Cabin Fever

For those of you who know me well, you know that I don't do well when I'm not on the move. The past 9 days, not that I am counting, have tested my ability to relax. I think that I have done pretty well, Ty would be the true judge. We both have had a few moments were we were feeling the itch to get out and do something. Obviously Maya isn't old enough to "play" in the snow, but we did take her for a walk down to 3rd Street for lunch and a little Christmas shopping over the weekend.

We also took her out to "experience" the snow!

Then back inside for a little thumb sucking! Her new thing is grabbing anything above her head or on it and pulling it over her face. Pretty funny...

4 Months

Maya is 4 months old and had her well-child check-up today. We were the only people in the doctor's office...it felt a little like the twilight zone. There were two receptionists and the doctor...he came out to the lobby to get us, weighed & measured Maya, and visited with us for about 20 minutes. Ahhhh...it was like the good old days! He also showed us a picture of himself outside playing in the snow as a child the last time the Willamette Valley had this much snow...in 1968!

Here are Pea's stats:

Weight: 14 lbs, 13 oz (75th percentile)
Height: 25 1/2 inches (95th percentile) Yes I am secretly living my tall dreams through my child

Snow Days...

Thankfully I work for an organization that values our safety and they let me stay home, snuggle with Pea, work a little, and watch the snow fall! Here are a few pictures of our snow day happenings in our little snow covered house on birch street.

Helping my mom workKisses for Squirt the turtle!A little mid-afternoon nap in my cradle board

Getting ready to head out in the snow and checking out my favorite two things...my hands!

The Big Trip Home

We left Ellensburg at about 2 pm on Sunday, because we knew it would be a slow drive home through the snowy mountain pass. This was our view as we started over the pass at about 3 pm.

Thankfully we decided to drive the truck that has 4 wheel drive! It was crazy! It normally takes 5 hours...it took 8. By 5 pm it was completely dark and snowing like crazy.

Maya was a trooper! She slept for the first leg of the journey from E-burg to the Dalles. We stopped to have dinner and let Pea stretch. Here is Dad and Maya...her first time in the snow.We were back on the road. I drove for about 5 minutes before almost breaking into tears...semi trucks, black ice and Pea in the back seat! Not my finest moment...Ty took over. We finally pulled into Portland and it was snowing and the roads were covered in snow. It so rarely snows down here...it was so beautiful. It was the same at home...a totally white little town! The drive was really scary we slid around a few times and encountered many crazy drivers. I feel like this picture of Maya really sums it up...

"Seriously? Are we ever going to get out of the car!"

The Big Trip North...

Okay, so Ellensburg is really Northeast of McMinnville but you get the idea. We knew that we would encounter a little bit a snow, but we had no idea how much! Ty's cousin Erik and his wife Nicole were in Ellensburg for the weekend to celebrate Christmas and had a wedding reception for the local folks who didn't make the trip out to Boston for the ceremony last summer. We also were dying to meet Eden! The one year old little sister to Ezri (4), daughters of our great friends Levi and Steph. It has been killing us both that we had only been able to see her through pictures. These are two of the sweetest little angels!

Plan B...

Here is the outcome of Plan B...

Does this picture not belong on a calendar somewhere!
The stare-off...b.little has recently starting sitting up on his own, and really enjoyed pushing Pea over just to show her he is older and therefore the boss.

Grandma Rena was the baby wrangler!

Hey...at least they are both looking the same direction!

Natalie, Jonathan, Grandma, & I set up our own "studio"(aka my couch w/ a white sheet) and tried our best to get that one great shot. These are the best...again Maya with the Diva attitude and a lot of slobber! Watch out world....

Christmas Pictures

My sister and I had this great plan...

1. Find the babies really cute Christmas clothes
   
2. Have their photo taken


3. Make Christmas cards

Well...we should have known the greatest plans sometimes fail miserably! The day started with Natalie loosing B.little's hat (the center piece of the whole concept), then running to 5 different stores looking for the perfect shoes, and hair bow, then realizing we were going to be late, then realizing the babies needed to eat (thank you Nordstrom women's lounge), rushing to the portrait place 15 minutes late......

Do you know how difficult it is to get a 5 month old and a 3.5 month old to look at a camera let alone smile? Really really tough is the answer. To prove my point here are the best shots of the day...

Maya was having a Diva moment...kicking off shoes, drooling excessively, and completely refusing to smile. On to Plan B.

B.little

Since my sister is the worst blogger ever, I have decided to do a Bradley post. We all have started calling him Bradlittle instead of Bradley, and of course Bradlittle and turned into B.little. I don't know, we have a nicknaming sickness! Brad is a big baby, he and Maya are the same length but he out weighs her by 4+ pounds. He is such a sweet little boy, full of giggles and loves to jump! And of course loves his auntie!

GO DUCKS!

For all of Sweet Pea's UO Aunties!

Maya wanted to express how happy she was after the big UO win last Saturday! She is fascinated with the camera, so capturing a smiling or talking clip is like hunting the Lochness monster!

Happy Tuesday!

Is she not the cutest thing you have ever seen? Pea is actually 3 months and 2 weeks tomorrow, but I finally got her 3 month pictures from the studio.

Victory! ... and a House Guest

Ty passed his series 7 test today! I know that he is excited, but I am elated that it is finally over. The last few weeks have been filled with long hours at work, in coffee shops, and in Ptown prepare and it all paid off.

Side note: Our friend Patrick from the Netherlands flies in tonight to stay with us for a week or so. He is such a great friend. He played on Ty's football team when we were in Germany and was also one of our flat-mates. (me + 6 football players...what an experience!) We were able to visit him in his hometown for a week during the time we were living in Europe and made a pact to visit each other every few years. Well he has done all the traveling thus far. This will be his fourth trip to Mac! He always comes for Thanksgiving...his favorite holiday:) We try each year to show him something authentically PacNW...Seattle, Portland, wine tasting, a UO game! This year we are traveling to the Seattle area for the holiday with Ty's fam, and our PacNW experience is going to be watching the Civil War...on t.v..

A funny Patrick story: The first time he came to visit Ty picked him up from the airport at night and about 2/3 of the way he says to Ty, "It really feels like we are heading to the end of the earth." Being from Europe, filled with cities and well-lighted super highways I am guessing that our rural little community probably did seem like the end of the world.

Come Home Dad

So clearly the working mom deal is kicking my butt! I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Ty has been studying for his final license exam (series 7) for the past month or so, and has been staying in Portland all week for a class. Being a single mom is TERRIBLE. We miss dad! The only positive thing to come of his working away from home is that little miss and I met up with him for dinner on Tuesday night. We ended up going to Starbucks after dinner to talk and hang out. It almost felt like we were dating again, hanging out, talking about our big dreams for the future and then going home to separate places. One small difference...S. Pea was chillin' out at Starbucks too!

Ty comes home tomorrow, and we both can't wait. It doesn't feel right to be home without all three of us. Don't get me wrong, I love a little home alone time but the whole week is too much.

Here is a COME HOME DAD picture....

Tell me these two don't look alike! I think I was simply the oven.

11 weeks

Time is flying by! Sadly Maya has definitely grown out of her newborn phase, but is happily a big girl infant. She is so fun and really smiley. She is currently about 12 pounds and 24.5 inches (yes really really long!).

Happy Halloween

Today Maya and I ventured today to her first Halloween party. It was for all of the youth that I work with and they were dying to see Maya in her costume. Let's just say her completely OCD mother had a really tough time with all of the dirty little hands that were trying to mall her...so we left early (after insisting on hand washing & a lot of hand sanitizer). She was a trooper and the kids were so so so excited to see her. A few of my high school students were there also and were able to hold her...they are so great and really helpful.

More Decor...

These are covered bulletin boards for snapshots

(fabric covered cork board w/ hot glue and cardboard backing)
Inexpensive picture frames, painted white & antiqued with sandpaper, eventually I will put some photos in a few of them but for now we used fabric.

THANK YOU ERIN!!!
Sometimes you need some to help put your ideas into action and Erin is definitely that friend/sister for me!

Finally!

Ty's sister Erin has been with us for the past few days and she always brings out my creative side. We finally have spent some time decorating in Maya's room (aka holding cell for all of her stuff). Here is a sneak peak at our work. I will add the other pictures when I get home.

Our first big adventure....of many!

I apologize for the lack of posting lately, but the last two weeks have been nuts! I started back to work on the 14th, only part-time but it was still a big adjustment. Everyone in my office has been amazing and really supportive. Maya stays with GiGi (my grandma Rena) on Mondays and Tuesdays and with my mom on Thursdays. It is the biggest blessing, she loves being there and they love her.

On Wednesday Maya and I heading off for our first big adventure together...just the two of us. I had a conference/convention for work in Seattle from Thursday-Sunday. My aunt Susan came to spend Wednesday night with us, and allowed me to go spend some time with my staff in downtown. It was great, Maya and my aunt got some quality bonding time and I got a night out with some friends. Maya was excellent the entire time. I had her in her Moby wrap the good majority of the time and she listened into the sessions with me. Educating her young! We spent our nights hanging out in the hotel, taking baths in the giant jacuzzi tub and catching up on some t.v..

On Sunday we heading down to Tacoma to visit Ty's family, who were selling their goods at a gift show. It was really fun to help out for a little bit (really little like an hour). Ed and Mil took turns holding Pea. We actually kidnapped Auntie Erin and brought her home with us.

Just a little update...more stories/picture to come.

Uncle Brock

We broke Brock (Ty's brother) into his new role as an uncle this past weekend, which he seemed to respond to with flying colors. He spent his first 24 hours being drug around to a football game, grocery shopping, and staying home alone while we went to our birthing class reunion. He was a rock star uncle from the start: super patient, and flexible. Maya loves her Uncle Brock! She even participated in Ty and Brock's epic Halo battles (that's a video game). While Brock was here, we spent a lot of time at home but ventured out for dinner and a movie on 3rd Street. We can't wait for Brock's next visit.

No School Friday

Last Friday was a in-service day for local schools, so Josh & Lily came over to hang out with Maya and I. Lily (we also call her Austin & Liz) was such a great helper. Josh is waiting until she can "play". We watched movies played Lego's and had the traditional Mac & Cheese. Good times.

Costume Reject #1

So I know that she will probably only wear her costume for a total of one hour, but it is such a big decision! I am on the great search for a really cute lady bug, but here was one option....a real Sweet Pea!

She was pretty cute, but it really didn't fit.

Maya if you read this someday, I apologize for treating you like a dress up doll! But it is really fun!

I really want to suck my thumb!

It usually turns into sucking on half of her hand, but she really likes it!