How does your garden grow?

Brendan and I have talked for a couple of years now about planting a garden...but then the summer slips away and another year of no garden.   With Bridget in our lives and the fact that she will be on solids this month or next...Brendan and I made it a priority to get our garden going...so that we knew what we were feeding her.

Brendan, with the help of his lovely assistants, built these amazing raised beds.  We are waiting for the soil to be delievered so more to come...wish us luck!

It was cold outside so mama bundled me up with clothes and toys...

Helping dad out 

In typical Washington style...it was freezing but then got super sunny and was too bright....so the sun glasses go on....

Dad insisted on the beds being leveled....I tried to tell him that we were on a hill but he did not care...level he said level!

So the weather got colder and mama had to change the hat to a winter hat...we were getting pretty cold..don't worry gloves are next!

Daddy and Sadie

Really all Sadie was interested in was the dog on the street and Bridget wanted her book...we tried!

Our beautiful garden (less garden)

Good job Daddy! Can I please go inside...it is too cold out here!

Sadie and Gabby

Fridays are Pixie and my day to hang out and be girls...most of the time we get caught  up on sleep, do some laundry and do some kind of afternoon adventure...usually shopping!

This Friday,  Pixie and I were hanging out on the floor playing with books and rattles when we were taken over by Sadie and Gabby.  Both of our animals wanted in on the action of books and rattles.   Pixie was not interested in anything once they came around.  Thankfully...Gabby and Sadie are so stinking gentle that they just let Pixie do what every she wants.   I don't have it with me but there is video of Pixie putting Gabby's mouth into her's!  Lord have mercy on our animals!

 Sadie just lets Baby Bridge grab her mouth and hand on.... We are learning the word gentle.

 Wait Sadie...I was not done....

Oh Gabby you are back there...I will roll over and reach for you...come a little closer!

Rolling over?

Did she or didn't she...I say yes and Brendan says it does not count....Destiny recorded this for me...she had a feeling that she was going to do this!!!  She is becoming such a big girl! 

Random Post....who knows what you will get

There are so many random things you forget about until you look at pictures you took....so here goes the post of random pictures and stories.  

Does Horton really hear a Who or is it just Bridget...Bridget tells Horton stories...she loves to coo (what I call talk).  She switches back and forth from Horton to her sunshine book...it is so fun to watch her get into her toys...she can spend minutes on one toy...looking at it as if she is trying to figure it out...but what is there to figure out?!  Oh and I do not think there will ever be a picture from this point on without her in a bib!  She soaks this in seconds flat!  It does not help that she thinks she should chew on them.

Welcome Sophie!  This is a new loved toy and it makes noise which drives Sadie CRAZY!

Cover your eyes for this next picture...Brendan had toe surgery and this is what it looked like a couple of days later!  YUCK...He is feeling much better and thinks he is ready for soccer...yeah right!

Ode to Record Store Day!  In Seattle there is a day dedicated to independent record stores...as you know this is a big day for Brendan as there are special releases and things just made for this day.  I thought it only appropriate to dress Bridget in one of daddy's favorite band t-shirts!

Dad joined in the festivities and put on his The Smiths T-shirt too!

I get random pictures from Brendan on Mondays because he works from home with the bean...I get a message with this picture that says...working hard with dad today!

She gets cups!

So I walk into work with an email from Brendan that says:

A) first, you forgot your phone

B) second, I get Bean calmed down a bit and make breakfast, then sit down to eat. By the time I'm finishing up she's kinda back to fussing again, so I push my dishes aside and put her in my lap while I finish reading soccer news. I take a sip of my coffee and set the mug on the table in front of us, and she reaches out her hands for it and kinda makes a noise. So I pick it up and sort of hold it in front of her. She wraps her arms around it and leans down to put her mouth over the edge of it. SHE TOTALLY GETS CUPS!!!!!!!!

And then the next day...

Dude, I cannot get over Pixie reaching for my coffee cup yesterday. That was seriously amazing. I feel like a monkey whispered the secrets of the universe to me - I was that in awe. I know it's new-dad syndrome but stuff like that absolutely AMAZES me. It's so easy to think that they are just these balls of mush that cry and wet but CLEARLY they have stuff going on in there. The funniest part was that A) it was coffee and B) I don't know if you've seen her do that before, but I haven't - but she acted like it was something she did all the time!

This is the very reason I love my husband. 

Baby Bridget---when you hate us..in your teenage years...read this and know how much we love you and how proud we are of you!

Pixie turns 5 months!

Oh my, Oh my...Bridget is five months old...time is flying.  She is definately transitioning out of tiny baby and into little baby girl mode...this is her trick..she loves to try to escape out the fun land chair...she will twist and scratch at the snail and butterfly on the chair.  She is playful and THANKFULLY getting out of her colic stage...

Watch me grow: New things...she loves to scratch (kind of like a running fingers through her hair sratch...if you have ever seen me in a meeting at work when I am in thought...like that!) behind her ears when she is thinking or tired.  She wants nothing more than to eat what you are eating.  Brendan let her eat a banana (more like suck on it) and she was so excited.  She responds by kicking her arms and legs when she is excited.  Every morning at her 5a feeding she goes Hiiii..I get that she is not saying hi and just making the noise of it but it is sweet. She is rolling over in her crib.  Most of the time she can roll back over but other times she has to wake mom up to get flipped back over (fun times at 2a!).

Melt your heart moments: She has a smile that will kill you!  She can be in the middle of a freak out and then smile at you and it totally makes up for the freaking out. She does a protest cry before bed and while crying goes mamamama...again just a noise but I know that noise is intended for me and me alone! She reaches for Brendan when he get home and reaches for me right before I head to work (not the seperation don't leave reach but the give me a hug I love you reach!). It totally rocks!

Playtime she loves:  The sunshine book, sophie, small light rattles, floor time (on her back),

 she now reaches for Mr. Owl on her car seat and makes him move...

We are the verge of...giggling!! Oh I cannot wait!

I hear dad behind me!

Deep in thought...waiting for mom to get it together.

I love this child of mine!

Hi daddy!

Here is the comparison!

Easter 2012

Easter was very low key this year.   We went to Gramma Billie’s house for a brunch.   Everyone brought food and it was an amazing feast!  We lasted in the dress for about an hour and then we were done with that.   Ground breaking news is that Pixie took a nap at Gramma’s house!  WAHOO!  While she was napping the adults played a yard game and enjoyed the sunshine!

 Uncle Connor and Pixie chatting it up.

 My Easter Dress...over the top PINK!

Daddy and Bean looking fancy!

 Ready for a nap.

 Auntie Kathleen and Kati

The next weekend we went to Grandma Cathy's and Grandpa LeRoy's for fake Easter...This is the dress Pixie wore...I failed to take pictures of the event...Dang IT!

Hawaii...again!

Thankfully,  Michelle and I get to travel to the events we plan!  This time the event happened to be in Hawaii (particularly Oahu where Keri lives) so Bridget, Destiny and I packed up and set out on a 10-day adventure to the Islands.  Of course luck would have it that this was the week that Keri and Jed take their annual vacation.  I was pretty upset about this because how often do I get to see her… But it ended up working out great!  Destiny and I stayed in the Hotel the week of the conference and then moved over to Keri’s house for the extended weekend.  I have to say many many thank yous to Destiny who went to Hawaii and spent most of the day in a dark hotel room so that Pixie could take her naps…and NEVER did she once complain about it! I am so grateful!

Bridget did a great job.  However, our travel day to get there as a day from hell!  Poor baby was done and so was mom by the time we got into our hotel room I think we all started crying.  Bridget went to sleep and Destiny and I ate pizza in the dark because we wanted her to sleep!

Keri took some amazing pictures when we were there...take a look.  http://thehellefam.blogspot.com/2012/04/full-house-of-visitors.html

So we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village...yes it is a village with a zoo!  That is a penguin behind us. 

Michelle had been working on Pixie all week so that she could hold her without crying...which is a huge accomplishment....She did it!

Starbucks team meeting....day after a travel day from hell!

The hotel room was so bright that I covered her eyes so that she would sleep...don't worry...I moved the blanket this was just to get her asleep...this is with the curtian shut!

Our little bug is a sweaty girl....she is not made for the sun...this is her hanging out in the hotel.  I love that this is her normal pose now...hands behind head with no worries!

Bridget and the magical cape...Jackson wanted to take a picture of Bridget before she went into the magical cape to get her food.

Grandma Ah! and Pixie....please note this is after hours of my mom warming Pixie up...Grandmas have to be so patient to hold her without crying...Oh yeah- my mom was there because she flew out to watch Joel and Jackson while Keri and Jed were on vacation.  Lord Bless JED! All of us girls in his house!! YIKES! (He survived!)

Auntie Destiny and Kati....Destiny was feeling left out of the picture taking!

You cannot go to Hawaii without getting a warm Malasada.

Jackson and Pixie.  He wanted to hold her all of the time...I love how much they love her!

Hanging out going for a stroll by the lagoons!

Everyone needs a swim suit shot....she did not go in the water but it was fun to put this on her!

Pixie loves Mr. Owl---it sits on her carseat and entertains her whereever we go...this is the only shot I have of Joel and it is of his hand...he was so awesome making sure she was ok and taking care of her. 

The day we leave for home Pixie gets a nasty cold (her first ever!)....We went to Target to get tylenol and a couple of other things for the flight.  While we were there Keri bought Horton (the elephant she is chewing on) and said everytime you chew on this it is Auntie Keri kissing you...I almost lost it! So everytime I see Pixie playing with it I tell her fun things about her auntie.