Miss Independent

Whoa! This little girl has some personality. She refuses to let Troy and I help her with anything whether it be sitting on the potty, putting on her shoes, coat, eating, drinking, and the list goes on. We have to bribe her to let us help with anything. Good or bad for a 1 1/2 year old? Jury's out.

Happy Holidays

These next few weeks we will be welcoming my in-laws and Jen and Calum for a much needed visit!

A love hate relationship

I dont know about these two but one minute they are having a great time and then my child, the incredible hulk child, attacks Makena with hugs and craziness. This was the first time they were actually playing together like little girls, although I think Westyn was ready to pounce on Makena any second - she can be a bit CRAZY at times. About 3 mintues after I took the top 2 pictures, and after Makena very politely said "Mother please remove me from this crib, this girl is about to drop kick me to China", Westyn in about a 3 second span climbed up over the crib and fell on the floor. Luckily Keri and I caught her so she didn't fall full force but holy cow was that scary. Time to change her crib to daybed/toddler bed? Um not yet.

A few words and pictures

Westyn is definitely keeping us busy! I just wish I could figure out how to post videos so you could get a glimpse of her little wonderfulness. But in the meantime here are some pictures from the past month, mostly of Halloween as her favorite character, Elmo. As everyone has already mentioned, holidays with kids are the best and we are really looking forward to an awesome Christmas this year. Sorry for being so short with the post but time is very very limited and work is keeping me beyond busy - which I love!

Why do I wake up at 4am?

Because I get to workout with these 2 cool cats.

Who just so happen to be celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this Saturday.

And who just so happen to be the ABSOLUTE HANDS DOWN best parents.

And who just so happen to love my child more than life itself.

And who just so happen to be really really cool people.

Happy 35 years Mom & Dad! Thank you for meeting in junior high. Thank you for being so in love with each other that your little kissing sessions sometimes grosses me out. Thank you for making it through our hardships and being stronger in the end. And thank you for loving me unconditionally.

She loves her some El T's black beans

Are we bad parents that we let it get this bad.....EVERY.FRIDAY

Another Year Older

Happy 34th Birthday Troy!!

We love you!

hyngbvtgk,iujgt frghujy

(courtesy of Westyn)

10 pounds later...

Last Saturday we went to the Puyallup Fair with my MIL Jan and my BIL Tim (who was in town visiting from NC) and as my title states, I could have easily put on 10 pounds within the 5 hour time frame that we were there. All we really do when we go to the fair is eat all the crappy food that everyone is so drawn to. And unfortunately Westyn got her first taste of many suggary, greasy treats as well. As some people know I am a VERY healthy person when it comes to food so the fair is my once-a-year chance to stuff my face with everything that I swear off throughout the rest of the year. Westyn had a great time with all the pigs and goats and we even took her in a funhouse-type ride with mirrors and mazes, she loved it. Next year will be even better since she will finally be able to go on the little kiddie rides and enjoy that aspect of the fair.

On another note, to update on the daycare situation. She has transitioned well and it getting used to the kids and the new schedule. It's tough since she only goes 2 days a week and the other kids are full time, it's going to take her a while to adjust since we are starting when she's 18 months whilst the other kids have been going there since they were infants. It really is a perfect in-home daycare so I hope it will work out for the long run.

Such a trooper in the rain. Daddy won her some stuffed animals so she was content

Photo op in the fun house

The only ride Troy & Tim went on. They don't look like brothers or anything...

Petting the animals with Daddy, even though it's posted all over not to pet the animals.

Changes

Westyn starts Daycare tomorrow 2 days a week.....Eeeks.

I'm actually really excited about the whole thing as it's the perfect place and I knew it right when we walked in the door. It was even more apparent to Troy and I when we were leaving and Westyn threw a fit because she wanted to stay. At that point I figured they'd turn us away, but no, they are welcoming her with open arms and a bunch of wonderul little munchkins her own age that are equally excited to have her

Wish us luck.

Should we call her Shirley?

A little someone is beginning to resemble a very young Shirley Temple

with those little curls and that smile. How could one little human be so perfect...

Maybe she'll make us some big bucks some day - at least one or two Pantene commercials.

8/8/10

Not that I'm a Cowboys fan or even a Bengals fan (although they had a cool HBO series for awhile) but the Haigh's are DIEHARD football fans and we are counting the days until we get our first taste of...... Sunday Night....Football Night In America.....

When Troy and I saw the commercial a few nights ago I think both of our mouths fell open at the same time and we lost control for a few quick seconds. It's only a Hall of Fame game. But it's a NFL game. Leading to the season and we can harldy wait.

Westyn's World

Troy and I have come to the realization that we live in Westyn's world and ours come in a very far second. We have had an awesome summer going to the canal, spending time at Greenlake, playing in her kiddie pool but when Westyn wants to stay in her pool even though its bedtime or when she threw a tantrum at Greenlake because she didn't want to leave even though her body was turning into a prune, we just throw our hands in the air and comply. All we care about is making her happy and making sure that she loves life and is having the best childhood imaginable.

I bet we have a few hundred pictures just like this.

Makena, Westyn & Campbell having an afternoon snack at the canal

That little bikini body kills me.

Don't get me wrong though, she is a very happy baby. She is always smiling, laughing, making silly faces and she loves to give hugs and kisses, even to strangers. She is such a cuddly little girl and I can't seem to get enough of that little crook in her neck and thank god she freely lets me nuzzle it everyday.

These last couple of weeks have been spent with some our favorite people the Verghese clan, celebrating Jen's 30th for 2 days; going to El T's one night and then having a BBQ on her actual Birthday at our house. I was even lucky enough to score some Jen and Ashley time over breakfast in Kirkland. We're keeping our fingers crossed that they'll be back in a few short months in October.

The face of an angel

Westyn must be picking something out of Calum's hair.

Last week Westyn & I spent a few days at the Canal with my Mom and Grandma while Troy was fishing in Alaska. I can't say enough about my Mom for the Grandma that she is. I'm sure I've said this before by my parents always say that they are better Grandparents then they were as parents. I can't imagine that to be true but as Grandparents there is no limit for them. They will do absolutely anything for that little girl and as parents to me they are always so willing to help Troy and I. They are pretty incredible people and we are very lucky to have them so close to us.

Lastly, (it makes me tear up just thinking about it) Brandon and fam leave tonight for Ithica, New York for his 2-year stint getting his MBA. UGH. I can't imagine what life will be like these next 2 years without those four but I'm very excited for their new journey. As my good friends know I am very close to my brother and in turn our kids are very close especially Westyn and Campbell (10 months apart) so it's going to be strange not seeing him on a weekly basis.

Meet the Waltons

Our wonderful friends Danny & Liz Walton had their beautiful baby girl Lillian Eileen Monday right before midnight after - get this - 6 minutes of pushing. No this is not her 2nd child (as one may think) but she is a just a regular super star. We went to the hospital last night and visited the now perfect family of 3 and witnessed the pure joy in their eyes as Danny changed Lily's 5th poopy tar diaper of the day. She looks just like her Daddy and has so much jet black hair that you could literally put a clip in it.

Lillian Eileen Walton

6lbs 9oz - 19inches

Family 4th!

cleaning clams with Aunt Christy

At Jamie's graduation party

Getting tickeled by Tata

For as long as I can remember excluding sometime in the 80's when I was a lot younger we have spent the 4th of July at our cabin on the Hood Canal. I decided to take a few much needed days off last week and Westyn and I headed to the canal a day before Troy to spend some time with my parents until the maddness began. We had several Baggo tournaments, several margaritas and I think we went through about 15 bottles of wine - this was spread out around many days and people though. Every night, especially the 4th, we were treated to a fireworks display unlike any you have ever seen. Up and down and across the canal we could see incredible fireworks, huge parties, bonfires where people were sure to be roasting Reeses Smores as this is the new thing - who said we were in a recession?? I can't believe how much people must have spent. One can't really explan the awesomeness of the canal on the 4th unless you have been there.

Lake Kachess with the Phipp's and crew

On another note, June was a crazy month packed full of fun get-togethers; my cousins's graduation, celebrating the birthday of a pretty cool guy at their amazing cabin/huge house at Lake Kachess, spending time with my Grandma who will start her bone marrow transplant at Fred Hutch in a few weeks and the list goes on. July is sure to be even better especially because I get to see some awesome people in a few days and celebrate Jen's 30th birthday with her. The only downfall of July is that my brother and his family leave for their 2-year Cornell journey at the end of the month and we will obviously miss him terribly - I think my Mom will begin having withdrawls....

Westyn in transforming into this little girl and is trying way to hard to grow up faster than she should and that I should allow. She refuses to have anybody feed her but herself and has had a pretty hefty diet these days. She literally gets a black eye, bruise, scrape every single day since she is so active but keeps on mobbing along so I can't hold her back. She is now walking up the stairs, not crawling but full blown walking and has her own special language that vaguely sounds like Chinese. Her vocabulary is pretty incredible and will mimmick anything that Troy and I say - even though it doesn't come out perfect she's still trying so hard.

As people may notice my posts are few and far between; time these days is pretty lacking and I haven't had 2 seconds to sit and write a post and post pictures which we all know is a pain in the a@#. Juggling all of my roles as a Mom, wife, career woman has proven to be quite challenging but I think I'm hanging in there as best as I can... without having to self-medicate...

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy!

Yesterday marks Troy's 2nd Father's Day and he has really found his niche in being a Dad. He is definitely Westyn's little hero and they have a blast together rough-housing around but also reading books and playing in her little princess castle. Whoever said Daddy's can't play rough with little girls never had a little girl. They are a priceless pair the two of them and it makes me so proud to see the Dad that Troy has become.

We kicked off the season early and we kicked it off right

The Hood canal season that is. The season of sun, campfires & smores with Reeses peanut butter cups, drinking too much wine, waterskiing, swimming, spending time with our incredible family, margaritas at noon while floating in the water, playing baggo until dark and enjoying my beautiful little family. Our season doesn't usually start until Memorial Weekend but since my Grandma was able to get a few weeks off from chemo and come home for 10 days we all spent the weekend together with her. We started a new tradition of "buckets" this weekend. My Aunt Sally was able to talk her neighbors (they own a local restaurant chain) into giving her the recipe of a very special drink - you are only allowed 2 of these at the restaurant....now we know why. So if one was to walk by our place on the beach they would have seen about a dozen people walking around drinking out of buckets being quite loud.

We even came home with a bit of a tan, Westyn included, even though she was covered in SPF 50, I think she was blessed with Troy's ability to get a great tan.

Having an evening drink together

This is what we get to look at every evening

My incredible Dad

Discovering sea life

What has Westyn been up to for a few weeks....?

Momma tried out some pig tails on me.....
I gave Kenai some kisses as I do everyday...

I snuck in some Starbucks...

Played at Grasslawn park with my cousin Campbell...

Gave some kisses to a very large frog......

Got myself a girly blackeye.....

But man I still look good... even with pieces of scrambled egg on my face..

I watched Daddy fertilize our grass....

And celebrated my cousin Campbell's 2nd Birthday.... Isn't she pretty....

She looks just like her Daddy, my Mommy's brother, Uncle Brandon.....I'm really going to miss them when they all move to New York.

I even had my turn at the pinata. I told Daddy I could take care of it myself but he insisted on helping. Whatever!

Oops - I got caught stealing the top to my Mommy's water bottle... I mean Daddy gave it to me.

And last but not least I decided to have a chat with Mommy last night. It went a little like this... "Momma, these last 13 1/2 months have been wonderful and I thank you so much for letting me get some good good milk from your boobies but I think I'm ready to call it quits. I'm ready to be a big girl now if you wouldn't mind." And that was that. No more breastfeeding.