27 Weeks

Yes, I am aware that I look thoroughly dirty in this photo. I think that I hadn't showered in a couple of days. Dont' judge. Regardless, I thought I would share how this pregnancy is coming along. I realize I haven't given any status updates about Baby #2's incubation. I vowed that the second time I got pregnant I would take a photo of my body every week and hold up a sign marking the week of the pregnancy. Have I done that? Nope. Did I do it with the first pregnancy? Nope. Glad that I am keeping with status quo.

People keep asking me how this pregnancy is different or the same as the time I was pregnant. To that I answer that unlike the first pregnancy where all I could focus on was the minute by minute, day by day, week by week changes, this time I have been a little less obssessed with the pregnancy. This is by no means any indication the love or care I will have for my second child, it just is different. Since I haven't totally obssessed about this pregnancy and getting things bought for the new baby it has gone by extremely quickly. I can't believe we have 3 months to go!

I will try to be a little bit better about updating how things are going since I only got three more months to tell you all about my pregnancy adventures.

Happy Valentine's Day

About a month ago, I exclaimed to Pearson that I was going to have a Valentine's get together on Valentine's Day. What can I say, I have really gotten into this "Hallmark" holiday this year. I decided I wanted to have it be a kids and Moms party (no offense to dads but we just don't have the space for that many people in our house anymore). Instead of just having people over to "play" with food, we would have cookie making and Valentine decorating as party festivities. That way, the kids could make Valentine's for their dads or other special loved one and folks would be able to have something to take home. Thanks to all our wonderful friends for showing up and showing their love for the holiday and us.

Card Making Station (a little meager but really no 1 year old really cares about making a card)

Food Table

Cookie Decorating Station

View of all Three Stations.

Mae chilling in Will's carseat.

Jill reading to Mae and Edie.

Danny, Chloe, Edie, Will, Mae, Makana, and Haley

And Lucy makes the photo for a second

Mr. Amazing and the ladies [Haley and Mae]

Mae is done with the party.

Lucy, Sarah, Edie, and Jill

Only In Seattle

As I have mentioned in earlier post I have a love/hate relationship with Seattle. Mainly the hate focuses on the weather, however, there are other things that drive me nuts. I know there are odd people everywhere, however, at times it seems that Seattle has a higher number of bizarre folks then other places. Case in point. Yesterday, the sun shone on Seattle. It was a beautiful, sunny day in the 50's (wasn't hating the city). I loaded Mae and Ditka to head up to the post office and go for a stroll around the neighborhood. As we were heading home from the walk, I saw a woman, a block or so ahead, with a box in her hand that looked like crackers. She was bending over the sidewalk feeding something. I assumed a bird. As I got closer I realized the woman was feeding an injured RAT! I was so disgusted and shocked that I was beyond speechless.

Ditka, of course, was pulling to try to get to the rat. We had to cross the street because I was worried that Ditka might have tried to eat it and would end up getting sick. The woman and I exchanged a couple of words, emphasis on couple. Me, "what are you doing?" She, "he is injured." Me, "oh. Let's go Ditka."

I walked away shaking my head thinking to myself, "only in Seattle."

Outtakes

Here is reason #115 why I need to take a photo class.

As part of Valentine's Day cards I wanted to include a photo of Mae. I tried very hard to capture Mae in all her sweetness in a shirt with hearts on it and a pink backdrop. I tried on three separate occasions to get the perfect moment that says, "Happy Valentine's Day." As you can see from below I failed miserably.

I do love the third one down where I told her to say "cheese." You can tell she is saying it. I ended up going with a photo from our day in the arboretum. No hearts but a huge smile that says I love you!

Sealed with a kiss

Here are shots from one of two sessions of Valentine card making. Mae loved putting the stickers on and she kept saying, "I stick."

Heart Day Preparations

Until I had Mae I could have cared less about Valentine's Day. That is not a totally true statement. I cared about Valentine's Day in high school, espeically when I had a boyfriend, and the first year that Pearson and I started dating. Other than that, I thought it was a lame holiday either because I had no one to spend it with or it seemed too cheesy.

It is now 2011 and I am heads over heels in love with Valentine's Day. It took falling in love all over again (with Mae) to make me fall in love with the holiday all over again. I have been channeling cupid the last week. We are throwing a Valentine's Day party for moms and kids here on Valentine's Day. I will being posting photos and letting you know how our heart day preparations are going.

Have I Told You About One of My Favorite Places?

I don't know if I have ever given proper mention to one of my favorite, if not favorite, places in all of Seattle - the Arboretum. For the last four and half years, I have spent countless hours running or walking the trails of the Arboretum by myself, with friends, Ditka, Pearson and Mae. The many miles that I have logged has brought me much joy. I have bonded with friends, grown closer to Pearson, exercised my body, my mind, and spirit, introduced Mae to the great outdoors, grown to love running, and found a place that I feel at home in Seattle.

The other day I decided to take Mae to the Arboretum to look for "birdies" (as she affectionately calls them) and ducks. (She calls ducks "quacks, quacks.") The ducks aren't new to Mae, we have traveled passed them countless time, however, we are always running passed them. I normally say, "there are the ducks" and keep going. We have never really stopped and looked for an extended time and I haven't had Mae walk the trails before. I decided since the weather was purely glorious here I would park near the visitor center and we would go for a little stroll together. We had such an awesome time doing it on Tuesday that we decided to head back on Wednesday. This time with our friends, Lucy and Sarah.

I think these photos sum up Mae's thoughts on the Arboretum. About the same as mine.

Spotting the ducks.

Checking out the quack, quacks

Lucy and Mae

Me, Mae, Lucy and Sarah