The Hufana's

Family Pics

2011-05-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

We recently had some family pics done. I figured it was time since we haven't had Ashlyn's picture taken since she turned one and we haven't had any pictures taken as a family at all. Enjoy!

Princess Ashlyn

2011-04-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn got invited to a birthday princess tea party last weekend and it was so much fun! She is sooo into princesses right now. Audrey, the birthday girl, was turning 3. Happy Birthday sweet little Audrey! Here are the pictures...on my new camera by the way ;)

Getting ready for the party. Daddy and his princess!

Princess and her shades

Party time!

Candy!

Getting ready for cake and "tea"

Happy Birthday Audrey!

Tea party in full effect

Sipping on some "tea" (ginger ale)

Pinata time

Ash trying to decide if she wants to risk leaving her precious car

She decided not to, but did grab some candy when the pinata broke and put it in her car and bolted! That's my girl!

Triple Trouble!

2011-03-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

These three have so much fun together! I'm so glad they are so close in age and can all play!

She wore an...

2011-02-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

Itsy, Bitsy, Teenie, Weenie, Yellow Polka Dot Bikini!

So I was struggling to spend my Gymbucks recently (I'm not digging the spring line), and came across this cute bikini. We're going to Hawaii in May and I thought it would be perfect!

The next American Idol?

2011-02-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

Ash has been singing her ABC's for a couple months...so cute! I finally got her to do it for the camera...

Update

2011-01-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

It's been a rough six weeks to say the least and I haven't really felt like doing too much blogging, but I thought it was about time to update this thing! Here's what Miss Ashlyn has been up to the last couple months...

Apple Cup morning sporting her purple and gold...go Dawgs!

Us getting ready to go to Yo Gabba Gabba live. It is her favorite show.

Relaxing with Daddy and enjoying her first popcorn experience waiting for the show to start.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

Ash had a blast and even Aaron and I had fun. We polished the evening off with some Spaghetti Factory..yumm!

Ashlyn turned 2 on November 26. I can't believe my baby girl is 2.

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it to? Not Ashlyn.

This is my latest excitement...ponytail time! Her hair is finally long enough :)

We started swimming classes this month. So far so good. Ash loves splashing and playing in the water...she just doesn't care for the instruction too much :) Sorry about the bad quality picture - Aaron took it with his phone behind a glass window.

Christmas happened somewhere in the middle of that chaos, but I didn't get too many pictures...sorry.

Finally...

2010-11-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

I have finally had a few moments to update my blog - sorry it's taken me awhile. Our Montana trip was just over a month ago and was so much fun! We got really lucky with the weather - it was in the low 80's and sunny the whole time we were there. It was nice to get one last squeeze of summer out before coming back to fall.

Ashlyn was a great little traveler and the DVD player in our car finally came to good use. We surprisingly made it all the way to Bozeman the first day and stayed overnight in a hotel. It was also our anniversary so we celebrated with some subway sandwiches and a movie in bed while Ashlyn snored away between us - romantic I know :) The next day we headed to Big Sky. It's only 40 miles from Bozeman so we were able to sleep in and take our time getting ready. We hit up Wal-Mart on the way to get our supplies and were treated to an amazingly beautiful drive up to the mountain. We checked into the condo before my mom and Roy so we decided to have some lunch and check out the town. The next few days were spent relaxing, exploring, and playing. We can't wait to go back and ski when the kids are older. It reminded us of a mini Whistler.

After we left Big Sky, we headed to Yellowstone. Neither Aaron or I had ever been so we figured since we were so close we definitely needed to check it out. We had a great time and saw a lot of animals - some were a little too close up for me! We both agreed we needed more than a day to really experience it all so it will for sure be a family vacation destination in a few years.

From Yellowstone we headed to Ennis to stay with Aaron's sister Rachel and her family for a few days. Ennis is a little over an hour outside of Yellowstone and is such a cute town. It is pretty small - there isn't even a traffic light. We had a really good time and finally got to meet our newest nephew, Tegan. One of the days we were there we all headed out to Ennis Lake for a picnic and fishing. Then we headed to Butte to the Fairmont Hot Springs. We had a great time and Ashlyn loved splashing around playing in the pool. They had this really big water slide there that Aaron finally convinced me to let him take Ashlyn down. I was really nervous, but he promised he could go slow and she would be fine. She LOVED it! She just wanted to keep going down it all day long.

We were sad to leave, but I guess we have to go back to work sometime so we can afford these fun little trips. We made it to Moses Lake before settling into the Holiday Inn. We ordered dinner in and watched the Huskies beat USC...again:) The really funny thing was that the whole week we were gone, it was so warm and we hadn't hardly seen a cloud, but when we got up the next morning to head home it was raining and never stopped the entire time. Kind of ironic. Here are some pictures of our trip...

The zipline course we did at Big Sky

For some reason this picture came out sideways, but this is me zipping through the air.

Family portrait

Ashlyn and Aaron coloring in the condo.

Aaron and a herd of Elk in Yellowstone

Yellowstone lake

Ennis Lake

Ashlyn getting a fishing lesson from Daddy

Enjoying the pool :)

The Brown Family

The big slide

Ashlyn and Aaron coming out of the slide

The kids relaxing after we got home from the hot springs (after baths and a meltdown x 3)

This just cracked me up. As we were leaving Ennis to head home, we had to stop so this herd of cattle could pass. Not something you see everyday.

Montana here we come!

2010-09-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

We are heading to Big Sky Montana next week for a little family vacation. We can't wait!

And here is where we're staying....
http://www.bigskyresort.com/Lodging/Lodging-Locations/Shoshone.asp

After we stay in Big Sky for 3 nights, we're heading to Ennis, Mt to stay with Aaron's sister and her family for a few nights. We haven't seen them since our new nephew was born so I'm anxious to do some cuddling with him :)

So far, the weather report says sunny and in the mid-60's - hopefully it's right. It is supposed to dip down into the 30's at night so I'm glad I just got Ashlyn a new winter jacket! Stay tuned for pictures from our trip, and wish us luck with on our 11 hour car ride with a toddler!

Sunland 2010

2010-08-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

We are so fortunate to have close family friends, Mike and Karen, who have an amazing "vacation" home in Sunland. They are so gracious to let us come visit and stay at their house pretty much whenever we want. They always make us feel at home and we have the best time with them. If you don't know where Sunland is, it is a small community (pretty much all vacation homes) by the Gorge right next to the Columbia River. We usually try to go once, sometimes twice, in the summer, but we skipped last year because we had so much going on and I was paranoid that Ashlyn was too young to go in a boat or be in extreme heat. So we were very eager to get over there this summer. We all had so much fun and Ashlyn enjoyed her first ride on a boat!

Ashlyn loves Mike! They had such a good time together.

The back yard. Not bad huh?

Ash playing in the yard.

They have a fun game room upstairs and Mike let Ashlyn play on the pool table. She had a "ball!" Ok, I'm not very funny I know.

The front of the house

The guys heading to the boat launch to put the jet skiis in the water

Ashlyn just enjoying the view

And what an amazing view it is!

Being silly!

Snack time!

First boat ride.

Thank goodness they have Yo Gabba Gabba in Sunland!

She played on these stairs all weekend long...up, down, up, down, up, down....

Mike and Aaron having a beverage or two, or five!

Family pic

Ash on the way home! She was pooped!

Dan's 60th

2010-08-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Aaron and I, my Mother-in-law, and Evan and Kimmy, hosted my Father-in-Law's surprise 60th birthday party at our house. We had such a fun time and he was actually surprised! The turn out was amazing and even his friends from east of the mountains came over for the celebration. The weather was perfect too. The kids had fun playing in the pool and the adults had a good time visiting and playing in the horse shoe tournament and of course, my favorite, the Amazing Race! It was a pretty late night like most of the Hufana parties so my Mother-in-law was kind enough to come over the next morning and cook everyone who camped and stayed the night breakfast. Here are some pictures of the festivities...

Grandma and her girls...

Easton and Kamryn

Aaron and Ashlyn - is Aaron fist pumpin'?

The Birthday boy and Ashlyn

Ash getting her grub on

Ashlyn giving Grandma a bite of her cookie. She was taking a bite whether she liked it or not!

Swinging like a big girl.

Watching Daddy play in the championship game of horseshoes (I think she was enjoying her milk more though).

The winners! Aaron and his Uncle Jeff.

Cuddling with Grandpa in her Jammies getting ready to go "night-night"

8:30 - Ash goes to bed...8:32 - Mamma finally has a drink! Let the adult party in the shop begin :)

Hmmm....I think these boys are having a great time!

Aaron and his "Uncles"

The birthday boy displaying the amazing cupcakes I make that he loves so much!

???

Grandma and Easton

The Village people...minus a few

Family...

The morning after...Ash and Kam

Grandpa being bombarded with all the kiddos! I'm pretty sure he was in heaven.

Ash wouldn't let poor Easton go. I finally had to pull her away when he started crying.

Grandpa was being silly

This was so precious to watch. They just love being with each other

Secret time!

Aaron after everyone left!

A Day at the Park

2010-08-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

A couple Fridays ago Ashlyn and I, Lexi and Brier (my unofficial niece and nephew), Kimmy, Easton, and Kamryyn, Heidi and Jack, and Casey and Brett met up for a play/lunch date at Tumwater Historical park. We had such a good time. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. It was so much fun to watch the kids play, climb, jump, and slide. The smaller playground was the perfect size for toddlers. It actually made me a little sad that Ash didn't need me (or want me to help her!) at all to navigate around the playground. She's such an independent little girl that it makes me proud and sad at the same time. Sheesh..where has the last almost 2 years gone? Anyway, enough of my sappy mommy talk...here are some pictures of our day.

Ashlyn and Kamryn decided they would rather have chips than their sandwiches.

E-Man! Love him to pieces!

Lexi, Brier, and Ash. I miss these kids already. And just to clarify, that is a juice box straw in Ashlyn's mouth. She will hopefully never be gross and smoke. (Sorry if you smoke, but Ewwww!!!)

My baby! Yes, that is a Barrett in her hair! So excited! Although I was bald until I was 2 and look at my hair! Pretty sure she will have serious locks soon :)

Peek-a-boo Brett!

Brett and Ashlyn doing there thang! It's so cute how much she lights up when she see's Brett!

Ash getting the "icky gross" out of her show. Yes, those are her words.

Wee!!!

Easton's loving it too!

Brier and Ash gettin their slide on.

Me and my beautiful niece, Kamryn.

Sharing snacks.

Casey and Jack. Don't worry, Jack, you'll be sliding with all of them next summer buddy!

Clip ons

2010-07-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

We recently went up to Seattle to visit Aaron's Grandma and she wears clip on earrings. When she took them off at one point, Ashlyn was playing with them and thought they were so much fun. So we decided to let her try them on her own ears. She thought it was great!

Cruisin' Like a Lady!!

2010-07-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so there's a couple funny things about this post....

First is the title: My dear friend Jenn (who was my roommate and pretty much my big sister all through college) and I were watching a movie or something when the Aerosmith song "Dude looks like a lady" came on. So naturally, I start rocking out, and Jenn was like, "I always though they were saying 'Cruisin' like a lady!'" I was dying laughing! Keep in mind, this was like 10 years after the song was popular so she had to of being singing these lyrics for awhile...okay, I guess you had to be there.... Anyway, whenever I hear that song now, I just can't help but sing, "cruisin' like a lady!" And that's just what I thought of when Ash was cruisin' on the lawn mower with Aaron.

Okay, so the second funny thing is Ashlyn doing the "I love you!" We tought her the "I" (point to the eye)..."Love" point to your chest..."You!"..point to whoever (lol!). She's been doing it for awhile (she even does it at night when we put her to bed - so cute!) but for some reason whe won't do it for anyone but Aaron and I. So I finally got smart and got it on camera. You have to watch carefully. It's so cute. For some reason though she always points to her eye with the opposite hand, she can't seem to grasp the whole chest/heart part, but man, she really gets into the pointing "you!" part!

Cannon Beach

2010-07-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

We went camping a few weeks ago with our friends Rob and Casey and their son Brett in Cannon Beach, OR. We were hoping for no rain so we were surprised and excited to find the warm sun shining down on the beach! Brett is only a few months younger than Ash so they had a blast playing and running around together all weekend...us grown-ups had fun too!

We had a lazy morning on Saturday and decided to spend the afternoon cruising the town of Cannon Beach. We looked through some stores and ate lunch on the balcony at a fun brew house then hit the beach for a little stroll. Ashlyn hadn't taken a nap yet so by that point she was really getting sleepy. She actually fell asleep in the back pack child carrier. Poor Ash missed out on our ice-cream pit-stop. She slept right through all the yummy ice-cream goodness!

Sunday we hit the beach with our sunscreen, shovels, buckets, and smiles! It was so fun to see Ashlyn explore the sand and the ocean. She loved it! Then we came back to camp and all took about a two hour nap! Camping is about the only time where naps are justified for adults and I love it - they are part of the regular day when you're camping.

Here are some pics of our weekend..

You snooze...you lose :)

Spring

2010-06-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

Although the weather wasn't the greatest and we've had a couple heartbreaks, we managed to have some fun this spring! Here's some pictures (of course I'm not in any because I'm the one with the camera always!) of what we've been up to...

Here's Ashlyn and her cousin Kamryn. I just know these two are going to be trouble some day. They are 4 months apart, both very strong-willed (the nice way of saying stuburn), and they are soo cute...bad combo when it comes to the teen years :)

Ash riding her "quad." She's been cruisin' since she was 13 months old! At least she can steer now (lol!).

Aaron and Ash mowing the neighbors' lawn. No, we aren't that nice...The neighbors were moving and Aaron mowed their lawn in exchange for their swing set (a few pics down).

Ashlyn thinks the horseshoe pits are a sand box. She likes to play "Da-da's trucks" in the "sand box."

Ashlyn watching the Husky softball team kick some Beaver Booty! Go Dawgs!

Posing in her shades!

Here's the swingset we scored from the neighbors! Ashlyn loves it, and it only cost us a 30 minute ride on the John Deere!

Aaron getting the garden ready...Yummmm!

Loving her swing!

Just playing.

I found these cute little kids camping chairs at Ace hardware, but nooooo...miss Ashlyn still wanted to climb into the adult chair. Sheeeesh!

Click, click, click...

2010-06-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

That was the sound I heard the other night only to discover Ashlyn crusing around in my heels! I swear no shoes are safe at my house - she tries to put every pair she sees on. It is so funny! Aaron's romeo's, my furry boots, and now my heels. This girl is obsessed with shoes!

Here she is with my boots on. Notice she has the right one on backwards :)

And here is some footage of her with my heels on. My favorite part is when she discovers I'm filming her and she kicks the shoes off like she just got done with a hard day's work. But I guess playing, pooping, eating, and napping is a hard day's work for a 18 month old!

2010-05-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

A--Attached or Single? Attached, almost 8 years together, married 6 years this September
B--Best friend/s? Hmm...hard to choose a bestie...i love all my friends!

C--Cake or Pie? Do I have to choose or can I have a slice of each please?

D--Day of Choice? Saturdays.

E--Essential Item? Mascara and coffee.

F--Favorite Color? Pink.

G--Gummy bears or worms? I'll take the bears.

H--Hometown? Tumwater.

I--Indulgence(s)? Starbucks and Vino...my morning and evening treats, respectively.

J--January or July? July! Who the heck likes January anyway?

K--Kids? My little monkey Ashlyn..almost 18 months.

L--Life is incomplete without? My family.

M--Marriage date? September 25, 2004.

N--Number of siblings? 1 - Half brother, Ben.

O--Oranges or apples? Apples, Honeycrisp

P--Phobias or fears? Being trapped..I'm totally claustrophobic!

Q--Quotes? "If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it." And "Everything happens for a reason."

R--Reason to Smile? My daughter is happy and healthy!

S--Season? Fall (I love the colors, coziness, and football)

T--Tag 5 people? ???

U--Unknown Fact? I love talking to people with lisps. I know that's totally weird, but I bet that's something you didn't know about me! I just love it! I even catch myself listening to them with my tongue in between my teeth :)

V--Very Favorite Store? I'm currently a huge Anne Taylor Loft fan for clothing. My mom got me hooked. But in general I must admit I hit up Freddy's 2 or 3 times a week!

W--Worst Habit? Either my messy car or not putting away laundry. I have no problem doing laundry or even folding it, but for some reason putting it away feels like torture!

X--X-ray or ultrasound? Ultrasounds if I'm pregnant, otherwise, I'm gonna go with x-rays.

Y--Your favorite food? Seafood

Z--Zodiac? Aries

Sparkle Shoes and Camo...

2010-04-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

There's nothing wrong with that combo right? Lol! Ash LOVES her sparkle shoes that I got from my mother-in-law (a hand-me-down from someone she works with) while I was still pregnant. She discovered them a few months ago and tries to wear them all the time even though they are still way too big for her. She also got a pair of camo pj's from my in-laws for Christmas and the combination of both the other night just cracked me up! I just had to share...

Fashionista????

Ahhhh...the wicker chair. This chair belonged to me as a child. My mom kept it for all these years and I am so glad she did. It's crazy to me that it was my chair as a little girl in another country (and continent!) and now it's Ashlyn's. Thank you mom!

All my children

2010-03-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

Before Aaron and I had Ashlyn, our two dogs (Chase and Daisy) were our "kids." They slept with us, went most places with us, and had most of our attention. Well, the day we brought Ashlyn home, things naturally changed. But even though they don't get to sleep on the bed with us anymore or go on as many car rides as they used to, they love their little sister! They are so good and gentle with her and she loves them just as much.

Here are some pictures of me and my "kids" enjoying an unusually warm and sunny winter day recently.

Ash was over getting her picture taken at this point, but I considered myself lucky to get her to sit still for the few pictures she let us take :)

Here's a video of her sharing her treats with Daisy. It was too cute!

Pantry or Playground?

2010-02-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

Anytime I need 20/30 minutes or so to make dinner, do some laundry, or any other miscellaneous chore around the house, all I have to do is open the pantry door! Not that Ashlyn doesn't have a million toys around the house, but when I get desperate, the pantry has become my saving grace! Ashlyn is amazed and amused by the pantry and all its contents. She stacks the applesauce cups, bangs on the chip bags, shakes the cracker boxes, and most recently she has started this ritual of taking all the cans and transporting them to the end table in the family room. She loves it and I get so much done!

Here is my little "can transporter" in action...

Shoes

2010-02-05T20:13:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn's new obsession (the phone is still her #1) is shoes! She likes to try and put Aaron and I's shoes on, brings them to us, or brings her shoes from her closet to us. She is so funny! She just makes me laugh every day. A couple of weeks ago she got my shoes on and actually tried to walk in them. It was hilarious! I finally had a camera next to me when she decided to put on Aaron's shoes so I was able to capture the silly girl in action. She got them on all by herself!

Party Time!

2010-02-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

Our friends Cody and Trisha invited us to their daughter, Addison's, First Birthday party on Saturday. We had such a good time! There were quite a few kids around Ashlyn's age so she had a lot of fun playing and running around. It was a Mickey Mouse party complete with Micky Mouse Ears for all the kids. Ashlyn just got over a yucky cold so it was one of the first days she had been feeling good for awhile. What a blast!

Ash took a nice long nap before the party so she would be all rested and ready to go! I actually took this picture because I have yet to capture the odd way she sleeps. Maybe it's normal, I don't know, but she sleeps with her hands tucked in her belly, knees to her belly, feet crossed, and butt stuck in the air! She's done this since she was about 6 months old...so funny!

Okay, I've got my Mickey Ears on, now "let's get this party started!"

Rockin' the Mickey ears and a sweater dress. Aaron didn't care for the outfit, but I thought it was "too cool for school!" The only thing it was missing was some "boots with tha furrr!" ...She will probably be getting some this week ;)

Finally - Cake Time!

The Birthday Girl!

Did I mention Ash LOVES cake?! I don't know where she gets her sweet tooth from (lol!)?

It cracks me up when people ask me if Ashlyn is a good eater (since she is so small), because she eats like crazy! She dazzled everyone with her "appetite" by consuming a piece of cake even I would have a hard time consuming (that says a lot!). Hopefully she has this kind of metabolism for a long time!

Time for a dip in the sink for the birthday girl!

Addison had opened her presents before we did the whole cake thing, but I noticed she got a new chair and foot rest combo. As soon as I saw it I cringed a little - not because of the furniture, but because I knew it would be my daughter's jungle gym (remember, my earlier post about her being a climb-aholic). Sure enough, after cake someone opened the box and pulled out the chair and Ash made a beeline for it! At first I let her get on it (I took her shoes off!), but then she started getting really comfortable and jumping like it was a trampoline. That's when I decided it was time to go home. She was not a happy camper, but five minutes down the road, she was pooped!

Spoons

2010-01-28T23:12:00.000-08:00

When we went to Ashlyn's 12 month appointment (it seems so long ago) in November, her pediatrician asked us if she was using a spoon yet. It really caught me off guard because I had no idea she should even be attempting "things" like that. **Please keep in mind Aaron and I have absolutey ZERO experience with babies, so we have no idea what Ash "should" or "should not" be doing. I was too busy being impressed with myself and patting myself on the back that I had weened her off the bottle (thank goodness!!!).

So after leaving the ped's office I thought about what she said (it was such a minor part of our conversation, but it struck a major chord with me I guess), and I bought some toddler spoons and applesauce cups. I had no expectations except a huge mess to clean-up, but she did awesome! She knew exactly what she was supposed to do with the spoon! By the time Christmas rolled around she was really getting the hang of it so it was fun to show off her new "talent." This girl continues to amaze me everyday!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was amazing! I think it brought the whole "magical" aspect of the holidays back to Aaron and I. We were so giddy on Christmas Eve getting Ashlyn's presents ready, I felt like a kid again!
What a difference a year makes. This wasn't Ashlyn's first Christmas. Last year she was only 4 weeks old so she pretty much slept, ate, and pooped her way through the holidays! Not that last year wasn't special---it was more than that--but to see your child excited, smiling, and laughing on Christmas morning when they wake up is what Christmas is all about! I'll admit she was probably more excited about the wrapping paper and boxes than all the clothes, toys, and shoes she got, but the point is that they are excited and happy!

Christmas Eve we spent in Seattle at Nan's (Aaron's Grandma). This has been a tradition since Aaron was a little kid so it is really important to him and I that we celebrate Christmas Eve up there with his family. When we got home from Nan's, Aaron and I transported Ashlyn from her carseat to her crib (I even changed her diaper and she didn't wake up!). Then we got down to business! For those of you who haven't been around my daughter too much, she is an animal! She loves to climb anything and everything. It was really starting to stress me out when I would walk into a room and find my 11 month old standing on top of a storage bin and clapping for herself. So I bought her a climb and slide for Christmas. All the reviews talked about their "dare devil" kids and "climb-aholics," but I felt myself relating to their stories so I bought it. Best investment ever!!!! She climbed up that thing as soon as she saw it! I was a little worried at first when we put it up because it was more of a rock wall type thing than a step ladder, but she scaled up it like she had done it a million times before. I am so proud, but so scared if she keeps this kind of pace up! Yikes!

Christmas morning was the best! Ash slept in until 8:00 (ahhhh), then we got up and watched her go crazy with her girfts. After that we headed over to Evan and Kimmys for breakfast and to have the "Hufana" Christmas. The twins were napping when we got there and Ash wasted no time dving into their stocking stuffers! Evan and Kimmy made a yummy breakfast and Easton and Kamryn decided to make their appearance while we were all eating breakfast.

After breakfast we came home and put Ashlyn down for a nap. She was wiped out by the crazy fun-filled morning. Aaron and I would have loved to take a nap too, but we had family coming over for dinner and needed to clean up the house ASAP! Aaron's mom, dad, and Grandma came over for dinner, along with my dad and our good friend Rian. We ate too much, relaxed, played games, and enjoyed watching Ashlyn play with all of her new toys.
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoys a happy, healthy, and wonderful new year!

Here are some pictures from Christmas...Enjoy!

Felix, keeping me company while I wrapped presents. He didn't appreciate the bow I put around him!

Ashlyn's bag from Santa.

The climb and slide.

Ash climbing up the wall, loving her new toy.

Present time!

A little help from Daddy.

More presents!

Her new mtorized "Quad"

She was driving it all by herself by Christmas afternoon. She hasn't got the steering thing down yet though.

Christmas breakfast at Evan and Kimmys.

The twins, Easton and Kamryn, enjoying their first Christmas.

Ash with her uncle Evan.

The kiddos watching us all act crazy trying to make them smile.

It finally worked!

Oh Christmas Tree...

2009-12-23T00:46:00.000-08:00

This year was so much more fun looking for our Christmas tree than last year. Ash was such a tiny little thing and we were pretty much snowed in after we brought her home so it was all on Aaron last year to make Christmas happen. He did an amazing job though! But, we have so far had a great Christmas! We went to get our tree on a sunny, crisp, afternoon. Ash was all bundled up and ready for the adventure! She is pretty much ready for every adventure though!She keeps me more than busy! Rain, Wind, Sun, or Sand...I have a feeling this girl will love me, test me, and be my best friend!

Apple Cup 2009

2009-12-23T00:00:00.001-08:00

Well this year has been a huge turn around year for the Dawgs. As most of you know, the last few years have been sad to say the least for the Huskies. BUT...With a new new coach and a healthy team, Husky Stadium was once again thriving and loud as ever. They had huge wins over USC, Arizona, Cal, and (not such a huge win, but a fun win) WSU! It's funny, because when I was in college we were a pretty good football team (Rose Bowl Champs in 2000 and never lost an Applecup), but I only went to the games every once in awhile (when it fit my schedule - I thought I was sooo cool!). I knew most of the players and was so "into" my own softball world I didn't really care that much and didn't think any of it was a big deal. Now, I love it! I think I have become a bigger Husky Fan today then I ever was! My mom and I purchased season tickets about 5 years ago and absolutely love our fall afternoons in the U-district! Where else can you tailgate on a Yacht on Lake Washington?!

My mom and I, and my good friend Stefanie had a great time at the Applecup. Check it out...

Susie-q and I
Me and Stef
Lushes!
Stef and some random dude
Good times with good friends!

Update

2009-11-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I updated my blog so I thought I better try and get back up to speed. Let's see...

In early October, I took an amazing trip to Napa with three of my girlfriends from college. It was my first time away from Ashlyn other than a few nights here and there she has spent at her grandparents. Although I missed her like crazy, it was good she got to spend some one-on-one time with her daddy and I had a much-needed fun, relaxing girl trip. My friend Jenn and I flew in from Portland (she lives down there), Shannon flew in from Chicago, and Jessica drove up from L.A. We got to our hotel in Napa around 3 on the Friday and spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool drinking wine and mojitos. Then we headed downtown Napa for some dinner and more wine of course! Saturday was the big day! We hired a limo for 6 hours and spent the day touring vineyards and wine tasting. It was so much fun and really interesting. I've always liked wine, but I really started to appreciate everything that goes into making it while I was there. We had a great dinner Saturday night at Bottega, Micheal Chiarello's restaurant (Napa Style-Food Network). He was even there doing a cooking show that night. Sunday morning we slept in for a bit (which for the two of us moms there was amazing!) and then we all headed to the spa for massages. I've had a lot of massages, but this was by far the best I have ever had! After the Spa, we had some breakfast, packed up, and headed back to San Fransico which is where we flew in and out of. We weren't leaving until Monday so we spent the afternoon and evening in San Fransico doing some shopping and sight-seeing. The whole trip we had been planning for a year and it was a 30th birthday trip for us all, but Sunday was Jenn's real 30th so we whooped it up in San Fran and didn't get back to our room 3:00 AM! Luckily, our plane didn't leave until noon so we were able to get some sleep and make it ot the airport on time! What a great trip! For any of you that love, or even like, wine, Napa/Sonoma is a must!

October seemed to just fly by! Halloween was the last of Ashlyn's "my first" holidays. She was a ladybug for her first halloween. Partly because her room is decked out in ladybugs and partly because it was a warm and cozy costume I found at Fred Meyer's for half-off! We spent the holiday at our good friends' Rob and Casey's. We did a potluck type dinner with them and Evan and Kimmy, Michor and Sarah, Heidi, and Nicole (John and Rob were hunting...). Between all of us there were five babies under 1 (Ash being the oldest), and it was so fun to watch them all and see them in their costumes. Hopefully we make this a tradition and eventually we can start adding in the whole trick-or-treat thing :) For now, they just settled for some fun orange halloween jello jigglers Casey made.

November seems to be flying by as fast as October. Ashlyn turns one tomorrow on Thanksgiving! We had her party last weekend since Thanksgiving weekend is just too crazy already. We had all our family and good friends over and had a great time. We were expecting a lot of kids so I rented one of those bounce houses/Slides which kept all the kids more than occupied! It was the best investment. Thank goodness we have a big shop to put it in and all those people! I told Aaron I want a spring or summer baby next time so we can have a bbq and let the kids loose outside. Where has the last year gone!? My little girl is One! I'm thinking it's time to start thinking about number two :)

Drunken Sailor

2009-09-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

No, this post is not about Aaron walking down the beach with his whisky and diet! Although that was the scene last weekend when we went to Ocean Shores for our anniversary...not the drunken sailor part, just the beach and whisky :) Don't worry, Ashlyn was safe and sound with Grandma and Grandpa Hufana!

Anyhoo...Actually, Miss Ashlyn decided to let go of the couch, tables, and everything else she's been walking along for the past two months and take some steps on her own! She started walking just before her 10 month birthday. She's been walking along the furniture for a couple months now, so we knew it was only a matter of time. She just thinks she's the "bee's knees!" Every time she takes steps on her own (after she lands on her butt!), she turns to us to make sure we were watching her, then gets the biggest smile on her face. We then applaud of course! Every time she walks we comment that she looks like a drunken sailor. Take a look for yourself...

Alumni Weekend

2009-09-20T21:21:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was my alumni softball weekend at UW. There were alumni that traveled from across the country for the event which made it that much more special. I had such an amazing time and I was so happy to introduce Ashlyn to all of my old teammates and friends and also get to meet their new "additions." Friday afternoon we had the alumni softball game where us "oldies" got to play the current team. Some of the alumni girls are still playing professionally so they weren't fazed a bit; however, most of us have been spending our time changing diapers, working, and raising families so we were a little out of our element to say the least. But we still suited up, laced up the cleats, and prepared to have some fun playing a game we all love so much. I did a little BP (batting pratice for all you non-softball peeps), and I was actually suprised at how well I did! I hadn't seen a live pitch for over 5 years! Granted they were fatties down the middle, but still...

There was a huge turnout so we all rotated in and out of the game. I played in left field for a couple innings and had the opportunity to play next to Rita Roach in Center and Jaime Clark at shortstop. What was really special was that those were the girls I played next to at UW so it was kind of fun to do it again for a couple innings again at husky stadium. I shared so many laughs, cries, and crazy times with those two girls during college that it was really nice to be able to play on the same field again with them.

After the game, which we lost by only 2 (not bad for a game against the reigning national champs), there was a catered dinner on the field for players and their family and friends. It was such a fun night catching up with everyone and watching everyone's kids run (and crawl) around the field we spent so many hours practicing and playing on. It really is one big extended family that I feel so proud and fortunate to be a part of.

The next day there was a tailgate before the UW-USC game where the team was presented with their national championship rings. Also during half-time at the football game, the team was recognized which was really great to see. The crowd went crazy! Although not as crazy as after the game when the dawgs beat #3 USC! It was a perfect ending to such an amazing weekend. Go Dawgs!!

Kristen, Rita, Jaime, and Tia
Being introduced before the game

Me, Erin, and Rita

Me, Jaime, and Rita (we used to call Jaime "my giant" because she was so tall and Rita and I were so short). Poor Jaime, she hates getting her picture taken with us.

Jaime and I taking a self-portrait in the dugout

Jaime and Rita

Me, Ashlyn, and Grandma Sue after the "big" game.

Auntie Bork and Ashlyn

Half-time presentation

Ash and I after the big win over USC

9 months

2009-08-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

I've been such a bad blogger this month so I'm cramming all of August into 3 posts...sorry!

So Ashlyn turned 9 months a few days ago (I still can't believe it!) and yes, she is still in the 10th perecentile! She is 16lbs 11oz. I made the nurse weigh her twice because I was sure she weighed 18 lbs last time I checked (but looking back I'm pretty sure she was fully clothed with a diaper on when I weighed her at home and that doesn't count). I think I'm finally convinced that she is going to be "petite."

She has more personality than I think I can handle (SASSY!), she is never still unless she is sleeping, and she is the absolute light of Aaron and I's life! We can't remember what life was like without her. She pretty much is our world! We try and carve out a few nights here and there for just us but we always end up spending most of the time talking about her. We just love her so much! Here are some recent pictures...

Chomping on a carrot from our garden.

Grandma Sue and Ashlyn getting ready for Jessica's wedding.

Being lazy!

She already loves the phone!

Bath time!

Laundry

2009-08-30T21:53:00.001-07:00

For some reason Ashlyn is obessed with everything to do with laundry. She loves laundry baskets, she helps me put clothes away (well kind of), and she is amazed with the washing machine and dryer. I just hope she is this excited about laundry when she is a teenager!

Beach

2009-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

We took Ashlyn to the beach for the very first time a couple of weeks ago. Aaron had a job to look at and it just happened to be a Monday so Ash and I were able to tag along. It was such a beautiful day and we even saw a black bear on our way up there which was really cool. I hadn't been to Ocean Shores is years and neither had Aaron. We decided our 5 anniversary might be a good time to return for a real visit, and so I got it all booked. We'll be staying at the Quinault Beach resort in about a month. Hopefully the sun will still be shining!

What a week!

2009-07-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

It's official...Ashlyn is mobile! She started to crawl just shy of her 8 month birthday. She is also trying to pull herself up every chance she gets. She is EVERYWHERE and getting into EVERYTHING!! Wow, I can't turn my back for a second. And to top it off, she also got her first tooth and rode in the grocery cart like a big girl all in the same week! It was an eventful week to say the least. But for a girl who was teething, you would have hardly known. Maybe she was just too excited about everything else. Here are some videos and pictures from the big week...

Woohoo! I'm a big girl!

Climbing up the couch...and check out the motorboating she does..that's her new thing!

Crawling...

Playing around...

The Amazing Race

2009-07-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Stefanie and I did the Amazing Race in Chehalis last Friday night. For those of you who have never heard of it, it is basically a huge scavenger hunt that (on the CBS show)take teams all across the world in search of $1 million. In our case, we raced across Chehalis by foot and car, and it was worth 3 baskets full of goodies! Stefanie I didn't win (damnit!), but we had such a great time!

The clues were definitely tough if you didn't know Chehalis, but during one of our stops at the Market Street Pub (oh yeah, did I mention I had to do an Oyster shooter as a task?), we met "Shorty." And thank goodness we did. Shorty was a regular at the pub and a Chehalis local. He helped us with so many clues and was part of our cheering squad. Well, I'd love to call it a squad, but really it was Shorty and his friends cheering us on every time we had to run by the Market Street Pub, which was pretty often. One mistake we did make though was wearing flip-flops. It was a really hot day that day (90 something degrees) so we didn't want to wear tennis shoes. Hmmm...bad idea! I've ran in flip-flops before, but not when I'm sweating up a storm. And it didn't help that they were cheapos from Old Navy. Oh, well...lesson learned for next time.

Even though we didn't place in the race, it was so much fun. At the finish line there was a good spread of food, beer, wine, and other goodies, and it was fun to chat with all the other teams and talk about all the clues and tasks we had to perform. Here are some pictures I took from the Race:

Stefanie and I (team Double Trouble) getting "hydrated" before the race

Me, Brynn, and Stefani enjoying a little race pre-funk at Ciao Bella Boutique - this might be my new favorite store by the way...so cute!

My mother-in-law, Debbi, and her co-worker, Jennifer, also did the race. This was them at the starting line.

Me and my new friend, "Shorty."

At one of the tasks, after finding a certain book at the local bookstore, we had to run across the street to the Market Street Pub and read a couple paragraphs from the book to the pub patrons on a microphone. Since I did the oyster shooter earlier, Stefani did this one. Oh yeah, and she had to wear this ridiculous hat while she did it.

Stefanie and I at the end of the race. Ugh, we were so sweaty, so we were really glad to see cold beer on ice when we got there :)

Stefani and Brynn showing some good sportsmanship

My mother-in-law at the finish line get-together. She had to get a foil at the stop at the beauty salon. Of course it wasn't really color, just some conditioner.

Mariner's Game

2009-07-14T22:20:00.001-07:00

We took Ashlyn to her first Mariner's Game on Sunday. She had a blast and so did we. We went with my dad and his friend, Mark. I was so excited for her to wear her "My first Mariner's Tee Shirt" but the day turned out to be pretty cold and damp so she had to wear a jacket all day. I did take a picture of her in the t-shirt before we left to go home after the game. I bought that t-shirt about a year ago, right after I found out I was having a girl. I've been dying for her to wear it so I was determined to get a picture! She also got a cool "My first Mariner's Game" certificate they give out to all the first timers. They fill in the name, date, opponent, and who they attended the game with. It will definitely be going in the baby book. She did take a little snooze during the seventh inning (even the wave that kept coming around didn't wake her up), but other then that, she was cheering and jumping up and down for the M's the whole game. It must of worked because they won!

2009-07-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July weekend we went up to Seal Rock up on the Hood canal. We met my mom and Roy up there and had a great weekend. After we got all set up on Friday, we all (Ashlyn, Aaron, and I) decided to take a nap in the trailer. It had been a really early morning for all of us and Aaron and I had been up late the night before so we were sleep deprived and really cranky! We ended up sleeping almost 3 hours! We obviously all needed it. When we finally surfaced from the trailer we strapped Ash in the stroller and went for a walk around the campgrounds to check things out. It was so beautiful, but really hot. I try to keep Ashlyn out of the hot sun so we stuck to the nice shady trails on our adventure. Once we got back we enjoyed a couple cold "beverages," and started getting ready for dinner. I fed Ash and she was ready for bed around 7:30. After tucking her in and watching her enter the "land of nod," I joined Aaron for the dinner around the campfire. I guess you could call it our candlelight dinner! My mom and Roy came up after dinner (they were in the campsite next to ours) and we had a couple nightcaps and chatted for awhile but we all called it a night at 10:30. We were all so tired.

On Saturday (the 4th), Aaron wanted to go clam digging (manilla). My mom and Roy already had their licenses so we just had to stop by a local store and get one for Aaron. Once we secured the licence we were off! It took awhile (and the help of local digger!), but they got their limits in about an hour or so. Ash and I went down to the beach for support and we had a great time.

After clam digging we headed back down to camp for nap time. After our nap, we went up to Mt Walker. You can either hike or drive up, but we opted for the air conditioned drive! It was absolutely AMAZING!!! Yes, I wrote that all in CAPS! If you are ever in the area and the day is clear, you have to take a trip up Mt. Walker. On one side you can see Pt. Angeles and Mt. Baker, on the other side you can see Mt. Rainier and the Seattle Skyline. It is truely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It one of those places that makes you realize how lucky we are to live in Washington.

After Mt Walker we had some dinner, got Ashlyn ready for bed, and got the campfire ready. we were surprised how well Ashlyn did with all the fireworks. She didn't wake up once! We chatted, listened to some Michael Jackson (courtesy of the camp next door!), and headed to bed about midnight.

All in all we had a great weekend! Here are some pics...

Ash sporting the red, white, and blue!

Mt. Walker...

Clam Digging...

On the beach

At camp in the jumper

"Mom, do you really have to take pictures of everything?"

Yumm!!!

View from Seal Rock Campsite.

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm a little late in posting this, things have been really busy. So last weekend was Father's Day weekend and we traveled to Kennewick for a suprise 25th wedding anniversary party. The happy couple are good friends of my in-laws. We got up early on Saturday morning, stopped by Evan and Kimmy's, then we were on our way. We took the White Pass route and it was beautiful! I haven't been over White Pass in years so I had a good time checking out the scenery and scouting out some camping spots I'd like to go back and visit. We stopped in Packwood for breakfast, feedings, diaper changes, etc. It is a good thing they weren't busy because we took up half the restaurant with all our car seats, diaper bags, bottles, and babies! When we were walking in someone asked, "How many babies do you guys have?!" Once we got over the pass we stopped in Yakima for more feedings and diaper changes (the twins still eat about every 2-3 hours).

We finally got to Kennewick and checked into our hotel around 2:30, but we had to be at the party no later than 3:30. So we dashed around feeding Ashlyn, changing our clothes, and getting ready for the party. Once we finally go there we could relax and enjoy the Eastern Washington sun. The weather was great, the party was fun, and the kids all did great.

It was a quick trip. We were only there for one night then headed back to the Westside Sunday morning. So Father's Day was spent mostly in the car driving home. We did stop at a couple fuit stands on the way home and got some cherries and other yummy things. We did have an amazing BBQ dinner on Sunday night though and had my dad over. Steak, Shrimp, corn, potatoes, and salad. It was so good!

I was also amazed at how well Ashlyn did on the car rides. Actually the twins did really good too. She got a little fussy towards the end of each ride, but who can blame her. 4 hours in a car isn't much fun for anyone I don't think. All-in-all we had a great weekend, and I think Aaron enjoyed his first Father's Day. Below are some pictures from Kennewick...

The twins all bundled up taking a nap

Aaron and Ashlyn playing on the Hammock

Kimmy and I and our little girls

Ashlyn loving her new car

Family cuddle timeGetting ready for bed in the hotel room. I just couldn't resist taking a pic of her little buns!

UW Softball - National Champs

2009-06-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how many of you follow college softball, but my UW Huskies FINALLY won the national championship we have been working for year after year. I was so proud of these girls and so proud to be associated with such an amazing program. It wasn't until half-way through the tournament that I realized it was exactly 10 years earlier that I had played in the national championship game myself. I was only 19 at the time, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. Fortunately for the 2009 Huskies, the outcome was different to the 99' championship (why do I feel so ancient when I type that?).

Since we only live a little over an hour away from Seattle, I usually try and go and see the team play a game or two every year. It is so nice to go back and see familiar faces (almost all the ushers and people who work at the stadium are the same people who were there when I played!) and of course I love to support my Dawgs. In the past, the teams have always been good, but this year I was truely amazed! These girls were for real! I remember sitting there with my friend, and ex-teammate, Erin (our babies in tow), and we just kept saying, "Wow! These girls are really good! I think they have a real chance!" We were very impressed, and low and behold...they did it!

The program has had its hiccups (which was very unfortunate (and BS might I add)), but fellow alum, Heather Tarr, took over and did an amazing job!

Of course I watched almost every inning of the Women's College World Series (Aaron knows that the tv is all mine on WCWS weekend), but this year was even more important. For some reason, I just knew the Dawgs were going to win...and they did! I was so excited and so proud! My Grandad was especially proud since he's a Canadian and Danielle Lawrie (the pitcher - for all you non-followers), is from his neck of the woods.

I hate to say it, but it took a bit of pushing to get me up to Seattle to celebrate the win (hey, I'm a new mom...and a working mom at that...there are a million chores to do with only a couple days to do it). But then I realized what a big deal the national championship was and that I really needed to be there to celebrate. Laundry can always wait :) I had such an amazing time and got to play "catch-up" with some old friends.

It was so good seeing my old teammates and its funny how the memories just start flooding back. I have so many awesome memories from my time at Washington and they pretty much all involve my teammates. Like Kelly (fellow-blogger and teammate) says, "we all have this amazing bond that nobody can ever understand. We all share a special bond that we will keep with us throughout our lifetime."

Some of my best friends I met playing softball at Washington. I know they will be my friends for life, but what is really crazy to me is to think that a single sport brought so many awesome people into my life.
Rosie and I

The next generation

Trading in our bat bags for strollers...

(my favorite thing about this picture is how pissed off Tori looks-right stroller)
Ash and I holding the National Championship Trophy...
Go Dawgs!!!
Current and former players

Leah, Rosie, and Ash

Camping

2009-05-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

We had our first family camping trip this memorial day weekend and had such a great time. We went with our good friends, Jason and Jessica, and their 3 kids, and Evan and Kimmy and the twins. Since this was the first time camping for Ashlyn, Easton, and Kamryn we decided to stay a little close to home and went to Rainbow Falls State Park (about 30 min from home). I hadn't been there since I was in elementary school so I didn't remember too much about it, but it was really nice. The weather was amazing for memorial day weekend and Ashlyn did awesome so it made for great weekend. We bought a trailer earlier this year so it was also nice to be able to take a hot shower every day. Since we were so close to home, we had a bunch of people come out to visit us on Saturday and Sunday too. Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Messin' Around

2009-05-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

We used to be able to give Ashlyn a bath every third night since she can't get around just yet so she doesn't really get dirty. However, since we have started her on solids bath nights happen a lot more often! She's actually doing pretty good with eating from a spoon, but the other night things got pretty messy!

I used to try and keep her from getting her hands in the food and in her mouth, but it's no use. And really, who cares? It's nothing a quick bath can't fix. And speaking of baths, the little monkey's new favorite trick is to kick her legs like crazy in the bath and watch the water splash everywhere. We have now moved bathtime from the kitchen sink to the bathtub!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T17:25:00.001-07:00

This year was my very first Mother's Day and it was such a great day. We had a BBQ at our house for all the family and close friends. Before everyone got there Aaron gave me my gifts from him and Ashlyn. I got a Macy's gift card and a really cool picture frame. It was engraved at the top with "Happy 1st Mother's Day" and at the bottom read "Love Ashlyn Leigh." I'm planning on putting a special picture of Ashlyn and I in it and leaving it on my new nightstand. I was very touched, and the fact that Aaron actually went to the mall for me says a lot!

Here are some pictures of the day...

BFF's and new grandmas, Sue and Terry - I don't know how they do it, but they always seem to match!

The Fam

Evan, Kimmy, and the twins

Grandma Debbi with Ashlyn

Grandpa Mike with a sacked out Kamryn

Auntie Heidi with Ashlyn

The Clan

Grandpas and babies

Ashlyn trying to grab Easton. It's hard to believe that next year they'll be running around.

Grandma Sue and Ashlyn

Me and my little girl

Daddy and Ashlyn. Thank you both for a wonderful first Mother's Day!

House Guests

2009-04-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Aaron's sister, Rachael, and her family were just here visiting from Montana for a couple of weeks and we were so happy when Rachael asked us if they could stay with us for a couple of nights during their 2 week stay in Olympia. We always have so much fun with them and this time was no different. Their son, Nolan (almost 3), and their daughter, Ava (11 months), are the cutest kids and I was happy to finally introduce Ashlyn to her cousins from Montana.

They came to stay with us on Thursday and we had a pretty relaxing evening just hanging out and eating the taco soup I made. Grandma and Grandpa Hufana came over and so did Evan, Kimmy, and the twins. It was so nice to have the entire family together again. Friday morning we all slept in (except for Aaron of course - I don't think he knows how to do that). Rachael and I decided to let the boys babysit while we headed down to the Gymboree and Carters outlets in Centralia. I thought I had a baby shopping problem, but Rachael takes the cake on that one! After we got back it was time to meet Grandma Debbi for lunch at the Rock in Lacey. I had never eaten there but it was pretty good. However, the real reason for the lunch selection was its close proximity to Charlie's Safari. I had heard about it, but hadn't actually been there myself. We had so much fun. In fact, I think Aaron and Scott had more fun than the kids! I must admit, I did enjoy a few games of skeeball myself. Ashlyn just chilled in the Bjorn the whole time, but she loved looking at everything and watching all the kids run around. After the Safari we were all worn out so we headed home and had Happy Teriyaki for dinner and just watched a movie and relaxed. The next morning we said our goodbyes and they headed back to Montana :(

Thank you Brown Family for such a great couple of days. We miss you guys so much and can't wait to see you again. We will definitely be planning a trip to Montana soon!

Here's Rachael and I with our little girlsRachael and the twins
Here's all the Hufana kids and their families

Aaron and Nolan playing "construction"

Little miss Ava
The Brown Family...Miss Ya already!

New Cousins for Ashlyn

2009-04-14T23:09:00.001-07:00

On April 8, 2009, two more Hufana's were born into the world! Yes, Evan and Kimmy had their twins, Easton Daniel and Kamryn Louise. Even though they were a month early they were pretty good sizes. Kamryn was born first and weighed 5lbs 7ounces, and Easton weighed 5 pounds 3 ounces. Kimmy did an amazing job and avoided having to have a c-section. She did spike a pretty high fever following the births, but overall she did great! I'm still so proud of her. I know what it was like to give birth to one baby and the fact that she did it twice is truely an accomplishment not too many people can say they have done.

The twins were, for the most part, healthy, but Easton did have some trouble with his breathing and was having trouble eating so he was in the nursery and was on an IV for almost a week. Kamryn was able to join mom and dad in their room from day one, but was a little jaundice after a few days so she went under the lights.

Mom, Dad, and babies are all doing great and were able to go home together as a family today. I just love them so much and can't wait to watch them grow up. It is really funny to see Ashlyn next to them because she seems like such a giant! Finally - she actually looks big! It's hard to believe she was ever that small. I'm so happy she will have cousins so close by and so close in age to play with. I know they will all be the best of friends growing up. Hopefully Aaron and I will have a boy next time around so Easton isn't constantly surrounded by girls :)

Here are some pictures of the little angels...

Finally home...
Mom and Easton, and Heidi (the other auntie) and Kamryn

Proud dad with his daughter, Kamryn Louise

Me and my neice, Kamryn

Momma and Easton

Daddy's little helper

2009-04-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today was so beautiful so we spent a lot of time outside in the yard. Aaron and our friend Rian did a ton of yard work while Ashlyn and I supervised :) Aaron thought it was also the perfect opportunity to take Ashlyn on her first ride on one of daddy's machines. He grabbed the keys to the Dozer and took her for a little spin. Check out the video of her first ride.

After the dozer ride he took her for a ride on the lawn mower. She loved it!

After a long day working in the yard, there's nothing better than an cold beverage. Unfortunately for Ashlyn, she has to wait 21 years before daddy will share his drink with her. She tried though :)

I just had to add this picture. We gave Ashlyn rice cereal for the first time this week. She seemed to really like the cereal that actually went into her mouth. You wouldn't know it though since she is flipping us the bird!

Third Percentile

2009-03-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn had her 4 month check-up on Thursday and yes...she is still in the third percentile for her age. She weighed in at a whopping 10lbs 8.4oz and measured 22 1/4 inches long. The really funny thing is that she is in the 25th percentile for her head size! Hmmmm.... Other than being a little peanut, she is doing great and is doing all the things she should be doing at 4 months. Unfortunately she did have to have a couple of shots, but she was a little trooper and only cried for a few minutes. Here are some new pictures of my "big" girl.

Cardio and Childcare

2009-03-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

After we moved to Rochester it seemed more logical (and more economical) to leave the Valley Athletic Club and join the gym down here - Thorebecks. They have two bigger gyms in Centralia and Chehalis and a small satelite gym in Rochester. Up until today I have only used the smaller gym in Rochester. It's definitely not the Valley but it's perfect for what I like to do which is cardio machines and some weights. The price tag is pretty good too :) Aaron has been pretty busy the last few weeks so he hasn't been able to watch Ashlyn while I go to the gym. As luck would have it, the Centralia and Chehalis gyms both have childcare facilities for a small fee. I've been really hesitant, okay, scared out of my mind, to leave my precious little daughter with someone I don't know. We've only ever left her with our parents so the thought of leaving her with someone I've never met freaks me out. However, I'm REALLY struggling to lose these last few pregnancy pounds and really need to start getting to the gym more. I went to the Centralia gym yesterday after lunch only to find out that the childcare center there is closed from 1-3:30 on Mondays and Fridays. I was secretly happy and relieved that I had an excuse and didn't have to leave her :) Today I had no excuses and took a huge step and took advantage of the childcare center at the Centralia gym. It actually went pretty good. The lady working was really nice and they had plenty of things for Ashlyn to play with and sit in. I normally like to spend an hour working out, but after 45 minutes I couldn't handle it anymore and went to get her. To my suprise she was totally content and being held by the lady in charge. Apparently Ashlyn did fine. So I'm happy to say I conquered another fear today. Hopefully soon I will conquer these last stubborn pounds..ughh!

Here are some recent pictures of Ashlyn...

Friends and Fun

2009-03-08T21:14:00.001-07:00

Last night we celebrated one of Aaron's best friends, Jason's, 30th birthday. Aaron's mom and grandma were nice enough to watch Ashlyn so we could have a little fun with our friends sans baby. We had a really great time and it was a nice break to be able to relax and not be on baby duty for a few hours. These nights out are so rare for us now that I think we enjoy them a lot more than we used to. Apparently Ashlyn wasn't as excited as we were. Grandma Debbi said she screamed liked crazy for a half hour when they got home until she finally fell asleep. She usually goes to bed great and has no problems so I hope she just had an "off" night and doesn't make a habit of that when someone else is watching her. But I guess since Aaron or I are the only people who have ever put her to bed she was probably confused and maybe a little scared. She did eventually fall asleep in her swing though. Ahh..the magical swing - I don't know what I would do without that thing.

Here are some pics of our "big night out"

Here are some of the girls - My sister-in-law, Kimmy, and the twins (my niece and nephew) who will be here really soon :), Heidi, me, and Jessica (wife of the Birthday Boy).

The boys...

Aaron and I

Me and Heidi..check out my cleave...yeah to Breastfeeding!!

Aaron, me, and the Birthday Boy

Rollin' Around

2009-02-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn met two major milestones today. 1) she is 12 weeks old and 2) she rolled over! She has been struggling the last week to get all the way over and to my amazment this morning she finally did it. I found my camera just in time to see that the battery was dead but she did it three more times so I was able to capture the big event. The video is a little over a minute, and the grand finale is at the end. You have to watch her struggle for awhile first :)

Beautiful Day

2009-02-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was such a beautiful sunny day and it was finally warm enough (60 degrees) for me to take Ashlyn on her first walk. We went down to Capitol Lake and joined a ton of other people who were also taking advantage of the unusually warm winter day. I even remembered to bring some bread for the ducks. Although Ashlyn slept most of the way around the lake, it was really fun to finally take her out in the stroller and I even got a little workout in :)

After we came home it was still so nice out so I decided to break out the Baby Bjorn again (the first time didn't go so well) and go out to the field and play with the dogs. I faced her outwards this time because she did not like facing inwards the first couple of times we tried her in it. She was loving facing outwards and checking everything out. She really hasn't been outside too much because it has been so cold, so besides going to and from the car or in and out of stores, today was her first real look at the great outdoors. The dogs were sniffing her at first, but then lost interest and just wanted me to keep throwing the ball for them. Checkout me and Ashlyn stylin' in the Bjorn.

2 Month Check-up

2009-01-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn just had her 2 month check-up yesterday which went really well except for the shots. I think it was harder for me than it was for her. She did pretty well though. She screamed her lungs out for a couple minutes after they gave her the shot and I about started crying myself :( After we gave her some tylenol and got her dressed she calmed down and finally fell asleep once she got settled in her car seat. She was pretty fussy that evening, but tylenol and some cuddling seemed to do the trick.

She weighs 8lbs 12oz and is 20.5 inches long. She is in the 5th percentile for weight and 3rd percentile for height. I think it is pretty safe to say we aren't going to have a basketball star on our hands. Maybe soccer or gymnastics :) She did gain 3 pounds since her 2 week visit so she is growing really well and she is already holding her head up and can roll over on to her side. She can't get all the way over yet, but I have a feeling that isn't too far away. She continues to amaze me every day and we are so thankful we have been blessed with such a beautiful little girl. I'm even more thankful she is almost sleeping through the night. I only have to get up once to feed her now between 4 and 5AM so I am much more rested these days. Here are some pictures I've taken over the last week.

Six Weeks

2009-01-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn is 6 weeks old today. She has grown so much I can hardly believe it. I was going through photos on my camera and it is amazing how much she has changed already. At bathtime tonight I decided to take some pictures and do a little before and after. She even did the same little karate pose! I think I might have a future black belt on my hands.

Here she is at almost 2 weeks old.

And here she is today.

Smile!

2008-12-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn has started to smile this last week and it just melts my heart when she does. I was able to catch a couple of these first smiles on my camera. I can't wait for the giggles to come now...

Stocking Stuffer

2008-12-26T17:56:00.001-08:00

So after the Christmas feast yesterday, my mom and I thought it would be fun to try and put Ashlyn in one of their stockings to see if she would fit...she did!! She didn't seem to care that we put her in the stocking and even posed for some pictures. After the stocking pictures we tried to put her in her little Christmas dress, but she was having none of it and cried like crazy. The dress is still a little big on her so I think I have a couple more weeks to try and put it on her again and take some pictures. Wish me luck! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Fun in the Snow

2008-12-22T21:37:00.000-08:00

We have had a ton of snow the last week that most schools and a lot of businesses have been closed. Although I'm not a huge fan of the snow (unless it is in the mountains), Aaron has been loving it! We've had a ton of friends over the last few days and they have all been "playing" in our field on quads, sleds, and tubes. I've been inside with Ashlyn most of the time, but I've had fun watching them all out back. I did sneak out a few times while Ashlyn was napping to take some pictures.

Chase and Daisy loved the snow ( and chasing all the tubers)

Aaron and John braving the weather.

John and Heidi - even freezing temperatures doesn't stop these two from enjoying a ice cold beer :)

Heidi, Echo, and Echo's daughter Piper - she is sooo cute

Heidi and Echo getting ready for their turn on the tube.

Bath Time

2008-12-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

Ever since we brought Ashlyn home, bathtime is what we feared the most. Not messy diapers or sleepless nights - but bathtime! She is so tiny and slippery and we had no clue what we were doing so we would dread it. The first couple of times we gave her a bath we used the little tub the hospital sent us home with and she just cried and cried. Well last night we decided to use the infant-to-toddler tub we received as a shower gift (thank you Casey!) and bathtime became so much easier. It has this netting material you fasten to the tub so that you can lay your newborns down into the water in it. I'm sure all of you experienced moms know exactly what I'm talking about, but Aaron and I clueless and were amazed at this contraption. Ashlyn actually seemed to enjoy the bath. She was able to stay in the warm water while we washed her and didn't cry at all until we took her out to dry her. Needless to say, we have conquered our bathtime fear. We are slowly but surely getting the hang of this "parenting" thing, and everyday things are getting easier. Now if I could just get some more sleep...

The Stork Finally Arrived!

2008-11-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

Well, after 27 hours of labor, Ashlyn arrived on Wednesday, November 26, at 10:59 PM. Although it was the longest 27 hours of my life, it was so worth it! She is a tiny little thing - she weighed 6 pounds and was 18.5 inches long, but she is healthy and beautiful. We were able to come home on Friday and are so happy to be home with our little girl. Things are a little crazy as we adjust to being parents of a newborn, but we are loving every minute (well most minutes :) ). Aaron and I are amazed we created such a beautiful girl and we couldn't be more thankful and proud.

Here is me and Ashlyn just after she was born. Aaron and I couldn't stop crying!

Here is Ashlyn and me getting ready to come home. The outfit I brought to bring her home in was way to big, but thankfully I packed a little premie outfit just in case. I'm glad I did.

Sleeping peacefully.

Proud Papa.

Little Ashlyn.

Ashlyn Leigh Hufana

2008-11-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

Well my due date (November 19) has come and gone, and our little girl is still not here. Although I loved being pregnant, I am ready to finally have her in my arms (oh, and being able to put my socks and shoes on without any help from Aaron will be nice too!). The good news is that there is a light at the end of this 9 month tunnel - I'm scheduled to be induced on Wednesday if she doesn't come on her own before then. We are supposed to head to the hospital Tuesday night (if they have room for us) and they will start the induction on Wednesday morning. Even though we will be in the hospital for Thanksgiving, I'm just so excited to finally be able to see her face and hold her in my arms! For now, all I have to share are pictures of her nursery, but I will post pictures of our little girl as soon as we bring her home.