Marie is Two!!

Marie turned 2 yesterday.  This is her at her birthday party. We invited her friends to the zoo and had all the kids dress up. Marie was a lion with a tutu, or a Circus Lion if you prefer. It was a zoo... ha ha.. laugh.. go on, laugh.  Can you imagine? A dozen kids dressed up as animals running around the zoo, high on chocolate covered peanuts and cupcakes?

Marie has been a practicing 2 year old for a couple of months now, seeking independence, testing boundaries, and just learning about all sorts of things in ways that often lead to messes, breaking things, etc.

She talks all the time in full sentences. We are working on moving from "eeeaaa" to "mama can you help me?" and there is some progress.  She loves to sing and most mornings wakes up in her crib and lies there and sings until we go in.  Since we potty trained her at 18 months, she has done brilliantly and picked it up so quickly.  She has even had around 5ish dry nights before turning 2!  She is generally a very happy and energetic force in our lives. She dropped naps completely around 22 months, and as a result sleeps brilliantly at night - 11 or 11 1/2 hours uninterrupted.  That change has been worth it to me.

It seems she is understanding this whole new baby thing. Because we have so many people in our lives who are pregnant or new parents, she has seen the whole process and before and after. She goes to my midwife appointments with me, and has gotten to hear the baby's heartbeat. She does think that she has a baby in her belly, but that's okay.

Happy birthday, precious!

A little homebrew

Of late: what you've missed

The brief: 

We saw the peacock in his feathered glory at the zoo; Marie got pottytrained; Our kitchen got removed never to be replaced; we spent a week with Grandma and Granddad Shaver; We celebrated Ruthie, our newest American citizen; Marie got her first real injury; we had a semi college roommate reunion with 6 children! 

Whew!

Let it be said: 18 months. Best solution to
 diaper rash ever.

Moses Lake: lunch halfway point.

Our newest American!

A run in with a bike.

Could have been so much worse!

The product of 3 couples - all could be credited to one house on 17th and 47th NE.

Also, someone needs to learn how to format these things.

Valentine's Day

For someone who really isn't excited about a commercialized holiday that has become pretty meaningless in America, I feel like we have quite a history with this day in my family.
Exhibits A-F:

First of all, 90 years ago today, my Grandpa Ehli was born. It must have been cold that day in South Dakota, and they didn't have running water until the last children were born. My, my, am I grateful we have so many options for birthing babies these days!
*Correction* Grandpa was born in North Dakota. They didn't move to South Dakota until he was 2. And they didn't have running water until after all 9 of the children were born!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

A little less than 90 years ago, my Grandma Berwold was born in Yellowstone National Park. Her mom and dad had immigrated from Norway just a few years before her birth. I imagine Great Grandma Velsvick in particular missing having family around, both for the help in childbirth, and for the celebration. There was an aunt there with them who more likely than not helped birth baby Grandma.
Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Pulled this one from the archives!

Moving decades and decades closer to today, 7 years ago today, Joel was in Scotland, I was in Seattle. He sent me this card (through my roommate Alissa), along with my wedding ring, and bunches of daffodils.

I chose both.

Two years ago today, we found out we were pregnant!

One year ago today we had this little precious dressed all in red and lace.

And that brings us to today. I dressed Marie up like a valentine, as you can see. Pigtails came later, sorry you missed out on that.  We are in the midst of sickness. Marie got sick 2 weeks ago and still has green stuff coming out of her nose. I got sick a week ago and still have a raging cough.  We do not have high expectations out of today.

Marie is delightful and confounding, precious and even more precious when I get a break from her once in a while. We love her so. I have a feeling there are many people out there willing to be her valentine this year!

Happy Valentine's Day!

In gratitude

While running her bath last night, I was giving the bathroom a quick clean. When I turned around, it was clear she had been ready to hop in and had done just that! She was quite pleased with herself.

I just love her face in this one. So much wonder!

May peace and gratitude be present for you this weekend. Lately I've been noticing how grateful I am for God's provision. And while I'm not usually the type of person to say "The Lord provides", that is not out of disbelief. And He has been providing for us quite well in this season. The little gift I am most grateful for has a name, and it is Marie. She is so precious to us, and new every morning with surprising new words and actions!

Off to Joel's parents' house in Newport for Thanksgiving!

one

Happy birthday, Marie!  She is one year old!  We celebrated with a pumpkin extravaganza at the farm. Lots of Marie's friends came, ate cake, sang happy birthday, rolled around in the pumpkin patch, and generally had a grand celebratory day in honor of Marie's birth day.

Marie has been learning lots of new words lately. She now answers "what does the kitty say?" with "aaow" and "what does the doggie say?" with "woof woof". She picked up the latter while we were farm sitting last week and there was a dog. Some other words she says include touchdown (complete with raised arms), kitty, poop, mama, dada, toes, cow, moo, quack...

She also walks! She started taking steps a week or two ago, and yesterday took ~15 in a row. Watch out, Ginger kitty.

Here are some photos of her pumpkin birthday.  It is beautiful to be able to celebrate our precious daughter, and the whole year she has been with us. She is loved!

Our little pumpkin

What.. did you think we were joking about rolling around in the pumpkin patch?

They are all looking at the camera! Miracle! So many boys...

First cake in an overstimulated environment

Surfacing

Oh, hello! We are slowly surfacing from a beautiful, busy, and abundant summer. Marie's first. And how could I have let you miss almost the entire thing? Here is a quick flashback:

 

We helped my Grandma and Grandpa with their extreme garage sale in preparation of them moving.

 Lots and lots of canning... on the list (so far) is lots of dilly beans, dill pickles, peach jam (4 kinds!), canned peaches, canned pears, peach bourbon preserves, salsa verde... what am I forgetting?

 

 Marie's first hike on Mt. Rainier! It was a cold grey September day, but that mountain is gorgeous no matter the weather. Marie's the one wearing the bear hat (purchased in the gift shop when I realized I had optimistically only packed a sun hat for her).

 We had as many beach days we could fit in between everything else.  Not enough, that's for sure.

 Marie's first canoeing expedition, on Bead Lake near Joel's hometown. A secluded little lake in the hills, most of which was wasted on Marie. She wasn't too thrilled with us making her wear a life jacket, and also not letting her fall in the water.  It appeared she wanted a thrilling exciting day, while we had sought a simply subdued one.

 Caring for the garden (on the right, in April when it first opened).

 A family wedding! Beautiful and so well planned it was a delight to attend, and see some of Joel's family we don't see much (read: most of them since our wedding 6 years ago).

Lots and lots of swinging happened this summer. Lots. and lots more. Marie loves swinging! Good girl.  She is almost almost almost walking, picking up lots of things and holding them to her ear like a phone and saying "iowa" (she means hello, we're pretty sure), still sticking every new discovery into her mouth, and getting better and better at communicating. (Baby sign helps! She knows water and all done, and we're working on others).

So that's a bit of what we've been doing. How about you? Anyone newly pregnant? I'm sure you're out there.   School has now started for Joel in 2 out of 3 places, and we (well, Marie and I anyway) are looking forward to life settling down a bit and a decrease in travelling. Hopefully get Marie in some more swim lessons, catch up on dishes, that sort of thing.

Joel and I got married 6 years ago today. Congratulations us!  How different our life looked back then... hard to imagine there were nights in my life that weren't interrupted. I could sleep through the entire night and not wake up once! Whew that is what dreams are made of. Those oft-interrupted dreams. This baby is wonderful at many things, but not at sleeping.  We love her anyway. We'll keep her anyway. We'll defend and encourage and love her at all costs. And her first birthday is coming up this month! Stay tuned...

Zoo and Ehli Family Reunion

What is that you say? The zoo and the Ehli family reunion were probably quite similar to each other? Why, you must know my family!
(Just joking, family!)

Marie squealed and waved to the baby snow leopards.

With Grandma (and still waving)

Our little family

Chasing Mingus

Everyone together! Amazing! I love this family of ours.
Happy 66th Anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa!

Six months!

Marie is halfway to her first birthday! Her first day felt like the first day of my life in such a new way. And indeed, we have been transformed by having this precious creature in our life. She is such a sweet girl, delighted by animals, entranced by hair - on the head or the chin, content with her feet as her only toy, happiest of all in the arms of someone who loves her.

Thaigers

Oh my GOODNESS. Just LOOK what we got to do yesterday!

There are very few things left that I ask of life. This was probably one of the best 3 days of my life, including my wedding day and the day I gave birth to a precious baby (who did not get to pet the tigers).
Big tiger. Actually only 19 months old! She liked the belly scratch.
This adorable baby tiger was the same age as my little baby, and about the same size. They both have orange hair, and they are both so cuddly and adorable!!!!!!!! Can I take it home?? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah I love it.

six weeks

My little baby has had quite an adventurous November! A long drive to eastern Washington to meet Grandparents Shaver, and all 3 Great-Grandparents over there too. Not to mention lots of other Newport friends.We spent the week of Thanksgiving with my side in Puyallup, as a penance for going to Thailand over Christmas. It was peaceful and relaxing and Grandma and Grandpa got lots of time with baby. And I got lots of breaks from changing diapers and burping!
The baby (my mom wonders why we named her, because I just call her baby, or precious, or sweet girl, etc.) is really changing. She is awake so much more, smiling lots, looking around, and holding her neck and shoulders up so well. She has even slept 5 hours straight during the night on a few occasions! On Monday she weighed 12 pounds 2 ounces! Go breast milk!

Sleeping with Grandpa - who is enjoying themselves more?