6 months!

My sweet little girl is 6 months old today!

City People Nursery/Woodland Park Zoo

Yesterday we went to City People so Daddy could buy some herbs for his garden (mint, basil, thyme & cilantro). Carrie Ella and I took advantage of the pretty surroundings and benches and had a photo shoot.

Today we went to the zoo. CE took a snooze in the Beco while we were there.

Weekend BBQ

We had some friends and family over for a BBQ today.  It was beautiful! (Would dare say too hot in the backyard, glad for the shaded spots!)

Pre BBQ wearing a super cute outfit from Aunt Lizzie.

 Lauren Gagnon and CE

 Emily Rabasa in a box.

 Catherine Rabasa

 Todd, Emily & Kim

 Kate, CE & Lauren

 One more with Pam

 Emily using Sean for standing leverage

 Kim & Emily

 Carrie Ella trying to figure out how she's going to get that toy away from Catherine.

 Salty Steve & CE

Smile

Carrie Ella puts her entire body into smiles.  You can see her whole body flex as she grins. 

Such a happy happy baby!

Here she is wearing an amber teething necklace that a friend sent as a gift.  Its supposed to be a natural teething remedy that boosts the immune system, act as an anti-flammatory and helps with reducing teething pain.  I let her wear it tonight, and I have to admit, she didn't even realize it was there.  I put it against her skin and underneath her onesie. Even during this photo shoot she didn't pay any mind to it.  Even so, I just can't bring myself to let her wear it because I fear choking.  It is made with knots between each stone, so that if she were able to break it, the beads wouldn't go anywhere, but still...  Anyway, it is beautiful and looks great on her.  Maybe when she's older....in the meantime she'll have to deal with teething pain without any traditional natural remedies.

 

Avacado

This past Saturday (5/19), I gave Carrie Ella avacado for the first time.  She did not like it!  Lots of faces and she gagged so much I thought she was going to make herself throw up. 

"You're going to give me what?"

 

My little girl

5/13/12

Family photo

Our friend Aga captured this shot last weekend! We don't get very many of the three of us :-)

Happy babies

The girls are having a great morning!

Can't wait to get home to hug and kiss my girl!

Sad

So missing my little girl. Thankfully she's doing okay without me. Me, not so much... Sean's doing a great job though. Lucky to have him...

Cannot wait to get back to her tomorrow.

Leaving on a jet plane

Writing this post from my hotel room in Cupertino. I worked from home today because I was catching an evening flight for two nights for work. I was really anxious and nervous all day and sad about having to leave my girl. CE was at the Wasse's today but I was able to see her a couple times. I met Michelle, Charlotte and Carrie Ella in the park by our house around noon. Man it was hot! Snapped some photos. (Love how CE is reaching out for Char. In the first.) Hoping the next couple days goes quickly so I can get back to my family!

Perfect day to be a Mom

Today was one of those that I'll take with me for a long time.

It was another beautiful day, blue skies, sunshine and a forecast of nearly 80 degrees.  I woke up around 7:00, CE got up close to 8:30. Sean made a yummy breakfast including his first ever poached egg (which only took 2 tries!)

I love cheese.  Sean knows this. 

While Carrie Ella took her morning nap Sean and I enjoyed a little sunshine out back.  Sean let me choose our activity for the day, so I decided I wanted to go to a Seattle park that we've never been too.  I choose Carkeek Park in North Seattle.  I packed up our stuff while Sean ran out for sanwiches and a salad at Essential .  By the time he got back CE was up from her nap and we were on our way. 

I'd read about Carkeek Park in an article from Red Tricycle Seattle (a website that recommends kid friendly things to do/visit in the Seattle area). The write up I read about it sounded awesome but since I'd never heard anything about it before, I wasn't sure what to expect. Sean and I were both pleasantly suprised. What a beautiful park!  There's a beach and views of the Puget Sound. 

There's also lots of great hiking trails and large fields for hanging out. Theres a great playground and cooking areas for BBQ's. We went for a short walk on a trail, we'll have to go back another time when we're more prepared to explore. 

We found a spot in the not so croweded part of the park, put down blankets and ate, relaxed and played.

We left the park and headed back to our hood and got some ice cream in Madison Park.  Carrie Ella crashed on the way.

After ice cream we headed home.  Sean went to his tennis lesson and Carrie Ella and I hung out.  I fed her some sweet potatoes, gave her a bath and then off to bed she went. 

Tomorrow evening I'm headed to Cupertino, CA to visit our HP offices  for two nights.  I'm sad to have to leave my little girl :-( 

Mother's Day

I cannot believe how fortunate I am.  Not only do I have an amazing, sensitive, loving, giving, funny, smart and supportive husband. I also have the most adorable, happy, loving baby.  She makes my life complete. 

At nearly 5 and a half months, her personality is really starting to come out. She's silly, stubborn & impatient. She gets distracted  easily (especially when eating).  She has to see everything that's going on around her at all times. She's a watcher.  She also gets frustrated quickly when she's trying to master one of her many new skills.  But she's also very happy.  Greeting me every morning with a big old smile.  Such a great way to start the day!

Evenings are my favorite times with her.  As we go through our night time routine, and I lay her on the changing table for one last diaper, she is grinning and so happy.  Once she’s swaddled and in her crib I wonder if  she’ll be able to fall asleep as animated as she is.  But once I leave the room and turn on the monitor, I hear silence from her, only the sound of her seahorse playing music.  And then she’s out.  She sleeps like a champ. (Knock on wood that it stays this way!) 

I see a lot of my mother in me, now more than ever.  When I hold Carrie Ella at night and read to her, I hear my moms voice, see pictures in my mind of being in her lap, listening to her read to me.  Especially as I yawn mid sentence while reading...that I distinctly remember.  When I play around being silly to entertain Carrie Ella, and she laughs at me like I’m the funniest person in the world, I sometimes feel my mom channeling through me.  I remember how my Mom would horse around, very briefly, before I said my prayers at night when she'd tuck me in.  And I realize how fortunate I am, to have had such an amazing mother, to love me, teach me and keep me safe.  All of who I am, and the mother I will be, I learned from her. 

In a world where there are children who lack for love, food, shelter, education and basic human rights, how fortunate am I? And how fortunate is Carrie Ella? Very.  

Happy mother’s day to my amazing Mom and to all mothers everywhere.

Beautiful Day!

It was an amazing day here in Seattle!  Sunshine, blue skies and temps in the 70's!  The forecast is looking really good for the next week or so too :-)

Carrie Ella had a busy week. On Monday she could sit up on her own for a minute tops, each day she got better, and now she's a pro!

Carrie Ella has been on a nap strike of sorts the last two days.  Just when you start to get comfortable right?  She's been very predicatable, typically sleeping 8PM to sometime between 7 & 8AM.  Takes her first nap about 2 hours later and sleeps for 2-3 hours, up for 2 hours, down again for 1-2 hours.  The last two days she is fighting her morning nap.  For the first time we're having to let her cry it out...let's hope its just a phase.  Better a nap struggle than night time!

This afternoon we went to Enmi, Scott & Summit's for a mother's day potluck with our PEPS group.  They have a beautiful home on Lake Washington.  Was a fun afternoon with great food and conversation. 

Before Carrie Ella went to bed we played on my bed for a while.  Photo shoot!