probably what led to the severe lower abdominal pain i started feeling and which led the hubby to declare that i'm not allowed to be on my feet for more than 5 minute increments. well that didn't last very long. :)

I FELT WEIRD not going into work. i can't remember the last time i just stayed home without a schedule or agenda or because i was sick.. i've held a job since i was 15 years old, so it must be before that.

I DIDN'T MISS traffic! watching traffic reports on the early morning news made me feel soooo relieved it wasn't me.

I HEARD FROM family and friends anxiously awaiting news of baby boy. once tuesday hit , everyone was calling...and i didn't mind one bit! :) i think it was due to the holidays being over and everyone getting back into their routine this week. i feel very blessed to have an incredible support system.

I HAVEN'T BEEN FEELING like baby boy needs to get here NOW. yes, i CANNOT wait to meet him and be done being pregnant. but i think because this is the first time in many, many years that i've had time to myself, time to somewhat feel caught up on my multiple to-do lists, and time with just the hubs and pups while it's still the 3 of us, i'm ok with baby boy coming when he's good and ready. now, talk to me this time next week and i may be singing a different tune.

I DECIDED UPON a baby/memory book. well, it's actually this baby book/memory box, and it was a difficult decision to make because what i really wanted was a combination of the 3 baby books i had it narrowed down to. in the end, i made a decision based on how cute (and more modern) this book/box set was. plus, it'll be nice having a box to store mementos. and i already know i'll be going crazy with my camera and have plans to create photo books to document baby's first year and beyond, so this is really to catch everything else. maybe it's the first-time-mom syndrome or the fact that i'm a very sentimental person or that i'm sometimes a bit too type A, but i want to make sure i had the right medium for capturing all those memories.

I'VE BEEN CRAVING sweets (nothing new there) and avocados. i've seriously had avocado almost every single day for the past month. in fact, this is what my breakfast often consists of...yummmm!

and on that note, i'm going to make myself some breakfast!

baby fix

2012-01-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

today i joined a dear friend out and about at 'cafe sip-n-play' with her two little munchkins. the fact that she even attempted to take a 21 month old and a 5 week old out on her own is more than impressive!

oh, and i got the baby fix i so desperately needed. :)

here's a bit from our day...

this made me laugh

2012-01-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

crave photography - giveaway

2012-01-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

just discovered crave photography AND the amazing giveaway they currently have underway. i don't usually post/blog about this sort of thing, but this giveaway is just too good to give up! :)

check it out here:

http://cravemyphotography.com/blog/25000-fans-giveaway/

lazy days before baby...

2012-01-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

last week marked the start of my maternity leave.

it was the week between christmas and new years.

i completely lost track of the days and dates and i can't remember the last time that's happened. I LOVED IT.

the week began with me scrambling to wrap up baby things - finishing up the hospital bags, buying last minute baby necessities (crib sheets, etc), running errands, cleaning, and oh so many other things.

but near the end of the week, things started slowing down.

i spent more time on the couch, relaxing with my pups. she'll always be my first baby, but i know it's inevitable she'll drop down the totem pole of priority once baby boy arrives. so for now, she's getting lots of extra love and attention. she's become even more of a snuggle-bug, nestling in really tight against my belly when we're on the couch together. i think she senses something major is about to change.

i spent more time blogging - i didn't do as great of a job maintaining my blog in 2011, and not nearly as much as i had hoped during my pregnancy, so every post i do get in near the very end of my pregnancy is a small victory in making sure i remember the special moments (and even those routine or mundane).

i finally found time for a MUCH NEEDED mani/pedi. i may look like a hot mess during labor & delivery but at least my fingers and toes will look cute. :)

i spent more time reading - currently trying to finish the following two books before baby boy arrives.

i really started missing my DSLR. i've been taking pretty much all pictures lately with my new phone, which is great, but i have such little control over the quality of the photos being taken. i love the convenience of a camera phone, but it's just not even close to the same as shooting with a 'real' camera. baby boy better watch out because his mama is going to be one crazy camera lady once he arrives!

i became mildly obsessed with pinterest, especially getting sucked into all of the insanely adorable baby items and crafty, creative ideas. i don't consider myself crafty, but pinterest is motivating me to dig down deep and channel my inner domestic diva...

some of my favorite pinterest finds and inspiration -

newborn hats - i MUST learn how to knit, crochet and sew - oh the possibilities would be endless!

and don't even get me started on...

baby booties (aka - little man shoes) - must have them all!

and because i'm determined to document baby boy's development in a series of sorts i've been trying to decide on one of these ideas for what i'm calling my 12-month project -

i'm just not sure i'll be able to stick to just ONE of these ideas. right now my two favorites are...

i love the idea of posing baby with a stuffed animal or toy. i already know which one i would use. sure wish i had one of these cool chairs though!

...and this one because of it's simplicity and more modern feel. now just have to find a massive 'R' somewhere...

and lastly, i'll probably do some sort of 12-month series with baby boy and zoe-girl. i have no doubt they're going to be good buds, and it'll be fun to see them together as he hits each monthly milestone.

****

everyone's telling me to relax and enjoy these last few days because life will never be the same after baby comes. so that's what i plan on doing. i look forward to starting 2012 by taking it easy, finding even more time to relax this week, and taking time to truly anticipate the arrival of my sweet little man.

nursery glider - before & after

2011-12-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

figuring out what to do with the used glider the hubs purchased for the nursery has been on the 'to-do' list for months. it was an impulse buy on his part because of how cheap he found it on craigslist, plus it had a much sleeker look than many other glider/rockers out there.

it really isn't a bad looking glider; it's just that i don't think you could find an uglier brown for the cushions if you tried.

some of the options we considered:

try to find new cushions - we thought about buying some from IKEA that may have fit ok, but held off.
get rid of it and go in a completely different direction.
find a way to cover up the ugly brown cushions without spending a lot of money.

well, a couple of months ago, the hubs and i spent about 1 1/2 hours at a fabric store (probably the longest period of time i've EVER spent in a craft/fabric store of any kind) trying to pick out fabric that would coordinate with a nursery that was still a completely vague idea. we ended up choosing a fabric, which then sat in a drawer for two months, while the glider project slipped near the bottom of the priority list.

well, while at the in-laws on christmas, my wonderful mother-in-law said she was going to take a stab at making slip covers for the glider cushions with the fabric we had purchased. she used to dabble in sewing many years ago, but hadn't sewn in years, and was a bit scared, but wanted to try. i gladly took her offer, and yesterday, a mere couple of days later, she stopped by with the finished product.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE NEW CHAIR and was completely blown away by how quickly she was able to finish the slip covers and how great they look. i'm now thrilled about the chair, and feel like it was the missing piece that makes the nursery come together. the rest of the nursery is still a work in progress, but this one element makes such a big difference - i can't help but gush about it! :)

some pictures of the before & after - clearly a HUGE improvement! and how cute is the giraffe pattern??

an afternoon with the 3 musketeers

2011-12-30T06:47:00.000-08:00

yesterday my sister brought the girls over. i REALLY needed some '3 musketeer' time, and we figured it would most likely be the last time i get to spend with just them before baby boy arrives.

they were over most of the afternoon and well into the evening. jen & audrey as well as sue ended up stopping by impromptu, making it a full, fun house!

and don't even get me started on how much fun zoe-girl had - little girls running around, dropping chocolate chip cookie making fixins to the floor for her to snatch up, intoxicating baby smell everywhere...i'm pretty sure it was her favorite day. :)

...make that 4.

they told me in order for them to be 'baking queens' they had to put flour on their faces...well, who could argue with that?! :)

christmas 2011

2011-12-26T08:47:00.000-08:00

it was our last Christmas before baby boy joins our family

it was RELAXING
it was a day spent with family
there was great food to be eaten
there were games to be played
there were presents to be opened

above all it was a day filled with love and peace.

some of the memories...

and the MANY attempts to get the perfect christmas family photo...

AND....i think we got it!

countdown - 19 days!

2011-12-20T06:41:00.000-08:00

this is the FASTEST december i've ever experienced! i knew it would fly by, but with five days left till christmas and 19 days till baby boy is due to arrive, i'm realizing time is out of control and i still have SO MUCH left to do.

this is my last week at work before going on leave - it's hard not to be excited about that. :) but between trying to wrap things up at work and using whatever extra energy i have left to prepare for baby, the hospital, the nursery, etc., anything christmas related has taken a very low place on my priority list.

i LOVE christmas, always have, but it truly snuck up this year (we just finally got our tree decorated a this past weekend, and it's a bare-bones decorating job). i've started thinking about christmas presents, and a couple have been purchased online, but for everything else, the thought of braving crowds in any store or mall is my idea of torture right now.

i think i need a christmas miracle to make it all happen.

onto what i'm excited about...

at 37 weeks, baby boy is about the length of a stalk of swiss chard (19 in long)

according to average measurements, he would weigh apx. 6 1/3 lbs this week; HOWEVER, at his 36 week appt. a week and half ago, per the ultrasound, he measured at 6 1/2 lbs, which means if he's full term, he'll be in the 8 1/2 lb range. granted their measurements can be off, BUT if they're accurate, i was told he's measuring in the 71st percentile for size - BIG BOY!! guess it shouldn't surprise me given that the hubs is so much taller/bigger than i am. also, the recent comments i've been receiving about how my enormous belly ("are you carrying twins??") haven't done anything to alleviate my worries about delivering a large baby boy. i guess we'll see!
he's technically considered 'full term' now, but as much as i would love to meet my little man now, i want him to stay in his cozy little home until the 40 week mark.
at last week's ultrasound, they once again saw hair, so we're expecting him to come out with a full head of it.
his movements are pretty strong and it seems he responds to our touch. when the hubs pushes on the belly, baby boy will respond with a push back in the same area - amazing!

me at 37 weeks -

for the first time am finding it very challenging to move around - i've been joking about the 'waddle', but for the first time this week, i've found my self truly waddling and not being able to control it.
the fatigue is at an all time high, but i get spurts of energy and try to use those to my advantage
not getting any false contractons/early labor yet, so that's a good sign
feeling VERY RELIEVED to have hired a doula this past week. it was a last minute decision, but given the fact that i'm trying for a natural, un-medicated birth, we decided to have all the support/help we could, especially this first time around. she's wonderful and regardless of the outcome, it'll be good to have her there alongside reid.
still feeling like there are some critical things to be finished before baby comes - pack hospital bags, figure out the sleeping situation once baby's home, etc., but for the most part, we're in decent shape. the car seat has been installed, all clothes/blankets/baby things have been washed and put away, and most importantly, we're as mentally prepared as we're ever going to be.

sunny days and big bellies

2011-12-17T05:25:00.000-08:00

the sunny weather continues in the northwest and yesterday we headed down to the columbia river to enjoy

took it easy because i'm not moving too fast these days - that's a 37-week belly folks!

pups was besides herself with excitement. so many smells. so many things to roll around in

also had the chance to try out the camera on my new phone - not too bad for a phone camera

why can't fall in the northwest always be like this?

alphabet wall inspiration

2011-12-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

the nursery alphabet wall project is well underway, and i'm so very excited for it to start coming together!

i've enlisted the help of seesters and dear friends who are much craftier than i, and many of the letters are already in the process of being hunted for or created...although there are still letters up for grabs! ;)

here's some more letter/alphabet inspiration i've been finding - can i just reiterate how amazing i find pinterest?

love the button for the "o"

really loving the lowercase 'a' and the 'w' in this one...

the 'q' made out of rope - so creative!

for some reason the orange and white striped 'e' jumps out at me. also love the globes! and i have these orange bins from ikea - they're already part of the nursery. :)

wrapping the letter in a map - love it!

if only i had the time...

REALLY like the 'e' made of wood. the 'm' is pretty sweet too! love the idea of incorporating fabric. or just a simple sketch of a letter, like the first 'e'

love the 'g' in this one

if i had decided to go with a uniform look, i probably would've done something like this...

nursery project

2011-12-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

the nursery has been a "project" for months now. always in the back of mind, but often put on the back burner. well, with 5 weeks until my due date (35 days and counting down!), it's time to get it wrapped up.

the hardest thing has been consolidating all the wonderful ideas i found into ONE practical and budget-friendly idea. also, i'm a person who has a difficult time visualizing what the end result could look like. i'd much rather be given a visual, an idea, and asked to execute on it - THAT, i know i can do well!

well, there was progress made on the nursery over the long thanksgiving weekend, but the walls are still bare, and i haven't had a clear idea how i would decorate them to bring the room together.

UNTIL THIS WEEK, when i came across this FANTASTIC idea on pinterest!

i'm soooo excited to get started on our alphabet wall, just not sure how it'll happen before baby boy comes. the woman who posted this picture worked on completing her alphabet over the course of many months. i don't have that luxury, so i'm hoping to enlist the help of family and friend with this...i've already had a couple of friends volunteer - can't wait to see what they come up with for the letters they chose!

any other takers?? you can 'have' whichever letter/letters you want. :)

but even if it doesn't come together before baby boy arrives, i'm thrilled to finally have a vision to work toward, and one i'm so very excited about!

sunny days and an excitable pups

2011-12-04T06:47:00.000-08:00

we're having an unbelievable stretch of decent weather, so unusual this time of year in the northwest. and it looks like the trend is continuing...

it may be cold, but i'll take that any day over wet wet wet!

this week, for the first time in weeks, i took a long walk outdoors. it was sunny, mixed with just the right amount of chill - just perfect! these days, i'm not moving as quickly as my non-preggers self normally would, but as far as the hubs is concerned, i've finally learned to stroll rather than power-walk, and he couldn't be happier - all it took was me being 8 months pregnant!

also for the first time since her serious injury , our zoe-girl went for her first walk in over 5 weeks. we'd been instructed to keep her completely inactive for up to 6 weeks lest she re-injure herself with permanent consequences. she is now doing MUCH BETTER - the first 2 weeks were heart-breaking and scary- she was in a great amount of pain, and there wasn't much we could do except wait it out. well, she gradually recovered and seems to be back to her normal excitable and silly clown self!

she also had mounds of pent-up energy from being inactive for weeks, and we finally decided she was well enough to handle a walk. we strapped on her new harness (no more collars for her) and off we went - doesn't this look like a happy pups?? well, she's smiling on the inside, i promise. she was ready to stop posing and get her walk started. :)

baby steals

2011-11-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

i've always been a sucker for good deals.

i RARELY buy anything full priced.

clearance racks are my friends!

so while it would be great to have everything brand-spanking new for baby boy, we have NO PROBLEM buying used!

that's why it was beyond exciting to get amazing deals on not one, but two of our big baby purchases in the last week!

stroller -

we've been trying to decide on a stroller for months now. we finally had it narrowed down (or so i thought) to the Bob and the Bumbleride (after giving up on the UppaBaby due to its price and lack of all-terrain features). and while it wouldn't be our first choice aesthetically or in the way it's engineered (in reid's opinion), we even purchased the Bob from REI during their huge labor day sale. it's been sitting in the box, unopened while we've scoured craigslist for used Bobs and Bumblerides for many weeks.

then last weekend the hubs came across a craigslist ad for a Bugabbo Gecko for a ridiculous price. the bugaboo wasn't even on our radar for many reasons, and to be honest, i wasn't sure i wanted one, even used. i feel like there's such a status symbol stigma attached to them, and that thought makes me cringe and uncomfortable...but in the end, the good deal won out and we now have a like-new stroller complete with the footmuff and many other accessories the seller threw in - all for less than 1/3 the price just the stroller used to sell for new. now that's a good find and one we couldn't pass on!

infant car seat -

we had no intention of buying a used one - we've done enough research to know this is one of those few baby purchases that should be made new to ensure the seat hasn't been in an accident and/or hasn't reached its expiration date. plus we were gifted the chicco we registered for - what i didn't realize when i put it on the registry, the bottom of the seat doesn't snap into a shopping cart and this i was told by multiple moms, would be a huge inconvenience. so we returned it to BRU, and were hoping to find a graco we liked since that's the only other brand compatible with our stroller in a price range we're willing to pay.

long story short, we couldn't find something without a mickey mouse, multi-colored starburts or camo pattern at BRU - good looking neutral-patterned gracos exist, apparently they're just not sold at BRU! so the search continued...until i was told about a co-worker looking to sell her very neutral and extremely well taken care of graco car seat and base for $30. what?! it fit all the criteria we were looking for, so on monday, i brought this baby home, thrilled at the find!!

it was a successful 'shopping' week and just in the nick of time! gotta get that car seat installed before baby boy decides to make an appearance.

40 days left!

2011-11-29T06:23:00.000-08:00

sunday marked the start of my 34th week of pregnancy. 6 more weeks left to go, assuming my little guy makes his appearance right around his due date, jan 8th.

6 weeks sounds like a long time.

40 days does NOT!

overall my pregnancy has flown by. there were times in my first trimester when i felt like i had all the time in the world. 40 weeks seemed like SUCH a long stretch of time, and since i wasn't seeing many physical changes in my body, most day, it felt surreal that i had a amazing miracle baby growing inside of me. i had time to read novels, take baths, go for walks, catch up with friends and enjoy my time with hubs and zoe-girl. i don't remember being in a big frenzy to 'do' baby stuff.

i'm not sure what happened to the 2nd trimester - i was increasingly busy in my new role at work, which translated into less time at home in the evenings to start focusing on baby 'stuff'. the reality of how much had to be done and figured out finally hit with a vengeance, and it hasn't let up since. i'm a planner, organizer, list-maker and researcher by nature, and enjoy all those things. but trying to 'figure it out' when it comes to getting ready for a baby is by far the most challenged i've ever felt. i know the moms out there are thinking, 'just wait till baby comes - that's challenging!!' :) i also know most first-time moms experience this need to make sure they've researched every baby product to death and determined which are best for their baby. i'm fortunate enough to have many friends and sisters who are moms, many for the 2nd, 3rd or even 6th time (!!!), and their advice has been invaluable. but everyone has their own opinions based on what worked for them. so in the end, you take in all the advice, but still have to make your own decisions.

the 3rd trimester thus far has unfolded the way most people told me it would. physically, i'm heavier than i've ever been before, and i'm starting to feel it. i've never experienced hip or knee pain before, but that's been happening off and on for the last couple of weeks. the inability to do something simple like tie my own shoes, and the effort it takes to get on/off the couch or bed still surprises me. it's hard to imagine until you've experienced it, but suddenly, my body is no longer my own. the physical changes are happening quickly now, and at least once a week i have someone tell me how much bigger i've gotten since the last time they saw me. :)

along with the physical changes and most likely because of them, fatigue has set in again. not with the same coma-like intensity i experienced in my first trimester, but more of a bone-tired weariness brought on by lack of good sleep and my body working really hard to get my little man ready.

i've started dreaming about baby boy, about holding him in my arms. a few nights ago i dreamt he had dark hair on top and blond on the sides and in the back. from a feature perspective, the amount of hair and his hair color is what i'm most curious about. i would love for him to have blond hair and blue eyes just like his daddy, but reid thinks his features will more closely resemble mine. no wonder i'm dreaming about it!

although we're in the home stretch and things still aren't as 'figured out' as i would like them to be, i feel ready for baby's arrival. i am ready to see him, to kiss 10 finger and 10 toes, to tell him how much we love him and to smell his intoxicating baby smell. many have told me i'll miss him moving inside of me, and i know that will be the case. in pregnancy, there's nothing that can compare to the closeness i've felt to him when he's moving around, even when it wakes me up at night. he's an active little monkey, and i wouldn't have it any other way.

baby boy at 34 weeks -

~ 4 3/4 lbs, the size of a cantaloupe
18 inches long
his fat layers are filling out, making him rounder
his central nervous system and lungs are continuing to mature

our maternity shoot

2011-11-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

a few weekends ago, one of reid's best friends randy (of randall reed photography) offered to take some maternity photos of us. it was a difficult decision because a) do i really want to be photographed 7 1/2 months pregnant? and b) i hate being in front of a camera, posing while trying to look natural, just as much as i love being behind one taking the pictures.

but randy is a great photographer (he should totally quit his day job and do only this!) and we know him well, so i figured that would take the awkwardness level down a notch. however, i think the deciding factor for me was that this was the first time since our wedding (8 years ago) when reid and i have had pictures taken together that weren't a quick point&shoot. also, our wedding pictures were TERRIBLE, and just thinking about the awful job our wedding photographer did still makes me sad and angry. there aren't many pictures from our wedding that were salvageable, none that have ever hung in our home, and very few that i've shared with others. our photography (or lack thereof) is my biggest wedding regret. note to future brides - don't skimp on your wedding photography!!

so in a way, the goal was to not only get some decent materity shots, but also finally get some decent photos of reid and i. the reid who HATES taking pictures more than anyone i know, but this one time decided to be completely accommodating. whatever, the reason, i was just happy that he went along with it and didn't complain once!

little did i know when the 'shoot' started it would turn into a full day event!

we started at our house for the more casual pictures, then drove to skamania lodge for many of the outdoor shots, and ended in hood river near the end of the day. randy really wanted to photograph us in places that have significant meaning for us, so skamania lodge was a given. not only is it located in one of the most gorgeous settings we know, it's where we spent our wedding night, and a place we've returned many times over the years to relax and spend time with family. hood river is one of our favorite places to go for a day trip, usually tacked onto a day of hiking in the gorge, and it's just another 20 min east of skamania lodge, so we decided to keep on going and end our journey there. plus, we couldn't pass up dinner at the full sail brewery.

luckily, the weather held up all day for us, and all in all, while a long day, it actually ended up being quite fun once we were able to relax in front of the camera.

there were over 700 pictures taken, so narrowing it down was extremely difficult, but here are some of my favorites. i was also fortunate that randy trusted me to edit the photos he took. :)

he's flipped!

2011-11-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

yesterday morning we had an ultrasound - i was giddy with anticipation going into it, more so than with any other ultrasounds expect the one where we found out the gender, because i was dying to know if baby boy had flipped himself into position since the last ultrasound 4 weeks ago.

4 weeks ago he was in breech position, but since then, i have felt TONS of movement, more than the rest of my pregnancy combined, and i was convinced (and hoping) that meant he was flipping himself around. well...he's flipped! there's a reason for all the movement, beside that he's just getting bigger.

i continue to be in awe of modern technology and the miracle of our human bodies.

a couple of other highlights from yesterdays visit -

apparently baby boy has lot of hair, as evidenced by the white specks in the below picture. the ultrasound tech told us it's very rare to see that, so i guess that means he's going to have quite a mane of hair on his cute little head! reid's convinced that means baby's going to have dark hair b/c he's never heard of or seen a blond haired baby come out with tons of hair, but the doc told us it's really variable, so we could still end up with a blond haired baby (reid was a tow-head until his adult life, so it's definitely possible), which i would love! reid's convinced baby's going to look like me, darker skin, dark hair - a little gypsy baby! :)

don't they look like shark's teeth?

baby weighs 4 lbs, according to all the ultrasound measurements they took. not sure why that shocked me, but 4 lbs sounds like a big baby with 8 weeks left to go! doc assured us he's right on track to being close to a 7 1/2 lb baby, and also told me i'm going to get MUCH BIGGER - not very assuring! not sure how that's going to happen b/c i honestly feel like i couldn't possible grow any more, but apparently i'm wrong, very wrong.

and just for fun - a few pictures of reid and i as babies. he was such a cute child, and i absolutely cherish these pictures that his mom has done such a great job of preserving! blond hair, blue eyes, pretty much as all-american as you can get! and the complete opposite of me. :)

makes me all the more excited to see what our little guy will look like - will he take srongly after one of us, or will his be features be a mix of the two? 8 more weeks until we find out!!

such a little poser! he HATES taking pictures nowadays, so i'm not sure what happened between then and now, but he didn't seem to mind the camera one bit as a boy!

one of my favs of him - love the pose, and how stinking adorable he looks! definitley does not look like a child that would ever create any mischief in any of his classes. :)

and then there's me...i don't think reid's far off when he calls me his little gypsy. :)

and because i can't resist - a few more from the ultrasound yesterday -

his beautiful head, positioned just as it should be!

a view of his nostrils, from the bottom up - just thought this was kind of funny

and last but not least, the cutest baby profile ever - still has his boxing hands right up by his face

hot pot

2011-11-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

last saturday we were invited to a family friend's house for a traditional chinese hot pot dinner. hot pot is eaten all throughout china and most parts of asia year-round, but more often eaten in the winter, which makes sense, because i would definitely associate it more with sitting around a fire and comfort food.

hot pot traditionally consists of of a metal simmering pot of stock at the center of the dining room table. while the pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and cooked at the table.

some the food our wonderful hostess had ready for our hot pot:

very thinly sliced beef
very thinly sliced chicken
pork and shrimp HOMEMADE dumplings - i couldn't get enough of these!
prawns - also one of my favs
japanese radish - so good and even sweet once it's been simmering for a while
tofu
cellophane noodles - only took 10 seconds to cook
poached eggs (an egg is cracked into a bowl then gently placed into the pot)
baby bok choy - our only veggie, but it was SOOO good!
condiments like soy sauce
two VERY yummy dipping sauces, which can only be found in china

i guess hot pot can be done a variety of different ways, but we each cooked our own food by choosing what we wanted from the round turnstile tabletop, placing it into our round metal wire net, and immersing it into the pot until cooked. then used the condiments and sauces for seasoning.

it was definitely not a 'scarf your dinner down' kind of dining experience. it was a dinner conducive to great conversation and really taking time to sit down with family and friends. although i must say, our dear hostess was more than a bit disappointed at how 'little' we ate (which is very relative term, because i felt like we ate for two hours straight at least, and i for one, ate enough for two!) - apparently when her children get together for hot pot around the holidays, they really put it away! she wasn't terribly impressed with the size of our 'american' stomachs. :)

for dessert, we merged two cultures and had apple pie homemade by my dear mother in law sue - still the best apple pie i've ever tasted!

the aftermath!

he's on the move!

2011-11-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

over the past 5 days, i've felt baby boy move more than the rest of pregnancy combined. i'm now at 30 weeks, and he's definitely gotten bigger, so it's not that surprising, but not only am i feeling him more often (pretty much the entire day including at night), his movements have gotten much stronger. i had felt him move so seldom until now, that i was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong. now, it seems like he never sleeps - should i be worried this is a sign of things to come?? :)

at my last ultrasound almost 3 weeks ago, he was in breech position, so i've had friends tell me it's possible he's rotating himself around. i can't say for sure, but i do know that i absolutely cherish each movement, even those that leave me breathless for a moment because of how sudden and strong they are. the connection it makes me feel to the little life inside of me is beyond what words can describe. it's a miracle.

i saw this quote today - it made me smile -

A ship under sail and a big-bellied woman,
Are the handsomest two things that can be seen common.
~Benjamin Franklin

poor pups

2011-10-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

on wednesday, our zoe-girl got hurt at doggie-daycare. i hadn't taken her in quite a while, and she was THRILLED to be dropped off that morning.

around 9:30am, i received a call at work that she had somehow injured her neck or back, had a very swollen neck, couldn't move her head or body, and they were very concerned about her. needless to say, i had a mini-meltdown at work, then rushed to the daycare to be with her until the hubs got there.

they don't know how it happened, just that she was chasing a ball around, then wouldn't come out from under some stairs. they think she chased her ball under the stairs and somehow tweaked her neck/back in the process.

x-rays can't determine if she has a slipped disk, if the injury is more muscle related, or if it's entirely more serious, but in the few days since she was injured, it's been heartbreaking to watch her go from a silly frenchie to a dog that is lifeless and stays completely frozen because every movement causes her pain to the point where she starts shaking uncontrollably and yelps.

she has to be carried outside when needed, she won't drink water or eat food from her bowls because that movement hurts too much, and is on pain killers, muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory meds. for the next 2-6 weeks she'll have to be kept in her pen, with completely restricted movement, and for the rest of her life, she won't be allowed to jump on/off anything, climb stairs or play rough to prevent permanent spinal injury. she'll also only be able to be on a harness rather than a lease.

we found out through this process that frenchies, while they are stocky and may appear to be very 'solid' and strong, actually have very weak necks and backs.

watching her in pain and unable to communicate what's wrong has been heart-breaking. i know she's not a child, and i can only imagine how much more difficult it would be to watch your child in pain and suffering. but right now, she IS our baby and has been for the last 3 years. we're praying she heals quickly.

right now, she's in pain -

but we're hoping that she'll soon be back to her old self -

the dog that sometimes shares her kiddie pool with her friends

the dog that loves tennis balls, even though they don't come close to fitting in her mouth

and the dog that will stare down a 2-year old for food - any food!

cute baby boy clothes DO exist!

2011-10-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

we all know women have more and better clothing options than men do, and it definitely begins with baby clothes. i LOVE looking at baby girl clothes and have always enjoyed buying them in the past. but i can't remember ever being excited about baby boy clothes, even now, which is probably the reason i haven't purchased a single article of clothing for my little guy yet.

oh, but then i discovered 'naartjtie'. just check these out...

and this little number, which has already been purchased for baby boy isaccson by a dear friend! i couldn't help but buy the matching hoodie. :)

the clothes are so fun, so whimsical - i'm in love! unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there isn't a store terribly close by, so for now, i'll just be drooling over them online. just good to know that cute baby boy clothes do in fact exist. :)

27 weeks - now that's flexible!

2011-10-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

this was a busy week for baby-related matters!

wednesday morning we had a doctor's appt where we saw baby again. cannot believe how much he's changed since the last ultrasound, biggest change being his size and how 'squished' he appears to be in his little home. there really isn't any more room for him, so i guess the only other option is that i'll be getting bigger - yikes!

found out he's in breech position and currently folded in half with his feet up around his face - now that's flexible! maybe we have a future romo gymnast on our hands...

and isn't that cutest little face you've ever seen?! being able to see him is such a blessing and miracle each time - it's building the anticipation until i can actually meet my little guy in person.

also had my glucose screening test at wednesday's appt - not going to lie, i was pretty freaked out about this, mostly b/c i was scared of not passing the test, being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, etc. i LOVE sweets, and haven't been the best about eliminating them from my pregnancy diet, plus my history with elevated insulin levels. well, i hadn't heard anything by yesterday so i called the nurse, and was told that i passed with a score of 105!!! i had to be under 140, and would've taken 139. what a relief!!!

so i celebrated with some ice-cream last night.

on wednesday night, we attended our first child-birth prep class. it definitely felt like being back in school, which i miss, but better because it's all subject matter i actually really care to learn about! :) after intros and all that not-so-fun ice-breaker stuff, the main focus of class was on signs of labor, the various stages of labor, etc.

realized everyone in the class has a name picked out for their baby - EXCEPT US!
realized we're definitely near the older end of the spectrum when it comes to the other couples in our class, 'near' being the key word.

some of the key things we took away -

only about 10% of labors begin with the water breaking (so NOT the way it's portrayed in the movies!)

differences between pre-labor contractions and true labor contractions

waiting until 5-1-1 to go to the hospital for labor- contractions are 5 min apart, 1 min long for 1 hour (this sounds great in theory, but we'll see about reality! apparently the hospital has no problem sending you home if they need to, so good thing we're literally a 2 minute drive from our hospital!)

just seeing the visual diagrams of what's happening with my insides as the baby continues to grow was amazing! the way everything moves up and shifts around to make room for baby is unreal! you wouldn't think it was possible, and no wonder pregnancy women get heartburn, shortness of breath, etc. everything is packed and condensed in there!!

here's what's new with baby this week -

the size of a cauliflower - about 14.5 inches long with legs extended.
per the ultrasound tech this week, he weighs 2.1 lbs and is measuring exactly on his due date- Jan 8
he's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes - i can say i've definitely detected a sleeping pattern. every morning between 5:30 and 6am i can feel him moving around quite strongly - that's about as long as i can sleep in nowadays. :)
brain is very active
lungs are still immature but would be capable of functioning if baby were to be born now. crazy.

everything else -

registries were finished this week - woohoo!!!
still trying to figure out the logistics for a maternity photo shoot - something VERY low key that will be shot by one of reid's friends who also happens to be an amazing photographer on the side - biggest obstacle right now is the weather...
nursery prep has reached a standstill - the crib and dresser have been assembled, but that's it. also, reid managed to snap an amazing deal on a glider rocker and ottoman on craigslist ($50!!)

now, figuring out how to arrange and decorate the room is proving to be a bit more challenging. using pinterest and the help of a dear sister who's MUCH more creatively inclined and crafty when it comes to these sort of things will be very helpful. wish she could come here for a few days and figure it all out for me. :) i can find pictures of a million nurseries i LOVE like the ones below. but having all these choices makes it even more difficult to know where to being. choices aren't always a good thing.

here's what our nursery looks like now - brown cushions on the glider have got to go!

and here's what i eventually want it to look like - any of these will do! :)

26 weeks - yikes!

2011-10-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

times been flying by at a breakneck pace (i feel like i say that all the time!) and i can hardly believe i'm about to enter week 27 of pregnancy. just one more week until i enter my third trimester - just saying that is completely surreal.

this is baby boy now -

the size of an english hothouse cucumber - about 14 in. long and weights 1.75 lbs
his lungs and brain are much more developed and he can likely detect light and dark through the optic nerve. he can also hear outside voices more, like his daddy's voice, for instance. :)
since week 22 when i felt him move for the first time (still BY FAR the best thing about pregnancy!), i've felt him sporadically. some weeks, especially when we were in maui (week 24), i felt him move constantly. in the couple of weeks since we've been back, it's been much more rare. the only thing that makes sense is that i was SO much more relaxed while on vacation, and not so much since being back. even in the evenings when i lay down and expect him to start moving around right away, doesn't always happen. i feel little flutters here and there throughout my days, but i think the fact that i've been going non-stop since we've been back probably best explains his lack of action. baby boy must be lulled to sleep by my constant movement.

me at 26 weeks -

the tummy's definitely getting bigger! mainly wearing maternity tops at this point. i only have one true pair of maternity pants (which i wear a ton b/c they're so much more comfy!) and a few pars of jeans that i bought in a larger size and 'make work'
it's definitely harder to bend over and tie my shoes
started using palmer's cocoa butter this week- wasn't going to, but after talking to a couple of women who swear by it, decided it wouldn't hurt to try. if i still get stretch marks, i can blame it on genetics. :)

trying to get in as many walks as possible - not nearly as enjoyable now that the weather has changed to cold and wet, but it's amazing what a big difference in energy level a quick walk makes
eating - could be better, could be worse. i'm long past my cravings for carb-rich comfort foods (think mac-n-cheese and pizza), but have not been able to eliminate my LOVE of and constant craving for sweets. there are weeks where i'm determined to eliminate refined sugars, which lasts about 2 days at best, then i'm right back off the bandwagon. try to keep it in check as much as possible, but really difficult when there's a 7 lb. costco chocolate cake staring me in the face for a week (work potluck - long story!)

the realization that i'm about to enter my 3rd trimester has had me on a mission to get as much done as possible before i get there. from everything i've heard the 2nd trimester is when most pregnant women feel their best and aren't quite at their biggest yet, so i've been trying to cram in as much of the baby prep stuff as possible. it's just mind-boggling how much there is to do! maybe it's just me and my type-A personality, but working full time and commuting 2 hours a day also doesn't leave a ton of time left to work on baby stuff. the evenings are full and so are the weekends, and it just seems like there's never enough time!

everything else! -

my baby shower is in 4 weeks! very excited about that, and furiously trying to finish up my registries which is no easy feat since i've registered at target, babies r us and amazon.com. i'm now wondering if that was over-kill but i found it difficult to just stick with one place.

Target - didn't know this until i had a reason to baby register with them, but their website is just AWFUL! i was shocked at how slow it was, not at all user-friendly, just beyond frustrating. the worse part is their selection of in-store baby items is very limited; their online selection is much more robust, but even then, most of the brands i was interested in (boon, dwell studio) were sold out online. i know people love target, and i always have too, but i would never recommend them for a baby registry.
Babies R Us - ok, i swore i would never register here! i've always found the store to be completely overwhelming and nearly impossible to navigate. HOWEVER, when it came time to register for myself and with the help of a dear friend, i found the experience much better than anticipated. also, they have EVERYTHING you could possibly need (and much more that you don't), both in-store and online. i pretty much didn't have a choice. also, their website is SO MUCH BETTER than target's.
Amazon.com - if it were up to me, i would only have this registry. everything you need at your fingertips and the best part - you can have a 'universal registry', which means you can link items from other websites to your amazon registry. how great is that?! for instance, there's so much i love at IKEA, but you can't create a registry thru them, so i linked those items to my amazon registry. same with some Costco products. but the reality is, most people still like to go to a brick and mortar store and see things in person. then there are people who either aren't web savvy or comfortable buying online. plus, many ppl wait until last minute to shop for the shower so buying online doesn't really work at that point.

working on the nursery - the crib has been assembled (i came home to that lovely surprise from the hubs one evening last week), and the dresser has been purchased. it was an IKEA purchase (as was the crib), so it'll take a while to put together. i'm pretty sure that's on the hub's list for this weekend. i'm keeping my fingers crossed!

we're still undecided on a name (or i should say, HUBS is still undecided.) nothing new there, but we're no closer than we were weeks ago. let me know if you have any 'R' name recommendations - we need all the help we can get at this point!
i've been trying to learn to relax - not really what i do best, but i'm also very much aware of the baby and how my stress level could affect him. some of the things i've started doing in the last few weeks

taking epsom salt baths - maybe once or twice a week, and primarily to unwind after a long day, but also for the magnesium benefits
reading in the evenings instead of watching TV
trying to slow down in general, even if everything doesn't get crossed off my to-do list - still learning how to do this. :)

most importantly - praying for a healthy and strong baby boy. we already love him so much, it's hard to put into words.

just felt baby move!!

2011-09-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

today marks the start of week 22, and i JUST felt baby boy isaacson move for the first time!!! WOW. i've been waiting to feel this for weeks now; since week 16 to be exact, when at my doctor's appt. my nurse asked if i had felt him move yet and thought it was entirely possible i could feel him that early since i'm 'smaller'.

so for SIX weeks now, i've been ~~patiently~~ waiting, especially in the evenings when laying down before sleep, just willing him to move enough for me to feel that 'flutter' i've read so much about.

well, at our appt last week, found out my placenta is high, which explains why i haven't felt him move yet. apparently a high placenta cushions his movements more, but doctor told me it would just be a matter of time until his movements were strong enough to be felt.

sure enough, i was just laying on the sofa for a few minutes, resting after a busy morning of running around, and felt little movements. not sure i would describe them as 'fluttering'; more like slight movement thru water or liquid, but it was definitely there!

here's baby at 22 weeks -

the size of a spaghetti squash - 11 inches long and almost 1 lb
he's starting to look like a miniature newborn
his lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct
he's developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums
his eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment

gotta run and see if i can feel him again! :)

zoe-love

2011-08-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

couldn't resist posting my favorite photo of our zoe-love. in five short months, she will no longer be our only baby - but she'll always be our first baby, and she'll never be loved any less.

her side-saddle stance just kills me! she may look relaxed but she couldn't wait to be done with this impromptu photo shoot. :)

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

beautiful eyes

2011-08-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

words can't describe how much i miss this little guy.

his amazing baby blues are just the beginning.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – http://www.iheartfaces.com/

all in a day's hike

2011-08-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

after a couple of hours of trying to decide what to do with the last day of a gorgeous weekend we decided to venture into the columbia gorge and try a new hike on sunday. we hadn't hiked in quite some time (maybe last summer?) and i didn't know how i'd feel hiking while being preggers, but we decided to go for it anyway, and so glad we did!

oh, did i mention zoe-girl was with us?! this was her first hike, and we had our reservations, her being a frenchie after all - they get small spurts of energy, but aren't really built for long distances. well, she was such a trooper! she loved every minute of it, even the steeper climbs and especially loved stopping at all the water features. oh and smelling every rock, leaf, tree, etc. and of course, meeting all the other dogs on the trail. yea, she had a good day. :)

the hike started at the 'horsetail falls' trailhead, swung us behind 'ponytail falls', looped around 'oneonta gorge' and then took us to 'triple falls'. the hike itself was gorgeous, with multiple waterfalls along the way, and most of the hike was through the forest, so we kept fairly cool. but the best part, and completely unexpected, was what waited for us at the top of 'triple falls' - a valley with areas to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch or just lay on a big rock and bask in the sun for a while, which is what we did! next time, we're bringing food and wine and spending a couple of hours there - can't wait to go back!

a few pictures from our day {all taken with my point & shoot canon elph}

{reid walking zoe down to the water to cool her down; he's carrying her b/c she was so excited to get down there, she started jumping down the rocks fearlessly, and he got scared she would hurt herself}

{first baby bump picture. baby boy isaacson is definitely starting to show!}

{beautiful valley/glen at the top of 'triple falls'}

{view from the bottom of the valley}

{my two loves}

{that's a smile on her face, i promise!}

{view of 'oneonta gorge' from the top}

{zoe-girl posing for the camera}

{view of the gorge from along the trail}

{the rock cavern behind 'ponytail falls' and baby bump picture #2}

{'ponytail falls'}

{a day well spent!}

photo club {simple}

2011-04-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

i loved this week's theme - {simple}

i consider myself a pretty low-maintenance person, and it's often the simple things and gestures that convey the most meaning to me. i knew immediately upon seeing this theme that i wanted to photograph the simple, day-to-day things that bring me joy.

{like this gerber daisy that the hubs surprised me with on the 8 year anniversary of our first date (also happens to be april fool's day) - not an anniversary i remembered, so it was even more meaningful that he did. took this on one of the only (semi) sunny days we've had in the last couple of weeks. just having the sun stream thru the windows was such a treat!}

{my favorite tea (Aveda) in my favorite mug}

{this simple flag symbolizes many things i hold dear}

{i would be a very cranky person if chocolate wasn't a part of my life. a friend just introduced me to trader joe's dark chocolate. YUM.}

- linking this photo up to the two challenge at 'simplicity' -

{the tree in our front yard, showing its simple beauty which lasts but a couple of weeks each year}

- linking this photo to 'the simple things' -

{my zoe-girl sitting side-saddle. she is quite simply one of the loves of my life.}

- linking this photo to the happy monday-friends challenge at 'allie photography'-
- linking to sweet shot tuesday at 'my3boybarians' -

{an enchanting little birdhouse spotted on our walk yesterday}

{loved the simple beauty and softness of the fence and the blossoms - made me feel all romantical}

and now for some more simplicity, head over to miss amber's blog.

enjoy!

photo club {distance}

2011-03-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

this week's theme - distance - was challenging for me. it's much more abstract than green (last week's theme) and that really stretched my often structured, type A mind.

i had to think outside the box, and would have loved to gather more inspiration from the outdoors, but the weather definitely didn't cooperate this last week, so my outdoor ideas & plans didn't quite come to fruition.

{in this photo, i played around with depth-of-field to show distance - the distance between these measuring cups was much greater than it appears - i also shot this using manual focus, which i rarely use, but worked much better in getting this shot}

{and just for fun, one of the photos i took at my nephew's 1st bday party this weekend - the distance to his birthday cake must have seemed vast to him! the way he's eyeing the cake cracks me up - that cake had no idea what it was in for!!}

for more {distance} inspiration, hop over to amber's blog. i absolutely LOVE her interpretation and am most certainly going to be stealing that idea! :)

easton turns one!

2011-03-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

yesterday we celebrated my nephew easton's one year birthday, complete with a full-fledged 'sponge bob' themed party.

here are a few of the moments - suffice to say, the little mister had a great time!

{already getting love from the ladies}

{is that what i think it is??}

{why is that cake so far away?}

{i'm so excited i can't stand it!!}

(linking the above photo to following:
'the paper mama's sweet challenge
'simple as that's' the simple things challenge
'my3boybarians's sweet shot tuesday challenge)

{sponge-bob didn't stand a chance}

{neither did the cake...}

{rockin' his new shades}

(linking the above photo to 'iheartfaces' slice of life challenge)

more than just a chinese dinner

2011-03-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

last friday we were invited to the home of one of reid's childhood friends for a home-cooked chinese dinner.

the dinner was prepared by his friend's mother who was born in china and came to the states as an adult. we were so very honored to have her cook traditional chinese dishes for us, and i'm not talking about one entree, i'm talking about an entire feast!

well, of course, i couldn't stop snapping pictures and was happy to get there before she was completely finished cooking because i was able to see her finish up the 'sweet & sour pork' as well as prep everything for serving.

here's the menu as best i can remember it:

-sweet & sour pork
-bbq pork (got this recipe, can't wait to try it!)
-chinese broccoli & beef
-egg rolls (made from scratch, just like everything else)
-chicken & veggie stir fry
-rice
-pumpkin & mascarpone log cake (guessing on the name)
-peach mousse cake (guessing on the name)
-jasmine tea

granted, we were told this meal was her 'milder' version of authentic chinese cuisine, the one she typically makes for her american friends. she wasn't sure how adventurous our palettes were, so she wanted to ease us into the more traditional dishes, hence no chicken feet on the table this time!

not only was the meal delicious, we spent hours around the dinner table as she recounted fascinating stories from her childhood in china, how she came to the states as an adult, and the dental ministry she and her husband are currently involved with in china, which keeps them there almost year round.

it was an incredible evening and such an honor to hear her life journey and be inspired by the way in which God has worked in her life, and the blessing that she and her husband have been to so many others.

family, friends, food and faith - it's not an evening we will soon forget.

photo club {green}

2011-03-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

i was THRILLED to be invited to be part of a photography club ('our little photography club @ portland') a couple of weeks ago. i could talk photography for hours, and now have a group of wonderful ladies with whom i can share my passion for photography as well as learn from and find inspiration.

while the goal is to meet monthly, we have weekly themes, and this week's was 'green.' having a focus for my photography was so fun, and i found myself seeing green everywhere!

a few of my green finds -

{the hubs and i were at the oregon coast last weekend, and stumbled upon this jewel in newport, or. besides being the cutest shade of green, the food was FANTASTIC, and we can't wait to go back!}

{love these!}

{'the noodle cafe' reflection in the window next door}

{green finds in nw portland}

i took a very literal interpretation for this theme and looked for green items that spoke to me. would love to hear what you think! are there any of these you would have edited out?

now, here's a link to amber's blog for her interpretation of 'green.' enjoy! :)

my inner dancer wants to zumba

2011-03-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

I DON'T DANCE.

i don't have rhythm.

the thought of attempting to dance in front of people really stresses me out. it SCARES me. my heart starts racing just thinking of it.

maybe it's because dancing or anything resembling it was heavily frowned up in our house due to religious reasons.

maybe it's because i'm much too self-conscious to be able to let loose long enough to see if i might actually have some rhythm.

whatever the reason, i long ago came to terms with the fact that dancing was not my thing - i would never be a dancer, even a closeted dancer.

watching 'so you think you can dance' is the closest i figured i would ever come to enjoying dance.

that all changed today.

today i was persuaded by a sister to try a Zumba class.

Zumba, which is defined as "an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health" isn't something i would EVER have tried on my own.

i came up with a million excuses to skip class, and came this close to bailing on my sister.

but i didn't (purely out of guilt,) and instead joined about 40 other women at 'hip chicks do zumba' for an hour.

where to begin???

it was loud, it was fast, and it was very obvious i had no idea what i was doing!

i could not keep up.

my booty did NOT know how to shake.

my hips definitely lied.

BUT...

it was the fastest hour i've ever experienced.

it was one of the funnest things i've ever tried.

and best of all, it's the funnest way i've ever discovered to burn calories.

toward the end, i could ever so slightly feel my hips begin to take on a life of their own.

they want to move.

they want to shake.

they want to dance, darn it!

i know without a doubt i'll go back.

it's the kind of thing for which i'm willing to make a fool of myself.

if 70 year old women can learn to zumba, surely i can!

i'm determined to find my inner dancer if it kills me. :)

'the last lions'

2011-03-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

just got back from watching 'the last lions', a national geographic documentary/film, and am still reeling from the experience.

the imagery was stunning, and the real life story of a lioness, her cubs and the survival journey she sets out on with them was gripping, heart-warming and heart-wrenching. i'm absolutely in awe at the story the filmmakers were able to capture.

it's only playing in select cities on select days, but if you get a chance to see it, i would highly recommend it.

three ladies, two dresses and one cooking class

2011-03-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

i've been trying to finish this post for a week, but it's been ONE OF THOSE WEEKS. you know what i mean?? an insanely busy week that still somehow managed to feel like it would never end.

but good news - the work week is over and the weekend is well under way!

so now on to this...almost a week late, but it'll have to do.

--------------------

last saturday was a day i don't soon want to forget, hence the reason for blogging about it. [tangent - i've discovered that among other things, blogging has become one of my main vehicles for preserving memories. that and taking pictures. combine the two, and i can no longer blame my horrible memory.]

i met up with two dear friends, sarah and tams, to celebrate tam's 31st bday. these ladies have been in my life since we were college roommates junior year, and have remained two of my closest friends since.

many years and seasons of life later, two thing remains constant - our friendship and our tradition of celebrating each other's birthdays, usually in unique ways.

we began the birthday celebration in a common way, but at an uncommon place to us - 'pearl bakery.' really, no way to go wrong there. i mean, we're taking about baked goods.

once loaded up on bakery sweets and caffeine, we walked all of two blocks to a favorite store of ours - 'anthropologie.' really, if it wasn't for the price tags, i'm fairly certain i would own the entire store's contents. that being said, i truly went in with no intention of purchasing anything. however, i blame group mentality (and pressure!) which soon had me in the fitting room trying on various pieces.

the star of the show was a cute little dress which both tams and i tried on at the earnest request of sarah. ok, the dress was cute, and the best part - the name on the tag: 'tabitha.' yep, apparently there's a designer or brand out there with my name. it was almost like the dress was meant to be mine...and i came quite close to purchasing it. but in the end, it was meant to have one owner, and that was 'tams' not 'tabitha.' :) we did have fun trying them on though.

but the highlight of the evening - a cooking class at 'sur la table' which we managed to keep a surprise from tams. not having taken a professional cooking class before, we weren't sure what to expect, but suffice to say, it was 3 hours VERY well spent.

the theme of our class was 'tuscan dinner party' and the menu consisted of -

ribollita (florentine bean soup)
risotto
creamy polenta
pollo e porto (chicken braised in port)
sauteed rapini (broccolini)
paradel (apple bread pudding with grapa cream)

i could go on and on about the chefs, the wine which flowed freely all evening (and was included in the price!), and of course the food. the overall experience is one i won't soon forget and one which i would highly recommend, especially with friends or with your loved one.

some of the highlights of our birthday celebration - taken with my hipstamatic, which i'm clearly still loving. :)

{yep, i'm fairly certain i can do that, no encouragement needed!}

{yes, i'll take some of these too, please}

{here come the twins}

{had to take a picture of this!}

{cute hat i came close to purchasing - that is, until i saw it was 100% acrylic...oh, and $48. i think i'll pass}

{tasting different olive oils - my fav: lemon infused}

{mirror above the chef's instruction table}

{wine glasses were kept full all evening - definitely a fun way to cook!}

{risotto well under way}

{oh, the florentine bean soup - it was delish}

{as was the apple bread pudding}

{ummm, not sure what i was doing, but it's pretty apparent i was having a good time. :)}

dreaming about...

2011-03-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

summer.

and swinging.

i'm done waiting for the snow.

summer can't come soon enough!

lately...

2011-02-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

i've been saying good-bye to this little man. after almost 6 months of living with us, my sister and easton have moved out, and it's been more than a little bittersweet.

even zoe misses him. in the evenings, she watches the front door waiting for him to walk in.

i've discovered that even the best marriages can use a little tune-up from time-to-time. for valentine's day, i told the hubby all i wanted was for us to attend 'the art of marriage' conference at our church. it was the first time in 7 years of marriage we'd attended something like this, and even the though the hubs initially went grudgingly and as a favor to me, we both left feeling it was the most valuable thing we've ever done for our marriage.

i've been watching my nieces get older. little miss kadence turned three this month, and we celebrated with a dora-themed party complete with lots of little princess running around. her new hair-cut couldn't have been timed any better. she definitely looks like a big girl now, don't you think? :)

i was honored to win my first photo contest. thank you to the lovely faith for selecting my photo as a finalist and for everyone who voted for it. i knew this photo was special to me for many reasons, but receiving that validation was exciting and humbling.

i found my mr. darcy. i finally got around to watching the BBC adaptation of 'pride and prejudice' and i LOVE colin firth in that role. getting caught up in the love story of mr. darcy and lizzie bennett for a few hours is not a bad way to spend a saturday afternoon.

suffice to say, i have a little crush on this mr. darcy. :)

a mostly snow-less adventure

2011-02-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

it was all a big tease. there was no 'snow-mageddon' or 'snow-pocalypse' or anything remotely close today.

some parts of the city were definitely 'hit' harder than others, meaning they may have received the 1-4 inches predicted, but most of us were lucky to receive a dusting. yes, i realize it's embarrassing to refer to 1-4 inches of snow as anything even remotely close to a snowstorm, but the news media outlets were in such a frenzy to report on the upcoming storm, we all bought into it. so much so that most portland and vancouver school districts were closed today, and most persons i know (including myself) chose to work from home today, fearing quite the treacherous road conditions.

we did manage to see some snow on the ground and even some falling from the sky at various times throughout the day.

once the work day was over, we set out on a snow adventure...first to find some more of it.

and secondly, to take some photos. but today was not to be an SLR day. today i was excited to try out my new hipstamatic iphone app.

and...i'm pretty sure i'm in love with it.

here's a sampling of our day.

{my zoe-love}

{getting some lovin' from uncle ryan}

{i managed to find some snow}

{drawn to the railroad tracks}

{where's reid?}

{also drawn to trains}

{and bridges}

{proud}

{visiting brand new maddie at the hospital - it melted my heart to see reid with her}

we may not have had our blizzard, but there were still adventures to be had. :)

the weather is a changin'

2011-02-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

or so the weather experts tell us. up to four inches of snow on the valley floor by tomorrow they say, and i, for one, am more than ready for it!

compared to what the rest of country has experienced in the last month, four inches is just a dusting. but for us in the northwest, an inch can sometimes shut the whole city down. four inches may as well be a blizzard as far as the city resources and snow plows are concerned.

but this may well be the only snow we see this winter, so as far as i'm concerned, bring it on!

while i love this...

and this...

i'm ready for some of this...

winter around these parts

2011-02-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

while most of the country has been digging its way out of crazy snowstorms recently, things have been pretty uneventful in the northwest. if anything, it's been slightly colder than we're used to, and by that i mean we may have had a few days where it got as low as the 20's and we cranked up the house temp from 70 to 72.

ya, nothing too crazy.

we try to take advantage of every dry day we get in the winter, so when we have a weekend with no rain, it's cause for celebration and we try to at least get out for walk with our pups.

one of our favorite walks is a five minute drive from our house - a greenway/trail that makes its way along a river. while i've often photographed it in the summer, i thought it'd be fun to see what the winter landscape would look like through my lens.

i discovered i'm beginning to like winter more and more around these parts.

and just for fun...pups discovering all sorts of intoxicating smells! :)

please vote. :)

2011-02-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

yesterday i discovered i was chosen as one of the five finalists in a photo challenge at this fabulous blog!.

i'm so very new to the world of photo challenges and am ecstatic to have my photo selected!

if you would be so kind as to vote for it as your favorite, i would be be ever so grateful! :)

click on this link: http://faith-simplicity.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-heart-friday-vote-for-your-favorite.html

vote for the 3rd one down (Tabitha) - looks like this:

many thanks!!

happy monday {black & white}

2011-02-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

still discovering so many fun photo challenges! this one's over at 'allie photography.'

this is a day late and a re-posting, but couldn't help posting this black & white of my sister and her little man luke. capturing the love between them on my recent dallas trip was such a joy. :)

shutter love tuesdays {eyelashes}

2011-02-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

joining the 'shutter love tuesday' challenge at 'the trendy treehouse'

just look at those eyelashes...

as if he wasn't already enough of a heart- breaker!

fun weekend discoveries

2011-02-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

the weekend was a whirlwind, what with super bowl and everything - but the funnest part was discovering not one, but two fantastic new places in portland!

'fido's indoor dog park

rainy winter days means very few trips to outdoor dog parks with our zoe-girl, so finding a new indoor dog park that's not only awesome for dogs and well thought out but one that's inviting for humans (like offering a full service cafe, lots of seating and free wi-fi) made us VERY happy!

{photo taken from the company's website}

playdate pdx

i should have known places like this exist in portland, but was still amazed to discover it. heard about it from a good friend who wanted to go with her 10 month old, and i thought it would be fun to bring easton, so off we all went, and it was a blast!

for $5 per child (and that's the more expensive weekend price) you get an entire day of fun for your child (and adults too, because i sure had my share of fun on the giant slides) and a great place to relax for the adults. not only are there couches and tables for lounging, they have a full service cafe and they serve stumptown coffee - really, what else do you need?!

we were so excited to have found this place for the kiddos and ourselves and will definitely be back. :)

{photo taken from the company's website}

pieces of dallas

2011-02-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

hard to believe it's been over a week since i've returned from dallas. the five days i spent visiting sister lyg, hubby deric and nephew luke were incredible and went by in a flash, as i knew they would.

the last time i visited dallas six years ago, lyg was out of school, working and single. many things have changed in six years, so this was an altogether different trip. and unlike most trips, which i often tend to over-plan, i had two simple goals for this trip -

spend as much time with 6-month baby luke as possible

spend as much sister time with lyg as possible

well, i certainly accomplished my goals and then some.

some of the highlights and some of the MANY pictures from the trip -

discovering a new passion: consignment store shopping! maybe it's a dallas thing, but my oh my, there are women's clothing consignment shops galore, and they are FABULOUS!! we had planned to do some shopping, but decided last minute to hit up a few consignment stores instead. we mapped out all dallas/fort worth consignment stores, decided on our route so as to most efficiently visit as many as possible, and off we went, armed with our 'plan of attack!'

until you've experienced dallas consignment store shopping at its finest, it's difficult to explain what it's like (because we certainly don't have it's equivalent in the portland area!) but there's something so incredibly thrilling about finding new or close to new designer clothes, shoes and accessories for a fraction of a fraction of the retail price! each store was better than the one before, our favorite being one with racks and racks of designer dresses and gowns, of which we, of course, tried on many and may have purchased one or two...

i'm fairly certain i'll never be able to pay full retail price ever again!

eating, eating and then eating some more! really, was there any doubt that when lyg and i got together, food would be consumed and mightily enjoyed?! while we never did get around to finding a decent bbq place - apparently, the dallas area isn't known for it's bbq - there was still plenty of eating to be done.

we had amazing sushi, thai and so much more, but my our favorite dining experience was a fabulous little 'country fusion' (?) place called 'kathleen's sky diner.' trying the 'smoked chicken chilie relleno with southern rice & beans' was a no-brainer as was the enormous piece of german chocolate cake we took home and shared while watching 'the bachelor' later that evening. i didn't even attempt any semblance of healthy eating while in dallas and i must say, my stomach thanked me!

giraffes and zebras - not even sure where to begin with this one. what i do know for sure is that seeing a mounted giraffe's head and zebra-skin rug at the home of friends of lyg & deric was more than a little unsettling. even after it was explained to me that in africa giraffe and zebra are nowhere near extinct and are often hunted, etc, etc., seeing them in a home in the states was more than a little bizarre.

only in texas.

but most of all, for me, dallas was about...

luke: kissing him, cuddling him, singing to him, and definitely photographing him! i simply couldn't get enough of the little mister, his sweet cheeks and baby blues, and i savored every minute of it. in some ways he had changed quite a bit from when i first met him at thanksgiving, but his sweet nature and hilarious personality captured my heart all over again.

someone REALLY didn't like tummy time...

but he sure did love to read.

looks like he's going to be a caffeine addict, just like his mama!

some good-bye photos my sister snuck in at the airport

pieces of me remain in dallas.

i guess that just means i'll have to plan other visit - maybe in july when little mister luke turns one.

i like the way that sounds.

a lucky week

2011-02-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

so RARELY do i win anything, i can't remember the last time it's happened. in fact, while i consider myself very blessed, LUCKY i am not.

however, in the past week, i've won not once, but twice.

first, at work, i won a $50 McMenamins gift card for being the first person to correctly guess a number between 1 and 100. a fantastic win since the hubs and i are huge McMenamins fans (you fellow oregonians/nw washingtonians know what i'm talking about!)

and yesterday, i found out i was one of two lucky winners of the super-cute t-shirt over at 'forever'n ever'n always photography (which i blogged about here and can't wait to receive!)

one win would've been enough to send me into giddy-ville, but two in one week, well, that's just somethin' else!

:)

simplicity photo challenge - {vintage}

2011-02-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

so excited to join in the challenge over at 'simplicity' this week - the theme is {vintage}, which i LOVE!

it brought to mind a recent mini-photo shoot with my three musketeers (aka, my spunky little nieces). on their own, i felt the photos were missing something. once i tried a more vintage-y look on them, i was in love!

here are a few of my favs from the shoot and a link to the rest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22394749@N06/sets/72157625561147664/

black & white wednesday {luke and his mama}

2011-02-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

i couldn't resist joining in the black & white fun over at 'the long road to china {and back}, and sweet shot tuesdays at 'life with my 3 boybarians' especially since i'm SOOO excited to share some mama and baby photos from my recent dallas trip!

it's always such a blast photographing sweet baby luke, but capturing some fun moments between my sister and her 6-month old was such a joy - to say that he's a happy baby is a huge understatement.

meet luke, the chin (and nose) eating little man!

fun give-away!

2011-02-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

ran across a give-away for this darling shirt on 'forever'n ever'n always photography' blog - LOVE!

check out the give-away and some amazing photography here!

http://fnaphotography.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-sweet-s.html

i heart faces challenge - {best face in january}

2011-01-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

woo-hoo, my second challenge!

in some ways, this is an easy challenge because i have hundreds of january photos to choose from thanks to my recent dallas trip.

however, it's difficult for the same reason - how to choose just one? should i go with sweet or funny? wish i could post more than one, but ultimately, this photo did me in. this is baby luke in a nutshell.

adorable. sweet. playful. and just a bit flirty. :)

love.

this challenge is a 'people's choice' one, so if you like the photo, please click on the 'iheartfaces' icon below and vote for it tues - thurs of this week (# 335)

thanks much!

under construction

2011-01-30T07:59:00.001-08:00

the blog, that is...

working on the layout and design - boy this is time-consuming!! :)

lem photo challenge - {anything}

2011-01-29T17:36:00.000-08:00

having recently discovered many amazing photography blogs and being a lover and learner of photography myself, i've been meaning to join many of the fun challenges out there, but never seem to get around to it.

well today i ran across the 'anything' challenge at 'live every moment' and thought, "i can do that!" so here's my 'anything' shot -

my sweet sweet SWEET 6 month nephew luke who i just returned from visiting in dallas. i took pictures by the hundreds, so narrowing them down is proving to be an enormous feat, but this picture just does me in - the cheeks, his expression and the hat (which was crocheted - or knitted? by my sister) - it all just makes me melt!

i'm leaving on a jet plane...

2011-01-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

in a few hours i will see this face

but i sure will miss this face

chasing waterfalls

2011-01-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

monday, the hubs and i had an adventure.

the weather turned out to be a pleasant surprise in that, unlike the few days before it, the rains stopped and we even had some pockets of sunshine, combined with weather in the 50's. we decided to head into the Columbia Gorge, one of the many natural wonders we're so blessed to have at our fingertips in the Northwest.

we knew that because of the heavy rains, the waterfalls in the gorge would be spectacular, so we made our way to the Historic Columbia River Highway and began seeking them out. it wasn't difficult because if there's something the gorge has and abundance of, it's waterfalls.

our intention wasn't to do any serious hiking or trekking, it was merely to discover waterfalls we hadn't seen before, take some photos and bask in God's amazing creation.

- the highlights -

Shepperd's Dell - the waterfall, bridge, amazing lines, everything about this place was breathtaking - reid had to drag me away!

Latourell Falls - not sure how reid talked me into it, but not only did we walk down to the waterfall, he thought it would be fun to make our way down to the river, climb over VERY slick rocks and then climb up a very muddy embankement to get behind the waterfall. i was game, but little did either of us realize what we were in for. it took all of two seconds of sheets of water coming at us sideways to completely soak us through. there was no going back, just putting our head down and continuing our climb. but standing behind the waterfall, completely drowned out in its roar, definitely made our spontaneous mini-adventure worth it! luckily we had brought a change of clothes. the picture of us smiling? yea, that was taken after we changed. :)

Bridal Veil - we had driven by it so many times but had never hiked down to the falls. wow. what a beautiful falls, definitely worth a stop.

Oneanta Gorge - again, never knew this existed - so fun to discover the tunnel, built into the massive rock wall - so very fun for jumping photos and for photographing bridges! can't wait to return back her in the summer and really explore this 'gorge within a gorge.'

Multnomah Falls - of course we had to make the token stop here, even if it was for all of 30 seconds.

and since were already 1/2 way there and famished, it seemed only fitting we continue on to one of our favorite eateries in one of our favorite places, Hood River. we had our favorite fish & chips at the Full Sail Brewery & Pub - seriously, to die for and the best coleslaw and tartar sauce under the sun!

our hour-long drive back home along the columbia river was the icing on top due to one of the most beautiful sunsets we've ever seen in these parts. it truly was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

oh, and our total waterfall count for the day: 39

a little boy and his sock monkey hat

2011-01-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

a few days ago, little mister easton received THE cutest gift from his auntie lyg.

a crocheted sock monkey hat.

believe me when i tell you a cuter baby hat you will be hard pressed to find! and if the number of ladies stopping in their tracks at the grocery store are any indication, i'm not the only one who thinks so! :)

**the hat (which was VERY well made) was purchased from Crochet Hats and More's etsy shop. the photos on her site don't come close to doing the hats (and booties) justice. **

long weekend joy

2011-01-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

thanks to my company's observance of MLK Jr. day next monday, i have a three day weekend, and for the first time in quite some time, this weekend isn't filled up with plans, obligations or any other pressing matters.

the weather forecast around these parts calls for stormy skies and lots of rain. which is just perfect if you ask me.

because this long weekend i fully intend to...

enjoy the warmth of coffee shops. and coffee

snuggle up with her

start (and maybe finish) a new book

spend lots of time kissing and squeezing this face

and maybe, just maybe i'll get around to the laundry.

i have THE best sisters!

2011-01-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

i wasn't planning to post today, but i'm beyond excited about the surprise that awaited me when i got home from work!

first of all, let me say, I LOVE SURPRISES! i especially enjoy surprising others, and certainly don't mind receiving them. :)

so in the mail today i received a gift card to Sur la table from two of my lovely sisters (lyg & nomers) and their hubbies as a thank you for hosting our HUGE thanksgiving dinner/family reunion last year and for hosting them at our house. little do they know that having them stay with us and having the entire fam together for the first time in about a decade was the best gift i could have received. period.

so what really makes this gift special is that although i've never mentioned it to either of them, i've long desired to take a professional cooking class. i guess sisters really do think alike. there's absolutely nothing better they could have surprised me with (except another visit!) - i CANNOT wait to put this gift to use.

i truly have THE best sisters. love you guys!!

dallas, here i come!

2011-01-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

the flight has officially been purchased, and in 13 LONG days i will see this face for the second time ever. and this time i will have him ALL TO MYSELF! i'm completely smitten with mister luke, my youngest nephew - to say i'm excited about this trip would be an enormous understatement!

oh, and all the yummy southern BBQ i plan on consuming- well, that'll just be a very nice bonus. :)

burn, baby, burn!

2011-01-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

at least that's what those calories better be doing!

today i stepped on a treadmill for the first time in over 6 months. i realized i no longer had any good excuses not to go. today i had the time and, for a short window of time, the motivation to hit the gym again, so off i went.

honestly, i was pleasantly surprised that my body remembered how to put one foot in front of the other in a rapid motion, and while my pace was much slower than before, i surprised myself by running almost 1.5 miles continuously. i walked the rest of the time, but that 1.5 mile was huge for me! sure, some of my toes cramped up while i was running (never had that happen before!) but the fact that i got above a speed-walk was just the boost of motivation i needed to return. at least that's what i hope will happen.

_______________________

had a realization today - not rocket science by any means, and one i've had many times before, but i realize how much easier it is (for me, anyway) to tend to focus on the negatives rather than the positives in my life.

i've decided to make a more conscious effort to identify those things i'm grateful for or which bring a *sparkle* to my day, each day. i'll just tack those things on to the end of my posts.

here's today's list:

the salad my hubby made for my lunch today - better than i ever would have made for myself!
the christmas lights still up in the neighborhood - i choose to believe those homeowners still feel the christmas spirit, not that they're lazy. :)
a light commute on i-5 heading home today - what a nice treat on a thursday
and that i actually made it to the gym after a VERY long hiatus - feels so good!

and because i can't resist, here's a christmas picture of my pups that i never got around to posting

hopeful

2011-01-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

for the new year.

changes are underway.

priorities are being re-shifted.

i am grateful.

and i am hopeful.

{photo shoot} Easton Cole - the Christmas elf!

2010-12-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

it started out as a quest to get one photo for their christmas card, but turned into a full-blown photo shoot - once you see the cutest elf of all, you'll understand!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize it's 3 days before Christmas, but at least these are up before Christmas! :)

Thanksgiving this year was definitely one for the books - the ENTIRE fam came to Portland, including my nephew Luke who many of us met for the first time. Many also met Easton for the first time, and a few met Eliana for the first time.

There may very well be a dis-proportionate amount of Luke photos (or baby photos, period) and to that all I can say is, I was in baby heaven and loving every second of it!

These are some of the moments I will forever cherish -

Making Romo dishes with my sisters and getting old family recipes from mom

Cousins Luke & Easton meeting for the first time

Nomers meeting Eliana for the first time

Eliana teaching Easton to crawl - what a helpful older cousin she was! I'm fairly certain she was attempting to ride him in the second picture.

Temper tantrums thrown by little miss Kadence - she was down there for quite a while!

Sweet baby Luke and his momma Lyg - seriously, how can you resist the cuteness?!

Uncle Josh and Easton

The Heler girls together again!

PART OF...the feast!

Serious Spades playing by the men - yep, Reid managed to make Spades converts of them all!

And don't even get me started on Catch Phrase! Playing into the wee hours of the morning - it was most definitely one of the highlights of Thanksgivng weekend!

Lots of silliness and laughter had by all, even little miss Eliana!

Proud grandma and mister Luke

Grandpa Heler and miss Kadence

GORGEOUS Eliana!

Insanely fabulous Oreo Cheesecakes made by one Naomi

I wonder if he had enough to eat...

.
Oldest cousin Miss Mackenzie & Easton

Grandpa Heler & youngest grand-baby Luke

Bestowing much much love upon Luke - he enjoyed it, we promise!

Zoe got plenty of love too, especially from grandma Heler who met her grand-puppy for the first time

Bowling fun - Deric had some serious moves and just check out the crazy hair on Easton!

Had to end with mister Luke who simply melted my heart the few days I had with him - plans for a Dallas visit are already in the works!

luke wayne - 4 months {photo shoot}

2010-12-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

meeting my nephew luke wayne waters for the first time at thanksgiving will forever be one of my favorite memories. i fell head-over-heels for the cooing, singing, giggling, blue-eyed little mister known as luke. his portland visit was much too short and i've been missing him dearly!

i was soooo happy to be asked to do a little christmas photo shoot of their fam (who am i kidding, i would have forced one upon them one way or another!)

here's a sneak peek - just TRY not to swoon!!

currently addicted to...

2010-12-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

i wish i could say i was addicted to running or eating my recommended intake of fruits and veggies (9 per day by the way - crazy!!), but no - i'm talking about ANGRY BIRDS!

i had heard so much about it and had even downloaded the free version of this game/app a couple of months ago, but it wasn't until last weekend i actually tried it for the first time.

let's just say, i COMPLETELY understand the hype! i'm not much into the latest and greatest as it relates to technology and especially as it relates to electronic games (we've never owned any sort of gaming system nor have a desire to). that being said, there's something so incredibly addictive about exacting revenge on those horrible piggies who have the audacity to steal my eggs!! oh goodness, my heart is starting to race just thinking about it!

yes, i even purchased the full version - best $.99 i ever spent!

try it out - i can't imagine you would be disappointed. :)