Snow Days

Our break started early this year because of the unusual amount of snow.  It made for an interesting beginning to the first week off and holiday festivities. We finally got to sit down and listen to Liam Nielsen read The Polar Express to us as a family, go watch the ducks waddle through their frozen landscape and play in the yard. 

Crawling?

I get the question almost daily. "Is Ashton crawling yet? Surely scooting, no?"

"No."

I'm quite happy about it. With the extra messes around the house that come naturally with the holidays, I feel lucky that I can still put Baby A down in front of her toys, run around the house and come back to her smiling in the exact same spot, okay, nearly the "exact" same spot. 

I do like the way Teanaway is finally realizing that Izzi is a friend and not a foe. She even lets Ashton get a few strokes in each morning, although I know she's really only suffering through the love until I fill her dish with breakfast. Oh well. My once spitting and growling kitten is warming up, and as for now--Ashton has yet to scoot or crawl or really even show interest in moving around on her own.

Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree

We put the tree up this weekend. In the past we've always gone and picked out a live one to plant in the yard after the season sees and hears its last carol, but this year we opted to borrow Mike and Rosalind's fake one. I love it! There will be no over-watering,  messy needles or sap to drip on my "new" hardwood floor. But perhaps what I love most of all is how much Ashton loves it. She had so much fun decorating the tree--grabbing ornaments and lights and tickling her fingers along the plastic fir. We laughed and sang to our one and only Starbucks Christmas CD. (The kids carols from the library was getting a little old.)



Fun has been put back into the holidays watching my baby take joy in simple spirited activities.

Happy Holidays

Last Friday First Teacher  (a coalition to get parents involved in the act of parenting) had a holiday extravaganza. Randi took the girls and I met up with them immediately after work. As to be expected, the line to sit on Santa's lap was long. So when it was  Sydney, Mason and Ashton's turn Randi and Linsay went for it even though I wasn't there yet. Randi said Izzi was all smiles and laughs until they put her down on "the mayor of Sequim's" lap (I don't blame her. Last year he wanted to thin the elk herd and feed the poor with our city icon.)  She said the funniest part about the photo shoot was that in typical Ashton fashion, she didn't really wail, it just looks like she did. Her scream was silent, but tortuous to look at now. When I saw the photo I thought, "Oh great. Ashton loves Christmas as much as Tyler and Lauren!"

To be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed by the scene myself. Frosty looked like he came straight from a teenage horror flick, and who called in the clowns for a Christmas celebration? Are they trying to say something about Jesus' birth? Ummmm. Maybe just commericalism.  Regardless, I had no idea that there were so many babies in Sequim. 

At any rate, Izzi got a gift for sitting on Santa's lap--The Polar Express book, cd, tape and bells. Wow. Merry Christmas, and a little hohoho to boot.

In Training...

I walked in the other morning on Jake and Ashton sleeping. I couldn't believe how much my baby girl looked like her Papa. The photo doesn't really do it justice, but I had to try. 

This second photo of Izzi and Teanaway just cracks me up. I love how Teanaway likes to perch and watch Ashton eat. It's almost as if she gets a kick out of it as much as I do. I know, I know...I'm a bad parent for even letting her get on the counter top to begin with, but I just couldn't resist her curiosity.

I had this basketball in my classroom and decided to bring it home for Ashton. She loves to roll the ball back and forth, and she has even taken to picking it up and throwing it to me. Perhaps she'll be an athlete after all.  This action shot is all star status!

SIX MONTHS!!!

My baby girl is now six months old, and getting cuter and cuter by the minute. She is really fascinated with her lips (similar to her three month kick).This makes for some really comical facial expressions that keep Jake and I chuckling. 

Today she was babbling so much that the front of her onsie was entirely soaked. I just love her little songs. She's playing the shy girl in front of people lately, hiding her face in my shoulder, but she is far from that at home.

She measured in at 17 lbs, 5 oz. (80%)! Wow! But, when I stop to think about it, she was 8lbs, 2 oz at birth, so it seems about right.  She is 27.5 inches tall (95%).  Dr. Weller smiled and said, "Well, she's probably done with the bucket seat." Ahh, gone are the days of taking Baby A on a drive to fall asleep, only to slowly bring her in the house and watch her dream for hours. This brings a whole new dimension to nap time. He also said that height wise she is where most babies are around 9-10 months. (Again, this explains why everyone thinks she is so much older.) He sized us up and down, and then said, "I suspect she'll slow down on the height scene. The two of you are not incredibly tall."  I remember being the tallest and biggest in all my classes until 7th grade. As soon as everyone else hit puberty I was passed up.  I have always seen myself as a big woman because of this. I wonder if Ashton is heading down the same path. We'll just have to see.

To the Forest

It was nice to stay in Sequim this year for our Thanksgiving break. We usually find ourselves rushing around from city to city or state to state trying to accommodate all six of our parents, six siblings, and two cousins. This year we focused on Jake's side of the family and stayed in Sequim.

I always love going out to John and Nancy's house. It is so relaxing to walk through their woods, drink wine and engage in wild conversation with the soothing sounds of classic rock in the background. On Wed. we started the break early in the afternoon at the Woolley's and stayed for a delicious dinner that Ethan and Trina made. 

After spending Thursday with Mike and Rosalind, we headed out to Jadyne's new house for brunch. She is such and amazing cook. The moment I walk into her house I am inspired. Jake always jokes that I change the furniture around too much at our house--but going to Jadyne's home reminds me that it is perfectly natural to play with your stuff until it feels perfect. She has moved entire rooms since our last visit, and the space is so perfectly her, and so perfectly comfortable. When hanging out with Ashton and Wren in her room the thought crossed my mind that a perfect retreat in my life right now would be to hide away in her room thumbing through books and contemplating the deeper aspects of this past year. It is all flying by so quickly. I can hardly believe my baby is already half a year old.

On Saturday Ashton and I headed back to "Aunt Nancy's" for some more play time with Fisher while Trina and Wren went shopping and Ethan and Jake went fishing. John was still hiding in his "den." 

I just love the way Fisher and Ashton are looking at each other in this photo. Izzi has her goofy, tight smile perched on her lips and Fisher just looks bewildered by it.

I found that Fisher is definitely a boy banging away with his hammer and nails, and was delighted that he didn't mind sharing his screws with baby A. What I found most impressive though, was that Ashton loved his bouncy ball. She was actually kicking with wild excitement when we rolled the ball between the two of them. Perhaps she'll be a soccer player, no?

This photo is a real shocker. Talk about a good day. We are all smiling and all have our eyes open (Nancy too!).  I keep thinking that Izzi has Jake's smile, but then she spreads it wide across her face and I have to second guess my judgement. I just love getting four generations together. GG looks amazing. She is a true inspiration! 

The extended weekend was packed full of adventure, food and conversation. Thank you all for being such wonderful people to be around. I love you.