Lylah Renae

So I need to blog the latest and greatest. well that would the two greatest - Max is still up there. Its neck and neck.  February 21, 2013, 1:03pm, Lylah Renae Cortez was born.  She was due Feb 15, and once the date went by and I started to feel LESS pregnant, I went in to get her checked on the 20th.  No contracitons, no progression. I wasn't dialated and I didn't feel any pressure so I"m pretty sure she was low enough. So doc said that it probably would stay that way and that we would probably have to induce whenever I decided.  So she called the hospital to see when they have availability and they said "right now'.  Hmmm super.  So I wasn't sure, so I drove to Olympia with my mom to have lunch with Kendra and decided, sure why not, lets go home and head to the hospital. So I got showered, took one last pic of teh belly and headed in at 5:30pm.  By the time they got me hooked up (couldn't get the IV in all the way because it was the one day of the year i didn't drink any water).  So at 8:00 pm, i finally got the first ripening pill - cytec something or other.  Then another at midnight....started feeling contractions about 3:30am adn they came regularly every 3 minutes from then on.  I was a champ I must say.  I had two great nurses who told me how amazing I was and Lylah was born at 1pm....This first month has been a struggle and stressful adn strangely relaxing all at the same time.  Lylah is a sweet girl and Max loves her bunches. If she ever looks at this and wonders why she probably won't get a monthly post like her brother did - blame it on Max and the neediness of a 2 year old:)

 10 minutes after giving birth. Feels GREAT to be done.

 First Day home

 1 Week

2 Years for Max!!

Max turned 2 almost  a month ago!  and now as I see my niece's birthday blog, I realize I may have gipped him out of birthday gifts - but i had convinced myself that Max didn't even know about presents nor does he show much interest in opening them (although i was proved wrong by Aunt Judy, grandma Hodgson adn Grandma Ketchum's gifts :S).  So I bought him balloons. That is it.  We went to Fred Meyer, and he thought those were the coolest thing and played with them for days.  The cake was soooo much better this year than last.  Last year I was going for some sugar-free, cocounut something or other i think.  This year, it was a box vanilla cake with whip cream and strawberries inside and strawberry yogurt whip cream frosting.  It was deliiiiccciouss. And my big boy is starting to rattle off his words...I did get him (later) 2 more Signing Time videos which he just loves. He signs 'Train' and 'Play' so well.  He is saying 'help me, all done, cheese, agua, star, shoes, mouse' and rambling with a bunch more i'm sure I just don't understand.  He is such an awesome kid and I love this stage where he is so active and curious. Can't wait to bring Baby Girl home and get her up to speed and running with him!

 Max got his own Individual strawberry cake of course. He LOVED it.

Ready for baby

 We are counting down! So I'm posting my last few months of pregnancy pics.  Funny how i feel so much bigger than I look. Although i am much bigger than with Max.  I think the fact that I can't fit in any clothes and I eat bread and cookies by the pound make me feel very large. I'm not generally uncomfortable - my feet and hands are swelling a little and I'm tired alot. Definitely ready to not be working anymore.  But all in all I'm doing great.  Hoping everything goes well and preparing for worst-case scenario - V-day baby.  I am making lock down preparation to make sure she is NOT born on Valentines Day. You know, the really important things.

 This is 32 weeks

 34 weeks

 34 weeks - more attitude :)

 38 weeks.  The break between 34 and 38 came with about 4 batches of cookies and 2 loaves of homemade bread.....i'm nervous about the next two weeks

Belly pics

I've been trying to get pics of my belly as I feel it is large and in charge - but self-pics are hard iwth a phone and I don't feel they illuminate the large-ness!!  But this first one is this morning, starting into week 30. 

 I think these are about 27/28 weeks. i need a photographe r- these pics suck

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving was a great time.  Although i must say it seems such a let down with only 40 minutes of eating after all that prep. But i do really enjoy the prep. I love cooking a bunch of stuff I know people are going to enjoy.  Here is the Hodgson/Ketchum family table. 

I was very thankful this year for health (and i promptly got a cold), living in Washington again, Max's awesome development and strength, and a great family to have been raised with.

 This is my attempt at Scotchmallows (if you are not a See's afficionado, please move on)

They turned out ok. i'm developing a strategy for even better Christmas turnout

 Max looking suave in his coat and hat. He was looking for his friend The Cat.

Ruby Red Slippers

 Well i guess major happenings have happened since I last posted.  I am no longer in dry, cold, semi-lovely Ogden, UT.  I now have 10 days living in gorgeous, wet, and stunning Kent, WA as I began my new professional endeavors in Seattle.  I interviewed on August 30th for this job as  a Spanish Benefits Advisor for the Department of Labor. I was set to report to my new assignment at Hill on Sept 9th, so i was hoping they would notify me quickly - in fact I was so 'gettin gthis job' that i started packing the weekend after the initial interview. Thank goodness I did since barely a month later, I was packing up my first home and moving me and Max to Western Washington. Which we are loving. I ride the train into work everyday, have a great brisk walk up to my office and even getting a few nice rainy days.  Now fitting my 4 bed house into a 2 bedroom apt....lets say Irene (Ileen to the lay person) basically made it doable. I would have been living in boxes for 3 years until I could get a house. Thanks Mom!

 Apt Complex

 View walking up to my office

 Max being a major trooper on the 10 hours road trip from Utah. He was awesome.

 Probably Snoqualmie Pass - super safe, driver-taken photograph

The Helper

So my Max has become quite the helper. He has become quite adept at various chores around the house - below I've posted two. Not seen are his dish-washing skills, microwaving skills, and leaf

gathering skills.