Spit-Up on Dad!

The greatest part about this is that I just continue filming... and Josh doesn't seem to notice or care at all :)

Don't be a Ninja!

Jade was "talking" to us--sorry it's a little dark, but she's cute none-the-less :)

The Wild Iris Year-End Celebration

Our first romantic evening (and the next morning) all to ourselves! Our night out was great--TIMEC had the Admin Christmas Party ("Year-End Celebration") in La Conner, WA on Saturday; Josh & I got a room down there for the night at the Wild Iris (a modern B&B). The party was lots of fun--delicious food (jumbo-prawn cocktail & cilanto-chicken skewers followed by prime-rib & cedar-plank salmon, washed down by free wine and cocktails) and everyone was in a great mood. It was nice to meet the "other half" of a lot of my co-workers and see them in an environment other than the office! The regional VP also mentioned we have a lot of growth coming in this area, so it will be exciting to watch (and participate!) in that development. After dinner/the party we relaxed in the jetted tub in our room and slept like a rock on the ultra-comfy bed.




Our room was BEAUTIFUL... a bit on the pricey side, but so worth it! The breakfast the next morning was just delicious and the perfect ending to a wonderful night out... thanks Diana & Jim for watching Jade for the evening (and sorry we forgot to mention she eats 5 oz, not 8!). We missed her lots even while enjoying ourselves... and Emily only cried when we first left because she didn't get to rock her baby to sleep that evening (I got over that pretty quick though!).


We hope to make this a yearly thing--or at least that we get to return to the Wild Iris again sometime soon!

The bed set-up--before flopping on it :)

Sitting area

The tub and fireplace at the foot of our bed

In the "lobby"--it was so COZY!

Before our night out...

After returning home to our baby--she missed us too!

The Ever-Present cold(s)...

Wow... happy baby! In the cute hat Dad picked out :)

Poor Jade... she can't seem to fully shake this cold she's had now for almost 2 months! She's had something on-and-off for awhile now, but right now it is the worst; she's got a sore throat which makes her cry--and the crying makes it hurt worse! It's a vicious cycle. Grandma Susan came over for and hour or so to watch Jade so I could make some dinner and Josh could lay down (he is sick too!)... funny how you can forget to eat when your baby is not feeling well! Despite all that, she is her bright, cheery self (when she is not crying)! I can't get over how blessed we are to have such a wonderful little person in our lives... but if she would stop growing now, that would be great. Next Friday she will be 4 months old--just in time for Christmas. We hope that she loves Christmas just as much as her namesake-Auntie Jade Harmony.

Happy despite her catching every germ out there!

Despite not feeling good, she managed to amaze us yet again--Jade Marie rolled over for the first time last night! In the midst of feeling yucky and crying, she smiled up at me, then just rolled from her tummy to her back (no struggling) and thought it was so great she giggled :) She did it so smoothly, it was like she has known how for awhile and had just been saving it for a special moment... what a sweet baby! She also found her thumb recently (after all this time and the Binky), and it is too cute to watch her TRY to suck her thumb! She'll get it in there and be content and then pull it out and cry; then put it back in and the cycle begins again. She's getting better at it though--cute picture below :) MOM--notice her hand on her nose, just like someone we both know used to do!



Josh and I are supposed to have a "romantic" night together tomorrow evening--the TIMEC Christmas party (or year-end celebration to be PC) is going on in La Conner, then we got a hotel room for the evening and Jade is staying with Grandma Diana. Hopefully everyone will be feeling better so we can actually enjoy ourselves!

Sucking her thumb

Sucking MOM's Thumb (and looking very intent about it)

Sucking her whole hand!

Thanksgiving, the Snowy weekend, and more!

Very overdue update! Hey--it's me we're talking about here, so of course it's late :)

Jade's very first Thanksgiving came and went with all 3 of us having a cold at one point or another! We had a big turkey dinner at Harriett's house (Susan's mom... so, my step-grandma-in-law? One of the grandmas!), and then went for dessert at Darby Estates with Diana & Jim and the Weisenburger side of the family. Both were very nice and had lots of good food, but Jade was fussy and just wanted to sleep! And I heard the joke about blending turkey and putting it in Jade's bottle just ONE too many times. Josh & I both had a nice 4-day weekend, but we each got a cold one right after the other, so we didn't do a whole lot.

Last weekend was spent at home cuddling with Jade and cleaning the house. It snowed on Friday night/Saturday, then all went away with LOTS of rain and wind on Sunday! If anyone out-of-area is reading this--yes, we are fine, no we are not flooded. Lots of people in the Seattle area are though--so send thoughts, prayers, whatever their way!

Jade got to see snow for the first time--she just stared and tried to watch certain flakes as they fell... I don't think she was too interested. She has grown so much in the 3 short months she's been alive--it's amazing! She "talks" all time now, and is very attentive and alert. We lucked out--she is really a very good baby and doesn't fuss that much, but smiles and laughs all the time. She especially likes standing on her Dad's legs and babbling and laughing with him :) I think it's funniest when she drools on his face while doing this--good stuff! Jade is also kicking and grabbing with more purpose lately--she will kick things to watch them move, and grab things to put them in her mouth (coincidentally, I've had my hair back in a ponytail a lot!). And she finally noticed Princess Ducky during bath time! Ivana said that after this last weekend, she seems like she has grown up so much--she is interacting more with the kids at daycare and her schedule is pretty good now (at home too--yay for sleeping through the night!). We think she might be starting to teethe already, but she's not fussing about it yet--thank goodness!

Now that she can hold her head steady, we got her first "chair"--the BeBe Pod. First thing she did when we sat her in it--turned to watch TV! It was pretty funny--I think she would've kept watching if I didn't move her into a different room (she was straining to turn to it when I tried to just turn her around)! It's eerie how grown-up she looks sitting in her chair.

Perhaps the greatest thing that happened this weekend--Josh quit smoking!!! We both realize that he has tried before and it's very hard for him to do, but I am just so happy he's even trying :) He's trying the nicotene gum this time (instead of just cold turkey), so maybe this'll be the thing that really helps him do it; he already has a sweet-tooth again because he can taste everything and a larger appetite... it is 3 days and counting now... YAY! GO JOSH!!!

By the way--for those of you that don't know, if you click on the pictures they will open up larger :)

The BeBe Pod - and the cutest smile ever!

Drooling, as usual

Sitting in the Pod with Mom (notice the drool on my shirt--hers, not mine)

Josh's first day of no-smoking... not exactly a happy camper!