Isla's New Roomie

Isla has a new roommate this summer - cousin Krista! Isla has been having so much fun with Krista while she is living with us and doing her summer internship with St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration. It has been especially nice for Ryan and I to have an extra set of hands and eyes around the house. The first thing Isla says when she comes home is "What is Krista doing?" She can't wait to hang out with her cousin.

Isla and her new roomie:

We love having you here Krista! Thank you so much for all of your help.

Stanley

Last weekend Ryan, Isla, Hank and I headed up to Stanley, ID to do some rafting and hang out with friends. We rented a house with a bunch of people (I think there was a total of 24 adults and 11 kids!) and got to wake up to this beautiful view every morning:

The kiddos and parents eating breakfast on Saturday morning:I decided to pass on the rafting due to my size and how uncomfortable I am already and hang out with Isla on Saturday. We tried to go to Redfish lake, but it was a zoo and we couldn't find any parking. We had to settle for the river - but I think Isla and Hank still had a good time:

I really did a poor job of taking pictures on this trip. I think I was too busy chasing after Isla and making sure that Hank stuck around the house. I was able to get a picture of Isla's hair on Sunday morning - it was a complete rat's nest. I think this shows how hard she slept due to all of he fun she had:

Isla & Mom

Two weekends ago (I'm a little behind on my blogging) Ryan went fishing in Montana leaving Isla and me at home for a weekend of fun together. I have been looking forward to this weekend as the birth of Baby Boy is rapidly approaching (only 6 to 9 weeks left – eek!) and I only have a limited amount of time where it will just be Isla and I. It brings tears to my eyes that Isla no longer will be our only baby and I want to enjoy the time we have until Baby Boy makes his entrance into the world. We filled our weekend with trips to the Farmer’s Market, the park, and the Discovery Center. Isla loved the Discovery Center:

I had fun just watching her and listening to her as it had been a week since I had seen her (after our trip north for the Kenney wedding I had to fly out to Minneapolis for work). She has turned into our little myna bird and likes to repeat everything we say. She also likes to talk to her “Baby Brahder” as she calls him. She will pull up my shirt and point to my belly button and say “Hi Baby Brahder”, sometimes she will kiss my stomach and put her head on it to hug him before she pulls my shirt down and says “Bye Baby Brahder”. It really is the cutest thing to watch. Ryan caught her doing this with the camera earlier this week:

I’m not sure if telling her Baby Brother is in my belly really makes sense to her as she has pulled up her shirt and pointed to her belly saying “Isla’s Baby Brahder”. We may have totally confused this child and she now thinks everyone has a Baby Brother in their belly. Oh well.

As for the pregnancy, everything is progressing as normal, although I swear I am bigger at this time than I was with Isla. Ryan swears that I am the same size, but I think he is just saying that to be nice. It is hard to believe that I have only 6 to 9 weeks left. I would say physically I’m ready (seriously this second pregnancy seems a bit harder on the old bod than the first), but mentally I’m not. I still have a bunch of baby boy stuff I need to buy so we aren’t bringing him home in a pink outfit swaddled in a pink blanket!

This past weekend we went to Stanley with a bunch of friends and had the best time. I hope to update the blog in a couple days with pictures.

Kenney Wedding

Last weekend Ryan and I headed up north to Sandpoint for Rob and Sara's wedding and left Isla behind with Papa and Grandma GiGi. It was the first time I had been up to Sandpoint and I was blown away by how beautiful it was up there. I had a great time catching up with all my girlfriends, including the lovely Christina who flew in from Italy for the wedding. The best surprise of all during the weekend was Holly making the trip from Seattle with one week old Payton in tow. I don't know if I would have been able to make that trip only a week after having a baby (via C-section!), but Holly couldn't miss out on seeing Sara and Rob tie the knot. We are all so glad she came!

Thursday we got into Sandpoint in time for a massive thunder and lightening storm. The storm didn't stay around for too long and we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset at Sara's lake house they were renting:

On Friday the girls enjoyed some spa time before we headed up to the top of Schweitzer mountain for the wedding rehearsal. The girls on the way up the chair lift:

The beautiful bride-to-be at the rehearsal dinner:

Saturday, the day of the wedding, brought the arrival of Holly and baby Payton. Here is a picture of the new Mommies with their babes (Meagan, Callahan, Holly and Payton):

The weather was absolutely perfect for the wedding. Sara and Rob exchanging their vows at the top of the mountain - it was gorgeous:

The Bridesmaids at the bottom of the mountain for the reception:

Dancing with the bride. As you can see I was able to fit into my dress - I was a bit worried my belly was going to be a little too big:

The amazing sunset at the end of the day:
Congrats to Sara and Rob! Your wedding was absolutely beautiful and we had a great time.

Where did July go?

I can't believe my last post was for the Fourth of July! We have definitely been busy since then, I have just chosen to do other things than blog about it - sorry! The month of July finally brought summer and the heat with it. On one of these very hot days, Ryan and I were fortunate enough to have such great friends take us out on their boat on Lucky Peak. I have been craving the water for the past couple of weeks so this invitation was like a godsend to me. There is nothing like being near a body of water when you are pregnant and it is 90 plus degrees outside (Isla's kiddie pool does NOT count). This was Isla's first time on the boat and she wasn't that big of a fan. I think the life jacket had something to do with it. She also didn't like it when we jumped in the water. I'm really hoping she'll get over this as I love the water and want her to be able to enjoy it as well.

Here she is checking things out once we stopped the boat and her life jacket was able to come off:

Isla loves hanging out with Ryder and Payton:

Thank you so much to the Bordners for letting us hang out on the boat - you guys are the best!

4th of July

We headed up to Sun Valley for the long weekend to hang out with Grandma Connie, Papa Randy and Aunt Anna. We hadn't been up there in ages so it was good to get away and breath in some of that cool mountain air. We drove up on Friday afternoon in time to take Isla to her first rodeo:

She loved hanging out with her Dad and seeing the "hoarsees":

Then on Saturday morning Ryan and I got to go hike Proctor mountain with Anna while Connie watched Isla. Ryan and I (with my belly at 27 weeks) at the top:

One of my favorite views on the way down from the mountain:

For the rest of Saturday we hung out at Grandma Connie's and Papa Randy's house. Isla had fun playing in her new chair;

Watching Papa Randy chop wood;

And snuggling with Mom:

Isla got a special treat on Sunday morning by making sweet rolls with Grandma Connie:

Then we went down to the 4th of July parade in Hailey and met up with Aunt Anna and Robert:

Isla enjoying the parade:

Until she feel asleep on Papa Randy's lap:

On Sunday evening we had a BBQ at Grandma Connie and Papa Randy's with Aunt Anna. Isla got dressed up in her pretty 4th of July dress that GiGi bought her and played ring-around-the-rosie with Aunt Anna:

On Monday we came home and Isla got to try out her new bicycle trailer:

I have a feeling that she is going to be in this thing a lot this summer!

You know it’s summer time when . . .

your child looks like this:

My favorite things about Isla right now:

• The way she starts every sentence with “oh” (i.e. Oh Mama, Oh Daddy, Oh Papa, Oh Hanky, Oh Blankey).
• That her favorite book to read right now is “Frosty the Snowman” (mind you it is almost 100 degrees outside today).
• Her endless hugs. She will give a hug just about every time you ask her and they are the best. I hope they never stop coming.
• Her dancing. I think she got her Mom’s awesome dance moves. I so wish I could capture it on video to share with you all – maybe someday.
• Her wonderful sleeping habits. Because in about three months I won’t be getting any sleep.
• Her love of the outdoors. As longs as she is outside doing whatever (which is mostly playing in the dirt or writing with her sidewalk chalk) she is one happy little girl.
• Her daily updates from daycare ("Mason in trouble, Mason timeout. Morgan timeout"). Funny how her name never comes up when she gives us the daily timeout list.

We love you Miss Isla Bean and thank you so much for all the joy you bring into our lives!