OUR DANCING DIVA TURNS ONE!!

Brielle is my April Fool's baby--born April 1st at 1:01 p.m. I absolutely LOVE that I have an April Fools Girl!! So Wednesday, April 1, we celebrated with a birthday party. I have to tell you, I so enjoyed planning and preparing for her special day. I decided early on that I wanted to make her a tutu and with the help of my talented friend Kamee, we made we the most adorable multi-colored pink tutu. Her colors were pink, black, and silver and her theme was 'Dancing Diva.' I could not bring myself to incorporate any TV or Disney characters into her birthday party because she just has not shown any real interest in any yet; however, she absolutely loves to dance!!! Her favorite part of every afternoon is when I break out the little floor radio and let her turn it on and control the volume. She likes the volume as loud as it can go and she goes to town with moves that even I envy. She giggles and squeals every now and then to let me know she is pretty pleased with herself! ADORABLE!!

I decided to split her birthday party into two parts--a play date with my girl friends and their kids in the afternoon and family in the evening. When all of my friends and the kids had arrived, I woke Brielle from her nap only to discover she was running a fever and feeling miserable. I was heart broken! Of all the days for her to get sick and without any kind of warning!! She wouldn't let me leave her sight and I spent most of the party trying to make her comfortable and happy. It wasn't until most of the group had gone and only a couple of my girl friends remained that she finally perked up. To my relief she started to play along with the three little ones that were still here and we were able to salvage what was left of the afternoon. All in all, it turned out pretty good. Thanks so much to all who came and for the fun new toys, books, and adorable clothes!!

In between parties I put Brielle down for another much needed nap and got things cleaned and ready for round two. I was so relieved to find my Elle-May quite the different little girl when she woke up. She let me dress her in her adorable tutu and waved to all the fam when I brought her out for her birthday debut. The night was so much fun! I loved having all of my family packed into my kitchen, dining room and living room. This was the large family get together that we have ever hosted, and I was a bit nervous about our small quarters. But it was GREAT!

Thanks to all of Brielle's aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends for making her first birthday special ;)

I made an attempt to put the pictures I have posted in some kind of an order, but all my efforts were wasted because they still ended up all over the place. SORRY. But hey, enjoy none-the-less ;)



This was my favorite pic of my sweet birthday girl enjoying her cake. You really should click on it to blow it up--WAY better bigger! She was a little bit timid at first until she discovered that all the little candies on the cake tasted like nothing she had ever had before. And to make it better mom and dad were not stopping her!

Like I said a little timid, shy. But she eventually caught the hang of it.

Miss Elle-May feeding her birthday cake to yours truly. This picture was taken at the friend party. Great shot Suikim--Thanks!

Pictured is Cydni with her little boy Hayden and Cilla with her son Carson. I have to take just a second and highlight the birthday banner hanging in back. It was my first attempt at anything like this and even though I spent way to much time on it, it turned out adorable!! I love that now I have something special to hang up for Brielle's birthday every year.

This is Brittnee with her two little girls, Abby and Aisha; Camee and her daughter Cavery; and Hayden and Carson again.

A cute shot of everyone enjoying the birthday cake.

And another . . .

Okay--this one is a little out of order. That morning Ryan and I got up early to decorate Brielle's cake. We had decided very early on that the perfect cake would be a pink, girly boom box because Brielle loves to shake her stuff while standing over my radio. I really can't take much credit for this adorable little masterpiece because Ryan did the majority of the work.

Brielle, I included this picture for you so that you will know how much your daddy loves you and wants so badly to be a part of your special days. He was so careful to make sure everything was absolutely perfect!!

Poor sick thing looks ready to puke!

This was the best picture that I got of her in her birthday get up. Her tutu looked adorable (Thanks again Kamee) and I found some leggins that matched perfectly. To top of her outfit, Cilla made her two of the cutest hair bows ever--Thanks Cilla!

All the fam gather 'round to watch Brielle open her gifts. From left to right is Ashely (sister), Amber and Jon (sister & bro-in-law), Jake, Katie, and Kinnley (Brother, sis-in-law, and niece), and Dad. Not pictured was Brittnie and Ryan (sis and bro-in law) and many of the nieces and nephews.

Sitting pretty while we all sang 'Happy Birthday.'

I Love you sweet girl!! Happy number one ;)

SUGAR & SPICE . . .

AND all that's NICE . . . .

That's what LITTLE GIRLS are made of!! Yep, ultra sound showed we are expecting another baby girl--FUN! I guess my so called 'mother's intuition' was malfunctioning this time because I was quite confident it was a boy. A large part of me was hoping it was a girl though because she and Brielle will only be 16 months apart.

I LOVED this picture of her little foot. Precious ;)

We have decided to go with the Rigby Birthing Center for this pregnancy. And even though I took the Bradley Method birthing classes just before Brielle was born, I am going to start again this Wednesday. I know what natural child birth is like, but there is something about those classes that really builds my self-confidence and creates a special bond with this sweet baby growing in me. The women who teaches the classes (along with her husband) also acted as my Douala for Brielle's birth. She is now making my transition into the birthing center even easier because she is training as a mid-wife there.

It is still hard for me to believe that I am 21 weeks pregnant because my Elle-May (Brielle) is still such a BABY! And it doesn't help that this pregnancy is flying by!! To be quite honest, I am little scared. But I am also so, so excited to have another little one for Brielle's sake. Sometimes she just gets so lonely.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone

I just about let St. Patrick's Day come and go without doing anything special to celebrate it. But thanks to my mom, Brielle got a little taste of green and some new scenery for the afternoon. Grandma always goes the extra mile to make every holiday special for everyone and St. Patrick's Day is no exception. She starts out by taking all the grandkids on a leprechaun hunt outside where the kids find little golden nugget treasures that the little green men have left behind. Brielle and I were a bit late getting there so we missed the hunt this year. Then she breaks out crafts, movies, stories, and all kinds of good things to eat. She really is the kind of grandma every child dreams of --thanks mom!

I attempted to get a picture of Brielle and Kinnley, who is Brielle's closest cousin in age. But Kinnley was more interested in figuring out if Brielle was real or fake. Check out the way she is poking at her cheek. Too cute!

My sweet girl surrounded by her aunt Amber (Brielle's second mom) and aunt Katie (Kinnley's mom). Ah, precious moments.

Need an idea for some cheap fun? My Ryan is an expert in this area! Our canister vacuum sits on wheels so my ingenious husband removed the main vacuum part, set the highchair tray atop, and walla--instant rolling fun for Brielle!!

I had to include this picture because what you are seeing is a huge milestone for all of us. Brielle has graduated to a forward facing car seat. She was looking a bit ridiculous in the infant seat, but truth be told, I was reluctant to move her up because how I have loved sneaking through the drive thru's and enjoying my greasy fries and sinfully delicious shakes all by myself. Gone are those days because now she is a witness to everything I do (and a participant in everything I eat). I have to admit I love being able to interact with her while I drive down the road or watch her wave her little arm to the music on the radio.

Ryan's dad, Leland, sent a happy belated valentines package. It was filled with sweet treats that Brielle has never had the pleasure of trying. As you can tell, she was very cautious and timid about the whole experience. OR NOT! Thanks Grandpa!

JUST FOR MY HUBBY

My living room is covered in toys. There is a LARGE pile of clothes sitting on my couch apparently not folding itself. The dinner dishes are only partially cleared. And Brielle is laying in bed repeating “da-da” rather than sleeping. And yet, I am blogging. But I feel extremely justified in my reasons. On Tuesday my hubby had a birthday and turned to big Three O. There was no time in the day for fun and celebration because he started work at 5:30 am and got home around 11:30pm. In hopes of making it kind of special, Brielle and I made him a card and baked him some super-duper delicious brownies. The three of us had big plans of slipping away for the weekend and celebrating his birthday in Boise, but just our luck Brielle got sick and Ryan is flying solo in Boise for the next few days. SAD! So babe, I hope you are having a good time, but hurry home because your girls are missing you

Brielle is making her best attempt to use this marker and tell dad "happy Birthday." When all was said and done, her hands and feet were covered in a beautiful mixture of color!

I have never been very vocal about how much I care about Ryan. He is such a hard worker and ensures that life for Brielle and me is very comfortable. He has such a drive and determination about him to succeed and he takes so much pride in everything he does. I am so proud to let others know that I am Ryan Foster's wife! I can't believe how much our relationship has grown since Brielle's birth. I always hoped the man I married would be a good dad, but good does not begin to describe the kind of father Ryan is. I don' t know many men who will stay up all night with there little girl when she is sick only to go to work at 5:30am; or change her diaper and make a bottle every morning so mom can stay in bed a little longer; or (my personal favorite) take his pride and joy out for a daddy-daughter ball game night while mom stays home and gets some much needed work done. Yep ladies, I caught a great one!!

Last weekend, one of Ryan's wholesalers put on a plumbing convention in Seattle. They flew us out, put us up in an awesome hotel, and took us out to an amazing dinner. We got the royal treatment! It was the first time I had ever spent a night away from Brielle and I missed her like crazy, but I loved having some alone time with Ryan. I love Brielle to death, but I have to admit sometimes it is hard to share him!

We spent a couple hours at the convention then set out with a group of six others to see a part of Seattle that many don't even know exists. We went on the underground tour of what was once the original Seattle. After a fire destroyed much of the main town area, they simply built over the top of the first floors of the buildings. It was so different than what I had expected!

Hard to explain what is pictured here, but we are standing under the existing sidewalks in downtown Seattle and you are looking at the original first floor of the building.

This toilet is one of the firsts and it's real name is 'the crapper' named after Thomas Crapper (I think). Ryan had to have a picture in front of an original 'crapper'. Um, plumbing thing, or guy thing?

I had to throw in a couple of pics of daddy and his little girl. A couple weeks ago we went down to Inkom with my family and Brielle experienced her first sled ride down the mountain.

Which one is enjoying the ball game more? Ryan and the crew we sit with always get the seats right on the floor and Brielle is Shelley's most enthusiastic cheer leader! These are special moments for Ryan when he gets to watch his baby girl get as excited about basketball as he is!!

Baby News!!

This is my second post today, but I feel like this news deserves its very own. I'm pregnant! Okay, so I know that this news does not come as a surprise to many of you, but this is my official blog announcement. Yay! I'm a little over 16 weeks along (I think :) and how many times have I been to the doctor you ask? Once!! I am still debating as to whether I want to deliver at the hospital again with a doctor and a doula, or go to the birthing center in Rigby and use the mid-wives. One thing is for sure, I am freaking myself out because this pregnancy is going SOOO fast. I have a feeling it is a boy but only because I have been way more sick this time and getting fat way faster. Ryan thinks it is a boy because according to him I am mean this time. Sad! So what is it ladies, do boys really have these affects on us?

I finally got brave and chopped my hair again the other day. My hair seems to be the outward declaration of any big change in my life. I went lighter rather than doing my normal dark color and I am really happy with it! Ryan was all for me going boy short and bleaching it blond, but come month 8 my face will balloon up and I would rather not have any hair to hide it! I apologize for the awkward picture--there is a feeling of embarrassment turning the lens on only yourself ;)

February Hugh?

Yep, I know Christmas is ancient news, but being that it was Brielle's FIRST CHRISTMAS I have to write a little blurb. Opening her presents was an event that was stretched across three days. Not because Santa brought a ton or anything, but she was content to open one or two and then had the time of her life exploring those. I felt too bad taking her things away and trying to divert her attention to something else. So we let her go at her own pace.

Since my last post in December (ugh, really not very good that this) Brielle is now crawling at the speed of light and walking along anything that can support her weight. Speaking of weight, my little chunk is around 21 lbs and we are reminded of this anytime someone picks her up. She doesn't look overweight, she is just a solid little girl. She is quite the gabber and I can't wait to understand all the exciting / funny things she is telling me all about. Her favorite word is "dadda" followed by "babba." And yes I am a little disappointed that "mamma" hasn't quite found its way into her vocabulary yet! She is proving to be a very talented entertainer. If she wants to be part of the conversations taking place around her, she just squishes up her face and does this adorable squeaky, fake laugh. That does the trick--immediately Brielle becomes the center of attention.

Not Just One . . . But Three!

Our family is packing a little extra around the middle area these days. Thanksgiving began one week early with a glorious trip to the Oregon Coast. We spent the weekend at a HUGE beach house in Lincoln city celebrating the up-coming Holiday with Ryan's fam. Ryan, Brielle, and I got totally spoiled with the best room (or should I say suite) in the whole house--complete with a king size bed, jetted tub, personal TV, and Ocean view balcony. There are some awesome perks to having a baby and a wonderful Grandma who none-stop spoils!!


We are just taking off from the IF airport in this pic and Brielle was super fascinated with the quick changing view out her window.

Can you believe that she has been on 15 flights already?!

Our first night at the beach and Brielle is ready to get the party started!! SO this is the BEFORE picture . . . . . . . .

And this is the AFTER . . . . . . . . If you look closely her shirt says "Let's party in my room 2:00 am Bring your own bottle" A gift from Grandma Maureen picked up in Vegas.

Some football fun with Aunt Amy!

I was excited to introduce Brielle to the beach and the beautiful Ocean. I have always said I was born in the wrong state--I was supposed to grow up next to a warm beach. Maybe my dream of owning my own island will come true some day!

This is the view from our balcony. What a precious shot of the two of 'em hugh


We spent Thanksgiving day at my Grandma Bowman's house where we ate yet again of course.

After stuffing our faces we all went around and said what we are thankful for. I have to share with you what my Grandma Patterson said because I intend to make it into a bumper sticker and make my millions :) As she was expressing her love for my Grandpa she told us, "In all my years of marriage I've never considered divorce--murder maybe--but never divorce." My Grams should have been a stand up comedian. I would have paid good money to see her!

We caught Grandma eating hot chocolate from the package. This is her coaxing Grandpa into "just a bite." I missed the After pic of the face he pulled when he gave in--Oh it was PRICELESS!

A four-generation shot. Grandma Bowman, my mom, me, and my Bri-baby.

Our third and final Thanksgiving celebration was spent at Amber's home (Brielle's other home, or so she thinks). I am sad to say I only took a handful of pics there so I need to get better about breaking out my camera when we are with my family.

Thanks for some awesome Thanksgiving memories EVERYONE!!!