Andrews Family

Oh Izzy...part 2

2010-09-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I woke up to Izzy crying "Mmmaaaammmaaaaa". I went in to get her and she had thrown up ALL over her crib. It was everywhere. She didn't have a fever, but she definitely wasn't her chipper self. She seemed to get better throughout the day. Today was the first day of school and I was heading in with Izzy to say hi to the kids and my jobshare partner. On the way, Izzy starts throwing up again! Poor boo girl. It was seriously like a faucet was turned on. Luckily all the puke was on her and the car seat. When we got home, I unstrapped the car seat and carried Izzy in it into the house. Immediately stripped her down, put her in the bath, snuggled with her and put her to bed. I went downstairs to clean up the car seat by taking it back outside to rinse off then taking all the pads off, however my lovely dog Roy had done most of it for me. GROSS! He had licked up all the puke. GROSS! To add to an even more frustrating day, I can't figure out how to take the pads off to wash them. Guess we won't be going anywhere for awhile! The joys of motherhood...

Oh Izzy!

2010-08-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

Izzy has been toying with the idea of walking. She would always take maximum 4 steps then go right into her bear crawl. While we were camping at Banks Lake this past weekend (pics and details to come), Izzy started walking! Full force! So fun to watch her waddle around.

Another exciting story... this morning I was changing Izzy's wet diaper and she was fighting me when I tried to put another one on. So, instead of fighting her I let her "airout" for a bit. Literally a bit...I walked around the corner to feed Roy. As I came back around the corner I smelt something icky...then I saw a couple little logs laying on our carpet! Izzy pooped! It was so funny how quick it happened. I was laughing out loud. I had thought about taking a picture, but then quickly came to my senses knowing not a single person wants to see my daughter's poop! After I cleaned Izzy up and put a diaper on her, I went to clean up the poopies. Once again I rounded the corner and found Izzy washing her hands in Roy's water dish and EATING his food!!!! Oh boy...I need to keep an eye on her!

New classroom...loads to be done!

2010-08-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

I've moved up from ADK and I'll be teaching first grade this year with my friend Anna. I'll be working 2 days, then 3 days a week like I have been. It is the best work week so I can still play the at home mommy/wife, but also keep my foot in the door. We have been going into school a couple times every week trying to get organized. We started off painting and now moving on to organizing. I have a gallon each of the two blues in the picture above if anyone is interested in buying it off me at a good deal!!! Perfect for a boys bedroom/nursery!We are combining two whole classrooms into one, so there is a mountain of stuff! I'll post the finished product. What a mess!

Birthday Pictures

2010-07-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Amy took these photos of Izzy's birthday party...

Izzy turns 1!

2010-07-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Now that the craziness of school is done and Izzy's first birthday party has come and gone, I feel like I can get back to the world of blogging!

Izzy turned one on June 24th. I still can't believe my baby girl is turning into a toddler...where is the pause button? She is full of life! Her personality is shining more and more. Most times she is happy, giggly and always shaking her booty (video coming soon)! Occasionally, we see this two headed monster come out of her. She will have a split personality...one minute happy, the next being sassy. Oh boy, are we in trouble! Izzy has eight teeth now! Four up top and four below. Her weight is in the 50% (20 lbs. 12 oz.), 75% in height (30in). No walking yet for our boo girl. She will occasionally take 2-4 steps and then figure crawling is faster. She is in NO RUSH to walk! I'm okay with that too, although it would be nice to go to a park and have her explore by walking instead of being toted around by mom.

For Izzy's birthday, the boys, Justin and I went to the Old Spaghetti Factory. Izzy got her own plate of spaghetti and went to town. Surprisingly she wasn't as messy as I anticipated. She also had her first taste of spumoni and loved it!

Here is the video of Izzy's Spaghetti Feed.

For her big 1st celebration, we had her party at our house. Her first experience with the cake was awesome! I really can't describe it, you have to see the video. I'll post the cake video and pictures of her party soon.

For now, here are pictures of her first year...

Grandma Donna's Birthday

2010-04-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

We had the family over to celebrate Justin's mom's birthday yesterday. The weather couldn't have been better. All of the Donna's children were present and all but one grandchild was also there to celebrate. Happy Birthday Donna! Grandma Donna, Gianna (4), Izzy (10mo.), Tyson (13), Isaiah (9)Family hanging out in the front lawn.Daddy and his little girl.Izzy LOVED the "airplane" ride!Mouth full of teeth...

Gianna, Tyson, and Isaiah had so much fun chasing each other and of course tackling one another! I love Sundays like this!

Winter/Spring in pictures...

2010-04-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Izzy meet her Great Grandpa Larson a couple of weeks ago. Grandpa and Margaret travel a ton and spend 6months of the year in Ireland, so it was a real treat to spend some time with them. Of course Izzy captured both great grandparents. I loved seeing my grandpa interact with Izzy. There's little glimpse of my dad there. I wish he was here to see Izzy. He would have been so in love with her. I bet my dad is her guardian angel. XO dad.

My dad's sister, Aunt Michele and Izzy.

Izzy, Chloe and the mommas.

Carter loves Isaiah! It is so cute. He kept going up to Isaiah and Isaiah would carry him around. Little buddies!

Auntie Megs and Chopper

Cousin Trey with Uncle Justin at Tyson's game.

First time at the pool.

Naked time...
Greenlake

First time at the Aquarium on Valentine's day.

Izzy, Westyn, and Makena during the Super Bowl game.

Buddy Makena! Makena is one day older than Izzy.

First flowers from a boy! Harper was so sweet to bring these over for Izzy. Of course the went right into the mouth!

Easter...

2010-04-08T07:21:00.000-07:00

Easter was pretty quiet for us this year. The boys were with their mom. When we woke up, Izzy found her Easter basket and we coaxed her into pulling everything out of it. Of course she liked the tags on everything the best. Later in the afternoon Justin, Izzy, and I went to our friend's parent's house in Sammamish. Every year they have all of their family over for a huge Easter Event. There was tons of delicious food. All the men hid the Easter eggs for the hunt. The children ranged from 7 months to 12 years. Of course we did the hunt with Izzy. We helped her find three eggs...then tossed them back for the other children after our photo op! After that, we came home and had a quiet night. The Jacobsen'sIt was so cold! Glad we had our little fuzzy zippy to wear for the hunt!

December 2009

2010-03-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Blogging about Christmas in March? I know! I just don't want to forget Izzy's first Christmas and since I didn't blog for three months I have to do it now! Christmas was so fun this year! There is nothing like the holidays through your children's eyes. We went to Justin's parents for Christmas Eve dinner. This year was fun because we had both boys, Izzy and our niece Gianna (4) was there as well. My brother and Greg came over as well to celebrate the holiday.Christmas day was at our house. It was so nice! We had Justin's family, Ty, and Greg over. It was so relaxed. We had a fire going, played games, and lounged around. I even took a nap with Izzy. Roy was hanging out with Izzy all day. So cute. At 6mo. he really started to take interest in her. Only thing missing was my mom. She went down to visit Tala, Brian, and Trey for Christmas. Even though Christmas was so nice, it just isn't the same without your mom.

Justin's Step sister Dani had a baby Kohlton in September. While they were up from Aspen, we had dinner with them and had a photo op...

For New Years Eve, we had the Graham Family over. It's been our tradition now for 5 years. We get Chinese take out and the boys get fireworks for midnight. Leading up to midnight, we play game after game. Love our little tradition! Izzy woke up 5 minutes before midnight, so she brought in the new year with us! It was perfect! All the kids... Ty (19), Katie (18), Connor (14), Tyson (13), Isaiah(9), Liam (9), Gianna (4), and Isabella (6mo.)

6mo. vs. 9mo. Stats

2010-03-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

We had Izzy's 9 month well check yesterday and once again, Dr. Wu is very impressed with Izzy's growth and skills!

Izzy at 6 months:

Weight 16 lbs. 14 oz. (50-75%)

Length 26.5 inches (75%)

Head Circumference 43.5cm (75-90%)

Izzy at 9 months:

Weight 19 lbs. 10.5 oz. (50-75%)

Length 28 1/4 inches (50-75%) Slowing down... will she be short like mom?

Head Circumference 45 3/4 cm (90-95%)

The Doctor isn't too concerned about her head growth. If Izzy was behind in her milestones or if it was above 100%, then she would be concerned about extra fluid in the brain or a mass. However, no worries! Izzy is clearly hitting all of her milestones...even a little earlier than expected.

At 9 months Isabella...

loves to dance

loves music

loves her brothers and grandmas

giggles like crazy when playing peek a boo

is waking up once a night at 5:30am

loves to eat solids

is really into feeding herself...not so much into the baby food anymore

signs Milk and All Done

likes to walk around the table, couch, etc.

likes to hold onto our fingers and walk

looks for Roy and attempts to say his name

attempts to say hi

favorite word is da-da
points to things

waves hi and bye

loves to swing

It is so fun being a parent to Izzy and the boys! I love the days were I get to be home and do my favorite role...mom.

Zeek playing ball.Justin and Zeek in the dugout.

Hanging out with Tyson at the baseball park!

Hellllloooooo Again!

2010-03-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! Life has been so busy. I haven't been able to sit down and blog in so long! Glad to be back and have so much to catch everyone up on. Last post was about Izzy crawling... she is everywhere! Along with being so mobile, Izzy has three teeth and three more about to break through. It has been a tough month in our house to say the least. Izzy's first tooth was the left incisor. Weird right? Next came the two bottom front and now following are the top two and right incisor. I've been trying to take a picture of her pearly whites, but she won't let me. UGH! A couple of days after getting her first tooth, Izzy waved for the first time and of course it was to Grandma Meredie! Made Grandma's day! We have her 9 mo. well check next Thursday. I figured I'll post her 6mo. stats at the same time to see how much she has grown. Baseball in the Andrews house has started up again! Izzy enjoys being at the ball park while her brothers play. Justin decided not to coach this year... but somehow he ended up "helping" both teams. "Helping" means he is coaching. At least that is what it seems to be to me. He isn't the head coach, but he isn't sitting with me in the stands either. He is in the dug out. Hmmmm... I'm a baseball widower again.

Bare with me over the next week or so...I'll be posting all the way back from December!

In the meantime, here is a clip of Izzy crawling at the beginning of February!

A mom can brag right?

2010-01-14T21:41:00.000-08:00

Izzy has been trying so hard to get to her toys that are out of reach. For weeks she has been scooting around on her tummy and rolling around. Well today she crawled! So exciting! She also pulled herself up to a standing position tonight! She is growing and learning so quickly. Izzy started saying Ma-ma around New Years and for about a week she has been saying Da-da! At first I was thinking no way is she talking yet, but it's getting clearer and clearer. Justin will walk into the room and Da-da will slip out of her little mouth. Then best thing happened to me this morning...at her 5:30am wake up I put her in bed with me and at 7:30 I woke up to her saying ma-ma and looking at me! I love you Izzy! Thank you God for such an amazing daughter!

Zoo

2009-12-18T15:20:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Justin took Izzy to the zoo for the first time! They went with his sister Lori, brother Blaise and his daughter Gianna (4). It was the perfect sunny beautiful day for December. The jaguar gave them a good show. It was running back and forth in front of them and them jumped onto a branch. Justin said Izzy was having a blast tracking the Jaguar. Izzy was a perfect little girl for her daddy! Gianna was a bit jealous becuase Izzy was getting a lot of the attention. On the way home, Gianna had enough of that baby named Isabella! She picked her nose and was flicking the boogers at Izzy! HA! I laughed so hard when I heard this. Poor Izzy. She had no idea what is going on! We love you Gianna...even if you flick boogers at your baby cousin! No more though, okay?!

Hiatt Family Christmas

2009-12-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy month...as usual! The first weekend in December was my families annual Christmas party. Our family has grown so much. This year there were three new additions to our family. Natalie who is 8mo., Izzy 6mo., and Trey 2mo. Both Tala and Sarah came up for the party. We have been spoiled to see Sarah so much this year with Izzy and Trey's births. Next year hopefully she will be home a lot as well...she can't miss their first birthdays! I'm so excited for Christmas this year. Christmas is so much fun with children. We get to experience it again through Izzy now that the boys are getting older. They are always with their mom on Christmas morning too, so this year will be especially fun to wake up with Izzy! Trey, Izzy, Great Grandma Hiatt, and NatalieGrandma, babies, and all her children together. Ty (19), Tala (27), Me(28), Sarah (31)

Izzy opening her first Christmas present from Aunt Tala and Uncle Brian. Books!!!! We love books! She was very curious about the gift. More interested in the paper more than anything.

What have we been up too?

2009-12-03T14:07:00.000-08:00

Once again...I've been a horrible blogger. I don't know why. The boys lost in the championship football games, 2nd place out of 32 teams is great though! Both teams had articles in the Kirkland Reporter. Isaiah is pictured under the "A", #94. Tyson is third one in from left in the front row, #22. They both had a really fun year and LOVE football.

Watching Tyson's game bundled up in the sweater my Aunt Polly knitted her.

Not much new with Izzy. She is eating cereal now. The first time she did NOT like it, but it seems to be growing on her. Izzy is full of laughs and hugs lately! I love it! She is still waking up a few times a night. Ugh! We have tried different things that friends and family have suggested like giving her cereal, cereal in a bottle with extra milk and nursing, staying up later, etc. Nothing has worked. Maybe it is time to have her cry it out? Not looking forward to that! Her favorite toy... tags! She loves tags and will seek them out on all her toys, blankets, etc.

Justin and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on November 11th! We went out to Daniel's for dinner while Grandma Meredie was home with Tyson and Izzy. My friend Erin took our family pictures at the end of November. They turned out awesome! She took over 400 pictures so it has been really hard choosing our favorites! I highly recommend her if anyone is looking for a photographer. She was fantastic with our "crazy crew". I mean crazy too! Roy had his "lipstick" out the entire time, Justin was crackin his normal sick humorous jokes, and the boys joined in. I love my family. It was actually the best time we have had all together in a long time. We hosted Thanksgiving at our house. We had 12 people in all: Justin's parents, his 3 brothers, and sister, my sister Tala and her husband and son, my mom. It was great to be all together. We played games, drank, and stuffed our selves. Then on Friday we went to my step-dad's for dinner. To end the weekend, on Saturday we had a friend's Thanksgiving at the Haigh's house. It was a wonderful weekend.Grandma and 2 of 4 grandchildrenTrey curled up with his daddy and dog. "Friends Thanksgiving"
Izzy and Roy

She sits...and the boys score!

2009-11-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I told Justin that by next weekend I bet Izzy will be sitting up on her own. Sure enough...by Thursday she was sitting up! AMAZING! She is so cute and so much fun right now. She loves her brothers and dad. I will spend all day trying to get her to smile and they come in the door and say "hi Izzy" and she goes nuts with excitement! I really wouldn't have it any other way though. It is pretty cool to watch her interact with her brothers and dad. We've hit a bump in our sleeping. Izzy was sleeping from 7:30pm-4am straight and now she is up every three hours once she is down. I'm very tired. Any advice from you mommies out there? She loves to play with and eat her feet!Roy and Izzy have been interested in each other more and more...so cute!Both boys' football teams won this weekend!!!! We are moving on to the finals for the Greater Eastside Junior Football Association (GEJF). So exciting! Isaiah's game is at 9am at Mt. Si in North Bend vs. Eastlake on Saturday and Tyson's is at 4pm vs. Bellevue location TBD. We would LOVE friends and family to come cheer on the Kangs if you can! What an amazing season for the boys! Tons of fun for Justin and I too.

Honey Bee Baby...

2009-11-04T08:20:00.000-08:00

On Halloween we had football for both boys, so naturally Izzy was dressed up in her honey bee costume for both games. It certainly kept her warm on such a cool day and she was a big hit with the crowd. Both boys' teams made it to the playoffs...Tyson's team is still undefeated and Isaiah's team came in first place for the regular season and going strong. This Saturday marks the semi finals for both teams. If we win, then we move on to the finals! SO exciting for both boys. Our family LOVES football! After football, Isaiah (who was an alien) had a couple friends over to trick or treat and Tyson being 13 now headed off to a friends house to hang out. 13? I know! Aunt Stacy

Uncle Ty and Katie.Best Friends and Champs...Jake and Tyson

On Friday,we stopped by Justin's work to show off the honey bee. We were able to see Carter and Chloe Thurik dressed as a dalmatian and kitty. Also posed with Uncle Blaise.

Sunday, we visited with Auntie Trina and the girls. Izzy loves Grace and Chloe! They are really great with her too. Too much time had gone by without seeing Auntie Trina and the girls. Soon they will be off to Hawaii were Trina's fiance Justin has been relocated for the Marines. We will miss them SO much, but will have a place to stay in Hawaii when we come to visit this summer!

2009-10-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

What a whirl wind of a month. I can't believe that it is the end of October already. I have been super busy with school conferences and all of us have been sick in some form or another. Before the weather turned poor, we hit Greenlake a couple of times. Greenlake is one of our favorite places to go. Justin and I started going there shortly after we met and it was actually our first "date" with Tyson six years ago! It's been a lot of fun walking around the lake with Izzy. She loves it! We love watching her take EVERYTHING in. Roy LOVES Greenlake too. He gets to go swimming, which is his favorite thing to do. Not sure if we will get anymore Greenlake days in now that the weather is cold and wet.

Here are some random shots of Izzy that I just couldn't resist posting. She is so cute and a ton of fun! She is such a easy going baby. She has been extra cuddly since she has been sick...she isn't much of a cuddler normally. She is too busy experiencing everything else. I'm trying to soak up all that cuddle time while I can! Izzy found her feet and of course loves them! They are in her mouth more than her hands. I guess now is the only time that is acceptable...get those toes Izzy! We had her 4 month check up today and she weighs 14 obs. 11.5oz (75-90%), 25inches long (75-90%) and her head circumference is 41.2cm (50-75%). She is growing very nicely. She is getting stronger and stronger each day. I swear she changes each day too. Such a love bug.

Pouty face...melts my heart.

Justin called me upstairs...Izzy was watching Sesame Street. Zoned in! So cute.

Auntie Dett- My Big Sis in my sorority came to visit.

Tala's best friend got married the day after Trey was born. Tala was her maid of honor and was not able to go to the wedding. We went to represent. Jo was a stunning bride. I cried when I saw her she was that beautiful. Izzy's first formal function. Grandma of course outfitted her in an adorable pink dress. She had patten leather shoes too. Izzy is fascinated by Justin right now! I love watching them interact. She can't get enough of him!

We headed to Portland to visit Tala and meet Trey. He is so adorable and slept through the night a few times! I can't believe it! Of course Izzy was out of sorts being away from home, so she was up every 3 hours each night. It was like I had the newborn instead of Tala. Aunt Sarah was in town too! Always fun times when the three of us girls get to be together.

Wearing her witch Halloween socks and bib...Thanks Grandma! I swear every outfit she is in is from Grandma! SO SPOILED!

AHHHH! At last I hold my nephew!

The ever expanding Larson clan...when will Sarah join us???? :)

Cousins. Trey is very big by the way. He weighed 9.3 at birth. His hands and feet are bigger than Izzy's!

Grandpa

Auntie Megs- My Little Sis in my sorority and Tala's best friend was down in Portland with us. She is very good with both babies!

Sleeping momma. Snuggle time. I miss those days!

Introducing Trey Eldon Jones...

2009-10-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Tala delivered Trey Eldon Jones, a healthy baby boy via cesarean today at 11:55am. He weighed in at 9 pounds 3 ounces and is 20 inches long! What is with us Larson girls having such BIG babies? I think Sarah is scared out of her wits to have a baby now after seeing what we can produce! Tala, Trey, and Brian are all doing great. They all three are falling madly in love with each other. Tala and Brian are amazing parents! I'll leave the details of the labor up to Tala to share. I think she may be starting a blog.... what a great first post it will be!

New Tala Update...

2009-10-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

Tala is still in labor...last I heard she was only dilated to 2 and 85% effaced. They had given her pitocin this evening to speed things up, but no such luck. They have slowed down on things to give Tala a break. They will start back up with drugs again at midnight. Oh boy oh boy...come on Trey!!!s

Almost forgot...I'm still in Seattle. :( The hospital will only allow two people to be visitors of Tala's. That means her husband and my mom. I guess they are taking precautions with H1N1 going around. We are headed down tomorrow evening and will wait for her to come home. So bummed. I guess it is best though. I'm sure she is absolutely exhausted and the quieter the better.

Tala update

2009-10-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

Tala's water broke at 6:30 this morning!!! Izzy and I are headed down after school today!!! I'll post again soon! Pray for a smooth delivery and a healthy momma and baby.

Giggles

2009-09-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

I got Izzy to giggle (if that is what you call them) several times in a row, but only if I said a magic word...

It doesn't get easier...

2009-09-22T20:37:00.001-07:00

I've been back to work now for three weeks and it is getting harder and harder to leave Izzy. I thought it would get better. The first week I was sad...the second week I cried in the car on the way to school... the third week I quietly cried in the dark on Sunday night as I talked about it with my husband. What will week 4 bring? Izzy is changing so fast and I wish I could be with her ALL the time. I know it is healthy for both of us to be apart...and really I can't complain because I work part time. Plus she is in the best hands next to her momma and daddy with Grandma Meredie, Grandma Donna, and Aunt Lori. However I can be selfish right? You never can anticipate the love you will have for your children.

Happy Birthday Papa Jim!

2009-09-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Justin's step-dad's birthday was on Saturday. We had the family over for a BBQ to celebrate Jim's 69th birthday on Sunday and had a great time! Happy Birthday Papa Jim! We love you...

Papa Jim and his two grand-daughters: Gianna 3, Isabella 3months

Izzy was facinated by the cake! Hmmm...sweet tooth in her future?

Where does the time go?

2009-09-19T15:26:00.001-07:00

So much has happened since my last posting. I feel like I have no time to post too! I need to be better at this!!! Both of my sisters came into town last weekend for Tala's baby shower. Like always it was great seeing them...maybe even more so now that I can watch them interact with Izzy. Pretty amazing! I'm so excited for Tala to have Trey! Not much longer! I plan on taking off a week of work to go down and see him and help out.

Izzy had her first ferry ride to Poulsbo a couple of weekends ago. My mom, aunt Sandy, and grandma, Izzy and I went to Poulsbo to the famous Scandinavian bakery there. Yummmm they had so many goodies. I picked up some Leafs of course to take home. They actually make the bread Poulsbo that we buy from the grocery stores. Had no idea until we went into the bakery and saw the bread. My mom more pictures, when I get them I'll post them.

We have Izzy on a schedule now. When I went back to work she started waking up every two hours again and nursing for such a long time!! We give her a bath starting at 9ish, lotion up with a baby massage and have floor time. Then I nurse her and read to her. It seems to really help get her down. I think she is adjusting now to me working 2-3 days a week. When I come home each night, she does nurse for a long time though. I miss her so much, but I'm thankful that my mom is watching her on Mondays and Tuesdays and Justin's mom and sister every other Wednesday. Plus I'm blessed to only have to work part time. Izzy has rolled over from tummy to back twice now. I think it is total accident, but still very exciting! She loves her baths and the TV of all things! She is really starting to grab at her toys and have an interest in them. She actually has an interest in everything around her. I love seeing her take in new environments. We are concerned that Izzy may have acid reflux. She spits up all day long and it is the curdle kind. Not fun!

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks.

Aunt Sarah and Izzy in coug attire watching big bro Tyson play football.

Grandpa and Izzy.

bath time

watching TV with dad

talking to cousin Gianna

Roy giving some love to G!

Wild and crazy hair day!!

I survived...

2009-09-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Yes...I survived my first day back teaching away from Izzy. It was really hard to leave her this morning, but I was okay once I got to school. Izzy spent the day with my best friend Trina who is also a teacher, but on strike right now in Kent and her two awesome girls Chloe (9) and Gracie (5). Little Izzy had a blast with the girls and had a great day! WHEW...makes me feel so much better! The only hiccup in the day was that I forgot the all the attachments to the breast pump at home, so I was HURTING all day! I won't do that again!

Last Friday Izzy found her thumb! It was so cute... I was driving home from Seattle and she kicked her blanket and Binky off of her so I couldn't reach back and help her. She was rubbing her face and sucking on her hands while grunting and all of a sudden she was quiet. I looked back and she had her thumb in her mouth. She does it a lot now. Looks like I may have a thumb sucker on my hands. Hopefully it won't be hard to break her of it when she is older, but for now I'm all for it if she can soothe herself!

We traveled down to Oregon so Tyson could do some birthday shopping (he turned 13 yesterday!) and to visit Aunt Tala and Uncle Brian. This was Brian's first time meeting Izzy. He hasn't been able to get up to Seattle due to work and a ton of weddings that he has been in. Izzy loved her Uncle Brian and we loved seeing them. Hopefully they will move home soon! Both of them said it is in their future!!!!!!!

Mom and Dad having fun while shopping in Portland! Sorry Izzy!

Playing with Dad

2 month wellness check up

2009-08-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today we had Izzy's checkup and once again the doctor was VERY impressed with Izzy's strength! Justin and are such proud parents! She is weighing in at 12lbs. 1.5oz. in the 75-90% and length is 24 1/2 inches in the 95%. Her head circumference is 39 cm in the 50-75%. The doctor said she has the average size and strength of a four month old... those extra days inside me did her well I guess. She had lots of vaccinations as well today. One orally and one in each leg. She was a trooper and only cried for about 20 seconds after the shots. She is very sleepy now swinging away in her swing. I think I'll take this opportunity and take her into school to get some work done. I'll be at school Tuesday-Thursday this week for meetings and trainings and my principal is so kind to let me bring Isabella along! We'll see how it goes.
Awaiting the Doctor.

Growing Like a Weed...

2009-08-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

I realized that I haven't posted updates about my darling Izzy in awhile...

She is getting sooo big! I just can't believe it. I was going through pictures of when she was first born and she looked so small, but at the time she seemed big. Our little "honey baby" is growing so quickly...STOP! :)

Izzy has been smiling at us now for about a month! It melts our hearts and we do anything to get her to smile more! We have captured some smiles on camera although the pictures aren't very good. We need a faster better camera! She is getting stronger too and enjoys sitting in her Bumbo. She is still taking naps in her swing which she loves. I want to start her in her crib soon, but I just love being able to look (stare and get nothing done) at her! I've been putting her in the Bjorn lately because she hasn't been taking as long of naps and I'm able to get some things done. She seems to enjoy it. The other night, she fell asleep in it while I was cooking dinner! It was so cute, but wasn't very comfy for her neck.

We have her 2 mo. check up next Monday so I'll post more about her progress then.

I start school meetings next week and then first day is September 1st. I was ready to get back, but now I wish I didn't have to. Just thinking about being away from her makes me sad. Thankfully I am only part time! My mom will be watching her two days a week and hopefully Justin's mom will watch her on the every other Wednesdays that I teach. In January, we will need to start child care :(. Any good care givers out their that you would recommend?

We went to our friend's the Anderson's last weekend. They have a home about 7 miles outside of Chelan. They have an amazing view of the Columbia River. Of course I forgot my camera. I captured just a couple with my phone.

Football time again...

2009-08-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

The boys start football today. We are all very excited! I love watching the boys play sports and socializing with the other parents. This is Isaiah's first year playing tackle football! I'm a little nervous...it will be fun for him though. Justin is coaching Isaiah's team, so that means not only am I a baseball widow, but a football widow as well. Until games start both boys have practice everyday. Good thing I have Izzy to keep me company!

Kenny Chesney

2009-08-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Justin and I had our first date night since Izzy was born. My mom and sister watched Izzy for us. I was nervous leaving her only because we were going to be gone for 7-8 hours. Plus it was during the evening and that seems to be when Izzy is the most needy. Things went great and everyone survived! Justin and I had such a great time at the concert. Five artist performed and we saw three of them...Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland, and Kenny Chesney. Sugarland was amazing in concert and of course Kenny was too! We had floor tickets, which were cool but at the same time Qwest is huge so we still were a ways back from the stage. Kenny made his entrance on this suspended chair and floated right above us. He is so cute...love him! Right before Kenny came on it was last call for beer so on my out of the bathroom from pumping and dumping, I grabbed us each a beer. When I got back to our seats, Justin had done the same! There was this 25 year old obnoxious girl behind us. I only say obnoxious because she was totally hitting on Justin. Justin being the nice guy he is was clueless to her flirting and was so taking this girl's bait until I told him to stop talking to her! This girl saw that we had extra beers and reached over a took one! How rude!!! She then looked at me and said, "Sorry I took your boyfriend's beer!" with a stupid smile on her face. I then said, "actually he's my husband... and that was my beer." It really was! She then tried to offer us $5 (beers at Qwest cost at least 7.50) which we denied and just let her have our beer. She was with her mom who was so sweet and she kept telling her daughter to give us the beer back. Other than that it was really nice to be "US" again. All my energy and time goes to Isabella, so it felt fantastic to have one on one time as husband and wife again!Aunt Tala and her preggo belly getting some practice in by babysitting Izzy.

Ocean Shores

2009-08-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed to Ocean Shores with my mom, Justin's brother Blaise, our niece Gianna, my brother Ty and his girlfriend Katie. We had quite the crew and had a great time. This was Izzy's first trip and she did fabulous. We packed everything in the house I think. Justin and I had to take both cars just because of all the baby stuff and to get the kids and Roy there too. We love going to the Ocean and have gone every summer since Justin and I have been together. The boys have such a great time and Roy LOVES going too. The weather was overcast and drizzly on Saturday and Sunday... total bummer. I was looking forward to beautiful weather. During the day on Saturday, we hung out at the beach and played in the sand. All the kids built a huge sandcastle. I didn't get a picture but my brother did on his camera. We also broke out the kites. The boys are old enough now to fly them on their own. They are the two string kites that do dips and turns, so they are kind of difficult to fly. Saturday night, we did the big fire down at the beach at had the ultimate smores! Costco sells these candy packs with Hershey bars, Kit Kats, Recess Peanut Butter Cups, etc. so we bought it and tried the different candy on the smores...so yummy and something different! Everyone except Justin, me, the boys, Izzy and Roy left Sunday and we stayed another night. Of course Monday's weather was beautiful and we played on the beach some more. Izzy slept for the majority of the time when we were on the beach. When she was awake, Justin took her out to the water. She had big eyes as she was taking it all in he said. All in all we had a fantastic time and we survived Izzy's first trip. We love going places, so many more to come! The boys buried Gianna in the sand and turned her into a mermaid!

Izzy's 1 month check up

2009-07-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

We had Isabella's 1 mo. doctor appointment yesterday. She is doing great the doctor says. She was very impressed with Izzy's ability to hold her head up and push up with her arms at this age! It was so cute...the dr. put Izzy on her tummy on the table and there is a mirror on the wall next to the table. Izzy was trying to see into the mirror so she was pushing up with much determination! Izzy now weighs in at 10 lbs. 11 oz. which puts her in the 90-95th percentile. She is 22 2/3 long also putting her into the 90-95th percentile. Her head circumference is 15 1/8 in the 75-90th percentile. Our little snuggle bug has started to smile! Yesterday she was full of them. I have yet to capture a smile on camera, but hopefully soon. She is much more aware of things now. She can focus on things and when one of us talks, she can turn her head to find us and look at us. So amazing to watch her grow. It goes so quickly. Last night she had two 3 hour stretches of sleep which was GREAT! Not sure if her hep B shot had anything to do with that. I guess tonight will tell. She has slept in her crib two nights in a row and seems to like it better then the cradle. She just was getting too big for it. Time to pass the cradle on that my grandfather made onto Cousin Trey!

Week of outings...

2009-07-23T09:36:00.001-07:00

I feel like I have been very bad at posting updates! There doesn't seem to be time in the day to do it anymore. Things are going well. Little Izzy has broken out in a bad case of baby acne or heat rash. I feel so bad for her... it will pass though. She has been much more active lately which is really fun for us. She gives little smiles (most likely gas related, but some seem to be for us!) She turned 4 weeks old yesterday and time is flying by. This week Justin and I have stayed pretty busy. We went out to Lucia downtown Kirkland on Sunday night after a long walk along the water. Izzy was not having it! During dinner she was having a fit. Nothing we did could sooth her. Finally once we had the patio to ourselves she calmed down of course! We braved dinner out two more times this week! Tuesday night we went to El T's with my mom and she did so much better. Then last night we met the Thurik's at the Kirkland market and took a stroll down the water to the Beach House restaurant...it's a little fancy for a baby and two 1 year olds! However all three kiddos did great! It has been so nice to get out of the house. I've been feeling much better physically... we have been walking a lot and it feels great. My best friend is getting married in November in Cabo, so I need to get my butt in gear to look "pre-baby" as quick as I can. Although I will never truly have my "pre-baby body" again as you moms out there know. It is worth it though to have Isabella in our lives! This weekend we are venturing out to Ocean Shores! Crazy right? My mom, brother-law, niece Gianna (3), the boys, my brother and his girlfriend are all coming along. We will have lots of hands to help us out! I'm dreading packing though. I have made a list and literally looks like we are packing everything minus the kitchen sink! I'm excited to see what our trip brings and to post pictures of our first family trip with Izzy!

Fourth and First Wellness checkup

2009-07-09T22:28:00.000-07:00

We had a nice fourth of July... Tyson and Justin were in the Kirkland parade with their All Star team. The boys first tournament game is this Saturday at noon at Hidden Valley Park in Bellevue. Should be a good tourney... this team is stellar!

Tyson was on the other side of the float, so I wasn't able to capture a picture of him...stinker!

Grandma and Izzy

Grandpa and Izzy

Monday Izzy had her first doctor's appointment. She was such a good girl! The doctor was checking her out and she was just hanging out. When the nurse pricked her heal for blood she didn't even cry! We were so proud of her. She has gained all but 1 ounce of her birth weight back. We have one healthy little girl on our hands.

Izzy Rae 2 weeks old

1 week under our belts...

2009-07-03T23:05:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow marks our first week home from the hospital. We have had a great week. Izzy is good eater and sleeper. We are up usually at 2ish and 5ish in the morning, but she goes right back to sleep. We are so in love with her it is insane. I would hear all the time pre Izzy how crazy in love parents become with their babies. It is so true. With all of this love comes a ton of emotions. I'm on cloud nine at times and then crying for no reason. It is uncontrollable. I think I cry because I have so much love for Izzy and an even deeper love for Justin. My emotions have been taken to a whole new level. I still can't believe this is my life now. It seems so surreal that Izzy was inside of me for nine months and now she is living and breathing outside of me. I just adore her. Both of my sisters were in town last weekend to meet Izzy. It was really nice having them here. I miss them a ton. They both were amazing with Izzy. It was neat to see them interact with her. It has also been nice having my mom so close to us now (.5 miles away). Izzy had two projectile vomits yesterday, which I balled my eyes out and she was totally fine. I called up mom and she was over so fast to comfort her grown daughter! We always need our moms right? Justin has been fantastic with Izzy. He is an amazing father! I'm excited to watch their relationship grow. For now however, I'm focusing on being in the present and soaking in every bit of Isabella!

Coming home...in Seahawk attire of course!Proud PapaAuntie SarahAuntie Tala

Our little burrito!

Isabella Rae Andrews

2009-06-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

My two girls...

(posted by Juice Juicerson)

Today, I am the happiest and proudest daddy/husband in the world! I have a beautiful perfect baby girl and the most amazing wife (and warrior) in the world. Yesterday was a different story.

The night before, we stayed up kind of late watching a movie. We didn't get to sleep until about 1:00 AM. At 2:45, Jess's water broke. We grabbed our stuff (Jess was packed--I was not). We arrived at Evergreen about 3:10 AM. Jess was dilated about 4 cm.

Aside from our doctor and team of nurses, we also had our team of friends and family here supporting us. At any given time there were no less than a dozen people here (we tend to roll with big crowds). For whatever reason, we were all given the idea that we would be delivering at about noon.

By around 10 AM, she was fully ready. At that time we began pushing--several hours hours later and zero progress, we elected to go with plan B.

At about 4:30 PM after 6 1/2 long hours of intense pushing, gnarly contractions, and everything else we arrived at the ER for a C section. There was some trouble with the anesthesia and Jess was administered a general--completely knocking here out. I wish I could say that I felt confident and comfortable with everything, but that was not the case. To be honest, I don't think I have ever been so scared in my life. It is very hard watching someone you care so much about go through something like that and not having any ability to help. All I could do was hold her hand. And then...

At 6:17 PM Izzy was taken out and handed to a team of NICU doctors. I stayed with mom as long I could. After several minutes the doctors asked me if I wanted to hold my daughter. I reluctantly agreed. I admittedly was a little torn between mom and baby. It took all about 5 seconds, once I looked that little girl in the face, I was done. She was mine and I hers.

Mom was sewn up nicely and returned back to our room about an hour and a half later. Fortunately, everything went well. Baby and mom are both healthy. Mom is recovering and Izzy is absolutely perfect in every way (yes, she's already got me wrapped). I guess all's well that ends well...

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and well wishes. We all appreciate you love and support.

Final Stats

Name: Isabella Rae Andrews

Sex: Female

DOB: June 24, 2009

Time of birth: 6:17 PM

Length: 21.65 inches

Weight: 9.5 pounds (yes she's a biggin)

-Juice

Busy month...no baby yet.

2009-06-17T14:37:00.001-07:00

We have had quite the month...baseball, my brother's high school graduation and getting things ready for the baby.

Tyson and Justin's team came in first place for the playoffs for Kirkland American Little League Major's! It was very exciting and a huge accomplishment for both. We then went on to play for the Kirkland City Championship against Kirkland National Little League, but unfortunately we did not win this game. So, baseball is officially over for the regular season. My boys however love baseball so much! Justin is coaching the All Star team and Tyson is playing on it. Practices start today and the tournaments start mid July. Along with All Star games, Tyson plays for the Kirkland Knights (select team in the summer). They have a tournament coming up in Moses Lake soon, but Justin and I will not be going since we will have newborn. As much as I dislike how time consuming baseball is for my family, I absolutely love watching Tyson play and Justin coach. Justin is an amazing coach. He really connects to the boys and inspires them to be great ball players and people. It is cool to see the kids look up to him.

Ty graduated high school last Saturday! I can't believe he is done with high school. We are SO proud of him. He has really busted his buns the last couple of years to graduate on time. He is so grown up and has turned into a gentleman! I can't wait to see what he does in the future with his life. He has a very talented entrepreneur mind. Way to go Ty!

Tyson also had his 6th grade promotion. He is now moving on to Kirkland Junior High! Cannot believe how fast time has gone. He was just starting first grade when I met him. His teacher for the past two years have been Brady Howden. Tyson has been so fortunate to have a teacher like Mr. Howden. We have seen Tyson soar to success in his class!

We also celebrated Tala's 27th birthday and gave Isaiah a mullet! Just kidding...we took pictures partway through the hair cut. He now has a buzz cut and looks adorable!

As far as baby news...there is none! I'm so bummed. I was hoping to have Izzy by now. Sarah and Tala are both coming up this weekend and it would be nice to have Izzy. Otherwise I don't know when Sarah will be back up to visit. I've been trying everything in the book for inducing labor naturally! Any ideas for me moms out there? I've tried walking, bouncing on an exercise ball, reflexology, pedicures, red leaf tea, spicy foods, and the act that got us here in the first place! I'm dilated to a 1 on the inside of my cervix and a 2 on the outside. SLOWLY getting there. My cervix is still high and set back. :( If I don't deliver by next Monday, we will have the conversation about inducing within 1-1 1/2 weeks. I asked if we could induce on Monday, but my doc advised against it since most first time moms who do elective inductions end up with a c-section. Send positive thoughts my way!!!!

She doesn't even look pregnant when she stands next to gigantic ME!

Heat Stroke?

2009-06-02T18:36:00.000-07:00

It is so hot today. It has to be in the 90's. I am busy working away on my Professional Certification that ends Thursday...thank God! I am so over heated my hands and feet are so swollen they are unrecognizable and I've changed my clothes three times! My first outfit was capri jeans, tank and cute shirt over that. Outfit number 2...I swapped the capri jeans for my husbands basketball shorts. Outfit number 3... bikini top and skirt. HA! So attractive when your 9 months pregnant right? Hope everyone else is staying cool! After I'm done with all of this Pro Cert stuff I'll be hanging out at the Thurik's were there is Air Conditioning!!!!! :)

What we have been up to...

2009-06-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind of a month! I had my girlfriends shower hosted by Trina and Katie and we had a co-ed shower hosted by Katie & Jerame and Beth & Jason. They both were a blast. We have the greatest friends. The co-ed shower was fun to see how the guys reacted to baby stuff! They were all pretty cute about it. Justin was excited that he had the chance to open some of our gifts! Here are some fun pictures from the showers.

Cheers to K & J!

Katie made this adorable diaper cake for my girlfriends shower! We didn't have any posed group picture shots...too busy chatting!

More to come on our busy month of May!

36 Week Update

2009-05-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

I had my 36 week checkup today. I am dilated to 1cm and Izzy is dropping. I've had terrible cramping down low all day. The Dr. says it is Braxton Hicks. I didn't think they could be so low and uncomfortable. Things are moving along! I can't wait to hold Izzy! I have Izzy's bag packed for the hospital and the car seat in the car ready for a baby...now I just need to get my bag packed. If I could just be done with my Professional Certification!!!! Just one more week...I can do it! Right?
Here is the belly shot. So BIG!!! I'm so stretched you can see my veins. Yes...those are my husbands pants. I love wearing his clothes right now. They are the only thing comfortable.

I've had an amazing couple of weekends filled with showers, Justin and Isaiah's birthdays, baseball tournament, and the dog park! I will post pictures and details soon.

Life update

2009-05-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

I've been so awful about keeping up on the blog due to the many balls I'm juggling in my life right now. The biggest stress is that my Professional Certification for teaching is wrapping up. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, it is basically proving that I'm eligible to continue teaching by meeting the state standards. So complicated and I don't want to bore you, but it has been consuming my thoughts which is so sad because Izzy should be consuming my thoughts. I finish with my Professional Certification on June 4th, but I present on May 28th to a group of principals, my instructor, and some classmates...Yikes! I keep telling myself that everything will get done just like it always does. Hopefully Isabella stays content until the 5th of June. Then we can go into labor! Everyone seems to think that I will go early. My official due date from the Doctor is June 22nd, but my 32 week appointment I was measuring a week ahead (just like I always thought). Then I had my 34 week appointment yesterday and she said I'm measuring on track!? I don't know. I guess time will tell. I have been so uncomfortable lately. Feet and hands get swollen all the time. I'm no longer able to wear my wedding rings. Justin had to pry them off the other day. I feel like I'm a house and my best friend is the porcelain goddess. On a better note, my kindergarten team gave a shower for me and my other team member Kirsten on Friday. We had a great time. Diane and Lori know how to throw a party. They are masters! On Saturday was my family shower thrown by my mom, sisters, and aunts. It also turned out so cute. It was a jungle theme to go along with our monkey hanging in our nursery and some of the things we registered for. Both of my sisters were up for the weekend. We also had a ton of fun. It was so nice to be together. Next time they see me Izzy will be here! Mother's day was nice. We spent the morning helping my mom move just down the street from me! I am super excited that she is so close. Later in the evening, we had Justin's family and mine over for dinner. It was such a great weekend and now we are back to the grind. I am very excited for this weekend. Our very close friends Jason and Beth and Jerame and Katie are throwing us a couples shower on Saturday. Should be a blast. Justin is VERY excited! It so cute! All of his best buddies will be there. Then on Sunday, my best friends Katie and Trina are hosting my girlfriends shower! Isabella is SPOILED already! Here are some pictures of last weekend...

Kindergarten Team: Lori, Kirsten, Me, Diane

Grandma's to be

Sarah, mom, Tala, Me, Farrah, Jaymee, Camille, Aunt Michelle

Aunt Sandy, Grandma, mom, me, Sarah, Tala, Alli, Aunt Polly

To Be Mamas...Tala (18weeks) and Me (34weeks)

Mom and all her kids...we look so tired from moving earlier in the day.

Roy, me, Justin

Roy rolled in the pollen and petals...I'm glad he is black so I can tell just how dirty he is!

Isabella's nursery

2009-04-26T20:08:00.001-07:00

I have finally completed Izzy's room...well 98% complete. I still want to get a rug and have a couple things to hang on the wall. I spent all weekend recovering the glider, ottoman, and pillows. I loved how it turned out. Everything goes really well together. Next step...wash all the clothers and organize the closet! I can't believe we are so close to the end. I have my 32 week check up tomorrow and I start going to the OB every two weeks. I've been having a bad case of body image in the mornings when I try to find something to wear. Anyone else have/had that issue? I just feel huge. Even some of my maternity clothes are getting to be too small. YIKES! To go along with that, two weeks ago my right hip was out of place. It felt like I needed to pop it back into place. It popped a few times, but was never satisfying. It became increasingly worse and would actually lock up on me and I would loose all control in my right leg. I actually fell in the parking lot of school when I tried to shut my trunk. I fell back on my bum and didn't get hurt thankfully. Now I seem to be fine. Things have moved back into place. My body is preparing to push out this baby juicerson! OH BROTHER!!!

Tis the season...for BASEBALL!

2009-04-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend was filled with baseball. Friday night, we took the boys to the M's game along with Justin's brother Blaise and our neice Gianna. We had a great time. Most times the boys start to get really antsy and want to leave early, so we figured it would be an early night but Gianna (3) and the boys were awesome. We did end up leaving after the 7th inning stretch. I think we the parents were the tired ones!

Griffey at bat.

Two goofballs! They adore each other and it is so cute to watch!

Saturday started off with Isaiah's first game. Unfortunately the other team had a mix up and ended up not showing. So the Rockhounds (Isaiah's team) had a scrimmage against themselves. Isaiah had an awesome at bat and made it all around the bases safely! Tyson was next up for game time. His team 10 runned the other team with a very close call in the thrid inning. The first inning, we had 5 runs! Tyson was 2nd at bat and hit a nice one just past short stop. In the 3rd inning, the opposing team got 5 runs...we were nervous about loosing the lead but the boys stepped it up and closed down the game early in the 5th inning with the 10 run lead. Ending score 16-5! The Red Sox are number one still and are rocking with a 5-1 record! Way to go Red Sox!

Isaiah smacking the ball.

Tyson on the go!

In between games, my dad came over to help hang the curtains and shelf for me in the nursery! We are all set except I still need to find fabric to recover the glider cushions. I'm having a hard time with it. I wanted to post pictures when it was all complete, but I just might need to bite the bullet and post the pictures without the new covers for the glider...maybe later this week!

Enjoy the beautiful day!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T11:35:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice Easter! Tala and Brian came up this weekend and like always it was so nice to have them here. I'm so sad they left. Saturday my family and I went to Tyson's baseball game. Yes it is that time again! So far, they have 5 wins and 1 loss. Tyson is doing really well. He plays second base and his fielding is amazing. Rarely does a ball get by him. His confidence at bat is definitely there this year too! It is very entertaining to watch the 12 year olds play ball...much more fun than the pros. After baseball, my family came over for a BBQ and games to celebrate Easter. Meghan was there too! It was great to see her and hang out. She brought her dog Chopper (bull dog) over and Tala had her dog Cali (Jack Russell/Chihuahua), plus my mom and dad's dog Scout (Jack Russell) and Roy. The dogs were so tuckered by the end of the night. We had quite a few laughs at them. Roy taught all of them how to hump each other... for those of you who don't know Roy we think he likes boys over girls! He tends to leave the girls alone. :) Poor Chopper who had his first experience with this. HA! Sunday morning my family was over again for a brunch and then Justin and I headed to his parents house for games and dinner.

Today marks my 30 weeks! I can't believe I'm almost there. Things are getting more uncomfortable. Just simply getting up off the coach takes a ton of effort and usually involves some grunting! Teaching kindergartners also has become challenging. I have to move a lot from child to child and I'm up and down a ton to get on their level. I was getting the tightness in the tummy again each day I taught last week. Friday I tried sitting as much as I could and had the children come to me. Still a challenge, because they still need a lot of guidance from me. I got my test results back from the Glucose testing and I'm "on the edge". I tested at 131 and they don't like to see anyone above 130. Since Diabetes does not run in my family, they are not too concerned. They also found that I'm slightly anemic. So with all of this news, I need to really focus on my diet and make sure I'm cutting sugar and adding iron. No more cupcakes for me!

Family Brunch

2009-04-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to Trilogy Golf Course were Justin's parents live and had a little Easter Brunch. Justin's whole family was there except his oldest brother Gary and nephew Chris who live in California. We were missing Papa Jim's children as well. It was such a beautiful day and really nice to be all together! Justin's mom DonnaCousins: Tyson 12, Gianna 3, Isaiah 8Big Brother in training!The family: Lori, Wesley, Grandma Donna, Justin, Me, Isaiah, Papa Jim, Blaise, Gianna, and Tyson.Going for the grab...

Success!!!

Priceless...

Roy and Zeek

2009-04-03T15:05:00.001-07:00

Katie and the twins came over the other day and Isaiah was soooo excited! It was so cute. He is so excited to be a big brother and very interested in babies. I can't believe how big Carter and Chloe are getting. Time flies by. Roy was so gentle with Carter and Chloe too. It was adorable. I think he gave Chloe a bath with kisses, but other than that he did great and also was very interested. I can't wait to see how both boys will be with Izzy! Later that day, Roy and Isaiah were cuddling on the couch together. Isaiah is really good with all animals and Roy gravitates to him. Of course a few moments later, Roy is sleeping under blankets like a child. I swear he thinks he is human. I love him though! Such a great, loving, and gentle dog! So I'm nearing the end of my 28th week and am officially in my third trimester. Tuesday night I started to feel a ton of tightness and pains in my belly. Throughout the week, I've noticed at night and if I'm up doing anything besides sitting I get really tight and have more uncomfortable pains. I called the doctor today and she told me to take it easy and drink lots of water. She thinks I'm a bit dehydrated, which is most likely the case...I've never been a very good water drinker. Time to step it up! I have my appointment on Tuesday, so I'll be monitoring until then. Stay tuned for nursery pictures!

It's in the water...

2009-03-27T07:44:00.001-07:00

There are three of us at school pregnant and all due within a few weeks of each other! This picture was taken two weeks ago today. (left to right) Kirsten is due July 10th, Anna is due July 5th, and then I'm due June 22nd. Both Anna and Kirsten are having boys! Our lunch conversations have been real interesting ever since we all announced we are preggers! I'm so glad to be pregnant at the same time as so many friends!!!

A cousin for Isabella!

2009-03-22T19:05:00.001-07:00

My little sister is pregnant! We are thrilled for Tala and Brian. It is so exciting to know that our children will be so close in age. Our family gatherings will be so much more fun! Tala is 11 weeks along. She had her first ultrasound last Wednesday and everything was great! She has been feeling terrible however...poor thing. Like me, she cannot stand the smell of garlic and she is craving sweets! HMMMM...a girl? Who knows! My whole family is leaning towards a boy. Time will reveal! Tala and Brian are due October 14th! It has been fun talking to Tala and giving her advice on her pregnancy. Most of all, I enjoy our "pregnancy moments" that we have together, like forgetting mid sentence what we were even saying, having emotional ups and downs, etc.... Tala and Brian are looking for a "gently used crib" if anyone knows of someone who is no longer in need of one!! Congratulations Tala and Brian!!!!

Hawaiian Babymoon

2009-03-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Justin and I were spent 9 days, 8 nights on Oahu last week. It was so relaxing to be away from the hustle and bustle. This will be our last trip until Izzy arrives. The weather was so so. Most days were cloudy with sun breaks, which still wasn't bad. We only had one day of down pour and drizzle. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village at the end of Waikiki, so we were able to walk into town and do a little shopping. I would say we walked 3-4 miles a day. It felt so good! The first night there, I dropped our new camera in the case and shattered the screen. I was so bummed, but luckily we had our camcorder that has a picture feature!

View from our room.

Belly shots.

We rented a car and ventured to the northshore beach one day. The waves are much bigger on the northshore and you get a more local feeling than tourist which Justin and I both love. On the way there we stopped by the DOLE plantation and had a very yummy lunch and pineapple ice cream! YUM!

Northshore beach during the mid afternoon.
Northshore beach a little farther down the road at sunset. The waves were gigantic!

Northshore sunset.

Another day, we flew to Hawaii for a day trip. Our trip to was much different than what we expected. We have been to Maui and Oahu before, so thought an island that neither one of us has seen before would be fun. Not much to see there in Hilo...infact I felt like I was in Aberdeen! We couldn't find a cute restaurant or anything. Our highlights to the Big Island were driving down the coast to a small hick town, hiking the Kilauea Iki at the Volcanoes National Park, and seeing the Rainbow Falls. The Kilauea Iki hike was 4 miles, it descends 400 ft. through a native rain forest and into a crater where we walked across the frozen lava lake from the 1959 eruption. Then we had to hike back to the top! I was so proud of myself!!! Of course we took it slow and stopped several times so that I wouldn't over do it. As we were about to head back to the airport to catch our flight to Hawaii, I couldn't find my passport! The tickets were under my maiden name, so I had to use my passport to fly. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to get back. Luckily I had kept my old driver's license with my maiden name on it! Whew! The only bummer about my passport is that it had my St. Lucia stamp from our wedding. I cried over it...those darn hormones!

Start of the hike in the rain forest.

Peek at what was to come...the frozen lava lake! That is what we crossed over! It was huge! Justin near a steam hole on the frozen lava lake.
Climbing out of the crater.
A look back at what we just hiked! We started clear across the other side on the top!

The end is near!!!!
Rainbow Falls.

So a very nice woman offered to take our picture with the waterfall behind us. She was definitely on something by her shakiness (hence the fuzzy picture :( ) and the way she was talking and moving about. I seriously thought she was going to drop our camcorder! Thank God she didn't!

Isabella Rae (Izzy)

2009-02-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

Finally got to a scanner! Here are the January u/s pics at 20 weeks of our little Izzy.

The strip of three are a bit scary! She kind of looks like an alien. :) When we were still in the u/s room after finding out it was a girl, Justin was super quiet. I thought maybe he was nervous about having a little girl after growing up with all boys and then raising boys. I asked if he was okay and his response was..."I'm a little concerned that she looks like an alien." HA! I giggled at that. Not the most flattering pictures of Izzy! Today marks my 22 week and 4 day! Our baby girl weighs about 1lbs and is about 8 inches long...think about the size of a small doll! I can't believe it. Time is going by so quickly. She can hear our voices this week and her other senses have developed too! Last night I think I felt her hiccup for the first time. It was pretty crazy whatever it was... consecutive thumps! I've been feeling great. Just a little slower and a bit more uncomfortable. My mom is coming over tomorrow to help paint the nursery. I can't wait to have it all done. Hopefully we can set up the crib on Sunday and then I can start adding all the decorative touches!

21 Weeks and 5 Days

2009-02-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today marks the 21st week 5th day and I'm feeling great! The only thing is my feet are starting to hurt and swell. I've also been tossing and turning trying to get comfy when I sleep. Besides that... I'm really starting to enjoy pregnancy and I love watching my tummy grow! The baby is moving around quite a bit now and sometimes I can see my tummy jump.
This weekend we are getting the crib and changing table! I am so excited...it's like Christmas for a child! We are also going to start our registry tomorrow as part of our valentine date night. So romantic I know. I'm really looking forward to spending some one on one time with Justin tomorrow. He has been out of town every week since the beginning of January. Thankfully his trip next week is just overnight!

Pink or Blue?

2009-02-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

PINK!!!! We are having a girl! We are so excited...that little girl is going to have Justin and her brothers wrapped around her finger! I'm so excited now to move forward with nursery plans. Our family is in for shock with a girl! We are so use to boy things that this is going to be a ton of fun.

Things went well in the ultrasound. Everything is on track and looking good. The due date remains the same. I'll post the pictures when I can get to a scanner!

19 week belly shots

2009-01-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

So it seems as if I popped out over night and each day I feel a bit bigger. It is so exciting to watch my belly grow. My favorite part about being pregnant is feeling the baby! The movements are getting stronger each day and I am so amazed by the feeling and thought of a human growing inside of me. I am so excited to meet him or her! Justin is able to feel the baby slightly too, which is fun for us both to experience together. Along with my belly and baby growing, so have my hips. The other morning I woke up and felt like a baseball bat was taken to my hips. On the positive side, I think I've hit my plateau for growing in other places besides the belly...knock on wood!!! We find out on Monday what we are having! Stay tuned...

Vegas Baby

2009-01-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

I just returned home from a quick weekend getaway in Vegas. Justin is staying for business until Wednesday. It was quite a different experience going to Vegas pregnant. It was actually really nice waking up every morning feeling normal! We arrived Friday night and went out to dinner with my sister, Sarah, who lives in Vegas. We ate at Tao at the Venetian. It was a fun experience. I did a lot of people watching... Vegas nightlife is very entertaining! Saturday we went to the new mall...I can't remember what it is called, but it was really nice. It reminded me of an outdoor mall in LA that Sarah and I went to back in May. Can't remember the name of that mall either! We also went to the Tropicana and saw a comedy show. It was hilarious and we had a great time. To end our Saturday night, we went to Paris and had crepes!!! Oh my goodness they were sooo good! On Sunday, we walked around the strip for awhile being tourists before I had to catch my flight back to Seattle. The weather was around 64, the perfect weather for t-shirt and jeans! It was really nice to feel the sun! I felt huge all weekend. I'm at that stage where I look fat or pregnant and the judgment is in the eyes of the beholder. It was so wonderful seeing my sister. It will probably be the last time until the baby is born. :(

I finally scanned my last ultrasound pictures from December and posted them below! So I thought I was one week ahead, but I had my regular checkup and my doctor said that my due date has not changed. So, June 22nd is the due date and I am back to being one week behind what I thought. It really doesn't matter now. As long as our baby is healthy. Because I'm pushed back a week, our 20 week ultrasound won't happen until the first week in February. We are getting so anxious to find out what we are having! I've been feeling a lot of little movements! It is so amazing! I stop in my tracks every time to see if the baby will move again. I spent my morning reorganizing my closet and making room for all of the maternity clothes that friends have graciously let me borrow! It is really depressing not being able to fit into your clothes anymore and it all happened so fast.

This is my favorite picture! The abdomen and little legs. So adorable!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T12:14:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! We had a pretty low key evening. The Graham family came over along with our friend Amy. We had a nice suprise visit by Katie and Jerame right before the new year rang in. The boys lit off fire works of course. We played a few games as well. Our tradition every year is to eat chinese food on New Years Eve. Justin has had that tradition since he can remember. It's a fun tradition to do.

We are excited for 2009! Lots of excitement heading our way... we will be able to find out the sex of our baby near the end of the month! I'm so excited to start decorating the nursery. Can't wait!!!! Tyson and Justin will be back into the full swing of baseball starting in February. That should be fun sitting on bleachers in my 3rd trimester! I'll probably need to bring my own folding chair. I'm really looking forward to the boys playing ball again. Tyson's team is so competitive with a lot of action usually. Isaiah's team is still learning the game, but in a year or so the competitive spirits will come alive! Also in 2009, I'm praying for my little sister Tala and her husband Brian to move home...hint, hint! I know they want to, I'm just excited for it to happen. :)

Many blessings to everyone this new year! We hope that you have a happy, successful, filled with love year!

Okay, here it finally is...the belly shot at 16weeks!

Back to blogging...

2008-12-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

Yay! We got a camera for Christmas!!! Finally I can start posting pictures again. My ultrasound went well two weeks ago. The baby was super active in there...hmmm maybe like dad! It was really fun to watch. We were in awe! The little hand went across the screen and we could see all of the fingers and bones. It was so amazing. The baby was stretching out a lot too which was super cute. I'll post the pictures when I can get to a scanner. We were unable to tell what the sex is with all the movement. Our next ultrasound will be at the end of January. Hopefully we will find out then if the baby lets us. I'm farther along than what they originally thought too. I am 16w and 2d today! Time seems to be going quicker now.

We had a nice Christmas. It was low key. My sister Sarah was up from LA which was really nice to see her. Tala and Brian weren't able to come up because of all the weather. We have been laying low and catching movies here and there. We went and saw Marley and Me. Loved it! If you are a dog owner it is a must see. We had many connections to the movie. It made us appreciate Roy even more than we do. Other things we have been up too...

My niece Gianna turned 3 yesterday! We went out to dinner to celebrate and then to Cold Stone Ice cream for dessert. She is such a cutie! We bought her a barbie and a baby doll. Girls are so much fun to buy for!

Today Katie and the babies and Trina and the girls came over for lunch. The boys were out numbered for once in my house today! They left to run errands while the girls and Carter hung out for some well needed girl time!

I have turned a corner!

2008-12-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

That's right! I am feeling so much better. It is amazing how I have somewhat forgotten what morning sickness was like already! I had my 13 week appointment on Friday where I heard the heart beat. It was so amazing! Now I really feel pregnant. I have an ultra sound scheduled for 6:50am on Tuesday. Justin wasn't too happy to hear the what time we have to get up, but we are both excited to see our baby again. I'm anxious to see if the baby is still a week behind what I thought. I'll keep you posted! We might be able to find out the sex too! If we can, we will have them write it down in a card and we will open it on Christmas morning. It is still early, so who knows what we will or won't see! I'm starting to show a bit. Looks like I have a beer belly. Ha! I'm still able to fit into my jeans, however I'm not very comfortable. I look like I have a muffin top because my jeans are so tight...oh well! It is all worth it. I do have the Bella Band, so I can unbutton the top of my jeans for some relief! I'll post a picture soon of my growing tummy. I'm hoping Santa will bring me a new camera!!! My camera is 5 years old and isn't taking very good pictures. Plus, I still can't find my camera cord.

This weekend, my sister turns 30 and my brother turns 18! Two memorable and specials years for them. It will be a great weekend...both of my sisters will be in town! I'm so excited!!! I miss them. It isn't very often where my whole family is together at once. Cannot wait! Friday we are having dinner to celebrate Ty and Sarah's birthdays, then on Saturday we have our Hiatt family Christmas party on my mom's side. We have a very large family and always have a ton of fun.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

We started our Thanksgiving festivities by heading out to Pub 85 In Kirkland on Wednesday to see some friends. We ended up having a great time. I was finally feeling better, so I hung out the whole night and was the DD!

On Thanksgiving day, we headed to my parents house. Justin's family was there too. It was nice to have both of our families under one roof to celebrate! We had many great conversations from politics to Colon cleansing! Tala and Brian were in town with their dog Cali too! Grandma Hiatt came over as well. Both my family and Justin's love to play games, so we played chicken foot dominoes and Justin and I came in first and second place! WHOOO!

Tala posing with my black lab Roy. Roy is 4 and he has a grey chin already! He is the sweetest dog I've ever known and his fur still feels like a puppy. So adorable! Okay... I may be a bit bias!

I love you Aunt Tala!!!!

Isaiah and Roy cuddling while playing what else...video games.

On Friday, my niece Gianna came over. She will be 3 after Christmas. She was so much fun to have around. I need a little girl around more often!

Gianna LOVES Roy and Roy Loves Gianna! I pulled out a couple of crowns I had in a closet so she could be a princess and she followed Roy around trying to put the crown on him. It was really cute. They just follow each other around and love to cuddle!

Lefsa!

2008-11-21T12:37:00.001-08:00

One night this week I went to my Mom's house and made lefsa with my grandma, mom, and aunts. Lefsa is a Norwegian soft flat bread made from potatos that you cook on a griddle. Typically, I like it rolled up with butter, cinnamon, and sugar...yum. You can buy it in the grocery store too already made and ready to eat! I love it! Making lefsa has been a tradition in our family that I hope to pass on to our little ones. My mom, her two sisters and sister in-law, and mom typically get together to make lefsa right before the holidays. This is my second year helping out. The wine flows (not for me this year :( ) and we usually order pizza. It is so nice to chat and catch up with my family. It is really neat seeing my mom interact with her sisters and mom too. Sisters are the best. If my sisters would ever move home...hint hint! Come on girls! Grandma Hiatt, Aunt Sandy, Mom, Aunt Polly, Aunt Kathy, and I in front of the griddle.Grandma getting the dough ready to role out. Aunt Polly on griddle patrol.

On another note, I had my friend/co-workers baby shower on Saturday at my Job Share Partner, Diane's house. She is the most creative person I know! She had the most beautifully decorated fall home. Her tablescapes are to die for! Check it out...

Great idea if you are hosting Thanksgiving! She also in the living room had a glass bowl filled with water and had the little pumpkins floating in them. She had carved out the pumpkins to fit tealights in them. It was a beautiful center piece. Thanks for the ideas Diane!

Thank you!

2008-11-18T10:14:00.001-08:00

We just wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming support! We have the best families and friends! So just as I start to feel a bit better, a day like yesterday happens. I just felt horrible all day long. Thankfully I didn't have to work. I am so blessed to have my job share partner, Diane! She is the best! I truly believe that we were brought into each others lives for a reason. She is a huge support and has become a truly great friend. Diane works Monday and Tuesday and I work Thursday and Friday. Then we alternate our Wednesdays. It is so great if we ever need time off because we just trade days so we don't need to use our personal/sick time. It is wonderful for the kindergartners too because they rarely get a substitute.

Today I am feeling pretty good. I think I'll attempt to clean my house. It is a disaster! Justin said, "our laundry lady quit." I had to laugh and said she won't be back anytime soon...until we have no clothes to wear then she will be forced to come back! How do you second time mom's out there with toddlers and one in the oven do it? Bless your hearts!

Exciting News...

2008-11-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

We are having a baby! I'm a little over 9 weeks pregnant. We went in for the ultra sound on the 6th and saw the flicker of the heart beat! My heart skipped a beat and Justin and I were in aah! It is so amazing! I was a bit disappointed because according to my last known MC, I should have been a whole week farther along, but the baby measured to be a week behind. So technically I am 8 weeks...I guess we will see at our next appointment! We were really scared the first few weeks because I was spotting so much, but I guess it is more common than not. I've been feeling so terrible. I figured out as long as I have food in my tummy I don't get nauseated as easily. It is no walk in the park! I've been eating terrible, but I will eat whatever sounds good at the time. Cheeseburgers have been a hit! Other than feeling sick, I've been really tired. I am excited to move into my second trimester and leave all of the yuck behind! Before I found out I was pregnant I had the case of the dumb dumbs! I was thinking I had meetings for school that never existed! I seem to be getting back in control of my mind...pretty funny! The boys are excited for a new brother or sister. Tyson wants a sister and Isaiah wants a brother (so he can beat him up he says...not a chance! He couldn't hurt a fly and is all talk. I guess that is what a big brother does?) Isaiah is so cute he keeps putting his ear up to my tummy to hear the baby. So adorable! I was eating some candy the other day and he said, "doesn't the baby eat what you eat?" I have a little guardian for the baby already! Both of our families are ecstatic! Here is the ultra sound picture...the top picture is the best view. You can see the head and the body! So incredible! The circles in the other two frames is the sac and the baby is next to it. We are due in June...another Gemini baby for our family?

Two years ago yesterday...

2008-11-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Two years ago yesterday Justin and I were in St. Lucia with the boys and 21 other family and friends for our wedding! We both wish we were back right now. It was the best times of our lives. We spent a whole week leading up to 11/11 with our family and friends vacationing! What could be better? Our wedding day ran so smoothly. Suprisingly I was so calm and ready! Justin is the perfect man for me. We got married on a private beach around 4:30 in the evening. We stayed on the beach drinking champagne and taking pictures until after sunset. Then we went to a restaurant called Froggy Jacques. We had the place to ourselves for dinner, drinks, dancing, and cake. We then went back to our resort and continued our celebrating at the resort beach bar. Justin and I were on cloud 9 the entire night. It was so perfect! I got my fairy tale wedding! Here are some pictures of our amazing wedding. Our dream is to get back to St. Lucia on 11/11/11 for our 5th anniversary and we are hoping that our friends and family will be able to join us again! I know that far out there, but a girl can dream right?

To celebrate our anniversary, we went to a movie and our favorite Indian restuarant in Kirkland, Shamianas. We saw Role Models. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it was hilarious!

Tala's wedding picture link!

2008-11-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

Finally Tala's wedding photos link has been published! I've waited for sooo long to see them. Tala and Brian look so in love and wow does Tala look stunning! You can tell by the pictures that everyone had such a great time. It was an amazing wedding and I can't believe it is over. Check out the pictures they are really great! Here is the link... www.pictage.com/558169 Type in jessicaandrews31@hotmail.com as the email and the password is briantala

Back to the blogging world!

2008-11-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I'm finally back on. I've been terrible about blogging this month. I've been a little under the weather and I still don't have my camera cord which is so annoying when I want to show everyone our pictures. I just had to break down and go to Costco and get them on a disk. Here is what we have been up too... Jerame and Katie came over on Halloween for dinner and trick or treaters. It was so nice to stay in and be cozy. Carter and Chloe were so adorable in their dalmation costumes. Cute little pups!

We each carved a pumpkin and they turned out so cute! The boys are getting really good at carving. Tyson needed zero help and Isaiah had Tyson help just a little.

Our front step for Halloween was all decorated.

Earlier in the month, my mom and I went to a corn maze in Snohomish. It was acutally really fun. They have these ramps that you can go up on to see where you are. We went through two times. The first time, we were totally lost and the next time we were able to follow the map the whole time. We thought it would be fun to go with a group and see who can get through the fastest. Next year for sure we will go again with the boys.

I just love this family picture from Tala and Brian's rehersal dinner. I have such a great family! Can you believe how tall both boys are? I'm not wearing shoes, but it just blows me away.

Got Candles?

2008-10-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

So it's that time of year when candles are lit in my house non stop. My husband calls me a pyro...and yes I consider myself to be one too. There are three types of candle burners. (1) the duster: someone who dusts their candles and never lites them. (2) burner: someone who burns candles occasionally. (3) Pyro: someone who burns candles nightly. I love candles! They just set the mood especially in the fall and winter...so cozy and my house smells wonderful! Of course I only burn one kind of candle and that is PartyLite. They are made of paraffin wax and have cotton wicks...NO LEAD (safe for families and pets)! I swear once you start burning PartyLite candles you won't go back to the gross generic kind. So, do you "got candles"? If you are in need of some candle ambiance and/or gift ideas... check out the catalog online and put an email into me, your candle lady, for an order! You won't be disappointed! I'll be submitting an order for October on 10/27...get your order in!

Email: jessicaandrews31@hotmail.com

Blustery Day

2008-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today Justin and I met at WSU. We were both visiting for the homecoming game. I love him so much and am so thankful he came into my life. Timing is everything...we had been in the same places a few times and knew some of the same people, but never crossed paths until 10/4/03!

Coachella 2007

We had a flag football game for Isaiah in the pouring rain. Isaiah is getting so big it is crazy to think how time has flown by. He made his first touchdown today! It was awesome! He actually had to run a ways and made the touchdown just in time! We are so proud of him. We decided to bring Roy...never a good idea in the rain. He always steps on my feet. (I was wearing my Uggs. They are so dirty.) To top that, he jumped up on me and got me all dirty down the front of me. He has been acting like a puppy lately. He has been having some hip/joint problems so we bought him some treats with Glucosamine. They seem to really be helping him. He has so much energy now it is crazy... what happened to my mellow 4yr. old lab? When he has these treats its like giving a two year old candy. I guess its better than seeing him limp around. I hated seeing him in pain. He still occasionally limps if we excersice him too much, but its not as much now. After Isaiah's game we went to Tyson's football game in the wind! I got my weekends mixed up and we were headed to Issaquah H.S. when we found out that the game was at Juanita H.S. Nothing like a good drive on a Saturday. We made it in plenty of time. I told Justin that I did it on purpose so that I wouldn't have to sit in the wind and rain! It was so windy that the benches on the field blew over at the same time! Brrrrr. I was glad to get home. Fall is definately here.

Tomorrow the Hawks play the Giants at 10am! Go Hawks!!!!

This picture was taken at the opening game for the Hawks. Aren't they cute with their beaks? :)

Tala's Wedding Weekend

2008-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was Tala's wedding. I can't believe it is over. I was so excited for the day to come and now that it is over I'm sad! We had such a fun time and Tala was so pretty. I think I left my USB cord for my camera in my mom's car, so I'll post my pictures when I get it back, but for now Quincy has sent pictures that I posted... Here we are...all the bridesmaids and the bride at the rehersal. From left to right top row: Sarah (sister), Joleen (childhood friend), Me (sister), Liz (Oregon friend), Quincy (Oregon friend), bottom row: Misty (WSU~DG), Tala (bride), Meghan (WSU~DG).

We all got ready at this little salon in Oregon. It reminded me of Trudy's salon in Steal Magnolias! We had mimosas, fruit, cheese and crackers while we got ready. My mom looked soooo beautiful. The prettiest I have ever seen her! Hot mama!
Tala wore this ice mask becuase she woke up the morning of with swollen eyes and hives!!! A brides worst nightmare! My mom and us three girls stayed at the Westin together the night before and tala had put on the hotel moisturizer. When we all woke up and saw Tala's face we were worried. Sarah and I ran to Rite Aid and picked up a bag full of different meds. She ended up taking the benadryl every 4 hours leading up to the wedding. Since she was only taking one pill at a time she wasn't drowsy and the hives and swelling went down!

Ohhlala! We were all staring at her in awe during her photo shoot!
Greg and Tala's dance... isn't her dress pretty?

The bride and groom. I love the flowers in Tala's hair. You can't see them very well. When the professional pictures are online, I will post the link....I can't wait to see them!!! Tala and Brian are in Europe for their honeymoon. They started in Amsterdam and are going to Germany next and ending in Venice. I'm excited to see their pictures and hear all about it. Now that the wedding is over, we have to get these two newlyweds to move home!

Fun times...

2008-09-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

We had Tala's bachelorette party this weekend! We went to the Can Can in Seattle and then out and about in the area. The Can Can was so fun. We had dinner and watched the show. The show had two ladies and three men and was kind of like a Moulin Rouge show...entertaining! Tala went up on stage with other brides in the audience. She looked so beautiful! She is going to make such a beautiful bride. Her wedding is this weekend! It is going to be soooo much fun!
Tala with five out of seven bridesmaids. Tala gave all of her bridesmaids these cute teal tanks that say "Bridesmaid" on them. Her tank top said "Bride".
My cousin Jaymee, me, and my sisters Tala and Sarah. It's not often that we are in the same spot, let alone the same state!

Love this random moment when Meghan and Trina jumped on the back of these boys' bikes!

Friday night, we had family over for a BBQ. We had quite the spread...salmon, steak, asparugus, twiced baked patoes and more. It was the best meal we have made in some time.

Momma Donna and Uncle Wesley

"Uncle Pig" & "Uncle Tino"

Graham wedding slide show...

2008-09-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here is Wes and Courtney's wedding slide show... http://www.blaineandbethany.com/slideshows/courtneywes/ Their photographers did an amazing job at capturing the day!

Football!

2008-09-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

We are in the full swing of football for Tyson! Tyson's number is 54, however in the pictures posted he is wearing #18 or #10 until his official jersey is in. Here is the team webpage... http://www.pokidesign.com/kangsite/

Jason and Beth's Wedding

2008-09-08T08:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to the Jacobsen/Headley wedding. We had such a fun time! We started Friday evening with the rehersal and dinner. Justin was in the wedding. Him and Jason were Theta Chi's together at WSU.
The wedding was at the Sunset Club. Beth looked gorgeous! As soon as she appeared with her father to walk down the aisle, there were gasps because she was so stunning! We were able to catch up with friends that we havn't seen in awhile. Around 11:30, Dicks Cheeseburgers were delivered! Yum!!! They of course were a huge hit! After the wedding ended, we headed over to the Sorento Hotel to socialize some more with the bride and groom and guests. Beth and Jason are headed to Hawaii today for their honeymoon! Congrats J and Beth!!

Graham Wedding

2008-08-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Hood River to see our close friends, Wes and Courtney get married! We stayed in Stevenson at the Skamania Lodge. The picture above is a view from our room! It was so beautiful there. The wedding took place on the Oregon side of the Columbia River at The Columbia Gorge Hotel...another beautiful location. We arrived Friday night for the rehersal and rehersal dinner. Justin was in the wedding. He has known Wes since Junior High (I think...maybe longer). It is really cool because Wes has a son Connor and him and Tyson are great friends too! Connor was Wes' Best Man. He did a fantastic job. So grown up!

Connor, Isaiah, and Tyson before heading to Rehersal.

I took this picture from where Courtney and Wes stood for there ceremony...stunning!

Connor and Tyson having fun at Rehersal dinner.

When we got back to the hotel, Frankie was singing and playing the guitar out on the deck. He is an amazing musician. He played and sang "Better Together" by Jack Johnson for Courtney and Wes' first dance.

Both boys love music...they can tell you who is playing on the radio within seconds of the song starting. I think it is amazing! Tyson is taking guitar lessons and is becoming very good. I'm so glad that he has found something that he enjoys and can soar at.

Tyson and Justin listening to Frankie play....

Isaiah too! I love this picture!

Courtney and Wes had tropical destinations as there table names...we were at the St. Lucia table! St. Lucia is were we got married almost 2 years ago. So sweet of them to incorporate our special place into their wedding!

Brady, Sarah and the Andresons sat with us.

Connor gave the Best Man speech.

Can you tell we are all having soooo much fun!Isaiah was collecting these bugs in the centerpiece holder! He loves to collect bugs. He did it in St. Lucia too.

I LOVE this picture! Capture that little boy!! What a great weekend! Thank you Courtney and Wes!

Tala's Wedding Shower

2008-08-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my aunts and I hosted my sister Tala's family wedding shower. Her wedding is one month away! I can't believe it. She is marrying such a great guy who loves her more than anything in the world. It is really cute. Tala will be such a beautiful bride! My mom took better pictures, so I will post those when I get them from her!Naomi, Tala, and Debbie. Debbie won the necklace game, but it was a close call! Loved the competiveness between these two! The necklace game for those who don't know it is everyone starts off with a necklace with a faux wedding ring on it and if someone catches you crossing your legs or ankles, they get to steal your necklace away from you. It came down to Grandma Hiatt, Naomi, and Debbie. Debbie caught Grandma right at the end and won the game!

Heidi and Anthony's Wedding

2008-08-18T13:04:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we went to Heidi and Anthony's wedding at Delille Cellars in Woodinville. Their location was beautiful and had an amazing veiw of the valley. Heidi of course looked gorgeous. We had so much fun. We saw many people that we haven't seen in awhile. It was great to catch up. The weather was so hot! I felt for all the men wearing suits. I just couldn't imagine how hot it must of been for them. You can tell how hot it was by looking at Justin's shirt!

Found SD card

2008-08-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

So I was looking for something...I can't even remember now what I was looking for, but I came across a SD card. I popped it into my camera to see what was on it and it has pictures on it from I think 2004! The boys are so young! I just can't believe how time flies. There also was a video of Isaiah doing his infamous #1! Oh how innocent he was!

Ocean Shores

2008-08-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

We went to Ocean Shores this weekend for a family vacation. My parents were out of town so their dog Scout and my brother Ty came along for the ride. We had such a great time...along with some funny stories to share. The first day there and only a few hours in, Isaiah buried Roy's chuck-it in the sand and then walked away leaving his flip flops behind as well! We spent at least an hour looking for them. Needless to say it was a lost cause. :) I looked the next morning hoping that the wind would have uncovered the bright orange chuck it, but no such luck. The boys flew kites, built sand forts and fire pits. Roy had a ton of fun fetching his ball in the ocean! He loves to swim. On Friday, we put both dogs in the car because Justin and I were going to go get firewood, smore makings, and let the dogs nap. However, as soon as we put them in the car, my parent's dog stepped on the lock button and locked the keys and both dogs in the car! Thankfully the car was not running! I walked for about 45min round trip to the nearest hotel...barefoot! When I called the locksmith, they reported that my car had ben unlocked but not by them! A police officer had flashed his laser light on the lock button and Scout hit it and voila the car was unlocked! All in all it was a fun trip!

Boys in St.Lucia

2007-09-04T15:31:00.001-07:00

The boys had fun swimming, making things in the sand, and catching frogs and lizards! They still claim that this was the best vacation yet!

Family

2007-09-04T14:53:00.000-07:00

We officially became a family on November 11, 2006 in St. Lucia! The day was picture perfect!We had 23 family and friends join us in St. Lucia the week leading up to our wedding!