Trip to Whistler

This past weekend we took Lucia on her first weekend trip out of state/country up to Whistler, BC. There were a lot of great times and a few stressful ones on the trip. Overall we had a fantastic time up in the mountains. Our friends Erin and Neil were brave enough to go up there with us, which made it so much fun! It was great to spend so much time with them.

We headed out on Saturday morning. The driving was the stressful part of the trip. It is a bit less than a 5-hour drive but with Lucia it was 6 on the way up and just over 5 on the way back down. She, and I can't blame her, does not like being strapped into the car seat the whole time. She is a little action lover and would much rather be out flapping those baby limbs. We arrived Saturday late afternoon and met up with Erin and Neil for dinner and hanging out in our room after dinner for beer and a bunch of junk food. Sunday was beautiful. Pat and I went to our favorite food place up in Whistler, Hot Buns, for breakfast and then walked around in the sunshine, met up with Erin and Neil for lunch with a view and then hit the gondola to the peaks. We had dinner out again and then Hot Buns again on Monday morning. The drive back got a bit painful at the border crossing. Lucia was really not happy and let us know with probably the worst crying I have every heard from her. That part was not fun but, all in all, she was a trooper. She slept most of the car rides and took great naps while we were up in Whistler walking around, eating, and on the gondola.

It was chilly in the mornings, so we dressed Lucia up in basically a baby snowsuit. She was the cutest kid in the place for sure! She wasn't overly excited about the outfit when we first put her in it but it grew on her. Here we are getting her ready to head out for the morning.



Our favorite breakfast spot, Hot Buns, has the best crepes and coffee. We really enjoyed sitting in the sunshine and drinking our coffee. Nice and relaxing!


Not the most tasty lunch ever but maybe the best view. The mountains were so clear on Sunday and this lunch spot was right at the base of the mountain!


We took a gondola trip that went up to Whistler peak and then over to Blackcomb peak. The first gondola was basically an enclosed ski lift but the gondola from peak to peak was huge and crossed a valley, so we were quite high and the view was amazing.

Pat, Lucy, and I on the peak to peak gondola
Lucy in the lodge at the top of Blackcomb sporting Dad's shades
Top of Whistler peak. It was such a beautiful day!
Lucia was not terribly excited to be all wrapped up in blankets.
Me, Erin, and Lucia on the way back across the valley on the peak to peak gondola. Lucia had quite the day and just couldn't stay awake for the last bit. She was a trooper the whole trip!
Pat, me, Lucia, Erin, and Neil on our way back to Whistler village

It was a great trip and I am so glad that we were able to go and that we had great friends to join us!

9 Year Anniversary!

Pat and I had our 9-year anniversary last week. I can't believe that it has been 9 years already though; on the other hand, our wedding feels like a lifetime away. It has been a wonderful 9 years full of many amazing and tough things and, through it all, we have grown to love and respect each other more and more. I am blessed to have a husband who loves me, loves the Lord, and is committed to his family. I am so thankful to be spending my life with Pat and am looking forward to the new adventures that will come.

Our anniversary was last Wednesday, so Pat had to work during the day. We spent the evening just chilling at home with a nice dinner.

Here is the lovely....err...crazy couple



The dinner spread...


The little lady we got to share the evening with! Best thing we have produced in our 9 years of marriage! :)

Happy Father's Day to the Best Dad!

I happen to believe that I am married to the best Dad ever! Pat has done such an amazing job with Lucia over the past three + months and even before she was born. I have loved watching them interact and see that Lucia gets excited whenever Pat is around. She starts to squeal and flap all of those baby limbs around. Pat can get the best smiles and laughs out of her. He is a new dad but a great dad already. Lucy will grow up knowing that she is so loved by her dad.

I also have a lot of respect for Pat because he does a much better job of making sure that Lucy doesn't run the show. I hope that I am a good parent from a Godly discipline standpoint but I can already see that Pat will do an excellent job. He seems to have found his groove with balancing love and lessons. You may be laughing at the idea of a 3 month old being given life lessons but it's never too early. I know the lessons will get bigger and more challenging to be sure. :)

Pat- Thank you for loving your daughter, loving me, striving to be a godly man and father, and for your patience as we figure out this new chapter of life! I love you!

Here are a few pictures of Pat and Lucia playing on Father's Day

Lunches with Uncle Craig

Lucy and I had a great day yesterday for a few reasons. First, she slept for 11 hours the night before and then took a full morning and an extra long afternoon nap. We are both much happier when she sleeps well!

After a nice morning, Lucy and I went downtown to have lunch with Uncle Craig. Craig and I used to have lunch together every week when we both worked downtown and started the tradition up again about a month ago but this time with Lucia. Next week is Craig's last full week at work in Seattle before he and Renee move to San Francisco. I am very excited that they have such a great opportunity but, at the same time, very sad to see them go. They have had three years in Seattle, which has seemed way too short. It has been so nice to be close to a sibling and to be able to just call him up and hang out and, on top of that, to get to know and love Renee. It will be a sad day with they move! I will miss our lunchtime together very much!

Here we are at our normal lunch spot in Seattle. Poor Lucy slept through the whole thing so she is not in the shot.




After our trip home, Lucy and I had a great afternoon playing together. Here she is demonstrating her newfound ability to grab her toes. She is quite pleased with herself and does it all the time now.



Here we are heading out for our afternoon walk. Lucy doesn't look thrilled in the picture but don't be fooled, she likes the walks. I enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and view of the mountains from our neighborhood. Lucia enjoys the taste of the baby bjorn. She pretty much spends the whole walk lick attacking the inside of the baby carrier...oral fixation stage!


Here is a video of Lucy and her toe discovery!

Holding My Sleeping Girl

Me with Lucy. I am doing my favorite thing...holding my sleeping little girl. I can hardly stand to let her go. She is so peaceful and her little face is so beautiful. I could spend hours like this.

Lucia is 3 Months Old!!!

I can't believe that Lucia is already three months old. Some days it feels like she has always been part of the family and some days she still feels so new to me. She is growing so fast though and weighing in at about 13 pounds. It also feels like she learns something new every day. She has been working on holding her head up and nearly has that trick mastered, as you will see from some of the pictures below. She is also getting better at tummy time but I have to say that must be because she enjoys licking the carpet or whatever blanket she is on. It is so funny to flip her over onto her tummy and watch her smoosh her face against the floor and just go to town on licking whatever is there. She is going to have to start coughing up fuzz balls if she continues this pattern! We are trying to get her to grab at toys too. She hasn't done it yet but she does enjoy swinging them around vigorously once they are placed in her sticky, clammy, baby hands. :) Why are her hands sticky you might ask...it is because she can fit the entire fist into her mouth and does it all the time!

Here are some pictures from the 3-month "birthday". I absolutely love being at home with her. I get excited whenever she wakes up from her nap because I know that I get to play with her. I love our time together and it makes me sad to know that it will go by so fast. I enjoy each new stage that she enters though I do also mourn the loss of my 6lb baby. I feel like I need to soak up every moment that I have with her. I was holding her last night as she fell asleep. I knew that I should put her in her crib rather than letting her fall asleep in my arms, but I couldn't let her go. She is so little and peaceful. I am so thankful that God gave us our little girl. She is a joy for sure! One of my favorite things about Lucia is she seems to know when both Pat and I are present. She gets more excited, talks with more gusto, and squeals. I love seeing our family together!

Lucia holding her head up and loving her new baby chair. The chair allows her to sit on her own. She does fairly well though her head is still a bit of a wobble top.





This is Lucia on her play blanket working on grabbing at her pig toy. She hasn't grabbed at it yet, but she does a nice job swinging it around once you put it in her hands. She also likes to try to eat him.




Here is Lucy enjoying tummy time. It is only enjoyable to her when I let her eat the fuzz off of the blanket.



Lucy is usually really happy when she wakes up from her naps. Here she is being a cheerful girl after her morning nap!



Lucia decided sleeping was a much better option than finishing her bottle

Lucy's First Laugh

Somehow we managed to catch Lucy laughing on video. The first few seconds are the best. Pat and I have watched the video over and over again even though we just taped it last night. We are so blessed to have our little girl. We love her so much!

Weekend Trips

This past weekend was different but fun. Each year Pat goes on a photo trip in the spring often with his friend Chris. This year he and Chris left on Thursday to head to a town just north of Carmel. They spent the weekend roaming the CA coast from south of Carmel to north of Santa Cruz taking pictures and eating good food. Pat will be working on the final products for a bit, so I will post a few photos when they are ready. I saw the slide show last night of the raw pictures and they look great. I have to admit that it is quite appealing to want to live in a place like that. The sun was shining the whole time, you could walk or ride bikes into town, and you could step out the door and walk on the beach...my kind of place! Anyway, it was a great chance for Pat to have a break, pursue his hobby, and spend some of his creative furry!

I spent the afternoon on Thursday hanging out with my friend Erin in Seattle and then went over to the Murphy's (Pat's parents) on Friday and stayed until Sunday afternoon. The Murphy's moved into a new house over the weekend so Jai, Sten, and Solveig were also there. I got to observe the activities with Lucia. It was nice to be with family while Pat was out of town. The new house is beautiful and it is fun to think about all of the great times that we will have there together with our little people running around.

Here is a video of Lucia talking to me on moving day. It is a bit long and may only be entertaining to the grandparents. ;)





Here is a picture of Pat keeping Lucia cool on Wednesday night. It got well into the 80s in our house....way too hot to not have A/C!


Lucia and I hanging out Thursday night in our tank tops


Two cousins hanging out on moving day at the Murphy's house


First dinner at the new house with Jai, Sten, Terry, Kathy, and me (not in the picture)


Papa feeding the little lady

Summer Time Baby!

It feels like summer has arrived in Seattle though I am not completely fooled. I know that June will bring some cool and rainy days. Nonetheless, Pat, Lucia, and I are enjoying the sun while it is here. We had a great weekend together. Saturday we ran some enjoyable errands and then had Crepes in Fremont. Sunday was a relax at home day in the afternoon and then down to Seattle for a BBQ with friends. The weather was wonderful and today, Monday, is just as glorious.

Lucia is really starting to get into a sleeping and eating groove, which is great for us. She is much more predictable now and we can figure out what she needs when she starts to fuss which is nice for all. She did a great job on all of the outings this weekend.

Lucy and Pat at the Crepe place in Fremont.


This is how I found Lucia this morning when I went in to check on her. The girl is on the move at night!


Spring time outfit and a little lady on a big sofa