Goodbye Autumn...

I heart Jacob.

I heart Sawyer.

And I heart the time we got to spend together this weekend! The definite advantage of staying home for Thanksgiving was the extra time we had to spend together. Instead of spending two days traveling in a car or hustling through a busy airport to catch a flight, we instead got to go relax and spend time with each other in one of our favorite places: outdoors. "Black Friday" was anything but black for us. We headed out to enjoy the SUNSHINE, which was abundant and welcome. We hiked around Piper's Creek and ended up at Carkeek Beach, with a magnificent view of the majestic Olympic Mountains (sorry our camera couldn't do it justice :)

We also rented a couple of movies - something we rarely do - and did a few chores and errands together which will make my life much easier in the coming weeks. All in all, it was a wonderful and relaxing weekend and I realized once again how blessed I am to have two amazing guys in my life.

I also took some time to reflect as this season changes into winter...

In about 10 weeks, give or take, our little family is going to grow, and change, once Aspen is born. While part of me wishes she could just come already (I'm so tired of being sick and pregnant!) there is another part that thinks of all the things I would like to get done before she arrives, so that I can just relish those moments and days when she is so tiny and new. With that in mind, here is a small list of 10 Things to do in the next 10 Weeks, in no particular order. Some of them are one-time events, others, I will need to dedicate myself to do every day or several times a week. If I can just get these 10 things done before our new baby arrives, my mind will rest easier until next Spring :) I guess you could call these "nesting" activities? (And believe me, my list is much longer, but with the holidays coming and in an effort not to over-extend myself on those days I'm not feeling well...I thought 10 in 10 sounded pretty achievable.) I will report back after the holidays to let you know how it is going. Wish me luck!

1. Finish organizing/preparing the nursery (*also, figure out a plan and back up plan for what to do with Sawyer when we have to rush off to the hospital...). working on it. working on both... still working on both...progress has definitely been made...week 4: still working on it...next week will get down to serious business...seriously? another week has already passed? we hung up the shelf and I got all the baskets...sooooo close to being done! still need to just nail down our game plan for Sawyer - soon - what if she comes early? Super close to being done...just have to get another storage bin for outgrown clothes, and figure out if I am really going to hang up the small white paper lanterns - and where. I will wait on some frames I want to put up until I take some newborns ones of our little lady (and with any luck, her brother!). Good news: the plan and backup plan are taken care of! Thanks to the wonderful friends who have elected to help us out! I think I have been most worried about what will be going on with Sawyer while we're at the hospital more than anything else! At least now we have a plan and I can relax...a little ;) So, that part is: DONE. The lanterns can wait - everything else is COMPLETED.
2. Read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. have read 60 pages in week 1. up to page 130, week 2 (about 1/4 through). week 3: up to page 190.week 4: up to page 225. ooh, I slacked off this past week. I only read 5 pages. I did a lot better this week. I am up to page 300. week 7: I'm up to page 350 (out of 430) - as long as she doesn't come this week, I think I will be able to finish! Oops. She came 2 weeks early and I wasn't finished yet - but CLOSE!
3. Give myself a "spa" night and pedicure (can't afford a real spa, but my own is still relaxing). that's going to be thursday night, so i'll be ready to show off my toes when we dress up for dinner at Canlis on friday... it didn't end up happening thursday night...more like friday morning with Sawyer as my attendant...but my toes wound up a beautiful, bright red and I wore shoes to show them off (not that anyone was looking!)...my fingernails i painted clear, and watched them sparkle and shine... COMPLETED I might do this again in the next few weeks, sans Sawyer. I got some lavender bath stuff for Christmas I'd like to use, and freshen up the paint job on my toes :) I took the lavender bath. It was very relaxing. Especially since I only slept 2 hours the night before! (darn acid reflux!) COMPLETED.
4. Update my Little Red Wagon Photography website and business-related things so I can truly take the 3 months off I am planning on. haven't had time...yet. haven't had time...but getting closer to having a little more time to begin... i did update the slideshow and change/simplify the galleries. Not huge changes, but enough for now. still a bit more to do...week 4: didn't do anything this week, too busy with traveling and holidays. still haven't done much...still getting a couple of last orders filled before the "official" leave. All orders are off and I announced that I'm only Maternity Leave. Still need to do a few updates...but...I've had other things on my plate. week 7: yeah, this is another one that's kinda been set on the back burner. I did look through some paperwork, received all final payments - and can now sum the year up so that I can pay LOTS of taxes - yippee (when you work as a freelancer - you pay about 1/3 of your gain in taxes...lovely!)
5. Have a Girls Night Out with some girlfriends. this will happen sometime in january... am contemplating whether it should be a night out with a few friends, or lunch with one friend i rarely get to catch up with...hmm...still thinking on this...will make a final plan in the next two weeks! still thinking...but I know I need to make a plan if I want anyone to join me! I am deciding whether to give up on this idea. I feel too crummy to enjoy a really good night out...if I give up on this idea, maybe it will happen post-baby? SET ASIDE FOR LATER...
6. Go on at least one date a month with Jacob. have 2 planned in Dec.: 1 to go to Mint Design's holiday dinner (hooray for good friends and babysitting swaps!), and 2 yet to be determined...but my parents offered to babysit one evening while we're visiting during Christmas so we can do a little something...have 1 planned in Jan: combination celebration of our anniversary and my birthday since my due date will be sneaking up quickly. does leaving our boy in the gym's childcare center on Saturday morning and going for a swim and dipping toes in the hot tub count as a date? First Dec. date was last Friday at Canlis - it was awesome and we can't thank our friends enough for watching Sawyer. While in Oregon, family babysat Sawyer and Jacob and I went out to lunch - a cozy cafe "Seasons" we sat by a woodstove fire and had a relaxed conversation while eating great food and being cozy inside. This month's date is scheduled and my nanny-friend is going to come babysit. We did a swap, of sorts. She is even paying for dinner! The big event will celebrate both our anniversary and my birthday, together, in one fell swoop. I guess we better make it a really good date - maybe dinner and...a movie? Date night is this Saturday! I don't know if I'm up for a long night out - but for sure a good dinner at one of our fave places...even though my stomach is so squished/small now an appetizer will fill me up! COMPLETED. We went last night. Persian food and then Trophy Cupcakes for dessert. We rented a movie, but were too tired to watch it when we got home...so sometime this week we will watch "500 days of Summer" - the soundtrack looks great :)
7. Take a "me" morning and go shop for cute baby girl clothes. a january activity. I should probably pick a day and put it on the calendar so I am committed (although this will be fun, so not hard to do!) week 4: While in Oregon, I went shopping with my Mom at a couple of after-holiday sales...but am planning to make a list of what else Aspen needs to finish off with my own little shopping trip in the next couple of weeks. Well, I ended up just dragging Sawyer along, so the girl shopping with my mom better count. Jacob really wanted to play basketball at church this Saturday and I wanted to be done with the shopping - so I've been doing it little by little when I feel well enough to get out. I think we're good to go (for the most part) for the first 6 months! I'm such a bargain shopper! The shopping is done. It wasn't a "me" morning...but I had fun nonetheless. And I got some way cute stuff for her! COMPLETED.
8. Exercise at least 3 times a week (something I haven't been able to do since I was about 8 weeks preggo due to sickness...so workouts are defined by yoga, swimming, and walking, for now) and practice Hypnobirthing techniques at least 5 hours/week. week 1: did yoga once and walked once, but didn't practice relaxation techniques. it's been so busy - but i really need to make that a priority. i was a slacker here this week: i only did yoga, once, and still no hypnobirthing practice (can i blame it on my "work" load? and staying up til midnight and almost 3am?) Slacked again this week. i did yoga once (Sawyer is getting awfully good at some of the poses...and turning the TV off when I'm in the middle of a pose I need to breathe through and concentrate hard on...argh. I actually did practice hypnobirthing relaxation for about 90 minutes this week - i need to make this more of a priority! Aspen is coming soon! Amazingly, for it being the holidays and not being at home, I did yoga once this week. Practiced relaxation techniques for about 30 minutes - it will get better from here on out, I hope! Slacked again this week. Excuse: doc's orders? Well, she said to really really take it easy the next two weeks and then after that I can do anything I want (well, anything I feel like doing that is). I was still suppposed to take it easy and stay off my feet as much as I could...but I did do yoga once - it really helps my back feel better ;) week 7: I did much better in practicing my hypnobirthing and relaxation, and even a bit of breathing, this week. Labor will be coming fast! did yoga once. I haven't been the best at this goal...but also have to consider my poor body. I wish I felt well enough to work out during this pregnancy...but oh well. Maybe I'll train for another marathon (or half?) to make up for it once I'm no longer preggo and recovered. Maybe.
9. Finish designing and editing our Family 2009 Photo Album (I use Photoworks every year). i did upload a few more recent photos to our online album in prep. did nothing this week. i'm thinking i should schedule a few naptimes/evenings in early January to make this happen! i did nothing this week. week 4: I uploaded everything to current, besides Christmas. I did start working on the album this week! Started working hard-core on the book. About half-way done. Finished this week - all 80 pages! I'll order it next month when we budget for it! COMPLETED.
10. Meet with our attorney and finish our Estate Planning/make any revisions to the kid part with the addition of baby #2. contacted our attourney, just need to nail down one of two dates in Jan to meet with her. our date is pinned down for jan. 7th. We met with her this week and got the paperwork going - we just need to make some time to sit down and discuss a few of the details we need to for our "homework" and then send the papers in and get things all legalized! Still need to do our "homework", which shouldn't take long - I think we'll schedule an evening this week to get that done!

Turkey Day

This year, we stayed in Seattle for Thanksgiving. Our friends, John & Cassandra, invited us over to eat turkey with them and their extended family. Between great company, and some mighty good food, we had a wonderful time at our first Turkey Day in Seattle (with some bonus fun for John & Jacob, as you can see below): Thanks Parkers! More really is merrier ;) We hope everyone else had a Happy Thanksgiving as well!

Asleep...

I am quite accustomed to photographing sleeping babies (since I do it frequently in my photography business)...although, usually, the babes are newborns. Sawyer is no longer a newborn - he's now 17 months old, in fact - but today I couldn't help but capture a few images to remember of my sleeping "baby"...

You see, the past couple of days, he has been sick. This morning, he was so miserable, I said "you either need a snack or a nap" and to my surprise, he said "nap, nap". But he didn't want his usual nap, he just wanted to be held, and rocked, and sung to. So I held him, snuggled him all up close to me in the rocking chair, cuddled him, kissed his sweet forehead, and sang to him. When I quit singing, he looked up and me and made the sign for "more". When I started to hum the words instead of sing them, he signed "more" because no doubt he loves the words to "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" just as much as the tune. As I sat rocking and singing to my little boy, my heart softened and began to melt. So often at church, I feel I do not "get" what I "want" out of the meetings because I am too busy chasing my active son down the hallways, etc. etc. etc. But today as I sat and sang to him, all of a sudden I felt something I haven't for quite some time: the words were just as much for him as they were for me: I know I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, and has blessed me with the greatest desires of my heart - I have always wanted to be a wife and a mother, and my wish was granted. I am grateful for all I have been given and hope I can more fully show gratitude for my blessings in word and in deed as the days go by.

PS- Thankfully, when Sawyer woke up (I actually ended up napping with him - how often does that happen? or, how much longer will I be able to do that?), there were smiles and good times. He's still not 100%, but I think this boy is on the mend!

Of Helmets, Geese, & Black Standard Poodles

Sawyer recently got a new bike helmet. He's super proud of it (he says "helmet!" -- he used to call it a "hat"...) We are trying to get in the habit of him wearing a helmet while he thinks it's cool - instead of having to force him to wear one later.

[side note: you wouldn't think he'd have much of a chance of getting hurt on a bike with no pedals...but you'd be amazed how on rough pavement or gravel he can tip the thing over headfirst with his body weight - we learned that by accident one day and he had a big green bruise to show for it]

The other day, we were at one of our favorite parks taking advantage of the morning sunshine, and doing some riding...

...when we spotted these geese. They let us get really close to them (they probably thought we had food - much to their dismay we do not feed birds at public parks).

Anyway, we were surprised when, suddenly, they all started to run away from us...

...this is why...

It made for some excitement...but then...back to the bike. At dinner that night (and the 2 nights since), Sawyer will suddenly shout out "Helmet! Geese! Dog!" Yep...Sawyer now reports about his day at the dinner table...which makes for some fun conversation!

Date Night!

I know, I know - blogging about date night? Well, it seems we only get a one-on-one date about every six months, so it is a big event! (Although, it looks like we've found our perfect kid-swap match...so perhaps the dates will become more frequent events, how heavenly!) Thanks to our awesome friends who watched Sawyer, we got to go out and finish celebrating Jacob's 32nd Birthday. Doesn't he look excited to have delved into his 30s? Actually, I think he was just saying...oh not again, my wife and that crazy camera! (yes, the camera did make an appearance or two on our date).

First, we went to the Frye Art Museum. This is an awesome museum on the edge of Capitol Hill - and it's free! We have wanted to check it out for quite some time, and this was our chance. We browsed a bit of the collection and settled on their latest exhibit: "The Old, Weird America: Folk Themes in Contemporary Art." We quite enjoyed it - although we did have to leave the sorta X-rated video installation when it got a little more graphic than we anticipated (come on, paper cut out people!)

I made Jacob sit down for a few pictures. The birthday boy needs a picture, right? As you can see, he thought (once again) me and the camera to be quite amusing (or maybe annoying? :) After the museum, we made a little stop at REI, where Jacob got to pick up his gifts from my mom and dad, and spend a gift certificate from his own parents (much needed rainy weather biking gear for his commute to work - thanks parents!)

We topped the evening off with a wonderful dinner at one of our favorite Indian restaurants in Seattle: Cedars on Brooklyn in the U-district. We returned to pick Sawyer up with full stomachs to find he didn't even want to leave our friends' house, he had been having so much fun! (Thanks again guys!) It was a great night out!

Oh, and here's the baby bump at just about 28 weeks. I feel huge!

Hoping for a Peter Pan...

I can't believe that Sawyer is 17 months old tomorrow. yikes! Where has the time gone? Why does he have to grow up so fast? I know he still has a lot of growing to do...but, my oh my! Tonight when I was singing to him and getting him all tucked into bed, I just wanted to hold onto him forever and never let him grow up! The world does need a Peter Pan, doesn't it?

Aside from him growing up too fast - I am soaking up the moments I have with him before he has to share me and I can't always give him my undivided attention. Today the sun came out, so we had to take advantage! We skipped the park and instead went for a walk around our neighborhood and found an old church yard to play in. We brought along some cars/trucks as usual, and decided to make the old, cracked paint on the cement the "roads" for our vehicles to drive on. It was fun. It's always the simple things that make a moment one to remember...at least for me.

Oh! I have to say a big CONGRATS to my brother, David, and his wife, Kelli, who (along with big brother, Tyson) welcomed a new addition to their family (and ours - grandchild #12, nephew #4!) Welcome to the world little Zack! I can hardly wait to meet you!

Happy Birthday Jacob!

Happy Birthday, Jacob! We hope you have a wonderful day...and can hardly wait to celebrate with you tonight! (and Momma can hardly wait to go on a "real" date with you on Saturday - thanks to our wonderful Sawyer-sitters in advance!) Sawyer keeps staring up at the banner we made, and the balloons, saying "Happy!" That's what you make us: Happy! We are so thankful for everything you do for our family. You truly are the best husband and father ever! We feel so lucky and blessed to have you as ours! May this year be magical and one of the best ever!

xoxo,

Tysha & Sawyer

ps-thank you for all the little things you do everyday for me that make me love you ever the more. i was looking for a more recent photo of you and realized i haven't taken one of just you for quite some time...but i couldn't help but post this one, taken almost exactly 17 months ago...the day i fell in love with you all over again and in a new way as i watched you become a father and hold our tiny little son in your loving arms. i can only imagine that will happen over and again as we watch our family grow...and see what we've created together. i love you.

A reason to strum and sing:

It appears (knockin' on wood here) that as I have rounded the corner to the 3rd trimester of this pregnancy, that the gears have finally shifted, at least enough to make me feel like singing and dancing :) I decided that my 2nd trimester should've been called "1st trimester relapse" (although I didn't spend every single day laying on the floor...but still...). Anyway, this week Sawyer and I have had an excellent week, compared to the past 26ish weeks (I'm lying...I didn't start really feeling sick until about week 7, so that would be the past 19 or 20 weeks). ANYWAY. Maybe that h1n1 vaccine I got on Monday did me good? Who knows? But I am grateful we've been able to get out a little more, stay out a little longer, actually get some "to do's" crossed off my list, shop, run errands, and even make a good dinner for Daddy each night this week. Heck, my whole "nesting instinct" is starting to kick in big time as well - though scrubbing floors isn't one of my "nesting habits". I won't even get started...but just wanted to say: Hooray for the 3rd trimester and here's to some better days ahead!

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

It's a funny thing with boys: their built-in navigation center right along with all the sounds that makes cars vrooom, trains choo-chooo, and planes mmmeeeoooouu. All I can say is, Sawyer is obsessed - trains are his passion, but anything with wheels or wings, an engine or a motor will do. Driving in the car, he is sure to shout out "BUS!" when we come up next to a city bus, or "Big Truck!" (sounds like bee tuck!) when we are flying down the freeway. It makes me laugh. It also makes me smile. Don't you just love little boys? (I sure love mine!)