Week 8 – Cabin Fever: New Shades

If you look at the forecast for Seattle right now it's rain, rain, and more rain for the next few days/weeks. Usually we love February. It can be sunny and warm and especially clear. Today was one of those days. Josie and I headed out for a 7 mile walk to Capital Hill and back and it was beautiful.

One thing you may not know about Seattle is that it sells more sunglasses than any city in the US. You are probably wondering why? It's such a surprise when it is sunny here so people forget where they placed their sunglasses and instead buy new ones. The point of the story is that someone got new sunglasses today in preparation of the spring/summer to come.

Josephine is 4 months old

Josie had another big month. She spent two weeks with Grandma (our nanny for two weeks) and met her cousin Lorelei and aunt Ang for the first time. Lots of new developments too - Hands in her mouth, giggling, and rolling over.

Nicknames: Josie, Smiles Miles

Likes: Standing up, baby yoga, singing, looking at other people (especially other kids).

Dislikes: Wet diapers, teeth pain, Ergo carrier (hopefully just an Ergo strike)

Accomplishments: Rolling Over, Giggles, Spitting sounds, Holding weight in legs and standing.

Nuisances: Fingernails and Toenails

Starting Weight: 12 lbs. 2 oz.

Current Weight: 13 lbs. 10 oz.
Current Height: 23 inches

You. Complete... Me.

"Me" = "Dining Room"

Check out our latest craigslist score! This buffet is a great final piece to our previous estate sale score and other cl purchases. Always cool to find quirky old local furniture in good shape to give a new home. While making ours. :)

Preparing for Baby

When we were getting for Josie I must have looked at hundreds of blog postings with a list of "must haves" for getting ready for a baby. Now 4 months later I have my own list and it does not have a lot of the bells and whistles that most of the other sites have.

1. Birthing Class: This was an early recommendation from my Midwife. Take a class that is offered outside of the hospital. For us we took The Bradley Method course and it was the best thing we did to prepare for childbirth and parenting. We had an incredible instructor and when I went into labor we were both confident and calm, maybe too confident since we ended up having her at home!

2. Moby Wrap: The Moby saved my life. We used this from the time Josie was 3 days old. Wrapping her up and wearing her is so convient to go places, have or go out to dinner, take naps on the go, and wearing her has really cut the fuss time. I try to wear her 3-5 hours a day and these days she smiles when I start to put the Moby on. I think it makes her feel close to me but still able to look around or sleep.
3. Arm's Reach Co-sleeper: The co -sleeper has made our lives so much easier at night. It's easy to grab Josie out when she starts to cry and night nurse. I get a great night of sleep and so does Rob. We got a really nice crib on Criagslist and rarely use it.

4. Yoga on Beacon: Or maybe it's just time to yourself. When Josie was 2 weeks old I felt good enough to get back into Yoga and since then I get to go about 5 days a week. This has been by far one of the best things to keep my sanity and also release my back from all those hours of Josie holding. It allows Rob time to bond with Josie without me hoovering over him. I thank him every day for this little treat.
5. BioGaia Infant Probiotic: Josie had a lot of digestive issues early on and still does even at 4 months. After we started giving her these drops we saw a big difference withing 3 days. She is a much happier baby now. This was a great recommendation from our doctor.
Like I said, this list is surprisingly shorter than I would have expected 6 months ago it to be but without these items, don't think we would be as happy as we are right now.

Capping the Cascades

Today we took a short drive east of Seattle and witnessed the recent huge snowfall of the past days. What a winter!

These pictures are just outside Alpental. Snow blower required for these driveways!

Week 6 - True Love: Rob and Allison

I don't have to make this a mushy post to boast about the fact that Rob is my true love and what a wonderful person he is, I tell him all the time. He is the best friend, dad, and partner that I could ask for and I am so thankful that we found each other.

I dusted off the old photo albums for this post. Some pictures from our wedding almost 9 years ago. Crazy how it feels just like yesterday.

Happy Valentine's Day

My favorite Valentine (Rob) surprised me with a private cooking class for the three of us (Rob, Josie, and myself) last week with one of my favorite Seattle bloggers "Talk of Tomatoes". The theme was seasonal cooking and we cooked with beets and fennel. It was really fun, easy to try at home, and was such a special treat. Rob knows how much I love to cook so this was a very special gift and I know he likes to reap the benefits of my learning new recipes.

Week 5 – Drink Up: The Station

Yes, I skipped week 4. So for Week 5 the focus is coffee. Since Josie joined our family, we still enjoy wine and beer but not as much as we used to. Instead I visit our neighborhood coffee shops a little more. And sometimes it is just an excuse to make sure I get out of the house - especially on rainy days! Our favorite Beacon Hill spot is The Station. The Mocha Mexicano is not to be missed!

Tahoe Action

Had an awesome time at the annual superbowl weekend ski trip to Tahoe with my brother and other friends.

The following video documents the good time had by all recently in Tahoe National Forest. Please enjoy Will's mad skills, followed and cheered on by Jon, at Alpine Meadows last weekend.



Will, Tim, and I also BEAT OUR OWN RECORD from last year in the Big A Burger Challenge. We were reigning champs when we walked in, and reigning champs when we walked out!

Great Weekend in Seattle

Josie and I were so blessed this weekend to have my mom, my sister and my niece in town to keep us company while Rob was away in Tahoe. We had so much fun and the weather was just wonderful for the first weekend in February. We spent the days walking and sightseeing and the evenings talking, laughing, and drinking wine. We are so lucky to have time like this.