My Favorite Things: November

1. Thanksgiving! How can this not be on my list. I loved having family in town. Having so many people around to watch Ben meant lots of lovely breaks for me! We ate delicious food- my favorite is pumpkin bread made by moi, we watched movies and football, we talked. I remembered back to last Thanksgiving spent with best friends and me on the couch. While I miss Christine and Rob so much, Thanksgiving is definitely made to spend with family!

2. Nate got a job! He's working hard and doing well however I must say that Ben and I miss having him around!

3. Pictures, pictures and more pictures. I had a great time taking lots of pictures this month. Ben's 9 month pictures, sweet baby Riley, and a family Christmas shoot for a friend. Such great practice and I feel like I'm getting better each time.

4. Ben found out he's getting a new cousin! We can't wait to meet little baby Geis this summer!

5. Duck football. I'm pretty sure that nothing more needs to be said.

6. Christmas decor. Yes, Christmas should probably be saved for December but I love to stretch the holidays as long as possible. I use to be all about beautiful white lights and classy Christmas decor but this year I say bring on the tacky! I love seeing the look on Ben's face when he sees sparkly and colorful Christmas decor. This season will definitely been seen through the eyes of a child and I can't wait!

My Favorite Things: October

1. Nate and I took Ben to our favorite pumpkin patch (The Pumpkin Patch). Another bonus to being unemployed is being able to hit the patch during the week when practically no one is there. We played on the hay bales, saw the animals, picked pumpkins and bought tons of fresh food. Ben loved it!

2. Ben and I had a few playdates with friends. Ben definitely misses his Texas friends but is loving hanging out with Maya, Brayden and Anna (and I really love seeing all my friends again).

3. Ben finally learned to crawl! Just last week (at almost 9 months) our very laid back baby finally took off. He still takes it slow (which makes his parents very happy) but he's getting around and loving it!

4. We've been enjoying tons of Duck football! The Ducks are having a great season and it's been a blast watching the games in true Oregon style.

5. I've been working my big old 4 hours a week! It's been a great learning experience already and I love the adult time. I've also taken pictures for my friend's son's 1st birthday and for my sisters. Next week I'm doing a newborn shoot as well!

6. Tonight was our first of many years of trick-or-treating. Sadly Ben received no candy (people asked me if he wanted some and what was I supposed to say: "He doesn't but his mom sure does.") We enjoyed ourselves despite no candy. It was definitely one of those crazy parenting moments where I realized that I was taking my child trick-or-treating.

My Favorite Things: Summer Edition

Technically we still have 3 weeks left of summer but who really counts these last three weeks as summer. School is about to start, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are on the menu at Starbucks and it's currently a lovely 62 degrees outside (a far cry from the 100+ temperatures of early summer).

Here are some of our favorites of the last two months.

1. We celebrated many birthdays. My two sisters, a nephew, my forever friend Becky, a cousin, a sister-in-law, and me all are born in the summer.

2. We drove the hour and a half to the beach twice. It was gorgeous and has to be the most beautiful beach I've ever seen (and I've been to Hawaii many times).

3. Ben, Nate and I spent a week with the family at Black Butte Ranch where my parents have a cabin. We swam, rode bikes, walked, drank milkshakes and went to the fish hatchery. Ben loved the time with his cousins and loved Black Butte!

4. Design Star and Project Runway started!

5. In baby related news, Ben started solid foods (which he loves), can sit up, reaches for his mommy and sleeps all night (almost every night) in his crib.

6. We were finally able to spend time with all our family and friends back in our home state! There is so much to do when you actually know more than 3 people where you live!

My Favorite Things: May

1. My mom came to visit! Nate and I were having a little trouble (understatement) getting the house ready to sell with Ben hanging around (which he tends to do). Mama Wolcott flew out to help clean the house and spend some time with her newest grandson. Even with all the work we had a bunch of fun!

Sadly this is the only picture I took of Ben and his Gigi.

2. Nate and Cooper celebrated birthdays (their 29th and 4th respectively) and Ben celebrated his 3 month birthday! We celebrated by putting our house on the market and eating out at Nate's favorite birthday spot, Red Robin.

3. We put our house on the market. This is actually quite sad but we are really looking forward to actually selling it! 

4. I celebrated my first Mother's Day. We had a low key day but it was great to celebrate being a mom. A lot of things are uncertain right now but I know for sure that I was meant to be a mom. There is nothing better!

4. We drove up to Dallas (the real Texas). Ben was awesome in the car and we had a great time with our friends, Shay, Tomas, and Beckham. We were attacked by mosquitos the size of humming birds and spent some serious time in the heat. Ben learned a lot from Beckham (he's bilingual and sucks his feet at just 7 months). 

5. The Bachelorette and SYTYCD (So You Think Your Can Dance for all you non-fans out there) started! Nothing like some good trashy reality TV to get you through the summer!

My Favorite Things: April

This month made us its B**ch. It was full of ups and downs and therefore I'm not going to do my usual favorite things. One thing did stand out however. Our trip to Oregon to introduce Ben to everyone. It was fantastic and so good to be home. I have a few stories from our travels that will be posted soon (and many pictures). 

Here's to hoping that May is a much better month!

My Favorite Things: March

1. My sister, Karley, came to visit. I seriously have the best sisters ever. Karley left her own 3 kids to come visit for 4 days. We had a great time relaxing, visiting with one of Karley's sorority sisters (actually mine as well). Ben loved his aunt and can't wait to see her next week (and meet his cousins)!

2. Nate and I celebrated out 6 year anniversary on March 11th. We brought the house down with a romantic dinner of Quiznos. Yes, we are that romantic! We celebrated again the next night with a more romantic dinner (con Bennett).

3. Ben got to meet his Gramma and Grandpa Lyons. We loved snuggling with them and talking to them (he's becoming quite the talker). 

4. Ben also got to meet his Auntie Suz (Nate's sister). We had a great time eating out, visiting the Alamo and touring the Riverwalk.

5. March was my first full month off of bedrest (since October). It's been a slow recovery and Ben, Cooper and I are talking many walks to build back some muscle tone! 

6. We have been enjoying American Idol and love watching the top 13. No favorites yet though!

These are a few of my favorite things (Part II)

1. Ben's Boppy Newborn Lounger. My friend, Lauren, gave us this. Ben loves to lie on it and it helps me be able to get thing done (including shower).

2. The E*TRADE commercials with the talking babies. My favorite is the one where the baby sings The Book of Love. I like to drive Nate crazy by singing that song to him. I'm not sure why he hates it (with my American Idol voice).

3. Complex 15 face lotion. I use to think this was such a splurge (it costs about $8.50). I have used this stuff since high school and it is just as awesome as it was back then. It is made with a lot of water and is on the thin side. My face just sucks it up! 

4. My camera. I'm still learning how to use it, but it takes great pictures on it's own. Even I can't mess it up!

5. The Oball. Here at Casa de Lyons (that's Spanish) we call these Wonka balls. Cooper goes crazy for them and they are less expensive than most poor quality dog toys. Good luck finding them because we may have just bought the entire stock!

My Favorite Things: February

February 2009 has been one of the most eventful of my life. Here are some of my favorite things.

1. Obviously, my son was born on the 6th. You can read all about his birth here. Right now the little guy is curled up on my chest (making typing a little difficult). Bennett is the best baby ever. While my pregnancy wasn't the easiest or the most fun, it was worth it a million times over. It's crazy to think that little Ben should still be cooking for a few more days (he was due March 3rd).

2. My mom was able to be here for her grandson's birth. She was actually on her way to San Antonio to hang out with me while on bedrest when I went into labor! We called her on the way to the hospital while she was enjoying her layover in Denver. That was a fun call to make! I didn't realize how important it would be for me to have my mom with me while in labor. She was also in the room for the delivery! It couldn't have worked out any better.

3. Nate and I have spent the last few weeks getting to know our son. He looks like his daddy. He loves to sleep like his mommy. He loves Cooper and is great on his own. He enjoys his newborn lounger, bouncy seat and swing. He makes the best faces. Nate is able to calm him down if he gets upset (which is rare). I don't think either of us realized how in love with this little guy we would be. He is the best and has made our family complete.

4. My dad came to visit! He was able to meet his 6th grandchild and helped us out around the house (being on bedrest for the last 3 months, our house needed a lot of help). It was so fun to see our little man with his Gigi and Papa!

4. Megan and Makena came to visit us! We had such a great time and it was so fun to see the cousins together. Makena loved Ben and he loved watching her. We went shopping and relaxed. It was so great to have family in town. I always have such a hard time saying goodbye.

March is going to be a great month too! Ben gets to meet his aunt Karley this weekend. His grandparents are coming later in March as well. We can't wait to see what happens next!

My Favorite Things: January

It's been awhile. Life is pretty boring from the couch so there isn't much to say! Here's a quick update of my favorite things in January. There isn't much sadly (as I haven't been doing much)!

1. I'm still pregnant! Three months ago, when I was put on bedrest, I never thought I would make it to February. 

2. Sorry, this one is gross, but I didn't throw up all month! It's the first month since July that I haven't! That's not to say that I haven't felt sick but it's an improvement.

3. The Bachelor started. I'm not usually a big Bachelor fan (I don't think I've watched since Andrew Firestone), but with a lack of things to do, I'm hooked! I love that he loves brunettes and my favorites are Jillian and Melissa. I know most people love Molly, but she drives me crazy! 

4. Nate snuck me out of the house last Thursday night for dinner out. It was so great to get out of the house and go somewhere besides the doctor's office!

Those are about all the highlights I have! 

Things to look forward to this month: 

• My mom is coming into town this Thursday.
• I will have my baby within the next 2 weeks.
• No more bedrest after the baby is born!
• Megan and Makena (my sister and niece) are coming to visit at the end of the month.

My Favorite Things: December

I've decide to make my (short) list today and recap the year tomorrow! I really am loving life right now. It's just a little lacking in the excitement area. In no particular order....

1. Christmas decorations are everywhere! Nate decorated our house this year (while I advised him from the couch). He put all the decorations in the great room so I could enjoy them all while I bed rest it. It definitely makes bed rest more enjoyable when you have a bunch of Christmas reminders to look at!

2. I continue to receive many wonderful things from friends and family to keep me occupied! I've read so many books and magazines, spent hours on the phone and played endless games of catch with Cooper.

3. I bought myself a photography book and am kind of starting to understand my camera. Thanks to sister-in-law, Suzanne, I now also have a photography DVD to watch. I will be an awesome photographer before this baby is born!

4. I got to see the little (big) man twice on the big screen. 

5. My absolute favorite thing was having my parents here for Christmas (more on Christmas to come, I promise). I always knew I was their favorite, but the fact that they drove to Sacramento just to fly out here (due to snow and airport problems in P-town) to see us solidified that fact. My parents are the best! We made an awesome Christmas Eve dinner, spent a leisurely day opening gifts and spending time together. It was hard to be away from my sisters and their families, but having my parents here made it awesome!

6. Christmas ('nuff said).

I promise I will update with some highlights of Christmas (and my very unique gifts courtesy of Nate) and nursery pictures (courtesy of my parents' hard work) asap. It's hard to get myself off the couch to take pictures! 

What did you all love about December? 

 

My Favorite Things: November

1. My mom came to visit earlier this month! We spent most of the time she was here decorating the nursery. We painted and put together furniture. It looks really good! Not only did we get to decorate (which we both love to do) but we got to spend time together too. We went to the outlet mall, out to dinner, cooked, and watched movies. It was so relaxing and I always love spending time with my mom! I will be sure to post nursery pictures soon!

2. This month Nate and I got to meet lots of little, new babies! We met babies Beckham, J.D, and Elise. They are all the sweetest things and have just made us more excited to meet our own little baby!

3. I have had a TON of me time this month. I've now been on bed rest for 2 1/2 weeks and have spent time reading, watching TV, sleeping, and internet shopping. While it's not always the easiest, I'm trying to enjoy myself and stay positive.

4. While being on couch arrest, my friends and family have kept me entertained and positive (see above). I think I spent more time on the phone with my mom and sisters than I have since I've lived in Texas. My great friends here have been over to visit and brought me magazines and things to keep me occupied. It really makes a girl feel good knowing her friends are there for her!

5. This past Thursday Nate and I hosted our first Thanksgiving. Much like the Indians (Native Americans) and the Pilgrims, we weren't quite sure what we were getting into. Nate did most of the work and turned out an awesome turkey! Christine and Rob made the traditional Thanksgiving baked ziti among other things! It was fun playing grown-ups and it was a very relaxing day!

6. The Ducks winning Civil War!

My favorite things: October

I saw this great idea on All Things G&D from blogger "D". Here are my favorite things about October!

1. Going back to Portland for a week. I got to hang with my family -especially my nieces and nephews. I saw Ellie play soccer- she is vicious! I got to spend time with my dad and help take care of him after his surgery. It's always great to spend time with my parents. I'm lucky like that! I was able to see 3 of my in-laws. We did some of my favorite Fall things! The Campbells took me along to the pumpkin patch. Afterwards we headed to my fav Mexican place in Oregon- Bandito Taco. It was cool enough to drink hot cider. I had dinner with some of my favorite friends! And possibly one of my favorite things was all the sandwiches and bagels I got to eat! I have been craving sandwiches like it's my job!

2. We found out that we are having a son!

3. I felt my baby move for the first time. Now it seems like he won't keep still! I love to feel him and hope that by the end of next month Nate will have felt him as well! It seems like anytime Nate gets near he stops moving. Frustrating!

4. It's finally cool enough to have the windows open at the house. It's so, so nice to have cool fresh air blowing through this place.

Stay tuned to see what makes the cut next month!