It's a Party Month!

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow, it's been a CRAZY few weeks! We've moved out of Spokane (thanks everyone who helped out!) and now we are living out of a suitcase and are homeless for a month or so before we move to Seattle in mid-September. While I love having the freedom to travel around visiting all the people we love all summer, I am also losing it a little bit! Wrinkly clothes from an overstuffed suitcase, carrying heavy bags where ever we go, and always leaving something behind. Haha. We left Emma's suitcase with all of her clothes and shoes for the summer in storage in Spokane! Good thing it's warm and everyone loves a naked baby! Haha I'm mostly kidding (we have a few outfits for her so we are getting by). We really are very grateful to all the awesome people in Spokane who have befriended us and helped us this past year. We had an awesome time there, and who knows, maybe we'll end up settling there? Only time will tell :)

We are having a blast on our vacation so far. Nate still has to study a bunch for his boards in September, but other than that we are just enjoying our family and relaxing. It is so fun for me to see my family bonding with Emma. She is so special! It almost seems like she's been a part of our family forever. We love her! :)

We made a few last rounds, visiting all the wonderful places in Spokane before we left. Here are some pictures:

Cherry picking at Greenbluff farms

Fishing at Spokane Lake

Bowl and Pitcher

Manito Park

Coeur d'Alene Lake

We spent a week in Walla Walla and then headed to Utah for Emma's birthday party. Lots of family and friends came and it was a blast! We even had three sides of Emma's great-grandparents there (top picture). I made carrot cake for Emma to eat (haha can you say nutritionist?) which I think she liked, but not as much as the chocolate her grandmas keep sneaking her. My cousin's two year old daughter Tenleigh helped Emma and I open presents. Emma was more content with sitting on/playing with her presents than with opening them. That's my silly girl! She was a pretty spoiled girl this year! And so was I (we held her party on my birthday since they are only three days apart). Fun fun fun! Thanks to all who came and for all the awesome presents! I think Emma will finally stop taking everything out of every cupboard, or maybe that's wishful thinking? We'll see :) 

My favorite part of our birthday days was walking in on what was supposed to be a sleeping Emma but instead finding a guilty looking chocolate covered baby! She had pulled my sister's chocolate off the dresser near her pack n play! My silly baby! I was almost upset, but it was her birthday so I laughed instead :) We spoiled her pretty badly for her birthday. We even went to Coldstone and got her some ice cream, which she then adorably insisted on feeding to Nate. I think we were both satisfied with our birthdays :)

Emma playing with baby Landon :)

Here is the video (really a movie) that I made as a synopsis of Emma's first year. I'm hoping it will be a family favorite over the years :) It sure was fun (and stressful!) to make.

Here are some photos of our 4th of July festivities earlier in the summer. We came to Utah and spent the 4th with my family, then went to Nate's family reunion at Heber Valley Camp. We had a ton of fun!

Herriman Reservoir

Richardson family reunion 

Forth of July 

Heber Valley Reunion

Here's some miscellaneous pictures of our summer :)

Little drummer girl :)

Emma loves corn on the cob and me :)

If there's a will, there's a way :)

Emma helping Nate's dad take down the table :) 

Emma climbed up on the table!

Emma loved climbing on all the boxes when we were packing up and moving :)

-Kamie

Seattle & Summer

Well, I finally caught it! Not the flu, thank goodness, but that infectious excitement that comes along with summer! And, lucky for me, a little bit of excitement about moving to Seattle came with it :) Sweet!

The last few days I have been daydreaming about packing. My thoughts went a little like this: "This would go perfectly in a box of so and so items" or "This is in my way. I'd love to put it in a box." Yes, I'm actually looking forward to packing (and hopefully getting rid of a lot). I'm particularly excited to see Emma's reaction. I KNOW she will have endless hours of entertainment undoing all of my hard work by unpacking the boxes (after all, that's what she seems to enjoy doing on a daily basis). This will be motivation for me to move quickly and always have tape on hand. Bring it on!

It turns out our visit to Seattle over Memorial Weekend was a great way to calm my nerves a little bit about the move. I discovered a few things while we were there:

1. Seattle is just a city. Duh! I had built it up in my head as this terrifyingly huge place, when truthfully it is very similar to many other cities that I have lived close to (Denver and Dallas). I'm not looking forward to the traffic, or bringing my own bags to the grocery store, but I think all in all it will be an awesome experience. 
2. I still love on campus housing. I know, NERDY! But the family housing at UW had the same atmosphere of community, friendship, and fun that I have been missing so much from our BYU days. So, we are praying and crossing our fingers that we will get into family housing before fall quarter starts. Wish us luck!
3. Vacations ARE less fun with kids. I know, I'm eating my words about wanting to bring my kids along for every vacation. But boy, it was hard. How do you fit two naps and four meals into an already crammed packed vacation schedule (not to mention the lack of a high chair and crib as you're touring an entire city). Needless to say we didn't accomplish this very well, and Emma got her first serious cold as a result :( My poor baby! I think my mother-in-law now understands why I stress Emma's schedule so much. Emma is not a happy baby without it! Good thing we had a trial run vacation so we could learn our lesson before we take any big ones :)

Here are some pictures from our trip:

Sleeping beauty at the pier seafood restaurant :) She was so exhausted she wouldn't even eat. Poor thing!

What can I say?

On the ferry to Bainbridge Island :)

Sleeping on the ferry :)

Mariner's Game :) They lost, but after this game they pulled out of their losing streak finally! 

The Gum Wall at Pike's Market. Yuck!

Sleeping again at the Mariner's game...

Weird shrimp-like sculpture by the pier :) RUN!

Nate finished up finals last week, spent his three day break on a 15 mile hike and camp-out for the scouts, and started his RUOP internship on Monday. I know, crazy! He works 7am-5pm most days there, but lucky for me, he has Wednesdays and weekends off :) I'm so proud of Nate for working so hard and learning so much! He is doing all sorts of fun things at his internship (shots, extractions, etc.), so he should be very well prepared for next year :) He's definitely had a fun RIDE this year haha (the program he is in is called the RIDE program). Next year, he and his 7 RIDE buddies will join up with the rest of the UW dental students and hopefully get along. We are sooooo glad he joined the RIDE program! He really loved it and has learned so much more than he would have otherwise. 

RIDE Christmas party

End of the year group photo :)

Nate always keeps things interesting, even teeth :)

End of the year party :)

I am extremely proud of myself for being totally brave and independent while Nate was at the camp-out for two nights in a row! I didn't cry and I slept just fine. I must be growing up! Not to mention I kept it together despite Emma deciding to completely go crazy for a few days. She was spitting baby food, deliberately disobeying and being super cranky and destructive. We made it through though! Also, I've been reading a ton (fiction and non-fiction), working on a quiet book for Emma, working out, and even attempting to learn piano. I think I've been using all sides of my brain :) 

Awesome book I'm reading right now :)

Emma's typical destruction...

Hiding behind the rocking chair eating her night light.
She decided to drop and smash this same night light while Nate was gone haha :)

Homeless?

Emma "helping"

Tearing apart the fridge while Nate was gone. So naughty!

I finally got her to sit still be turning on "Tangled" in Spanish :)

She was engrossed :)

We've been attempting to enjoy the warm weather now that summer is rolling in :) We took Emma for her first swim in the pool and went fishing with the Stringhams. I've also been hiking a little with our ward's moms group. Fun fun fun! Hopefully more fun stuff is in store this summer :)

The girls enjoying the sunshine and snacks :)

The boys getting the boat ready for fishing :)

Nate studying and entertaining Lily while fishing lol :)
He passed his finals even with all the awesome distractions!

Watch the progression here: Emma squirms and complains.

Emma asks to go to me. 

Now she's happy. Haha this happens everyday!
I've got myself a major mama's girl!

Emma and daddy on the swing :)

She loved the swim suit, not so much the water lol  :) 

Her swim suit is a pineapple. It is so cute but hard to tell in the picture.

Mommy daughter hike :)

Many more adventures await! We're so excited for SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Oh, and I guess I forgot to mention, our little cutie is officially a walker! Watch out! All crazy has just broken loose! :)

-Kamie

9 Months and Counting

Okay, so we've hit what I think is a milestone: as much time outside of the womb as inside the womb. Yes I'm talking about my crazy, silly, busy Emma :) it's so weird to think that it's been a year an a half since my journey with Emma began!

How to describe this journey? I think the word wild applies quite fittingly, and I'm not just talking about the hormones involved. Anyone who has met Emma knows what a happy, energetic, and active baby she is. It only takes a minute in the same room with her to discover this. I always joke that she is my "crazy baby" because she never stops moving!

Emma standing up while eating the wood chips at the park :)

Did I have any idea life with Emma would be like this? Not really. When Emma was first born, she was very easy going and content. She was sweet and practically angelic, and then she learned to lift her head up. After that she wanted to be held every second so she could see the world! And then she learned to crawl. After that she became a tiny ball of destruction, pulling down everything in reach and ripping any piece of paper to shreds, and at the same time smiling so adorably that you find yourself ready to hand over more paper just to see it again! Now, at 9 1/2 months old, she's on the verge of walking (most steps taken so far is about 10 in a row). I am excited and terrified to discover what comes next for Emma and I :)

Paper shredding :)

Emma found a Reese's! She looked so cute eating it that I couldn't take it away!

As for my end of things, I have fit in more sizes of clothing in the last 18 months than probably the 5 years prior to that. I have been everywhere from starving to death to being nauseated at the smell of food. Hormones! I have gone from sleeping almost 12 hours a day at the end of my pregnancy to being lucky to get 3 hours in a row. I have been selfish (Nate please get me some cereal! I'm so hungry I can't get out of bed! I think I'm dying!) and selfless (answering to endless cries for mommy's milk at all hours of the night). In short, I have been totally and completely changed.

Brushing her two teeth! A dentist's daughter! :)

I've been humbled as I've realized that even with my many hours of research and more hours of prayer, I am not a perfect mom. I have yet to figure out how to help Emma sleep through the night (though I think we're making progress), she is always covered in food despite my best efforts to keep her clean, and occasionally when she throws a tantrum (she's been swatting the spoon and refusing to eat her baby food), I get cranky at her. But I've decided to let go of the little things and concentrate on the big picture of the kind of mom I want to be. My number one goal as a mom is to make sure my kids have no doubt in their minds that they are loved and that they are children of God. Everything else will flow from this.

Emma terrorizing her room. This happens every day!

Emma and I have been sooooo blessed to have an awesome guy by our side through this journey. Nate has been an incredible and fun dad, not to mention a caring husband. We've had to learn through this whole journey how to love each other even as we change, which is not always easy. For him this means packing him a lunch for school every day and giving him time to unwind after a crazy day at school. For me this means getting me breakfast when I am pregnant and starving, or helping with Emma in the mornings so I can catch a few more z's after a night of disrupted sleep. As we've both tried to be more selfless for each other, we've found more happiness than ever before.

Balloon Festival in Walla Walla 

Now, I'm going to get some things off my chest and then laugh at how silly I am to complain when I am clearly so blessed! The things that have been driving me nuts lately:
1) Food, food, and food! Everyday, 4 times a day, I've got to find some way to get some amount of nutrients down my little wiggle worm's throat. Not an easy task! I've tried everything! I've tried giving her her own spoon so she can "help", giving her toys to play with in her high chair as a distraction as I stuff food into her mouth, chasing her around the house with a jar of baby food and "sneak" feeding her as she plays, and, of course, finger foods. They all amount to a big mess and a stressed out mom and baby. I think Emma simply likes to play much more than she likes to eat, and for me, being the nutritionist, this is not acceptable! Haha she must have a healthy diet! She eats about half of what she should be eating at this age. Grrrr! Not to mention, she loves to decorate the walls and the floor with every color of pureed baby food! The kitchen got so bad that I literally could not go in there without getting nauseous (yes, I have a phobia of rotting food!). Luckily for me Nate had the heart to clean it up for me. Wow! I feel pathetic that such a small thing is bugging me so much! Any tips for overcoming this phobia? I have a feeling that I'm going to have to if I want to mentally survive motherhood.

This photo pretty much sums it up...

2) Sleep.....where to start? I should be grateful that Emma is generally waking up only once or twice during the 12 hours that she sleeps during the night. Yet, somehow, I feel sooooo exhausted. Is this normal? I need at least 10 hours a night in order to function (I think I've slept an average of 6 hours a night for most of my life). I know that in the future, when there are more children in the picture, I will not have the luxury of sleeping in. Other than the guilt of feeling like I'm a lazy bum, I really don't mind our sleep schedule so much. Emma is actually getting enough hours of sleep in the day (about 14 hrs). Yay! And things have gotten much better now that her two bottom teeth have finally made an appearance and have stopped hurting her.

Sleeping soundly after kicking off all the blankets :)

3) I think this one may be coming to an end, but Emma went through a mama's phase, which was frustrating/amazing for me. She actually wanted to cuddle with me! But she wanted to all the time....I couldn't get anything done or relax...But I loved to cuddle her! :)

I only want mommy!

4) I've mentioned her thirst for excitement already, which is a really fun thing most of the time (especially since she is great at entertaining herself and also giggles adorably at random things), but is frustrating when I am trying to nurse her in public, or even in my own house. I have to take her into a completely silent room and make sure Nate and everyone else knows not to disturb us, or else she gets distracted and won't eat. Haha what a weird problem to have. My crazy baby!

Feeding herself a banana :)

Okay, enough complaining! Yes, I am a total basket case these days, but I am also one of the most blessed people in the world! I have the true gospel of Jesus Christ! I have an amazing family, awesome in-laws, and the best husband I could ever ask for! I have been blessed with a beautiful (inside and out) daughter! I am generally pretty healthy (although sleepy), and I was able to get an education at the best university ever! I live in a country where I am free to choose how to live my life. I have food to eat and a roof over my head, and I don't have to hand wash my laundry. This is just the start of a very long list. I think you get the gist.

So, with just two months til we will be packing our bags and heading out of Spokane, I'm trying hard not to completely lose it. It's weird, but somehow Spokane has become our home. Maybe because most of my memories of Emma are here, including the hospital where she was born. Anyways, I'm excited to experience the college campus life again when we go to Seattle, but I'll definitely miss Spokane. In the mean time, Nate has a couple more weeks of school and then an internship for about a month here in Spokane. Then we'll travel around for a few weeks till we have to be in Seattle in September. Then Nate will take his board exam! And Emma will turn one in August! So much to look forward to! :)

-Kamie