One

Forest Tucker Saugen
Is one year old today.
Where has time gone?

I can't believe that a year ago we were in the hospital, loving and snuggling our little bundle, sharing his little self with our family and friends. I LOVED spending that day he was born in the hospital. I know that lots of women hate it and would rather be at home or in a birthing center, (which I am sure is awesome too) but I really enjoyed having people take care of me for a day. I never felt poked and prodded and intervened upon. I just felt relaxed and tired and special. How do they do that, those L&D nurses? They see the most incredible aspect of humanity (birthing) nearly EVERY SINGLE time they come to work, yet they still manage to keep their energy up and make each birth just as special as it is! I do realize that may have been my singular experience, but I am very blessed by it and the memories I have of it. Anyway, sidetrack...  I do have lovely memories of that night and day of Forest's birth day.

 08.29.10

Forest, you are my sweet snuggler.  The boy who still LOVES nursing at a year old and you are so excited to do so you squat up and down and screech until it's time.  Mornings are the best after your first nurse, because if I let you we will happily snuggle and sleep together from 5:00am to 6:15 on weekends.  (Which helps keep Daddy's side of the bed warm when he is gone for work.)  Of course this may change as you become more independent, but for now I will relish in your tiny body close to mine.

Early morning snuggling together.

You have the BIGGEST blue eyes I have ever seen.  Even Grandma Betty Newell calls you "blue-eyes" every time she sees you.  And your smile is ear to ear.  Luckily we see a LOT of that smile, especially when your brother is around.  I keep thinking he is beating you up, as he is wrestling you to the ground in a big bear hug... and you just laugh and laugh, and give Olaf that little eye twinkle as you crawl away, like you are saying "come and get me again!"  How special that you get to grow up with a big brother to look up to.

Picnic at Grammy and Bumpa's house.

Sometimes when I haven't seen you for a while, when I pick you up to hold you, you wrap those skinny little arms around my neck and play with my necklace while you press your forehead against my cheek for a few minutes... sigh.  I am trying to lock these memories away they are so sweet!  You also still seem to like being carried on my back in the Ergo.  We walk around the yard, chase Olaf, pick weeds, go for walks, and sometimes cook dinner like this, with you snuggled up on my back.  Aside from the occasional hair-pull to let me know you are totally over it, you sit quietly and just take it all in.  I love it.

Just arrived at Hidden Lake, time to relax.

Of course my dear son, you do have moments of being a holy terror.  Such as when you don't want your diaper changed (which is all the time) or when I take your toothbrush away from you and then close the door to the bathroom so you can't go back in.... oooh you get feisty mad.  But you get over it quickly and for that I am thankful.

Toothbrush time!

So, on your birthday Forest, know that you are loved by me, and your daddy and brother, and all the other people you know.  We were doubly blessed when you arrived, 365 days ago, and I am so looking forward to seeing what your next 365 have in store!  Love you little Foresty.

Look at the size of those craniums!  Like oranges on toothpicks! 

Cousins

Having fun climbing all over at the Moonlight Music Festival in Plain last night.









This little Plain concert morphs just a bit for me each year. It used to be Steve and I could enjoy the music, talk to all our friends and neighbors, and then ride our bikes home in the dark. Even with baby Olaf we were able to do this and just pull him along. It gets a bit harder to do each year. This year Steve was gone. And while there were many lovely family and community members to keep an eye on my children, it is MUCH harder to relax and enjoy. So we didn't stay too long.

Luckily I don't have FOMS (fear of missing something) so I wasn't too disappointed to leave early to put boys to bed. I have discovered that I have a much better time relaxing at home than wrangling two whiny babes just so I can talk to people for a few more minutes! I am looking forward to the day, though, when we can let the boys run a little free-er. But blessed to live in a place where until then, I have lots of helpers!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone. That's right, I an totally technologically hip and with it.

list of lame excuses to myself

I do realize that it's been quite a long time since I posted.  (Sorry Grandmas!)  There are many reasons.

1. Hello, it's sunny outside.  Who wants to be inside when it's sunny outside?
2. I don't have a ton of new things to share.  We are just trying to survive here!  Steve has been home for about 10 days since early June, so I don't have any family activity pics since family camp...  We are all a little worn out from this summer...  Definitely puts a little stress on the family unit.
3. I feel guilty playing on my blog when there are chores to do or when the kids are awake.  Since I also have bills to pay and other computer stuff to do, that pretty much takes up weekend naptimes.  And weeknights are usually reserved for laundry and 30 minutes of TV.  So... blogging takes a backseat.  Which makes me so sad because I love keeping you all up to date on it!
4. My dumb blogger app for my iPhone stopped working correctly and I can no longer post pictures from it.  Lame!  What's a post without photos of the boys?  That was my convenient way to post a little at a time.  Ah well.

Perhaps I will be able to post this weekend with a few pictures borrow from a friend's picasa site!  Lucky for you all I am sick with a headcold, which means I feel less guilty sitting on my booty :)

Happy Friday, people.  I am off to take care of the little people.

Putting the "fun" in dysfunctional

That's what family reunions are all about, right?  We are all a little bit nutty, so perhaps that's why we get along so well :)

I am especially nutty these days, as Steve has been gone so much this summer... so bear with me in how far out these posts are spaced! 

A few weekends ago my folks hosted a big family reunion at their house here in Plain.  First one in TWENTY YEARS, people!  The last time I saw many of these people I was 10.  And it was in California.  And I had a bad perm, braces, and headgear.  (A REAL catch, lemme tell you).  Anyway, the folks that came out to WA were my dad's Chicago cousins, their kids, and their kids.  So that would be my second cousins, and Olaf/Forest's third cousins?  I don't exactly know.  Also in attendance were dad's sister Rhonda (aka Dad in a girl form) and her husband, and two of their kids.  (My cousins).

I think we were all a little apprehensive beforehand.  I mean, after 20 years, you wonder if you will even enjoy seeing these people?  Chicago city folks mixed with WA and CA country bumpkins?   What will we talk about? 

Well all that proved to be a mute point, as we all got along fabulously, and had a great time to boot.  I think I slept a total of 13 hours in THREE nights of sleep.  (Doesn't help that Forest still got up at 5 every morning...)  I mean, I was barely even drinking but the conversation was so lively that staying up until 1am wasn't even hard!  Those Chicagoans...  boy are they witty and quick.  I felt like a sloth just listening to their jokes and quips.  A sloth that constantly wanted to pee her pants from laughing so hard that is :)  We played kickball and volleyball, fliers up, horseshoes, "bags", water balloons, and ate a lot of good food and drank some delicious tasty beverages.  And my little sister led us all in some sweet song and dance moves to the hip-hop blaring off the back porch at midnight (love you Kendra).

Here are some awesome photos to remember the weekend by.  I can't wait to visit Chicago next, and hopefully northern California too!

(Pay no attention to the fact that Olaf and I are the ONLY ones not looking.  Oh, and Erick too I guess)

Family.  Love 'em.
Oh and in case you are wondering, those shirts have little birds on the front.  "My Peeps"
Oh and also if you are wondering, there were 7 children there.  All boys. Where's the girls?
Oh and lastly if you are wondering... that's the truck I learned to drive in.  3 on the tree, baby.