Layla Brooke 2 years

We're so lucky to be living so close to such an amazing photographer! Layla modeled for one of Stacy's photography workshops and gave us copies of some pictures she took herself. Extremely generous. I can't wait to get pictures of our new little one too!

Be sure to check out Stacy's work at:

stacyjacobsenphotography.com

The Puyallup Fair

My mom is the coolest Nonna. She took Layla to the fair, because I wasn't allowed to (Doctor's orders). She had a BLAST. Here was here favorite souvenir, a bubble gun!


Bunnies! I think she was a little amazed at how big they are in person.

She sure does love chickies.


My mom said she LOVED the rides, wanting to go on everything. I guess she was a tad bit too short for a couple of rides and the workers would ask if she could give a high five and she would, every time! That's my girl. So she was able to ride anyway!


She looks a little nervous about these swings though :)


Taking a relaxing float down the "river".


The fair wouldn't be complete without some kind of treat. Cotton Candy is definitely her fav.

The BEST Surprise!

My amazing, super hot HUSBAND!

I was sitting in the living room yesterday evening when all of a sudden, in walks my Tanner! Tears instantly formed and I seriously could not think of anything better (in the whole entire world) than seeing him in that moment. I guess he just decided, spur of the moment, that he needed to see me too. Moments like this are priceless, more valuable than gold. Especially after going 2 weeks as a pregnant, single mom of a very rambunctious 2 year old. I love my husband more than words can express.

Seattle Children's Museum

My mom took Layla and I to the Children's Museum in Seattle. It was a lot of fun. Layla was a little overwhelmed by the amount of kids there, so we tried to avoid high traffic areas, but overall she loved it! Here she is quilting.


She loved pushing the button to make the ball float! She looks so little next to this exhibit :)

Climbing the turtle


I thought this storybook section was really cute. My mom looks equally cute sitting in Mama Bear's comfy chair.

In the end, it was the slug that stole my daughter's heart. Of course, it was SO much more appealing to her after learning that it was a "sluggy bank" too. She put all the pennies I had in that little slug.

My Layla girl is 2!

It was a piggy party! I had asked Layla what kind of cake she wanted, and immediately replied, "a piggy cake!!" So here we have him:

Here's the Birthday girl playing with her favorite present, $1 balloons.


Getting ready for cake. (I don't have a camera anymore due to a lethal juice spill in the diaper bag, so I have NOT taken any pregnancy pictures. To be honest, I've been kinda relieved, because I am growing rapidly) Here's a front view, which does the least amount of damage :) 30 weeks.


My Brothers both came up for the festivities, Paul even drove all the way from Ellensburg. It was really nice to see em both!


A few of Layla's fun cousins: Sadie, Max, and Isaac.


She didn't need much help opening all her presents, although her cousins were more than willing to lend a hand.


And a play kitchen was her big surprise from Nonna! So fun!


And we ended the day with some bubble blowing in the backyard. What a fun Birthday!

The NEW plan

So for the past two weeks we've been hanging out up here in WA, preparing for the internship. Tanner needs to be in Sacramento this weekend and the plan up until this point has been that we'll ALL go with him. Well... we may have changed our minds. Here are the facts:

-It's a 12 hour drive 

(a LONG trip, but nothing we haven't done before...)

-And it's WITHOUT air conditioning!

(again, something we've done before, but for only a few hours and vowed to never do again!)

It wouldn't be so bad if the weather stayed overcast and cool, like it is right now in WA. But we're talking 90 degrees and higher entering CA. Okay, okay... I know we would survive, but it's definitely something that I'd like to try to avoid. Tanner has voiced his concern as well. Having two miserable girls, needing to stop for ice and slurpees every hour or so may put a damper on the whole road trip experience. So...

We've decided that he'll make the drive down alone. Yeah, I don't really like it either, but it'll probably be best. This way, he'll get there and assess the whole Sacramento/apartment situation first and then let me know what to plan for. We've seen limited pictures online and let me tell you, it does NOT look like a 5 star anything, even 2 stars would be pushing it. He's concerned that it may have bugs (something I hadn't thought of), or just be too dirty/disgusting for his girls. I know already that it doesn't have air conditioning, which is a bummer, but we could make due for a week or so without it. Am I sounding really high maintenance? Maybe I am, but I am 6 months pregnant and have a toddler who still occasionally sticks things in her mouth... I'd like to know what we're getting ourselves into. One of the biggest pluses of the whole deal is that they have a swimming pool! I love to swim and Layla does too, so that could be a really fun thing to do to pass the time, while Tanner is at work all day. 

ANYWAY, back to the plan! We (Layla and I) will be flying out sometime early next week (thankfully Layla still flies free). And then stay with Tanner for a week or so, help him get set up and comfortable and then come back to WA. I hate thinking about leaving him ALONE for that long, it really stinks. But I don't think it'll be BAD for our relationship, especially since we've been spending every day together for the past few months. I just hope that with him busy with work and me busy with Layla, the time will fly on by. Really though, I'm trying not to focus on that part right now. 

I'm so proud of Tanner for being such a responsible husband. He has always taken care of his family and I have never questioned his love or devotion. I was thinking the other day of how lucky I am to have someone who always thinks I'm beautiful, or at least says it, even when I disagree. Or how I've never had to go without anything I need. Tanner is always more than willing to help out and put the needs of others ahead of his own. What an example he is! I am so incredibly grateful to have such an amazing husband and father to our children. Oh man... I'm going to start crying in a minute, stupid hormones... better leave it at that. 

Hopefully I can figure something out with my poor camera so I can have more things to post about... but until then, just imagine Layla with mascara all over her eye and baking soda covering her head.

Tragedy

My camera is dead.

Enough said.