11 Months

Jette is 11 months and a week old and she has officially won me over. I mean, she did before now but it's different. We joke, we play hide and seek and our own version of tag. I can teach her things like how to turn around to go down the stairs and then she does it (and she teaches me things like how to get excited about nearly everything). She took 3 steps yesterday without holding on to anything. Erin and I freaked out. We were beaming with pride! I am so glad we were both there to see it.

She dances, she claps, she falls forward on the pillows, love sac and couch. She lets me know when she wants to go outside to her swing. She does a pretty impressive downward dog and points at every single thing and say's , 'eh?' It seems she's asking what everything is. She likes lights and is obsessed with dogs and cats. She eats at the table with us and seems to like most everything we eat. To put simply, Jette is a bright light in our home and in my heart.

We went to church this morning. We found a church close by - Eastlake Community Church - and I love it. Today the discussion was about the resurrection - not so much Christ resurrecting but how it is possible for us to resurrect every single day. I love the concept and it feels so relevant to me in my life right now. Put the old away and step into my current full and whole self. Love it (and so thankful we've found a place that feels welcoming and safe) So in the vein of it being Easter I have a wish for Jette. My wish for her is that she is exactly who she is and is confident in it. And then when who she is changes - or ideas/beliefs of hers change my wish for her that she steps into that. I hope she’s always exactly who she is and I hope that I can help provide a space for her that supports her ever changing self.

Saying I love being Jette's mom is the understatement of the year. It was hard at first - didn’t know if I was cut out for it for a little while - but now I am completely into it - more than Ive been into anything. That little human has taught me more than anyone else. She absolutely makes me a better person. She motivates and inspires me. And goodness gracious, she makes me laugh!

I can hardly believe that next month marks 1 year. Wow!

10 Months

Jette is 10 months old.

Jette is 10 months old.

Where has the time gone?

She is crawling, standing, waving - waving to whoever will give her attention, she reaches for people (I die every time she reaches for me), she eats everything we eat, her little personality comes out more and more and her giggles are the best! Being her mom brings me so much joy and happiness.

Saying a lot has happened since the last blog post is an understatement. Our little family has gone through a lot - good and hard and bitter and sweet. Erin and I have concluded that there has been a tremendous amount of change in the last year and even though all the change, or most of it, has been good we haven't handled it great - collectively or individually  (I think Erin has handled it like a champ. She says she hasn't though which is why I'm saying 'we' and 'individually'). Through it all though we love each other, we are obsessed with our kid, we are heathy, we work hard, we're making plans for our future and we're making time for fun. 

We went to Thailand for a couple weeks. We left Feb 3 and returned on the 18th. It was special. It feels incredible that we were able to take 2 weeks off life and go to a such a magical place. Most of the Thai people that we talked to had never left the country. We felt thankful for our privilege - for our jobs, for vacation time, for good healthcare (incase we ate something that didn't agree with us) and for good health that allowed us to be there and do the things we're able to do. Experiencing the people, the beauty, the simplicity - at least on the island we visited - was such a gift. Jette was a major hit. People loved holding her, taking pictures of and with her and trying to get her to wave at them. Jette loved the attention, she loved the food - she demanded to eat everything we ate and seemed to eat adult sized servings, she started to crawl on her knees (instead of army crawling) and she loved being in the water. Traveling with a baby has it's challenges no doubt but I'm glad we did it. It would've been hard to be away from her that long and her being there provided a lot of laughs and opportunities for Erin and I to work together. 

J did great on the long flights. Red eye flights seem to be key for long flights. She slept most of the way. We took a few midday in-country flights that were between 1 and 2 hours and those flights seemed to be much harder for the babe than the long ones. Baby girl wants to be mobile!

While we were in Thailand we talked a lot about life since Jette's arrival. We talked about all the change that's occurred and the times we wish we would've done things differently. We talked about our house and projects we want to do. The night we got home we immediately started to rearrange 2 of the rooms as we discussed while being away. We talked about supporting each other in different ways and how it's important to communicate even when we're tired. We've been home less than 1 week and it already feels different in our home. I love that vacation can do that. More vacation. :) 

This is a poor recap of the last two months. To sum it up I feel more connected, in love and curious about Jette. I am incredibly thankful for Erin - and that is the understatement of the year. She is the most kind and understanding person I know AND she's such a good mom to our baby. I am learning more about myself and working to become a better version of me. I am putting time and attention on my spiritual self and that feels good. 

I'm sitting here still finding it hard to believe that Jette is 10 months old. Where did the time go?!

8 Months

Jette is 8 months and 7 days old. Tonight is New Years Eve. A week has already passed since Christmas Eve. I remember last New Years Eve like it was yesterday. We were in Rosyln for Brenan and Lacey's wedding which was on the 30th. We went snowshoeing on New Years Eve with Erica and Jacquie. We were 5 months pregnant. We went snowshoeing again today - this time with an 8 month old. Today I am truly amazed how quickly time moves.

The last month has been special. Getting ready for Christmas - getting out the decorations and finding a tree. It has always felt special but doing it with my little family made it feel even more special. Then actually going to Utah to celebrate was a highlight of the year. I get pretty homesick a few times a year - and I was homesick for a few weeks before we went home. Being there for just a few days filled my tank and made being away okay. I loved watching Jette with my family - particularly Tol, Addi and Ben. Jette is a lucky girl to get those kids as cousins (and I am one lucky auntie!)! Nils and Ashley weren't able to make it to Utah this year because they are expecting their second baby in a few weeks but the rest of us were there and it was great. A lot of love and laughter and of course a few heated political conversations. :) My family can't spend too much time together without getting into healthy debates. I appreciate those conversations so much because we try and understand each other and even though some of us firmly disagree we generally end conversations with an "i love you." There were several times while we were in Utah I got weepy because my heart was full of so much gratitude. I love my family and I love that Jette gets to be apart of them.

We were able to see Kolby and that was a treat. Jette seems to adore him. She is starting to get to that stage where she doesn't like being held by people she doesn't know well. She didn't have a problem with Kolby. It was sweet. Kolby spent a couple hours at my parents house on the 26th and played the piano and sang with Curtis. Those couple hours were the highlight of my trip.

What else - we got all of our accommodations for Thailand booked. We leave February 3rd and return the 18th. I'm very much so looking forward to it but intimidated by the long flight with the baby. Work is going well for both of us. We like Kenmore - we've been to Saint Edwards Park, Erin takes J to story time at the library, Erin has become a permeant fixture at the local Cross Fit gym and we are much closer to the mountains.

Jette is so fun and seems to get more fun by the day. Her smiles (which now has 2 little teeth), her giggles, her movements - everything about her is fun and better than the day before. I love her so much and I'm so glad she's mine.

2017 was a great year. It brought so many blessings - things I have wanted my entire life - and so much change. My baby, a new job, our house, deepened friendships, self growth, a lot of love and so much more. I'm eager to see what 2018 has in store. Herrrrrrrre we go!

7 Months

Jette is 7 months and 12 days. Time is a cruel, cruel thing! It goes by too quickly except for when you want it to go fast and then it goes incredibly slow. But it generally goes too fast PARTICULARLY when you have a baby - the time, at least for me, that I want to remember every detail and I can't remember anything because I am too scattered and too sleep deprived.

Even still, Jette is everything. That little person has such a big personality - she's fun and funny and mobile and interactive and responsive and she certainly has strong opinions about things. She is happy - except for when she isn't and when she isn't, oh man, she will let me know! She is a great eater and has once again turned into a great sleeper and she has two little teeth that are poking out. She loves baths and to be sung to. She likes tasting new things and she holds her bottle with one hand like it isn't a big deal. She does this thing where she moves her lips with her fingers when she makes a sound - she does it often and it makes us laugh every time.


Jami and Dan came to visit a few weeks ago. It was so nice to have Jami here - Dan too! They were the first out of town visitors to the new house and they helped with a handful of house projects - which was so nice! We explored the city, went to a Seahawks game, visited a lot and raked nearly 900lbs of leaves - no joke. 900. I go through spurts of being homesick - mostly homesick for my siblings - so having Jami here helped hold me over until Christmas.

Only a few more weeks until I get to home with my family. I am looking forward to it so much - being home, being with my family, being in the snow, being near my mountains. I will enjoy our decorated house in the meantime.


Thanksgiving was great. I don't remember a Thanksgiving feeling so grateful. I am grateful for my life, for my family, for my job - Erin's too - and the things that our work provides. Our house, our things, our healthcare, etc- and so much satisfaction because we are able to make a difference in our own way. I missed my family on Thanksgiving - I normally do on holidays - but we were with Erin's family and that was nice.


Our house is still coming together. We have purchased a few pieces which makes it feel better - a lot more homey. We're getting new windows next week and getting our wood burring fireplace fixed - and in a few weeks we're getting a gas insert. Our house is a bit cold and drafty so all of those things will help a lot! Then in the spring we plan to update the kitchen but we'll see when that happens - no rush. My colleague let us borrow her wood splitter so we've been going crazy with that thing and now we have a shed full of wood. House projects for days and more yard work than I've ever done!

Being a mom is wonderful - and so much different than I thought. I romanticized it so much before Jette actually arrived. It is as good as I thought it would be - it's better than I thought it would be AND it is much harder than I ever considered too. And it isn't the mom part that is hard - it's being a mom while I'm still a person that likes to work a lot, have deep connections with friends and spend time with my wife - among so many other things. Jette makes life so much sweeter and she has changed me in so many ways that I will try to capture in words - she motivates me like no one ever has to work hard - not only because I want to provide for her but because I want her to watch her mom make a difference in the world. She makes me more intentional about serving others and being around her makes me more aware of God in my life. She makes it easier to disconnect and be present - although that is still hard for me sometimes. She makes me smile and laugh a lot and when she is around I tend to sing more. Being Jette's mom makes me think of my parents often and my heart bursts with gratitude for them and the sacrifices they made and continue to make for me. I feel more connected to God in a way that I haven't felt in years - and I don't even know what that means anymore but I feel connected and I am grateful for that. Jette seems to be the greatest miracle of my life. Not just that she is an amazing little human - but that she is mine. Never in a million years did I really think I could or would have her. I am so thankful - thankful to live during a time when it's okay and possible for a family like mine to exist, thankful I am healthy so I am able to enjoy it, thankful that I can provide for her - and thankful for 1million other things, too. I feel so blessed. And I will do my best to pay it forward!

6 Months

It's Saturday morning. I am on the couch blogging, Erin is doing homework in the other room and Jette is taking her first nap of the day. These simple and ordinary moments are the moments I dreamt about before we got pregnant. I imagined what it would be like to do simple and everyday tasks with a baby in my life. Perhaps I romanticized it a bit - AND it is just as awesome and special I imagined when I stop and really think about it. I feel incredibly thankful for my little family and for that little baby who has completely stolen my heart and changed my life! I mean, just look at her!


Life has continued to change. We are still figuring out schedules and child care and how to get Jette sleeping through the night. She had her 6 month appointment last week - 90th percentile for height and head size, 55th percentile for weight. She is eating more solids - it's fun and often hilarious watching her try new things for the first time. She is almost crawling - getting up on all 4s and rocking back and forth. She smiles and laughs all the time and puts every single thing she can get her hands on in her mouth. She loves to give slobbery kisses and I love getting them. I see her personality shine through more and more and it's so awesome. We are building our own special and playful relationship and I'm loving it. She's my little buddy and I am so glad she is mine!

On top of continuing to learn how to be a parent, I am still learning a new job and adjusting to home ownership. There are times I feel like I am doing an okay job at managing life but most of the time I feel like I need another 10 hours in the day to get everything done that is on my list. Time management has never been something I thought I needed to improve on - but goodness gracious, each night when I go to bed I have a list of things I had planned to do that day that jump to the next days 'to-do' list. Working out seems to always be on that list. I gotta find that hour that is just for me to move my bod, clear my mind and sweat! Maybe tomorrow. :)

What else - we had our centering group over last week. All of these babies were born within a monthish of each other - we got our prenatal care and talked everything baby with their parents before they arrived. It has been so fun to stay in touch and see these little people grow up!

Ford, Vera, Jette and Cedar. We missed Mila!

We went to the pumpkin patch! It was so fun and so busy. We went last year when we were 2 months pregnant and talked about how we'd be going this year with a baby. I obviously loved it. Jette could care less but I was over the moon pointing at every little thing and telling her about it. I love how being her parent has sparked a sense of curiosity and wonder in me. I hope it remains - that the feelings of curiosity and wonder and absolute gratitude I feel about being a mom never leaves me.

I was out of town for 5 days last week. I was out for work. I hated to be away from Jette - it's amazing how much she changes in such a short amount of time. Thank goodness for FaceTime and photo sharing. Erin continues to be a champ. She doesn't like it when I have have to be gone that long - particularly now - and she is incredibly supportive. She's like, no problem. I got this and make sure you have time for fun. She is such a great mom and a great teammate. I feel lucky that I get to raise a baby with her!

And now a few videos:
Jette's first time on a swing:

Pumpkin patch:

18 Years of This?!

My back hurts, I have a hard time keeping my eyes open, I can't find an hour a day to work out AND the picture above sums up how I'm feeing about life. I feel so blessed, lucky, loved, excited and thankful. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

People tell me life won't slow down for at least 18 years. If that's true, I am in for it. Or maybe I'll get used to it. Maybe that is one of those magic powers parents develop - getting used to doing way more than they've ever done with what seems like less time and less sleep. I'm hoping for the latter.

My little family has been on the go. During the week we are going back and forth from work (obviously) and arranging where we're going to make the baby exchange - I try to be home before Erin has to leave for work but sometimes I can't get home in time so either I have to pick Jette up from Erin's salon or we pick an parking lot somewhere. I feel I'm running all around this town - and I'm surprisingly happy doing it.

This last weekend we went on a weekend road trip to visit Sara and Emily and to drink wine. They live in Oregon wine country :) It was great to be there - I was a bit distracted because I wasn't feeling great and I have a hard time forgetting about everything that needs to be done at home and at work - but I still had a great time - I have to work on the distracted thing though. Being intentional about being in the moment seems to be a hard thing for me to master - especially these days. Farq and Kristi happened to be in Portland Friday night for the Macklemore concert and visited Sara and Emily Saturday - so it was a full house - lots of laughs, a lot of wine and friendships built. It was especially fun for me to see Jette and Harlowe together. Perhaps it was the first of many sleepovers and wine tasting outings. I hope! Harlowe is awesome. She's 10 months old and walking, talking, interacting so much - she has 8 teeth! It's quite incredible how different Jette and Harlowe are - 5 months makes all the difference. I am loving 5 months old AND I am excited for the walking and talking and seeing more of her personality shine through (I'm not particularly looking forward to the teething process).
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It was fun to see Sara and Emily as parents. It's fun to watch and learn from others. I admire the way they parent - and the way Farq and Kristi are with babies, too. I feel so confident knowing I am raising my baby the same time so many other rad parents, people I love and admire, are too.

The weekend before we did yard work and celebrated Lisa's birthday. Our yard is big and intimidating - it seems I could spend several days out there and not really make a dent yet it is so therapeutic for me. I can spend hours and hours out there - and I do - and I think it has been keeping me sane. We haven't gotten TV at our new house and I don't know if we're going to. I love not having it. It help me keep busy and productive and more interactive.


 

Lisa is hands down one of my favoritepeople - one of the most solid people in my life. We walked into the brewery where her party was and Jette was swooped up in a minute and passed from person to person nearly until we left. I left that night feeling grateful for Lisa AND grateful for all the wonderful people that are part of my village - and part of Jette's village, too.

My work is getting busier and busier which I actually really like. I believe in the work I do and believe in our organization - it is making life better for so many people! I adore the people I work with- I am inspired and empowered by them - which makes it fun and fulfilling. Last week I was on an overnight trip to Spokane - for work and for a board meeting. A lot of good work was accomplished AND Spokane is beautiful. Who knew?!

Our house is feeling more and more like home. We still have a bit to do to make it really feel like home but I love being here so much. As funny as it sounds my favorite thing about it is calling it ours. The week before last we cut down a couple trees in the back. That wood pile is 1/3 of what we have.


Jette is just the best. She is sleeping better. She smiles ALLLL the time. She talks and talks. She is going to be crawling any day. Every day before I leave for work I tell her she has to stop growing and every day when I see her at the end of the day she looks bigger. I am obsessed with watching her learn and grow. Everything she can get her hands on goes straight into her mouth and she is fascinated by her hands. She is eating more and more solid foods. She is such a cool little person and I am so glad she is mine!


I can't end this post without giving a major shoutout to Erin. Erin is working so hard and is kind and loving and sweet. She makes sure that we get quality time scheduled in the calendar and plans fun things like bbq pizza night for us. I continue to be awed by the way she is a mom to Jette. I am beyond thankful for her and the way she eases every single thing in my life. I am so thankful for my little family!