Time Gone By

As I read through this blog, I realize that time has truly made a fool of me again. It's hard to believe that our little Finn is turning one this May 11th. I feel as if we brought him home from the hospital just yesterday.

Summer was sleepless! Taking care of a little baby changed Erhan and my life in a million ways. We went from only taking care of ourselves, to 24/7 taking care of our little boy. Finn slept in our room during the month of June, and when he turned one month old we introduced him to his room and his crib. Finn started sleeping through the night in July, which was a huge relief for us. Erhan was only able to take two weeks off from work after Finn was born, so sleep for all of us was very needed and appreciated. It blew my mind how much advantage I took of being well rested. We were also surprised how much stuff we would need to cart around every time we wanted to leave the house! We felt like a traveling circus at times, but we took our little guy everywhere with us.
My parents gave Erhan and I a night away after the 4th of July, we were so lucky. We went camping at Fort Stevens with a few of our friends, the cool ocean air felt wonderful on our face.

The quiet of the woods, and the camp fire at night was something we truly needed. We took a walk down to the lake and breathed in the silence. Breakfast in Seaside the next morning with our friends was lovely, and Erhan and I felt refreshed and ready to head back into town after our night away. Note to self though, if you're getting away for the night to get more sleep somewhere, camping on the ground isn't really ideal. Next time, at least two nights and maybe a bed!

We had another chance to get out of town for our 2nd wedding anniversary in August, Erhan took me to Lincoln City for the night. We stayed in a late 60's style modern hotel (which I LOVED) with a Jacuzzi tub in the room. Heaven! We had a very romantic time, and enjoyed holding hands and walking along side the ocean together, and hitting the casino that night. We found ourselves forever changed though, when even on vacation we couldn't stop talking about little Finn, and what he might be doing, or if he missed us. We sure missed him!

We went to the OR. State Fair in September with our friends Rick and Sarah Grover. Finn didn't know what to think of all the animals, or the rides but we 'think' he had a good time. We used the baby bjorn for the first time, strapped to daddy's chest since he is the strongest. Whew! What a work out! How do people carry their children like this? Finn is a tall chap!I think devices like that are meant for smaller children, or for parents with backs of steel. I held Finn on my hip which seemed the most comfortable, and he took a few afternoon snoozes in his stroller under all the carnival excitment. We took him to feed the ducks one afternoon at Common Wealth Park and he was very fascinated with all the quaking! Erhan used to go to that park as a child, and we had returned many times over the years together. It was amazing having Finn with us this time.

The holidays came and went so quickly. For a while there I wasn't even sure what month it was, as Christmas decorations arrived in the stores right after school started up again. On Halloween night Finn fell asleep right before he was to go trick or treating for the 1st time. His little pumpkin bucket will have to wait until next year!

We had two Thanksgiving dinners this year, one each at Erhan and my folks house. Mom made an incredible meal, and so did Erhan's mom. We had more leftovers than we knew what to do with. We hoped for snow which never happened, it ended up being the rainiest winter we had ever seen.


Fall was beautiful this past year. The orange and yellow leaves on the ground were a sight for sore eyes after the summer we had. No longer were we cooking up in the bedroom, with the windows open. The season was changing, and the drive up my parents hill to their house always has the most beautiful trees on display, if only for a short while.
I loved to see our neighbors houses with pumpkins on display, and the smell of everyone's fireplaces in the air. The journey towards the holidays from summer is always an experience I want to remember.

Christmas was a whirlwind of presents, presents and more presents, along with traveling back and forth between families. Everyone was anxious to spend their 1st Christmas with Finn, and so were we! Unfortunately, the stomach flu got little Finn and I a week before Christmas, and Erhan broke his hand at the beginning of the month. We tried not to let it put a damper on enjoying the season, but it was tough work with one of us out an extra pair of hands and the other two of us without an appetite. I am proud that we managed to have a wonderful holiday despite not feeling well and we really enjoyed watching our little boy open his first Christmas presents. Hanging his stocking this year was so special. On Christmas night, Erhan and I spoke about next year, leaving milk and cookies out for Santa and cheerios for the reindeer with Finn. The magic is just starting for us, and as Finn grows and grows, more memories will be made. My parents used to go outside on Christmas Eve and throw little rocks on the roof to make us think Santa’s reindeer were landing, I loved them for that. I can't wait to start traditions with Finn, we feel so fortunate.

Erhan, the baby and I had a very quiet New Years Eve. It was the 1st year ever that we couldn't stay up to watch the ball drop in Times Square, we were too tired. On New Years Day (2011!) we celebrated my Birthday early with my family. Mom and Dad treated the entire family to a lovely dinner down by the lake in Murrayhill. Following, we had birthday cake back at my parent’s house with everyone. Taylor and his wife Vawna looked great! Mom decorated all of my birthday presents with pictures of Harry Potter (I was in the middle of reading all of the books. My father gifted them to me for Christmas, each book containing a quote on the first page).It was very sweet!

We celebrated my 33rd Birthday later that next weekend by heading up to Seattle (we seem to make this a tradition) to experience the "Harry Potter" exhibit at the Pacific Science Center. Mom and Dad offered to watch Finn for the weekend as a Birthday surprise (YES!) and Erhan and I took off to go be adults for while accompanied by our good friends the Grover's.

We had such a fun time at the museum, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. The exhibit was awesome, and a really great Birthday present. Thanks Erhan! That night the four of us went out to dinner at a great Italian restaurant called "Buca di Beppo" (YUM!). We had a wonderful meal. Erhan and I caught up on some much needed rest in the beautiful hotel we stayed in, then on my real Birthday the next morning we had breakfast out and walked around Pike Market.

I love to visit Seattle in January, we always get lucky with a clear sunny day. The weather is always on our side, we couldn't have asked for a better weekend away!

Erhan celebrated his birthday with a group of our dear friends at P.F. Changs. Erhan's parents watched the baby so we could have a nice night out. We had cake back at our place and played Pop Culture Trivial pursuit with everyone. It was shameful how off our game Erhan and I were!

I have been recently given the amazing opportunity to be a "stay at home mom". I feel so lucky to be able to spend the days with my little cutie pie Finn. Finn being the little cupid that he is, decided he wanted to hand out personalized cards to all of his friends at Partridge House for Valentines Day.

The memory's from my childhood came rushing back, as I tore along the dotted lines and wrote everyone's name out on the back of Finn's Valentines. The cards and a tiny scoop of conversation hearts (they encourage reading, right?) were wrapped up neatly in their own heart shaped cellophane bag. I remember coming home after school with my box of Valentines, and going through them over and over again!
Making Valentines with Finn was very special. He sat in his seat next to me, so curious as to what I was making. He grabbed at my heart shaped bags, and made sure he licked a few Valentines. I'm looking forward to when he is a little older and decorating his own handmade Valentines. Probably putting glitter on everything, even himself.

A new chapter

Spring was a wonderful whirlwind of excitement and promise.

My baby shower was a great success. All of my friends gathered around to shower Finn and myself with amazing presents and well wishes for a safe and happy delivery. Mom out did herself (of course). The house was transformed into party central and so many pictures were taken of happy faces.


Many birthdays and holidays filled the pages of March, April and May. Easter was so much fun, watching the kids hunt for presents and enjoying a fabulous breakfast cooked by the folks. Dallas turned 12 years old on April 10th, and Trinity turned 5 on May 8th. Erhan's father and my mother also celebrated another year, and this Mother's Day was quite a special one. It was a warm day here in Portland, and Erhan and I spent the morning and afternoon with both of our family's, eating and enjoying a peaceful walk in the sunshine.







Baby Finn was born on May 11th at 1:53pm and weighed 8lbs 9oz. The birth was a life changing experience, something Erhan and I will always remember. Tears of joy and happiness flowed for days as we admired our handsome little man. Words that my husband and I exchanged before and after we brought our baby into this world, will be something we will never forget. Family and friends flooded our hospital room and our home, all very anxious to see our new arrival. We felt so fortunate to have so many people love us, you are all family in our eyes.





Erhan and I have been adjusting to rarely having time to ourselves anymore. We wake up every morning greeted by the sweetest face we have ever seen, and soon forget we haven't slept. Finn is changing and growing every single day, his development is astounding. Erhan and I find ourselves daydreaming about the days to come, as we celebrate every day as a family. The love is indescribable.

We welcomed a few new additions to the family this June, my brothers wife Vawna and my brother in laws wife Lindsay. Vawna is the sweetest girl we have ever met, and absolutely a perfect fit for my little brother Taylor. Trinity absolutely adores her and so do we. Lindsay is so much fun. In the short time I had visiting with her, I laughed so much. I wish her and Can didn't have to live so far away. Both of the weddings were intimate and emotional, the evenings were perfect. We wish them nothing but pure joy and happiness in the years to come. I am so excited to have a new sisters!



As the summer rolls in slowly, Erhan and I look forward to our first camping trip of the year. We are headed back to Ft. Stevens, Kevin and Julie, Rick and Sarah in tow. I can't wait to be at the beach and outside next to one of Erhan's famous fires. I can already feel the night air on my face. On July 31st the family is packing up and heading to Cannon Beach for the day to see my father's family who are vacationing from Hawaii. It has been many years since I have seen my cousins, and I am more than ready to wrap my arms around Avril and her kids.

Days splashing in the pool, the windows open at night, walks downtown and Taylor's 30th birthday are all around the corner. These days I feel like the luckiest girl alive.

2010 is only the begining

January has us off to a great start. We have had such a "warm" winter so far, with temperatures up in the low 50's. To us Oregonians, that means the windows in our cars are rolled down, and we leave the house without a coat. I have found myself daydreaming about spring and summer, the warm air at night and longer days. I can't wait to feel free of bulky clothing and to feel the beach's sand under my feet.


Erhan and I enjoyed a wonderful holiday season in 2009 full of family and amazing food. There was only one day of snow, which luckily hit after Christmas but unfortunately trapped Erhan downtown for countless hours. I loved having Dallas home on holiday break. I got to see him whenever I wanted and it was such a special treat. We had a fun trip to Wunderland that Erhan got to join in on, and some well needed time together just the three of us. I love spending time with my boys.

On December 7th, Erhan and I found out we were having a son. We have decided to name him "Finn William" and we have been counting down the days until his arrival. New Years Eve was a quiet one, with us having Chinese take out in front of the TV with Dick Clark. We left town for Seattle on January 1st for a long overdue trip away. We stayed four nights in our favorite part of town, took in a museum, a movie and enjoyed some great meals out. My birthday this year was a fun celebration, as was Erhan's.



As of lately, we are getting the nursery ready, combining our office spaces into one, and trying to save as much money as we can before our little one's arrival. In a few days, I will be 28 weeks along, and starting my third trimester. Time is going by so quickly. Mom and I are planning my baby shower for the first day of spring, and creating home made invitations with a 60's theme. Erhan and I have been counting down the days until we have Finn in our lives. This is such an exciting time for all of us.
Valentines Day is just around the corner. I'm looking forward to a romantic dinner out, and to enjoying these last couple of weeks of quiet shared by just the two of us. Spring brings so many wonderful surprises. I can't wait.

Autumn

The leaves are almost off the tree's. The ground is covered in a beautiful mix of colors, and I find it almost impossible not to kick the leaves in the air when I walk through them. The wind is so comforting at night, and the air is so clear. My sheets feel softer this time of year. The blankets and my slippers all feel like pieces of heaven. Fall truly is a magic time.

Throughout October, Erhan and I have heard our baby's heartbeat on more than one occasion. Every time we witness our little miracle doing anything, it brings tears to our eyes. We are in our 13th week, a few days shy from beginning our second trimester. We had an ultra sound recently, and watched our baby swim and kick and move their little body around. Erhan and I were holding hands so tightly....it was a very special day. We both have a framed picture of our "Little Bean" on our desks, thanks to fabulous ultra sound pictures. Technology has come such a long way from when my son Dallas was born. Erhan and I are still working out a few names, we really want to know the gender, before we really decide on something. December 22 is the big day, I made the appointment at 8am! We are counting down the weeks. It's going to be a wonderful Christmas.
This Halloween, we attended a costume party at our friend's Chris and Katie's home in Scappoose. It was my first time out to their new home, and it was lovely. They put out an awesome spread of food, we got to see friends we don't see to often, and play a few games. We had a really nice time.
On the night of Halloween,the entire family took the kids Trick 'Or Treating in Murray Hill. My brother Taylor and I watched our own children ring the doorbells of the houses we used to collect candy from, and we brought a few tears to our mothers eyes. Dallas's costume was "Jason" at home to hand out candy and a "Dead Executioner" while running around outside. Trinity dressed as "Belle" from "Beauty and the Beast" and instead of saying "Trick 'Or Treat" at the door she yelled "Happy Halloween!". It was awesome.

Now, we await Thanksgiving and Christmas. We will be eating turkey at my family's home this year, which I honestly cannot wait for. It has been a couple of years since we had Thanksgiving at my folks house. I love my mother's cooking more than anything in the world. It's going to be a fabulous night. I am praying for a ton of snow again this year. I love how quiet the world sounds with snow on the ground. I'll have to be a little more careful walking in it this year. I am very anxious to get our tree up and decorated and I've talked Erhan in to hitting "Black Friday" again this year. Bring on the deals! This season, we need all the help we can get.
More to come as always. Here's to a fabulous Holiday Season!

Another Season Is Upon Us

The leaves are changing, the wind is picking up, and the air smells like rain. Autumn in Portland is my absolute favorite time of year. Erhan and I decorated a little for Halloween already, and I am hoping to pick up a few pumpkins this coming weekend for our front porch.

Dallas is back in school. He started Junior High this year, and mom says he is all smiles every day walking to and from the bus. I am overjoyed he is loving his life. He is and always has been, such a care free child. There isn’t much that gets him down, and I believe him to be a true inspiration to us all. He is growing up so fast, but he still has that little boy in him I love so much. I am so proud of him.

Our summer was a very slow one. We didn’t have a lot of money this year, since I spent the majority of it unemployed. The heat was unbearable this year, and since we didn’t have air conditioning until the very last minute, we mostly melted and moaned on our couch for several weeks. We had many sleepless nights dreaming of winter. I was told by my cardiologist that I could go off of the heart medication I had been on since the beginning of April, due to a condition I had caused by an awful flu I contracted in March. I was so excited to be free of all of my medications, and given a clean bill of health by my Dr.s.

We did manage to take a few camping trips this summer. Our first trip was in June, for an overnight trip at Fort Stevens. We had a wonderful time, riding our bikes on the trails and breaking in our new tent. We rode ten miles on our bikes, the weather was just perfect. Fort Stevens was a lot of fun, and being that close to the beach was an even bigger bonus. We stood at the tip of the OR. Peninsula, and climbed through the old military barracks together. I hope to return to Fort Stevens many times during my lifetime, it’s an amazing campsite.

For our second trip, we celebrated our one year anniversary in the beginning of August by going to Florence OR, and then to Newport OR.. We camped in Florence and climbed the dunes, which was a beautiful experience. The view from the top, watching the sun set, is something I will remember forever, especially standing wrapped in Erhan’s arms. We went to the new casino in Florence during our stay. I lost $40 and Erhan made $40, so we ran out of there before we pressed out luck. We were rained out of our campsite on the second night in Florence, so we shacked up in a cozy little roadside motel that had HBO and a shower. I’m not much of a camper, so I couldn’t wait to shower off the dirt and turn on the TV! We drove to Newport the next morning and stayed at a nice oceanfront hotel for two nights. We enjoyed dinners out and a trip to old town and the aquarium, which was just beautiful. My favorite outing was the wax museum, in old town Newport. I always find wax museums campy, creepy and really fun. Erhan and I had a blast. He is so much fun to travel with, he is always up for anything. Erhan bought me a beautiful ring for my anniversary present and a bottle of my new favorite perfume. I couldn’t ask for a more considerate husband, who always knows the perfect gift to give. The trip was wonderful, but after four days of being away from our home, we couldn’t wait to get back to town.

We found out shortly after we returned from our trip, that we were going to have a baby! Erhan and I found out this past August, and we are so happy about the news. I am two months along right now, and have been feeling VERY morning sick. Everything seems to be progressing nicely, even though we did have a small scare last week, when we thought we might lose our “little bean”. I was put on bed rest and have since returned to my new job, feeling just fine…..besides the constant gagging. The two of us are focusing on our amazing future with our child. We are hoping for a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery. My folks are overjoyed about the news of another grandchild, and Erhan’s parents are ready to embrace their first. I can’t wait to start picking out baby things, decorating the nursery and planning for many late night feedings, and before I know it, the teenage years. We are turning Erhan’s upstairs office into the baby’s room, and Erhan will be moving outside to our finished space to create an even larger studio for himself. We will find out the babies gender hopefully before Christmas time. The holidays are going to be very special this year. My parents are going to host Thanksgiving, and I am praying for tons of snow like we had last year!