It's official!!!

Cash James just took his first real steps... we knew it would happen soon, i'm SO happy that Brandon was there to see it!! I'm so proud, I starting crying instantly! Our baby is now a toddler... now I need to try a sneak attack to get it on video.. stay tuned! =)

Christmas in the Northwest!!

Being Silly with Uncle Aaron
Such a cute little elf Showing Great Grandpa Gorden his new toy





MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!


Thank you G'ma Rhonda for the BEAUTIFUL quilt! We love it!!


His Jammies say: "what santa doesn't bring me grandma will!" So true! HE has lots of grandmas & Aunts that LOVE to spoil him!!


SO excited for Christmas! Our Happy Little Elf!!

wish you were here...

To all of our out of state family and friends here is a quick little video and a few photos. We wish you were here to celebrate Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!




**I will be posting Christmas photos & videos after all the celebrations so check back in a few days!!

Santa Claus is coming to town!!

Actually we went to him... it didn't go over too well, not even a candy cane could convince Cash to smile! Oh well! MEMORIES!! =)

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

Here it is December already, Cash is almost 10 months old... where does the time go?

I love Christmas, it is my favorite time of year! I love christmas music & decorations and especially christmas cookies!!YUM!

Lately I haven't felt very christmassy... we haven't gone to the tree farm yet, usually I would be out in the cold the day after thanksgiving with a travel mug of cocoa while everyone else is shopping for black friday deals. This year i'm torn about the tree.. I'd LOVE to get my usual 6+ ft Noble Fir - but I know I will be spending all my time telling Cash NO NO NO! We are going to the tree farm this weekend & have decided to look for a small tree to put on the table top... but between you and I, I know i'm going to break down & try to talk Brandon into a big tree - shhhh don't tell =)

One thing we HAVE done is Cash's christmas photo shoot with Sarah Portugal ( she's FABULOUS!!). Unfortunatley attempt number one didn't quite work out... he cried the entire time! All he wanted to do was crawl into the mud and play with the stroller wheels. He wasn't a big fan of posing and smiling so we had to schedule a 2nd shoot.

The second attempt went much better, we got some great pics but when it was time for our family shot he was "over it". All in all i'm VERY pleased with the photos. I hope you all enjoy them.









Santa pics are next week... wish us luck!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Thankful

I am so very thankful for my beautiful family & friends; our health, our safety and the love we all have for each other!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
xox

(this is the closest I had to a "turkey" photo! lol)

9 Months old!!

Cash James had his 9 month check up today. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital and now he's on the brink of walking and he's getting into EVERYTHING! He is such a joy to have in our lives. I cannot imagine our life without him

Here are his STATS, as always he received an A++ from Dr. Eichner!

*29 1/2" tall 90th percentile
*20 lbs 8 oz 55th percentile
*18 1/4 head circ 75th percentile

First Blood!

Don't worry, i'm not referring to another teen vampire movie...




Yesterday Cash James got his first "real" owie courtesy of a laundry basket and I got my first taste of what being a mom to a rough & tough little boy really means! Cash was helping me with the laundry & he decided to go rogue and take the basket into the living room. He somehow managed to get inside of it and then tipped it over. No biggie, he falls all the time and from my angle he seemed fine until he lifted his head up crying and I saw his nose was all bloody! =(

I picked him up, snuggled & calmed him down and when he pulled his head off my then bloody shoulder I saw he had left a flap of skin on my shirt -
the cutouts on the sides of the laundry basket sliced it clean off;
one whole piece - pretty impressive if you ask me!

After a few minutes of snugglin with mama & a trip to the fridge...



He LOVES playing in the fridge, it always makes him happy!

He was back to his old tricks again...he climbed back into that basket without any fear at all... he's a trooper! I'm just thankful he didn't have pictures scheduled. It's a pretty gnarly looking wound!

Boys will be boys! =)

Happy Halloween!!

BOK BOK BOK!!!!

Happy Happy Birthday to ME!

Today is my 31st birthday... I don't know how that happened. I missed my 30th somehow, too pre-occupied with the pregnancy I think. Last year Brandon asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, my answer... PAINT THE NURSERY! So we did!

This year my request was simple, but not as easy to accommodate. I wanted him to stay home from work and spend the day with us. Birthdays are a big deal... I spend the other 364 days a year tending to others and being selfless ( for the MOST part) I'm a giver.. a compromiser (meaning I compromise what I want to do! haha) but on my birthday it is UNEQUIVICALLY ALL ABOUT ME!!!!! As it SHOULD be, RIGHT??

I had a FABULOUS weekend spending time with good friends and family but today is MY actual DAY.. .so when Brandon said he couldn’t get off work I was crushed! What am I going to do alone? It’s my birthday! Who is going to take me to get my morning coffee… what about going to lunch, or a special trip to a store to buy something for myself I normally wouldn’t buy? I truly was bummed… even when I woke up this morning to Brandon’s alarm.. I was sad. He kissed me good bye and said happy birthday and told me he would try to get off work as soon as possible…I said thank you then I rolled over and fell back asleep wishing he didn’t have to go….

A few hours later I woke to the rain… such a beautiful sound ( when you don’t have to GO anywhere!) I looked over and Cash was smiling at me. He then climbed over to me, after pausing and saying (sort-of) “jack jack jack jack” to the dog… his morning ritual…. He bent down put his mouth on my arm and gave me a HUGE raspberry then giggled! It was as if he was saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA, I LOVE YOU! All of my loneliness and sadness and self pity VANISHED…

I would have loved Brandon to spend the day with us, but in that moment I realized I will never be alone… I have been blessed with the silliest most adorable little monster that will always be there to make me laugh and feel loved! Who would have thought a “raspberry” would be the Best Birthday Gift Ever!?!?!!

Happy birthday to ME! Cash’s mama!

***Thank you to everyone who has sent Birthday Wishes via cards, gifts, emails, texts, facebook messages etc... I really appreciate it!!! xoxox***

Happy Happy Birthday Nanny!!!

We want to wish Brandon's aunt LuAnne in Iowa a VERY happy birthday today!! We are sending our love & wishes your way!!! We love you Aunt "Nanny" Annie!! xoxo

Rainy day videos...

A few videos of Cash James being silly.... Enjoy!!

PUMPKIN FARM!

This past Sunday was a picture perfect Fall day; sunny and crisp! We decided to take a trip to the pumpkin patch to pick pumpkins and start a family Fall tradition. There was much debate on where to take Cash for his FIRST EVER patch trip, we are surrounded with numerous farms but after mulling over the choices we decided on The Farm in Snohomish (www.thefarm1.com). We bundled up Cash, packed the wagon in the truck and we were off on our farm adventure!






Cash loved it from the very start! He is so gregarious and enjoyed everything the farm had to offer. He delighted in seeing all the different farm animals. We spent over an hour in the petting zoo feeding, petting & talking to the animals. Cash decided to taste the grass before feeding it to the animals… I think he was taking a page from the mama handbook (I always taste everything before feeding it to HIM); it was very kind of him to ensure the grass was indeed tasty before subjecting the sheep & goats to it. =)









Cash was also VERY proactive when it came to picking the pumpkins for our front porch… he crawled through the patch looking for the PERFECT pumpkin. We thought he had made his choice a few times but alas, he would drop down into the dirt and move on to the next bunch of pumpkins, man on a mission… not stopping until he was satisfied. He is not an impulse pumpkin picker… oh no, he thought long and hard about his choice! Finally he found a lovely plump pumpkin worthy enough to bring home and call his own.










After a long day of pumpkin picking and Fall fun we decided to take the long way home through the country so Cash could take a LONG and much needed nap. Once home, we topped the day off with a steaming bowl of home made matzo ball soup & corn bread. I love Fall!!