The Vance's

little and big.

2012-01-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

Matt's mom bought the kids these cute little sister and big brother shirts a while back. I finally coordinated their outfits so they could both wear them at the same time. Unfortunately, they didn't really care to have their pictures taken to document it.

Lucy by herself as I tried to convince Carter to sit still on the couch.
At first Carter was excited about his shirt (but didn't care about Lucy)
Then, Lucy got sleepy and Carter got a little silly.
Then Lucy slept and Carter ignored her.
Finally he pretended to like her....just a little bit.
And just when I thought all hope was lost, he gave her a great big brother hug.
This only lasted 1.5 seconds before he ran away, spilled water all over his shirt and we changed their clothes. But, I still got a few cute pictures!

sleepy girl.

2012-01-27T08:07:00.000-08:00

Babies are cute. Sleeping babies are sometimes even cuter. Especially Lucy.
She is such a good little sister. Even letting Carter play games on her while she takes a nap.

This looks a little strange, but she loves to stand up and bounce her legs on your lap. Sometimes it tires her out though.
She isn't a huge fan of tummy time, but we are making progress.
Look at those strong neck muscles!
How did she get to be so big so fast?

Winter Extreme 2012.

2012-01-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the forecast called for snow. We got very excited since snow only comes about once a year and it's fun to slow down, pull out the scarves and mittens and go play like a little kid again. Plus, we have a little kid who would love it! Well, 6 days later and we still have snow. Lots of it. And 6 days later I haven't left the house. Yes, it's beautiful. Yes, I now have cabin fever. And...yes, I'm ready for the snow to leave. We were extremely lucky to have power the entire time, not lose any trees, not have horrible ice covering everything and have access to the interest which provided a plethora of ideas to entertain a toddler.

But, after 2 days of the snow the temperatures dropped very low. So low (with the wind chill) it wasn't even an option to go outside and play. So, we got creative!

Carter loves playing with his iPhone. He combined his love of apps with a little yoga. Downward dog while play duck duck moose!
Lucy learned how to hold a rattle! I was very proud.
We made snow ice cream. Loved this idea....especially since we got to bring some snow inside (Carter was pretty bummed when we couldn't go outside anymore).

It actually tasted really good too!
Then, pinterest came to the rescue! I found this great idea for bath paint. Using shaving cream, food coloring and muffin tins we made our own finger paints.
He loved it for about 5 minutes.
Then he was ready to just take a bath. Oh well, it still passed some time!
We did some tummy time.
And in the midst of a snow storm, our little girl turned 1 month old!
I'm now looking out the window and seeing rain come down. I won't complain. As much as rain sucks sometimes, it'll be nice to just have a "normal" week of weather. I'm ready to leave the house, see people other than my kids and hubby and get back to a routine.

And, just for my friend Cate. Here are some pictures of Lucy's nursery! I posted these a while back but she didn't get a chance to see them.
We chose gray walls, white furniture and pink accents. We just finished the photo collage above her crib and love it. It's a bunch of pictures from the past few years including a wedding picture, Carter picture, newborn pics of Lucy and even a picture of Yoshi. There are also a few great quotes just to keep it extra special.

I think my favorite part of the room is the rug though....it's just perfect for our sweet little girl.

snow.

2012-01-16T13:30:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been locked in a closet, you know that WA finally got some snow over the weekend. We were so excited! Even Carter. It's amazing what a difference a year can a make. For example, this was him last year.And now he is a giddy, excited 2 year old who couldn't be more happy to play in the snow until his fingers freeze off.
His favorite thing is to eat the snow. Yummy! (as long as he stays away from Yoshi's yellow snow!)

Taking a break. It's a lot of work to play outside.

This is my favorite. Instead of just picking up a small ball of snow, he decided it was just easier to lean over and eat it straight from the ground!
And since it's continuing to dump more snow outside, with even more on the way tomorrow, I'm sure there will be a blog post part 2 with even more snow fun!

week in review.

2012-01-14T19:11:00.000-08:00

Not much time to write so we'll let the pictures do the talking!

Big smile after a walk around the block.
We've had many friends come for a visit (and to bring delicious food!). My great friend Caity with Lucy.
Yep, she is the world's cutest little sister. Even if her face doesn't really show the excitement.
Tiny baby, big crib.
I promise she could breath. It was a very cold day and we had to run some errands.
Just one of many naps.
And not to be forgotten...Carter loves reading his new books.
Bath time!
Mama and her little girl.
Again, the face doesn't show how happy she is. But trust me, she's got a pretty easy life.
Sibling love. He just adores her! It's so incredibly fun to watch.
Trying to hug her while holding on to his cracker. He's got his priorities you know.
Love my family so much!!!!

lucy's 1st bath.

2011-12-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

It's funny how quickly you can tell the difference in personalities between 2 children. For example, this is a picture of Carter's 1st bath:And this is Lucy's:
Now I'm not saying that Carter is a screamer who is difficult to deal with. I'm just saying that Lucy is one of the most mellow babies I've ever known! She really is so content most of the time. Carter often cried with diaper changes, Lucy wiggles and squirms. Carter liked to be bounced to sleep, Lucy prefers to be rocked. It's been fun in just the last 10 days to pick up on certain personality traits that are different than Carter.

I suppose the crying bath picture could be due to the fact that we were first time parents who had no clue what we were doing. But, I'd like to assume there is a much deeper meaning than that!
She loved her bath!

We really love this cuddly baby girl. And her big brother too. Luckiest parents ever.

mother/daughter love.

2011-12-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

We are 8 days in. And what an amazing 8 days it has been. I am so in love all over again! Lucy has been the most mellow and calm baby and we couldn't be more grateful. With an overly excited 2 year old who often bounces off the wall during the day, Lucy has been such a cuddly, sweet baby. She still has her days and nights mixed up, but is getting better. Her favorite time to be awake is from 9pm-11pm, right when Matt and I are ready for bed. She is an amazing eater and was already 7lbs, 15oz at 6 days old (8 oz. above birth weight). We are adjusting so well and have loved having extra family time together with Matt being off work.

People keep asking who she looks like. She does look a lot like Carter, but after looking at baby pictures, she looks even more like me! This is my newborn picture:
And here is Lucy:

And, just because she is cute...here's another one.
Carter has been the best big brother. I was worried he would become very jealous but instead he has quickly learned that Mama needs time for Lucy sometimes and loves "helping" with her diaper changes and giving her many kisses (sometimes not so gentle, but he has good intentions!)

This is how we found him the other day during a nap...apparently a new baby in the house really wipes a kid out.
Probably the best 8 days of my life. Yep, definitely.

Lucy Elizabeth

2011-12-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do my best to capture what has happened in the past 48 hours. Please be kind, as there may be many typos and run-on sentences....I'm going on about 4 hours of sleep since she was born!

For the past 2 weeks Matt and I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of our little girl. At my 38 week check-up I was 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. My doctor was certain I would deliver just a few days later. Well, a week went by and at 39 weeks I had dilated to 3cm. She said again, she was certain I would deliver very soon. So when my due date came and past our excitement continued to grow and our patience grew a bit thin. We had both decided, though, to not ask for an induction. There was a reason our little girl was cozy in my tummy and we wanted to give her plenty of time. I went back to the doctor at 40 weeks and 4 days. We discussed my options and my doctor agreed to not schedule a medical induction but suggested to strip my membranes. I agreed since the countless hours of mall walking and spicy food hadn't made any additional progress. He said it can't hurt, but if it's effective I should notice some changes within 24 hours.

Well, sure enough, just 8 hours later my contractions started. It felt very different this time. With Carter I had horrible back labor, but this time it was mild and very crampy. I played with Carter, tucked him into bed and then Matt and I started thinking this could be the "real" thing! Matt took Carter over to our amazing nanny around 9pm so I could labor at home as long as possible without feeling the need to be quiet or possibly disturb a sleeping toddler. Right after Matt got back home the frequency and intensity increased. We spent the next 2.5 hours trying different positions and comfort techniques to see what might work once we arrived at the hospital. Finally, around 11:15pm we headed out the door. Luckily the hospital is a 2 minute drive from our house. I did have 1 contraction in the car but coped fairly well (knowing I shouldn't complain since many of my friends have labored in the car for a much longer time!).

When we arrived I was dilated to 4cm and a little bummed. I was hoping I was much further along. I knew I wanted to have a natural labor and had worked very hard throughout my pregnancy to prepare for that. Of course, the nurses wanted to get a 20 minute strip of my contractions and her heart rate. I did not cooperate. Before even getting officially admitted I was in triage on my hands and knees breathing and rocking as I ignored their request to lay still while they monitored me.

After an unsuccessful 20 minutes they agreed to keep me and we moved to room 16, just right across the hall from the main nurses station (more on this later!). They again tried to monitor me, this time for 1 hour. I just wasn't having it (and neither was baby girl!). The nurse had a hard time finding her heart rate and I had a hard time obeying requests. It was much more effective for me to slow dance with Matt and sit on the birth ball during each contraction and break. After an hour the doctor checked me and I was at 6 cm and fully effaced. She broke my water and we all agreed to get me in the shower for a little while.

Let me tell you, that was heaven! For the next 30 minutes Matt sprayed warm water over my stomach as I squatted and lunged with each passing contraction. At one point I got into such a funny breathing pattern I started lunging forward and hurling my body toward the opposite end of the bathtub (Matt later joked that it looked like I was in the middle of an intense work-out session on an elliptical machine). After 30 minutes I was starting to lose it. I left the shower and headed back to the bed for another cervical check. To much disappointment I was only at 7cm. At this point I lost it. I started to doubt myself and my ability to continue naturally. I begged for an epidural. Okay, let's be honest. I started screaming. Not the sad scream. Not the scared scream. But the full on moan/groan/scream "til it hurts and let everyone else know" scream. We later laughed that any other laboring mom coming into the Childbirth Center would run in terror when they heard me screaming since I was in the first room by the nurses station. I panicked and felt like a total failure. I even told the nurse I felt like a failure but desperately wanted relief.

As she quickly called the doctor my body suddenly began gently bearing down. It was the most fantastic feeling to actually cope with the pain (but yes, I still screamed). I had my eyes closed for the next 15 minutes but Matt said the room quickly became chaotic. As I continued to shout 4-letter profanities over and over again the nurse pronounced I was fully dilated and it was time to push. So I did!

Apparently at this point there was no delivery table in the room, no doctor and 2 hurried nurses scrambling to get things set up. I was completely unaware, eyes closed and focused on ending this pain.

4 incredibly fast minutes later I was holding my baby girl. It was the most intense, emotional moment of my life. The feeling of achievement, relief, love, excitement and pure joy overwhelmed my body and I just started to shake and cry. Quietly proclaiming, "I did it, I did it" and holding this beautiful baby girl was just too much. Matt's eyes teared up, nurses smiled and little Lucy Elizabeth Vance entered the world.

After about 2 minutes had passed my brain turned back on and I suddenly remembered all the screaming and cussing I had just yelled. I made sure to apologize time and time again for being "that girl" in labor. They, of course, all said "oh no, you were fine!" Haha....such nice hospital staff for lying to my face!

Lucy Elizabeth was born on 12/20/11 (5 days after her due date) at 2:12am. She weighed 7lbs, 7oz and 21 inches long. She instantly stared into my eyes, grabbed my finger and we fell in love. She is perfect. She is sweet. She is everything I could have ever imagined and more.

We are learning to adjust to a family of four. Day one was a bit hectic, as to be expected, but I think we will all learn our new normal. Carter was totally uninterested when he came to the hospital but since coming home he has loved giving her hugs and kisses and drinking big boy milk when she gets thirsty for mamas milk.

We now have one big chaotic, loving and exciting journey ahead of us and I couldn't be more happy.

(Pictures to come soon!)

huntin' for a tree.

2011-12-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

Well, we survived the weekend. Just barely. I don't think Matt and I sat down for more than 5 minutes all weekend. Between Santa Pictures (Matt working at them), going to see Santa, grandparents visiting, birthday party, more late night work for Matt, baking 5 dozen cookies, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, getting a Christmas tree, decorating the tree, building a gingerbread house, more cleaning, sending out Christmas cards, writing thank you cards and a little eating....we are exhausted!

In the midst of all the craziness we did have a lot of fun. Especially searching for the Christmas tree today. Carter loved choosing all the trees he wanted to take home. And was very clear which ones he didn't like, proudly saying "NO" each time he saw one that wasn't perfect.
And off he goes!
He got a little distracted with the sticks on the ground. And decided it was more important to look for sticks than search for a tree.

We finally found the perfect tree. Okay, so it's very small but just what we needed this year. Between all the new toys and a new baby we don't have much room in our house. But, we love it!
It took a total of 14 seconds for Matt to cut it down (yes, the trunk is the size of a toothpick!)
After we tied it to our car we spent some time feeding the ducks. Unfortunately, the ducks ran away as quickly as possible when we got near them. Oh well, maybe next year.
Tonight after dinner I had this great idea to make a gingerbread house. Because I hadn't cleaned the house enough in one weekend, I thought we should make another big mess right before bedtime.

The before shot.
And after!
And a sneaky little boy trying to steal candy off the house!
Yay for Christmas! Okay little girl...everything is now officially checked off our to-do list. You can come any day now!

two.

2011-12-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

Two years ago at about this very time my water broke. I had been having contractions most of the day, but then they stalled. So, after a brisk walk around the block I came home to have a puddle of water land on the floor. Thus began a marathon labor. Over 24 hours later, Carter was born!

I have been thinking so much about his labor/birth lately (for obvious reasons of course....I'm ready to go into labor any day now with #2!). How has it already been 2 years? He is my baby and watching him run, jump, yell and talk just amazes me now. How have we been parents for 2 years? We survived (although barely at times) and looking back it's incredible to think about all that has changed, how we have adapted to new phases and loved every second of this crazy ride.

Carter's current likes:
Wee wees (raisins)
Green beans and peas
Dat Dat (Big Bird - Sesame Street in general)
All things football
His big boy bed
Saying "no"
Giving us his big eyes
Milk
Tickle fights
Piggy back rides
Helping mama bake
Feeding the dog his food
Being as independent as he can be!

Carter's dislikes:
Sitting still
The dog eating his food (when he chooses not to give it to him!)
Getting lotion put on his face
Pants with buttons on it (he will only wear elastic waistbands...silly boy!)
Being rushed to do something
Juice

Carter Thomas Vance - my favorite two year old. You will never fully understand how happy you make us. From your early morning snuggles in bed to our bedtime routine at night, you are such a sweet, silly, caring little boy. I love the age you are at. You are talking more and I look forward to our conversations in the car every morning to Marmie's. You get excited to tell me the deer are still sleeping and are always sure to say goodbye to the pile of dirt by the side of the house. I love watching you play with your daddy. The way you too wrestle each other, laugh and just be boys makes me cringe in fear for you getting hurt but beam with happiness at your love for one another. I love your hugs, your open mouth kisses on my cheek and your silly facial expressions when we eat dinner. You are crazy. You are full of energy. You are non-stop. I love it. You love food (thank goodness, healthy food) and I love when you help me bake. You are becoming so independent, reminding us every day that "you" can do it by yourself. You are smart, already knowing 11 letters of the alphabet. You are caring and gentle and will make the best big brother. We love you so much Carter. Happy 2nd Birthday!

And, his 2 year stats: 35 lbs and 37.5 inches tall!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

Matt and I were lucky enough to each have a 4 day weekend for Thanksgiving. We divided up our time between both families and managed to have a pretty relaxing weekend (well, the 2 huge dinners helped quite a bit too!)Carter got dressed up for the occasion.
He LOVED spending time with both sets of grandparents.
And after being a little scared of the rocking horse, he finally jumped on and never wanted to get off! So fun to watch him ride it.
We spent some time reading too.
Saturday we had some extra time to visit the Tacoma Children's Museum. It was fun to get out as a family and wasn't too crowded since everyone was at the mall shopping. Carter loved the Farmer's Market section....he just had a hard time understanding that all the fruit was "pretend."
Scooping up the pebbles.
Me looking ridiculous.
And Carter wanting to be just like his mama!
This magnetic wall was awesome. You could move these tubes around to make a maze for the ball to follow. It was so fun to watch him push the ball up the tube and follow it all the way to the bottom. Of course, he got to practice about 50 times!
Time for dress-up!
And a little reading too. Somehow the only book he wanted to read was this super creepy book about 10 little mice who almost get eaten by a snake. Needless to say, we will not be buying this book for at home!
Saturday night we spent the evening at my parents house and had another wonderful dinner. And, Carter loved his "Boppy" time (what he calls his grandpas).
My parents are leaving for an extended vacation after I have the baby. So, we celebrated Christmas a little early. Carter "helped" open up everyone's present. I think he's now ready for his birthday this weekend.
Love this picture. Such a mischievous little boy!
And...just for fun! I only have 2 weeks to go (or less....or more) before this little girl arrives. We are almost done with her room...here are a few updated shots.
It's hard to see, but the collage of pictures will have family shots of us throughout the years, plus a few of my favorite quotes. Still a work in progress :)

Celebrating baby girl Vance.

2011-11-23T13:29:00.000-08:00

My 2 sweet friends, Caity and Carrie threw me the most wonderful baby shower last Sunday. I felt so spoiled and loved and will always remember that special day. Caity thought of every little detail to coordinate the decorations with the "theme" of her room....pink and gray. She even made this beautiful ribbon wreath to give me afterwards so I could hang it up in her room (pictures of the nursery coming soon!). The food was delicious, games were fun and it meant so much to have so many of my favorite people in one room. Thanks girls!

Yummy food - the cream puffs were my favorite!
Pretty decorations.
Cute teacups.
Sweet baby Noah (and Emily!)
So much pink!
Ellie was my little helper for the day. She helped with each gift, showed me how to properly play with each doll and loved being at a big girls party!

How cute is she?
Caity and I. Thank you so much Caity!!!!
Ellie and I.
My friend Kaatri is due just 3 days before me with her first little girl. We even have the same maternity leave! It'll be so fun to get our baby girls together and share mom advice. So excited for her!
One of my best friends Katy is also due with a little girl in February. She drove all the way up to Bellingham to spend the afternoon with me. Thank you Katy....you're the best!
The whole group. It was such a fun day!

Carter & Daddy.

2011-11-23T13:17:00.001-08:00

I never realized the term, "Like Father, like Son" would be so relevant in our house until a few weeks ago. Lately, Carter wants to do everything like his Daddy. When Matt gets home from work it's non-stop chaos until bedtime. They wrestle, play football, have tickle fights, laugh and just act like goofy boys for 2 straight hours until both are finally exhausted and we put the little one to bed. I just love watching them interact. Carter has a great Daddy and Matt has an adorable little shadow.

The other night Matt was vacuuming up dinner (that somehow ended up all over the floor by a certain someone). So, then it was Carter's turn.

Then, Matt (okay Matt and I) wanted brownies. So, naturally Carter had to help.

Matt then turned on Christmas music and started dancing and drumming. So, Carter did the same. Let me just clarify...Matt kept his clothes on during the dancing unlike Carter!
The next night it was time to make spaghetti. Carter, once again, was ready to help. Somehow all the noodles ended up on the floor.
And, my 3 boys....they couldn't be more alike. All are fun, crazy, goofy, a little ADD, loving, sweet and just plain wonderful.

We're Famous!

2011-11-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

Matt has been hard at work the last year creating a "Family Pass" campaign at his job. Basically it's like a credit union version of groupon where you can flash your debit card and get great monthly deals around town (anyone who lives or works in Whatcom County can and should become a member!)
Anyways, to help with the promotion he recently shot a few tv commercials and Carter and I were lucky enough to make the cut! Watch closely and don't blink....it's only for about 2 seconds (at the beginning of both ads). We're pretty darn excited about it. And, look for them on real TV too, starting 11/18/11 (especially on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Top Chef, Mythbusters, Project Runways AllStars and Paula Dean's Cookie Swap)!

34 weeks.

2011-11-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Seriously, where has the time gone? 34 weeks already! This has been the fastest 34 weeks of my life. I can't believe in 6 weeks (+ or - 2 weeks!) we'll be holding our new daughter! I'm still feeling great, loving every little kick and getting more excited to meet her. The nursery is coming along and I think I've started the nesting phase (Matt would tell you I'm always in a nesting phase though!).
He's getting very excited to be a big brother!!!

cutest.pirate.ever.

2011-10-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks Evantide Photography!

pumpkins and christmas cookies.

2011-10-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

Our poor child. If he needs serious counseling when he is older, he can blame it all on me. Because we are trying to get everything ready for the baby, things have been a little "out of order" this year. For example, 2 weeks ago we were out buying Christmas presents for family. Last weekend we went to a Halloween party, then came home and made a big Thanksgiving dinner (just because I had been craving turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes!). And today, we made Christmas sugar cookies, then carved pumpkins and Carter watched me wrap more Christmas presents.

He must be so confused. Oh well, at least he keeps a smile on his face!
We went to the pumpkin patch 3 weeks ago but the pumpkins have sat out on our back patio patiently waiting to be carved. So, today was the day! Carter was very excited to get his hands into the pumpkin and help. And, for the most part, he was actually a big helper!

Then it was time to decide what the pumpkin should look like. He spent a long time thinking about it before drawing a face he wanted Matt to carve.
This is what he came up with. Not sure if Matt can match that exact image...
Matt did a good job of multi-tasking. Keeping an eye on Carter, cleaning out the pumpkin and watching the Seahawks game.
Once the pumpkins were cleaned out, Carter got bored and went off to play. So, I roasted seeds, Matt and I sampled the seeds and the pumpkins remain untouched on our kitchen counter. Not sure if we'll get around to actually "carving" the pumpkins this year. Oh well.

With all of the baking Carter and I have done together, today was Matt's turn. While I was out of the house for a few hours, Carter helped Matt make sugar cookies. But, of course, Matt used Christmas cookie cutters resulting in Christmas tree, snowman and star shaped cookies. Carter was very excited to help frost them.
This was perfect timing because I had just vacuumed and polished the hardwood floors about 1 hour before we used these sprinkles. Needless to say, I got to spend the following hour doing it all over again.

Always fun to sample!

I'd say they turned out pretty good!

Baby to Big Boy.

2011-10-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

As we prepare for baby #2 (only 7 more weeks!) it's been an interesting journey to watch our #1 grow up so quickly right before our eyes. In just the last month he has gotten taller, learned new words, become more independent, perfected his whine and made us laugh harder than ever before. Crazy that 1 year ago he looked like this at our church's Harvest Festival.And this year he is a big, grown-up pirate!
Our church puts on their annual Harvest Festival every year and even though Carter is still too young to play most of the games (well, at least play them properly) we still like to go and see everyone dressed up.
He got to hula hoop for a prize.
Dig in the hay for a new truck.
And go fishing, definitely his favorite game!
But, wasn't too interested in sitting with me....oh well.
We tried the cupcake walk for a few rounds but never won. I was really wanting a cupcake too!
This past week we made the official transition to the big boy bed. We converted Carter's crib to the toddler bed about a month ago but this week put in a twin bed and moved the crib in to the new nursery. Matt and I have laughed because every big transition that happens, the 2 of us are always so worried and stressed but Carter does just fine every single time! He is sleeping so well in his new bed and just loves to jump up and down like a monkey!
We've been slowly working on the nursery the last month too. Matt has worked so hard to make it just perfect for our little girl. Newly painted walls and changing table, new rug and soon...new pictures on the wall!

I'm really loving how it is all looking. Can't wait for a sweet little girl to sleep in there!

how to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

2011-10-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

Carter has been quite the little helper in the kitchen lately. Especially since we bought him a new step stool. And, I have been known to be quite the little baker. If there isn't a baked good in my house at any given time, I must be sick. So, it seemed fitting to bake some muffins today. And what better way to celebrate a beautiful fall day than make pumpkin muffins (with chocolate chips of course!).

1. First, gather your equipment. Yep, the beautiful red Kitchen Aid Mixer.
2. Mix the sugar, eggs and pumpkin. Use your "earmuffs." It can be loud.
3. Get the measuring spoons ready.
4. Gather dry ingredients.
5. Add salt (maybe next time I shouldn't be so literal).
6. Add baking powder.
7. Mix thoroughly.
8. Take a break to sample the mini chocolate chips....just to be sure they still taste okay.
9. Mix in chocolate chips. Add an extra handful, just for fun.
10. Take another break to have a sip of milk. After all, what goes better with chocolate than a cold glass of milk?
11. Sit and wait patiently. Okay, sit for 1.5 seconds to take a picture, then play with toys for 20 minutes while they bake.
12. Take warm muffins out of the oven to let cool.
13. Pick out the chocolate chips on top.
14. Take a big bite!
15. Enjoy the yumminess!
16. Later in the day have another one. And, maybe another in the evening too.

(Disclaimer: to anyone who ends up eating one of these muffins, all hands were washed thoroughly before baking. And, we are getting more salt....it just couldn't be salvaged).

Stoney Ridge Farm 2011.

2011-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

We made our annual trip out to Stoney Ridge Farm yesterday. It turned out to be the perfect October day! We decided to skip Carter's nap to get there right when it opened (trying to avoid the crowds). He was great, but then never napped the rest of the day. Hmm..maybe next year, we'll just go later!We met some friends out there too. Carter and Leah weren't too excited about the face board.
But, after finding some more pumpkins, he was back to his happy little self again.
There is a cute little train that kids can ride around the farm. Since we were there right when it opened they hadn't started the rides yet. Lucky for us, Carter got in and had fun without us having to spend the $3 for the ride!
We have the cutest little picture of Carter in front of this growth chart last year. He had just learned how to walk and stood so still. This year, not so much. More tears, more sadness. Oh well...there's always next year.
The farm animals were a big hit.
And so was the apple pie. This pie is amazing. We didn't care that we were the only ones eating it at 10:30 in the morning. We weren't embarrassed to order the ice cream and caramel sauce on top. And, we weren't ashamed that we finished it off in less than 5 minutes!

Time to head down to the pumpkin patch. Carter was a little unsure what to do at first.
But helping Dad with the wheelbarrow was fun!

Then he found his perfect pumpkin!
And told Matt which one to choose across the patch.
Off to find apples!
But first, a pit stop on an antique tractor. He was in heaven.

Finally found the apples.
Apparently, this one didn't taste so great.
We did end up taking home quite a few apples that are delicious though! Love you Stoney Ridge Farm!!!

Bellewood Acres

2011-10-09T19:59:00.001-07:00

The last weekend in September was beautiful so we took full advantage of the weather and headed out to a local apple orchard. They offer a really fun train ride around the farm to tour the orchard and learn more about the different variety of apples but for some reason Carter was scared of the train so we opted for walking around ourselves.

He quickly decided to sample a few apples!

After trying a few varieties (because he kept dropping his apple on the ground...in the dirt) we headed over to the market store to pick out some caramel apples to take home. Carter found this rocking horse and LOVED it. He was very upset when it was time to leave.

Skagit Children's Museum

2011-10-09T19:52:00.000-07:00

What to do on a rainy day? The Children's Museum! Carter and I drove down to Burlington a few weeks ago for a fun day trip. We spent a couple hours playing and then I got to spend a little time shopping! He loves this museum. There is a huge semi-truck right at the entrance to play in. Of course, pushing all the buttons to watch them light up is super exciting.And, sitting in the driver's seat.
He loved looking at the turtles. Probably stayed here for close to 10 minutes (and if you know Carter, you know that's a VERY long time!). He doesn't stay still very long for anything!

do the puyallup.

2011-10-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

As I try to catch up on blogging I realized we took all these fun pictures of the Puyallup Fair and I never posted anything! We went a few weeks ago and even though the weather wasn't ideal, it was still so much fun. With Matt and I both growing up in Puyallup, we both have our traditions and favorite places to eat at the fair. We started at the "best" scone booth. The fair hadn't even been open 10 minutes and there was already a long line. We just love watching the cute little old ladies make the scones.
I was very excited. Carter was more interested in the carmel apple booth next door.
Trying his first scone. He loved it!
We then went to visit all the farm animals. Other than the enormous cow that scared the heck out of Carter (he still gets scared when you mention the word cow!), he loved it all. The little baby pigs were so cute...only a few days old.
Carter loved the petting zoo and would have probably stayed for hours if we let him.

Then, we ate again. Eating is really the only reason why we go to the fair!
Time to head over to the kids area. Because of the rain the big slide was closed. But, we had fun playing on the drums for a while!

Choo Choo train time (the only ride I was allowed to go on with a little baby in my tummy)
Carter loved, loved, loved the carousel! Lucky for him, we had enough tickets he got to go on it twice.

We met up with my parents who gladly took Carter on his second ride on the carousel. I think they all enjoyed it!
After another round of eating and buying some extra yummy treats to take home, we left the fair for another year. So excited for the Spring Fair!

Big boy bed.

2011-10-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Carter decided to climb out of his crib. He was very proud of himself and showed us a few times exactly how he was able to do it. We knew then the crib was a thing of the past and it was time for a big boy bed. We hadn't anticipated this momentous change for another 6 months or so, so it came as a surprise.

As a transition, we decided to put on the toddler attachment to the crib until we can get him a twin size bed. And to our surprise, he loved it!
Checking out his new sleeping arrangement.
Pretty excited about it!
Yes, very excited about it!
Within the first 5 minutes he was already trying to do somersaults off the bed. He learned that wasn't a good choice and has now decided jumping off the side is more fun. Luckily, we haven't had any problems with him staying in bed. He has only fallen out of bed twice at night and slept right through it. Next week we get the twin bed and I'm so excited for his new big boy bedding! Sad to see him be finished with the crib but I guess it was good timing to move it in to the new nursery for the next baby Vance!

our little talker.

2011-10-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We bought a new camera (finally!) and I have yet to figure out how to download the pictures to a new computer and then find more time to post them. But, be patient, I have lots and lots of pictures to post from this last month!

But, for now, I will entertain you with some of Carter's current favorite words. He has become quite the little chatterbox lately, but only Matt and I usually know what he is saying. I think some of these phrases are so cute and it'll be sad when he's old enough to pronounce them correctly. So, for my selfish desire to not forget this, here you go:

Dog: wuh wuh

Water: wah wah

Duck/Bird: dot dot (kind of like duck duck?)

Peas: peez

Please: pee

Cheese: dee

Up: up (yes, the actual real word!)

Hi: aye

Bye: buh bye

Grandpa: boppy

Cat: bobby (our nanny's cats name is Bobby so of course this is the name of every cat)

Cow: mmmmm

Sheep: baaaaaa

Chicken: bok bok

Donkey: hee aaaw

Swing/Park/Slide: weeeeeeee

Dirt: deet

Banana: nana

Food: nummies

Car/Bus: beep beep

Semi truck: BEEP BEEP

Train: doo doo (choo choo)

Baby: bebe

Owie/Hurt: wowie

And of course, every day a new word emerges out of his mouth. This is such a fun stage and we (okay, Matt especially) are quickly learning that Carter likes to repeat and copy any thing we do or say. So, now we have to be very careful!!!

our summer.

2011-09-21T08:51:00.001-07:00

Oops, it has been a month since I've blogged. I guess we've been busy (or I'm just lazy/tired?) Anyways, our summer seemed to fly by, like it does every year. We spent most of our time (okay, every.single.day.) going on walks to the park. Not really sure how we are going to survive winter when we can't let Carter get his energy out at the playground. I'm already looking into some arts & crafts ideas (if anyone has anything that works, I'd gladly take suggestions!).
So...here's a quick recap (there are too many pictures to post them all, so I'll be brief)
Carter is starting to sort of understand that a baby is coming. Well, at least we are making progress with the doll. He likes to hug her, give her milk, put her blanket over her and rock her to go "ni-night." Then, he enjoys throwing her across the room. Oh well, some progress has been made. It's a start. We got to celebrate friends' birthday parties. Love the pool parties in the summer!

Carter learned to quickly love the spray park. Took a few minutes to warm up to the idea, but then he never wanted to leave.

He went on the "weee" (swing) many times a day!

On those not-so-nice summer days, we spent lots of time reading books. He is such a little book nerd, I love it.

And, playing his computer.

Carter has a new obsession with his grandpas. Both of them he calls "boppy." We have no idea where he came up with it, but he makes it well known when he wants to talk to boppy, have boppy take him to the park, read with boppy, eat with boppy, play with boppy....well, you get the idea.

And, just for proof that I was here to witness everything. A picture of me! I'm now 28 weeks along and feeling great. I had a little bump in the road a few weeks ago but feeling fine now and baby girl is super active. I can't believe I'm already in my 3rd trimester. I am one of those girls who just loves being pregnant so it's a little sad this pregnancy is going so quickly, but I am so excited to meet this little girl. We are busy converting a guest room into a nursery, transitioning a toddler into a big boy bed, picking out pink accessories and finding the time to enjoy our family of 3!

Lise and Faith Palmer.

2011-08-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

On May 27, 2011 a classmate of mine from high school was tragically killed. Lise Palmer was on vacation in Lake Chelan when she went out for a run. An elderly driver fell asleep at the wheel and struck and killed her and her unborn baby girl, Faith. Lise was 31 weeks pregnant and only 29 years old. She left behind 2 adorable boys, Ray and Mac and her husband, Ryan.
Since that day, I have often thought of her, almost daily. This tragic event happening to such a beautiful woman, mother and wife. It just isn't fair. Although no one will every understand why it had to happen, the support for her family has been remarkable.
This past Saturday, a group of Lise's closest friends, organized a memorial run for her to help raise money for her little boys and husband. Words can't describe how amazing it was. The love and support from a community was incredible. There were over 1700 people who participated. During the 5k, Katy Pancake-Boal (my walking partner!) passed by Ryan and the boys. Ray asked Ryan, "Daddy, don't you just want to walk?" And he said, "Yes, yes I do!" It made us laugh and smile as Ryan kept running, knowing it's what Lise would want him to do. He is an incredible dad to go through such heartache and still do everything for his boys.
Katy, Carter and I before the race.
Pre-race snacks (yes, cases and cases of Fisher Fair Scones!) I was so impressed with how organized this event was. The number of sponsors, volunteers, officials, media - it was all so overwhelming. Katy and I just stood in silence at times taking it all in.

Everyone lined up waiting to go.

So many people.

Sadly, I didn't take many pictures. I was too busy catching up with old friends and enjoying the day. So excited to run next year for the Annual Lise and Faith Palmer Memorial Run.

If you want to see more pictures or learn more, go to: www.runforlise.com or you can make a donation at any U.S. Bank towards the Ray and Mac Palmer Scholarship Fund.

blueberries.

2011-08-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I took Carter out to Boxx Berry Farm to pick some blueberries. He and I both love blueberries so I thought I could stock up for the winter. We got there and instantly went to work. He did a lot of this: And this:

While I franticlly picked the berries. After a lot of snacking, picking and chasing we ended up with 13lbs of blueberries! In fact, he snacked so much in the fields, the berries went right through him and I got to change him in the middle of the farm....that was a first.

He would not sit still for a cute little picture. Right after this he snacked on a few more straight out of the bucket, then took off running again down another row!

Boxx Berry Farm also has this amazing market and storefront. They sell beautiful flowers, fresh produce and homemade strawberry shortcake. So, of course, I had to sample it. It would be rude not to.

Luckily, I had a partner to help me finish it off. So delicous!

Then, we spent some time playing on the playground. At the end of the day we had a VERY dirty but happy and tired boy. Can't wait to go back next year!

stripes & dirt.

2011-08-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

I found the cutest footie pajamas a few weeks ago and couldn't resist. With Carter being as big and tall as he is, he quickly grew out of those "baby" clothes like footies pajamas. But, I found a 3T that I was able to squeeze him into and think he's just adorable. It reminds me of his baby days and the stripes are too cute.

He might be growing up but he still sleeps like a little baby!This past weekend Matt & I drove down to Salem, OR to check out the town. It wasn't quite what we were expecting (think outdated strip malls), but still had a nice night away. And, of course, I forgot to take pictures! Carter got to spend some quality time with Grandma & Grandpa Vance (thanks again!). When I came back, he was eager to show me how he had learned to water the flowers. Somehow this turned into just playing, rolling and digging in the dirt.

It was in this moment that I truly realized I had a very boyish boy. No doubt about it. The grin on his face as he rubbed the dirt through his toes was pure excitement!

After a good scrub in the bathtub we decided a sandbox might be a better idea for the future (or at least playing in just dirt and not beauty bark - we're still trying to get that darn sliver out of his hand!)

And, just because...here's my 22 week belly shot!

the new baby.

2011-08-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

Meet our new baby. Yep...a baby doll. She doesn't have a name yet, we're are still trying to decide on the right name! (Just like the real baby...no name. And yes, we are keeping it a secret once we decide!)
We thought it was time to buy Carter his own baby so he can start practicing for the real one. The last few weeks he has really grasped the concept of helping. He helps me put laundry away, take laundry out, put dishes away and put toys away. So, why not learn how to help with his baby?
You wouldn't believe how excited he got when we went down the doll aisle at Target to pick out the perfect baby! Haha...Matt was thrilled. And, the first thing he did was poke her eyes out....wonderful.
We got home and he quickly started caring for the baby.
First he had to find the right cup to give her a drink. (Notice baby is lying face down into the carpet. Lesson #1 - teach him the concept of breathing.) He then realized she needed to be held. Good neck support too!

Then it was time to offer her a drink.

But she was getting heavy, so he dropped her. (Lesson #2 - teach him how to gently set a baby down, not drop, throw, swing or toss across the room).

Then he decided to just pour the water over her head. (Lesson #3 -no feeding the baby).

So, I guess we have some work to do, but it's a good start. He'll be the best big brother!!!

one summer day.

2011-07-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Summer, it seems, has finally arrived! Just in time for a perfect family day. With Matt's climbing adventure over and nothing else on our calendar, we finally had a free day to just relax (of course, we still fit in organizing the shed, cleaning the bathrooms, dusting, laundry and getting the dog groomed!). But, for most of the day it was just us. No interruptions; just us, sun and laughter. Such a fun day.
It started with cutting the grass. I think every day starts like this though! Then it was time to practice our golf game.

And finally, a pool party! We hadn't pulled out the pool since last year (the weather hasn't given us many good opportunities) and we quickly realized Carter had outgrown his tiny little baby pool. Oh well, he still loved it!Of course, he didn't care about any of the toys...just the bucket. So he poured water on top of himself over and over and over again.

All of that swimming tired him out. Popsicle time!

After several outfit changes, a walk to the grocery store and a good nap, it was time to play in a box.

A very good summer day.

Mt. Baker

2011-07-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Matt and his friend Jake came up with this crazy idea to climb Mt. Baker for their 30th birthdays. My first reaction was disbelief and a little bit of laughing. I honestly thought Matt was crazy. But, after 2 long months of intense training, countless hours at the gym, watching everything he ate and many long weekend hikes to prepare, he celebrated his success at the summit of Mt. Baker last weekend!

Matt, Jake, Brandon, Ryan and Neil left around noon to hike up to base camp. They hung out, set up camp (which was just on a very hard looking rock) and went to bed around 8pm on Saturday night. At 1am (after setting 3 alarms) they woke up to prepare to climb the summit. With headlamps on, they left for a 12+ hour, cold, long, steep climb. And they made it! Matt said it was absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining and you could see Whistler in one direction and Mt. Rainier in the other. They spent about 45 minutes at the top before making their descent down (the scary part, apparently). And after 2 very long days, Matt returned home and took a nice, long bubble bath.

I am so proud of this huge accomplishment for him. What an incredible way to enter into your 30s!!!

(these are just a couple of the 300 pictures taken. There are many many more - with lots of fun stories to explain them all from matt!)

sugar and spice and everything nice.

2011-07-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound for baby #2. When I was pregnant with Carter, I had no doubt he was a boy. But, this baby I wasn't too sure. I ended up thinking boy because the pregnancies have been so similiar - no nausea or vomiting, feeling great and having the exact same cravings!
So, it came as quite a surprise when we found out our little GIRL will be arriving in December. I cried, Matt grinned from ear to ear and we are both already so in love. It'll be a whole new world with a girl. I have learned to love fire trucks, loud animal sounds, choo choo trains and dirt but will now experience tutus, pigtails and tea parties! Oh my goodness, what an adventure we have waiting for us! Our little girl was quite stubborn during the ultrasound. We are hoping this isn't a reflection of her personality! She just wanted to sit very, very low and although she'd move quite a bit, it was never in the direction she needed to go for some good pictures!
Waving hi to mom and dad!

Cute little hand.
And adorable toes!

And proof she's a girl!!!

Welcome baby girl vance!!! We love you!

another random post.

2011-07-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit random, as is a theme for this blog. Basically, nothing overly exciting happened this past week but somehow I came up with a few pictures that made me smile.
Carter is still loving his zookeeper hat. Wearing it as much as he can! Mama and Carter.

Daddy and Carter.
Playing blocks.
We went to a barbeque last night at a friends house. There were about 5 other kids Carter's age, but all girls. And, there was a pool. Being the boy he is, Carter wasted no time jumping in (fully clothed), splashing around and scaring all the little girls out of the pool. Luckily, everyone else laughed too and we got to learn a lesson about splashing and apologizing after he dried off!

This morning Carter grabbed the camera out of my hand and took his first self-portrait! Yes, it's a little close (we'll have to work on the zoom option) but still, he's one proud boy.

Matt is still up at Mt. Baker today so Carter and I went for an early walk to the store for milk and the Sunday paper. Then we took turns picking out what we wanted to buy from the ads.
I love that he is tossing away the JoAnn Fabrics coupons to read more about Best Buy. Typical boy.

rainboots and the zoo.

2011-07-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

(this post is a bit scattered. Ignore this picture until you read about our day at the zoo...it'll make a lot more sense!)

Let's be honest. For those of us living in Western Washington, this summer has been awful. One nice day and then 5 rainy, cold, dreary days. As I post this blog it's currently 60 degrees and pouring down rain....in the middle of July! Needless to say, Carter is a little confused when it comes to getting dressed in the morning. Luckily, his rainboots still fit since he will happily splash in any puddle he sees! Matt is turning the big 3-0 this week. We already went to Hawaii (thanks Vance's!) in May for an early celebration, but wanted to continue celebrating this weekend. Luckily, the crummy weather held out long enough for us to go to the zoo. We both haven't been to Pt. Defiance Zoo in years. It was a super fun day!
Right when we arrived this beautiful peacock greeted us. Carter loved seeing the animals but could have probably stayed in the Kids Fun Zone all day long. Slides, a spray park, jungle gym and lots of space to run around and get out all that energy!

Climbing the spiders' web. There was a small petting zoo area to feed the goats. We were both a little hesitant at first (notice me keeping his fingers as far away as possible from the hungry goat!) Then we both warmed up to the idea. And, he loved it! So did the goats. They were crazy for that food!Matt's parents and brother joined us for the day. I didn't really take any other pictures of animals partly because I think we've all seen a monkey and tiger in our life and there isn't really a need for me to post a picture of one on this blog.

Grandpa Vance and Carter enjoying the penguins. We couldn't end the day without buying something at the gift shop. Carter's first zookeeper hat. I think I have a great idea for a halloween costume!Our attempt at a family picture. We were all a bit tired and hungry at this point so someone wasn't too interested in capturing a family memory. Oh well. (see first picture - for some reason I couldn't for the life of me get that darn picture to move down here!)

We ended the day with dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, my favorite restaurant! Matt is such a great husband he let me decide where to go for his birthday dinner! Delicious food, good family and a big birthday surprise. Of course I forgot to take a picture but I surprised Matt with a flight & tickets to go see the Seahawks play the Cowboys at their new stadium in Dallas in Novemer. He is so excited! And I was even more excited for keeping it a secret for so long...I'm horrible with secrets!

Grandpa and Grandma walking to dinner. Patiently waiting for our table. Such a fun day. Happy (early) 30th Birthday Matt!!!

what we've been up to.

2011-07-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

This summer has been so busy but I always forget to take pictures of the big events. It's usually the random playtime at home that reminds me to get out the camera. So, here is a bit of a random post, but some fun pictures!
Me at 16 weeks. I'm almost 18 weeks (and getting bigger by the day!). We find out in 2 weeks if its a boy or a girl. Any guesses??? We went to our friends Sherman & Holly's wedding last night. Of course I forgot to take a picture of the beautiful bride (too busy chasing around a toddler and bribing him, I mean, keeping him quiet during the ceremony). But a halfway decent picture of us, minus Carter eyeing the gift table.

Playing with just about every toy at once.

Getting ready to cook up something yummy (and apparently do some math at the same time - not sure why a graphing calculator is with the pots and pans?)

Play time at the tot lot.

4th of July

2011-07-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

We had a fun and busy 4th of July weekend. We got to see both sets of grandparents, Matt went hiking, I went shopping, Carter ran around and played and Yoshi napped. We were so busy I didn't get my camera out too often. We spent 2 days at my parents relaxing and playing. Carter loved his new swimming pool!

I love this picture!

On the 4th we spent some time at Camano Island with the Vance's and Weir's, then headed back to Bellingham for the evening to play at one of our favorite parks.

We were all so tired from such a busy weekend we all went to bed early, didn't watch any fireworks (okay, well we did on TV - I know...sort of lame) and no one even woke up once with all the loud booms in the neighborhood (not even the dog!). Such a fun weekend!

happy father's day.

2011-06-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sadly, it was a very low key Father's Day. Matt left town yesterday for 5 days on a business trip so Carter and I had some quality mama/son time. But, in honor of one of the best dad's ever, here are a few of my favorite pictures of my 2 favorite boys.
Happy Father's Day Matt. Thank you for being the most loving, giving, fun and amazing dad any kid could ever hope for.

And, Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there...especially my own and Matt's dad too!

esha hart photography.

2011-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

This post is long overdue! I went down to Puyallup about 2 months ago to visit my friend Esha. Esha and I have been friends for over 11 years! We met in high school on dance team and if you've ever met her, you would agree that she is the sweetest, most sincere, genuine person you will ever meet! Esha had a little girl 1 day before I had Carter. So, Mady and Carter are destined to grow up and be great friends too! Since having Mady, Esha has worked so hard to expand her photography business. So, she wanted to take a few pictures of Carter to add to her portfolio.
Here are some of my favorites!

The kids were really into belly buttons that day!

Thanks Esha for such a fun day! For more info about her business, visit www.eshahart.com

Fragrance Lake Hike.

2011-06-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

For Matt's upcoming 30th birthday he and a friend have decided to climb Mt. Baker. Sounds pretty cool, right? Except Matt has never climbed anything before. But, he is committed and very excited about this upcoming adventure. In preparation, we thought it would be a nice day to go for a hike and see how he did with 40+ pounds on his back!
We left the house around 8am to start our hike up to Fragrance Lake. We drove down beautiful Chuckanut Drive, parked the car and off we went. Carter absolutelyy loved being in the backpack. He just smiled and grinned the entire way up. We took a quick detour to hike up to a look-out point. It was an incredible view of the San Juan Islands. I am just amazed at the beauty that surrounds where we live!

A little bit of a shadow, but Carter was still happy!

Since Matt was carrying the heavy load (and I only had a small backpack with water and snacks, I took all the pictures. Here is the only shot of me.

At the end of the trail is a beautiful, calm, peaceful lake. Since we left so early there wasn't anyone else there yet. It was nice to just sit for a few minutes, have a snack and let Carter play in the rocks/water/dirt.

Enjoying his snack.

On the way back down, someone decided they needed a nap!

Such a fun hike and so excited for our next one! (Note: notice that Matt is wearing a different shirt in this last picture! All of that hiking with a heavy toddler on his back made for quite the sweaty trek up. Luckily, I planned ahead and packed an extra shirt for the walk down. Such a smart wife I am!!)

fun in the sun.

2011-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing weekend this past weekend. For the first time in over 250 days the temperature rose above 70 degrees! We drove down to Puyallup to spend the day with my parents and then left Carter so we could have a super fun date night. A little shoe shopping followed by dinner at the Crab Pot with our friends Jake & Kelly. If you haven't been, you have to go! It's so fun, messy and delicious! We ended the night at the U2 concert...such a great show! Earlier in the day we took full advantage of the sun. Carter is still obsessed with mowing the lawn, he has to do it everyday when we get home. So, no surprise that it was the first thing he did when we got to my parents!

My parents bought him an awesome fire engine he can ride around on. It took a few minutes for him to learn to love it, but then he never stopped riding it.

My parents neighbors came over with their grandkids for a little while. Their grandson, Max, just turned 2 and Carter and Max became instant best friends. They played together so well that later in the day, my parents took Carter back to Max's house to play some more!
Max was so sweet and even helped Carter put his hat back on. He knows the importance of good sun protection.I forgot to bring down swim trunks so we just let Carter run around in his diaper with the sprinkler. We had such a fun weekend and it made me so excited for summer! Can't wait for more backyard adventures, sprinklers, sunscreen and yes, even more mowing the lawn.

Kauai 2011.

2011-05-31T20:23:00.001-07:00

For Matt's 30th birthday present (a little early), his parents took us all on an amazing Hawaii vacation. This was actually our 3rd time going to Kauai and staying in Poipu beach and it did not disappoint. We came here on our honeymoon, a year later with Matt's parents, and this time with Carter! It's been fun to see how different each trip has been and we loved just having lots of time relaxing, playing in the pool and digging in the sand. Here are just a few of my favorite pics from the trip.
The view from our room. Beautiful! Carter enjoying the hammock.

More beauty. I just love how you instantly feel relaxed and happy when you see a palm tree!
We went to a local Farmer's Market on one of our first days to buy some fresh produce. Carter got to try his first coconut water....and he wasn't a fan.But we loved it!Later in the week we all went on a train tour (mostly for Carter since one of his new favorite words is "choo choo!" We had never been and it was fun to ride on the train, learn more about the local history, see the beautiful gardens and take turns feeding the wild pigs!

Grandma and Grandpa Vance on the train.
Just a sidenote: We had such a fun time with Matt's parents and were so thankful for the trip. They not only took us, but paid for lunches and dinners, helped watch Carter and gave me a break so I could lay out by the pool almost every day! Such amazing grandparents!!!

Carter chasing one of the wild chickens. He was obsessed with those and is now a little confused why they aren't running all over Bellingham.Just lounging.1st time touching the Pacific Ocean! In under 18 months he's gotten to feel both the Atlantic and Pacific!Playing in the sand.He loved the sand sprayer and probably would have stayed there longer if there weren't people waiting to use it!Over the course of the week, Carter really got comfortable in the pool. He wasn't too sure the first day but after we bought him water wings he was treading, floating and blowing bubbles all by himself on the last day!

Best family picture of the week!

just because he's cute.

2011-05-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

Just some random pictures from the last few weeks. Our family on Mother's Day. I had a delicious breakfast and took a nap later in the day. Pretty much perfect!

Carter wishing the sun would come out (seriously, this spring has been horrible!). Until then, he'll keep on wearing his winter hat.Pretty sure he liked his breakfast. And, the biggest news of all...Baby Vance #2 is on the way! I haven't had a chance to scan in the ultrasound picture so a pregnancy test picture will have to do. So far baby looks great and is expected to arrive around Dec. 15th! Yep...another December baby. We are so excited!!!

a day at the museum.

2011-05-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Because I work for a Hispanic organization I am lucky enough to get cinco de mayo off as a paid holiday (random, I know). So I decided to take Carter to the children's museum for a special day-o-fun! We spent about 2 hours just running around from each exhibit. It was so fun to watch his little eyes light up as he discovered something new!

We ended the day with a lunch date at Red Robin...just the 2 of us! Thanks for a fun date Carter. Let's do it again soon!

our new backyard.

2011-05-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

For the past 3 years our backyard has looked something like this. So...for Mother's Day, I asked Matt for a new backyard. I was sick of the mudpit.

He happily said yes (well..with a little convincing) and worked his butt off for 2 weekends tearing out the old grass and prepping for some new sod.

This is what it looked like after weekend #1.Carter probably spent about 8 hours straight just watching. He had a chance to "help" for a while, but we quickly realized he was a better supervisor from the inside!71 strips of sod, lots of sweat, digging in dirt and a little help from Matt's Dad (okay, a LOT of help) and ta-da! Our beautiful backyard! We still need to finish some landscaping but for now it's pretty darn good. It was the perfect Mother's Day gift!

carter and his uncle.

2011-05-03T20:11:00.001-07:00

Carter and I headed down to Puyallup last weekend for a quick trip to see an old friend from high school and get some pictures taken (will post those later!). We stayed at Matt's parents place and Grandma Vance quickly pulled out new toys to spoil Carter. His first lawn mower was the best summer toy ever! He LOVES it! The last few weeks Carter has been obsessed with watching people in our neighborhood cut their grass. He will literally sit still for 15 minutes and watch every little detail. Now, he can do the same thing! And he has. Every night. And all weekend long. Until he goes to bed. Uncle Adam stopped by for a visit. Carter quickly wanted in his truck. He wasn't too interested in "driving," but rather finding a snack and helping himself!

So, we took a break and had a snack.Then it was time to get working. Carter "helped" Adam wash his truck....making sure to test the water bucket several times to be sure it still had enough water in there.
He loved spraying the hose (and getting sprayed a little too!).
Thanks Uncle Adam! I think you have a new little helper willing to assist you anytime.

Easter 2011.

2011-04-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

We had an extremely busy, but very festive Easter weekend. It started with sunshine (finally) and a great visit from my parents. We then headed out to Carter's first Easter egg hunt! He had a hard time waiting patiently for them to start, but once they yelled go, he was off! Finding his first egg and being perfectly content with just one.

After some encouragment he decided he wanted a few more.He just looked so grown up walking around with his basket! And, since he's not a fan of sweets, I got to enjoy the goodies in each egg! We then headed back home so Carter could open up his Easter baskets from Grandma & Grandpa Longhurst and Uncle Matt & Aunt Joy.
Like a typical boy, he quickly threw all the clothes out of the bag and onto the floor to keep searching for the books.
Our little bookworm!

We then attempted coloring eggs. This lasted about 5 minutes since Carter was mostly interested in dunking the egg in the dye to then lick it off. Luckily I added lemon juice and water instead of vinegar so it tasted pretty good!

Then we all took a long nap!

Sunday morning we woke up and let Carter open up his Easter basket from us. I don't want to make all the gifts too big of a deal so we just got a few new books, bubbles and a new plate (of course I'm practical!)

I loved the look on his face when he saw the bubbles...so funny!

So grown up!

Giving Grandma kisses.

Grandma & Grandpa.

Best family shot we could get. At least we are all looking at the camera!

Carter is still having a hard time in our church nursery so I got to play with him during the service while my parents and Matt enjoyed the sermon. Hopefully someday soon I can actually sit through a full service!

Happy Easter!!

pancakes.

2011-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

I recently found a new recipe for whole wheat banana pancakes with a berry puree. I think he liked them.

life with a toddler.

2011-04-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Busy. That's the best way to describe us right now. Seems like Carter is doing something new everyday! It's amazing and fun and scary to see how quickly he is becoming a little person with a mind of his own. Sure, with that comes tantrums, melt downs and time-outs, but most of the time it's a fun adventure with lots of giggles, squeals and jibber-jabber talk. I'm loving this stage. One of Carter's favorite things to do is vacuum. He'll watch me and then take his toy vacuum and re-clean the entire house. And I mean every room, every corner and under every bed. It's so funny. Now, he thinks anything can be a vacuum....like the colander? Lots of playing with Yoshi. Yoshi is so good with our crazy boy, always letting him hug and pull hair knowing he'll get some food a few hours later off the high chair!

Carter is becoming much more independent. Loves playing...I mean dumping blocks on the floor and "building" towers.

We practice putting toys away each night before bedtime. For some reason, he thought he had to sit with his toys and be "put away" too!

Swimming lessons started up again. He is the oldest and craziest kid in his class. Lucky us.

Although he is definitely not afraid of the water, it's actually hard to keep him out of it!

But every once in a while he gets distracted by the other moms waiting on the side and begins to flirt. This happened about every 2 minutes at his last lesson.

Carter has figured out his high chair is too restraining and he wants to sit at the big boy table. Crossing my fingers the booster seat is shipped soon....he has a little too much freedom with just the chair.

And one of his new favorite things is not wearing any pants. He loves it. And, apparently he wants to show the neighborhood too.

No picture yet, but the biggest news of all. Carter peed in his potty for the first time this week and has continued to do so every night before bed! We are so proud of him and can't wait to continue this new journey into becoming a big boy! It's a good thing too...he's already in size 6 diapers at 16 months old and we're running out of options for what comes next!

uncle adam's birthday

2011-04-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

We went down to Seattle last weekend to celebrate Adam's birthday. Breakfast was delicious, but the fun part was really running around Seattle Center. Carter had been sitting in the car for a while and then more sitting at the restaurant so he was ready to get moving. And, that's all he did for about a hour! He loved running around with Adam and Grandpa and watching the fountain blow water. He loved seeing Grandma too!

Ready to explore.Going down to the water with Grandpa (luckily no one got wet!)

Walking with Daddy. I can't believe how tall Carter is now! Seriously, at only 16 months!

1st Space needle picture!

We ended the day with some yummy cotton candy for the car ride home (too bad Carter slept the whole time he never got to enjoy it!). Thanks for having a birthday Adam!

1 month

2011-03-20T19:27:00.001-07:00

I just realized it has been 1 month since I last blogged...oops! I guess we have been busy. Well, yes, we have. Here is what last month looked like:

Matt went to Washington D.C. for a week long Credit Union conference
I went to a 2 day work conference during the same time.
I then went to another week long childbirth educators conference a week later.
Carter got to spend quality time with both sets of grandparents.
I got to see some amazing high school friends (love you Heather, Andrea & Esha!)
Carter got 7 new teeth. Ouch.
Yoshi got to spend 2 hours with a personal trainer (and he's still a crazy dog...money not well spent. Oh well)
Carter discovered he loves to dance. To any music. Any time.
Carter learned where his ear, nose, head and belly button are located and will proudly point them out.

Whew...it was a busy month. Here is some documentation of all the fun (and now I'm realizing these are all of Carter. I guess we need more "family" shots. I'll have to work on that!)

Busy playing soccer at Grandma and Grandpa Longhurst's house.Realizing it only takes 2.5 seconds to put every toy on the floor.Sneaking into our bedroom to read magazines.Enjoying Grandma Vance's St. Patricks Day Card. And, for the 3 people who read this blog...a little something extra! We just entered a contest to try to win $1000 in new flooring to redo our kitchen floor. As you can see it's hideous. Yucky, dirty, old, boring, blah. So, go to facebook and vote for us!

old friends, new friends.

2011-02-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends from college came to town this weekend with her family. We had planned for them to stay with us but then Carter got a double ear infection and the flu 2 days before they came. So, plans changed! But, we did get to spend a little time with them today before they left to go back home. Cate is such a genuine, fun, beautiful, and true friend. Even though we hadn't seen each other since my wedding, we just picked up where we left off. I really wish we lived closer to each other. Her kids are cute, her husband is nice and she is great. Oh well, for now we'll just have fun visits!
Us and the kids (Carter, Claire and Callahan) Callahan was actually very cute and happy the whole time, except for this picture! The big kids. (So Carter had just woken up - explains the pj's and blank stare)

All 3 kids. Oh my goodness I love Callahan's smile and Claire's beautiful curly hair!

Carter eyeing the snack cup.And, Carter helping himself to Claire's snack. Sorry Cate. I promise next time I see you my son will have better manners.I love this picture! They are so cute together!!!

craving summer.

2011-02-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

This winter really hasn't been that bad. But, our family loves the sun and warmth over any cold, winter day. We are planning a trip to Hawaii in May for Matt's 30th birthday and found the perfect accessories for our trip. We couldn't wait for Carter to try them on!
Here is his new swimsuit cover up. Such a comfy robe to wear around the pool! A new lifejacket (ignore the long shirt and pants and just imagine swim trunks, sandy beaches and beautiful blue ocean!)

A crab hat. Just to keep the sun out of his eyes.

Only 3 more months until we leave!!!

a boy and his dog.

2011-02-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

Carter has been really into hugging people (and things) lately. It's very cute. Yesterday morning Carter woke up and just couldn't wait to give Yoshi a hug. They really are the best of friends. Even though Yoshi can be crazy at times and eat his toys, Carter just gets him back by pulling on his tail, tugging his fur and poking his eyes out. It's their little way of showing each other their love.
Carter climbed up on the couch to give Yoshi a hug. As you can see, Yoshi wasn't too excited about being bothered. But, he sat there nicely and let Carter cuddle.

And then he was done.

And Carter was left all alone.

love day.

2011-02-20T14:12:00.001-08:00

Every year on Valentine's Day we stay home, make a homemade pizza and just relax. This being our 7th Valentine's Day together, I think we finally perfected the pizza. Almost. Okay, next year will be better, I'm sure.
I came home to these beautiful flowers. Carter waiting for the pizza to cook.

Our creation! Delicious!My little Valentine! I'm just now realizing that I didn't even take a picture of Matt and I. Oops. He really is the best husband and my most perfect Valentine!

a day at the museum.

2011-02-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we took a drive south to visit one of my best friends, Katy Pancake-Boal. Katy and Brad recently bought a house in Edmonds so we were so excited to see all the work they had done to the place. Of course, my camera battery died earlier in the day so there are no pictures. But, it is a super cute house and they have done amazing work! We had a delicious lunch and dessert and can't wait to go back again for a visit!
We left early and went to the Everett Childrens Museum first. This place is amazing! It is the perfect place to let your little one run wild and get out a ton of energy! Each section had its own theme and I'm pretty sure Carter explored them all.
And he's off! (you'll notice most of these pictures are of his back since he was so busy running around and would not stop to smile for a picture!) Walking over the bridge.

Climbing the firetruck. Carter loved this area! He went down the slide over and over again. I'm glad we got there right when it opened so he had the truck all to himself!Riding the bull.And driving the tractor.They had a money room, which Matt loved. Carter and Matt played connect four. Well, Matt tried to play and Carter chewed on the coins!

Then, my camera died. Ooops! It was such a fun day and now we can't wait to check out the Children's Museum here in Bellingham.

our little bookworm.

2011-02-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

I caught Carter reading to himself the other day. It was pretty cute.

weekend activities.

2011-02-01T20:48:00.001-08:00

This past weekend was one of the first weekends in a while where we didn't have any major plans. It was nice to have some time to play, go for walks and just relax. Typically, we spend time on the weekends cleaning and catching up on laundry. Carter decided he wanted to help. So he vacuumed! And then vacuumed some more.

And then did it again! He's learned very early that a clean house is a happy house!I found some time to try out new recipes. So, Carter found some time to explore.
Then, Matt found some time to finish childproofing the kitchen! Carter's only option was to watch on the other side of the baby gate.He got bored quickly so we played a game of hide and seek under the kitchen table. (ignore the dust and dirt under the table. Obviously, we missed a few spots during all that vacuuming!)Next, it was time to work on his computer. Apparently, he needed to have his pants off to really work. Finally, he even had time to practice eating out of a bowl...all by himself! And, most of it went in his mouth! What will next weekend bring?

Carter's Birthday Party!!

2011-01-24T08:20:00.001-08:00

After having to cancel Carter's first 1st birthday party because we all had the stomach flu, we were able to reschedule and had a great party this past weekend. Many of our closest friends and family came and it was such a fun day!
Just a warning...I sort of went crazy with the pictures on this post.
Trying to get a family shot before the party. Carter was very distracted by the balloons across the room! Grandma and Grandpa Longhurst (and the balloons!)

Grandma and Grandpa Vance (yes, more balloons.)Family shot of Matt and I, my brother and sister-in-law. (There's a story with this picture: My mom has a horrible picture of the 4 of us from a few years ago and proudly displays it at her house. We all hate it, so this will now replace it! Yay!)Carter with Jayce and Marmie. Marmie gets to watch Carter when Matt and I are at work and she is absolutely amazing! Her niece, Jayce, just adores Carter. And, Carter can't get enough of Jayce!
Showing off his robot birthday shirt!One of my best friends, Katy, surprised me with a trip to Bellingham for the party! It meant so much to me that she came to celebrate. I love her!Friends and family.Carter getting his cupcake. The first time he got a cupcake during his 1 year photo shoot, he ate the whole thing. 2 hours later, he started vomiting for 6 hours straight! Needless to say, I think he remembered that horrific experience and wouldn't even try this cupcake! Matt trying to convince him to take a bite. He wasn't convinced.Yep...still not interested.We ended up putting a Cheerio on the frosting to see if he'd go for it. Nope...he just took the Cheerio off and ate it.So, we tried a blueberry. And, he did the same thing!"Mom....can I be done?"We decided to move on and appreciate our son's love for healthy food! It was present time!Carter's friends Aubrey and Ellie joined in the fun.Carter was spoiled with so many fun things! Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate!

snow round 2.

2011-01-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

We were lucky to get a little more snow this weekend. It was a beautiful Sunday morning with the snow covered trees. But, all we could think about was this: So, we decided to try again. After getting a certain 1 year old who isn't fond of the cold all bundled up, we headed out to the backyard. He wasn't too sure. In fact, he stood as still as a statue!

So, we had a little pep talk.Dad tried to convince him it was going to be okay.And we got a half smile!He started to change his mind.But then took a bite.And another.Then all the boys decided to go for a walk.And we finally got a smile! Woohoo! He actually had FUN in the snow!

In fact, he had so much fun he wanted to play in it again tonight. He whined and whined until we took him out to sit down and eat some more snow before dinner!

Ouch!

2011-01-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

Carter had his first big accident this past week. While playing with his dump truck and pushing it around the floor, the truck decided to unexpectedly dump its contents right into Carter's face! We knew it was bad when he instantly started crying (versus the delayed cry when he can't decide if he's hurt or not!). Matt quickly picked him up and noticed blood all over his face. The fun part was then trying to calm him down, figure out where the blood was coming from and then get it to stop! Luckily, it was just his upper lip, the tooth didn't go through and after 5 minutes of screaming, blood on Matt's shirt and an ice cube in the mesh feeder....he was okay. I'm sure this won't be the last time he gets hurt, but it is definitely not fun!
The picture doesn't show it too well, but he has a swollen lip with a bad scab now and a beat up nose (looks a little like Rudolph!)

Typical boy....10 minutes later he's back to running around again...looking for more trouble!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T19:57:00.001-08:00

Bright and early Christmas morning Carter woke up to see if Santa visited. Ok, to be honest, he woke up about 4 times throughout the night. Lucky us, huh? He quickly ran downstairs and straight to the kitchen. Matt's parents have this dancing snowman that sings "Frosty the Snowman." Carter was obsessed! He knew exactly where it was at and every 10 minutes throughout the weekend he'd run into the kitchen and point until we'd make him sing. I think Frosty might have to stay in the basement next year!!

Carter trying to reach up on the counter to get Frosty. His cute new Santa pjs!

Opening stockings. Not his own, but "helping" with mine!Family.Every year Santa leaves scratch tickets in all of the stockings. This year Carter won $4 and our family won a combined $37! Woo hoo! Matt showing Carter how to scratch the ticket.The beautiful tree. It actually came out of the field behind Matt's parents house! Plus, all the lovely furniture trying to keep Carter from destroying the ornaments.Another family shot. Carter was teething like crazy on Christmas morning (those darn molars) so his hands were constantly in his mouth.Brothers.Carter's new soccer ball from Uncle Adam. His favorite present!Grandpa and CarterOpening more presents. I think it took over 3 hours and 1 nap to unwrap everything!Carter and his toys. I think Santa spoiled him this year!One of the cutest moments of the day. Father and son playing with blocks together. Pretty sure Matt was more into it than Carter!

Christmas Eve.

2010-12-30T19:43:00.000-08:00

We headed down to Puyallup for Christmas to spend some time with Matt's family. Every Christmas Eve we have a tradition of making sugar cookies. I look forward to it every year...mostly because then I get to eat them all day on Christmas. Mixing the frosting.

Matt really is happy about the cookie-making fun. He's just not showing it!Carter and Grandma checking out the finished cookies. They were delicious!
Later that day we headed over to my brother and sister-in-laws for a visit. Carter got to open his presents (which he LOVED! Thank you so much for all those books!)

We then headed over to our good friend Jake's house. We went last year on Christmas Eve too, so I guess it's becoming a tradition. This was Jake and Carter last year.And just one year later....Jake had to bribe Carter with Cheerios to stay on the couch with him!

We had a great Christmas Eve visiting friends and family. We ended the night with Vance family BLT's (such a strange Christmas Eve dinner, but it's tradition so you don't question it!)

pre-Christmas Christmas.

2010-12-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas a little early this year. Ok, really early. I actually gave Matt his Christmas present the day after Thanksgiving (I know, I know...I'm horrible at waiting). Matt gave me mine a week before and we even gave Yoshi his new toys early. So, it only seemed fitting that we let Carter open up his big present early. (In our defense, the box was so big we didn't want to have to drive it down to Matt's parents for Christmas morning).
The big box has been guarding our tree for the past few weeks so Carter was definitely ready to tear into it! This was the theme of Christmas....eat all the paper!

Yay for a new reading chair! Just the right size. Plus...we think it'll make a great "time out" chair in the future...haha!

Our night away!

2010-12-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

For Carter's birthday, Matt surprised me with a "Congratulations on your 1 year of being a mom" present. We've only had about 3 date nights in a year (and really it's been like a date hour each time) so we decided it was time for a night away. Matt's brother generously gifted us a night at the W hotel in Seattle. Grandma and Grandpa Vance baby-sat and for 24 hours we were kid free! We had such a wonderful day shopping and seeing all the Christmas decorations in downtown Seattle. Later in the evening we went to "A Christmas Story: the Musical." It was fantastic! For dinner we went to the Icon Grill. After quickly scanning the menu we happened to see the holiday dessert menu. Anyone who knows us knows we LOVE dessert, so we both ordered salads so we could split a yummy sweet treat! This candy cane cake was amazing!!

To wrap it up, the night went well. Carter had a great time with his grandparents and I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be being away from him. Actually, we only called once to check in! Looks like we'll just have to make this a yearly tradition!

one year check up.

2010-12-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

Carter had his one year check up today. The doctor said he was perfect (we could have told him that!). Here are his stats:

Height: 32.5 inches = off the charts = average size of a 19 month old.

Weight: 27 lbs, 6 oz. = 95th% = average size of a 22 month old.

Yup...he's still a big boy!

Carter, the flu and his birthday.

2010-12-05T21:05:00.000-08:00

I have been anxiously awaiting Carter's 1st birthday. I started planning his party 2 months ago, had invitations out 1 month ago and have been working almost every night on little details for his cute little robot party. I was SO excited! Little did I know our plans would change big time. 2 days before Carter's birthday he got very sick! We ended up at the late night clinic after 10 episodes of projectile vomit. Luckily, medicine helped stop the vomiting but the poor little guy had diarrhea for the next 2 days followed by no appetite, no energy and just miserable all-around.

Even though we all got the flu shot this year we seemed to catch a strain that wasn't included in the shot. To make matter's worse, Matt caught Carter's flu and was vomiting the night before Carter's birthday and in bed all day on his birthday. He really wasn't even awake to wish him a happy birthday. It was then that I knew his party would be cancelled. I was so sad!!! Probably for the better since I then caught it and was sick the next day! Ugh!

Luckily, Grandma Vance came to the rescue to help take care of all of us. Unfortunately, she got sick too!
Some of the cute robot decorations I put up the night before all the vomiting began.

Carter's month-by-month memory wall.

The finished look.I'm not really the crafty type so this was a big project for me. I thougth it turned out pretty well. Unfortunately, no one was able to see it other than Matt and his mom. Oh well.

Carter spent the entire day in his pjs, ate nothing but a little juice and some jello and took a few long naps. Not the day I had planned for but I was still able to get a few smiles out of him.

Checking out his new rocking horse. He LOVES it!
Carter's room is decorated in robots. Grandma and Grandpa Vance bought him this amazing robot rug for his room. We love it!!!

Opening up presents from Grandma and Grandpa.
More presents!
Of course he liked the wrapping paper more than the actual gift.

Even though it wasn't the ideal birthday it was still nice to all be home together (okay, so Matt thought he was going to die in bed and I was exhastued and Carter was lethargic), but hey, I'm trying to stay positive! There's always next year!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

2010-12-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

We went and cut down our Christmas tree today. Usually I am a little early on the Christmas season. I like to start listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween and usually put up decorations the week before Thanksgiving! But, because of Carter's birthday we decided to wait. We found a cute little u-cut family tree farm and began our search. Because of our little house, little space and a 1 year old who is very curious, we found the perfect little tree just right for our house! Now...how do we keep curious little fingers away from the tree???

Thanksgiving 2010.

2010-12-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Vance's this year. It was the most perfect, relaxing day. Watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, played with toys, spent time in the kitchen cooking, long naps curled up on the couch and of course, eating way too much food. This was Carter's last "first" holiday. It was fun to think back at where we were 1 year ago. Carter was born exactly 1 week after Thanksgiving. This year he was running around and ate an entire turkey dinner! All my boys!Grandma reading to Carter.Yoshi just relaxing. Carter sick of me taking pictures. Just feed me already!
Grandma and Grandpa Vance bought Carter one of those popper toys (I have no idea what they are called, but they make a loud popping sound!). He finally figured out how to use it and would just push it all over the house!
We spent the 2nd half of the weekend at Grandma and Grandpa Longhursts house. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures! Oops!!

Thanksgiving snow.

2010-12-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

The week before Thanksgiving the weather took a turn for the worse. We had a big snowstorm leaving about 5 inches of snow overnight. It stuck around for a few day with lots of ice and wind. Matt and I enjoy the snow every year and were hoping Carter would love to play in it too. So, Matt got up extra early to go buy some new snow boots. We then got all bundled up! After 20 mintues of getting the snowpants, jacket, boots, mittens and hat on we were ready to go outside. Then this happened.

He hated it.
It helped when one of us would stand with him.Matt trying to show him the fun part of snow.Trying to enjoy it.We spent about 3.5 minutes outside before Carter had enough. I think he's a warm weather kid.

Maybe next year?

2 more firsts.

2010-12-05T20:31:00.001-08:00

It was a busy month for "first" experiences. We took Carter to his first dentist appointment and he was fantastic. The dentist kept bragging about how calm and still he was during the check-up. I was wondering who took my child as I've never seen him lay so still for more than about 5 seconds! He now has 8 teeth (4 on top, 4 on bottom) and no cavities. The dentist was even able to polish them to get them sparkly white! Really awkward angle, but he was just relaxing in the big chair.

Checkin' things out.

I then took him to get his first haircut. I kept putting it off because I knew it would make him look more like a little boy than a baby...I was right. All his little baby hair is gone! Just like the dentist he sat very still and just stared into the mirrow (munching on Cheerios helped a little too!). I had him in my lap during the haircut so I could take many pictures, but here are the "after" shots.

Showing off the side view.Big smile for a big boy! It was good timing since an hour later we had his 1 year pictures taken!! (I'll post those as soon as we get them back!)

Swim Lessons

2010-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

We enrolled Carter in his first swim lessons and lucky for us...he loved it! Of course, he didn't learn to perfect the backstroke or complete a front dive, but he did learn how to splash, drink some water and push a ball around. We were really hoping he would get comfortable in the water and give him another indoor activity to do in the cold weather to get some excess energy out. I'd say it was a success! We can't wait until next session to sign up again! Praciticing blowing bubbles and reaching out for the ball.

Jumping off the side of the pool. His favorite!!

One.

2010-12-03T02:15:00.001-08:00

I am super behind on blogging and I promise to update our life when I have a "free" moment. But, I couldn't help blogging about Carter's first birthday. One. We now have a one year old. Seems so strange to say. How did this year go by so fast? I've been very emotional all week, remembering what life was like a year ago at this time, reflecting on all we've learned (and still have to learn!). I've looked at newborn pictures over and over, replayed the big day in my head and just sit in amazement at all that has happened.

Exactly one year ago at this time Matt was driving me to the hospital. I remember feeling excited, anxious, nervous. If only I knew I still had 17 hours of labor left once I'd get there. I remember thinking we'd leave as two but come home as a family of 3.

You've had so many firsts. You're first Christmas where you slept through pretty much everything. The first time you rolled over on New Years Eve. The first time you smiled, laughed, crawled, walked. You have grown from a baby to a little boy.

Carter - you have brought such joy to our lives. You are a perfect blend of the 2 of us. Your smile melts my heart. The way you run to me from across the room with your hands held out, the way you fall asleep in my arms, your giggle....it's perfect. I'm so proud to call you my son.

I love the way you:

Lay your head on our shoulders when you are tired.

Give the wettest, sloppiest open-mouth kisses on our cheeks...every time we ask!

Sleep on your tummy with your butt sticking up in the air.

Get a big grin on your face when you see the Cheerios box.

"Pet" Yoshi and bring him toys.

Run to the door when Daddy comes home.

We love you so much! Happy 1st Birthday!!!

Our halloween robot.

2010-10-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend celebrating Halloween. First we carved our pumpkin from Stoneyridge Farm. Well, Carter played, I chased after him and Matt carved the pumpkin! Carter wasn't too sure about the big orange ball on the table. Normally he puts any and everything in his mouth. But, he didn't even care about the pumpkin. We had to actually push his hands into the pumpkin guts just to get some pictures. As soon as the camera flashed, he wanted down to play with his cars. Such a boy.

Later that night we went to our church's Harvest Festival. It was so crowded! There were so many kids there we ended up leaving after about 30 minutes because Carter kept getting knocked down by other costumes. He was definitely the cutest robot there!

Books.

2010-10-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Carter has a new fascination with books. And we love it! He's always been interested in them, well, chewing on them. But in the last 2 weeks he has started to walk over to the bookshelf, pick up a book and come running with it in his hands asking us to read to him. It's really the only time he'll "cuddle" with us. I think it's pretty darn cute.

Soup Night

2010-10-26T19:55:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late in posting this, but wanted to share the cute pictures anyways. We had a soup night at our house a few weekends ago. It had been awhile since our whole Bellingham family had gotten together. And how things have changed! In just 2 years we have added 7 kiddos! With a house full of hot soup, good friends and lots of giggling babies it was a night I won't soon forget.
Matt always makes fun of me saying I live in a Pleasantville world. In my head, I always have these great ideas that I think are sure to work, yet realistically, they prove otherwise. Case in point...I thought it'd be cute to get a picture of all the kids together. Well...this is what happened!

No such luck. Maybe next time.

Stoneyridge Farm 2010

2010-10-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

Every year we head out to our very favorite pumpkin patch: Stoneyridge Farm. It has become quite the tradition to meet friends, eat delicious apple pie, visit the farm animals and take a hay ride down to the patch. Round out the trip with a corn maze and apple picking and it's a pretty incredible day! This weekend was absolutely beautiful (which meant the farm was very crowded!). We met up with the Adams' and Wagners which was extra special. We now all of little ones to share in the fun!
I was thinking back to what our lives were like a year ago at this time. This was our trip to Stoneyridge last year.
And now we have a happy, healthy, adorable little boy running around, eating dirt and slapping his hands on all the pumpkins. Amazing what can happen in a year.

Carter and Ellie became quite good friends at the farm.

Carter has been loving apples lately. He smashes his lips up and sucks out all the juice. Unfortunately, the pumpkin didn't deliver the juice he was hoping for!Little Leah Wagner relaxing as we enjoy our apple pie. She is so cute!The Wagners.
Ellie was able to practice sharing her lunch when Carter decided he wanted a bite. We need to work on manners still.
Lucky for Carter, Ellie was nice enough to feed him! She's definitely a keeper!Sittin' with the pumpkins.

Excited to see how much taller he is next year!There was an antique bicycle at the farm. Carter was very serious as he held onto the handle. So cute!Riding in the wheelbarrow.Carter and Dad.

Halloween Sneak Peek!

2010-10-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant we decided we wanted a robot themed nursery. Seemed like a fun, little boy room that Carter could grow into. Well, the obsession has continued. I had a robot themed baby shower, purchased robot onesies and now we have our very own Halloween robot! We think he's pretty darn cute! Hmm...the only problem is Carter hates things on his head. We'll see how long the robot head stays on at the Harvest Party next weekend!

Bellewood Acres

2010-10-18T18:51:00.001-07:00

Fall means many things. Crisp, cold mornings, cozy sweaters and...apples! We are an apple-lovin' family so it was only fitting to visit Bellewood Acres last weekend. We've never been out to see the apple trees and it was the perfect Sunday afternoon for a walk. We met up with the Wagners and enjoyed a tasty apple/caramel treat. The big apple barn.

Yummy honeycrisp! My all-time favorite apple.

Carter enjoying the grass. He liked the apples too, but we were all too busy eating to snap a picture!

Family pic!

great grandpa love.

2010-10-10T20:39:00.001-07:00

Our main reason for taking a family vacation to Florida was to visit my grandpa and have him meet Carter. My grandpa is Carter's only living great-grandparent and Carter is my grandpa's only great-grandchild. It was so special to have them meet each other and even more special watching them interact all week. Carter loved exploring my grandpa's house, looking at old pictures of when I was a baby and smacking grandpa on his feet and knees. Grandpa adored Carter. He would just sit, smile and grin from ear to ear. I'm so glad we were able to take this trip...such wonderful memories.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the 2 of them during the week.
Grandpa got a haircut while we were there, so he looks a little different in some of these pictures!

1st Vance Family Vacation.

2010-10-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES!
We took our first family vacation to Orlando/Tampa/Clearwater Florida 2 weeks ago. We had been planning to go in December but bumped our trip up when my Grandpa's health began to decline. Plus, we had an extremely stressful and busy September and were in great need of a vacation. So...off we went! The plane ride went really well. Considering we were planning for the worst, we couldn't complain that Carter took 2 naps, snacked, laughed and played with his toys for the 6 hour flight. We stayed in Orlando our first and last night. The hotels were great (and the sun and warm pools were an added bonus!)

We stayed for a week on Clearwater beach in a 1 bedroom condo on the 8th floor. The view was amazing!As with any cute beach condo, the place was filled with wicker furniture and beach themed trinkets (not very baby friendly). So, we did a little re-arranging to make the place feel more like home.Carter went swimming for the first time and LOVED it. So, we went every day after that. And, when we got home I signed him up for swim lessons! This kid loves the water.He looked pretty cute in his crocodile towel too!The beach was literally just a step away and we took full advantage. We took 2 early morning walks, 2 late evening walks and plenty of walks in between. We took a day trip to the Tampa Zoo (which I highly recommend to anyone visiting that area). It was a very hot and humid day and Carter did fantastic in the heat. The animals were beautiful but the highlight of Carter's day was riding his first carousel.Another amazing view from our condo.
We spent another day taking a drive down to Indian Rock Beach. On the way we drove by some beautiful beach mansions. We had heard that Hulk Hogan owned one of them, but he wasn't around that day. Carter liked meeting this pirate on the boardwalk.Another beach picture. It was just too beautiful. Carter took a turn playing in the ocean. Too bad all he cared about was eating the sand. We tried to eat at as many locals places as possible all week and were not disappointed. We found an amazing cafe for brunch (which had the best french toast with cinnamon sugar butter I've ever eaten in my life. Not kidding, I talked about it all week!), a yummy Mexican restaurant, and our favorite little ice cream shop. We probably went here 3 times!At the end of the week we headed back to Orlando to spend the day at Downtown Disney. We couldn't resist bringing Mickey home with us!After a long week, we were pretty excited that our first family vacation had gone so smoothly. We can't wait to go back!!

Do the Puyallup!

2010-10-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

This post is about a month behind, but I had to include it since Matt and I are both from Puyallup. Carter got to expericnce his 1st Puyallup Fair this year! It was a busy, busy weekend so he was a little tired when we got there. He timed his nap perfectly for Matt and I to enjoy a scone, fair burger and yummy elephant ear!

We then walked through the barns to look at the animals. Carter loved the little chicks.

He was amazed!

We ventured over to the kid section but he was too little for the rides. Maybe next year! We did try to let him bang on the drums, but he was more interested in eating the drum sticks. Oh well.

Even though it cost $10 to park and $22 for us to get in, it was so much fun!

walking.

2010-09-14T18:53:00.001-07:00

Yep...at just 9 months and 4 days old our little boy took his first steps! We didn't even realize it at first. After thinking he would never crawl (it took 8 months) he learned to walk so quickly (just 3 weeks after he started crawling)! Carter is still preferring to crawl since he can get to his next toy faster, but quickly learning that his knees won't get so bruised if he stands and walks. Even today, our nanny said he walked more than he crawled! I'm just in awe at how much a little person learns, develops and grows in 9 short months. He still loves to push his car around, but now just walks across the room to get it, then goes for a drive.

We still have yet to get a really good video of him walking. Every time I pull the camera out he sits down and crawls. Silly boy. No worries...I'll post something soon!

Ocean Shores

2010-08-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we drove to Ocean Shores for the weekend with my parents and brother and sister-in-law. We rented an amazing cottage right on the beach. Both Matt and I hadn't been to Ocean Shores in about 15 years. The beach was great (although a bit cold), but we realized there wasn't much else to do around town. That, along with a baby who didn't sleep well made for a very tiring weekend. Oh well...still fun to get away, right? Our first walk on the beach.

Obviously, the sun was a little bright! Carter still liked checking out the water though.Trying to be brave and stick my feet in the water.

We spent much of the weekend relaxing and playing in the cottage. Grandma was a big help!
So was Aunt Joy!
On Saturday, we spent part of the day walking around some of the worst gift shops I've ever seen! We found a few hilarious sweatshirts too!Classic.

Carter was a little unsure about his "puppy with flowers" shirt.
Matt and his wolf shirt. Awesome.Carter had a great time playing and even learned how to climb up the stairs while we were there!

the 8th month.

2010-08-31T20:23:00.001-07:00

Carter will be 9 months old on Friday. As I was looking back at this past month, I realized how many huge milestones occured during his 8th month. He can now:
1. Say Dada, Mom, Bob, Hi, Hey, Duck (who knows where he picked up Bob from???)
2. Crawl everywhere...and fast!
3. Pull himself up onto anything
4. Walk holding onto something
5. Push his car around the living room
6. Stand by himself
7. Wave byebye to himself (so cute watching him do it backwards!)
8. Eat more finger foods
9. Stand up in his crib
10. Grow hair quickly
11. Get new teeth (6 total)
Ignore the mismatched pajamas!Such a good helper in the kitchen!

a boat ride.

2010-08-14T19:35:00.001-07:00

We have been wanting to do a day trip to the San Juans all summer and today seemed like the perfect day. So...we got up early (well, our normal hour of 5:30am), picked up our friends (Brandon & Carrie Glanzer) and drove down to Anacortes to catch the ferry to Friday Harbor. It was Carter's first ferry and he loved it! Carrie and Brandon waiting in the terminal to board the boat. Matt and Carter.Carter checking out the view from the boat. He loved looking at the water, walking around the ferry and smiling at all the girls.Family pic.

It was 90+ degrees today so we spent most of the day going in and out of shops trying to find some air conditioning. After lunch it was time for ice cream!Matt and Carter on the ferry heading home. He did such a good job despite the fact he was hot and sweaty and stuck in a stroller for most of the day.

Here are a couple more pictures just because I thought they were cute. Carter's hair has been coming in more blond, his eyes turning a brighter blue and just basically getting cuter every single day!

8 months

2010-08-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Our not-so-little boy is already 8 months old! He now weighs 24lbs, 10oz and is wearing 24month-2T clothes! Crazy, I know. This summer has been so fun with Carter. We take walks in the stroller, play on the swings, splash in the pool and scoot all over the house

Big milestones:
He has officially started crawling (okay, well, like 2 steps and then falls to his stomach to reach for a toy) but still...he's mobile!
Pulling himself up onto the coffee table, crib, and anywhere else he can get his hands onto.
Letting go of our hands when he's walking to reach out for something.
Taking off his diaper (luckily, it's only happened on the changing table and I've been able to put it right back on!)
Peeing for the first time standing up! Happened last night when we were waiting for the bathtub to fill up. Yep...all over the floor! He was very proud of himself.
Eating all sorts of foods - sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, avocado, apples, peaches, peas, green beans, zucchini, blueberries, yogurt, oatmeal, rice and cheerios. We are trying chicken tomorrow!
Mastering the art of the sippy cup.
Transitioning from 3 naps to 2.
Cheerios are his new favorite snack. And I must admit, it's a great snack to have on hand when we are at the park/restaurant/friends house and I need to keep him happy! He loves to grab an entire handful and then try to shove them in.

His new favorite toy is this rubber ducky. It's really just a bath toy, but it's the only thing that will keep him distracted long enough for me to change his diaper without him rolling all over the place.

We are loving this stage and loving our sweet boy. Happy 8 months Carter!

camano island.

2010-07-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend we decided to drive down to the Vance family cabin on Camano Island. It's the perfect little getaway that's still close to home. Every summer we try to go down as much as possible to relax, walk the loop and play at the beach. This weekend was beautiful! Carter got to go to the beach for the first time.

He wasn't too interested in staying on the towel. He quickly discovered sand.And then quickly discovered what it tasted like! Over and over and over again he would reach down, grab a handful of sand and shove it in his mouth. I tried to keep it away but his face was pretty much covered by the time we left. Oh well.Yoshi got to play in the water, which meant Matt did too!We just sat and watched.

When we got back from the beach, Carter wanted to leave his swim trunks on for a bit and just enjoy the view. It was a relaxing weekend full of good food, fun and family!