It is true, my baby is now a toddler.

Jade started "Walking" Friday night. She has taken a few steps here and there, but Friday night she began walking back and forth between JB and me, while we were at a friends house.

Saturday night she walked even further for a much longer period of time. Last night she continued her "Walking" trend. She still prefers to crawl (much faster)...but she can walk now! Hurray for Jade!

What Jade was going to wear on Easter

Since we all had colds for Easter, and didn't attend church last Sunday. So this Sunday I dressed her up for church in her Easter dress. After I did, she went off to play with Daddy while I got ready for church. A little while later Daddy and Jade came down to show me the "finishing touches" Jade added to her outfit.She was very proud of her long string of beads that she proudly put around her neck.
Here she is trying to remove her new shoes.
Sorry the pictures are so dark, it was a gloomy day and I guess I didn't use the flash.

A snowfall in March

Because Washington weather likes to be tricky, we had a lovely snowfall today. Jade LOVED it. I felt bad she couldn't play out in the snow very long, since she doesn't own snow boots and her soft soled shoes got wet almost instantly. But we got some snow play in regardless:)

Some days I love being a Mom (well, more so then other days)

Hello my friends reading this blog. Today is such a happy day. Jade is being an ANGEL! Granted, she is pretty near perfect normally...but today she is being extra amazing!

Ahem. First off, we started off our morning with a crisp (or brisk?) bike ride to the gym, where all the women gushed over how adorable she looked in her baby bike helmet. I think Jade is loving the bike rides, her tiny helmet clinks to the sides as we sway along. I can even hear her humming back there, humming along in her own baby way. *sigh* So cute!

She took her morning nap for exactly 2hours, then she happily ate her snack and then lunch with Mommy while watching reruns on tv. After lunch we folded clothes together. There is nothing sweeter then having your little daughter help you with house chores:)

Scene: Mommy folding shirts, Jade grabbing shirts and holding them up for Mommy to fold. Close scene.

Anyway, after laundry we played upstairs for a bit, reading, building, checking emails, more reading, some walking around...etc. Before I knew it the afternoon was here and it was time for Jade's nap. She went right to bed.

So here I am, typing about how easy and wonderful my life is today. And hoping to make those of you having a rough day terribly jealous. I am not a mean person, I am just so happy everything is going so wonderfully today and that my daughter isn't being fussy or difficult at all!

The other night (or a few nights ago). Jade woke up coughing. She was upset and fitful. I went up to her room and rocked her to sleep in my arms. It was the middle of the night and JB was asleep and the house was perfectly quiet. Just me and my baby and the sound of her heavy breathing on my chest. She was so precious, so tiny, so helpless. For the whole 10-20min we sat there rocking I did my best to soak in the moment and implant forever on my memory how wonderful it is to be a Mother and offer a small amount of comfort to a tiny child.
The nights following there was a small part of me that hoped Jade would wake up again and need Mommy to come hold her. Alas, and thankfully, she was feeling much better and no such luck passed my way. I know I have years ahead full of sleepless nights and wonderful moments like these. I feel so lucky and so blessed to be a Mom. Even more lucky and blessed when I have fabulous days like these.

A few pics from Jade's Easter Egg Hunt

Jade wasn't feeling all that well for Easter Church. So we decided to stay home in the rainy weather and just enjoy a quite little Easter as a family.

Jade liked the Easter egg hunt inside. However, after only finding one she seemed to be finished. She liked to shake the fake egg and open it apart.
After much convincing and physically moving her to show her more eggs, she finally got into the searching for more eggs.
Dad did have to help her a bit to find them. Mom hid them in hard places like...on top of the ottoman.
After all the eggs were found she was back with her basket happily shaking her finds!
She didn't even seem to care about the goodies hidden inside, just the fact the eggs rattled when she would shake them.

Yesterday was...

...Our two year Anniversary! Woohoo! Hurray for us! Last night we attended EFF's "Flunked"
movie premier. I had lots of fun there, first...we got to go to Seattle, which I love. We had a quick little dinner, just the two of us, then we got to help out at the registration table while hundreds of people piled into the theater. Then, after the show, we got to help pass out "Flunked" mugs. Which was my personal favorite part. I like giving free gifts away to people:) Anyway, to top off our fabulous Anniversary celebrations we'll be going on a Caribbean cruise in early May. I love it when celebrations are stretched out:)

Sometimes you just need a grilled cheese

I know by now I should be use to the rain and shouldn't care or worry that it's raining again. After all...it didn't rain yesterday (or...not when I needed to be out) and the day before I think I was in the garden (er...area that I hope to turn into a garden). So why is it when the rain comes down I think "Not another rainy day!". Sometimes you just need a grill cheese to make you happy. On rainy days that is what I want, a nice, crispy, cheesy, delicious grilled cheese. Yum! It's not yet lunch time, but those are my lunch time plans.

I painted a wall in our family room/loft on Sunday and today I'm painting the other wall. So fun! It's a sage green color. You should come over and see it. And when I say "you" I mean who ever is reading this that lives near by and wants to come visit me:) Or who lives far away and wants to come visit me. If you come I'll make brownies. I LOVE brownies!

Yesterday Jade and I went on our first official bike ride together. I wish I had a pic, Jade was so cute bopping around behind me and humming to herself. Her little helmeted head I could hear lightly tap one side of the baby bike seat and when I'd turn it would tap the other. I'm sure we made quite the pair.
I had high hopes of biking today with her again...we were gonna go to the gym together. Alas...the rain has thwarted my plans and I am left to mull over a grilled cheese and the smell of paint.

In happier news I was shopping online today for some fancy new swim wear for our cruise trip in May. Hurray for me! I think I found what I wanted...and on super, duper sale! I'm so excited! It's ordered, I'll try it on and see if it is what I have always dreamed of. *grin* And if not, I'll probably have to type another blog post and eat some grilled cheese.

Nate's Layover

Nate had been in Alaska all last week visiting with GJ and Vicka . He had a fabulous time:) On his way home, however, he had a two hour layover in Seattle. So Jade and I drove up to see him on Monday morning. Jade was in a great mood to start. Eating her crackers and listening to Nate and I chat...
...but then she got tired and wanted to leave. And there was no way she was gonna let Nate touch her.
Bad Jade. After an hour and half we said farewell to Nate and headed back home. To bad we couldn't have taken him shopping in Seattle. That would have been fun!

Jade and her balloon

Jade and her new blocks

Jade got a new set of blocks from her friend Kristen. She loves to play with them, stack them and knock them down. But this evening she realized...she could also carry them with her wherever she goes. So right now, she is walking with Daddy around the house holding her learning briefcase.