Lowering the mattress

It is a sad day.

Ready to go!

Our bags are (almost) packed and we are so excited to take our first family vacation!  Since travel was a bit limited last year, we are VERY ready to get out of town for a few days and take a much needed break. 

Tomorrow we will take Ben on his first airplane ride.  I am, for obvious reasons, nervous about how this will go.  Ben can be very squirmy at times, and lately is not interested in being held for long periods of time.  He also can be pretty loud - squealing, grunting, fussing, crying....yikes.  I am about to experience for the first time those "Oh my god there is a baby in our row" looks from my fellow passengers.  I feel sorry for them, but we will be doing our absolute best to keep him happy and under control!

I also hope that Ben knows exactly when to flash his charming, 2-tooth grin and who to direct it at.  I'm pretty confident he can win anyone over who might be hatin' on him/us.

So, tomorrow - we fly to San Diego for our (apparently) annual trip to visit Hilary and John!  Our last time visiting was last January, and we had JUST found out we were expecting!  We even got to see Ben via ultrasound for the first time with John and Hilary!  A few months later, Hilary was pregnant and expecting too!  It is going to be so much fun with the two new additions to our families!

I have to say, I am pretty thankful to be spending our first extended stint away from home in a house already equipped for a baby.  They have a crib for Ben, a compatible car seat base, and a place to stash dirty diapers.  We get to travel light (ish)!  It is also nice to be spending time with people who understand nap schedules, diaper blowouts, screaming fits, and revolving our time around when the babies need to eat, etc.  It is a total relief.

But the thing I am most looking forward to is snuggling little Violet for the first time!  I can't wait to meet her! 

Looking forward to a few days of sunshine, walks through the park and zoo, a day at Disneyland, coffee dates, BFF chats (in person!) and enjoying the expanded families. 

Taking a stroll

Last year when I was pregnant (and when I could still comfortably walk without side/hip pain), Greg and I would often grab coffee on a weekend morning and go walking on my favorite spot on the Burke Gilman Trail. 

I would say to him "someday, we will be taking our baby on a walk here"!  It was definitely one of the things I most often imagined myself doing as a mom. 

Anyway, this weekend was another beautiful one around Seattle.  We grabbed coffee and took the new stroller out for a spin.  And it was so much fun. 

I see you

Asleep in my arms

This never happens anymore. Ben usually squirms himself away from snuggling before nap time or bedtime, fighting the fact that it is time for him to sleep.


I rocked him to sleep before his nap just now. I wish I could sit here forever with him, but nap time = work time!


I miss maternity leave!

Watching mom get ready

For awhile there, Ben was sleeping until about 7 am each morning, which would allow me to get up and ready for work before he got up.  Lately, more often than not, Ben is waking up 30-45 minutes earlier than usual.  This can be a little inconvenient at times, but it can also be fun to share these moments together.

Here we are this morning.  I joined him on the floor to apply mascara, and Ben just watched me for the longest time - mouth wide open, happy as could be!

Creepy (me) and adorable (Ben)

Forever Friends

I wrote briefly about Steph's baby shower a few weeks ago, but I finally got my hands on this picture of the four five of us that I needed to share.  Kim, Stephanie, Shauna and I have been friends for over half of our lives now.  (Woah).  Kim and I went to elementary school together, as did Steph and Shauna - and we all united at Brier Terrace Middle School and become life-long friends.

Between the four of us, we have endless stories, have witnessed countless milestones, gotten into all kinds of trouble together, overcome several life-challenges, shared many secrets, cocktails, coffee, advice, tears, laughter, and the list goes on and on and on.

I am SO proud to call these ladies my friends and I am so proud of who we all have become.  It makes me laugh to think about many years ago, we would be together scheming about how to stay out past curfew or score a fifth of vodka (sorry, mom) and how now we are sharing parenting tips and recipes and other "adult" things.

I love each of you guys more than words - and baby Mason, we cannot wait for your arrival in June!