The rest of July

Since it's almost September, I suppose it's time to update the blog with some July photos! Time certainly got away from me after the 4th, as I was focusing all of my energy oN enjoying the last weeks of my maternity leave. It was a great month, filled with family events and all sorts of good stuff!!

The weekend after the 4th brought some more family fun with a bbq at Brian and Lisa's house. Almost the entire Stephan clan was there, and it was wonderful to see family that we don't get to see that often.

One of the twins (I'm so sorry Kelly...I don't know if this is Lucy or Madeline!!) drools and enjoys some tummy time.


Jules and Grandpa chillin..


Mom and Dad enjoy the bbq


Brian (looking very zoolander) and Lily beat the heat in the shade



We spent the next couple of weeks basically trying to stay cool, and enjoying the summer as much as possible. It was just SO HOT. We took early morning walks, hid out in our air conditioned bedroom, and took Tango lessons. Okay...well only I took tango lessons, and it had nothing to do with the heat...but it was still fun.

Lily, avoiding an attack from a stuffed octopus


Naked baby on a cashmere blanket


Naked baby on a cashmere blanket, take 2


So...Apparently Seattle has quite a Tango scene and Nicole and her sister Jacqueline have been taking lessons. They roped me into a Tango festival that offered lessons and dances! In prepartion for Seattle "Tango Magic," Jacqueline (who has turned into a tango pro) gave us some lessons. I have no pictures of said lessons, but I do have some pictures of Elliot and Charlie showing us THEIR version of the tango. These pictures (Taken by Rob) are way cuter than any pictures of me would have been.

I believe they're dancing in "open embrace."


I love the fact that both kids have food on their faces.


Then it was time for the actual festival...and man...tango is HARD. Two days of lessons was not enough to make me even somewhat competent, but it was fun to dance and try something new. Someday when I have some free time, maybe I will try it again. We took lessons at the University of Washington, and then headed to downtown Kirkland on Sunday night for an outdoor Milonga and Salmon Bake. I was too afraid to dance, but here is a picture of the pavilion. It was wall-to-wall with Tango fanatics...

The mass of dancers in the pavilion


The heat continued, and we continued to fill our days trying to stay cool!

Ponch and Polly relaxing in the Sun


Lily, sporting a shirt designed by her Dad


We love to take walks down to the wetlands by our house. It always looks different, depending on the season. On this visit, we saw that the little ducklings and baby turtles are considerably more grown up, and the whole place was filled with beautiful lily pads.



















Our last order of business in July was our Anniversary dinner at Nishino. Julia graciously offered to Lily-sit on our night out. We've been to Nishino before, but this time we went for the chef's choice Omakase menu. Only food that good could have made me forget that they didn't have air conditioning on a day where the temperature reached 100 degrees. It was seriously one of the top 5 meals I've ever had. 9 courses of amazing sushi/Japanese food. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. We didn't get great photos of all the courses, and these don't do them justice. If you like sushi and live in Seattle...you MUST MUST MUST go for this omakase at some point.

Brian getting ready to dig into the first course


The first course, before being demolished


The requisite chopstick pose


An amazing ceviche. I seriously considered drinking the marinade that was left after I inhaled this.


This (I think) was a lightly crusted and seared piece of yellowtail. It was, of course, amazing.


Another course, toward the end of the dinner.



This dessert doesn't look like much, but it was perfect on a hot day. Fresh fruit, and homemade mochi ice cream...Yumz


A satisfied customer


I don't have a picture of it, but my favorite course of the night was a piece of seared ahi with fois gras, drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. I almost fainted it was so good.

I will stop with the food madness now.

So as you can see...it was a great month!

Next post...Julia's graduation and Walla Walla wine tasting!

4th of July Celebration

Long overdue...but it's been so hard to sit in front of a computer for an extended period of time!

Fourth of July in Lynden was a blast! Literally....Thanks to Bo's crafty negotiating skills at the "rez," we ended up with quite a selection of fireworks to blow off in the back yard. We headed up early on Friday, managing to sort of beat the traffic.

Brian bounces Lily on the ever-present bouncy ball. I really don't know what we'd do without it.


Lily beats the heat in the shade of the back yard


Nana and Lily spend some quality time


In other news...Hogan got her toe amputated...and here is the resulting look she's sporting.


Exhausted after a long day!


The next day my Dad, Brian, and I hit up Raspberry Ridge to play a quick round of golf before the festivities began. Then it was back home to celebrate! Kim, Bo, and Rian arrived (with Fireworks), and we were off and running. We spend most of the day yelling "Wait until it's dark!!" to Bo and Brian, as they let off firework after firework. The phrase, "That would have been pretty in the dark" was uttered more than once.

This amazed me...the firework stand actually sold a pre-packaged child sized backpack that was filled with fireworks. We're not talking sparklers and poppers, which would have been bad enough...these were full on fireworks in a CHILD'S backpack.(Some of them were really cool though...and please know...she only had her hands on it for this picture!)


Bo shows Rian the finer points of those little nuggets that pop when you throw them on the ground.


Rian and Lily had matching fourth of July outfits.


Yep..these will never be worn again. Sure are cute though!


The "quiver" of fireworks.


Brian risks life and limb for our entertainment


We had a few misfires...this one not only broke through the launching pad, it put a crater in the lawn below. This was when most of us began to take cover.


One of Rian's fountains


Brian and Lily lounge around the back yard


Chillin on the blanket


Cue series of adorable shots of the "many faces of Lily." Cute...


Cuter


Even cuter


Cutest


And too cute for words


After a wardrobe change


Hey look..a firework that looks like a flaming pile of poo!


Rian supervising the show


Bo takes a break from the pyrotechnics and poses with his lovely wife!


Papa and Rian surveying the damage to the yard


The 4th of July is my Brother's favorite holiday


Bo turns the corner from "lover of fireworks," to "crazy pyro!!"


Rian is shocked at her Dad's behavior


Finally...it starts to get dark, and Rian experiences her first sparkler!


I get into the act


Brian shows us both up, with his patented "four sparkler/one legged technique."


When it got dark enough, we unleashed our finale firework, which was ominously named..."Meet the Neighbors." It was pretty awesome...25 shots into the air, with appropriately patriotic music playing in the background. My Mom took an amazing video of this...which I will hopefully post HERE when I get my hands on it!

The next day, with our eardrums still ringing, we headed off to Lummi Island in the San Juan's for "Shrimp on the Deck" at the Willows Lodge. A little restaurant on a tiny island, with AMAZINGLY fresh food and a gorgeous view.

A gorgeous setting for dinner


Spotted prawns, so fresh, they were jumping out of the cooler they sat in on the deck. The Chef cooked them right there, and served them moments after preparation. They were seriously some of the best prawns I've ever tasted!!


Mom and Dad...happy after a wonderful weekend!



Smiling after an amazing meal (and the fact that Lily slept for the ENTIRE dinner!)


It was truly and awesome weekend spent with family! We're looking forward to upcoming visits from Jenny, Sean, and Adriah, and a big family wine tasting trip to Walla Walla!!

In Lily news...She had her 8 week check up! She's healthy as a horse...9 lbs, 10 oz...22 inches long. I think she's had even more of a growth spurt in the past week or so. She's sleeping throug the night almost every night. (6+ hours a night..knocking on wood.)

More adventures to come!

~Hugs

Ron and Maggie Visit!

Just a couple of weekends ago Ron and Maggie came to Seattle to meet their new grandbaby...Lily! (Oh and we were there too)!

They arrived early on Saturday morning, and we headed off to Alki Beach for an amazing brunch at Salty's. It is one of those all-you-can eat brunches, but with AMAZING food. There was plentiful fresh seafood, fried seafood, all the breakfast items you can think of (and some you can't), prime rib...and so much else, I can't begin to remember. The desserts were insane as well...and included a huge chocolate fountain. Brian ate his weight in Oysters, I worked on singlehandedly decimating the dungeness crab population, and Ron and Maggie sampled a little bit of everything. It was really fun!

Maggie says hello for the first time


Stealing a kiss at brunch


Ron and Maggie pose on the deck with Lily


The whole group...a bad shot (taken by a bystander)


We spent the rest of the day at home catching up with Ron and Maggie, and Lily got to know her other set of grandparents!

Grandma goes in for a close up


Ponch tries to pull one over on Grandpa and steals some attention from Lily


This is more like it...Grandpa and Lily


On Sunday, my parents headed down for a quick breakfast and to visit with Ron and Maggie. Then...more Lily time for Grandma and Grandpa. We also enjoyed a nice dinner, with salmon provided by my Dad's recent fishing trip.

On Monday we headed out to Ballard to visit the Locks, and then made a trek to Pike Place Market. We had a delicious brunch at Etta's, and spent some time wandering around the market. Ron and Maggied wheeled and dealed, and we all picked up some amazing fresh cherries and berries.

Some boats leaving the locks


A gorgeous day in Ballard!


Ron and Maggie smile and wonder...just what is a "lock."


The boats heading out to sea


Brian and Lily pose with Grandma and Grandpa


Gorgeous hanging baskets in the Market


Brian and his Dad


After our visit to the market, we headed to the airport to drop off Ron and Maggie. It was such a great visit, and we can't wait to see them again soon!

~Jen

Update Time!

Lots going on since my last post...so I'll start from where I left off!

A couple weekends ago (I'm losing track)...I went home to my parent's house with Lily, and sadly...no Brian. Since he was working all weekend, I headed off for some help with little ole' Lily. We missed him terribly, and I hope not to do that again, but it was so nice to see my family!

Nana and Papa spend some time admiring Lily


Rian shows Lily how to play in the new sand box that Nana and Papa installed in the backyard


This is what happens when Rian is your hairstylist


Papa and Lily


Her favorite pose for sleep OR awake


Funny Faces


Nana & Lily


Julia gets her turn in front of the camera


We came back on Sunday and Brian left work eary to see us!

Brian cuddles Lily in the new outfit that Nana bought her


On Wednesday, Lily and I met Nicole, her Mom Christine, Jacqueline, Elliot, and Lia at the Woodland Park Zoo. Lily slept for most of the time there, but I know she totally enjoyed it.

I love flamingos...


I loved this duck even more...he thought he WAS a flamingo


This gorilla was chillin' in his hammock!


This creature was the scariest of all...and he resides in our living room


Saturday brought us back to the Zoo...this time with Rian, Kim, and Bo. They were in town for the day!!

While waiting for the crew to arrive, Brian and I encountered a peacock


The peacock totally performed on command.


Seriously, it was like he was posing for the pictures. I wondered where his tip jar was..


Rian showed up in her fancy new stroller...


Rian tries to climb onto one of the many statues at the zoo


Brian gets in on the action as well


A giraffe head...not much else to say about this


Elephant buddies



This orangutan had crazy cheeks!


Rian in the sun


This was the view we had of Rian about 90% of the time at the zoo. The girl can RUN!


Crows are scary, even the gold ones


The penguin exhibit opened recently


Rian seemed to enjoy it!


Sunday was Father's Day...Brian's first...and he got to take the day off. (The first weekend day he's had off in a couple of months) We met my parents, as well as Abe and Lauren, in Seattle for Brunch, and then hit the market to buy our dinner. We had spotted shrimp, halibut cheeks, New York Strip Steak, and a beautiful caesar salad for dinner. We opened a BIG bottle of wine as well...Joseph Phelps Insignia 2003. The dinner and the wine did NOT disappoint...

Photographic evidence of our big wine splurge


Some Daddy and Lily time on Father's day


I get in on the action as well...


This week we've not been up to much...we're preparing for Ron and Maggie's visit this weekend. We can't wait to see them, and Lily just can't wait to meet them!

Until next time...

Jen

First Four Weeks Movie

I made a little slideshow/movie with pictures from my pregnancy, Lily's "birth"day and her first four weeks. It's not very good...still trying to figure out the program, but here it is!



Jen

Almost Four Weeks!

Week four of Lily's life has been filled with all sorts of activities!

Last weekend Julia came home...for good this time! She arrived on Saturday and stopped by to meet Lily for the first time.





Sunday Brian headed off to work, and Julia and I headed off to Seattle. My Mom and her sister Linda (along with Lauren and Abe) ran in the Susan Komen Breast Cancer 5k. An annual event for them...I was unfortunately unable to join this year, but celebrated with a yummy brunch nonetheless. My mom came over afterwards to graciously help me out. It's so nice to have family close by!!

Admiring Lily


A nap for Lily and Nana


This week Lily and I have been trying to get into a routine of sorts. We spend the morning relaxing, reading, playing. Her favorite activity is dancing! She hangs out in her wrap while we dance around to music. Her favorites are Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, and Chuck Brown...she has incredible taste in music. It's fun to have a dance partner, and a reason to act silly! My mom tells me she did the same thing with me and my brother and sister. Maybe that was the start of our love for music and dance??

Today we went to yoga for the first time at 8 Limbs, the studio where I did my pre-natal yoga. This is a class geared toward post-natal moms...the babies don't participate, but they watch and spend time with their mothers! If the Mom's are lucky, and the babies cooperate, it's a great workout. (And Lily did cooperate, she slept until I woke her up at the end of class to change and feed her.) We will be taking a class starting in July where it's more interactive with Lily (Called Itsy Bitsy Yoga), but this is great for the time being! . I took some pics at the studio...they're not great...sorry!

The babies lay at the end of your mat on blankets.


Mom...why'd you wake me up. I was so relaxed after yoga!


Lily "poses" in her car seat at the end of class




Other than that, we've been getting out on walks whenever possible, and meeting up with Brian during the day when we can. Brian's game is nearing the end, so he's looking forward to having weekends again. What a concept...I think he'll be taking some additional time off when the game is complete, so we're all excited about that.

And...Tomorrow is Lily's four week birthday. Time is flying by!

~Jen

3 Weeks Old!!

Today marks two momentous occasions!

1: Lily Robin Patenaude is officially 3 Weeks old!

2: Today is my first full day at home alone with Lily. Brian went back to work today...

So far, so good. (Loud knocking on wood everyone) She's currently asleep after a long bout of crying. I know I'm supposed to be resting/napping as well, but I keep thinking of things that need to be done. Hopefully I can get a rest this afternoon.

Here are some pictures we've taken over the past week or so...and some from today to mark her 3 weeks of age.

Lily in her polkadots


A peaceful moment in the heat


Funny faces


This is her dramatic "you woke me up" pose


How can you resist this face


Brian captured this picture of the beautiful sky last night


The rest are pictures from this morning...not all of them great, but here you go!