Blake Getaway

I love the show The Voice and after last season I became even more of a Blake Shelton fan so when I found out he was coming to Seattle with Dia Frampton I had to get tickets!  

I bought the tickets in November for Jeff's Christmas present and we finally got to go to the concert this past Friday night.  We made a night out of it and stayed at the Pan Pacific Hotel thanks to a great deal from Priceline.com.  The room was beautiful and although there weren't rose petals in the bath tub it was a wonderful night away. 

Jeff and I have realized in the past three years that it is critical to have time to get away and reconnect as a couple.  Luckily we have Aunty Janice and Aunty Linda who encourage us to get away for a night or two because they love our girls and enjoy spending time with them.  

 It sure makes our time away more enjoyable because I know they are in good hands and are getting completely spoiled.  Over the course of two days they went to dinner at Red Robin, the Skagit Children's Museum, and Chucky Cheese.  Needless to say they had quite the adventure!  

We hung out with the tourists and watched cheese be made, ate some delicious mac and cheese (thanks Christine for the recommendations),  bought some flowers, went to the Pike Brewery, and did plenty of people watching.  

We at 13 Coins which has been featured on the Food Network and Cactus which had an amazing happy hour menu.  We went to bed at 1:00am and slept until 8:00.  We did some shopping on the way home at stores that I really miss like Ulta and DSW shoe warehouse.  

Jeff and I did a lot of walking, eating, drinking, laughing, and just having fun together.  It was the perfect getaway!

Weekend Update

This past Sunday, Elizabeth, my best friend since 4th grade came for a quick visit. She was in Seattle visiting family and luckily was able to make it up to Bellingham for a few hours. I am so glad we got to see each other because she is the closest thing to a sister I have. And even though I have developed some wonderful friendships here in Bellingham, there is nothing like hanging out with your best friend who has been through the ups and downs of life with you. We chatted, played with the girls, and even got away for coffee for some much needed girl talk. Thank you my dear friend for getting up here, I know it wasn't easy! The day went by way to quickly and Elizabeth, next time I think we should plan a girls getaway!

In other news, we are having beautiful fall weather this year and last night while Carly was napping, Jeff and I got to sit out on our deck and enjoy a glass of wine and watch Katie play. She was in a great mood now that the worst of the teething is over (she's finally getting her first molars) and I was able to capture some great expressions. She knows now when I am taking her pictures and sometimes I get the cheesy smile and other times I can still get some more natural expressions.


Lastly, we are still struggling with Carly's digestive system. Her stool is still very loose and this past weekend we noticed blood in it. She also started having blow outs at night which was what happened in the days before she got sick so of course I started worrying. Our pediatrician told me to stop breastfeeding completely. This was really hard for me to hear because even though I was supplementing with formula, I felt so good about still being able to give Carly some breastmilk. Now we are in the process of collecting stool samples and while I am not going to go into details, let me just say it isn't easy. Hopefully, we will know in the next few days what is wrong and most importantly how to fix it.

Life With Two

The past few weeks have been a little crazy with Jeff going back to work and my aunt and uncle from Montana coming to visit so I am very behind on the blog. Here is a quick update on things. Last week Jeff went back to work so I was on my own with both girls and things went surprisingly well. It did help that Katie went to Sharry's on Wednesday and Friday, so really I only had one day solo (Jeff went back to work on Wednesday), but it was still a nice way to transition. My biggest concern was being able to juggle feeding times for Carly, meal times for Katie, and awake times for both of them. Like always though I worried for nothing. Katie was great while I was breastfeeding and would either sit next to me and look at a book or simply play by herself. I did have to turn to Sesame Street once but I am ok with that.

The honeymoon stage is over with Carly and we are struggling a little with her. She has started spitting up quite a bit after every feeding and seems very uncomfortable. It makes it hard because when she is awake she grunts and fusses but luckily she rarely cries. Besides one difficult night, which luckily was on the weekend, she is a good night time sleeper and goes anywhere from 3-5 hours between feedings. She still is very sleepy baby and I struggle getting her to wake up to eat but I don't worry about it too much because at Katie's well child check up last week we weighed Carly and she was already a pound heavier than her birth weight. When she is awake and comfortable she is a doll and loves looking at the world around her. Her big sister is still doing very well with her and I just can't wait until Carly is old enough to really interact because I think these girls are going to be close.

I don't have any new pictures but I will try and get some posted in the next couple days. Life with two is very busy, not always easy, and definitely chaotic at times but, we are all handling it very well....at least for now. :)

Update in Pictures

I am not really in a writing mood this morning but I do want to post some recent pictures and give you an update on Lil Miss and Carly.

Katie is into everything right now and while it is a lot of fun to see her explore the world around her, it is also exhausting (especially for this 32 week pregnant mommy). Jeff and I love seeing her little personality come through more and so far we have decided that we have a mostly cooperative, routine oriented, sweet, funny and very social daughter. She loves to say "hi" to people wherever we go and just this week she successfully started saying "bye". She loves her grandpa who she calls "pa". She also LOVES being outside and and whenever she sees pa outside she runs to the closet and pounds on the door saying her version of "shoes". She also is finally saying "daddy" now and occasionally I will catch something that sounds like "mommy". Not sure whats up with that....I surely thought mommy would come before "shoes" or "airplane". At least I get the most cuddles because she thinks daddy is much more fun to wrestle with than to cuddle with.

Carly is doing great and I measured right on track last week when I went to the Dr. I know I am carrying her lower than Katie though which makes things a lot more uncomfortable. She is also more active than Katie was and just last night she kept me awake for about 20 minutes getting her workout done. I am still feeling very unprepared for this little ones arrival but hopefully we will make some serious progress on the To Do list in the next few weekends. Our goal is to have everything done by Jeff's vacation week which is at the end of May. Not sure if we will make it.

And now on to the pictures....

She loves standing in containers, no matter how big or little.
Playing with her new 4 wheeler toy that we actually ended up returning because the wheels kept getting in the way of her feet.

Coloring successfully for the first time. I tried this a few months ago and she just kept eating the crayons.

Poor girl...has her mommy's double chin but at least she still has her cute little dimple

Trying on mommy's hatCan you tell she is still teething. Right now she is working on the top two. One is through the skin already and the other one is very close.

Swimming and Sunglasses

Katie had her first of four swimming lessons on Saturday and she absolutely loved it! Jeff got in the pool with her and at first both she and daddy weren't so sure, but then as the class progressed they were both smiling and really enjoying themselves. Jeff was a little uncomfortable with all of the silly songs and "circle time activities" but once Katie started laughing and talking more he loosened up and they both didn't want swim lessons to end. I watched from the side and got the lucky job of getting a squirmy, wet one year old dried off, diapered and dressed in a crowded locker room with no place to lay her down. I am going to have to get creative on how we do that next week.


Later that afternoon we did some BBQ'ing and let Katie explore the backyard. She had so much fun walking all around and checking things out. She especially loved grandpa's ladder and the sound it made when she ran her fingers down the metal.



We have been having the most beautiful sunny weather so we figured with spring coming up it would be a good idea to get Lil Miss some sunglasses. We got ones that have a velcro band around the back so she can't get them off easily (although she did figure out how to pull them down). We are most definitely biased but I think she is one cute baby in shades!

Peas and the Cup

Katie hasn't had much of an appetite the past few days which I am pretty sure is due to the teething thing. So Saturday night I gave her one of her favorite things....peas. On a side note, it's kind of funny how much she loves peas because that is one of only a few veggies I don't like. When I was little I used to say how I couldn't eat peas because they made my throat close up. Even now I would never just eat a bowl full of peas, but Katie will and she loves them! So she was happily eating her peas when Jeff told me to get the video camera because she was putting them on top of her cup and then putting the cup in her mouth. It was so funny and she thought it was the best game ever. I didn't capture any making it from the cup to her mouth but it's still cute.



In other news, Katie had a rough weekend with a lot of fussiness and sleep interruptions due to that first tooth coming in but I'm happy to report she slept great last night (thanks to baby Motrin) which should help her have a better day today. We had a mellow weekend and spent most of it at home. Jeff and Katie watched a lot of football on Sunday, I started some organizing of CC's room, we finally got Katie a real pair of shoes (I can finally scratch that off my to do list), and we took a little drive out to Birch Bay in our new car.

Happy Monday!

Officially a Washingtonian

Tonight Jeff and I became the proud new owners of a 2008 Subaru Outback. I am so excited and love the way it drives. The all wheel drive will be really nice in the snow and ice, although we have been very lucky so far this year and have had a mild winter. This past week I have been constantly looking at cars on the road and I have discovered that Subaru's are VERY popular. I really feel like a true Washingtonian now driving around in my new AWD Outback!

A Couple Things

** Afternooon Update: We didn't get the car. First we discovered that it was one of Consumer Reports used cars to avoid. And second it sold this morning so even if we did go and get it this evening it wouldn't have been there. I have to admit I was disappointed but thats how car buying goes. We are going to continue our search tonight. **

This past week Katie and I completed another major milestone that I think was a little harder for me than for her. After almost 10 months of exclusively breastfeeding and 12 months of part time breastfeeding (when I got pregnant I couldn't keep my supply up enough), Katie is no longer receiving any mommy's milk and is almost completely on whole milk. Not sure why this was such an emotional thing for me but I am sure it is once again due to hormones and not having that physical connection that we shared for almost a year. I only planned on breastfeeding for a year and I am so relieved it went as well as it did. Of course it took us a month or so to both get the hang of it but I wouldn't have had it any other way. And while I was sad to be done breastfeeding, I have to admit it was very nice to not have to pump at work and not have to wear those incredibly uncomfortable and unflattering nursing bras any more. So once again my little baby is growing up and is now drinking regular milk from a sippy cup. Ahhhh, I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry. :)

And on to my second piece of exciting news. By the end of the day today, hopefully Jeff and I will be the proud new owners of a 2007 Volkswagon Pasat Wagon. We have been thinking about buying a new vehicle for the past few months and after we realized we couldn't afford the Ford Flex we started looking around for something used but with low mileage, high safety ratings, and lots of cargo space. Because I am still working part time and have a 60 mile commute twice a week we still wanted something that got good gas mileage and this is what we have found.

I am so excited to have a bigger vehicle and I know it will be much nicer when we have two car seats in the back seat plus a stroller plus things like groceries. So hopefully everything will go well this evening and we will come home in our new car!

The Past Decade

It's hard to believe we are starting a new decade. It seems like it was just yesterday that everyone was freaking out about Y2K and what would happen when we rolled over to the year 2000. Now here I am awake at 6:00 am on January 1, 2010 thinking about all that has happened in my life these past ten years. The first word that comes to mind is change, which there was A LOT of. So because I am up early and Katie is still sleeping, I thought it would be fun to summarize the biggest changes in my life these past ten years.

1. Graduated from Metro State College of Denver in 2001. Even after changing schools three times, I still stayed on track and finished in four years which was something my parents REALLY wanted.
   
2. Started my career with Head Start the summer after graduation. Little did I know that teaching preschool would lead to so many other opportunities.
   
3. In 2002 I changed positions and became more like a Social Worker for the Head Start program. It was a wonderful opportunity and led to what I do today.
   
4. 2004 brought the biggest change of all when I packed up my car and my cat and moved to Bellingham. For someone who thrives on planning and predictability that was the craziest thing I have ever done. I had no job, no home, and no friends which led to many tearful nights. Little did I know that that move would turn out to be the best thing to happen in my life.
5. Within a few months of getting here I found a cute little studio and my dream job as a Family Service Specialist with the Head Start program in Mount Vernon. I had a 30 minute commute but it was through beautiful forests rather than through polluted traffic). And the best part was that I not only was working for Head Start but I was doing the same job I had been doing in Denver. Things were looking up!
   
6. In the summer of 2006, I walked in the Breast Cancer 3 Day. This was an amazing experience that I plan to do again in Denver in a few years.
   
7. The best change of all came in September, 2006 when after two very lonely years and way too many bad dates, I met the man of my dreams. We met on MySpace through a friend of a friend and within a week of that first date at Applebees, Jeff and I knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.
8. Jeff proposed in December, 2006
   
9. We got married June 9, 2007
   
10. In April, 2008 we found out we were going to be parents. I will never forget that night!
11. Bought our first house in May, 2008
12. Our beautiful baby girl was born January 6, 2009
13. I turned 30 in June, 2009 with a wonderful surprise party thrown by my husband.
    
14. And in October, 2009 we found out that our family of three was becoming a family of four.

Ten years ago if you had asked me where I wanted to be in life by the year 2010, this is exactly what I would have said. My life is everything I ever have dreamed of!

Happy New Year everyone!

In Need of Answers

This is probably one of the first blog entries that isn't all about Sweets but don't worry she is still our happy and healthy little girl who always makes us smile. Which is something we have really appreciated this past month because my father in law, Carl, has been very sick and nobody can figure out what is wrong with him. And when I say sick, I mean really sick because this is a man who never missed a day of work in 25+ years and now can barely get out of bed. He has been to the ER twice, been to his primary care Dr. too many times to count, seen a variety of specialists, and has had all kinds of tests ran only to find nothing wrong with him. Needless to say it has been incredibly stressful for all of us and Jeff has been especially worried because we aren't getting answers from the Dr's. He will be having some more tests on Monday and we are praying they can find something so that we can start treating the problem and get him healthy again. In the meantime any positive thoughts sent our way would be greatly appreciated. It's one thing to see your loved one very ill, but it makes it even worse when you don't know why.

Snow in Washington

We got snow last night here in Bellingham! Although it wasn't more than a few inches, it was nice to see flakes falling from the sky rather than rain. In addition to the dusting we got, we are getting a lot of wind and it is very cold. Luckily we haven't lost power and hopefully we won't because that would make for a very cold Garner household. I love the snow though and it feels very Christmas like this morning. We have nowhere to go and I plan on doing some holiday baking to get me in the spirit even more.


Last night we also spent the evening babysitting for our friends, the Shaws. Jeff and Jeff have been friends since high school and they have four wonderful children ranging in in age from 11 to 2. Last year we watched the kids (2 boys and 2 girls) while mom and dad went to a Christmas party down in Seattle and this year we continued the tradition. They are great kids and we had a lot of fun playing video games, making play dough and watching A Christmas Carol. However, I had to laugh when at one point my husband and soon to be daddy made the comment, "I think we should just stick with two kids" (lately he has had in his head that we should have three). Four kids makes for a very busy and loud environment and while I am used to it from years of working with children, Jeff isn't as accustomed to the craziness. Luckily everyone went to bed easily and by 10:30 Jeff and I were sound asleep on the couch waiting for mom and dad to come home. The picture below is of Jeff being the victim to dress up. Doesn't he look thrilled? He really was having fun and just posing for the camera.

Almost 32 Weeks

Here I am at 31, almost 32 weeks preggo! I am going to try and take a picture every week from this point on so I can fill up all of those pages of my "Belly Book". This is one of the first things I bought when we found out we were pregnant and I love it. Between the book and this blog Baby Katie will have a nice memento of her mommy's pregnancy.

This is a 3 day weekend for Jeff and a 4 day one for me and we are thouroughly enjoying our time off. The weather hasn't been that great but the rain did stop long enough yesterday morning to give us a chance to take a walk and let Ozzy run on the soccer field. He loved it and even got to chase birds which is one of his favorite things. Today we will be watching our Seahawks play and hopefully win. Other than that the Garner's will be grocery shopping (Jeff's favorite thing....hahaha) and relaxing. I woke up this morning with a sore throat so I am hoping I can fight it and not get Jeff's cold that he just got over. I don't get sick very often and this is one time when I really don't want to.

28 Weeks

All is well even though I haven't posted for a week. It's just that life has been kind of uneventful so there hasn't been much to write about. This is a good thing though and I have really been enjoying our lazy weekends. Since the Washington football teams are not doing so well this year (to put it mildly) , Jeff isn't quite as obsessed with football as he normally is (which is a good thing for me). Therefore, this past Sunday I was able to convince him to go for a walk with me in the beautiful sunshine we had here in Bham. One of the perks of growing up here and driving for a living is that Jeff knows a lot of places around the county and one of them was this road that has been closed off to traffic that goes out in this huge field and ends overlooking Bellingham Bay. It was gorgeous and a really nice walk for the three of us (Ozzy went too). For the first time though I was the one walking slower than Jeff. Those extra pounds pushing up on your lungs just make it hard to catch your breath sometimes.

This week is going to be a quiet one. Work is still farily busy but I have been approved to work one day a week from home which really nice. This morning I am going in to have my glucose test. You have to drink this surprisingly yummy orange and then wait exactly one hour before they take your blood so while I am waiting I figured I would write a quick update. Then next Tuesday we go back to Dr. Cook for another ultrasound which I am excited about. I love getting to see her and especially now that she is obviously looking like a baby. Both Jeff and I are getting more and more excited to meet her and see what that cute little nose looks like in person, what those little hands and feet that keep kicking me look like, and whether or not she has hair (just to name a few). Jeff didn't have any hair for a long time after he was born and I was born with a full head of black hair so we will see. This is a very exciting time for us and like everyone tells me I am trying to enjoy every minute of it because I know looking back it will have gone by very quickly.

A Thousand Questions

This video was shown at my church this past weekend and it was incredibly powerful. Some people cried, some people looked angry, but everyone walked away talking about it. The one thing that I kept thinking about after watching it was just how big this world is. I am only one person but God is huge and with His help we can all make a difference and give hope to others.

The Fish Tank

After many hours of research and visits to the fish store, Jeff has his new 125 gallon fish tank! Now the fun part has begun and he is in the process of designing the bottom with lots of hiding places for his 40-50 Malawi fish that will soon call the tank home. I will post pictures as the project progresses. We love the soon to be "living art" that is in our family room and we know our little girl will as well.

This weekend was a very relaxing one which Jeff and I enjoyed. We got a few little things done around the house and one big one that I had been wanting done for awhile. We finally have our daughter's room empty and ready to become a baby nursery. We also have a name for our little girl that I want to share with everyone.... Little G is going to be Katie Louise Garner. Katherine is my middle name but also was my mom's name. However, if you knew my mom you knew she always went by Katie. Louise is Jeff's moms middle name and we love that we can use family names that go together perfectly.

Hot Summer Weekend

It is 85 degrees here in Bham today and that is hot for up here! It reminds me a lot of Denver except that we have a lot more humidity here than in Colorado. Luckily, it cools off at night so we can still sleep well. I have been kind of cranky today and I know it is due to the heat. Thank goodness I am not big and pregnant because that would just make things even worse. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who understands my moodiness and handles it very well.

Today was a very mellow day for the Garner's. Now, Jeff is in the process of cooking his first rotisserie chicken over our fire pit. My uncle did it in Montana and Jeff loved being able to sit around a fire watching a chicken turn for three hours with his favorite beer. What could be a better way to spend a summer evening. I will let you know how it turns out.