the end of May

So we had some more adventures. This extra six weeks off has changed my outlook, at least for now. My best friend M came up from SF for a visit... we took a road trip down to Portland to visit with A & T and their boys, E & L. Here comes the bragging part... M read books to Fi in the back seat – and she almost turned a page by herself! (and M scolded me for not reading to her more!). Then, M came into our room one morning to sing a good morning song to Fi… she tickled your sides and said “Hi!” in a big voice… and Fi looked right back at her and said “HI!” back… we almost fell over. It wasn’t repeated though… so we’re pretty sure you don’t know what it means yet. Soon though…

Photos to prove it happened...

Fi and her papa in our host's backyard:


Fi and her future boyfriend, the darling L:


Serious blue sky outside of Forest Grove:


Tia and Fi in the backseat:


Mom and dad up front:


We stopped by the Saturday Market (on Sunday, yeah, it confused me too) looking for a doll maker, but alas, could not find her...


and on Monday morning hit the Portage Bay Cafe in South Lake Union, lovely spot!


Hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!

another week goes by

Good news first - due to a relatively new law in Washington state, mothers get an additional 6 weeks of protected maternity leave - and I am taking it! It does mean that we will be eating beans and rice (no money for those extra six weeks!) but at least I get a little more time with my sweet Fiona. Delaying the inevitable, I know, but you would take it too, wouldn't you?

Also, we have been the recipients of so many amazing gifts, and we don't always get the chance to say thank you... so THANK YOU!! I am looking at you, fWaMu employees, down in Chatsworth CA... you guys are awesome. Particularly Ms Gigi... you are always looking out for me, I appreciate it!! And to everyone else, I am so touched that you would take the time and effort to send along a little something... Fiona is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for, all these extras are just icing on the cake!

Speaking of Fiona.... (and I do tend to go on and on about her...) it's the only bit of bad news I have this week. Since I thought I was going back to work in two weeks, G and I decided we better get her going on a bottle (full of mama milk)... yeah, she wasn't so into it. In fact, she will have nothing to do with it. Turns out the magic window for introducing a bottle was between 4 and 6 weeks... gosh, pediatrician, it would've been good to know that BEFORE the window passed... so as it is, we are trying once a day to get her to take to the silicone. The only way G can get her to take any of it is in the shower, when she's all relaxed and half-asleep. Otherwise, it's all tears and crying.

Here is the shot of G and Fi on the first night of bottle introduction:

(Yes, that is his shirt absolutely covered in spit-up. Fun! Parenting is awesome and smells great!)

Here she is at 10 weeks.


And here we are on my first Mother's Day, just after brunch.


And here is G, out in the backyard, attacking the invasive blackberry bushes...
(He is wearing a black shirt, if that helps you spot him. We had some Mother's Day inspiration to start working in the yard...)

And this is a pic of me and Fi on the beach.


And the whole family!

(Remind me to get G some sunglasses...)

So there you have it. I am so relieved/excited to be able to hang out for another 6 weeks with my babe... maybe it will inspire me to post more often? No promises. But I won't be back at work until 7/7/09... yahoo!!

Hope you are all having a lovely May. The sun is starting to make regular appearances here, it was 68 and sunny today, such perfect weather. We walked the lake and had a picnic (of sorts). Hope you all get to do some of the same!

E.

May is here!

And so is Fiona's ninth week. It's incredible how fast she changes, and how strange this new life is - completely normal, but absolutely abstract at the same time. It's not just me and G anymore - our lives orbit around this amazing baby girl. Our little family is learning how to weather the daily rhythm of this new reality. And we're doing quite well, if I don't say so myself. So enough blabber, here are some new photos...

We got a BOB. It's awesome. Fiona is modeling her new hat, which reads "crabby" on it. It has octopuses and fish and crabs all over. I think it's hilarious.


How awesomely sassy is this little one? We were waiting for our final midwife appointment to begin. Sassy, sassy, sassy. Then happy.



And finally, the light coming in this morning was so beautiful I had to snap a picture - Fi sleeping on her papa's chest.


I am trying to savor every one of these moments, as I only have three weeks left of maternity leave. I really wish I could stay home with her for the next year - she is learning so much and growing so fast - I am really afraid of what I will miss when I go back to work. I wish our country valued families and mothers more. It is criminal to me that women only get 6 weeks off (I'm lucky, I get 12) - actually, I can't finish this paragraph, it's too depressing. Sorry to leave you on a down note. I'm off to make friends with my breast pump.

E.

the end of April

So these last two weeks have been quite full. G had a milestone birthday, we took our first plane flight as a family, we hung out in my hometown. Fiona had a milestone birthday too... two months!

We are really starting to click as a family unit. I hope I don't jinx it by saying we are getting into a rhythm of sorts - mama duties, papa duties, baby duties. Okay, so mama duties involve feeding and papa duties involve diapers and baby duties involve lots and lots of smiles - but we all play our part, right?

Here is the way every week should start - a nap with papa and baby:


And a walk on the beach:


And birthday party for G, complete with oysters, ribs, crabs, artichokes and cake... and a cute baby!








And then a trip to California, where we hung out with some family there... (the only pictures I can find are of Fi and her great-grandma!)



And finally, she and her aunt J shared a birthday (we're pretty sure it's the only time that will ever happen) and granted, J's was measured in years and Fi's was measured in months... still milestones!! Here she is on her two-month birthday!





And now the month of May is coming... time just keeps moving forward. Fantastic, isn't it?

E.

week six!

So this was a week of big adventures. We went to Breitenbush Hot Springs - spent the night in Portland first with some friends, then hit the hot springs (mom and dad got some well-earned massages!) and Fiona had her first soak!


She's a wiggler, a squirmer, a snuggler. She has figured out how to smile - and gives the most radiant smiles ever.




And here's one of those smiles....



And because she was so ridiculously cute in the shower this morning.... here is our "little bean":

Second Sunday Brunch is this weekend (and yes, it's not the Second Sunday, I know...) and more importantly, Fiona's first brunch. Although not her first party - she went with me to E & A's "Welcome the Baby Chicks!" party and R & K's Engagement Party... she is a social butterfly! She is well on her way to capturing the hearts of many a Seattleite.

In other family news, G's bill was killed in the House of Representatives. Mean House!! Damn you Reps! It means he has to start over again. Yuck.

more of the week four and five photos

So here are some more photos, from the other camera while the sisters were here.

Look at all that hair!


J and I figured out that we could just lie her down and let her look out the window...




And did I mention my sisters and I organized my craft room?? Look at this amazing-ness...


Then we stopped by the Dimonds house for a visit - S played guitar for Fiona, she loved it. Every time he stopped playing her eyes would pop open - he would start again and she would doze off - very sweet!

Such a sweet life we have!

five weeks and counting

So it's been a little hectic around here (but really, when is it not hectic around here?). The good news is that the sun is shining in Seattle and we have one very healthy baby in our house. G has no current plans to travel back East, which makes me very happy. And there are chocolate chip cookies in the oven. Yeehaw!

So what has been going on for the last two weeks? F gained another pound. She is getting bigger and stronger every day. Her personality is starting to show - I am so excited to meet her. Her aunts came for a visit - J came for a week and K came for a long weekend. Here are the pictures to prove it:






They helped me clean and organize my house - pictures of the newly created craft room to come - even the curtains were hung! Good times were had all around. We managed to get out of the house too - we went to one of our favorite burrito joints, Gordito's:


And we went shopping for a new baby carrier, one that fits G:



And we took naps...


And I got some time with F too...


Big thanks to K for providing the above photos... my camera cable has yet to resurface, I am sure it is in it's proper place (a labeled drawer, even?). If only I could remember where that is...