Rachel's First Birthday Party!!

Oh, what a fun time we had!! Cake, balloons, new toys, friends-what more could a baby ask for???

It all went very well and I hope a good time was had by all....Rachel was such a little princess in her pink tutu...

I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story....

All for me-yippie!!!

So proud of our beautiful one year old!

Rachel's friends who helped her celebrate!

Cake face!!

Doodlebug's First Halloween!

We had so much fun celebrating Halloween with Doodle...granted, it was any other day for her except we dressed her in what she considered, a VERY stupid outfit! We thought it was the cutest thing ever of course. She was a dragonfly this year going along with the theme of her being our "Doodlebug".

Prior to the actual day of Halloween though, I dressed her up in cute, Halloween-ish clothes all week.....it was so much fun! Thank you to Grandma Otte and our good, good, friend, Jean for the cute clothes!

On Halloween, I was able to bring her dressed up to Baby Boot Camp and she was able to play with all the other kiddos who were dressed up as well. It was so much fun!

Here she is wearing a very cool light up shirt from Jean....if you look at the big pumpkin in the middle, you can see the light. She thought it was very cool!

Another fun shirt!

Not too happy in her costume!! She is SO dramatic!

At boot camp, with our friends Alyssa and Cori. (Notice we have lost the hat and the booties by this point-they didn't last very long!)

Hangin' in the stroller before boot camp....looking too cute in her costume! Cori was also VERY cute as a little bee!!

Playing with Cori at the end of class....

It's The Great Pumpkin Rachel Ann

We had great fun this past weekend with some friends at a pumpkin patch. We couldn't have asked for better weather and Rachel loved seeing all the pumpkins, fresh produce, some animals, and of course her good bud Cori (Cori may feel otherwise on this last issue :-))....

Just Around the Corner...

Well, Doodle's first birthday is almost here-can you believe it? I sure can't....I was just telling a friend in an email this morning that it feels like the day she was born was so long ago and just yesterday all at the same time...if that makes any sense.

We are looking forward to having friends and family in town for her party-they are going to be amazed at how much she has grown! And they sure will be surprised when they see her walk across the room!! Yep, that's right, Doodle has taken her first steps....we're not yet labeling her a walker but she is pretty darn close. We call it her zombie walk...quite fitting for the time of year.

We have been enjoying such a beautiful fall here....crisp, clear, and sunny days. The air smells great and its just wonderful to be outside. So, Doodle and I have been trying to spend as much time outside as possible. Of course we have boot camp, but I am also trying to just be out and about as well. Yesterday, we did a boot camp class at the Oregon Zoo-what fun!! Doodle got to see sea lions, giraffes, tigers, sheep, and much more! It was really cool to do the class there-but challenging! My bum was a little sore today!

And of course, some pics of our doodlebug...until next time...

"Mommy, what would you and Daddy like for dinner tonight?"

Nothing more precious than a sleeping baby....

Would you like a piece of bread Daddy?

Race for the Cure

This past weekend, Rachel and I were very fortunate to be able to participate in Portland's Race for the Cure. It was my first time participating and it was a wonderful experience! We did the 5K walk and at times it was a little challenging trying to manuver the jogging stroller around all the people there! I unfortunately did "tap" a few folks...oops.

I was invited to join the team of a former employer of mine. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a little over a year ago but is doing great these days!! She ran the 5K!! I was honored to be there supporting her and all the people whose lives have been affected by cancer.

For me, the most moving and inspiring part of the experience came at the end of the race. They had a special "path" for all the survivors to walk down. Everyone else veered towards the right-all the survivors went to the left and walked / ran down this single lane right next to all the people on the sidelines. It was such a great way to honor all the survivors participating and it was so incredibly inspiring to see all of them trek down their path.

We had to wait around for a while before our walk started and of course Rachel became antsy. But not too bad and once we got started walking, she conked out and slept for about the first half. Before I knew it, we were done walking and it was time to go home!

We had a great time and it was fun to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while. But the best part was seeing so many people there supporting such a wonderful cause! I definitely plan to participate next year-but my goal will be to run the 5K!

Here are a few pics from the race:

Doodlebug hanging about in her stroller while we were waiting for the walk to start.

Me along with a few other team members just before the walk started.

And here are just some cute, random shots of Doodlebug:

Crazy hair in the bathtub!

Playing peek-a-boo during bathtime with Daddy

Her cute, toothy smile!

Doodle talking with Montgomery....

Until next time...

10 Months Old

Yep, we are now in the double digits and only 2 months left until the big b-day. My mind is filled with all sorts of ideas and plans for her party....I just need to get focused and start putting those plans into action.

As summer comes to an end, it's a little sad but I must say that I am looking forward to what the next few months will bring. Of course, her birthday...but we also have her first Halloween, Thanksgiving to celebrate, and a visit with Santa in December. It's important to us to begin establishing holiday traditions...and although she won't have her own memories of these first few holidays, we will be sure to capture it all through photos, video, and journals. I have such fond memories of the holiday season when I was a child and I want Rachel to have the same feelings when she reflects on her childhood.

Rachel is all over the place these days! She has recently learned to pull herself up on objects so anything she sees, she attempts to pull herself up. Most of the time, its fine but other times, its a little scary...She loves to pull things out of boxes and such. And when everything is pulled out, she is done and moves on. I am anxious for the day when she will start to put those things back....

She has four teeth and is working on the next two. I believe these new "tools" she has in her mouth have allowed her to try more types of foods. She currently really likes cheese, cheerios, and yogurt. I am still offering her all sorts of other foods but so far she seems to be a little picky in the food department...it takes her a long while to warm up to new foods.

I think she is getting close to saying "dada"....right now, its something closer to "jaja"...if that makes any sense. And she loves testing out her volume level....mainly in public places of course. As soon as she can understand the concept, we will definitely be teaching the difference between inside voice and outside voice.

Brent has recently started a new position within the same company and is really enjoying it so far. I think its refreshing for him to have this new career challenge. He also will be starting school in a few weeks so our lives will be busy!!! I am so proud of him for all that he takes on while also being a great husband and father.

Rachel and I are still doing Baby Boot Camp three days per week-we love it! Well, I probably enjoy it a little bit more than she does....especially the end of class-she is ready to be out of that stroller! But I love the great workout and the comrade of the other moms who are trying to be fit also. I am also still doing my walking / book club group two times per week. We are currently reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. It's been a while since I have read a classic so it definitely takes some focus.

Some pics of Doodle...

Look Ma, one hand!

Proof that baby proofing works!

Beautiful blue eyes

Until next time...

Let the Birthday Countdown Begin!

I can recall many, many years ago, before I even knew Brent, thinking that when I had a child and it came time to celebrate their first birthday, that I really didn't want to do anything major and make that big of a deal about it. I had seen parents host these huge extravaganzas for a party that the child 1) doesn't even know what its about and 2) would never remember....clearly parents were doing this for themselves and not the family. Not that I wanted to ignore and not honor their birthday...but a party?? Really?

Ok, so fast forward...married now, have a child...and in just a few months (about 2 1/4 actually), she will be turning one years old. Sniff, sniff. Have my feelings changed about a one year birthday celebration...yes and no. While I still don't agree with the huge galas for a one year old (Or any other birthday for that matter), I realize now though that I do want to have something special planned for the day and share it with family and friends. So, that being said, Brent and I have started planning, yes, dare I say it.....PARTY!!! Of course the grandparents will be there and hopefully some aunts and uncles, but we are also looking forward to celebrating the day with new friends we have made here and their kiddos. Our goal is to spend a few fun-filled hours with family and friends and to celebrate the wonderful human being that has enriched our lives more than we thought possible.

Feel free to share any great birthday celebrations you have been a part of....

And of course this blog wouldn't be complete without some shots of the doodlebug....

Going through her clothes...in her all-together of course.....don't we all do that chore naked???

Eating beets for the first time-yummy yummy for my tummy but scary scary for my face!!

Doodlebug is 9 Months Old

Rachel had her 9 month doctors appointment today and all is well! She weighed in at a whopping 16 pounds even and measured 27 inches long. She is such a petite little girl.

Our doctor (whom I refer to as RJ) was talking to me about stranger anxiety and that she is at the age where this may become prevalent. I tell him that it really hasn't been an issue and that when we are out and about she smiles at everyone and just loves all the attention she gets. RJ was like, thats great, then maybe it won't be an issue. Well, not 3 minutes later he is in the very beginning stages of his exam and she is looking back and forth between me and RJ...and all of a sudden starts crying and reaching out for me. She is the biggest drama queen! Talk about making Mommy look like a big liar!! Sorry RJ-don't take it personally! However she did get a few more shots and a toe prick and she did so well for those. Cried a little but when I picked her up, she was just fine and was fine the rest of the day. She is such a trooper!

She is very much into exploring these days and is always finding something to investigate. Well, true to her female side (and taking after her Grandma Patty), she discovered shoes earlier today and thought they were pretty cool. Here is a shot of her examing one of my shoes...

Here is a picture taken on her actual 9 month birthday.

It is so much fun watching her crawl all over the house and explore everything. We have converted our upstairs hallway into a loft area for her to play in. While it doesn't appear to be a big space, I think it works great for her. I can be in one of the rooms up there and let her play in the "loft" area...gives her freedom to crawl all around where its completely safe. Good idea Daddy and thanks for putting up the baby gate-only 3 more to go!

We are trying lots of new foods these days. The latest is baby yogurt. She made her yuck face when I first gave it to her (like she does with every new food she tries) but she has started to like it. I think next I am going to try some pasta-mommy's favorite!

Grandma Patty comes into town this weekend so it should be a fun-filled weekend of Doodlebug being spoiled!

Until next time....

Can We Say "Mama"???

Well, Miss Rachel can! That's right....just a few days ago she started with the "bababab"ing...it quickly turned into "mamama". Needless to say it was so wonderful to hear. Now I don't think she is yet making the association between what she is saying and me (Brent thinks otherwise) but either way, it's still so much fun to hear her say it. And of course, Brent is now really focused on her saying "dadada". He of course encourages the mama but I think he is getting antsy to hear his name!

She is also crawling all over the place. It's crazy how fast she can get going on those tiny little knees and hands! And she thinks its just the greatest thing ever-especially when we act like we are chasing her-she cracks up. So of course baby proofing has begun because she likes to investigate everything!!!

Her top right tooth is coming in. So far she hasn't seemed too bothered by it so I hope it stays that way. Last week, I started offering biter biscuits so she can start practicing to feed herself. I think she really likes them but man they are messy. She gets them everywhere on her!! I also tried eggs but she wasn't too interested so we'll wait a while on those.

Just today she started showing the first inclinations of wanting to pull herself up on things. She can't quite do it yet but I don't think it will be too much longer.

In just a few short days, she will be 9 months. I can't believe it. She is really leaving the baby stage and sometimes its just so sad. But more than that, I am excited about watching her grow and develop-her personality just comes out more and more each day. She is such a firecracker!

As for me, I am almost done with my 3rd week of Baby Boot Camp. I have been going 3 days per week and have really been enjoying it. It kicks my butt and I am exhausted afterwards but it is such a good workout. In addition to myself getting exercise, I am also exposing Rachel to exercise and a way to be healthy. I hope this can be a good start to setting healthy lifestyle examples for her. Plus at the end of each class, all the babies can get out of their strollers and crawl around.

We are finally having some nice days here and it's feeling like summer. We try to enjoy the weather as much as possible.

Here are some of the latest photos plus a video clip of the doodlebug laughing....

Can you see my two bottom teeth???

The oddest things seem to entertain her...

Rachel vs. The Carrots....who you think won??

For some reason, certain things Brent says just cracks her up. If I say them, it's just not quite as funny. In this instance, Brent was changing her and asks "can you pull up your pants?" This was the funniest thing ever to her...you can also hear her gurgling..she loves doing that also!

Some fun Videos

Just thought I'd share some cool videos of the doodlebug we have taken lately...she is too funny and always keeps us laughing...

I call this synchronized rolling....

Daddy taught Rachel how to play peek-a-boo...its so funny. You can't see her face very well in this clip but you get the idea....

8 Months Old-Holy Cow!

How the heck did that happen??? It's so bittersweet to watch her grow up...but we are loving every minute of it. Here she is happy as can be on her 8 month birthday.

I think you can see her bottom two teeth in this shot....I think the upper ones are soon to be showing themselves!

Our Trip To Washington

We just returned from a wonderful visit with Grandma Patty and Grandpa Gary at their farm in Eastern Washington. Rachel and I were able to spend almost 2 weeks there and Brent was able to be with us about half that time. Rachel experienced so many "firsts" while we were there-it was great! She saw goats and chickens for the first time, she had her first experience in a "pool", she "tasted" cherries-it was just a different world than home and I think it was great for her. While she did have some issues sleeping in her portable crib there, overall she did so wonderful for being away from home for so long-especially for an 8 month old! Here are some pictures from the trip...

Meeting the baby goats with Daddy and Yodie

Enjoying her first dip in the pool

The Bathing Beauty
Enjoying a tall cold one with Grandma after swimmingLooking too cute in her 4th of July outfit I love this picture with her Daddy...and its a good shot of the surrounding land at my mom's house
On another note, we decided to buy a jogging stroller. Mommy needs to get her butt in shape and I am hoping this will help. This is a shot of Rachel in the new stroller getting ready to go on a walk in Washington...

And We're Off!

Let the crawling begin!! Ok, so it's not a "real" crawl yet, but she if she sees something she wants, she will get her little body there one way or another. Here she is going for Daddy's sandwich:


We had a wonderful time this past weekend with Grandma. We planted an herb garden, went to New Seasons (grocery store) and just had some fun family time. Grandma gave Rachel baths, read books to her, and fed her a few meals. It was a lot of fun!

Rachel's personality continues to come out more and more. She of course grabs anything that she can and as of recently, has started becoming quite upset if that "thing" is taken away from her. Exploring is so much fun for her...it can be scary for mommy and daddy but we know it's part of her developing.

We are finally having some summer weather here which I am beyond thrilled about. Not only is it nice to finally see some sun, I finally get to dress Rachel in all her cute summer clothes. They have been hanging patiently in her closet, taunting me for so long now...she has so many dresses, skirts and shorts that I can't wait for to wear. And of course, her cute bikini from Auntie Danielle.

Fathers Day 2008

We celebrated Brent's first Fathers Day this past weekend. It was very nice and low key. Brent is doing a major project in the garage so that consumed the majority of his time over the weekend however we did sneak some time in to go to the park and have a little picnic. The weather couldn't have been better and we both really enjoyed spending time like that as a family.Brent requested an ice cream cake for Fathers Day-it was quite yummy!

Rachel continues her adventures with solid foods. She is funny because every time we go to feed her, she always grimaces when the spoon first gets to her mouth-even if she has had that food before. Then by the second bite, she seems to be liking it better. But, I don't think she is completely overjoyed by it all..she eats but I think she could easily do without if it was up to her. The newest food we tried was some avacadoes yesterday. She seemed to like them but she wasn't in the best of moods so we cut it short. So far she has tried sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, carrots, and avacadoes-in that order. I think the next food we might try is peas or some other green vegetable. Here is the carrot face herself:And her two bottom front teeth are almost in. But still no pictures....hopefully soon I will be posting those pearly (and sharp) whites.

Until then...

7 Months Old!

Wow-where has the time gone??? Rachel turned 7 months old this past Monday!!! There are moments when I am so excited to see her grow and develop and there are other times when I would just love to freeze time for a bit...or even go back. So I do my best to live in the moment and enjoy each experience and memory as it happens.

We have been going through a few milestones recently including new teeth, becoming more mobile, and the most exciting one....drum roll please, she can now sit up on her own!! Yippie! And she looks so cute doing it. Here is a short video of her sitting up:

And here is a pic of her sitting up-I think she looks just like Brent in this pic:

She is also now cutting her second tooth. It's right next to the other one-so her bottom right front tooth. I am still attempting to get pics of those but that proves to be challenging.

Here she is on her 7 month birthday:

We Have A Tooth!

Ok, so it's just the tippy top of the tooth but it's there and it can be felt!! It's her lower left front tooth. It's pretty sharp. I believe it first came through last Thursday, the 29th. A little bit more pops up each day. She had been doing really well-only a rough night here and there. I am so proud of her. As soon as she lets me, I will try and get a picture of it. Here is a pic from over the weekend, wearing her Dale Jr outfit.

Rachel Can Kiss!!

So Rachel has now learned how to "kiss". Ok, so they are not your typical kisses but more like licks and sucks...however they are the best in the world.

Rachel also likes sucking on Daddy's nose-yummy!!!