New Blog!

Jillian and Bridget now have their own blog!

You can catch it here: http://jillandbridget.blogspot.com

Hope you enjoy it!

A Birth Story, Part II

We have a new addition to the family! Bridget Evelyn Woodruff was born on September 17, 2010 at 10:19 a.m., and was 8 lbs 7 oz in weight and 21-1/2 inches long. She has lots of thick, black hair and a little dimple in one of her cheeks. For the full report, read on:

Mommy, Daddy and Jillian woke up early on Friday morning and started getting ready for the big day. Grannie Woodruff stopped by at 6:30 am to pick up Jillian for the weekend, and of course, she was very excited about that. Mommy and Daddy then made the drive down to Southwest W

shington Medical Center for an 8:00 am check-in time. When we got there, Mommy remarked about how strange it was knowing that in just a couple hours, we would be holding a new baby. Mommy was put into Room 102, and got into her gown and made herself comfortable in the bed. Our nurse for the day would be Annette, and she was very nice and helpful. The paperwork started coming, along with IV hookups, drugs and monitors on the baby. Auntie Greta and Dany showed up during the prep time, ready to go. We had met with several OBGYN doctors leading up to birth-day, but it ended up that the one doing the procedure would be Dr. Chang, who leads the entire OBGYN program at SWMC. He came in to introduce himself, and made us laugh the entire time; he had a great sense of humor. It was obvious, though, that he knew what he was doing, so we felt good about that.

At about 9:30 am, it was time to head to the operating room. We walked with the nurse, and Mommy went in to the room to get her spinal anesthetic while Daddy waited outside. Once all of the doctors had shown up and were ready to go at just after 10:00 am, Daddy went in and sat next to Mommy. The music was blaring, and the doctors started moving fast with the C-section. The anesthesiologist kept us up-to-date on what was happening as he watched over the curtain. When it was time for the baby to come out, the first thing he said was “Whoa, that’s a big baby!” Shortly after that, everyone in the room said “Look at all that hair!” Little Bridget Evelyn had arrived!

Bridget then moved over to the respiratory therapists. They were amazed at how quickly she had “pinked up”, and immediately gave her an Apgar rating of 9 out of 10. They cleaned her up and suctioned her out, while Daddy took photos and showed them to Mommy. About 5 minutes later, they gave her a full rating of 10. They measured her at 21-1/2 inches long, and weighed her in at a big 8 lbs 7.3 oz. After a quick wrap job, they put Bridget on Mommy’s chest. Mommy was so happy!

The doctors finished up the procedure, and moved Mommy to a new bed. While holding onto Bridget, she was wheeled out of the operating room and placed in the recovery room with nurse Annette. We spent the next hour there while both Mommy and Bridget were monitored by the nurse. Both Mommy and Bridget checked out great! Eventually, we got to leave and head back to Room 102, where Auntie Greta and Dany were waiting. Mommy announced to them that the baby’s name was Bridget Evelyn. Mommy had always liked the name Bridget, and the name Evelyn was her Grandma Peterson’s middle name. Auntie Greta and Dany were thrilled to finally meet Bridget, and enjoyed holding her!

While Auntie Greta and Dany went to get lunch, Mommy and Bridget rested in the room. One thing we found out was that Bridget was a pretty mellow baby, and she liked to sleep. She did cry when she was hungry, but other than that, she stayed pretty quiet.

At about 2:00 pm, big sister Jillian showed up with Grannie and Papa Woodruff. Jillian came running into the room yelling “Mommy, did the baby come out?” When Mommy said yes, Jillian then yelled “The baby popped out!” Bridget was laying on Mommy on the bed, so Grannie held Jillian up so that she could see her. Jillian was all smiles, and was very excited to see her little sister, giving her a nice kiss. But when Bridget started crying loudly, Jillian tried climbing up Grannie’s head trying to get away. She was a little spooked by the crying. After Grannie had held Bridget, Jillian was asking “Can I hold the baby?”, so she sat with Daddy on the sofa and got to excitedly hold baby Bridget for the first time. She was a little wary though, saying “Baby’s crying” if Bridget even made a sound or wrinkled up her face.

Many more visitors began showing up. Cindy Stephenson arrived, and then Auntie Greta and Dany returned. They had brought a cake from Olive Garden, so everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to Bridget. Later in the afternoon, Grandpa Ken, Auntie Sheryl and Cousins Meagan and Adam showed up. Cousin Adam got to hold Bridget, and was also a little scared when she started crying. After that, he was content to just watch. Grandpa Ken was celebrating his birthday right along with Bridget, so it was a very happy birthday for both of them!

That evening, Mommy worked on getting Bridget fed while trying to recover from the surgery at the same time. It actually went pretty well, as Bridget latched on pretty quickly and fed for 10 to 20 minutes at a time before getting tired and falling asleep. Her internal clock was a little off, though, as she was awake and demanding food throughout the night. Eventually, she settled down at 4:30 am and went to sleep for a few hours.

On Saturday, all the activity must have worn Bridget out, because she was very sleepy throughout the day. She continued to receive visitors, including Cousin Tierney, Uncle Clark, Beverly, and the Johnson family (Uncle Kevin, Auntie Julie, and Cousins Cale, Ty and Brock). Big sister Jillian also visited again, giving little sister Bridget a card that she had made herself. Mommy continued her recovery, getting up and moving around, and even getting a chance to shower. Nurse Maria worked the night-shift, and was someone that Mommy had gone to high school with. She was very nice and helpful.

On Sunday, Dr. Chang visited and said that everything looked good with Bridget and Mommy, and that if they wanted to leave that evening, he would discharge them. So, we agreed to leave later that day. Sunday was a pretty restful day, and Bridget continued to eat and sleep and snuggle with Mommy. It was becoming apparent that Bridget was going to be the sleeper and snuggle buddy of the family, as Jillian was already our active little go-go girl. There were many more doctor visits, including a lactation nurse who had some great advice. After Aunt Lee was our final visitor, we packed up our things and put Bridget into the carseat and got into the car. Bridget was a great little traveler, sleeping the entire way home.

When we arrived home with Bridget, we got things in order, and then big sister Jillian showed up an hour or so later when Grannie and Papa Woodruff and Cousin Tierney dropped her off. Once again, Jillian was very excited to see Bridget, wanting to hold her many times. It was a very happy reunion for all of us, and a special night as a family of four. We are so excited to have Bridget!

Bridget Evelyn

When Rick, Heather, and Bridget get home from the hospital there will be a long blog and pictures from Rick, I'm sure, but I can share a little. Jillian is so proud of her new sister. She made a card for her today and was thrilled when Bridget looked at it wide awake. She likes to hold her but the moment Bridget cries, that's the end of the holding. Jillian is fascinated by all the long hair and so far is content to caress it, not pull it like she does with us when she's tired. Today she got to see Daddy change a dirty diaper which again was something very interesting, especially when Bridget turns bright red from wailing very loud. I'm sure Jillian will be a big help to Mommy and Daddy when Bridget comes home.

Scheduled Birthday

Mommy went to the OBGYN today, and Daddy and Jillian tagged along. Jillian had been wanting to go to the hospital, saying "I'm going to tell the doctor I have an owie." She's been hoping that they'll give her another band-aid. When the nurse showed up and Jillian told her about the owie on her knee, the nurse said she didn't have a band-aid and that her knee was looking much better. Oh well.

The nurse checked Heather's blood pressure, and it was high again. When Doctor Fox came in and did some other checks, she provided some options about what to do next, but she also said that she highly recommended that a C-section be performed sooner rather than later, to avoid any problems that come with going past the due date. And when she said "sooner", she actually meant in the next day or two. We weren't quite prepared for that, but Heather said that if Friday was open, then she'd like to do it then. So, the new baby will be born on September 17, and share a birthday with her Grandpa Ken and Auntie Karen.

Interesting Day

Papa had to get a colonoscopy so Jillian and I spent time shopping. At Michaels she saw a sand castle and I explained that she would have to paint it and she was excited about that. Then we went to Ross and we found some Dora clogs which had fleece in them that were for cold weather. Next stop was Starbucks when we got a call to pick up Papa. He was in a room in the surgical wing so when we went in the door to that wing, Jillian showed she knows what doctors and hospitals are for. As soon as we went in that wing there were several nurses and she pointed to her knee and said she had an "owee". The nurses were captivated and came over to look and one said they would get her a band aid. She continued to talk to them while I got Papa. Soon the nurse came back with the band aid and put it on her knee. She said, "Thank you" and then she said loudly, "Thank you ladies." She had them completely charmed.

Next we played outside for a couple hours after lunch and then Jillian went down for her nap. As soon as she woke up she remembered she had her sand castle to paint so she wanted to do it right away, bed head and all. She did a very careful job painting and she was proud that she didn't get any paint on her clothes. Maybe there is an artist there somewhere. Then it was on to Cale's football game where she got to see Aunt Julie, Brock and Ty.

New Stuff XXIX

At 2-1/2 years old, Jillian keeps letting loose with all kinds of crazy and interesting things:

1. The Puma and the Polar Bear : If you want to see Jillian get all excited and run around like a wild-girl, just mention "the puma and the polar bear" to her, and then step back! We have no idea where it came from, but whenever she talks about the puma and / or the polar bear, she immediately starts screaming, and maybe even hiding or wrapping herself up in blankets. She also wants us to get involved, either running away with her, or saving her from them.

2. "Rojo" : So, red is not just red anymore; now it's rojo. When we come up to a stoplight, Jillian starts yelling "stop Daddy, it's rojo". Yet another Dora influence.

3. The Wrestler : Another way to get Jillian all worked up is to lay on the floor where she can attack you. Then, it becomes a big wrestling-fest. Jillian will begin by throwing herself at you just like in WWF, so it's best to keep a close eye on her. Her next move is to grab you by the head and squeeze. Meanwhile, she screams and laughs. Lastly, she loves to jump up and do the "knees to the stomach".

4. The Good Mommy : When she's not destroying things, Jillian is nurturing her little baby doll that she calls "Apple Dumplin'" (from Strawberry Shortcake). She wraps the doll up in blankets for night-night, and takes the doll for walks in her little shopping cart. And of course, the doll gets to go to bed with Jillian.

5. "Save Me!" : Not only does Jillian like to get tickled, she also likes to yell at whoever's nearby, saying "save me". Once she gets saved, she goes back and says "tickle me", which is immediately followed by another "save me", again and again.

6. "Do you see my little tear?" : Jillian asks us this after she has been crying.

7. The Prayer Book : One of the baby shower gifts for little Jillian was a book called "Baby's First Prayers", which contains over a dozen small prayers for kids. We've read this off and on for quite a while, and apparently Jillian was listening, because now when we read it to her before bedtime, she'll recite every prayer. Not only that, she recites them loudly, so that everyone in the house can hear her!

Four Days to Go

Here's a photo of Mommy and Jillian in front of Grace Lutheran Church. The new baby is due to be born this Thursday (September 16), though she hasn't shown much sign of wanting to come out. Mommy is definitely ready, and Jillian talks about wanting to "feed the baby".

Potty Independence

Now that Jillian is potty-trained, she likes to do it all by herself. We'll hear her say "I have to go potty" and then she'll take off running for the bathroom, without asking us to help her. She'll put on her little ducky seat and drop her drawers, and then get herself up on the toilet (with or without the step stool). If Daddy comes in to ask if she needs help, Jillian will say "you need to go in the living room". Apparently, she likes to have her privacy. After she's done, she takes care of clean-up with the toilet paper and pulls up her pants (though sometimes she comes shuffling out of the bathroom with her pants around her ankles, asking for our help). And her favorite part, of course, is washing her hands (or playing in the water) in the sink.

Mommy and Daddy are very happy with their little Sweetie-Pie, and the timing couldn't be better with another little hunny bunny on the way.

Play-doh Time

You never know. At a recent garage sale I bought this bag of play-doh stuff for $.50 and since it wasn't very nice today I got it out. It was a big hit. It had a doll that when you pressed the lever, it grew long hair. Since it had some plastic scissors, Jillian was fascinated by cutting the doll's hair. It had a blow dryer, curling iron, and comb which also got a lot of use. Plus you could make flowers and bows for the doll's hair. She played with this for a really long time. Now I'm afraid that she's at that age where they always try to cut their own hair.

Beach Trip, Part II

This is just a follow-up to Grannie's post about Kids' Day at the Beach, since Daddy had some pictures to share as well.

Whenever we talked to Jillian about going to the beach, there were always 3 things that came to her mind: the beach, the pool, and ice cream. And Jillian got to enjoy all 3 of those during the latest kid trip. Some of the memories include:

The cool pool : It didn't seem to bother Sweetie-Pie that all of the pools were kind of cold, since she wanted to stay in the water for more than the 1-1/2 hours we were there. One thing that changed was that Jillian had better "sea legs"; she rarely fell down when wading around in the water.

Wake-up time : As tradition goes, this is one that the older cousins would rather not see anymore. Bright and early in the morning, Jillian woke up and immediately said that it was "time to wake up the kids". First was Tierney, then Brock and finally Ty, who she proceeded to jump all over.

The big moat : Normally, Jillian doesn't want much to do with the big sand castle that the kids stand on, but this time she thought it was pretty cool to stand on it way up high and watch the waves come in.

Jill the Destroyer : Jillian borrowed this from the original destroyer, Ty. We all played a game of who could build the biggest stack of poker chips before Jillian destroyed it.

It was another great kids beach trip. It's too bad it only comes twice a year.

Kids Days at the Beach

After Tierney's volleyball Jamboree on Saturday we headed for the beach. The first stop was the Astoria pool where the kids learned that all the pumps were down but they went in anyway. The water wasn't that warm so they all were ready to leave in about an hour, all except for Jillian who would have stayed all day in the kiddy pool. As tradition goes the next stop is Custard King for ice cream. Of course, Jillian got her pink ice cream. In this picture Ty looks like he's afraid Jillian is going to get ice cream all over him. Then it was on to the cabin and down to the beach. The big kids played football and Jillian got to play in the wonderful sand.

The next day turned out to be great weather, sunny and nice in the morning without wind on the beach so everyone headed out early to build the traditional moat. Jillian finally got to play in the waves. After a picture on the moat (Jillian smiling for a change), the kids went up to the dry sand to get warm from getting wet in the water. They played baseball while Jillian again got to play in so much sand. After another trip to the beach and a wiener roast and smores, the tired troops headed for bed. On Monday we finally got the bad weather so we made our trip to Funland where Jillian got to try some games before heading home.

Training to work at Starbucks

This cracked everyone up at Kid's Days at the Beach over Labor Day. Jillian got a tablet and a pen and proceeded to write down her order, hot chocolate-no whip. Then she went around to everyone and asked what they wanted. She would very seriously write down their order and then ask the next person until all ten of us had ordered. Since there isn't a Starbucks in Ocean Park or even Long Beach, we didn't get our orders that day.

Two Breakfasts

Even though Jillian had had her cereal and fruit not too long before, she wanted to join the other kids when they came for their morning waffles and sausage. Ty and Brock were finishing, Tierney was waiting for hers, and Jillian was working on hers. She did finish it all too.

For quite awhile when it was nap time I would spell n-a-p so she wouldn't get upset right away when I was talking to someone. The last couple of times when I spelled n-a-p, she shouted out, "I don't want to take a nap!". It's hard to keep ahead of her sometimes.

New Stuff XXVIII

Summer is just about over, so here's some new things to check out:

1. "Probably" : Jillian will throw this into her sentences now and then.

2. "I'm not tired" : When we're getting Jillian ready for bed, such as during story-time, she tells us this since she's never wanting to go to bed just yet. She also says this right after having her night-time milk, and then sits up, knowing that if she stays laying down, she might fall asleep.

3. "I'm too busy" : If we ask Jillian to come somewhere or do something, she'll sometimes throw this one at us.

4. "... eat it up all" : Sweetie-Pie gets the "all" switched around, and uses it at the end. We know what she's saying, but it's funny to hear.

5. Boys & Girls : Jillian knows pretty well who is a boy and who is a girl. If we ask her about someone, she'll tell us if they're a boy or girl.

6. "How was your day?" : This is a nice little greeting from Sweetie-Pie.

7. Sad, Mad and Happy : Jillian likes to talk about these emotions, and who is sad, mad or happy. Typically, she'll say "I make Mommy sad", "Mommy makes me mad", "Adam makes me so happy", and "Grannie / Mocha be so happy to see me!"

8. The Deep Voice : If you want to hear Jillian's deep voice, just talk to her in your own deep voice, and she'll respond the same way. It's pretty funny.

J C Hammer

Just like Grannie had mentioned in the previous post, Jillian is really good at hammering. She can pound each of those pegs down in a hurry, with quick, short swings. Here's a video of her hammering away!

Busy Day Inside

When Jillian arrived, Brock and Ty were busy having snacks so Jillian got right in the middle of them and wanted a snack too. They were having Princess Fruit Snacks so she was excited about that. It was a rainy, dreary day outside so Jillian got acquainted with all the inside toys again. Brock and Ty played sleeping on the couch which she enjoyed with her baby doll but there was more wrestling than sleeping.


I brought out the pounding toy that Jillian hadn't seen for awhile and she wasn't very good at using the hammer at first, but she has super determination so after awhile she was furiously hammering. She could pound down all 6 posts in no time. We told her that she was ready to help Daddy build on the new house.

Big Girl Potty

We guess it's a process, this whole potty-training thing. This morning, Jillian pretty much did it all herself. While Mommy was busy getting ready in the bathroom, Jillian walked in and said that she had to go potty. Then, she took off her jammie bottoms, took off her diaper, got up on the potty seat (with Mommy's help) and took care of business. We're hoping that was the next big step.

Fun with Rielee, Auna and Brock

Jillian was so happy to get to play with Rielee two days straight this week. They got along so well the whole time but as far as getting a picture together, believe me, I tried. Rielee is always ready to go along but I have to sneak up on Jillian and her together and when I do see a cute shot I don't have my camera in hand. Yesterday they got to play at Grannie's for a couple of hours and then they went up to Rielee's pool. Rielee is a fish but Jillian only got in for a couple of times with Auna's help. Aunt Dianne got her the twin's pool to play in right by the big pool.

Brock watched Jillian a lot the last couple of days when they were playing outside. Of course, one thing Brock did was try to get Jillian interested in basketball. And as you can see from the picture, Jillian is quite pumped to have Brock driving her around in the jeep.

Later she missed her nap to be able to go with us to take Mocha to the vet as Mocha is not putting any weight on her right leg. She is quite concerned over Mocha's injury and she was very interested in what the vet did during the examination. Before we went to the vet she got out her stethoscope and put it on Mocha's leg. On the way to the vet she surprised us by asking if the vet would use a stethoscope on Mocha too. She pronounced it very clearly.

Sighting No. 55

This photo was taken from the one that Grannie just took of Sweetie-Pie, but just zoomed in a bit and edited, since it was such a good picture.

Dancing Girl

Jillian was outside picking flowers and then getting in her car telling Tierney that she was going to a party and dance. Then she brought the flowers inside and I put one in her hair. She proceeded to get out her musical instruments (plastic guitar, shaker, tambourine, harmonica, etc.) and a pom-pom. She gave an instrument to everyone to play and then danced away while everyone made music and Daddy sang Wiggles songs. Jillian was so proud of her pretty hair. The music was something else but she didn't seem to care.

Undies Only

At least, during the daytime. Mommy decided it was time to forget the diapers, and just have Jillian wear her panties all day. We had been kind of on-again / off-again when it came to panties, switching between them and diapers. But, Mommy wanted Jillian to know that it was time to be a "big girl" and sit on the potty when it was time to go. And she did! Both no. 2 jobs today were on the potty (though the second time was close; Jillian said "I have to go to my room" and then took off, and Mommy chased her down, knowing exactly what that meant). So, it was a successful first day. We hope it continues.

Lots of Playmates

It's sad that school is about to start as Jillian has so many cousins to play with right now. First today, Tierney came up and we took her to run her mile then picked up Auna and Rielee to come play. It seems that Auna had to be the mediator between Jillian and Rielee half the time as they are both such strong-willed girls. What one has the other invariably wants. Auna does great with that. They played with the doll houses until it got nicer outside. Then they went to the tree house play area, then up to the "bouncer" with Brock. They played "The monkey bounced on the bed and hit his head", made up I guess from the book.

After Auna and Rielee went home, then Ty and Tierney did bubbles for Jillian to ride her jeep through and then Jillian copied Ty who was hitting the bubbles that Tierney did with the bat. That was fun for quite awhile. Sadly it wasn't quite nice enough for the pool.

After all the outdoor play, Tierney and Jillian did the Dora Play-Doh set. That was the wind down to a lot of outdoor play and then it was time for a much needed nap.

The New Baby Plan

Heather visited her OBGYN, Dr. O'Neil, on Monday, and they discussed this pregnancy and what needed to happen in the last month. After talking about how the one with Jillian went, they came up with the plan, namely: If Heather goes into spontaneous labor by September 16 (the due date), then the doctor will let it happen and watch closely how far it progresses. As long as there is steady progress, they will attempt a natural birth. But, there will be no inducing this time around. Which means that if labor doesn't begin by September 16, then a C-section will be scheduled for the following week. So, now we know that the new baby will be born at least by September 24. Just a month to go!

Spunky Girl

At 2 and one-half years old, you can now see Jillian's sparkling personality come out. She enjoys life to the fullest with an active imagination and an enthusiasm for life. She loves to run free like the wind. She gets excited about every new thing and is not the least bit shy in meeting people and letting everyone know what she needs-one spunky little gal. Jillian will say and do things that absolutely crack you up. It's apparent that she will never be afraid to tackle anything in life with a wonderful enthusiasm. She loves to tease and have a good time with everyone, but then be able to snuggle up with you and enjoy her books.
In this picture she had decided to ride her car and scooter in the pool and then decided it needed washing. She is always trying something new, especially if it has to do with water in some form.

Mommy's New Cabinets

Sweetie-Pie is sitting on some of Mommy's new kitchen cabinets. They were just installed this past week, and Mommy is very happy with them. We got them from DeWils in Vancouver, and though it was a struggle sometimes, it looks like it was worth it. We also got the same style for the master bathroom (that Granpda Peterson installed) and the utility room. Now, we just have to wait for the countertops, and after that, Mommy will have a brand-new kitchen.

New Stuff XXVII

Actually, this stuff isn't all that new, since it's been a while between posts. But, here they are:

1. "Why? Why? Why, oh why?" : The "why" questions have been almost non-stop. And our answers to Jillian are never good enough, because she just keeps asking "why?".

2. "Ooooohhh-kaayyy" : It's one of those long, drawn out OKs, where Jillian almost sounds resigned to answering us.

3. "You stay right there!" : This is one of Jillian's commands, if she has to go get something and doesn't want us to leave; it's usually accompanied by the universal "stop" hand-sign.

4. "But I have to" -or- "But I need to" : If we ever say to Jillian "don't do that", she'll respond this way, using either one. Not that she ever tells us why.

5. "Baby is getting BIGGER and BIGGER!" : Jillian likes to ask Mommy how the new baby is doing. Then, she'll yell this out excitedly (while shaking and with clenched fists).

6. "Hi, my Mommy / Daddy" : No idea where this came from, but this is how Jillian likes to greet us.

7. " ... again?" : Put anything in front of "again", and this is a question that we get asked once in a while.

8. Christmas Wish List : When Jillian spent a lot of time with Cousin Adam in North Dakota, there was a lot of talk about Santa, and what they want for Christmas. If you ask Jillian what she wants, she'll respond "a baby and a bottle." She gets Christmas and her birthday a little mixed up, because she'll also say "... and a Dora cake".

9. "It'll dry" : If Jillian or anything else gets wet, this is what she likes to say to reassure us.

10. Substitute Baby : Mommy and Daddy forgot to pack a baby for Jillian on the trip to North Dakota. So, Jillian made do by instead adopting her swimsuit, which she carried around with her everywhere.

Sighting No. 54

Here's a picture of Jillian being a very good little girl in her carseat on the long drive to North Dakota. She managed to stay in good humor throughout the trip.

Driving Thrills

Maybe it was because when Rielee was here yesterday and Rielee rode everything and Jillian would ride with her sometimes, or maybe this morning she put on her "tiger" sweatshirt (really leopard) and she felt very brave, but today was her big day to ride all five of her riding vehicles and try some new things. The biggest hit was the scooter that she rode all over around the images that Rick had drawn on the driveway of Mommy and Daddy, Dora and Boots, etc., and she seemed to catch on to the steering after I showed her how the handle on top controlled the wheels on the front. Looking at this picture you would have though she may have had lots of spills but she didn't have one spill today. Also her feet must be getting tough because the shoes come off as soon as she's out the door. She will only put her shoes back on when the sun comes out and the blacktop gets very hot.

Jillian rode the quad a lot and could steer that better, just running into things a few times, possible because the handlebars are the same as the scooter. Then came the jeep which is still an adventure as she wants to shift into high gear and I want it to stay in low. Steering isn't so hot either. Also she likes to smile at you when she's driving without watching where she's going.

Back to NoDak

We all made the big trip east to North Dakota in the last couple weeks to visit the Peterson family there. Everyone got together for both a family reunion and a wedding. Jillian had a great time seeing all of her relatives again.

We found out on the way over (and back) that Jillian is a great little traveller. She did very well sitting in her carseat for the two 12-hour driving days. She only had a couple meltdowns, but for the most part, she kept herself busy or found ways to entertain us. She had plenty of stickerbooks, and her usual story books, plus she had lots of Dora the Explorer videos to watch on Daddy's iPod. And she managed to get lots of naps in.

Our first destination was Cavalier in the northeastern part of North Dakota, where Uncle Alan and Aunt Karen Crowston live (with Cousins Jay and Julie Peterson and family down the road). We stayed in Jay and Julie's big house for the weekend, and Jillian loved the fact that Cousin Adam and the Verd family were also staying there. For pretty much the entire trip, Jillian and Adam were inseparable, playing and fighting like brother and sister.

That first weekend was the family reunion, and there was lots of family. For Jillian, this was the first time that she had met some of these relatives. She got a lot of good play time in, since there were quite a few kids. We did discover that mosquitoes find her tasty, as she ended up with about 9 bites (one of them probably being a spider bite) after just the first night. After that, we made sure to put lots of repellant on her.

After the reunion, we left to head for Rugby. We stopped at the Peace Garden on the Canadian border on the way, and almost didn't get back into the US when the border guard wanted to know where our passports were. This was Jillian's first international incident. In Rugby, we stayed at the home of Cousins Greg and Deb Mack. Again, Jillian got to hang out with Adam the whole time.

While in Rugby, us and Grandpa Peterson and the Verd family visited and travelled around, going Knox, Leeds and Devil's Lake. And we spent a couple days in Fillmore with Uncle Davey and Auntie Charolette. Jillian and Adam spent nearly all of their time climbing on and riding the John Deere riding lawnmower.

At the end of the week, it was time for Cousin Ben's wedding to Bethany. Mommy and Jillian had come down with head colds, so they were laid low for a day or two, but by wedding time they were ready to go. Jillian watched the girls in dresses very carefully, liking the blue dress (worn by Cousin Nadia) the best. She managed to stay pretty quiet throughout. Then it was time for the big reception party at the Mack Farm in Orrin. This was the hottest day of the trip, and we tried to stay cool. Jillian found a big fan that she liked to stand in front of to "dry my hair". There was a live band, and as soon as the music came on, Jillian was bouncing all over the place. Throughout the night, she was on the move, dancing and running. By the time the party was over, she was exhausted.

Bright and early the next morning, we took off for home. Once again, Jillian did very well in the car. She was so excited to get back home where she could run around and play. It was another fun and relaxing trip to North Dakota; we look forward to going back soon.

Sun and Fun

This is the wonderful time of the year for Jillian as there is fun and water everywhere. She is ready to go outside right away and will only want to come in to eat. Lately the only clothes she needs is a swimsuit. Yesterday was especially fun since Auna came and played with Jillian until her nap. Auna was a good sport about getting wet too. Auna is so patient and fun with kids. Then Tierney joined them and Jillian wanted to show Tierney how high she could swing, "All by myself". She really wants to try the zip line but I told her she had to be able to reach it all by herself which luckily is a about a foot away from her reach. At Disneyland we got her the neon bubble gun and this is the latest craze. Everybody and everything gets bubbles. It has been refilled about 10 times. These are the best of days for a 2 year old.

Slip-n-slide

Jillian was so excited about setting up the slip-n-slide that she ran up to the Johnsons to get Cale, Ty, and Brock to do it with her. She was hesitant at first but the boys went right at it. They got creative with all sorts of things so Jillian decided the sled made a good boat and went down laughing all the way. She thought it was funny to push Brock to get him started. Down at the bottom there was a small pool where she wanted to wade but then the boys would come down the slide with a big splash and she would get all wet. The sprinkles down the side of the slide made a good drinking fountain. Brock and Ty were still going at it when she was wet and had enough.

A Day at Aunt Dianne's

Aunt Dianne helped out us out in a big way by watching Jillian last Friday, when all of the regular babysitters were away on vacation. Aunt Dianne has a blog, too, and she posted the story of her day with Jillian. You can see it by clicking here: My Life As Grandma

And just as a teaser, here's a photo of her pool time. When Jillian came home that day, she told us that the "whale" had bit her on the lips.

Jeep Washing

Jillian likes to decorate her jeep and scooter with chalk. Since the hose was out, filling up her pool, she decided it would be a good idea to wash her jeep since it was dirty with all the chalk on it. Since the hose wouldn't reach the jeep she had to get in the jeep and drive it closer, which surprised me that she figured that out instead of asking me.

First she wet it down. Then she wanted some bubbles and a wash mitt so she could scrub it down. She did a very thorough job and made sure everything had bubbles. Then she would rinse it and then start all over again. Finally, after a really long time, I told her it was time to turn off the hose and dry her jeep which she did with a rag.

Horsey Girl

Jillian loves horses! Thanks to the Paul family, she has gotten to do quite a bit of riding on horses. Here's a photo of Jillian and Lindsey riding on "Jazz". Whenever we talk to Jillian about going to Cindy's or to see McKenna & Lindsey, the first thing that pops into her head is horses.

About a month ago, our neighbor Jack gave Jillian a little horsey-on-a-stick. It was something that he kept for his granddaughter Maddy, but now that she was grown up, he fixed it up and gave it to us. Jillian likes to ride the little horsey, like this photo shows. She calls the horsey either "Jazz" or "Cowboy". Note that she also likes to wear her "cow boots".

The New Bedroom

On Friday, Aunties Greta and Sheryl and Uncle Richard came over to our house to help us move furniture, now that the carpet was installed in the bedrooms. We moved Mommy and Daddy's bed into their master bedroom, along with a couple of other things. But, we didn't yet have a new bed for Jillian. Uncle Richard suggested we use an inflatable mattress in the meantime, so we blew up the big queen air mattress that we have (usually for Kids' sleepovers). Then we threw a sheet and blanket on it.

That night, we told Jillian that she would get to sleep in her new bedroom. She was kind of excited about it, and had no problems laying down in it while we read a story to her. After turning out the lights and laying with her for a while, she eventually fell asleep. She would end up waking up a couple times throughout the night, but she went right back to sleep.

On Saturday morning, she woke up before Mommy and Daddy were out of bed. She wandered up and down the halls yelling "Mommy!" and "Daddy!". She was a little disoriented, not knowing where we were. After a minute or so, she found us in the new master bedroom, where she climbed onto the bed and started jumping around.

A Day Out with Thomas

This past Saturday, Jillian went with Cousins Adam and Andy to ride on the life-size Thomas the Tank Engine. We got up early in the morning and carpooled with the Uncle Clark, Auntie Greta and Adam to Snoqualmie. We met up with Auntie Sheryl and Andy there, and got in line for the train. We were far enough up that we got into the car directly behind Thomas. The kids were very excited to see Thomas, and to take a trip on a train.

Afterwards, Auntie Sheryl got all the kids their own engineer hats (like this photo shows) and Thomas t-shirts. Jillian also went around to lots of exhibits and got a bunch of stamps and tattoos, and ended up with a free prize : a mini-Thomas camera. She thought it was great because she could look into it and say "cheese". We ended the day with a trip to Red Robin.

The next day, Jillian was still excited about her ride on Thomas. At church, she was yelling "I rode Thomas" to everyone she saw.

New Stuff XXVII

More stuff! Mostly memorable quotes from Jillian:

1. "What's this mean?" : Actually, she's asking us "what is this?", but it's close enough, so we go ahead and tell her what it is.

2. "I sure do" : This is something that Jillian says instead of "yes".

3. "Mmm-hmm" : Another thing that she says instead of "yes". Maybe she's just tired of answering "yes" all the time?

4. "Can I have baby in my tummy?" : Mommy just about flipped when she heard Jillian ask her this question. Jillian likes her babies, so we guess it was only natural for her to want to be like Mommy.

5. New Baby Names : Whenever we ask Jillian what the new baby should be named, she responds one of two ways. It's either "Apple Dumpling" (from her Strawberry Shortcake video) or it's "Richard".

6. "How's baby doing?" : This is a daily question, and Mommy answers "baby's doing fine". Jillian also likes to pat Mommy's tummy.

7. "I want to cheese" : Daddy's new Flip video camera sits on the dining room table, and Jillian likes to point at it and say this; meaning, she wants Daddy to take a video of her saying "cheese".

8. "Welcome to the wup-wup" : Yet another phrase that we have no idea where it came from, though the best guess is that it came from a video.

9. "Venti iced vanill lat" : If it's the weekend, it means that morning is coffee time. Jillian knows the routine, and when she wakes up, she immediately says "I want hot chocolate". Today, we were talking about Mommy's coffee, and Jillian said "venti iced vanill lat", probably because she's heard it so much.

Hot Day-Waterfall

It was such a nice day and started out warm, so after Jillian's bath she was ready to head outside early. First she took a walk to the meadow below Aunt Robin's house and saw a rabbit in the grass which she called a puppy. I explained that it was a wild rabbit and then she wanted to pet it. She walked up the hill to Aunt Julie's house and spent a few minutes on the trampoline and proceeded to pick Julie's flowers to give to her. Next she discovered the waterfall and of course wanted to play in that. Soon she was soaking wet, and proceeded to go "au natural" until Rielee arrived to play. I persuaded her to get dressed again and then her and Rielee just got

wet all over again. It was so hot in the sun that we got out the

little wading pool and set it up in the shade so they

could play. Jillian again decided that it felt better

without the restriction of clothes and would strip off

everything. After many hours of water fun it was time

for a nap for which there wasn't any objection. So far 3

changes of clothes.

Sighting No. 53

Somehow got this photo of Jillian this afternoon, despite the fact that she didn't want to have anything to do with the camera.

The Forbidden Trampoline

The Johnson family brought home a trampoline a couple weeks ago. As soon as Mommy and Daddy found out, they said "no trampoline for Sweetie-Pie". Mommy had seen far too many broken bones come through the hospital that resulted from trampoline accidents. So, Jillian didn't get to jump on the trampoline ... at least for a while. Pretty soon, it seemed that she was finding her way onto the bouncer. And one day, while Daddy was picking up Jillian at Grannie's house, she was asking Tierney "can I go bounce?". She and Tierney went up to the Johnson's and did some bouncing, like this video below shows. At least the trampoline has a pretty strong net around it, and the kids know to be careful when Jillian is in there.

By the way, the top photo has Jillian showing off her flowers that she picked at the Johnson's. She has become obsessed recently with picking every flower she can find, and then carrying them around with her wherever she goes.