7 Weeks

Hi Sweetcheeks!

Well this has been A BIG week! Your Grandma and Grandpa are here visiting from Michigan! We'll get to that visit in a bit - first here are some other great happenings that have occured in our life over the last few days:

• Our friend Chris C. invited your Dad to go on a FREE guided steelhead fishing trip up in Riggins - on THURSDAY! So your Dad had to take a RARE two days off work right before break. Fourtuinaly he has an awesome Principal who completly supported him in going. So off we went! Up to McCall Wednesday night! We stayed through Sunday! It was so amazingly wonderful. Fishin, shopping, napping, eating, football, crusin' and stollin'! We had such a great time as a little family.
• While we were up there TWO special people entered the world!
• Cynthia Rose Tarell (11-22) joined us a little early. But Mom and Dad and baby girl are doing ok. It will be a long haul for them for the next few months. 
• THEN ~ Lindy Sue Rydman (11-23) joined us a little late! But again, Mom and Dad and baby are doing splendid. They are all anxious to get on the road and get home. We are all hoping for a Thanksgiving arrival.

It was emotional for both your Dad and I to share in the arrival of these two special little ladies. We feel a deep sense of gratitude for how healthy you are and for how happy you have made us. You truly complete our life Katie Jane. Watching our friends experience this kind of love (now that we have some context to understand it) is a very special feeling. :)   

 

Your pops and I enjoy listening to all sorts of music together.....and sometimes we get goofy.... 

  HAHA! We love you!

After our expedition Up North we meandered home to BEGIN Thanksgiving Break! Grandma and Grandpa Cudnohufsky arrived on Monday to meet you for the first time!!! We took you to the airport and met them as they came out from the gates. They were so excited and happy.

I took my Momma shopping for the day on Tuesday. We went to a neat baby store downtown and found some nice presents for YOU! We also went by the Boise Co-op to pick up our 20lb local fresh turkey for the big day. You stayed at home with your Dad and my Dad.

That evening we had a nice dinner over at Grammy and Grandpa Gordon's. 

It was great to see everyone together.

She is so stinkn' happy to snuggle you. 

I'll save the actual Turkey Day events for next weeks post.

Love you Baby! Momz 

6 Weeks

Hi Love!

It's a big day today! Lindy Sue is due to arrive in the world today (11-19-13)! Micah went down to Cali to be with Kara several days ago and they are waiting and waiting for their baby girl :) Soon after she is born they will travel back to Idaho together and Kara will be home for good. We can't wait!

You and I have had several really nice visits with friends this week: Ashley Kay (a student and my TA from my first year teaching!), Megan came a chilled, we met Stacie and two of her munchkins, we stopped by Auntie Katie's office (lots of women there to go googoo over you), and then we popped by Ang's house for a quick hello.

On Thursday your Dad went up to Couer d'Alene for the semi-final Capital football game. Bum deal - they didn't win - but it was a good season and I am happy to have him home safe. It was nasty weather up North and made it a tough drive. It will be so nice to have him home early and around in the afternoons again.

We also had my 6 week check-up with Dr. J. Everything seems to be great! I'm feeling good and looking good! You are doing so great too - you sleep through the night every two or three days and are only waking up once when you don't. We are really enjoying watching your little faces change everyday:

We also received two awesome packages in the mail this week! One from Michigan (Great Grammy Cud and Cindy) and one from Aunt Bonnie is Alaska! It had all sorts of special gifts from her trek to Nepal! How cool. You are so loved!

Love you babycakes! Momma

5 Weeks

Heyyyyyy Girrrrrl!

11-12-13 = A very special day! You slept through the night last night! Oh my goodness! It was so awesome. I haven't had seven hours of straight sleep since January (before I was pregnant). I know that this may not be a permanent habit for you yet ~ but it was still so dang cool. Thanks.

This week:

• Received your birth certificate and your Social Security number! Legit!
• Turned in your paperwork at the District office. I of course showed you off to all the uppity-ups I could find. 
• Took you in to Costco for the first time - what an adventure. 
• Ordered your birth announcements and they arrived three days later. I love them and can't wait to mail them out.
• Your Daddy made a batch of beer for the first time a long time. And - crazy - I just read that your birth flower is hops?!?
• Jana T. (first visit), Sara and Allison all came by for snuggles. 
• Capital won their playoff game and is headed to the semi-finals. 

• The weekend was particularly wonderful:

•  On Saturday your Dad and I went down to Greenwoods and bought him a mini-pass for skiing at Brundage this winter. It was a beautiful sunny warmish day. We stopped by Josh and Sam's place and said Hi. Then we went over to Highlands Hollow and had a snack and a beverage. Lovely.
• On Sunday your Dad suggested we go for a drive and get the doggles out. I was happy to do so ~ get some sunshine on our cheeks, breath some fresh air and see some pretty countryside. We went through Emmett and made a little house call at the Hoover's. They were really happy to see us. :) Then through Black Canyon, up through Sweet / Ola and popped out at Gardena. It was a neat route that I hadn't been on before. There were great views of the Boise Foothills and the backside of Bogus Basin.
• Then Sunday evening we had a homemade sushi and Chinese food fest at G&G's to celebrate Alli's 29th Birthday. I always enjoy seeing our family and they were all of course happy to give you lots and lots of kisses.

Love you babycakes, Momz

Easy to Love

Hey Sweet cheeks ~ 

Your Dad has been really awesome about telling me how good of a Mom I have been to you so far. He is proud of me for staying so positive and proud of you for being such a rad baby. I teared up a bit when he told me this and leaned down and kissed me one evening......and I said in return, "She's just so easy to Love!!". The other day I heard this song and it made me think of you:

Ivan & Alyosha - Easy To Love 

• The day after you were born our dear friend Jared posted this on Facebook. It took me a while to post on our blog - but I didn't want to forget it because its really special to me:

Jared Ropelato shared Ropelato Photography's photo.

October 9 at 9:31am

The world got a new beam of light this week. Welcome to the world Ms. Katie Jane Gordon. :o)

"Beam" 

www.ropelatophotography.net 

Sometimes you wait a very long time for something. 

And then, amazingly, it all comes together. 

Cheers, -jared ropelato

• Micah Rydman, Kara Wortley, Angie Crego and 6 others like this.
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  Jared Ropelato Tanya Marie Gordon

  
  
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  Tanya Marie Gordon  

  Love
  It finally has all come together....so joyful.

  October 9 at 11:25am via mobile · Like ·   1
  

  
  

  
  

   Love you Baby, Momma

4 Weeks

Hey Sweetpea!

You are sleeping even better these days - sometimes 4-5 hour stretches. It pretty awesome in my book! You are obviously growing and getting bigger every day. Its so amazing to see you change so quickly. I love just staring at you and checking out your little body. :)

We had a few fun adventures this week.....

• We went and sadi Hello to Margie, Denise and Sue and the hair cut shop. Sue gave your Daddy is FIRST haircut and he still goes to see her. So they are basically like family friends. They were thrilled to meet you. I'm certain we'll take you there to get your hair cut one day. 
• We went for a quick after school visit to Hillside (Mommy's work)! Everyone was hanging out after school to stay for parent teacher conferences so they were all available to meet you - and of course they went gaga. Here are some of my good friends snuggling with you:

• Our favorite Auntie Katie swung by for another visit. I love her so much and I am so happy that she is around to give me Mommy advice and to give you loves. She's the best.

•  Your First Halloween! Boo!
• I didn't dress you up in some goofy outfit (you're too tiny) - but we did have a cute little onesie that said 'My First Halloween'. Your Aunt Alli loves Halloween and I am certain that she will make sure you enjoy the holiday to the fullest in the future - goofy costumes and all. Your Dad had a football game that night so we went over to Grammy and Grandpa's house. The Silsby's stopped by for a visit too. It was a nice evening.

• AND THEN we went to McCall! Your first road trip and over night stay! Awesome! Your Pops and I love McCall so much. We try to visit as much as we can as it always rejuvenates us and fills our buckets. We are so lucky to be able stay in the Tyree's awesome cabin. You slept the whole way up in the car. The weather was pretty icky - but it didn't matter - we needed the rest - so we basically holed up and watched movies and football (Our Spartans spanked Michigan) and stared at you all weekend. I loved every minute.

• Your Great Aunt Bonnie made it back to civilization from her trekking adventure in Nepal:
• hello all - just to let you know I arrived back in Kathmandu late yesterday. the trip was amazing of course. more difficult, more adventurous, itinerary changes, people got sick and air evacuated out. only half of us made it to north base camp - yeah! I was one of them. it was a trip full of unexpected happenings, many weather issues, but all in all, I got my $ worth for adventure. but I am ready to come home. just now back from a 5 hr tour of  2 temples. now going to have a beer with trip mates who are still here, then to a yoga class tonight and dinner late with friends. it's been amazing but I already said that. so much happened I can barely begin to describe. but how is everyone there?????? please let me know all is well. how is Katie Jane?????? goodness. so much time has passed I feel like I left the planet. kisses, hugs to all. tomorrow I am on way back to AK and USA. love, me

• You are One Month old today!

So glad I'm your Mom ~ Love, me

3 Weeks

Hey babycakes!

You and I are accomplishing something major together - Waaaaay better sleep - like 3-4 hour stretches at night. In fact, I'm not sure I have slept this good since before I was pregnant - because I was waking up through the night, every two hours to pee!

I love these crabby jammies!

Your Dad is settling right in to his new role. He comes home and scoops you up and hardly lets you go 'til he falls asleep. It's pretty cute. We have started giving you one bottle in the evening so he can participate in feeding you and so hopefully you will get used to taking a bottle (Mommy will have to go back to work eventually). He is being very helpful around the house too, which isn't usual, but he is certainly doing so with much more.....shall we say 'ease'.

I am really happy to see how well we have both adjusted to life with you. We are just so happy everyday - love is simply oozing at our house.

• Our dear friend Lindsey H. and your crazy Auntie Angie came by for a visit this week. It was really nice to see some of my favorite ladies and of course let them squeeze and kiss you and gush all over you. The weather was gorgeous this week and we spent some time hanging outside on the deck.

• Your Dad forgot his phone at home Friday so we took it to school for him during his prep hour. There were several people there that were VERY happy to meet you - including your Uncle Mark Rich - who loves you oodles. We need to go over to his house soon and spend some more time with him and Carolyn.

• On Friday night you and I went over to the Christensen compound to watch the BSU game. A visit with them is always entertaining.  

• Saturday was Jamie Tarell's (Tyree) baby shower. I took you along because you're awesome - and because I wanted to show you off of course. Everybody was gushing all over you there as well. It was at Josh and Sam's house and since they have new baby Jackson, we had a pretty nursery to change and feed you.

The rest of the weekend was really nice and lazy: Micah came over and made delicious burgers Saturday night, your Dad went on a quick Sunday am deer hunt (no luck), we filled in your baby book with a whole bunch of fun memories and we talked on the phone with our Michigan family.

Life is so sweet baby ~ Love, Me