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!