Thursday Thoughts

I want to blog today! But my camera is in the stroller basket in the car trunk that Andrew took to work. So the only pictures will be ones from my phone. I have a lot on my mind right now, so here is a random post.

• Tomorrow we get the keys to our house! Oh yeah, we are buying a house! We signed all the papers yesterday. Tomorrow we get the keys. Our fridge comes on Saturday. Life is good. We are going to have a sleep over in our new house tomorrow night. Then we are going to slowly take boxes over to the house. Pretty much we will have a big empty house for a few years. Would you like to know more about it? The outside is blue and cream, the yard is a pathetic excuse of a yard, it has a lot of windows so there is a lot of natural light, the two-car garage will be nice, we have a great kitchen that is very open to the living room and dining room, upstairs is the master bedroom with a huge bathroom and closet, three other bedrooms, laundry room (still need to buy the washer and dryer), and a "bonus room" where we shall recreate. We are excited.

• Rachel is so stinking cute. She kicks her legs, laughs, looks at us, and is just cute all around.

Rachel and Dad ready for Church.

On a walk in the Ergo carrier.

Pooping. So funny.

• We had fun in Utah. Airport pictures to come.
• I had way fun at my friend Erika's wedding.
• I fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans this morning! They weren't comfortable, but they fit!
• I broke a glass bowl today when I was packing. I had to clean up the glass. I don't know what it looked like, since I haven't used these fancy things much. It looks like it used to be pretty, and now I will never use it. Oh well.
• Rachel had turned into a drooler and she wears bibs sometimes.

And she makes cute faces while she drools.

• I am the best mom in the world (right). Rachel wouldn't stop crying and so I just put her in the swing and turned on some Psych. And she stopped. Epic mom moment.

• I'm a little sad that Rachel's hair is getting longer and the mohawk doesn't stay up so well.

Starting to flatten the mohawk.

• I just love her smiles!

• The season finale of Downton Abbey made me sad.
• I've been doing the workouts listed on CrossFit Mamas and it is fun. I'm also running and doing pilates three times a week. I feel good. Even though I'm almost into the pre-pregnancy jeans, I was heavier then than I would like to be. But I never weigh myself so I just go by looking in the mirror.
• Two callings: Primary pianist and one of two organists. Music all Sunday.
• I love cheese.
• I get spit up on often.

Progenitors

I figured I better finish up our Utah trip today since I am going back to Utah with Rachel in about three days. I really wanted to get this done sooner, but oh well. Let me tell you, getting a smart phone and an iPad has completely killed my motivation to turn on the computer and therefore killed my ability to blog.

Great Grandparents


Rachel meeting Great Grandma. My Grandma had a stroke a few years ago and can't really talk, except for things like, "I... llloove... you..." and "Con... grat... u... la... tions." It is pretty difficult to string the words together and some words she just can't get out. Grandma loved holding Rachel. Grandma kept cooing and saying, "Oh... oh..." It was so so sweet. I am really glad that they got to meet.


Rachel with Great Grandpa.


Four generations of baby girls. :) I love this picture. (I finally see it---I do look like my mom!)


Hanging out with Inge Oma and Inge Opa. "Inge" is actually Oma's name, but all the other great-grandchildren call them that. Rachel's middle name, Eleonore, is Oma's first name. She also just loved to hold the baby. Let me tell you, Rachel got smothered in German love.




Opa has Alzheimer's or something, and the first time they met Rachel, Oma did not let him hold her. I could tell he wanted to. So when we visited them again, I asked him if he would like to hold the baby. He did. And he kept saying, "It is good for us to hold the baby." I thought it was so sweet that even though he has no idea what is going on or who anyone is, he felt that holding a sweet infant was an important thing.


Opa's young pictures look just like Andrew, so that is what he will look like when he is old.

Aunts and Uncles

Everyone likes holding Rachel because she is so dang cute. But here are some pictures of her being especially cute with her aunts and uncles.


Vegging with Uncle Daniel.


Laughing at Tante Hannah.


Skyping with Uncle Matt.

And so on and so forth.

Grandparents

These people adore Rachel.


Grandpa and Rachel on Christmas morning. The red-eye makes her look like Rudolf the Possessed Reindeer.


Merry Christmas Rachel and Grandma!


I guess my Dad really likes to hold Rachel in this position.


Talking with Grandma.


Oma and Rachel.


Laughing at her silly Opa.


Reading Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? with Oma.


Relaxing with Opa.


The cutest picture EVER! Rachel smiling and talking to Oma during Relief Society.

Conclusion

Rachel was well-loved by her progenitors.

Nothing Like a Cousin

Rachel only has one cousin.

His name is Nigel.


That's Nigel.

Nigel and Rachel met for the first time before Christmas.

Rachel was thrilled.


Andrew had a lot of fun throwing Nigel around. You can't throw around a two-month-old baby.

For the most part, Nigel could care less about Rachel. And Rachel could care less about him.


Nigel was interested in Grandma's toys and his Aunt Leslie.

But when their mommies forced them to sit by each other, Nigel and Rachel really hit it off.


This must go on my wall.


Sitting with Grandpa.


Nigel looked away from his drum for a minute to look at the little person.

I was always amazed at how big a difference six months made! Maybe someday they will be friends. Or, more likely, they will torture each other. It was a fun holiday spent with a cousin!

Christmas Things That Actually Happened At Christmastime!

Merry Utah Christmas! We had a holly jolly Christmas and I was very happy that it snowed a ton! I love snow!


We got caroled to by the Stevenses. They are really good--like with legit harmonies and skilled singers. How nice to be sung to by talented and enthusiastic carolers.


Rachel got stuffed into her stocking by her Oma.


Megan, Zachary, Me, and Rachel in our PJs for the Christmas Eve party. Rachel and Zachary were due at pretty much the same time. I think Rachel was born on his due date, but he went a week late. Now they can be friends! Oh, Megan is Andrew's aunt and Zachary is Andrews cousin! Ha ha...


Hungry Rachel and me on Christmas morning with our stockings.


Rachel the little elf with her elf stocking.


Rachel with her presents from Santa Claus! What a nice guy!


Going to see the lights at Temple Square. Andrew, me, Rachel (in the pack), Maren, and Wesley.

Merry Christmas! A month late, but, oh well. More pictures from our journey to come, I promise!

Roadtrip! Going There

We drove to Utah with a nine-week-old baby! Snoqualmie Pass was beautiful. Rachel slept well and, more importantly, stayed awake well.


Snoozing.


Rest stop in the Pass! We have Rachel on an approximate three-hour schedule. I'm flexible with it. So we stopped to feed her pretty often. She did great and I am much better at nursing in the back of the car than before! It worked out very nicely. There was a rest stop nearby every time we needed to stop! Breastfeeding at a rest stop is way better than doing it at a gas station.


Rachel wearing my sunglasses at a rest stop in Oregon.


Rest stop in Idaho!

We made it all the way to Utah in one day. We were all pooped, and Rachel slept when we got there because we had kept her awake pretty well during the drive.

Hooray! Go for a road trip!

It's Christmas! Well, Early Christmas ... Late ...

Hang up the mistletoe... It's Christmas! I hope you, dear reader, are in the holiday spirit, because I am posting some cute Christmas pictures! These are of our little Christmas celebration, which actually happened before Christmas. And I'm posting it late. Therefore it is "Early Christmas... Late..."


Rachel enjoyed looking at the lights on the mini Christmas trees.


Isn't she sweet?


Merry first Christmas Rachel! Time to open your presents from Mom and Dad!


She screamed. Apparently she doesn't like presents.


"WHY DID YOU GIVE ME BOOKS?!?!?!" Such torture to expand one's mind...


Still screaming. Doesn't Andrew looked thrilled about Christmas through a child's eyes?

And that was our at-home Christmas. It was nice. But it really didn't feel very Christmasy. Here in Washington, it is warm and not snowy and we had midget trees. Just something to get used to.

Stay tuned... more Christmas fun is to come! And I will be much quicker getting these up than I have done other posts lately.