It was nice and sunny outside today, so Jeff, Jay, and I went to the park!
Favorite picture ever. Man he’s cute.
Weeeee!!!
Jay must have touched every single puddle in the whole park
This slide was so long and steep, but Jay was determined to go down it. He tipped backwards and bumped his head, but that did not deter him from going back for a second ride! Little thrill-seeker
Nap time!
Jay is a joy. This little guy ROCKS! He understands SO much of what we say these days (even if he doesn’t say many intelligible words on his own). Here are a few cuties for you:
1. He loves going outside. One of the only words he says that makes sense is “ssshoooo” [shoe]—he loves his shoes because they let him go outside!
2. Jay’s favorite way to eat is all at once! He crams his mouth to bursting with nearly every bite. It’s nerve-wracking and kind of yucky to watch, but he has never choked (knock on wood…)
3. Jay loves his Aunt Melody. In church last Sunday, she sang in sacrament meeting with a big group of girls. About half way through the song, Jay suddenly perked up and pointed to Mel, who was standing in the front row. Then he proceeded to play peek-a-boo with her wearing this huge goofy grin. We were all cracking up, even Mel!
4. Speaking of church, we managed to teach Jay how to “fold” his arms.
5. Setting the table is another fun game.
6. This cheesy smile is new
7. Jay likes to clean up the road by picking up one leaf at a time and dropping it into the drain.
8. Jay falls and bangs his little body around all the time, and usually he’s pretty tough about it, but when the pain reaches a certain level, he comes and finds Mommy for comfort. (so sweet)
We are counting the days till next month, when Jay, Jeff, and I can all live together again under our own (ok, rented) roof!
Rose!!! We’re having a girl, and her name will be Rose Meri White. I had the big ultrasound today. I still can’t believe it—I wanted a girl, and it actually is a girl! How rare! This does explain why pregnancy has been so much worse this time around, thankfully. It’s nice to know that I’m just not more pathetic this time—it’s a girl thing!
After a battle with the scanner, I gave up and just took pictures of the pictures:
Hi, Mom! [can you see her hand waving up by her skull-face?]
Sorry to Rose, but here’s the proof that she’s a she!!!
She’s cute already! I love her sweet little nose and chin and… everything. We are sooooooo super duper mucho extra excited!!
My Mom is awesome. She invented a super-bib for Jay this week: she got a 4 pack of cheap towels and then threaded a shoelace through the top border to make a tie-on bib! Now we don’t have to strip Jay down to his skin at meal times. He can wear his clothes while he eats. Go Mom go!
[Jay’s new love is ping pong, if you can’t tell… he loves watching it and trying to play it and chasing ping pong balls, etc]
Check out these wild pants! I only packed SUMMER clothes for this summer because summer is usually HOT. Well, this year in Bellevue, tempeatures rarely made it over 70 degrees. SO, my clever Mom sewed up a pair of cozy fleece Wildpants for me! They are so warm. Now I don’t have to stay wrapped in a blanket all day! Fifty points to my Mom.
I can be something of a Ninjamom myself at times. While I now usually have the energy to change Jay’s diapers, my ultra-sensitive nose makes the experience nearly unbearable. So I invented my own smell-shield. Jay thinks I’m funny sometimes and weird other times… I guess I’d better get used to that!
Jay has some sweet skills too:
This is how I found Jay in his crib one morning last week.
Jay is such a little PERSON these days! I have slowly been returning to the land of the living, which means I actually manage to notice Jay’s cuteness again. He has noticed that I’m more… alert too, and I think he missed me! I was holding him the other day when all of a sudden, he got quiet and stared at me for a solid 5 seconds, like he was making sure it was really me playing with him! He has also started being quite affectionate. He gives hugs to all of his family at random, but seems to reserve his slobbery “kisses” mostly for me. Such a sweetie!
There was a White Family Cousins Reunion (a.k.a. Maggot Fest—it’s long story that I’m not sure I can really tell) last week over at Mt. St. Helen’s National Park, but I was too fragile to attend, so I sadly can’t say much about that, except it looks like they had fun.
As for THE SITUATION, Jeff has been filling out zillions of grueling, complex applications to teaching jobs all over the country. [Still waiting for the final word.] Meanwhile, Jay and I are still in Seattle, and Jeff is living in Grandview (boo). He is signed up as a substitute teacher there. If no more permanent employment pops up in the next couple of weeks, we will find a place to rent there and settle on in back together again, where we belong!
Last but not least, Jeff gave Jay his second-ever buzz cut last weekend. Now he has soft little blond peach fuzz!
Pregnancy is not kind to my body. Everything is hard. Thank goodness for my dear family who helps me SO MUCH! Today is the 15 week mark for baby #2. That means that he/she is 4 inches tall already! It has been a long haul so far, but when I remember how bad it was 2 weeks ago, I realize that things are slooooowly getting better. Yay!
Now, on to cuter things: 
Spaghetti night!
Every time I see Jay’s cute, sweet little self, I remember that all the yucky torture of pregnancy is totally worth it in the end!!!
We had a Brown family reunion last week!! It was fun to be all together again after 2 years without Brad. My sister Em and her family (Jesse, Steve, and Dan) flew in from Missouri, so we were all here! We stayed at my parents’ house and did a “stay-cation.” Even though I stayed home for many of the activities thanks to my pregnancy induced perma-nausea, I still got to see a little of the action. My family is so great… 
…and good looking.
As usual, there were at least 3 or 4 cameras at every activity we did, so we have waaaay too many pictures. I think I put 27 pictures on this post, and believe me that’s only a fraction of the total! I think I have fewer wedding pictures.
For the first 2 days, we borrowed a boat. (I stayed home for all but about 2 hours of the boat-lake-beach action, and I did NOT get on the boat):
In order to avoid repeating a certain painful water wedgie experience, Jeff stayed in the boat and took awesome action pictures rather than risk a relapse. This one is Kyle’s sweet wipeout.
Kyle did get up on the wakeboard (and also on one ski) at last!
Two years in a suit and tie did not seem to crush Brad’s dangerous sense of adventure… He’d probably like me to say this is a trick, but it’s actually a very well-timed picture of the beginning of a big fall.
Proof that Brad survived the fall
Jesse got some wakeboard air! I’m glad Jeff took such intense action pictures because usually you can’t really enjoy these activities unless you’re in the boat!
They played volleyball
Dan the man
Mel took Jay swimming, and he LOVED it so much he tried to escape into the lake!
Jeff took Jay swimming too. Jay is a water baby!
This is where I hung out for a short while one afternoon. Everyone took turns on the boat so I got to see a few folks at a time. It was pleasant in the shade under those big trees, and we were wondering why nobody else at the lake beach had snagged our spot when…a CROW POOPED on Mom’s HAND!! It was disgusting!!! The only up side—it missed her clothes!
Jeff got in some practice holding two kids at once—Jay and Dan
Brad, Jeff, and Jesse played some serious Rock Band. They were intense. (and yes that’s me. in a picture)
Another day everyone went in to Seattle to Pike’s Place Market and they found this large plastic penguin. I would definitely have gotten in this picture if I had been there.
Steve is cute
Another day everyone (not me or Jay) went on a boat ride to an island for a Northwestern adventure—Native dancing, open fire salmon roast, etc. Cool. Literally—can you believe it’s summer here?
They ate clams. Definitely glad I wasn’t there for that…
…but I am sad that I missed this. Clamlips
Here are some huge fishies roasting away. I did go out to eat with the family two other times! We ate at the Cheesecake Factory (I had mashed potatoes and Reese’s Cheescake) and at BJ’s Pizza. The car drives to and from these dinners nearly did me in, but the food was actually quite yummy, even to me!
Brad was the #1 photo-op of the week. I had to have my turn. My little brother is so grown up!! The best part of the week was on Sunday when he gave a talk in church. I took extra anti-puke medicine and toughed it out to get there by 9am. It was so worth it! I was amazed at how much I felt the Spirit by just sitting in the chapel after 6 weeks’ absence. Then Brad gave an amazing talk. Good day.
Lined up by height…on a slanted sidewalk. (Jay had to be restrained because all he wanted to do was run away). I wore a pair of Em’s jeans, which is why they’re rolled up. You may be wondering who took these pictures. Well, Brad knows this girl who lives in Utah, and she flew in this weekend just to take our family pictures! Can you believe that? She is so nice, Brad even took her on a few dates.
Auntie Mel and her nephews. According to Brad, the cutest little boy is in the middle… that went over well… have I mentioned that Brad rocks?
Jay loves Grama Meri—she always knows the best snacks! In this case it’s watermelon.
Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate’s life for Jay! He plucked off Grama’s clip on earrings, so she let him try them on. I think he still looks like a BOY.
My siblings are the best! I think we all look really different and un-related in this picture for some reason. All 5 of us have different hair colors! How did that happen?
Ok, we look more alike now
I’m not sure I’ll ever have as many kids as my Mom did! Phew
