Here I am 35 1/2 weeks along! We have finally decided on a name...Parker James May. After endless lists online and mega frustration that nothing fit, we decided on our way to tour the hospital. We were so excited until I realized that was one of Shannon and Brian's top choices. We are sorry, but we have to do it. Please still be our friends.

Here's Jada enjoying another rainy Seattle day. She loves to tell Kelven and me to "come on!" Today she looked up at me from the couch and said, "Cuddles?" and scooted closer to me. Oh, I love it. Is it weird to hope she wants to cuddle the rest of her life? And she woke up this morning to tell us that she loves Evie.

I love two year olds! Jada has developed such a cute imagination. She pretends to be animals, loves her baby dolls more than anything, and teaches me valuable insights during our days together. Did you know that cats go into the sky to fly? Or that you have to sing the goodnight song to Jada, mommy, daddy, nana, papa, great-nana, great-papa, Stacy, Derek, Evie, the door, the baseball, etc. If I didn't list your name, trust me, we sing goodnight to you too!

She also sings all day long. Here is a shot of her singing "kinkle, kinkle, little star." She has the sweetest rendition of "Where is Thumbkin?" using only the words "Uncle Trever." She is right on with her notes and tone.

We are getting really excited about this little man. It took us until about a month ago to let go of the stressful idea of not sleeping and truly look forward to having another one around. This probably sounds horrible, but in our defense it has been quite a year. Kelven and I were feeling the rut of daily routine, but have made some big improvements in our relationship and daily lives. We are working on that connection we had before kids and I have to say just being aware of our needs as individuals has helped us a lot. It is easy to focus on work and kids and forget that our marriage is a something that we should take time to put energy into. Life seems so much more fulfilling when he and I are feeling connected.

Our landlord is moving back into this house next March so we are again deciding where to pack up and go next. Probably sounds stressful for those of you who own a house, but renting makes moving pretty easy. God definitely has a plan for us and we cannot be anything but thankful for the way things have turned out so far. Kelven got RIF'd from his job at Ballard, but may be able to squeeze back into his position. If not, we will be looking for another job, too. He would be bummed to leave his job at Ballard. Fortunately, we have another bundle of joy to show us what really matters in life.

I also want to thank all my friends for making the trip over to see me after my dad passed away. You guys have no idea the impact you have on my life. I truly love all you girls. I'm sure I was still in shock when you were here. Most the time I am okay, but there is definitely a heartache that doesn't go away. It's not always easy to talk about him and I have my moments of tears, but I think I have a good grip on what his life meant and how his love will live on in me. I recently came across a quote that reminded me of my dad. "The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose." Reflecting back on what many wrote on his website, my dad definitely served a purpose. Thinking of him makes me smile.

At the coffee shop with Jada

Our Little Boy

Happy Birthday, Jada

Slow Down! Children Crossing.

As many know parenting is not just a verb - more like a proper noun for Kelven and me. It describes us 95% of the time.

Picture yourself driving along downtown Ballard looking at the cute little shops and enjoying the 23 coffee shops in a 1/2 mile radius. Sitting at a red light, you wonder how serendipity could possibly be more present in your life because well, it couldn't. Your child is laughing in her car seat, loving life, which in turn reminds you what a wonderful parent you really are. You turn your head to the right because out of the corner of your eye you notice something wrong. Something terribly wrong. A woman is dragging her toddler by the arm across a crosswalk! You think to yourself, "I would never treat my child that way," and glance back at your adorable child in the rear view mirror all the while holding back the disgust you have for the woman on the street.

Now picture me. It was a great day to take Jada on a walk. She loves all that she sees, the birds, dogs, kids, rocks, benches, brick roads, lights, etc. But just as all walks begin they must come to an end. So, we turn around to walk back to the car. Jada, however, notices the kink I've put in her groove. She was clearly heading west for a reason. In her head the eastern route wasn't scheduled for another 20 miles, but she hesitantly goes along because I come up with a huge distraction, the crosswalk light that changes color. We wait patiently until the white walk light flashes and we walk across the street. Jada is given the choice of holding my hand or having me pick her up to walk across the street. Either way she knows she cannot walk in a street without somehow physically touching me.



The fascinating aspect of parenting often becomes apparent just as you are humiliated, self conscious, and glistening like a woman body builder during the national title because of the beads of sweat that have taken over the entire surface area of your body. Then you start wondering when your parent instincts transformed into those of a chimpanzee mother of seven.

In the middle of the crosswalk and street, Jada decides this is the time to lose it. She lets her body go completely limp. Completely blindsided, I find myself in a crippling situation. With a Starbucks coffee in one hand and a dead weight daughter trying to squeeze her hand away from my other hand, I make a split second decision to save my coffee AND drag my toddler across the crosswalk. Then, once we reach the sidewalk she tries to run! My sweet little rule-following Jada is one month away from two and has officially decided to open her parents' eyes to a whole new world.

To spare you the stress of the rest of the story I end up carrying her by the waist for two blocks as she screams and kicks with many parents on the street smiling as if saying "been there" which is a comfort to me. We both had (cold) coffee on our clothes, but damn it I wasn't about to lose my Starbucks! I am actually proud of how calm I stayed because I know my job is to teach my children how to handle their emotions by setting an example, but this is not going to be easy! Fortunately, I know that laughter is the best medicine for me...

Split Lip

Our poor little Jada split her lip open two nights ago. She begs us to chase her around the house, which we love to do because watching her tiny body take those corners is hilarious. And her hair just bops up and down like crazy. It might be the cutest thing we've ever seen...biased? Well, I was chasing her on this particular night and I saw one of her legs clip the other one and she went down right on her face. I didn't realize she was bleeding until after she was in my arms for awhile. The split wasn't too deep, but the bleeding took a good half hour to stop and boy was that lip puffy. It took her awhile to calm down. I gave her a popsicle and then a wet towel to suck on. She sat on my lap for a couple hours watching "carcoons" on tv. She's all better now, but I have to post pics of her first real injury.

Holiday Break

Christmas was wonderful this year, despite previous worries wondering how to fit everyone in and be able to start a few of our own traditions at home. Jada loved the Christmas music, Santa, and playing with her family. She somehow got through the exhaustion better than mom and dad. Thank goodness for grandparents and all their energy and love for her. Kelven and I definitely had a chance to sit down and relax. Thank you to our loving and understanding family for making the holidays so special. We love you very much.



Jada was not a fan of the snow. Walking was okay until she looked down and noticed a big chunk on her nice black and pink boots, then the tears began. We'll try again next year.



The pregnancy is going very well. I am now 17 weeks and feeling much better in the second trimester. We will find out if the baby is a he or she by the end of the month. Despite the headaches and nausea, I love being pregnant. Kids have always been a great love of mine and just knowing there is another one brewing in my belly gives us so much joy, mainly because our next child will undoubtedly give us a whole new perspective on life, just as Jada has.

Another rant...sorry I am just feeling blessed this morning.

I love my friends. They are the funniest, most supportive and beautiful people I know. Regardless of the stages of life we strive or struggle through, in the end I know they'd do anything for me and I gladly will do the same. I cannot imagine my children going through life without these types of solid friendships to share successes, shed tears, and just be themselves. Each of you have influenced my life in so many ways and I am so thankful for all of you. You know who you are.