Take Me Out to the Ball Game... Again!

So, we might seem a bit obsessed. Last weekend we packed up and went to two of the three Mariners vs Red Sox games here at lovely Safeco Field. Unfortunately the games were set to begin about 10 minutes after Lily is usually in bed. Oh, well. Priorities! She held it together for most of the Friday game, but after a homerun was hit into the stands just two sections down, Lily decided for us that it really was okay to head home in the 7th inning. The next night was much better. She got to sleep in and enjoy her Saturday morning in leisure. And, we got to see friends for the game!

We met up with the Kaspareks to cheer on the Sox. Everyone was decked in in some sort of Sox gear. Well, all except Andy. I melted his favorite hat on our kerosene heater back in Japan and he is yet to find a hat he likes quite as much.
Not only did we get to enjoy the game with friends, but we took a small walkabout and visited cousins Sam and Ted and family who were all there to enjoy the game with an aunt and uncle from out of town. Yes, that is Lily trying out her very first french fry. Then, we headed down and said hello to my friend Michelle who's husband just happened to throw out the first pitch of the night. I'm still not sure how he got that gig, but am definitely envious. It was one heck of a weekend!

This is the first attempt at using the video option on the new camera. As you can see, Lily already has her papa's fancy dancing skills. Shake that bootie!

Mother's Day

It has been an absolutely delightful Mama's Weekend here in apartment J. To start, Lily is continuing to sleep all the way through the night, something she started the night of her last doctor visit. The doctor mentioned sleep training and gave us his tough love speech and Lily heard and heeded his words. Andy and I both woke up at 4am and looked at each other with a big smile. We didn't have to use the tough love. She did it all on her own! Every once in a while she'll wake up, but she's learned how to put herself back to sleep without us ever needing to get out of bed. Yahoo! Back to Mother's Day antics... After Lily's morning nap yesterday, Andy stole her away for a quick errand. I picked them up downtown after their secret mission was completed and we were off to the zoo for Mom and Me day. Yes, it was crowded. Yes, it was a mad house. Yes, Lily missed her afternoon nap. But it was still a lot of fun to walk amongst all the other families with our friends Brandon, Lisa, and Evelyn beside us. Evelyn and Lily are only 3 months apart and watching them grow up together is a real treat. After checking out the brand new penguin habitat, we headed straight for the carousel. I think it was my favorite part of the day. Watching Lily's reaction as we started spinning was great. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, but everything was going by so fast! She held on tight and tried to take it all in.

We all had a wonderful early dinner at Yanni's Greek Restaurant and a wonderful, warm, sunny walk through the Phinney Art Walk. Then we hopped in our cars to head home for a relaxing evening.

This morning I got up early with Lily and, after her breakfast, the three of us headed down to our local Starbucks for a hot cup of coffee and a snack before Andy had to head off to work. Lily handed me a little green box that they had gotten on their super secret mission the day before. Inside was a beautiful silver necklace with Lily's birth stone, a ruby, hanging delicately it the center. Awww.... After struggling to put it on and take off the necklace Andy had got me for our first wedding anniversary, it fit perfectly. Now Andy is off at work, Lily is napping after a fun filled walk around the freshly re-opened Broadway Farmer's Market, and I am still smiling about the call I just received from my family back in Switzerland. Hopefully Andy will make it home in time for dinner. Shall we have pork loin or fresh clams?

10 Months!

And we've just updated a few photo albums. Andy shared some more photos which I have added to albums 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9. Have fun going back through the pictures!

Boosting Spirits

I know I'm in for it when I hear Andy squeal from behind the computer. Every once in a while, in an effort to lift his spirits or just for fun, Andy will randomly searches the internet for camera gear, flights to far off places, paintings,... You get the idea. Well, today, during Lily's afternoon nap, he was at it again. I heard a "YAHOO!" come from the bedroom. Andy had found tickets on top of the Green Monster in Fenway for a steal! And they were for a game against the Seattle Mariners the day after a wedding we had been invited to in Maine. Now, a mere hour and a half later, we have those tickets, plane tickets, hotels and rental car reservations, and plans to see friends and party down in lovely New England. Lily will be celebrating the morning of her first birthday on a flight back from Boston. Andy is now calling everyone he knows that might have any interest in the Red Sox and spinning around the house. In his words, he's "over the moon!"

Goodbye Great Grandma

Yesterday, at about 3pm in Spokane, Andy's grandmother passed away just a few months shy of her 100th birthday. She was blessed in her life with two wonderful children, four loving grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren. I would write more, but words are failing me now.