My Little Man

I'm still pinching myself over that fact that a whole year has gone by since Chase was born. I had my friend Holly take some pictures of him a few weeks ago, so here are some recent ones...

Giving thanks...

Hello my friends and family! We are alive and well and keeping very busy! The holidays are quickly approaching and it has made me feel like I need to remember the people and things that I am thankful for. I get too caught up in the hustle of the Christmas shopping and feeling stressed out, that I forget to stop and think about what is really important this time of year.

I am thankful for:

*My family- for always being there for me and helping me when I need it. They are so supportive and I couldn't manage without them.
*My husband- he is awesome, hard working, caring, thoughtful, etc.
*Chase- has brought so much joy into my life. I can't imagine life without him!
*My friends- they are always there for me, and I love them dearly.
*My job- I work for the best family I could ask for. They really treat me like I am part of their family and they are so nice!
*My house, car, all material things that make life enjoyable!
*God and Jesus Christ- they help me stay on the right path and give me the faith I need to make it through each day.
*I am thankful for so many other things too, but I feel like these are the most important :)

(these are in no particular order)

I hope everyone takes the time this holiday season to stop and remember the things you are thankful for. Lets not take anything for granite, and remember to love yourself and one another :)

Where has the time gone???

It has been way too long since I wrote a blog, and now I am mad at myself because I promised myself I would keep up on it. Life just gets a little to crazy, and sometimes I get a little too lazy :)

I was just going through some old pictures of Chase, and can't believe how much he has changed. Today our boy is 11 months old. That means only one more month until he turns 1! Here are a few pictures from when he was brand new:







I will post some more recent photos soon! My friend Holly who is such an amazing photographer is going to take some before his birthday! Seriously check out her blog, http://www.hollyapreciophotography.blogspot.com.

Long week...

This has been a long week. Chase has had a viral infection and has been suffering with a fever, and finally today he seems to be feeling mostly better. He has been waking up in the middle of the night crying (but still partially asleep) because he is teething and can't get comfortable. I have been suffering from a lack of sleep. I woke up this morning feeling happy that it's Friday, only to find that my car would not start. I had to get it towed for the second time in a month. Last time had to get the starter replaced and this time I think it's the alternator. Now I am stranded at home trying to find a way to get to work and feeling stressed out. Dear Friday, please stop sucking!

A VERY long night!

I have been on the verge of tears all night feeling so bad for my little guy. He had a fever yesterday for most of the day that reached 102.3. It eventually went down, thank goodness! I gave him some baby Tylenol and rubbed some teething gel on his gums. I thought that would be sufficient enough to get him through the night. He however decided that sleep was not in the near future. He couldn't get comfortable, and just wanted to be held all night. He cried and cried until he started coughing so hard that he made himself throw up! It went all over his hands and arms and of course ended up in his hair. We had a nice 3:00am bath! He seemed to feel a little better and more calm after the bath, but still could not get comfortable enough to fall asleep. I have been awake with him all night, and it is now 7:30 am and he just fell asleep. I have to leave for work in 30 minutes and will have to wake him up, but for now a few minutes of peace and quiet before my day begins.

Cupie Doll

I have heard from many people that my son looks like a Cupie Doll. I think I see the resemblance, what about you?

First Boat Ride

A friend of ours just bought a house on the lake and invited us over to go out on his boat. Chase got to watch his daddy wake board for the first time and he had a good time with the guys.


Kyle, Chase, Jason Ness, and Eddie Roberts





Chase looked pretty snug in this life jacket, but he didn't seem to mind.

Chase & Woody

Chase loves Woody... need I say more?

Craziness

I usually don't like to wait so long to post a blog because then it turns in to one big blog, but I haven't had any time lately to do it. I finally have a chance today since I am sitting at home feeling sick after eating waaaaay too much Black Angus last night.

We have had a very busy summer, yet it feels like we haven't done much at all. Kyle was gone from May-July at the Academy and I barely got to see him. He finally graduated on July 31st and I was one very proud wife! He graduated 6th is his class, and received a Bulldog Award. Unfortunately his chief did not show up to present his badge, but he eventually received it at a firefighter association meeting the following week. After graduation he participated in a 2 week long search and rescue class and learned some great new skills. He even got to go repelling!



While Kyle was busy at the academy, Chase and I took a vacation to Utah with Kyle's family. I got to meet my new nephew Crew, and spend some much needed time relaxing (especially since I was sick the whole time).





We celebrated Dwaine's Birthday with a huge chocolate cake which we all picked at until it was gone!



Since it took us about 17 hours to drive to Utah, Kyle's mom was so nice to buy us a plane ticket home. Chase did great on his very first plane ride.

We have just been working like crazy, and trying to spend our free time together as a family. I can't wait for things to settle down and get back to normal, but really, what is normal anyways?

Stressed...

I have not had any time to blog about the recent happenings in our lives, but I will soon! I have a VERY mobile baby at the moment which makes is difficult, so the only time I could blog is when he is sleeping, but I'm usually at work when that happens! Blogs will be coming hopefully soon! I hope everyone is doing great and I love you all!

I LOVE...

Fans: They keep my cool on these crazy hot days, and they help Chase sleep in until 8:30 in the morning!

Otis Spunkmeyer frozen cookie dough: a tasty treat for your sweet tooth on a hot day!

Working at a place with Air conditioning.

Memory Foam mattress toppers: helps me sleep like a baby!

My family: they are incredible! Especially you Kyle! Keep up the good work!

Final Destination!

Lets just say that it has been a VERY long couple of days! I left Friday morning very early to drive to Utah with Kyle's parents and Chase. I have done this drive a few times before, and have really enjoyed it, but this time I brought a baby which adds a whole new element to the adventure. We left Edmonds at about 6:30 am and arrived in Kaysville, Utah at around 10:00 pm. We made a few pit stops along the way, but we tried to get here as quick as we could. Chase was so great in the car! He didn't even cry once until we were only about 40 miles from our destination. I did feel bad for him though since all he could do was sit in his car seat. Thank goodness I have great in-laws who are willing to help me entertain and take care of Chase. We hung out with family most of the day on Saturday and did some grocery shopping for the next day's festivities. On Sunday we got up early and went to Church for baby Crew's blessing which was so beautiful! We then got to enjoy some delicious food at the Vellinga's home and spend some time with family. It was very nice to see so many people that I haven't seen in a while. Then we packed up our things and headed for the mountains; destination Bear Lake! It was only about a 2.5 hour drive and very beautiful seeing all the green mountains and valleys. We arrived here around 9:00 pm Utah time and had time to unpack a little and enjoy some delicious chocolate cake for Dwaine's birthday! We will be here until Friday morning when I get to fly home (thanks to my in-laws)!!! My only complaint is that I have came down with a bad cold about 2 days before we left and it started in my nose and throat and has now moved into my chest making it difficult to breath and enjoy my vacation to it's fullest potential. Hopefully I will fell better soon.

A trip to the Washington State Fire Academy

Today Chase and I made a long trip up to North Bend to visit Kyle at the fire academy. We are leaving for Utah on Friday and wont be able to go next week for family day. We left a little early so we would miss traffic and shopped around the outlet mall for a while. There were a few toys for the kids to play on and I thought I would let Chase try them out.


He's standing up!





After the mall, we headed off to the academy. Kyle took us on a tour which I had been wanting to see for a long time. He showed us the burn building where they light all the fires, the apparatus bay where they keep their bunker gear and park the fire trucks, and all the different stations they use for their drills. It was definitely cool to see!






The burn tower where they light really big fires and put them out!



The apparatus bay where they keep all the bunker gear.

After our tour we went out to dinner at the North Bend Bar and Grill where we had a beautiful view of Mt. Si. Then we went back to the academy and hung out for a while longer. We had such a great time seeing what Kyle has been up to over the last 10 weeks, and it was nice to meet all the other recruits at the academy. Everyone seems very nice and it is so beautiful up there surrounded by mountains!

A mobile baby

Having a baby has been VERY exciting! I feel like a proud mama every time he has a new development. I've spent the last 7.5 months anticipating the crawling stage when my life will change and I will have to worry more about Chase getting in to everything. Well... it is finally here! He has been so close to crawling for a few weeks and he waited until Thursday night when Kyle came home from the academy to officially become a mobile baby. Chase's motivation was an empty Diet Pepsi can that he was pushing around the floor. I think he liked it because it was shiny. Let's just hope this isn't a sign that he already wants soda!

Our summer so far...

We have had one very busy summer so far. I know it's crazy, but we haven't even had time to put the boat in the lake and you'd better believe that Kyle is going nuts! He only has 3 more weeks until graduation from the academy and we are counting down the days. It's been tough having him gone most of the week, and he's been sad because he's been missing Chase's new developments (he got his first tooth and he is SO close to crawling). The warm weather has been nice and we are enjoying living next to the lake, especially since Chase is now big enough to float around and he loves it!!!





The 4th of July was nice and relaxing. We had a few friends and family members over for some fun by the lake and barbecued ribs.





We set up a big blanket on the beach after dinner and watched the fireworks around the lake. Chase fell asleep right as the fireworks were starting, but I snuggled with him anyways. I love being a mommy!



Yesterday my sister Molly and I went to a new park in Richmond Beach. It was probably the cutest park I've been to in a while. It had brand new toys, swings, new wood chips, picnic tables, benches, a view of the Puget Sound and it is right next to the railroad tracks which I think is awesome! Chase loved it too of course!


Doesn't he look so cute!?








Chase and his Auntie!

Molly, Chase, David and Emily at the park! Molly is a nanny for these kids. They are so cute!

We have so much to do this summer and I think it's going to go by fast. After Kyle's graduation he's going to be doing a Search and Rescue class that lasts about 2 weeks, and he will be taking his EMT class at the same time. My plan is to just keep working, taking care of Chase and doing everything at home while Kyle is away. Chase and I will be driving to Utah on July 17th to visit some family and stay at Bear Lake. I am definitely in need of a vacation. I can't wait!

Chase is 7 Months!

Here are just a few newer photos of Chase. He just turned 7 months and is such a good natured baby. His personality is really starting to come through and we are having so much fun.

Dear Hacker...

Dear "Rachael Elizabeth Havens" or who ever you REALLY are,

I hate you! You worried my friends and family and caused me quite a bit of grief. Now I have to redo a new Facebook page, and hopefully this little incident will not happen again.

Sincerely,

The REAL Rachael Elizabeth Havens

P.S. For everyone who had to deal with this cybercriminal I am truly sorry. I hope no one fell for it! But thanks to everyone who cared enough to call me and make sure I was OK! I love you all! Please be my Facebook friend again!

Solid Foods

Chase is almost at his 7 month mark and has been enjoying solid food for a few months now. There aren't many that he hasn't liked so far except carrots with parsnips and chicken with sweet potatoes. I have been making baby food which is very easy and kind of fun. I found an awesome baby food cook book at a garage sale and it has come in very handy. I made about 2 months worth of food about 3 weeks ago and put it in the freezer. I would recommend making baby food over buying pre-made since I seem to be saving money and it really doesn't take much time. Lately Chase has been very interested in the spoon and every time I try to give him a bite of food he tries to grab it from me. I guess this is a good sign that he is wanting to learn how to feed himself. I would like to encourage this however it makes a VERY large mess. I have been giving him his own spoon to hold while I feed him which he really enjoys, especially because he can whack it against his high chair tray. He is just growing up way too fast!

WOW!

On Tuesday, my sister Molly, my good friend Brianna and I took Chase to the University Ave for some bubble tea for the first time. (If you're wondering where to find the best bubble tea it is at WOW -wonder of worship). It was fun to sit and catch up on old times, but I was a little distracted by the enormous chocolate birthday cake that was at the table next to ours. I have never wanted a piece of chocolate cake so badly in my life! Anyways, Chase loved it and he kept trying to drink out of my straw but hasn't mastered that skill quite yet.

Chase and His Papa

While Kyle has been away Chase and I have been staying at my parent's house a few nights a week. This has been so nice because I have help taking care of him and we get to spend some great quality time with my family. I think it's great that Chase is getting to know both sets of grandparents and feels comfortable with them. His favorite thing to do with them lately has been going on walks and playing outside. He sure loves his Papa!