Photo by MKM Photography

This is how I spent the majority of my weekend. Kyle headed out of town for a long weekend with his Dad and Uncle in California, and my sis and nephew came down to visit. By late on the first day it was clear that both kiddos were teething and/or coming down with something. Somehow we made it through long three long nights with two very sick babies... just barely. As rough as it was at times, I still managed to have a wonderful time with my sister who is my very best friend. I drank a few too many half decaf lattes and probably didn't eat enough.

Gigi is still really sick this morning so we're heading to the doctor in an hour and we are planning in staying in our sweatpants/foot pajamas all day long eating popsicles and watching Peter Pan for the 1,000th time this week. I may even buy a box or two of Annie's Mac and Cheese for dinner tonight. Even with sick kid, a husband out of town, no sleep, and a growing belly... I don't really feel like complaining. I feel so fortunate, even on the hard days.

It's beautiful out today and it seems like we might be turning the corner into spring! Last night when I was making dinner the sun was starting to set and the warmth from the sun was coming through the window in the kitchen and I could feel it on my back. It felt so, so good. By the time we shake this cold and these molars come through the daffodils will be starting to bloom!

Finally, I'm adding my Maternity Series letter in with this blog post today...

We had so much fun spending five days in Seattle with our families. Most of the time when we go up it's for a jam-packed short weekend and we end up running around like crazy. This time we still ran around like crazy but there was a lot of time to relax and do our favorite Seattle things!

We started off the weekend with a lovely birthday dinner date at Revel in Fremont. I've been wanting to eat here for months and we were not disappointed.




The next day was Valentine's day so we spent the day as a family running around Seattle. We visited Kyle's Mom at her office and looked down on the Seattle from high up, walked to Pike Place Market, had Beecher's Mac and Cheese for lunch, stopped by Cupcake Royale for a treat and finally enjoyed a Valentine's dinner with our friends.











It was a very fun Valentine's.

On Friday the weather was looking pretty grey and drizzly but we decided to take advantage of being in Seattle and go to the Woodland Park Zoo. By the time we loaded up, stopped at Honoré for lattés and treats, and go to the zoo it was beautiful out! Not a cloud in the sky! It also happened to be the day at the zoo they were debuting four baby lion cubs! We really lucked out and had a wonderful day. After the morning at the zoo we swung by Paseo to pick up food for lunch (yum!) We spent the evening in with Kyle's folks cooking up the fresh fish we bought at Pike Place.

Saturday we met up in the morning with my best friend and her family for coffee, then in the evening we went out for a birthday dinner with my twin brother, sister, her husband and their baby boy at Serious Pie!

Sunday we had a little birthday brunch with my family and our friends before heading home.

It was a truly wonderful weekend.

When we were on our trip to Europe this summer, I read French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon. It was eye opening for me because, although we encouraged Gigi to eat and try "our food" we were missing the main point! "Our food" is also her food! I felt that we were asking something extraordinary of her to eat exactly what we were eating and we'd often follow up an offer of "our food" with something more "kid friendly". She's always been low in weight so we were concerned that she wasn't eating enough and would always whip up something (after dinner) in order to ensure she got enough.

Before reading this book Gigi's typical day was filled with scrambled eggs, quite a few snacks, milk, a tiny lunch, some of our dinner food (most of which ended up on the floor) or a customized toddler dinner (most of which ended up on the floor). We didn't often eat together. Most of the time we gave Gigi dinner earlier in the evening and then we ate after she was in bed.

After reading French Kids Eat Everything I was a total convert to the idea that kids eat what adults eat. Period. I read, re-read, took notes and came home from our trip with a plan to change our ways. We've now been eating the "French" way for five months so I feel confident in sharing our experience with you. The rules are simple and following them has made a huge difference in the way we all eat.

The French Kids Eat Everything Rules
...and my thoughts on applying them at home...

1. Parents are in charge of children’s food education.
I simply talk to Gigi a lot more about food, she cooks with me more. We bought her these veggies, fruits and fish sets from Ikea and she cooks in her little kitchen. We ask her to make us dishes using specific toy food. She's only two but as she gets older these conversations and games will change. We've started to talk about color, texture, and flavor as well.

2. Avoid emotional eating. Food is not a toy, a distraction, a bribe, a pacifier, a reward, or a substitute for discipline.
This rule brought on a wave of mom-guilt. Before reading this book I constantly used food as a toy, distraction and pacifier. Fussing in the car? Here's some crackers in a snack catcher. Bored on a walk? Here's a squeezy pack of baby food. When I realized that I was teaching Gigi that "food is the answer" to boredom, crankiness, etc. I felt really guilty. What kind of food habits was I setting her up with? We ditched the squeezy packs which are now in the emergency bin in the car for emergency only or reserved for long trips, and the snack catcher is now a bath toy.

3. Parents schedule meals and menus. Kids eat what adults eat: no substitutes and no short-order cooking.
This took surprisingly little adjustment on Gigi's part! Since she wasn't snacking she was really hungry when it came to be dinner time. The first day on the program she refused dinner and went to bed hungry. It sounds harsh but it was actually fairly smooth. She didn't complain, she just didn't want what was offered so we ate, read her a book and put her in bed. (She ate an enormous breakfast the following morning). Now things run smoothly. She's used to being served what we are eating. She gets to make some choices at breakfast between a couple options we offer her... daily requests for waffles and cereal are not honored.

4. Food is social. Eat family meals together at the table, with no distractions.
We set the table every night for dinner, sit down together, say what we are grateful for, and then we eat. We have Gigi help us set the table. She picks out her place mat, plate, fork/knife/spoon, and cup and puts them on the table. Some evenings she's more excited about helping than others but she usually eagerly participates. We always ask her to use the appropriate utensils while eating. She struggles with successfully using the utensils with every dish and usually uses them and her hands, but she's learning. We never answer our phones (in fact they're not allowed near the table), we try to include Gigi in our conversations and engage her by asking her questions. We ask her to eat like an adult! Family dinners are truly the best part of my day.

5. Eat a variety of food. Eat vegetables of all colors of the rainbow, don’t eat the same dish more than once per week.
We try to introduce lots of different foods to Gigi. We often eat the same dish more than once per week because we have leftovers. Cooking something new every night isn't financially feasible for us. I am working on adding more veggies to the roundup.

6. You don’t have to like it but you have to taste it / eat it.
Using the word "taste" instead of "try" seems to work really well with Gigi. I feel like when I encourage her to "taste" something, I'm asking her to be adventurous and curious. The word "try" feels like I'm asking her to judge it, to decide if she likes it or not. We always put a bit of everything on her plate. If she refuses a food or tastes it and says, "I don't want that!" We remind her that the polite thing to say is "no thank you" then we say, "That's okay. We'll taste it again another time". Then we take it away or encourage her to leave it on her plate and assure her that she doesn't have to eat it.

7. Limit snacks to one per day and not within one hour of meals. In between meals, it’s okay to feel hungry. At meals, eat until you’re satisfied, rather than full.
This was challenging when i was in the first trimester of pregnancy and we often shared a bagel and cream cheese on the couch (off schedule) but we're back on track now. I actually have grown to love snack time. Since the idea is to give something high carbohydrate to give a boost of energy and tide kids over until dinner, I feel like I don't have to be totally "responsible" at snack time. We often have things like cinnamon sugar toast, cookies and milk, a little trail-mix spiked with M&M's, along with other snacks like apples and cheese, ants on a log, etc. It's fun to get to throw something together for her or surprise her with a mid-day cookie. A typical French snack for kids is a bit of baguette with butter and melted chocolate! I was finding at times the Gigi didn't seem totally hungry at dinner time so we cut back the quantity at snack time, we try to keep to about six bites. She'll have half a piece of buttered toast, a few bites of yogurt and a couple slices of apple. I try to avoid protein at snack time.

8. Take your time, both for cooking and eating. Slow food is happy food.
This rule is easy for us. If you've been following this blog, you know that I love to cook. I rarely ever buy processed/pre-made food, and we rarely eat out. This means that all of our meals are made from scratch at home. Gigi is getting to the age where she loves to cook with me. She helps, asks questions, sometimes very much gets in the way... and I love it all.

9. Eat mostly real, homemade food, and save treats for special occasions. Avoid processed foods.
As I mentioned above, I make everything at home. And (again with the exception of the first trimester of pregnancy) I rarely buy any processed foods.

10. Eating is joyful, not stressful. Relax and enjoy the process of planning, preparing and feeding yourself and your family.
This rule is important to remember. Sometimes the planning and grocery shopping aspect can be a bit stressful and feels like it takes an entire day but, I love taking Gigi to the grocery store. I love interacting with the people there. I love planning our meals. Feeding my family is such a huge part of our days, weeks, months... why not embrace and enjoy it?

A few other things...
I don't try to "hide" foods from Gigi. I don't mix spinach in her brownies or add purées to things without telling her. I always tell her exactly what's in her food. I don't personally understand the point or idea of getting her to eat more vegetables if she isn't going to eat them or learn to love them in their natural form. I don't think there's anything wrong with adding veggies to her food but I always tell her. On the same note we talk about what's for dinner every night. We'll show her that there's mushrooms, spinach, ricotta, onion, etc. in her lasagna. I trust that she will learn to like them and I want her to recognize what she's eating/tasting/liking. On the same note, we also let her eat anything and everything we eat. If we're having chocolate we give her some. Sweets and candy are part of the food world too. If we eat it in moderation, I believe she will too. But I don't think it's fair to tell her she can't have ice cream when we have it. If she has had too many sweets we'll put her to bed and then have ice cream but we always share with her if she's participating in a family event or meal.

In the book French Kids Eat Everything the author, Karen, talks a lot about how important it is for kids to learn to wait patiently. That's part of the reason we all wait until we are seated and have said what we are grateful for. Last night we were all starving (dinner was a bit late) and I said to her, "Wait, what are you grateful for.", and she looked right at me and said, "No Mama. I can't.", and started eating! Actually I was right there with her! But most of the time it's a great opportunity to ask a small bit of patience from her... occasionally she even stops us from taking the first bite by saying, "WAIT! I grateful....." These little "grateful" moments have become some of my favorite Gigi quotes. The other night she said, "I grateful.... maybe.... PENIS!!!" Ha. She's learning about anatomy. The point is, I find that she's been getting more and more patient as a result of these little moments. I find that I can say, "You can have this when we get home.", or "We can do/have/read/see that in a little bit." I think it's a lot about building trust. She knows that I will follow through with it

We don't battle over food. She rarely asks for snacks now that she's used to the schedule. If she does I just say, "We'll have a snack at snack time!" I avoid using the word "no" but I make it clear that it's not snack time/we can't have cookies for breakfast, etc. If she doesn't want to eat something, that's fine. There's no use in battling. I would rather that we talk about it than have her hiding her peas in her napkin, and I will never tell her she can't leave the table until she's finished her cauliflower. That's not fun for anyone! I won't force her to eat a certain food. I want her to enjoy the process of learning about and exploring different foods. I feel that the power is in what I put on the table, rather than what I make her eat. After years of nannying I've learned that finding creative ways of avoiding a power struggle with a toddler is a major skill. At the table it's particularly important.

Incorporating variety is challenging. We eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, but it's not always easy to introduce new foods. Sometimes it's downright defeating! But it does come around and work eventually. For example, some foods that Gigi refused and now loves: potatoes, onions, roasted garlic... it takes time but is really rewarding when she finally embraces something new. It seems that once she's accepted something, potatoes for example, she'll eat in all forms when we tell her what it is.

We try to eat all our meals together. At first, I was planning and making breakfast and lunches but we weren't really eating them together regularly. But, over time we saw that Gigi was acting out a bit at those meals. Dropping food on the floor. Spilling her water on purpose. So we determined that having someone sit with her and eat with her would be a good thing, for all of us! Kyle and I both usually skip breakfast, or I would find that I wanted carbohydrates around 10am because I didn't eat something healthier in the morning (I'm blaming pregnancy for part of this). Now we usually sit down together and have a big bowl of fruit and yogurt or eggs and whole grain toast. The social eating aspect of the French approach really does make a big difference. Now she eats at all meals and is getting better at telling us when she's all done (as opposed to "showing" us by smearing food on the table).

There is enormous freedom in a schedule and routine. Because we are on a set schedule and the habits have now become engrained, I feel a huge sense of freedom with our meals. We can have a picnic on the floor, be lazy and give her a big plate of pasta, eat popcorn on the couch in the middle of the day... occasionally. Then we can get right back to our better eating habits the next day. In the same way that we put so much energy and effort into creating good sleep habits, then we could keep her up until 10pm on the 4th of July without risking total overhaul of sleep patterns, we can ignore the food rules from time to time because we know that the foundation is there to return to. By no means are we perfect "method" followers... some days are an absolute mess and Gigi has snacks all day and cereal for dinner! Some days are just like that, but we always have good intentions and get back on track as soon as we can.

I'm so glad we've started early with Gigi. I wish we'd started even earlier but I'm happy that we're eating this way now. I do think we got off on the wrong foot with baby food. We will be following the French method this next time around: introducing a different menu of foods early on, skipping rice cereal all together. Karen has a great write up about feeding babies the French way here. For those of you who mentioned getting your babies with few teeth to start eating solid foods, I would recommend reading Baby Led Weaning. I haven't read it myself but it's been recommended by a few friends and my sister has had great success with it. Her nine month old eats everything (seriously, everything). The concept is essentially no purées. I'm ordering a copy to read before our daughter is born!

The Main Differences in Our Eating Habits

The Schedule:
The eating schedule proposed and followed in French Kids Eat Everything is:
Breakfast in the morning
Lunch around 12:30pm
Snack around 4:30pm
Dinner between 7:00pm and 8:00pm

It took a while for us to get on this schedule as we transitioned Gigi from one to two naps (she used to nap through lunchtime). Now our daily schedule looks like this:
7:30 breakfast
12:00 lunch
3:30 small snack and 1/2 cup milk
6:00 dinner (bedtime is at 7:30pm)

Our schedule is a tiny bit earlier than the French one provided in the book. It works perfectly for us.

Lunch:
Gigi still eats a rather small lunch. I do feel that I could do better making her bigger/better lunches with more variety. This has been a hard habit for both of us to change. In France, lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Here, dinner is. So while I'm working on adding variety, I'm not totally concerned about the size of her mid-day meals. I'm not trying to make lunch the biggest meal because that's not realistic given my husband's work schedule and our calorie needs at the end of the day. Also since children aren't fed big wonderful lunches at school I have a feeling our kids will come home from school needing a big dinner!

Dinner Menus:
One big difference between the French eating habits and ours is the dinner menu plans. The typical French dinner includes a vegetable entrée (starter), plat principal (main dish), salade/fromage (cheese), and dessert. If our dinner is veggie heavy (like veggie lasagna) than we don't normally have another veggie before dinner. But If I'm introducing a new vegetable, or if the vegetable is likely to get ignored in favor of pasta, than I will serve it first. I also am sure not to give her too much pasta. We are trying to follow the rule that she has to at least try/taste everything on her plate before she can have more pasta. We ask that she eats three bites of everything before she can have more of something she's finished (usually pasta or bread which almost always gets eaten first)! And then it's only a few bites worth of the pasta. For example, I love making Penne with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto for dinner but when I serve it up for her I make sure to only give her a little pasta along with everything else. That way she's "forced" to eat other things before she can have more pasta. In other words, we try to keep everything in balance. If she has a few bites of everything she can have a few more bites of pasts. Sometimes we don't giver her any more pasta until her plate is (mostly) clean. I do this when I know it's a dinner she loves. With the Butternut Squash pasta dish, I know that she has learned to love the squash, the goat cheese, the prosciutto, and she's working on the basil and red onion. So, I know that there is plenty of food on her plate that she enjoys.

Dessert:
We don't have dessert every night. But if Gigi has had a particularly great meal and tried everything on her plate, I'll often cut up an apple for us all to share, or we will each get five or six chocolate chips. I don't think of it as a reward and I don't tell her that it's because she ate everything. It's simply because I think she earned it. She doesn't get to the end of each meal and ask for a treat but when she does it's a good opportunity to say: "Yes. We all tried everything and I think it would be fun to have _____." or "No. We aren't going to have dessert tonight because we didn't try everything on our plate." She seems to understand both answers. One thing to keep in mind too is that she has no idea or expectation about what dessert entails. The other night Gigi asked me, "We have a treat?" and I told her, "I got nothin'!", and she got so excited and squealed, "OH BOY!" It was so sweet, I got up and found a little something. But it taught me that, she doesn't know of care what's for dessert... it's just the idea of having earned something.

Social Aspects:
Since, in France, these rules of no snacking, of eating what adults eat, of scheduled eating are part of the social construct, it is easy to follow. Trying to follow them here isn't always easy. Gigi is often offered candy or crackers at the store/at play-dates/just before dinner. I try to be selective about when I say no. Within an hour of a meal time? No. A graham cracker while we are at the store? Ok. I don't offer her these items but when they are shared by/with a friend outside of our home, I try to just go with the flow unless it could truly spoil a meal. On another note, after converting to this method, I'm actually shocked by some of the snacking I see. Every day at the grocery store I see parents searching in their bags for snack catchers, breaking open boxes of crackers, milk boxes, string cheeses, etc. Everywhere we go Gigi is offered snack food: from the cookie counter at the grocery store to the local coffee shop, to the park. Snacking is such an accepted part of our culture. It can be challenging to go against the "snacking culture" but I know I am doing the right thing for Gigi's short and long term eating habits.

Another tricky thing about the social aspect is when we are eating out with friends. It's difficult to make Gigi stay at the table while other kids are running around before, during, and after dinner, to make her wait patiently for the food to arrive when other kids are drinking juice/snacking on crackers, to serve her bits of what we're eating instead of ordering mac and cheese or chicken fingers... But, this is a place that we have made the choice to ask a lot of her. We require her to behave politely, eat healthfully, wait patiently, etc. It's not always easy but I believe it's very important for our family. To be clear, I'm not judging what other families do with their kids... I know what's right for our family and I do my very best to stick to that even when it's hard. On a side note, if we are at a friends house we generally follow that family's rules. If the kids are allowed to get down and play while the adults finish eating then Gigi is allowed to get down and play as well. I will add that when we're heading into a sure to be challenging situation we discuss it ahead of time. For example, as we headed to the in-laws for four nights for Christmas this year, we decided as a family to put the rules on hold. We knew everyone would be snacking and it wasn't fair to ask Gigi not to particpate. When we arrived we told Kyle's parents, "Ok, we decided you can just spoil her and give her treats and cookies and snacks this time." They seemed to enjoy the break in rules as much as Gigi did. They are such wonderful listeners we weren't too worried about things getting out of hand. They know that McDonald's is on my "absolutely never, no way in hell" list but if my mother-in-law wants to spoil her granddaughter with home baked cookies... I'm willing to set my rules aside. Food is social, and it's important for me to remember that there are memories and experiences Gigi should get to have with her friends/grandparents/other kids.

This has been and continues to be a process with ups and downs. We try to enjoy every little success and not get caught up with "failures". I feel really proud that G has learned to eat and love squashes, cucumber, potatoes, zucchini, kale, carrots, radishes (and those are just the vegetables) and willingly tries everything from broccoli to eggplant. Sometimes they go in, get chewed a bit and come back out but we don't say anything or make a big deal out of it... I think it's a success that she's trying it and I'm confident that things will make it to her stomach. She seems to be outgrowing her "sensitivity" to texture. I find it really helpful to talk about new foods, at the store, while being prepared, while being served. For example: At the store: "These radishes are pretty! What color are they?" While preparing: "This radish is white on the inside! Can you help me put it on our salad?" While eating: "What does it taste like? Is it crunchy like an apple? Maybe it's a little spicy?" The more she's in an exploratory state of mind the more she seems to eat! I still cannot get her to enjoy green peas on their own (it's fine if they're mixed into a dish)... tasting these usually means licking one... but I am confident we'll get there eventually. But I don't worry too much about it. I also feel comfortable that if she decides she really does not like green peas, then that's her choice. She's eating enough variety of vegetables that I don't worry about it. She does have her own individual tastes, as we all do. We will all measure our little successes differently since our kids are all different. For me every time she tries, eats, enjoys, says "that's tasty!" to a new food, I feel proud and I count that as a success. Sometimes I'm completely surprised by her willingness to eat things: kale salad, pine nuts, gorgonzola, salsa, salad with micro-greens, hot sauce! It's really a fun process to watch.

So, there you have it! Our "American" experience with French Kids Eat Everything. In the coming weeks I'll share how I plan our weekly/monthly menus. How I budget our menus. I'll provide a blank printable PDF of our menu format and our grocery shopping template. I'll be introducing a new features called My Sous Chef which will be all about cooking with Gigi! I'm considering bringing back the Monthly Menus feature, did you find this helpful when I did it before?

Have you read the book? What's your experience been? I'm curious to hear and would love to incorporate advice and ideas into our day to day eating habits. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend this wonderful book!

Finally, here's a printable the list of French Kids eating habits we have printed on our refrigerator!

*There is a difference between picky eaters and an oral-motor/sensory defensive eater. The latter is a child who needs intervention from an Occupations Therapist and Speech Language Pathologist.

We spent our Thanksgiving holed up at home with Kyle's parents. With my little sous chef by my side we worked together to make a simple little Thanksgiving dinner. We made a turkey, stuffing, gravy and some roasted asparagus... and pumpkin pie for dessert, of course. Gigi played nonstop with "Grammy". It was really mellow and wonderful. We spent the rest of the weekend laying flooring in our master bedroom and watching Christmas movies! It was one of the best Thanksgivings ever. I sure do love my little family.

Today it's back to reality with laundry, running a couple of errands, doing some mending/sewing projects, making turkey stock and grocery shopping... my goodness, that sounds awfully domestic! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and good luck getting back to work this Monday.

I have been blessed with many, many things in this life especially in regards to my family. One place I consider myself to be extremely blessed is the in the in-law department. My in-laws, Dave and Erika, are the most extraordinary parents. Kyle and I have been together for 11 years now and from the first day Kyle's parents have treated me like a daughter. From helping us buy our home, to sewing my wedding dress, to always giving thoughtful advice... they are everything you could possibly hope for when you marry into someone's family. They are helpful, kind, warm, loving, generous... I'm particularly close with Kyle's mom and I value my relationship with her with all my heart. This year I'm particularly grateful for everything they are. They'll be joining us for Thanksgiving and it'll be a quiet one with just the five of us cooking up a simple version of Thanksgiving dinner. They bring such a sense of warmth and love to every single holiday.

Look the adorable Halloween costumes Erika whipped up for Gigi and her best buddy/neighbor Waylon! They were Don and Betty Draper from Mad Men. She made the cute jackets and G's dress!

*Note. I realize I'm an entire month late posting these photos.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

It seems like overnight Gigi has grown so big! She's talking in full sentences ("I like pink shoes!") and so active it's like there's two of her. We spent our week hanging out with friends watching Audrey Hepburn movies and the election... so now somehow, it's already Wednesday afternoon.

I'm working hard to today to get ready for a trip with my girl to Seattle. We're leaving Daddy here to strip, level, sand and put flooring in the office. We've had the flooring sitting around since our remodel over a year ago! We figured it would be easier for Kyle to get it done without us two around. So today has been full of errands: filling the car with gas, picking up new books at the library, and packing. It's always a bit challenging traveling with the babe on my own but it's been a while since we did a mom and daughter trip anywhere. It will be wonderful to go to Seattle and catch up with friends and spend time with my family. Plus I'm looking forward to indulging at some of my favorite food spots in the big city!

Our time in Scotland was spent mostly being cozy. Since Kyle was attending a two week intensive of brewing and distilling courses for his Master's degree, he was gone most of the time. Gigi and I spent a lot of time with Ryan and a lot of time on our own. A typical day started with a big cup of coffee and a late breakfast at one of the local cafes.

Some mornings we'd just stay in and have tea and oatmeal.



It was pretty rainy and grey most of the time so I would cozy up and read or journal while G took her morning nap.



After her morning nap we'd bundle up and head out into the city center for another coffee and lunch.



Other afternoons I'd bundle up with Gigi and we'd go for a walk around Leith which is where we were staying. I discovered the most beautiful cemetery that became part of our daily walk route.



Some days, if Kyle was getting done early, Gigi and I would hop on the bus and go meet him for a pint.




After some wandering, some people watching, or a museum stop, we'd head back to the apartment for afternoon nap time. In the evenings, we'd all go out for a bite. Sometimes it was just Ryan, G and I so we'd cook in or find a local spot to eat at.




Basically we read, spelt, napped, jumped in puddles, walked, ate, sipped, played and were cozy. It was definitely a stark contrast from sunny, active Sweden but it was lovely and quiet and we really appreciated our time there. Getting to spend three solid weeks with my twin brother meant the world to me.

We are home now and sufficiently recovered from the jet lag. Gigi slept through the night last night for the first time since we returned and we're feeling back on track today. The weather has been incredibly gorgeous. Kyle's folks were here over the weekend and they picked us up from the airport. It was so nice having them here to help us get settled back in. We have more friends coming to visit this weekend and our good friends are getting married on Saturday. A busy but wonderful way to reenter the day to day.

The past two summers, I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph the most wonderful family who happen to live in Stockholm, Sweden. Just last month they were in Oregon again and I shot their family photos. Upon our mention that we'd be traveling to Sweden, Pauli invited us to stay with them. It was a generous offer and we happily accepted. We spent two very fun, giggle, silly, girly evenings with them.

One great thing about staying with a family in Stockholm was that we got wonderful recommendations for where to go and (more importantly) where to eat. When Pauli told us about Rosendals Kafé, we knew that was where we needed to go. It's the most incredible café tucked into the most extraordinary garden! They make food straight from their gardens, it's always in season, and it was spectacular! The menu changes daily depending on what's available. It was such an inspirational place. Without intending to we spent nearly our whole day there.




We ate our wonderful food in the garden where we made new friends and Gigi ran and played. Then we browsed through the shop, I wanted to buy the cookbook for the café but they didn't have it in English. We picked up a sweet treat for later and then walked the grounds, meandering along paths until we found our way to the ferry.




We took the ferry across to Gamla Stan, or the Old Town area of the city. It was pretty touristy but there was a lot of people watching to do. We wandered and walked until late afternoon when we decided to head back to Pauli's home to make dinner for her and the girls.




Stockholm is such a beautiful city. We only got to spend one amazing day there but it's on my list of places I hope to visit again and again.

Later this week I'll share some photos and stories from here in Edinburgh, Scotland and I have a new recipe and cooking video to share too!

Dala-Floda was where we spent our last day in the countryside of Sweden. It is the most beautiful little town with homes that are beyond charming and a stillness that was perfect. Ryan took us to a beautiful bastu (sauna) on a picturesque lake. While he and Kyle baked and steamed Gigi and I played in the sand and sun.

After a few hours on the lake, we went for lunch a the Värdshus. A small, glorious, bed and breakfast in Dala-Floda with a renowned restaurant. The food they prepare is all local and organic, much if it from their own lovely garden. We sat outside at a table on the lawn and enjoyed our delicious food while Gigi ran and played on the grass.

After fika we packed up to head back to the farmhouse to begin the process of packing for Stockholm...

...our time in the Swedish countryside was incredible. I've always loved visiting the areas outside of cities when we've traveled in Itlay, Germany, France, and now Sweden as well. Outside of the city you get such a sense of the people, the culture, the food, the warmth of a country. It's not surprsing that during our time there Gigi learned two new words, "kiss" and "freinds" which she uses every day now.

We met such wonderful people, ate healthy and delicious food, made new friends, had once in a lifetime experiences, breathed deeply, swam in a warm lake at sunset, watched an airshow, ate from the garden, walked barefoot in the grass, learned bits of a new language... had adventures.

We are now settled in Edinburgh, Scotland and Kyle has started school. The tone here is so different from that in the countryside of Sweden. It's drizzling a bit and you can feel the day to day city pace. Kyle has started school, he leaves with his bag around 7:30am and is having a wonderful time. Gigi and I are hanging with Uncle Ryan, I'm catching up on a little work, journaling, reading... It feels like we left summer behind in all it's perfection in Sweden. It's definitely fall here in Scotland.

I still have more photos and stories to share from our time in Sweden this week... these photos are from one day of our trip we spent just relaxing on the farm. One thing I loved about the farm life was going every morning with Gigi to check on the chickens and look for eggs. Then, to come right inside and make her breakfast from an egg she collected. I'm so excited to plan and prepare for getting chickens next spring.



We spent the day playing, exploring, doing laundry, snacking on real Swedish fish, napping, reading, and soaking up the sunshine.

Another thing we loved about being in the countryside was fika, afternoon coffee that is traditionally prepared over an open fire and served with sweets. Ryan's neighbors invited us over to have traditional fika with them. We wandered over around 4pm for coffee. Normally I wouldn't dare drink coffee so late in the day but throughout our time in Sweden I never found it to affect my sleep. Maybe it's countered by all the fresh air. We sipped our coffee and snacked on brownies made my Kerstin. We also got to try her special flower water which was very sweet, made from flowers at her mountain cabin, and a homemade juniper berry cordial.



Kerstin and Oboreo delighted us all with some violin playing! The girls, Gigi and Kerstin's granddaughter Judith, couldn't get enough. Gigi danced and jigged and cheered for more. It was wonderful. The more they played the sillier the girls became. Doing headstands, lying down and rolling on the grass, squealing and giggling like mad.



After fika we returned to the house to prepare for a wood-fired pizza dinner with Lars, Karin, Isak and Sofia. Any time spent with this family was so much fun. Gigi couldn't get enough of Miss Sofia. Everyone chipped in to prepare the ingredients and soon we we all assembling our individual pizzas.

Yesterday was our third wedding anniversary. We start our days here with coffee and books on the couch... 
Checking on the chickens and looking for eggs with Adam...

Breakfast. Ryan made us wonderful sourdough waffles. He started the batter the night before and they were so good! We are scheming to see how we might be able to take back the yeast with us...

And music in the living room.


Kyle and I decided to go for a nice long drive around Lake Siljian, stopping at little towns along the way. We packed up a little bag, grabbed our maps and were on our way.


All in all it was a lovely anniversary. Sweden is just as beautiful as you might imagine.

We arrived in Dala-Järna, Sweden on the 11th and have been having a wonderful time. We spent our first evening meeting the lovely neighbors, eating a simple dinner, and heading to bed for some much needed sleep. Gigi didn't sleep on the flight except for maybe an hour long nap. She finally passed out when we landed in Sweden at about 4:00am U.S. time which means the little stinker stayed up all night long. Despite this, the flights were much easier than we anticipated. She watched some movies, colored, walked the aisles and was generally pretty happy. The timing actually worked our perfectly. She slept in the car for the four hour drive from Stockholm to Dala-Järna, got up and played with the neighbor kids, and went to bed at her normal bed time. She slept 12 hours and only woke up once in the night, nursed and went right back to sleep. We all recovered from the jet lag pretty quickly because we were able to get onto Swedish time right away.

There was a big air show here when we arrived so we spent our first day staring straight up into the sky. There were fighter jets, an F16, trick planes... it was pretty impressive.



The house that we're staying at is a sweet little farm. The boys that live here are working to make it into a working farm with a possible CSA kind of program. Gigi is in love with the chickens. She walks out to see them every chance she gets and says, "Hey bac-bac-bac-bac!!!"



I'm getting really excited about getting set up with chickens when we get home... well next Spring anyway. We've been so spoiled with farm eggs from our friends. It will be fun to get chicks and raise them. The life here is pretty sweet.



Gigi is also in love with her darling Uncle Ryan who, for some reason she has been calling Uncle Mow! I think she's means now? Even in her still waking state, or when she sits up in the middle of the night, the first words out of her mouth have been, "Uncle Mow? Uncle Mow? Oh, hi!" It's incredibly sweet.



...to be continued...

p.s. I've been taking lots of photos on Instagram. You can see my photos here or follow me // KacieCollection

We had so much fun last weekend in Portland with our family for my cousins wedding... technically they are my step-family/my step-cousins but getting to spend this past week with them made me feel so much closer to them. We don't get to see them often but when we do it's just wonderful. We spent so much time with my cousin Jessica, her husband Brian, and their son Will. We were all together for four days straight. Brian is so insanely funny, I was constantly in stitches. I can't repeat any of the jokes he made as they were all totally inappropriate. The weekend was filled with great food, wine, and lots of quality family time.

My cousin Jessica and I first met one another 11 years ago in Paris. We ran around Paris like the silly teenage girls we were, drank too much champagne under the Eiffel Tower, bought ridiculous souvenirs, and ate an obscene amount of french bread with jam. This weekend we chased our babies, sipped Bloody Mary's and ate an obscene amount of food from Kenny and Zuke's.

Jessica's son, Will, andGigi got along famously. Will taught Gigi to say, "Car. Box. Heeeewwwo!" and Gigi taught will to say, "OOOh NOOOO! Cracker!" They were so darn cute together.... although taking a photo of these two squirmy babes was impossible! In the photo below both of the silly babies would not sit still. Brian let go of them and was trying to get out of the frame so I could snap one, but before I could even get my camera to my eye they were off!

Although Gigi did sit still long enough for me to get this one of her. This is such a Gigi look. She always has this goofy look on her face and it matches her personality perfectly. Right after I took this she looked right at me and said, "More peeeeture?"

It was so wonderful getting to spend so much time with my Stepmom's family. The wedding was simple, small, lovely, and really fun. How lucky are we to have such a big, fun, fantastic extended family?! We need to plan a trip to Boston.

Continued from Birch Bay: Part One...

On Sunday morning we woke up early again, but this time I was ready. Ready for coooofffffffffeeeeeee!, for reading books on the couch, for walks on the beach. We were planning to head for home during Gwyneth's morning nap so we spent the morning caffeinating and packing up. Gigi is in love with Who Will Comfort Toffle? which was a gift. It's from Sweden and it's beautifully illustrated. She spent the morning in her cozies, finding and comforting Toffle with kisses.

We got dressed and headed down the waterfront to say goodbye to the great blue herons who flew by and the tiny little crab we discovered. When I was a kid I loved turning over "big" rocks to reveal scores of baby crabs living underneath. Despite my unshakeable fear of spiders, these eight legged creatures amuse me. I found this little guy living in a shell. Which, incidentally, is how Toffle's story ends too.

After draining our coffee, we saddled up and hit the road. We spent almost as much time in the car this weekend as we did in Birch Bay, but it was totally worth the trek. I love nothing more than spending time with my family.

Nothing more.

This weekend we escaped. Invited by our good friends, Jeremy and Tara, to their family's lovely vacation home in Birch Bay, we loaded up the car and headed North. After so much hustling around the past couple of months, it was hard to leave again. But the promise of R&R beconned so off we went.

We arrived in Birch Bay fairly late on Friday evening and got quickly settled in. I love the feeling when you walk into a new place and get to take it all in and say, "This is going to be my little home for the next 24 hours". After getting Gigi cuddled up in bed, we made dinner and played board games.

Our darling girl woke us up early on Saturday morning and I felt like I was in a swamp. The thick comfy matress and sleep deprivation from the last few weeks had an unexpected effect on me. I spent the whole morning rather, the whole day, in a haze of muddled half-sleep. I'm pretty sure I wasn't forming my sentences properly. Kyle, always the early riser, headed down the stairs to the beach with our on-the-go-girl, and I followed, bed-head and all. Is there anything more enticing than a wooden staircase leading to the water?




One of the best things about spending time with our friends is seeing how much they love Gigi. They embrace her, love her, snuggle her, and play with her. It makes both Kyle and I so grateful to have such amazing friends. "Aunt" Tara and "Uncle" J hold an extra special place with me because of their love for our daughter.




Since Gigi naps at 9am everyday, we were able to spend some time relaxing with our friends while she caught some zzzs. During her nap the clouds burned away and we were blessed with an outpouring of sunshine. When Gigi awoke we were all playing cornhole and relaxing in the sunshine. I loaded that girl up with sunscreen and proceeded to spend the next hour battling with her that she must keep her sunhat on! She just loves hats so, so much that she wants to hold them and present them to everyone around her. Jeremy had bought her some bubbles at the market and unwittingly, with the first blow of tiny bubbles, became the royal bubble master for the afternoon. Who can deny a sweet "more more more" from a child who adores you and thinks your bubble blowing skills are spectacular?



I could hardly wait for the tide to recede so we could take G out to explore the shore. When I was in L.A. with her she couldn't get enough of the water and the waves. In Birch Bay, the shoreline is quite shallow so when the tide goes out you can walk out one hundred or so yards. We took off her shoes, rolled up her over-alls and trundled down the stairs with four dogs in tow to see what we could see.






By the time we walked back up the stairs from our long explore Gigi was nodding off. We rinsed her feet, stripped her of her wet clothes, kissed her sunscreened head, and plunked her into bed. The sun was high in the sky and everyone was sipping beer that Kyle had provided. Since I'm not much of a beer drinker I eventually accepted a glass of red wine, kicked my feet up, picked up my book, and ignored the clock that said it was only 2:30 in the afternoon. I'm in the middle of reading Very Fond of Food by Sophie Dahl. I've lately found myself reading cookbooks instead of novels. I am obsessed with the stories behind the recipes, the photography, the ingredients. Cooking has really become my main passion in life... other than being a mom it's what I derive the most joy and satisfaction from.



By the time Gigi woke from her afternoon siesta it was pouring rain and we were all taking shelter inside. It rained on and off for the rest of the evening. There was a lot of cuddling, cooking and eating to be done so perhaps it's a good thing that the rain came down.



We stayed up late playing games and drinking wine and whiskey, oh my. The sun didn't set until nearly 10pm and when it did we were surprised with the most bizarre moonset! We tried to figure out why the moon might be setting, decided it may or may not be the apocalypse, bid each other goodnight/it's been lovely to know you, and headed for bed.




To be continued...

To this little guy!

I was present as his birth and am so proud to be his Aunt! I can't wait to watch how him grow. He's got the most fantastic parents.

One of the main reasons for our trip up to Seattle, other than helping my sister prepare for the arrival of her babe, was to spend some quality time with my brother Ryan. On Friday Ryan is moving to Sweden, for a new adventure. I'm truly excited for him and for whatever this next year might bring his way. We will miss him so much, but luckily we get to go visit him really soon! Bon Voyage Ry Guy!

Me, Mom, Ryan, Meghan, Rob, Dad, Baby G, and Kyle.

We love you.

There's something about becoming a Mom that reshapes the way you see your own Mom. I am so grateful to my Mother for all the lessons, wisdom, love, and time she's given to us over the years. But, the best thing I've ever seen... the thing I appreciate more than anything, is seeing her with my own daughter. Thanks, Mama. You're the best Nana around.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms, Nanas, Grandmas, Aunties, Sisters, Friends, Nonnas, Nans!

Our fun in Seattle has hit a little snag... teething has reared it's ugly head fangs again. I need to get my timing down better! She cut her upper two when I was here in Seattle on my own... three molars when I was in L.A. on my own... and now I think she's started on the incisors while I'm here... on my own. Gigi has eight front teeth and four molars. How can there be more?! Luckily, I have my sister here for support and she doesn't judge me when i start crying at the dinner table. I really hate to see Gigi so uncomfortable, and to be honest, it's hard on me too. We both could really use a big Daddy-hug right about now. But, as I sit here, sipping a little wine, with my homework done, I am so grateful to my sister who's so understanding of everything... I'm really lucky to have a best friend who's also a sister.

We are having a great time in Seattle. We've gotten to have dinners with family and friends, we went to the zoo with Nan (Gigi's special Grandma), and I even made it out for a little clothes shopping trip, and salsa dancing with Marion!

We are staying with my sister and her husband, Rob, and helping them prepare for their baby's arrival by cooking up a storm. So far we've made two big pans of Tuna Noodle Casserole, and two of lasagna, turkey burger patties, and chocolate chip cookie dough. Still on the list are wontons, key lime pies, meatloaf, and a couple other things. They'll have a full freezer just in time.

Can you believe that photo from the zoo? That bear was about three feet away and I'm pretty sure he was eying Gigi's baby food pouch. She kept saying, "Woof Woof!" Silly baby.

Gigi and I are leaving again... this time we're heading up to Seattle to attend my sister's baby shower. Then, we'll be spending the week at her place. I'm planning to spend lots of time with my brother, Ryan, before he moves to Sweden! Kyle will join us the following weekend because Ryan's band, The Maldives, is having a CD release party at the Tractor Tavern. It's also Kyle's Nana's 85th birthday so we'll be celebrating with her. While I'm looking forward to the time in Seattle, it's hard to leave Kyle again. Gigi is head over heels in love with her Daddy, and the feeling's mutual. You should see the way Gigi's face lights up when she see's her "DaDaDADA". She just adores him. We'll be counting down the days until he joins us!

Bye Daddy... we loooooooove you.

Last week I shared some of the photos that my sister and I took of each others families. I wanted to share a few more with you, including a few more family shots, a few pregnancy shots, and a few headshots. It's so much fun having such a talented sister around...

This one is my absolute favorite! I love, love, love it.


This is an options for my new headshot, and another one of me and silly Gigi.


And a couple more family portraits. This one is really how we are most of the time.


My beautiful sister with Gigi. Isn't Meghan glowing?!

Hope you're having a great start to your week! We've got a crazy week ahead with midterms, lots of work, and a trip to Seattle planned. Here goes...

This weekend my sister, Meghan came down for a visit. She and her husband Rob are expecting a baby boy in early June. I haven't gotten to see my sis in a couple of months and was so excited to see her growing belly. She looks just beautiful and I cannot wait for her to become a mom. She and Rob are going to be such amazing, loving parents. My sister also happens to be a very talented photographer, so while they were visiting we took some time to take family portraits for each other...

... I'm so lucky to have a big sister like her.

First I took a few of Meghan and Rob...



Then she snapped a few of us...

I was so sad they had to head home early today, I wish we lived next door to each other. Gwyneth and I will be heading up for a week soon to spend helping her get food in the freezer and the house all ready for their baby to arrive. I can't wait to meet him!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too.

My brother, Ryan, came to stay with us on Monday night. We love our time with Uncle Ryan. He's part cool uncle, part silly brother. G loves him...



Gigi actually put the camera strap around her neck, so I helped her put the viewfinder up to her eye and take this photo of Ryan. They played together a lot.

She loved listening to him play the guitar...

...and only Uncle Ryan can make her smile like THIS!

Friday...
This weekend was full of food and family time. Kyle's parents, Dave and Erika, came down for a nice visit. We met at for a beer and pizza when they pulled into town.

Then we headed home to play...


...and nap.


Gigi helped me open my birthday presents... Thanks Dave and Erika!


For dinner we had Lemony Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes, and banana spits with homemade hot fudge and salted caramel for dessert. We played Scrabble, and then went to bed.

Saturday...

We spent the morning snuggling and reading, then we loaded up in the car and headed out to go wine tasting.


Our first stop was Syncline Winery. Every single one of their wines were original and delicious.


Then we headed to Maryhill Winery to take in the views and sample their wines.


We ran into Gigih's little friend, Waylon. They talked a lot about tannins.

After wine tasting we went back home for a little cuddling and a nap before heading out for my birthday dinner.


My Dad met us at the restaurant and we enjoyed some appetizers, like these Roasted Root Veggies with Dukkah, while we waited for our table.


I ordered the Duck Leg Confit from the specials menu and it was amazing! We didn't get home from dinner until about 9, and we were all exhausted from so much eating, laughing, and wine sipping.

Sunday...
In the morning my Mom and her boyfriend, Mike, drove out from Portland to have brunch with us.



I had the Polenta with eggs and a delicious Bloody Mary.

After brunch it was time to start on our weekend project of putting a backsplash in the kitchen, something we've been trying to get to ever since we did our remodel.



We tiled late into the evening and ordered Thai food for dinner. We watched a The Ides of March and went to bed.

Monday...
On Monday morning we went and grabbed a quick breakfast before Kyle had to go to work, and his folks headed for home.


I can't believe how much we ate this weekend! You can see all the restaurant/winery/brewery details here.

What did you all eat and drink over the holiday weekend?

Gigi and I love nothing more than slipping out of the house in the middle of the day to meet Kyle for lunch. We do it just about every week. Usually we just meet him at the brewery to grab a pint and a pizza. It's so fun for Gigi to get a chance to see her "da da da DAAAAA" in the middle of his busy day. Lunches with Daddy are one of our favorite things.

Happy Monday! I hope you are all having a great start to the new week. I felt very stressed last week so I'm taking today to get organized for this busy week.

There has been a blog post being passed around the Internet talking about motherhood. I'm not going to even link to this article because, frankly, I found it to be cynical, sarcastic, and negative.  While I understand the need to vent, I am fed up with the negative. The negativity began when we first shared with people that we were expecting...

"Enjoy these last months of sleep." 
"Breastfeeding is soooo hard."
"You two are going to bicker all the time. Babies bring out the worst in your marriage."
"Say goodbye to your sex life."
"I didn't shower for like, four months after our baby was born."

Everyone warned us that doomsday was quickly approaching. All Kyle and I wanted was for one person with young kids, just one, to say to us, "Parenting is so fun! It's amazing. It's the best choice we ever made!”, without prefacing it by telling us how hard it was and how much this or that sucks. But, it was all doom and gloom and poopy diapers on the horizon, apparently.

We made a choice to ignore every negative statement that came our way, or to turn it into something positive. If people told us we were going to bicker all the time, then we devised a plan on how not to do that. If people said we would no longer have sex, then we decided we would schedule it if we had to.

The negativity continued after Gigi was born...
"Oh wow, she slept through the night? That won't last." ...and when it did... "You're second baby won't be like that!" Really?!

In the past year have we slept less? Are my boobs “never going to be the same"? Has our household hygiene been less stellar? Did we bicker sometimes? Have we eaten dinners of cold pasta while balancing a crying baby? Do some days just plain suck? Has it been stressful, challenging, exhausting? Of course! Everyone who decides to become a parent already knows that it will have it's challenges. Why not, for a change, share with those around you who are expecting or who are new parents how wonderful it is! Tell them about how parenting is fun, funny, amazing, perfect, magical, ridiculous, life changing, the best! Because it is.

I often feel that people discount my "Pollyanna" outlook on motherhood because I'm "not cynical yet" and I have an “easy” baby. This is always said with smile that says, "come back and talk to us when you are as bitter about motherhood as we are." I am very grateful for my life, my husband, and my baby. Sure, I’ll admit that Gigi is the perfect baby for us. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t whine, cry, wake up in the middle of the night, bite, pinch, or do any of the things that every other baby does. There's a lot of work that goes on behind closed doors and it's frustrating to have that work written off as luck. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder.

Everyone assumes that because I am so happy to be a mom, rarely complain, find joy in the little things, and find humor in the hard stuff, that I have had a really easy baby and an easy transition into motherhood.  But it wasn't that easy. After Gigi was born, I plummeted into a state of extreme anxiety. I felt extremely nervous and unbelievably angry. I was hit with intense panic attacks, I heard voices in my head that were threatening and terrifying, I was afraid of myself, fearful of everything, I cried a lot, and my body tense with anger. After a few weeks I finally managed to say to Kyle, "I think I'm going crazy. I think I need help." Asking for help was incredibly hard. As a mother, I didn't want to need help. Luckily, I had worked with an amazing counselor in my late teens, and was able to call her for the help and support I desperately needed. I worked with her a few times a week over the phone for my first two months as a new mom. Just talking helped. Exercise helped. Fairly quickly I was able to regain my footing, and proceed with joy and intention into my role as a Gigi's Mom.

About a month ago I was watching an old interview with Brooke Shields on Oprah (because that's how cool I am), and she was talking in-depth about her experience with postpartum depression. As I watched, something clicked. I completely connected with some of the things she was saying. Not all of it, but a lot of it. The bizarre thing was that, I had read this when I was going through my own experience with postpartum anxiety, or depression, or whatever you want to call it. At the time, I read it and thought, how terrible... it would really suck to feel like that. It wasn't until just a month ago that I recognized myself in it. I thought that having postpartum depression meant that you didn't care for your baby, didn't feel love for them, and weren't ever happy. I was happy a lot of the time, euphoric even. I loved Gigi beyond anything I ever imagined, so I didn't recognize what I was experiencing. I'm so glad that there's help when you need it in the form of wonderful lactation consultants, other parents, husbands, sisters, your own parents, friends, and counselors.

The point is, it hasn't been all easy, or perfect for me. I choose to be appreciative, positive, to seize the day, and to live in the moment as much as I can. I love being reminded by sweet older ladies to enjoy it because, "It goes by so quickly". It reminds me to live each day with gratitude, even the hard ones. I love being a parent. I love having someone who needs me and relies on me. I have never had the desire to work so hard for anything in my life. Having a child has made me want to be the best possible person I can be. It has grounded me. It has elated me. It has expanded my heart and my mind. I cherish it. Becoming a parent was the best choice I ever made. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Sometimes I wish the days were twice as long, and that I could do this whole last year over again because I have loved it so much and learned so much. I'm not just saying that to make a point, I really do. I kiss my baby hundreds of times each day, and I go to bed each night and reflect on how lucky I am because, even though it's hard work, it's the best investment of my energy, time, and love that I can make.

If you know someone who's expecting, tell them all the wonderful things you can. Offer your love and support to friends with newborns. Help the new mom at the grocery store load up her groceries so she can get her twins out of the rain, even if that means you and your baby get a little wet. Send a care package to a new dad you know. Every one of us is doing a great job, doing their very best. Be supportive, positive, and encouraging.

I am genuinely excited for the people I know who are expecting... especially my sister and Rob. They are in for such an amazing journey full of joy, snuggling, laughter, and fun. They will probably have some sleepless nights, but babies look beautiful in the moonlight.

We had a quiet weekend.  It's nice and snowy here.  It was perfect for hot cocoa, palmiers, and walks in the snow.  I spent most of the weekend working and cooking.  Last night we watched the Golden Globes with our friends and went to bed early.  Now, it's nearly time for Gigi's morning nap which means tea for me, school work, and photo editing.  Hope you all have a wonderful Monday.

I spent all weekend working.  I'm spending all day, everyday on the computer finishing up work for a new website (which I can't wait to share with you).  Yesterday, the clouds cleared and the sun broke through.  It was too beautiful out not to go for a family walk.  We decided to head up to our favorite little coffee shop, take in the fresh air, and relax for a bit.

Not a cloud in the sky!  Today has been a little crazy.  School started again and I made myself register.  I'm this close to finishing my degree.  Since my classes are all online that means I'll be spending even more time on the computer than I already do.  Between the blog, my photography, my new website, and school, that's a lot of computer hours.  I know how important it's going to be to take advantage of the sun-breaks.  Hope you all are having a great start to your week!

We are settled back in at home and it is raining, raining, raining!  I put together this little video from Gigi's first Christmas and her first birthday party.  We are having a party on her actual birthday (New Year's Eve) this weekend but we also had one to celebrate with our family up in Seattle.  Thanks so much for the lovely holiday everyone!  Thanks for making G's first Christmas and birthday so wonderful!!!

Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas.  I'll be back with some photos from the weekend in Seattle tomorrow or Friday.  I'm taking it easy this week.  Trying to extend the vacation.

For the past four years we have spent Thanksgiving at my Dad and Stepmom's house.  Our friends, Kurt and Scott, who just happen to be fantastic chef's at the Chateau Ste. Michele in Woodinville, WA come down and cook up the most fantastic Thanksgiving meals you can imagine!  Our good friend Bill always brings wonderful cheeses and wines and champagne!  This year there were sixteen of us, including my awesome brother and his roommate, Kevin.

These two wines were amazing!  The Columbia Crest Reserve 2008 was so delicious, well balanced and flavorful.  I'm a huge fan of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  This particular bottle was from 2000 and was really peppery and rich.  It's such a treat to get to share these incredible wines with people who know about wine!  Educational and delicious!


My Stepmom, Nance, is the most amazing hostess.  She always sets the table with uniquely made name tags and personalized gifts for each person who attends.  My Dad likes to put in his "teeth" whenever people are coming over.  G was not quite sure about Pops.  Later in the evening she took me aside and asked me if she was related to him.

Ham and blue cheese.

Triple Cream Brie.


My Dad.  All dressed up for Thanksgiving dinner.

Lots of beer brought by Kyle from Double Mountain Brewery.  My special place setting made by Nance.


Kurt and Scott wearing their place settings.  Nance's bug collection.

Stuffing made by me and Kyle.  It's so good.  It has fresh herbs, pine nuts and craisins.


Butter and silky mashed potatoes.  Technically they are riced potatoes since Bill used a ricer when preparing them.


Our heritage Turkey.  Kurt gets this bird from his friends that have a farm.  It was killed on Monday, picked up on Tuesday, brined on Wednesday and enjoyed on Thursday.  Doesn't get much fresher or more organic than this!


The chefs.


Scott's amazing caramelized carrots and the expertly carved turkey.


I made this Salted Caramel Cheesecake for dessert.  These are Nance's beautiful teacups for after dinner coffee. 

Once we were finished eating we played games.  Charades was... interesting.  There was a very explicit acting out of the book/film The Firm as well as some other odd interpretations of things.  We were in stitches throughout the game playing.  Most people headed home around 10:30 but we were persuaded into gambling with Kurt, Nance, Scott, Ryan and Kevin.  I've never gambled before and let me tell ya... I had way too much fun (even when I was losing).  We finally threw in the dice and headed for home.  We didn't get to bed until 1 in the morning! 

We spent the rest of the weekend digging up the yard for raised beds (Kyle) and sewing (me) and sleeping (Gigi).

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend!

I don't know about where you live, but here it has jumped straight into winter.  It's about forty degrees every day and it's rainy, cloudy, grey and stormy.  Our snow from Wednesday melted overnight, and with it, all excuses for pajama days.  We needed to get out of the house so we decided to go for a rainy afternoon wine tasting.  We bundled up and headed for the hils.  The drive was nice and queit and we listened to Audrey Hepburn's biography on cd while we drove.  Luckily, it wasn't dumping rain so we snapped a few outfit photos along the Columbia River.  Kyle happened to be looking rather dapper so I made him play along...



On me:
Sweater: Shae (from Parts+Labour)
Glasses: Christian Dior
Camisole: Odd Molly (from Parts+Labour)
Jeans: Free People
Boots: Frye Engineer (from Plenty)

On Kyle:
Shirt: Vintage Cowboy shirt
Jacket: The Gap
Jeans: Nautica
Boots: Frye Rogan Engineer (yes, we have matching Frye boots)

On Gigi:
Sweater Suit: Hanna Andersson

And with that... I'm off to spend the whole day cleaning and prepping for our early Thanksgiving.  We are working on a new nap schedule with Gigi so we'll see how much I'm actually able to accomplish!  I hope you all have a great weekend!

After my beautiful drive a couple weeks ago, I couldn't wait to take Kyle along for the drive to show him how beautiful it was!  I was also missing my Pop-Tart so I called up her parents and we picked her up and she came along too!  First we visited Draper Girls Country Farm and picked up some amazingly crisp apples and sweet pears.

Then we headed to Packer's for some coooooooookies!!!!

Finally, we headed to the pumpkin patch.  The pumpkin selection was a bit sad since we are on the very late end of the pumpkin pickin' season but it was still really fun to see everything and to walk through the corn maze.



I had such a fun time with my honey and my girls.  According to the weatherman, the cold, rainy weather is heading our way so we are enjoying the last sunny fall days before winter sets in.


On me:
Glasses: Christian Dior
Wool Dress: Icebreaker
Leggings: LA Made (from Parts+Labour)
Boots: Hunter (from Zella)
Earrings: made by me

On Gigi:
Sweatsuit: Carter
Socks: Trumpette

The construction is going really well!  We've hit a few little issues here and there but things are cruising along and we are pretty hopeful that we'll have it all done in a few days!  Stay tuned for the big reveal.

It is Kyle's 30th birthday today!  I'm so very lucky to be married to him.  He is such a loving, caring father and husband.  He works hard to support us in every way imaginable.  He is the best.  How do you wish the best husband and father on earth a happy 30th birthday?  You buy the man a grill!  Kyle's parents went in on it with me and Poppy and I had a blast setting up a little "hunt" for him.  We wove yarn all throughout the house and yard leading into the garage where his present was waiting for him!

Coming home!

Poppy could barely contian her excitement.

Poor Calypso thought the yarn was for her.

Kyle got stuck carrying this hanger around since all the yarn was knotted up through it.
Happy Birthday Boy!
Happy Birthday my love.

A few weeks ago, I photographed Gigi in my Grandma's little dress, hat and slippers.  My Grandmother, Mary Jo, passed away one year ago and we all miss her so much.  I was pregnant with Gigi when my Grandma passed away so getting to take her photos in this little gown was so special.

This weekend was SO MUCH FUN!  My mom and her boyfriend, Mike, came for a visit.  They've been traveling all summer so it was the first time in a while that we had seen them.  I was sad to see them leave this morning!  Here's a look at our wonderful weekend...

Friday...

Kyle and I started the weekend off with dinner downtown.  It had been such a busy week with the launch of the new site that I had hardly left the house!  It was such a treat to go out and have nice dinner with Kyle and G! 

Gazpacho!

Calamari.

Burger and fries.

Gigi and her Riffe Raffe.

Saturday...

 We spent Saturday morning reading in bed... 

 and picking up the house.  I went grocery shopping and drove by this awesome Hispanic wedding!

 I got these gorgeous flowers at the farm stand....

...and put together a nice little lunch. 

G took a little nap.  I'm not sure why she's sleeping like that! 

Mom and Mike arrived midday and we ate a bit before going on a nice, long walk into town. 

We got ice cream at Mike's.

Kyle gave our visitors a tour of the brewery.

It was a looong hot walk home.  By the time we sweated our way home we were ready to relax, eat dinner and play Apples to Apples on the patio. 

Grilled Tuna Burgers and salad (and grilled peaches in simple syrup for dessert).

Sunday...

We got all prepped for a little hike while Gigi took her morning nap.  When she woke up we headed out!

We spent the majority of the day on our little hike.  

G LOVED being in the backpack!

My view during the hike.  

Outdoor baby! 

Taking a nap in the pack. 

Back at the trailhead.  G has a big red mark on her face from sleeping in the pack. 

After our hike we drove a little ways to stop for some fantastic Mexican food. 

After our little lunch we came home for a siesta before... yup, heading out to eat again! 

 
After dinner we headed home to bed.

I wish my Mom and Mike could have stayed longer.  It was nice to take a mini-break from working.  Next weekend it's crunch time as we start to prep the house for the kitchen remodel!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

Gigi and I had such a lovely time in San Diego.  

Baby Lucia was so perfect and beautiful.  

We flew home last night and got to see a gorgeous sunset from the plane.  Kyle picked us up from the airport and we were both very happy to see him.

It was so nice to wake up and do a little cuddle time.

Today is our second wedding anniversary.  I can't believe two years have passed since our sweet little wedding...

AND two years since we hit each other with pies...

I posted about the first half of our long, fabulous weekend yesterday.  Here's a look at the second half...

Saturday...

After ruiniting with G, Kyle and I went to go pick up our ribs from Bill the Butcher which happens to be right next door to Victor's Celtic Coffee Company!

Man, we missed her!!!

Best coffee on the Eastside.

We spent the rest of the day on Saturday relaxing with the family, sipping beer and playing in the pool.  I had my camera on me most of the afternoon and took lots of photos...

Lounging with Grandpa!

Croquet was played.  Alligators were ridden.

It was a lovely afternoon.

After visiting with Grandpa it was off to meet up with Uncle Ryan for brunch at Pete's Eggnest on Greenwood.

G took a special liking to Uncle Ryan's shades.

We headed home to get the ribs started and to snap some family portraits of Dayne, Amber and the kids.

And, of course, more sipping of beer.

We had a wonderful dinner thanks to Kyle's rib smokin' skillz.  Then we headed over for s'mores at Ryan's house. 

It was a late night for the babe but it was so fun to hand out with Ryan and his friends and eat s'mores with Reese's pieces, sit around a little bonfire and catch up.  We had such a fun, wonderful weekend.  Hope you did too.

The End!

We took off for a long weekend and headed to Seattle late Wednesday night and we just got home a few hours ago!  It was so much fun to spend a longer-than-usual amount of time with our families.  Kyle brother, Dayne, his wife Amber and their two kids, Bailey and Chloe were visiting so we stayed extra long. (Note: I am pretty sure I didn't punctuate that sentence correctly... I never know how, many, commas, to, use).  Here is a look at our wonderful weekend... well the first half of it!

We got a blueberry tart, gruyere and caramelized onion magical croissant thing and a caramel and sea salt cake (I also got a salted caramel macaroon but ate it immediately).

Meghan, G and Rob.

Macaroooooons!

I have the best big sister in the whole world!

After pastries, it was time for...

Bill the Butcher is in Redmond, WA.  We've been wanting to check it out for ages.  All their meat is local, sustainably farmed and organic.  We placed an order for some spare ribs to grill later in the weekend.

We returned to Kyle's parent's house, cooked up Lemony Roasted Chicken and played scrabble.  Then we all went to bed...

Friday...

We got up bright and early to play with the kids.

Some of us weren't quite awake yet.  Then we packed up the whole gang and headed to the Woodland Park Zoo! 

Erika and Chloe ready to explore!

Our little monkey in the monkey house.

Gigi was taking notes so she could show us her foot in mouth skills...

Nice!

Bailey checking out the penguins.

Silly Dad.

Poppy and her family members.

After the zoo we headed to Red Mill Burgers for lunch.  I've always heard great things about their classic, all-american burgers.  We weren't disappointed!

Amber, Dayne, Bailey and Chloe.  Those kiddos were pretty exhausted from the long day at the zoo!

We spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing and playing outside.

Then... Kyle's parents sent us parents out for the night!  They booked as a room at The Heathman in downtown Kirkland and bought us dinner at Trellis!  We are so lucky!  It was such a special gift.  I was, of course, quite nervous about being away from G but everyone kept telling me, "it'll be good for you", and it was.  

Our room.

Amber and Dayne.

Me and Kyle.

Double date night!

Steak with pomme frites and bone marrow butter.

Lamb with a pomegranate glaze and kale.

Duck with watercress.

Thanks Dave and Erika for such a lovely, thoughtful gift.

I'll post Part 2 tomorrow!

We had such a fantastic weekend!  It was busy, sunny, productive and relaxing!  Kyle's parents (Dave and Erika) came down Friday afternoon and just left this morning.  They are truly the best in-laws (and I'm not just saying that because they read the blog)!  We've been looking forward to their visit for weeks.  It's the first time they've come to town during a big holiday weekend so we gave them the full tourist treatment.

Friday...

On Friday we headed into town for First Friday.  Our town does First Friday's all year round but in the summer it's a really big deal.  The city shuts down the main drag and all the shops open up, kids play in the street and everyone comes out of the woodwork to enjoy the arts, music, drinks, food and the local shops.

Out to dinner.

(I know this picture is blurry but they wouldn't stop goofing around!)

Visiting hours with my new favorite Frye boots.

We all headed home after and put G to bed before heading back out to celebrate the weekend  free babysitters with our friends down at the brewery.

Sparklers were handed out to all the intoxicated locals.

Saturday...

Saturday morning brought big things like....

Gigi's first solid food!

I had to zip off to shoot a wedding so Kyle and his parents spent the rest of the day Saturday planning and starting on a patio for our backyard.  When I got home we threw together a quick BBQ but we were too tired and scrubby for many good photos.

Sunday....

On Sunday I went for a walk downtown with Danelle.  She treated me to coffee and a cupcake.  Good friend!

The afternoon was spent patio building...

Coronas...

Lounging in the backyard...

Tuna Burgers from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook.  They were soooo freakin' good.  So far this cookbook is very impressive!

Monday the Fourth of July...

I slept with my camera next to the bed so I could capture some photos of G first thing in the morning.  We are planning to move her to her own room tonight but first I really wanted to get some photos of how she looks when she wakes up right next to me.  Waking up next to her has been one of the biggest joys of my life.  I love her so much I kind just wanna gobble her up and absorb her.  Is that weird?

Anyway.  I did not eat my baby.  Instead... I made a frittata. 

After breakfast we walked over to watch the parade. 

Once home from the parade, Kyle got down to the serious business of smokin' some ribs.

The boy, his beer and his BBQ = happy boy.

For some reason, G decided this was the first day ever that she was just not going to sleep... at all.  Little stinker!

After dinner we walked down to Mike's Ice Cream...

 ...and then headed down to the waterfront to enjoy the weather and watch the fireworks display.

G finally fell asleep just in time for the fireworks.  She did wake up right as the big ol' we love America grand finale started.  I think she was confused.  Silly baby.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  

My Aunt Sue is really wonderful.  She and I have always been very close.  Her two kids, Leah and Luke are also wonderful.  I've been looking forward to their visit for MONTHS!  I know they weren't really here to see me (G has officially become the bigger attraction) but I didn't care what the reason!  It was so great having them here!

Luke, Leah, Gigi and Aunt Sue.

We had a relaxing morning...

Then we headed into town. We wandered through the shops...

 Had lunch with Kyle at the brewery...

Got ice cream!

Coconut and French Crunch (French Roast ice cream with ground up chocolate covered espresso beans!)

We gave/got some free advice...

We checked out the kiteboarders down at the waterfront...

It was a truly great day!  

We spent the evening in, eating tacos and playing Apples to Apples.

Saturday...

G continued to get spoiled with love and attention by Leah and Luke.

Aunt Sue and I made a run to the gardening store so I could pick up herbs for my little porch herb garden!

Then we went to IKEA!

After IKEA we had a great late lunch at ¿Por Qué No?

Gigi had her photo taken so many times this weekend...

And she was kissed so many times...

After lunch, Sue, Leah and Luke had to head out to go visit other family.  We were so sad to see them go but we had a truly wonderful time with them.  

Sunday...

With our visitors gone on their way, Kyle and I spent all day Sunday playing with G and cleaning up this disaster zone...

That's what happens when you are given a UHaul full of things!  It actually was kind of fun to get it back in shape!

Kyle made this great BBQ chicken and Grilled Kale Caesar Salad for dinner while I read Vogue and took a bath!

Best.  Husband.  Ever.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too!

We just got home from a really rainy fun weekend in Seattle!  We drove up early on Friday morning to spend time with our families and attend the Washington Brewer's Festival at St. Edward's State Park.  We go every year for this Father's Day beer festival, but this was Kyle's first year as a Dad so it was extra rainy fun! 

Saturday...

Cuddling with me...

with Daddy...

and Grandma!

Kyle and I decided to get really "Seattle-like" and head to Pike Place Market for coffee and doughnuts even though it was cold and rainy.

It was a seriously bad idea.  Poor Baby G missed her nap, was hungry and tired and cold and traffic SUCKED!

Then we headed to the beer festival so Kyle could participate in the keg toss.  Silly brewers. (He lost.)

With Kristen who works at the brewery.

We went to meet up with our friends, Jeremy and Tara, for dinner and a sleepover.

If you haven't eaten at Serious Pie you should!

Me and Tara waiting for our table.

Tara stayed home with G and we (Lindsey, Ben, Jeremy, Kyle and I) walked down the block to grab a pint.

When we got home from the bar, Gigi was awake (thanks to a big wet kiss from J&T's dog, Kingston.)  We got her back to sleep after I read her this verse I wrote (inspired by Go the F to Sleep)...

I'm sorry our friend's dog woke you

While you dreamed and slumbered so deep

But Mommy is home from the bar now

So please go the F back to sleep.

We definitely got an F grade as parents for Saturday!

Kyle is SUCH an amazing Dad.  When I see him with G it makes me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

As you can tell G feels pretty lucky too.

It seems like this...

was just moments ago!

Makin' Father's Day breakfast.

Tara and her lap dog Kingston (the baby-waker).  He was totally obsessed with Gigi!  

Playing with Uncle J.

After lunch we geared up to head to the beer festival.  

With Ben and Lindsey.

Maybe a little too much fun... she's her father's daughter!

With Jeremy and Tara.

Helping Dad serve.

Happy Father's Day to two fabulous Dads.

As you can see we are happy to be home after such a rainy fun weekend in Seattle!

I also wanted to take a moment to wish my own Daddy a very happy Father's Day.  He's an awesome Dad (and Grandpa)!

Yesterday (after I stopped procrastinating) it ended up being a great day.  If I'm being totally honest, I never did stop procrastinating.  I spent the whole, beautiful summer day sitting outside in our backyard working on my creative projects and playing with her...

So much better than studying.  Eventually, I picked Poppy up from school and then we spent even more time playing outside before I actually had to go take my final.  As I was leaving the house my brother called to let me know he and Kaylee were in the area!  It was Kaylee's birthday on Wednesday so we all went out to dinner after I finished my final!  I LOVE when my brother does this!  Our Dad joined us too making it a perfectly lovely evening...

Gorgeous view.

A micro micro-brew.

My Daddy.

I love my lil' family.

What a great day!  And that was only Thursday!  Now it's Friday and I can't wait for this wonderful weekend to start... We are planning on laying low, getting house stuff done, planning our summer and relaxing!  Do you all have fun weekend plans?

This weekend was so much fun!  I spent the long weekend in Seattle with my family celebrating our Mom's birthday!  Poor Kyle had to stay behind to study and work again so it was just me and Gigi. 

Saturday:

 He helped us get on the road Saturday morning.  Bye Honey. We looooove you.

I was sitting in traffic for a long...

long...

long time.

Finally relaxing at Meghan and Rob's house!

Gigi woke up super early on Sunday.  

We went to Edmonds to take Danelle (who is also from Seattle and was there this weekend) out for a little coffee, fresh air and snuggle time because we love her!

Then, we went to visit Great Grandpa and had a nice long visit with him talking about our ancestry.  Grandpa is a wealth of knowledge about our families.  I love spending time with him... he always has hot cocoa and cookies.  

Meghan and I went to run a couple of errands with Baby G.  I dropped of a bunch of photo prints for my friend at his restaurant (La Isla) and we ran to the store.  As we were heading into the store we suddenly realized that Gigi had exceeded the capacity of her diaper.  Luckily, I always have a change of clothes with me!  Meghan (the best Aunt ever) helped me change her in the back of the car.  While we were standing there we got dive bombed by three mallards.  Yes, seriously.  We had to duck!  Get it!

After the diaper and the ducks we needed a lil' drink.  Rob whipped up these yummy grapefruit/vodka cocktails!

I rallied the troops first thing on Monday morning to go for a long walk to the Honore Artisan Bakery in Ballard.  Our brother loves it and I've been wanting to go forever.  We walked all the way there and...

They were closed.

I was really, really sad.

Rob was about to give up hope but we started walking in search of better things.  All we found was...

a lawnmower collection...

nobody home at Ryan's house...

and a shaved cat!!!  We admitted defeat and went home where Rob made us a yummy breakfast.  Then it was time to get ready for Mom's birthday party!!!  

Meghan braided my hair like she used to when we were little.  (Yes, I'm wearing Gigi's Baby Legs on my arms)

We made two rhubarb, strawberry, apple crisps...

while Gigi used Uncle Rob as a teething toy.

Lovely flowers from the garden.

Mom (the birthday girl) arrived early for some extra baby time.

Meghan made Mom a special drink with lime juice and Corona in salted glass that she had loved when she visited Megs in Mexico.

Everyone enjoyed the sun and the BBQ.

Look how BIG she's getting!

It was such a nice party.  Happy Birthday Mom!  We love you!

After everyone left, it was just us cuddled up on the couch...

Tuesday:

We got up this morning and scurried out the door.  We made a quick coffee stop and...

we were ready to hit the road. Gigi slept nearly the whole way back and didn't cry at all!  Phew.  The ride up was a bit rough so this was a huge relief.  

Happy to be home with Dad!

As you all know, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed this week.  I had lots of errands to run and things to do.  But instead of doing them we decided to just have a BBQ instead!  I went for a long walk with G, filled the house with lilacs, invented a accidental cocktail (I'll have the recipe perfected for you all next week) and invited some friends over to relax and enjoy the gorgeous spring weather.

Making Grilled Kale Caesar Salad.

It was such a fun, relaxing evening.  After our lovely BBQ (on Wednesday) I was feeling totally reengergized.  I got up on Thursday and ran the rest of my errands and even got the car serviced, I skipped class and sat outside with Kyle and my friend Danelle having a beer.  Now I'm ready for the weekend.  Time for more grilling and relaxing.  

Do you all have fun plans for the weekend?

Anfisa with her two daughters, Olivia (2.5yrs) and Kayla (4mos).

The best thing about being a mom is seeing my children learn and grow.

Megan with her duaghter, Lucia Denise (10mos).

What I love most about being a mom is loving Luci!

Dear Mom, 

Thank you for loving me unconditionally, being one of my closest friends, all of the hugs and kisses, the thoughtful advice, the life lessons, every bowl of cereal you poured, lunch you packed and dinner you prepared, for all the checks you wrote, the daily phone calls, the sacrifices, the copays, the back to school clothes, the sink baths...   But most of all, thank you for being you.  Becoming a mother this year has given me a new understanding of everything that you are.  You always expressed to me that you loved me for who I was, that you were proud of me.  You have always supported my choices and I have never once doubted that your love for me was unconditional.  Now that I'm a mom, I find myself loving you even more than I did just a few months ago (which was a lot)!  I am so blessed to have you as my mom.  You mean the world to me.  Thanks for being the woman that you are and the mom that you are.

Love you,

Kacie

Every Sunday, my sister Meghan and her lovely husband Rob...(source)...go for a nice, long walk and catch up on all the weeks little things.  Having a baby... ...has certainly reduced the amount of time that Kyle and I have to chat. Everywhere we've lived, we've always done the ol' walk and talk.  But, since I was medically ordered off my feet (all the way back in October)......we really haven't picked up our walks again.  I was talking with my sister about how the lack of communication with your partner adds up very quickly.  She suggested we have Sunday walk dates.  So, for the last few Sundays Kyle and I have been taking long walks, catching up and investing in our relationship.   

So, what does "Friday Fun-day" have to do with Sunday walks?  Well, this last Sunday we were chatting and we realized that we were both feeling exhausted and overloaded and that, despite our efforts, we always end up with a messy house, and too much on the To Do List.

We realized that we really don't do a good job staying on top of things.  B.G. (Before Gigi) we were able to get away with this but now... there's just no way.  Contributing to our messy house issue is that we have gotten in the classic Pacific Northwest-it's-supposed-to-be-Spring-but-it's-still-raining pattern of watching too much television.  We just watched two seasons of in about a month (did anyone else not get the finale?), and an entire season of  in a little under two weeks (it's so good)!  Basically, we camp out on the couch (not talking) and watch episode after episode of Project Runway, Mad Men or whatever show we're currently indulging in!  Meanwhile, the dishes from dinner sit on the counter and the laundry remains in a state of limbo.  Last Sunday we came up with a plan to combat this place we've found ourselves in.  Here goes...

New House Rule: No internet, no texting, etc. after 6:00pm. 

Sunday: Relax.  No f'ing TV.  Walk and catch up.  Time to discuss upcoming events, goals, plans and how much weone another.  Kyle cooks dinner.

Monday: Grocery shopping.  Laundry.  No TV. (Read a book people!)

Tuesday: Kyle does the bills.  Kacie does homework.

Wednesday: Garbage out.  Movie date night.  

Thursday: Kacie does more homework.

Friday: Fun-day!  Do whatever we wanna do.

Saturday:  Project day.  Work on the house.  Work on the garden.  Do fun things but get things done.

We're taking steps to simplify things by delegating jobs and encouraging each other to stay on top of things.  Although we've only put that plan into action for the past week, we are feeling accomplished, satisfied and we are confidant that we are finally on the right track to breaking our bad habits!  We are pretty exhausted from constantly going, going, going... but we know once we get used to this new routine we'll be so much happier!  

On a side note, this last week was a bit of a struggle with Gigi's nighttime routine.  We read in our book (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child) that, around 3 months of age, babies need to go to bed earlier... like 5:30-6:30pm!  We've been aiming to get her in bed by 7:30pm but, for the past three nights she's cried for a loooooong time.  Finally passing out around 9:00!  We have been soothing machines! Normally she's a great self soother, jus a few minutes of fussing and then we're in the clear. Could the culprit be a "too late bedtime" as our book suggests?  She does also seem to be teething a bit so we're going to try giving her a couple teething tablets and tucking her in between 6-6:30pm! 

Any thoughts on any of this, the walks, the talks, the Lost finale, the baby bedtime?  I'd love to hear about your experience with any of it.  

Here's to learning as we go.

I was really pleased and surprised when, on Monday night, my brother Ryan called and asked if he could come for a visit!  We had my Lemony Roasted Chicken and Potatoes for dinner, my favorite Lemon Pound Cake (Test Kitchen) for dessert and Hot Toddy's for fun.  It was such a fun, relaxing visit.

G loves Uncle Ryan.

After a long, cold winter we were so in need of a vacation.  Lucky for us, Kyle's parents had bought us tickets to go to Cabo, Mexico for Christmas!  It was our first time ever taking a vacation where all you do is sit on the beach!  It was WONDERFUL!  There's nothing like getting up in the morning and putting on your swimsuit at 8:30.  I took a lot of pictures... just apparently not many without the baby in them.  It would appear that she never got set down during the whole vacation.  She's gonna need attention detox this week.  Here's a few pics from our trip.

While G took her morning nap, Mom did my Tracy Anderson workout with me and then we bundled up the babe and went out to lunch at the bakery.  After lunch, we visited with friends and had a really lovely day.  We made a simple dinner and had a quiet evening.

Sunday morning came too soon and it was already time for Nana to head home.  She got some good bb cuddle time in while Kyle started making French Baguettes and I whipped up some crêpes stuffed with lemon ricotta and topped with banana and blueberry sauce!

After breakfast, Nana had some play time with Gigi before she had to head for home. 

Gigi LOVES her Nana!

Once my Mom headed out, I started getting ready for our Oscar Party!  I freakin' love cozying up on the couch and watching the Academy Awards.  I sarted making this fantastic vegetarian chili that I make every year (if you make it do not add more than the recommended amount of chilis!  It's super spicy just the way it is!  Serve it with sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese and cilantro to cool it down) and...

...normally, I would make these yummy cornbread muffins.  

But this year Kyle wanted to make baguettes!  They turned out so good!

I got out the Oscar books...

...printed up the ballots for voting...

...got out the tiny oscar...

...and started admiring the red carpet fashion!

When my Dad and Stepmom arrived they got right down to business picking their winners.

"Dude, Mom, you are soooo weird.  Plus, it's not fair to take advantage of my reflexes by making me hold this thing!"

We had such a nice evening watching the show, eating chili and fresh baked bread, cuddling with the babe and sipping wine.  I hope you all had a lovely little weekend too!

 So, I actually think Valentine's Day is pretty silly and very Hallmark-y.  But I'll use any excuse for extra cuddle time and a good bottle of wine.  Poppy and I had all day together and we decided to make silly Valentine art and brownies!  We used the Test Kitchen Classic Brownie recipe and popped them in the oven.  While they baked we made our cards.

First Poppy painted her thumb...

and used it to make a circle stamps.

she transformed them into her "famous" circle people.

Then I helped her to write her messages of LOVE!

Yum!

After Pops headed home to devour her brownies with her folks, Kyle played with G while I whipped up my Baked BBQ Chicken (recipe coming soon) and Test Kitchen Macaroni and Cheese which, for the record, actually isn't as bad for you as I thought it was going to be!

We opened a nice bottle of wine...

To end the evening we all curled up on the couch to watch Casablanca!

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

I had such a nice weekend with my family and friends.  It was really fun to have my first birthday as a Mama.  Here's a look at our weekend!

Saturday...

8:00 a.m. 

I LOVE waking up to such a happy baby!

9:00 a.m.

Headed out for a quick shopping trip with my friend Danelle.  Found these cut jammies for Gigi!  

10:00 a.m.

Happened across this bridal magazine with Danelle on the cover!  She had no idea they selected her photo to use as the cover shot. 

11:00 a.m.

Dressed and ready for a full day on the town in Portland.

12:00 p.m.

Driving.

1:00 p.m.

Lunch at Olympic Provisions. Delicious! 

2:00 p.m.

I love Gigi's little "tuft" of hair.

4:00 p.m.

A quick stop at Barista for a pick-me-up for Kyle.

5:00 p.m.

We met up with my twin brother for a little joint birthday dinner.

8:00 p.m.

We got home just in time for Gigi's last meal of the day.  Kyle gave her a bottle for a change.  In this picture I think she's glaring at me.  She's not a huge fan of the bottle yet.

9:00 p.m. 

Opened a couple of birthday cards and had myself a hot toddy.

Sunday...

10:30 a.m.

Kyle made me breakfast!  French toast and bacon from Olympic Provisions! Yum.

11:30 a.m.

Bath time for G.  I LOVE it and so does she!

11:35 a.m.

Bath intermission because someone pooped in the Tummy Tub!

11:45 a.m.

Bath part two.

2:00 p.m.

Kyle bought me these for my birthday!  I've wanted them for years!  Thanks honey!

5:00 p.m.

Dinner with family and friends!

Thanks everyone for the nice birthday wishes.  I had a wonderful weekend.

The past two weeks have been so full of joy. Here's a peak at what was happening around our house.

Amazing rainbow through our front window.

Calypso's starting to accept that Gigi is here to stay.

Hee hee.

We took Baby G up to Seattle for a long weekend to meet the members of her family who hadn't/weren't able to make it down to visit us.  We headed up on Thursday afternoon and Gigi did great on the four hour drive!  We spent Thursday night having dinner with Kyle's parents and Nana (Great Nana to our little bird).  In the last three weeks Nana has welcomed three great grandchildren!  

On Friday morning we took Gigi to meet our friend Leah who's a midwife in Seattle and has been a huge source of advice and support for us over the past 10 months.  After coffee with Leah, Kyle stayed home with the babe while Erika took me to the mall in search of nursing bras.  Um... where the hell are you supposed to buy nursing bras?!?!  We went to Nordstroms (they had three choices "in the back"), we went to Macys, Sears and Victorias Secret who didn't have any, we went to Motherhood Maternity who didn't have my size (is a DD that strange?), and I've already been to Target and couldn't find any!  Ugh!  If you have any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them.  In the evening we headed over to my Grandpa's house so that he could meet his first great grandchild.  He was clearly smitten and amazed by her!  He held her for a long time and referred to her as "amazing" and "a viking princess" several times.  My Great Aunt Helen was there too.  She was so happy to meet her great great grandniece.  It was so wonderful to see four generations together.  

We were pretty exhausted from such a busy day.  We stayed the night with Meghan and Rob and they had picked up Thai food take out for us for dinner.  Perfect! 

Saturday was a big day.  We had a make up baby shower for Gigi at my sister's house since we'd had to cancel the last one due to the preterm labor scare.  It turned into more of a "meet the baby shower" so we had lots of family and friends there.  Gigi slept through the whole thing!  

We got some really lovely and thoughful gifts for her from everyone.  After the shower, Kyle and I left the babe with Meghan and Rob so we could zip down the street for lunch at our friend's Puerto Rican restaurant, La Isla.  Then, in the evening we joined our friends Jeremy and Tara for a yummy dinner of enchiladas at their place in Fremont.  

We spent Sunday morning wathcing the Seahawks game lose at my Mom's house with her boyfriend, Mike and Meghan and Rob.  We headed home around 1:00. Gigi slept the whole way home (other than the half hour we spent feeding her at a rest stop)... I even managed to sleep for an hour which is amazing for me!  I am doing my best to become a napper!  We got home just in time to watch the Golden Globes in our pj's.  All in all it was a busy but wonderful weekend.  

Today is the first day the baby and I are home on our own because Kyle had to go back to work... although he did come home long enough to take her to her two week appointment.  She had to get a heel poke and a Hep B vaccination.  I've been there when other kids that I've nannied for have gotten shots but it was soooo much harder to watch her get one.  I cried.  The doc says she's growing great (she gained half a pound, grew 3/4 of an inch and her head is 3/4 of an inch bigger).  She's in the 80th percentile for height and the 15th for weight.  Now we're back home and she's asleep on the couch and I'm going to attempt my first Post-Pregnancy mat workout before it's time to feed her again!

 Gwyneth Rosemary Bennet L.

Gwyneth was born at 1:37am on December 31st, 2010.  She weighed 6lbs 11oz and was 20.5 inches long.  We had a successful home labor and natural childbirth.  I will share more photos and the full story in the next couple of days.  We are so happy and blessed to be ringing in the New Year with a healthy, beautiful newborn.  Thank you for all your love and support over the last 39 weeks!  

Calypso's favorite spot to sit.  

Our Christmas tree.

Kyle's parents sent down our Christmas presents!  It's a wonderful little slice of home.  

Cozy morning in my new favorite jammies.  I tore my old favorite pajamas when I hadn't realized I was too pregnant to be wearing them (Kyle found this episode extremely funny)! 

Frisky Calypso.

I thought the vertical stripes might make me look slimmer, but they didn't. =)

Ribbon and kittens don't mix.  She spent all day attacking the ribbons on the presents and then she threw up in the middle of the night.  She's not the brightest kitten in the litter.

Poppy and I spent an entire day making cookies using an old fashioned Mirro Cookie Press.  Kyle's Mom makes cookies this way every year, so it was nice to have some familiar cookies around.

We made green trees....

purple flowers and pink butterflies!

Then we whipped up some frosting and decorated all of them!

Rudolph and I had a wonderful, sugar filled day.

There comes a point in pregnancy when you are feeling pretty...

chubby...

grumpy...

frustrated...

a little batty...

delusionally tired...

and a little emotional.

It's hard to remember what you used to look like.

All you wanna do is overindulge...

and wave your white flag.

But, then... you're family comes to town and gives you a good reason to laugh.

Meghan, Rob (and Kyle) at the local bakery.

Now... as I've mentioned before, my belly button (while not inside out) has spent the last month looking suspiciously like a cat's behind.  I'm sure someday it will return to normal, but in the meantime it's a lesson at learning to laugh at yourself even when you feel "all done".   Meghan and Rob came over with my Dad and Stepmom for dinner and we "forced" my Dad to put his artistic skills to work in order to provide us some much needed laughter...  

Heee heee heeee.

Sometimes (even after eight years), Kyle is forced to question the family he married into.  We like to keep him on his toes.

Rosellen Newhall

October 1, 1923

December 10, 2006

It's been four years since my Nana passed away.  She was the most loving, funny, generous Nana that anyone could wish for and she is greatly and constantly missed by myself and all of her children and grandchildren.  I have spent a great deal of time over the last four years scanning about 500 photographs of her from her childhood through the final years of her life.  It's been quite a long process that I've just recently finished. Although at times it seemed never-ending, it was a pleasure to look through the photographs and revisit moments of her amazing life.  

Here are a few of my favorites...

Lovely. 

Nana in a sanitarium in Shoreline, WA where she spent a few years in confinement (on bed rest) suffering from tuberculosis.  She was discharged with six months to live and was told not to marry or have children.  She insists no one ever told her she was going to die so... she didn't!  She met her husband here (he was also a patient) and they would communicate by "talking" in morse code through the pipes.  

With her friends while working in Alaska on the Alsakan Highway (she's in the white blouse).

With my mom, Eileen, their first of five children.

We spent long, wonderful summer days having adventures on her farm.

Reading with Meghan.

Nana holding me when I was a newborn.

Meghan, Ryan and me with Nana. Look how much bigger Ryan was than me!  What a porker! He insists he was simply "closer to the camera".

I'm not sure what holiday this was but I appear to have chocolate all over my face.

We loved our couch time with Nana.  We had many "apple parties" with her which consisted of her cutting up apples with a paring knife and us devouring them.

Nana loved it when we would "help" her with her crossword puzzles.

With Nana on her farm.

Nana loved nothing more than having us (all the cousins) all causing mischief together at her farm during the summers.  She LOVED her grandkids.

Me with my Nana.  

Her favorite Irish blessing:

May the roads rise up to meet you.

And the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

And the rains fall soft upon your field.

And until we meet again

May the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hands.

I can hardly believe that today is Poppy's fifth birthday!  I have spent four years with the remarkable Miss P and today she leaves the land of tots and officially becomes a kid-lette/micro kid.  Poppy is a loving, sweet, silly, kind, ridiculous, conscientious little girl and I am seriously blessed to have her as a part of my life.

Two!

Three!

Four!

Over the years she has kept me entertained with...

Her WONDERFUL optimism:

"I have my shoes on because they make me want to dance.  I knew I wanted to dance today!"

"It's sprinkling.  I think someone turned on the rain because they wanted to play in it."

"What a beautiful day it is today!"

"Someday, I want to try everything!"

Her inquisitiveness:

P: "How did the baby get in there?"

K: "Uhhh... that is a great question for your Mom!"

P: "Why?  Did she watch?"

"Do boys eat frog legs?"

"How did that lady get so fat?!

Her knack for speaking the truth:

"The longer you take, the less time you have."

"It's not nice to show people your panties unless they ask to see them."

"My Dad is my owner."

"If you had one humongous ear, you'd probably topple over."

"I'm like a little fat person!"

Her love for her family:

"My Daddy knows how to fix everything."

"My Mom is the cutest!"

And, her... uh, uniqueness:

"I'm just being silly.  It's what I do."

" 'Member when I pooped in your bathtub?  I don't know why I did that."

"Man, I LOVE beans!"

"I like to craze it up!"

Opening presents (Alice in Wonderland and a sous chef apron)!

Making cookies!

This weekend was wonderful!  We should have been packing, we should have been organizing and we should have been doing things to prepare for our move/baby.  But, instead, we spent the entire weekend reading and relaxing and watching movies and making pumpkin cupcakes!   We spent most day on Saturday in our pajamas, on the couch reading books and magazines, although we did get out of the house for lunch with friends and a short stroll around town.  I found the perfect birthday present for Poppy! Then we came home, put our pajamas back on and made chili and watched Project Runway. On Sunday, we went grocery shopping for the week and then came back home, watched football and Kyle helped me bake up these delicious Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (recipes below)!  We took a few to our lovely neighbors and brought the rest to dinner at a friend's house.  They were really, really yummy and sweet. All in all, it was a fantastically simple and relaxing little weekend.  It was just what we needed after the last few weeks.  

Into the oven!

The frosting station.

My cute family watching the Seahawks win for a change... although I don't think Calypso was too invested in the game.

Yum!

and yum!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Today is Kyle's birthday and as we are both swamped with work and school we celebrated over the weekend with dinner...

Kyle wanted gourmet burgers and Caesar salad.

And dessert!

I made a Devil's Food Cake with buttercream frosting from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook since Kyle love's chocolate!  I served it with Java Chip ice cream which was the perfect compliment.  Between the caffeine in the chocolate and ice cream, I did't sleep at all that night but it was all so good!

In the morning I got up and made coffee cake and we read HP (Harry Potter) in bed and had fresh cake and coffee! 

A typical view from my side of the bed. I love it!

Mary Jo McMackin

Grandma's memorial yesterday was truly lovely.  It was a beautifully sad day.  As my Dad said, "Today is a day for tears".  The remembrance was full of warmth and beautiful stories and quite a few tears.  We drove in a police escort from the funeral home to the cemetery and that too was a profound experience.  People along the way paid their respects by flashing their lights and one bus driver even stepped from his drivers seat and removed his hat in honor of the procession.  Once we arrived and at the same cemetery that holds her parents and sister, the grey air was palpable with sorrow and love.  Finally, as we laid her to rest by sprinkling bright pink rose petals from her garden onto her elegant pink coffin, I began to feel a shift from sadness to acceptance that she is gone.  The memories of her will certainly live on in the hearts, minds and lives of everyone she touched.  My own personal memories with her are countless and simple.  She loved to spoil her grandchildren and she really and truly loved us completely and never failed to tell us that.  With all the sadness that the last week has brought, I am equally overwhelmed with gratitude.  One thing that I realized this week is that we are lucky to feel so heartbroken over her departure.  Lucky because to feel so sad means that we were so blessed with her life, so fortunate to have her and to have shared so much love with her.

Yesterday morning my Grandmother passed away.  Her warmth, kindness and compassion made the world a better place, touched everyone that she knew and inspired me.  She was truly beautiful inside and out.  She is deeply missed and loved.

What a wonderful day!  Today is the final day of the torturous Summer quarter which ends the school year for me.  In one year I have somehow managed to complete 64 credits (normally 29 would be the goal for one year)!  It feels so great to be done and have a month and a half off of school! 

Relaxing at the Troutlake Art Festival.

During...

After...

With my sis.

With Kyle (obviously).

My two Moms. (Biological Mama on the right).

With my Pops, Meghan and Ryan.

With my husband. =)