"Sunday best"

Woodburn Tulip Festival

Benji took the day off so our little family could go to the Tulip Festival at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm.  The festival is celebrating its 25th year, however we have created a new springtime tradition by vowing to revisit the tulip farm each year. There are over 40 acres of tulips to marvel; they are an overwhelming reminder of the miracle of spring! The farm is truly a photographer's paradise.  If you're planning to visit us next year (of course, you're welcome anytime!) schedule your trip around this breathtaking spring festival.

 

For Boppy!

 

3 months old

Yesterday marked three months of age for Miss McKinley Ruth.  We celebrated by taking her to the hospital to get weighed and measured....mainly to record the figures in her baby book.  She weighed 12 lbs, 8 oz and measured 24.5 inches long.  We also had a photo shoot in one of my old baby outfits. The shoot proved to be quite challenging, as she was only interested in eating her dress and reclining against her dolls.  She sure has grown from month to month.

 

9 lbs, 14 oz  and 21 inches long

 

11 lbs, 9 oz  and 23.5 inches long

What am I hungry for.....?

My dress, of course!

Family Time

McKinley finally got to meet her Dumpa (aka Grandpa Howard), Uncle Travis, Auntie Natalie, and cousin Micah-moo, when they came out for a visit towards the end of March. We dined on Dumpa's gourmet Mediterranean cuisine and mainly hung around the house, playing sudoku and drinking diet cherry Dr. Pepper. We did, however, survive an all-day road trip to Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge.  The kiddos were amazing little travelers.  Here are some pictures of our adventure.

 Stopped at a local winery, overlooking Newberg.

Funny bunnies!

Daddy, Dumpa & Mickey beside the Columbia River.

 

McKinley with her cousin Micah-moo.

M & M's.....sweet cousins!

Waiting on a baby girl

Let's rewind for a moment as I reminisce about the arrival of McKinley Ruth. To celebrate her due date, which was January 7, 2010, we dined at the Olive Garden, along with my parents who had arrived into town a couple days earlier.  We struggled to stay busy while anxiously anticipating McKinley's arrival. Another week went by, and our midwife suggested we schedule to induce.  As McKinley's actual birth day grew near, my Dad wrote a beautiful poem for his unborn granddaughter....entitled "Waiting On A Baby Girl."

Sitting here at Sonya’s house in Oregon

Waiting for this baby girl to finally come

Looking out the window as raindrops fall

The sun, as this baby girl, are yet to be seen at all

She’s late by 5 days today

Does she not realize that Grandpa Fred will soon be on his way

Has she no concept of timeliness

The anxiety being built in each one of us

What is this inherent trait in the female species

To make us men wait, and wait, and wait

Does she not realize that men do not understand

The concept of “Fashionably Late”

Why won’t she consider Ben and Me

Is it that she’s not able

To understand just how important we are

Why we have places to be, things to do, and people to see

Will today be the day

As we wait with anticipation

Or will this baby girl once again

Choose her womb of gestation

Perhaps God is teaching me

A lesson about time

For he told us in His Holy Book

To wait on the Lord and everything will be just fine

Don’t worry He said for I’m in control

Why He knows each and every hair

That’s dwindling on my furless little knoll

So I suppose its time for me to chill out

This little girl will come and in that I have no doubt

I’m not in control, I cannot ‘fix it’

So I guess I’ll just have to change my airline ticket

After 24+ hours of labor, McKinley finally arrived around 1 am on January 16, 2010, weighing 7 lbs, 3 oz and measuring 19 1/4 inches long.  We'll never know if the spicy appetizers from PF Changs or the lunges and squats Benji made me do the night I went into labor had anything to do with it, but we were thankful that our daughter made her appearance without the introduction of the dreaded balloon catheter.  Here are some of my favorite hospital memories:

 

My favorite newborn shot of Miss McKinley.

 

I can't believe she use to be this little!

Easter pictures: Part II

Becoming a mother has definitely increased my "paparazzi" reflex.  I am obsessed with getting the perfect shot!  I wish my eyes had embedded camera lenses so that every time I blink, I'm taking a picture while I witness McKinley smile, babble, or do some thing so cute that my heart just melts.  I have professional photographers in my family (Grandpa Fred and Auntie Natalie) so I pick their creative brains for things that I can control....like the right lighting, poses, backdrops, props, etc. Although I'm only using a pocket-sized digital camera, I'm sometimes amazed at what I'm able to capture.  Rest assured.....Miss McKinley will not be trying out for America's Next Top Model; Season 32.

Thank you Grandpa & Gramma for my duckie easter hat!

 

   

Happy Easter

I am beginning to affirm my reservations about starting this blog.  I have spent McKinley's last two consecutive nap periods composing my first post...meanwhile, the dirty dishes are still in the sink, the clean laundry is still on the floor, and our living room is a mess! "Blogging" is super addictive and quite time consuming.  Nevertheless, it's an awesome venue to connect with family and friends, and I'm excited to finally get started.  I have so many McKinley pictures and moments I'm anxious to share, but for now, here are some favorites from our photo session after church.