Happy New Year 2010

May all good things "swing" your way in the New Year!

Winterfest

We've had a great time doing our small activity each day on our countdown until Christmas. The Christmas Letter is all written (by me) and designed (by Jacob), I just need to go pick up the right paper so we can get it all printed and sent off. We read some favorite Christmas stories...which, honestly, we do several times every day, but it's still fun to put on our advent list. It's especially fun when Jacob and I stay up after Sawyer and read some of ours (short stories instead of picture books ;) by the Christmas tree. We had a wonderful time listening to the street carolers at Figgy Pudding. We had a bite to eat and made it to the mainstage in time for the final performances. They even had a special performance by the Seahawks Drumline, which was super fun. Santa even made an appearance in tap shoes, along with all his reindeer, and Sawyer's jaw pretty much dropped. It was so fun to see his face light up. I think his favorite part, however, was wearing mittens along with babylegs (legwarmers) on his feet all night (I forgot both the backpack and his shoes (pregnancy brain? yikes!) We used the stroller and Daddy's shoulders instead of the backpack, and the mittens on the feet couldn't have been too embarassing, since we bundled his lower half up with a blanket anyhow). Actually, his favorite part was the big, huge, lit up Macy's star. He just kept staring up at it, saying "star, star" and he is still talking about it.

Last night, we went to the Seattle Center's Winterfest. It was also as good as ever. Sawyer took a ride on the carousel. (Actually, he took two rides since photographing him in the dark and on a moving object that progressively got faster and faster made for some blurry photos the first round. I figured out my strategy a little bit better the second time ;) We also saw the ice-sculpture that had been created earlier in the day, and stood around a bonfire listening and singing along to some carols. The highlight of the evening, of course, was the Train & Village. I took a bunch of pictures of all of the details of the village but didn't want to picture overload our blog. If you live in the area and want to check it out, it's more than worth it. Kids can even take a turn "conducting" one of the two engines circling about the village. We watched the trains for a good twenty minutes and then made our way home.

Tonight, we missed the broadcast at our church. It was just one of those days. Jacob had been at church a good 8-9 hours and once we finally got settled and at dinner we just didn't feel like getting dressed again and going out. So, instead, we had some peppermint ice-cream and watched "Mr. Krueger's Christmas".

This has been a really busy week for us (Jacob is super busy at work and I've been super busy - 5 photo shoots this week to wrap things up and now a bunch of editing and print orders to fill and deliver before the 15th! then, I will get a break!). It has been nice to look forward to at least a little something special and a break from routine each day. We are looking forward to next week's activities!

Christmas Advent 2009

Well, it's that most wonderful time of the year again, where we get to continue with our family tradition of counting down the days until Christmas by celebrating in a small, simple, yet fun way every day. Remember last year?

As I've been looking into activities for a while, I've found even more fun things to do this year, hence, some of the activities are the same as last year, and others are something new to try. Since it is late and I'm still a little jumbled on what to do when, this list is subject to editing in the next few days, and dependent for certain events on the weather...but until then...here's a good idea of what we have to look forward to each day! I will also work on compiling a list of things we've done or would like to someday do at the bottom (may take me a little while). As always, if you'd like to join in on an activity, just let us know! Or, if you have an activity we should add to the list, also let us know - we're trying out 2 this year that were tips from others last year!

Happy Christmas Season to all!

Day 1: (today!) Deck the Halls!
Scripture: Luke 8:41-56 (Jesus Christ was compassionate)

Oh my goodness! Sawyer had the best time helping decorate the tree (we actually did that part last night for Family Home Evening). We did the rest of the decorating today. I know Sawyer doesn't really "get" who Santa is yet, but he has seen Santas, Snowmen, and Nutcrackers everywhere we go so he is now obsessed with the book "The Polar Express", which we read (in full) about 6 times a day. He is so cute, he says "Anta". I think he's going to enjoy Christmas this year even more than last year!

Day 2: Write Christmas Newsletter/Address Envelopes
Scripture: Luke 7:36-50 (Jesus Christ was forgiving)

Day 3: Read favorite Christmas Stories (ie. The Gift of the Magi, The Polar Express, The Animals Christmas Eve, etc.)
Scripture: John 4:46-53 (Jesus Christ has the power to heal)

Day 4: Go downtown to enjoy the 23rd Annual Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition (we've gone for the past 3 years and it's one of our favorite events to look forward to each year...we'll be looking for the Llew Crew and the Starbucks Choir...)
Scripture: John 2:13-17 (Jesus Christ was reverent; opposed evil)

Day 5: Enjoy some time at the Seattle Center Winterfest and listen to some live Christmas music: The Seattle Girls' Choir & the NW BoyChoir has a free performance in the Center House, there is an amazing Train & Village for Sawyer to drool over (and perhaps take a turn conducting?), Ice-skaters to watch, a historic Carousel to ride ($1/ride), and if we stay late, there will be bonfires with more casual choirs performing outside. They have wonderful (and mostly, free) activities happening all month long!
Scripture: Mark 4:35-41 (Jesus Christ has power over the elements)

Day 6: Watch Broadcast of our Church's World-wide Christmas Devotional
Scripture: Mark 10:13-16 (Jesus Christ loves little children)

Day 7: Family Home Evening: Pick a name from the "giving tree" and shop for a child who is less fortunate than we are. (We usually visit the tree at University Village).
Scripture: Luke 10:38-42 (Jesus Christ made people happy)

Day 8: Have a Hot Chocolate Party before bed.
Scripture: Luke 22:41-45 (Jesus Christ sacrificed for others)

Day 9: Visit the Children's Museum Festival of Light. This week the cultural focus is on Scandinavian traditions and Santa Lucia.
Scripture: John 13:3-17 (Jesus Christ was humble)

Day 10: Bake some Christmas Goodies to share with our neigbors.
Scripture: Luke 6:12-13 (Jesus Christ as prayerful)

Day 11: Enjoy a bonfire on the beach and the Argosy Christmas Ship and fleet, along with the choir on board, at Carkeek Park. This is also a favorite tradition. The Christmas Ship and fleet of boats are all lit up with lights and good cheer, and they have great speakers that blast Christmas Songs and the live choir performance for a good 20 minutes. Add the bonfire and the beach and it's pretty much perfect (even if it can be pretty darn chilly, too!) *note* you can buy a ticket and actually ride the Christmas Ship, we just never have. I'm sure it would be delightful!
Scripture: Luke 2:51-52 (Jesus Christ obeyed his parents)

Day 12: Go to a Christmas Party! (Ours will be one put on by our Church)
Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17 (Jesus Christ was obedient to God's law)

Day 13: Invite friends over to make Gingerbread Houses (we've invited our former neighbors from Queen Anne/S. Lake Union neighborhood for a long-overdue dinner and fun to follow!)
Scripture: Matthew 5:2-16 (Jesus Christ gave wise counsel)

Day 14: Family Home Evening: Christmas, Culture, & Traditions: Scandinavia & Norway
Scripture: Luke 2:42-49 (Jesus Christ, even when 12, was a great Teacher)

Day 15: Wrap & drop off gifts to the Giving Tree.
Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13 (Jesus Christ taught how to pray)

Day 16: Watch a Christmas Movie.
Scripture: Luke 8:5-16 (Jesus Christ taught with stories)


Day 17: Visit the Reindeer, Camel, Donkey & Train at Swanson's Nursery.
Scripture: Luke 15:4-7 (Jesus Christ helped sinners)

Day 18: Wrap Presents
Scripture: Luke 10:29-36 (Jesus Christ was kind)

Day 19: Go downtown to visit Santa at Nordstrom (and be prepared for a long wait in line...but it's worth it!) Then, walk on over to the Sheraton Hotel and check out Gingerbread Village.
Scripture: John 14:26-27 (Jesus Christ promised the Gift of the Holy Spirit)

Day 20: Go see some Christmas lights. This year, we are going to venture over to the "East Side" and meander through the Bellevue Botanical Garden d'Lights.(we got a tip last year to go check it out!)
Scripture: Matthew 14:15-21 (Jesus Christ made miracles)

Day 21: Family Home Evening: Watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and take time to reflect about our Savior and our personal relationship with him. Sing some favorite Christ-related Christmas songs together.
Scripture: John 11:40-44 (Jesus Christ raised the dead)

Day 22: Have a Twinkle Party. Turn off all lights except for Christmas Tree lights and enjoy gazing at the lights while listening to favorite Christmas music.
Scripture: Luke 1:26-33 (Jesus Christ is the son of God)

Day 23: Weather permitting: play in some snow
Scripture: Luke 2:1-11 (Jesus Christ fulfilled prophecy)

Day 24: Annual Kemp Christmas Eve Gathering (family, friends and neighbors) There is usually a traditional dinner and a small program (and tons of good people, conversation, food & festivities!)
Scripture: Matthew 2:9-12, Luke 2:12-16 (Jesus Christ was worshipped)

Day 25: Merry, Merry Christmas to all!



Other Ideas: (I will complete this and have it ready for next year!)

X=No-Cost Activities
$=Low-Cost Activities
$$-$$$=Gotta have some Cash Activities

goodbye autumn...

I heart Jacob.

I heart Sawyer.

And I heart the time we got to spend together this weekend! The definite advantage of staying home for Thanksgiving was the extra time we had to spend together. Instead of spending two days traveling in a car or hustling through a busy airport to catch a flight, we instead got to go relax and spend time with each other in one of our favorite places: outdoors. "Black Friday" was anything but black for us. We headed out to enjoy the SUNSHINE, which was abundant and welcome. We hiked around Piper's Creek and ended up at Carkeek Beach, with a magnificent view of the majestic Olympic Mountains (sorry our camera couldn't do it justice :)

We also rented a couple of movies - something we rarely do - and did a few chores and errands together which will make my life much easier in the coming weeks. All in all, it was a wonderful and relaxing weekend and I realized once again how blessed I am to have two amazing guys in my life.

I also took some time to reflect as this season changes into winter...

In about 10 weeks, give or take, our little family is going to grow, and change, once Aspen is born. While part of me wishes she could just come already (I'm so tired of being sick and pregnant!) there is another part that thinks of all the things I would like to get done before she arrives, so that I can just relish those moments and days when she is so tiny and new. With that in mind, here is a small list of 10 Things to do in the next 10 Weeks, in no particular order. Some of them are one-time events, others, I will need to dedicate myself to do every day or several times a week. If I can just get these 10 things done before our new baby arrives, my mind will rest easier until next Spring :) I guess you could call these "nesting" activities? (And believe me, my list is much longer, but with the holidays coming and in an effort not to over-extend myself on those days I'm not feeling well...I thought 10 in 10 sounded pretty achievable.) I will report back after the holidays to let you know how it is going. Wish me luck!

1. Finish organizing/preparing the nursery (*also, figure out a plan and back up plan for what to do with Sawyer when we have to rush off to the hospital...). working on it. working on both... still working on both...progress has definitely been made...week 4: still working on it...next week will get down to serious business...seriously? another week has already passed? we hung up the shelf and I got all the baskets...sooooo close to being done! still need to just nail down our game plan for Sawyer - soon - what if she comes early? Super close to being done...just have to get another storage bin for outgrown clothes, and figure out if I am really going to hang up the small white paper lanterns - and where. I will wait on some frames I want to put up until I take some newborns ones of our little lady (and with any luck, her brother!). Good news: the plan and backup plan are taken care of! Thanks to the wonderful friends who have elected to help us out! I think I have been most worried about what will be going on with Sawyer while we're at the hospital more than anything else! At least now we have a plan and I can relax...a little ;) So, that part is: DONE. The lanterns can wait - everything else is COMPLETED.
2. Read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. have read 60 pages in week 1. up to page 130, week 2 (about 1/4 through). week 3: up to page 190.week 4: up to page 225. ooh, I slacked off this past week. I only read 5 pages. I did a lot better this week. I am up to page 300. week 7: I'm up to page 350 (out of 430) - as long as she doesn't come this week, I think I will be able to finish! Oops. She came 2 weeks early and I wasn't finished yet - but CLOSE!
3. Give myself a "spa" night and pedicure (can't afford a real spa, but my own is still relaxing). that's going to be thursday night, so i'll be ready to show off my toes when we dress up for dinner at Canlis on friday... it didn't end up happening thursday night...more like friday morning with Sawyer as my attendant...but my toes wound up a beautiful, bright red and I wore shoes to show them off (not that anyone was looking!)...my fingernails i painted clear, and watched them sparkle and shine... COMPLETED I might do this again in the next few weeks, sans Sawyer. I got some lavender bath stuff for Christmas I'd like to use, and freshen up the paint job on my toes :) I took the lavender bath. It was very relaxing. Especially since I only slept 2 hours the night before! (darn acid reflux!) COMPLETED.
4. Update my Little Red Wagon Photography website and business-related things so I can truly take the 3 months off I am planning on. haven't had time...yet. haven't had time...but getting closer to having a little more time to begin... i did update the slideshow and change/simplify the galleries. Not huge changes, but enough for now. still a bit more to do...week 4: didn't do anything this week, too busy with traveling and holidays. still haven't done much...still getting a couple of last orders filled before the "official" leave. All orders are off and I announced that I'm only Maternity Leave. Still need to do a few updates...but...I've had other things on my plate. week 7: yeah, this is another one that's kinda been set on the back burner. I did look through some paperwork, received all final payments - and can now sum the year up so that I can pay LOTS of taxes - yippee (when you work as a freelancer - you pay about 1/3 of your gain in taxes...lovely!)
5. Have a Girls Night Out with some girlfriends. this will happen sometime in january... am contemplating whether it should be a night out with a few friends, or lunch with one friend i rarely get to catch up with...hmm...still thinking on this...will make a final plan in the next two weeks! still thinking...but I know I need to make a plan if I want anyone to join me! I am deciding whether to give up on this idea. I feel too crummy to enjoy a really good night out...if I give up on this idea, maybe it will happen post-baby? SET ASIDE FOR LATER...
6. Go on at least one date a month with Jacob. have 2 planned in Dec.: 1 to go to Mint Design's holiday dinner (hooray for good friends and babysitting swaps!), and 2 yet to be determined...but my parents offered to babysit one evening while we're visiting during Christmas so we can do a little something...have 1 planned in Jan: combination celebration of our anniversary and my birthday since my due date will be sneaking up quickly. does leaving our boy in the gym's childcare center on Saturday morning and going for a swim and dipping toes in the hot tub count as a date? First Dec. date was last Friday at Canlis - it was awesome and we can't thank our friends enough for watching Sawyer. While in Oregon, family babysat Sawyer and Jacob and I went out to lunch - a cozy cafe "Seasons" we sat by a woodstove fire and had a relaxed conversation while eating great food and being cozy inside. This month's date is scheduled and my nanny-friend is going to come babysit. We did a swap, of sorts. She is even paying for dinner! The big event will celebrate both our anniversary and my birthday, together, in one fell swoop. I guess we better make it a really good date - maybe dinner and...a movie? Date night is this Saturday! I don't know if I'm up for a long night out - but for sure a good dinner at one of our fave places...even though my stomach is so squished/small now an appetizer will fill me up! COMPLETED. We went last night. Persian food and then Trophy Cupcakes for dessert. We rented a movie, but were too tired to watch it when we got home...so sometime this week we will watch "500 days of Summer" - the soundtrack looks great :)
7. Take a "me" morning and go shop for cute baby girl clothes. a january activity. I should probably pick a day and put it on the calendar so I am committed (although this will be fun, so not hard to do!) week 4: While in Oregon, I went shopping with my Mom at a couple of after-holiday sales...but am planning to make a list of what else Aspen needs to finish off with my own little shopping trip in the next couple of weeks. Well, I ended up just dragging Sawyer along, so the girl shopping with my mom better count. Jacob really wanted to play basketball at church this Saturday and I wanted to be done with the shopping - so I've been doing it little by little when I feel well enough to get out. I think we're good to go (for the most part) for the first 6 months! I'm such a bargain shopper! The shopping is done. It wasn't a "me" morning...but I had fun nonetheless. And I got some way cute stuff for her! COMPLETED.
8. Exercise at least 3 times a week (something I haven't been able to do since I was about 8 weeks preggo due to sickness...so workouts are defined by yoga, swimming, and walking, for now) and practice Hypnobirthing techniques at least 5 hours/week. week 1: did yoga once and walked once, but didn't practice relaxation techniques. it's been so busy - but i really need to make that a priority. i was a slacker here this week: i only did yoga, once, and still no hypnobirthing practice (can i blame it on my "work" load? and staying up til midnight and almost 3am?) Slacked again this week. i did yoga once (Sawyer is getting awfully good at some of the poses...and turning the TV off when I'm in the middle of a pose I need to breathe through and concentrate hard on...argh. I actually did practice hypnobirthing relaxation for about 90 minutes this week - i need to make this more of a priority! Aspen is coming soon! Amazingly, for it being the holidays and not being at home, I did yoga once this week. Practiced relaxation techniques for about 30 minutes - it will get better from here on out, I hope! Slacked again this week. Excuse: doc's orders? Well, she said to really really take it easy the next two weeks and then after that I can do anything I want (well, anything I feel like doing that is). I was still suppposed to take it easy and stay off my feet as much as I could...but I did do yoga once - it really helps my back feel better ;) week 7: I did much better in practicing my hypnobirthing and relaxation, and even a bit of breathing, this week. Labor will be coming fast! did yoga once. I haven't been the best at this goal...but also have to consider my poor body. I wish I felt well enough to work out during this pregnancy...but oh well. Maybe I'll train for another marathon (or half?) to make up for it once I'm no longer preggo and recovered. Maybe.
9. Finish designing and editing our Family 2009 Photo Album (I use Photoworks every year). i did upload a few more recent photos to our online album in prep. did nothing this week. i'm thinking i should schedule a few naptimes/evenings in early January to make this happen! i did nothing this week. week 4: I uploaded everything to current, besides Christmas. I did start working on the album this week! Started working hard-core on the book. About half-way done. Finished this week - all 80 pages! I'll order it next month when we budget for it! COMPLETED.
10. Meet with our attorney and finish our Estate Planning/make any revisions to the kid part with the addition of baby #2. contacted our attourney, just need to nail down one of two dates in Jan to meet with her. our date is pinned down for jan. 7th. We met with her this week and got the paperwork going - we just need to make some time to sit down and discuss a few of the details we need to for our "homework" and then send the papers in and get things all legalized! Still need to do our "homework", which shouldn't take long - I think we'll schedule an evening this week to get that done!

Halloween 2009

Superman!

Have a Safe & Happy Halloween!!!

*ps* cape and belt - made with love by Superman's Mama!
*pss* did you know there are hardly any phone booths left in this city? must be the advent of the cell phone...

Outings // Kelsey Creek Farm

We have had amazing weather this week...warm enough to delay the storage of my flip flops a tiny bit longer :) We started off the week with a sick little boy, and spent the first couple of days getting him well. And there were lots errands to run and things to do, as usual. We of course went to the beach, as Sawyer requests the beach or the zoo several times a day. I can hardly begin to tell you about how fascinated he is with "Choo-choos" these days. One reason he loves the beach so much is because the trains pass right next to the beach by our house (Carkeek). Today, however, we invited some friends and decided to venture to the "East Side" and visit the animals at Kelsey Creek Farm. It was the perfect day! 

Sawyer got really excited about the animals. He saw this little goat and ran over to it, shouting "Maaa, maaa!" He is great at making animals sounds, and it's quite cute. In this photo, he is actually giving the goat a kiss through the fence. I guess I should've stepped in to make sure his nose didn't get nipped at...but alas I was behind the camera (bad mommy?)

We saw these funky hens. I say funky because I've never seen hens with legs as long as theirs. They just needed a little song and dance and they'd be in business!

These geese were SO LOUD. It kind of weirded out the kids at first, all their honk-honk-honking. Just when we got used to the honking and the kids went to take a closer look...a chicken flew the coop and landed near us. I guess it wasn't supposed to do that?

Here they are: 4 boys. These boys find themselves together at least once a week, it seems. They are LOADS of fun! For some reason, around the time that Sawyer was born, it seemed that almost everyone in Seattle had a boy (not joking - the ultrasound tech even told us she was starting to wonder if there was something in the water here...in our church's younger nursery class, there are 13 boys and 1 girl). It will be interesting to see how our little Aspen will hold her own with all the boys around!

There is also a fantastic playground right by the farm, where we enjoyed playing and eating our picnic lunch. None of us wanted to leave! Then again, naptime was calling! Here's to fun friends, farm animals, and warm Autumn Days!

Thoughts // remembering...us

us.

I was visiting with a friend this morning who recently got engaged, and all of a sudden a flood of memories overtook me, as I remembered the feelings I had when Jacob and I got engaged 3 years ago last month. Sometimes it's way too easy for me to get caught up in the day-to-day and in feeling sick so often lately, and in trying to keep up with Sawyer and provide an enriching environment for him even when I don't feel like leaving the house a lot the past several months, and in cleaning and groceries and occasionally cooking dinner etc. etc. etc. that I forget to stop and reflect and just embrace it all and know that the highs and the lows are all part of the challenge and adventure that Jacob and I decided to share when we made the decision to share our love and lives when he put that ring on my finger. For those of you who know our engagement story - wow - it can't be beat. In one of the songs Jacob wrote for me and sang to me on the beach as we watched the sun rise and he got ready to get down on both knees in the sand to propose, he said "creating with me..." and look at what we have created thus far! Okay, now the pregnancy hormones have kicked in and I'm all teared up. I am the luckiest girl in the world to have Jacob be mine. I felt that way the day he proposed, and I feel it even deeper today. He is the best husband and father that I know (and I know a lot of good ones!) Time and again I am amazed at the patience and love he shows me even when I am not feeling well enough to show him the same in return. He has cared for me and often taken care of me throughout most of our marriage. Between getting mono the month after we were married, and now 2 pregnancies (and 1 miscarriage) - by the time we celebrate our 3rd anniversary I will have been either sick or slightly sick for almost a good 2 years of that time - and we will have almost 2 babies to show for it ;) Jacob is my dream come true: he encourages and allows me to spread my wings, but he knows as well as I do that I really soar when I am engaged in the causes of our life and what we create together. Thanks, my dear Jacob, for you. Also, for him, and soon, her. But mostly, at this moment, thanks - for us.

sawyer at 15 months

*warning: this is kind of a long post and mostly for our records. I still haven't gotten around to doing a "baby book" for Sawyer, but I have tried hard to at least write things on our blog that I can use later to put one together. So if this doesn't interest you - just enjoy the photos!

With a lot of focus and attention on the discovery that Sawyer will have a baby sister lately, I want to make sure not to forget to report on Sawyer's latest well-child check-up: 15 months! I can hardly believe that our baby boy is already 15 months old! He is getting to be such a "big boy" yet still, he is a baby. Sometimes I get a little teary, for a couple of reasons: first, we are so blessed to be able to have two children, and second, because sometimes I look at my son and think "he is still so little..." I hope he will enjoy the gift we are giving him in having a sibling to share his life with. We sure hope they will be buddies! From some reading I have done about having two children quite close together (two babies, really), it seems that one of the biggest problems is that parents generally expect the "older" one to grow up more quickly than is needed, forgetting that they are still quite little and need to grow up in their own time. So, my biggest concern is that because Sawyer will be the "big" brother, we will be tempted to treat or expect him to be more than he is at a younger age, than say, siblings who are 2-3 years apart. We will have to be careful there! But we are sure proud of the things Sawyer is learning and doing.

He loves:
Anything outdoors: camping, hiking, the park, the beach, rocks, dirt, and sand.
Reading: It's amazing such an active little boy will bring us an armful of books and say "books" "read" and sit on our laps for a very long time listening to stories and flipping through the pages of his favorite books. Current favorites are: Hug (he asks for "Bobo" every day at nap time and bed time), Where the Wild Things Are (he says "Max!" and "grrr". Maybe next year when he's 2 or so we'll let him see the movie - I hear they are making one and it should be out soon? We are a TV free family!) Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (he enjoys mimicking all the sounds Mr. Brown makes) The Large and Growly Bear (he gets a kick out of the birds, bunnies, and moles), and The Happy Man and His Dumptruck (loves to say "Whee!" when he the animals slide down the dumptruck).
Dancing/Making Music: he's got some moooves. he likes "car dancing" (Sof - you'd be proud!) He also loves playing drums and strumming Daddy's guitar. Of course, he loves it when Daddy strums the guitar even better ;) And he loves to hum and sing with Momma (even if she doesn't sing very well!)
Transitional Objects: well, that's what they are. or maybe it sounds better to say special friends/toys/things? He has taken a special liking to his nap/bedtime buddies: the little nutbrown hare, aka "Bunny" and curious george (he calls george "Jew"). And he loves his Blankie.
Toys: Very into Lego/Duplo, Melissa & Doug wooden puzzles, wood blocks, cars, trains - anything with wheels. And lately discovering crayons and the creative. He also likes to "pretend" to cook. He recently got his own mini set of pots and pans.
Favorite Foods: Well...he LOVES blueberries, grapes, bananas, and begs all the time for apples. He really enjoys "exotic" foods and spicy doesn't seem to phase him (except once when we gave him what was supposed to be a 2-star Thai dish at a restaurant and his eyes pretty much popped out of his head - it was more like a 3 if you ask me!). He eats what we eat. It makes life simple. Of course he likes normal "kid food" like mac n cheese, pizza etc. So far, he is not a picky eater - and the only thing he spits out is eggs. Hmm.
Sleep: He takes just one nap a day now, usually about 2 hours. Also, a big breakthrough for us, is that he sleeps all the way through the night. It took a long time and a lot of patience in our night-time parenting to get there because he spent the first year of his life sleeping with us (which we all loved!). But we knew it would take a little work to make the transition to his own bed. We do not believe in the Ferber or "cry it out" approach, so we spent a lot of time concocting a sleep plan (and highly recommend the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution") to help him learn to fall asleep on his own, in his crib. Now we just do bath, pjs + lotion, books. While reading books he gets to drink some milk from his sippy cup. Then, fully awake, we put him in his crib and say "night night" and offer to pat his back for a minute. After that, we blow a kiss and say "I love you" and walk out. He doesn't make a peep. He lays there, occasionally sings to himself, and then falls asleep. He sleep from about 8:30pm-7:00am. And he doesn't cry when he wakes in the morning, he just says "Mama, Dada!" and is ready and happy to start a new day! It is so nice!

I think that about sums it up. Oh, he also loves to give hugs and kisses. He is a lot of fun and communicates very well. He signs some vital words that help eliminate frustration for him and for us (ie. "more" "all done" "help" etc.) and he says well over 30 words now. We have so much fun with our son!

Stats:
Weight: 20 lbs 13 oz. (5-10% -- he's very active, what can we say? he is a great eater)
Length: 29 inches (3-5% -- it looks like he did not get any tall genes)
Head Circumference: 47.4cm (50-75% -- I said to the Doc, "I guess he has a big head" and she said, "no, actually, it's the perfect size for his very intelligent little brain!")

*side note: he got 3 shots and didn't even cry. What a brave boy we have!

It's a...

GIRL!

Well, Sawyer guessed correctly! It looks like Aspen Jane is on her way! I had a "feeling" towards the beginning of the pregnancy that 'this must be a girl because I feel so much different'...but then I kept second guessing myself and I really had no clue. However, during the hour-long ultrasound today, I kept looking at the screen and had a strong feeling of "it's a girl...it's a girl..." so I wasn't too surprised when the technician's final conclusion was: girl! But we like how Sawyer says it best "GRRL". Here's to our baby girl and Sawyer's baby sister! Anyone want to go shopping for some pink with me?

Adventures with Uncle Steve (part 2)

Saturday we took advantage of the weather and drove up to hike near Bellingham.

We find ourselves at Fragrance Lake at least once every summer. It is a great little hike with a wonderful view of the San Juan Islands about mid-way up to the lake.

In fact, we brought Sawyer here for his first "real" hike last summer when Auntie Tia was visiting from Boston. He was 10 weeks old. This time, he got out of the backpack after a nice snooze and had a wonderful time throwing rocks in the water. At one point during our hike, we stopped and decided to just listen to the silence in the old growth forest, when Sawyer all of a sudden said "tweet tweet!" He loves birds.

When we hiked back down the the road, it was just about sunset. We decided to walk down to the beach at Larabee State Park and watch the sunset. It was gorgeous - and magical.

Thanks, Uncle Steve, for the fun times and memories. Sawyer will always remember the Uncle who loves looking for rocks just as much as he does (though he isn't quite as picky about their shape -- we really do hope to see a rock-inspired print one day!)

Adventures with Uncle Steve (part 1)

Last week we had a visitor come to town. Jacob's one and only brother (he has 4 sisters), Steve, came to visit us from Texas. While we still aren't settled or unpacked, it was a good visit and forced us to take a break and just relax and have some fun! And what a treat for Sawyer, to get to know his Silly Uncle Steve!

Jacob was able to take a couple of days off from work, so we took full advantage! It was so nice to spend some time together, since the past couple of weeks have been so crazy, and Jacob has been working a lot of late nights. We took Steve to Discovery Park - one of our favorite spots in Seattle. (It just so happens that Jacob and I got engaged on the beach there almost 3 years ago!) We hiked down just in time for low tide and had a lot of fun exploring!

*on a side note, Sawyer loves hiking just as much as we do and he gets excited when we tell him we're going to go for a long walk in the backpack. Funny enough, he actually says "bapak!"

Steve found this perfect seashell...and lots of rocks. Both Steve and Sawyer were excited about hunting for rocks (one of Sawyer's favorite words+objects).

I spotted this Blue Heron. They are pretty unique birds, and big! They are tall and slender. I walked out to it and got as close as I could get, but inevitably...

It didn't want to be my friend, so spread it's huge wings and flew off to a more secluded area. It was pretty amazing to get as close as I did.

The water was so shallow, it was actually really warm. Almost like bath water warm, which isn't normally the case for the typically chilly waters of the Puget Sound. We had a great time splashing around and getting our feet wet.

We hiked along the beach and had our little picnic near the lighthouse. I can never get enough of just sitting on the beach watching the majestic white sailboats go by. It's one of my absolute favorite things to do.

It was really wonderful for Jacob to have his brother around and to "catch up" a bit. Steve is a Professor of Fine Art at the University of Texas in San Antonio (his specialty is Printmaking). He always has interesting things to talk to us about in the world of art.

We couldn't have asked for a more relaxing morning and afternoon at the beach. It was perfect.

That evening, we met up with some of Steve's friends who recently relocated here from Texas. We had yummy Thai Food in Fremont and were sure to follow up with some Gelato. Of course, we took them to visit the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge, as well. We used to live within walking distance of the troll, and funny thing is, I never took Sawyer to see him. It was pretty funny when we walked up to the huge sculpture and Sawyer started making his elephant noise. And then, he ran and peeked between the troll's huge fingers into the dark and he said "Boo!" At least he wasn't scared! We had a great time with Steve here - and we'll have part II of our Adventures with Uncle Steve coming soon!