Sisters + Aunts

I pretty much have the coolest sisters ever.

I am the oldest of three...then Meggy (left) and Colleen (right...duh). 

I mean honestly...they are so much fun...the kindest people I know...and of course...REALLY funny! (Just like my mom and dad). I wanted to take a second and thank them for being awesome sisters and two of the best aunts ever to Ava:). We've had so much fun growing up together which is why I'm anxious for Ava to have siblings too! Brothers or sisters...(but not yet). So much imagination, adventures and laughter have helped build such a a strong relationship between the three of us.

Here are just a few examples:

1. Sledding on our sand box turtle shell in the backyard...and having to wait our turn in between Dad...hee hee...so fun.
2. Our drive across country squished side-by-side to Ohio that included Devil's Tower, the "badlands," and that awesome lightening storm.
3. Egor stories before bed. Egor the BLUE bird with the RED tennis shoes:)
4. Christmas Eve slumber parties...the best.
5. Camping at Grayland.
6. Working together to make mom's Christmas' perfect and spoil her rotten.
7. Taking the time to talk and reflect about Dad
8. Your support and excitement during the wedding.
9. Your support and excitement during the pregnancy.
10. The fact that we text constantly about everything...and I love it.      

Now we are all old and the two of them have become Aunts! And like...totally the best aunts ever:) They spoil Ava beyond belief by obsessively buying her the cutest outfits and make her smile SO big. They fight over who gets to hold her first and goodbyes take at least fifteen minutes...(and that's even fast)..whenever we leave from a visit. But I know it's all out of love! Thanks for being so much fun, so supportive and soooo super cool. I love you two very much!

Big, Fat, Chocolate Chip Cookies

So I love baking. 

And one of my family's favorite thing I make are cookies. Big, Fat chocolate chip cookies! I actually got the recipe from Tyler Florence a while ago from Food Network. For some reason my family is convinced it's some "secret" recipe because they say theirs NEVER turn out like mine. Well I'm here to tell you there is nothing secret! Maybe I add a few extra chips here and there...sometimes I sift the dry ingredients...sometime I don't! But the point is...it's a pretty basic recipe:) Sunday is a great day for doing things like this so I figured I could blog about it! So here goes... (Watch carefully...)...

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 bags of chips (your choice)
1 tsp. secret ingredient...hee hee...
(just kidding)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift (if you want) all the dry ingredients and set aside.

Mix together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add in dry ingredients until fully combined. Stir in with spatula or large spoon your bags of chips. I usually use one bag of chocolate and one bag of white chocolate...although I really like it with peanut butter chips too! Then it looks like this:

I like to make BIG cookies...so I use a good size spoon and make slightly larger than "golf ball sized" dollops on the cookie sheet. Like this:

Then..I put it in the oven! (imagine that). I bake them usually for abut 14 minutes...however...our oven runs HOT! So it all depends on your oven AND the size of your cookies. Just watch them carefully the first time. I like them a little "underdone" so they are soft and chewy. Brad likes them a little "overdone"...he likes the crispy edges. It all depends on what you like. Then...ta da! You have your basic...big, fat chocolate chip cookie! Pretty easy huh? Let cool on a cooling rack and enjoy! I can't WAIT to bake with Ava and pass on the "secret" recipe to her! hee hee...Seriously mom...there is no secret:)

Now here is my question to all of you...who knows how to bake bread? I've tried and have yet to succeed...the whole "rising" thing just never happens...it always remains a big blob. Any suggestions or good recipes??

Coming Soon:
Baby Baby! My cousin had twins!

My 1st Mother's Day

Being a mom to our little peanut is the best.thing.ever. I mean...look at this face...

Brad and I hosted my 1st Mother's Day at our house and boy did the weather cooperate for such a special day! My mom, sister Colleen (Meggy was at Yoga training...boo) and Brad's parents joined us for a Mother's Day BBQ!!!

   

A perfect day to enjoy turkey burgers with all the fixins'...yummy salads...fresh lemonade and apple pie for dessert! Brad (and Ava) bought me a beautiful hydrangea for us to plant, watch grow and bloom each year!! Just what I wanted!! (I may have hinted a little...). He takes hints well:)

 

So far it has been the best three months as I've enjoyed every minute with Ava. Being a Mom really puts things into perspective and it's amazing how much love I have for this tiny little human. Despite taking off an extra month of work...I am still not wanting to go back...which is interesting because I never really saw myself as a stay at home mom. I thought I'd being going nuts by now because I am very much an "on the go" and "busy" kind of person. Yes there have been moments I've felt stir crazy...and I know I want to go back to work...just not yet:) I mean honestly...

 I am extremely career driven and love my job. I know once I get back in the groove of things, I will enjoy being back as I miss my kids and co-workers a lot! I think finding a balance will be tricky but I definitely know were my priorities stand...and it won't be staying at work until 7pm anymore:). Not when I have this cute...squishy, nibbly...could "eat every bit if her" cuteness waiting at home for me!! And yes...of course my fabulous hubby too:) I adore his cuteness too.

I think with summer vacation being so close...I wish I could just take the rest of the year off...but alas...duty calls...and I must return...but only for a short few weeks. Thankfully I have amazing support from some colleagues of mine who are in the same position as me...returning to work with their little ones at home...it's hard...but "everything will work out" as they keep telling me.

I am so excited as I think about the future with Ava and the fun we are going to have as a family...and future siblings:) How many?? TBD. 

I have had the pleasure of growing up with a wonderful mother who has always been my role model and someone I continue to look to for support. She is like...real awesome. and REALLY funny...:) But most importantly I know she loves me...a lot. I hope Ava and I can build the same strong, mother-daughter relationship as I have with my mom. Seriously...she is like...real awesome. And super sweet and a real good cook. And she still takes me shopping and treats me when we go out to eat:) I love her.

Here's to ALL mom's and their hard work and dedication to raising, caring and loving their kids:) Happy Mother's Day!

Coming Soon:

Hmmmmmm...baby leg warmers?? Seriously...I'm on it!

  

Three Months Old!!!

Our little peanut is three months old today!!!

Ahhhhh... It was a day much like today when she was born.... Well I guess it was only three months ago but my!!!!! Time goes by so fast! Brad and I are enjoying every little minute with her as she continues to grow and develop into the cutest little thing we've ever seen...I am so happy we decided to take another month off!!!

Ava is smiling much more and seems to recognize both our voices and faces. Her talking is getting out of control and is so much fun to converse with. Brad can really get her going!! She recently discovered her hands and is officially a thumb sucker!!! She still likes being half swaddled, is more interactive with her play gym and is becoming so curious! Always wanting to be part of the hang... she likes sitting in her high chair so she always knows what's going on;)

 

We love watching her hit all of the milestones but it can be very bittersweet knowing how quickly she is growing up! I am already excited for summer break to spend as much time with her as I can...I know I only have to go back for three weeks...but I will be counting down the days! Thankfully I still have over three weeks left to enjoy the smiles, cuddles and snuggles:)

Coming Soon:

Still workin on those baby leg warmers...:)

Once upon a time...in a dark casino...

Okay...so I can't believe it's been 7 years since Brad and I had our "first" date. A blind date really...even though we had been talking on the phone for a while. Our first time meeting was at one of his gigs at a local casino:) (So romantic I know). We were both anxious...and I thankfully had my wing man...Cayle...there to buffer any awkwardness:) Hehe. Ironically...once Brad and I met...the poor guy was pretty much shoved to the next table (Thankfully with Brad's parents) while Brad and I chatted away!

And might I just mention...before I arrived...Brad was convinced I was the redhead smoking in the dark corner booth of the casino...thankfully he was relieved when he found out that was not me:)

We hit it off right away and have been together ever since! We had many fun dates..including the restaurant Wild Mountain Cafe in Ballard that is our absolute favorite! That's actually where he took me for our first "solo" date together and we have been back many times! (The falafal is great:)

During our seven years together we have found many things we love to do together. With the Pacific NW in our backyard and our common love of the outdoors...camping is one of our most favorite things to do...especially the ocean! Anyone ever been to Grayland Beach?? I grew up there camping with family and introduced it to Brad early on. He fell in love with it and it has become our annual camping trip each summer...same site and everything! So happy he enjoys outdoor fun as much as I do!

Now we are married...and have a baby!

    

How crazy is that!

Coming Soon:

How to make baby leg warmers...

  

Ava's Birth Story

Okay...so I know Ava is almost 3 months old...yikes!! But I wanted to make sure I wrote down her birth story so I could remember how it went each time we tell her on her birthday:) Hehe. So here goes...

4:00am

I woke up thinking my water broke. I think it did...but it wasn't what I expected...so I got up and figured I'd walk around for a while and see what would happen.

Brad: "What's wrong?"
Katy: "I think my water just broke...but it's ok...go back to sleep."

Well...as quickly as I "thought" my water broke...I started to have stomach cramps...(i.e. contractions). Again..I figured..."That's weird...stomach cramps." So of course I text my on call nurse (and good friend ) Julie to see what was up. She said that's all normal and it was part of early labor. OK.

5:00am
Brad: "Are you okay?"
Katy: "Yeah...just having bad stomach cramps. I'm fine. I'm going to go watch tv. Go back to sleep."

So I decied to go watch tv in the basement and deal with my "stomach cramps"...and call my mom:) I first text my mom and sisters to see if they were up. Both Megan and Colleen text back in like 5 seconds...haha! It was so weird! So I knew I could call. So I called and talked to my mom and she said..."you're in labor." But I had yet to be convinced. These "stomach cramps" hurt but were bearable...that was until I started breathing harder and having to take breaks in between conversations. My mom told me to call the dr. and go to hospital. fine.


6:00am
Katy: "Hi...hee hee whoooooo... I think I'm having contractions, but I don't know...hee hee whooooo...if I should come in."
Dr.: "How far apart are your contractions?"
Katy: "Like...hee hee whooooo..2 minutes."
Dr.: "Honey? You're in labor. You need to come in."
Katy: "Ok."


6:15am
Brad: "Are you okay?"
Katy: "Yeah....uggggggggg....I'm going to take a shower."
Brad: "Are you sure?"
Katy: "Yeah....uggggggggg....Julie said it would help."


So I shower...and then Brad showers...and I'm contracting...but in denial. Until finally Brad says..."We're not having our baby in the car...we're going." I think he got sick of me saying "I'm fine" as I was down on all fours rocking back and forth.

7:00am

Check in at Northwest Hospital. We were the first ones there so we got first dibs on the rooms....the huge suite!! Perfect for our huge family to visit!!

    

Labor progressed quickly. I was 4 1/2 cm when we checked in...and somewhere in between 6 and 7 when I FINALLY got my epidural...aaaaaaaand then it ran out. Needless to say...I progressed from 7 to 10 cm within the hour...and feeling the contractions actually helped me push. I pushed for 35 minutes and Avaleen Pancake Boal was born at 11:57am...6lbs 7oz and 18 inches long! Perfect! Brad was unbelievable and the dr and nurses said I did great! The family was in the room within minutes...as I found out later... all ears were pressed hard against the hospital door listening intently...they even heard Ava's first cry! And boy does she have a set of lungs:)

It was so nice to have family and friends there to greet our little Ava bean! Our entire experience at the hospital was great...especially Nurse Mabel...she rocked. So there you have it. And I've heard the next baby comes in half the time...so when those "stomach cramps" start...maybe I'll take it a little more seriously:)

Coming Soon:

7 years together! Say what?!