Big Boy Now!

Forest turns 3 months old!

We call this his "guardian sloth", because it usually sits on his crib looking down at him.
(this pic was dedicated to Melody)

He also has a forest dwelling creature friend

We went on a family hike yesterday. 4 miles to a waterfall.

As you can see, my dream has finally come true...my child is wearing velour!
I figure, i might as well dress him in velour jump suits while i have the chance.
Now we can be twins. I guess all he needs now is a pair of huge sunglasses....but that could be questionable hahha. (wont happen, dont worry)

Forest is doing great! Hes changing every day. I feel like he'll be 15 before i know it.
He has been talking up a storm (gee, dont know where he gets that from), playing lots, going to the park, taking good naps, and going on random adventures with us. Hes a very happy guy. He also just started laughing. I caught him chuckling with Papa (his great grandpa) the other evening! Turns out he is already teething! Therefore his latest obsession is chewing on his hands. Little guy gets very frustrated though with his painful gums, so hes not always his typical happy little self.

He was so cozy in his velour outfit and snuggling with his sloth, that he fell asleep during his photo shoot....more to come after nap time!

The Bonnie Raitt Secret

While visiting my parents in Alamo this weekend, my mom brought up something I had forgotten.
When i was a young kid, i loved the music artist Bonnie Raite....yes, Bonnie Raitt.
I totally remember my dad making deals with me and using Bonnie Raitt cassette tapes as my incentive. It usually worked. I really wanted those Bonnie Raitt cassette tapes!
I knew every word to every song. I dont remember how old i was, but younger then 10 i think.
Now, here is my little secret. I sometimes listen to "love songs after dark" in my car. (whew, its out in the open now)! Here is my number 2 secret. Now that im almost 26, i still know every word to every Bonnie Raitt song....and she definitely gets played on "love songs after dark". So guess who's in her car belting out a little Bonnie Raite? ME!
Now that im an adult, (hm creepy) i actually take notice of what the lyrics really are and what Bonnie is really singing about. And im realizing how strange it really was for me to be singing some of these songs. hahaha

For example: "turn down the lights, turn down the bed. Turn down these voices inside my head. Lay down with me, tell me no lies....i cant make you love me if you dont. I cant make your heart feel something it wont."

This was always my very favorite song of Bonnie's....still is. But how weird that I was singing those words at like possibly age 7?! HAHA.

Thanks Dad for making Bonnie Raitt deals with me. And thank you for letting me sing all of her songs even though some werent quite age appropriate. And thank you mostly because i can now sing at the top of my lungs every time she comes on radio in my car!

Ok, now im really hoping my favorite song will come on today! And here is the link to it...ENJOY and know that im currently belting it out as i post this.

Shopping with my Dad

This is how I roll.

This morning i thought about my current life. What do we really do each day while being unemployed? This is such a weird feeling. I have always worked. But now i find myself in a place in life where im not working. Well, not "working", as in not getting up with an alarm clock, dressing according to my job and heading out the door with my coffee. Now i dont need an alarm clock because my son wakes me up on time every single morning. I still get to drink coffee, i still get up early, i still feel very busy, (most of the time scattered) and i still get tired by the end of the day.
The only difference is, i get to wear WHATEVER I WANT! And im quickly finding that i naturally gravitate towards a great head wrap, huge sunglasses and whatever clothing that is currently on the floor! I get to create my own schedule....kind of like being my own boss...which i hope to really be one day. So instead of meetings, people looking for me and calling my cell, and having a crammed daily planner; I head off to the park to sit in the shade with my little Forest. The only people calling my cell are my friends, and instead of having a crammed daily planner, I dont even own one at all anymore! The only meetings im attending are day trips to Tahoe, drives to secret lakes and woods, and getting to see family and friends that i havent seen in a long time.

Robert is currently unemployed as most of you know. When he's not busy with odd jobs, and/or looking for a job, he gets to spend tons of time with me and Forest. This has also been a wonderful time for Bert to reflect and take some time for himself. He has been loving the fact that he has time to go running each day, and not to mention brush up on his computer "gaming" skills...(Haha) This has actually been quite nice for us as a family. We are currently staying with Robert's fam up in the Foothills....yes, the great outdoors! I love the nature around us, but must admit it freaks me out a little. Going from the middle of San Francisco to here is quite a shock. We are grateful for our loving family and the time we are spending with them.Though we greatly hope for a career to arise, we are enjoying this rare and special time of being the three of us each day.

God has GREAT plans for us.

Business calls

Have you received a call from Forest lately? It seems that he has been secretly making calls on our cell phones when we arent paying attention! He especially prefers when he reaches your voicemail so that he can ramble as long as he wants. If you havent been one of the lucky few yet, just wait!...im sure youre next on his list!

Trip to Tahoe

We went on a quick Lake Tahoe trip with family. Unfortunately it started to rain so we couldnt get the family picture that we were hoping for. But, we were all there...Dan, Thelma, Kim, Jon, Andrew, Ashleigh, and the three of us.

Forest was excited to hit the road!

Robert's first time in Tahoe

Cup of coffee with Dad while staring into the Tahoe view

Morning fun with cousin Ashleigh in Tahoe.
Ashleigh loves Forest. She often cant resist the urge to squeeze him!
Ashleigh has a hard time saying Forest, so she calls him "Baby Bist".
I dont think "Baby Bist" seems to mind!

The Family Bed

There has been a lot of talk about how a "Family Bed" can be a very healthy thing for a young family to do. This is where the entire family shares just one bed. Its supposed to be even more beneficial if you do this with a new baby. Sounds precious, doesnt it? It first appealed to me mainly because it sounds so natural. And im not gonna lie....it does sound pretty hip!
Then, there are the people who strongly warn others to NEVER do a family bed. I can definitely see these talked about cons to having a Family Bed. Could possibly kill your marriage after the cuteness of having baby sleeping nearby wears off. You could end up rolling onto your child, and other horrendous things.
So, i have met the Family Bed somewhere in the middle. Forest goes to bed in his own crib. But most days, when he wakes up to eat in the night (usually 5 a.m) he gets to come in our bed until we all wake up in the morning. I guess you could say we practice having a morning time family bed.
For now, its pretty enjoyable. Who knows how it will end up in the near future.

I have also realized that having the morning all to myself every once in a while, is another VERY healthy thing. This morning my lovely husband used his current state of unemployment much to my advantage. He took Forest out of the room once they both woke up. I kept sleeping and woke up an hour and half later to a HUGE mug of coffee waiting on my night stand! Lovely!
Surrounded by my down comforter, i sipped my coffee with cream, and watched some cheesy morning tv. I soon discovered that a yoga class was about to begin on the FitTv channel. I rolled out my mat as fast as possible and joined the class! Awesome! I never saw my husband or my son the entire morning....a rare and special treat.

please note: the pic i used is not a very recent one. Forest is slightly chubbier now!

a serious bouncer

Forest takes his bouncer very seriously.

Grandpa Time

Great Grandpa "Papa"

Grandpa Clark

Grandpa Strong


quality time with Ella-Jean (his long distance true love)

meeting Katie

We have been up to a lot lately. Tons more pictures to come!