Amelia's last month as an only child...

Amelia's days as a self-absorbed toddler are about to come to a screeching halt within the next month. But, we've given it a good run for the last month or so. I'd say these final days have been filled with some good times, as you'll see below.

At the zoo with Jess and "Ooo-see" (Lucy)

Jess gets Amelia giggling while Lucy snacks on some gravel.

Winter sunset from our little abode...not too shabby.

Amelia's "buddy". He's going to kill me for sharing this, but this was actually Grant's doll when he was Amelia's age. Amelia loves him, and is teaching him all the ways of the world. In this photo she's explaining to Buddy that we're getting ready to watch a "moo-fee". Eye contact is very important, obviously.

Gabbing over chips and tuna sandwiches.

Getting Buddy ready for a bath...with princess bubbles, and princess jammies, naturally.

I couldn't resist.

What?! You want me to eat snow off of this tree??? This is CRAZY!!

Yep, just as things seem to be getting under control in the Lane household, we're about to throw another baby on top of the madness. I can't wait to see how this goes...

Robbin the Bobbin

This morning Amelia and I were going through her story book, while she pointed to and identified all the things she recognized. Birds, sunshine, girl, dog, umbrella, etc. When I turned the page to this particular character she pointed to him and yelled, "mama!", proud of her discovery...

It's true, this is usually the position I'm in anytime I get to relax for a second. And, yes, the poem is about how this character eats everything, eventually eating the people in the town, the livestock and even the church; and is still hungry. So, seeings how she's around me 100% of the time, she's not too far off with the habits either. But, at least it looks like she thinks I have skinny legs.

I'm gonna go make a sandwich now.

Complaining Post

Week 33 of pregnancy no. 2. I am big. No, I'm not going to post photos of how big I am. That's a picture of Meg. I'm writing this blog only to vent some complaints, which are inevitably going to get worse in the next 7 weeks. So, Baby Number 2, this blog's for you.

My belly is big and tight, and as sure as the sun will rise, my back will hurt. I obviously don't sleep well, and after I get done bringing the groceries into the house my groin feels like I just rode a brand new, very cheap bike from Seattle to Portland. I can feel the back of my upper arms resting on the side of my back, letting me know that I have definitely gained weight everywhere. ALL of my underwear is too small because my butt is too big, and I don't have the courage or humility to go buy bigger underwear. So instead, it's just tight and covers about half of what it used to, and I pray that you can't see bulging underwear lines through my maternity jeans. By 5 pm I am totally maxed out for the day; emotionally and physically, and use the energy I have left to will myself NOT to call Grant and beg him to come home sooner. My boobs are completely unrecognizable to me anymore, one of these days I think they're going to just get up, walk away and live a life of their own. I have my "pregnancy" eyes on, meaning EVERYONE looks like they've lost weight to me, and every woman I glance at has me jealous that she just gets to walk around with her empty abdomen, feeding only herself and carrying only herself. Each morning I look in the mirror, seeing what's bigger. "oh my gosh, is my chin bigger?"

I know that it's almost over, that I just need to get through it, and in a few months this last part of pregnancy will seem like a blink of an eye. But for now, I'm going to complain, because I don't complain often, it's not over, and it won't be for about 7 weeks while I keep the fat suit on. Consider this my "pregnancy journal".

Wow, it's been a while!

As I finish week 32 of this pregnancy, and Amelia continues to blossom into the energetic toddler that she is, I don't think I need to mention why I haven't been able to sit down and blog in the last few months. As Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas have raced by and now I find myself dangerously close to being a mother of two, Grant and I are as happy as ever. Every day presents new stories that I wish I could record more often, so I'll just say a few of the recent, daily, happenings that I hope I never forget.

Amelia is now able to take her own diaper off. So, as I was in the bedroom and heard the scratching of the velcro indicating the diaper was being removed, I stomped out to scold her, which of course startled her, so she ripped her diaper completely off and threw it across the living room to scurry and hide in her indoor play tent. The problem was: she'd just pooped in the diaper. Yuck.

Last night I was trying EVERYTHING to get Amelia to eat a simple grilled ham and cheese sandwich for dinner. Instead she was wailing for some sugary yogurt, crackers, ice cream and popsicles, and hearing "no" to her requests only made the situation escalate. Grant relieved me of her and stood in front of the fridge with her as she cried and he tried to comprimise with her. Minutes later, I came to kitchen as she was inhaling pot roast and potatoes...in addition to the sandwich I'd made her. Wide eyed, I asked, "how did you do that?" He responded with a sympathetic look, "Not everyone's cut out for parenting, Heath". Thanks, honey. Can't wait for baby number two.

Amelia never misses a chance to say "hi baby!" to my bulging belly, gives it a kiss and lays her soft head on my tummy. I would love to know if she really understands a baby is in there, but it is such a gift to me that she seems aware of it.

We left Amelia's little play-stroller outside for a few weeks. After snow, wind, rain and messy December weather, it's covered in pine needles and filth. She wanted to bring it in to finally play with it, so I told her we needed to clean it first. I got the bath going, with dishsoap, and with her at my side watching my every move (and very concerned about the stroller), I started scrubbing and explained that it needed to be cleaned. She put her little hand on my back as I scrubbed, and then layed her head on my shoulder while she stood. Then she turned my face with her hands, and very seriously brushed my hair out of my face with her hands to lean in and give me a very sweet kiss. It was like she was so worried about the condition of the stroller, and was so thankful I was taking care of it. I'm not sure if that's what all the emotion was actually attributed to, but it was very apparent and sweet. Anyways, just another special moment.

These are a few of my favorite things

Here's some fun things Amelia likes to do in Snohomish....



Amelia loves to visit Hannah the beautiful horse!! Okay, okay...so maybe this was more of a little treat for mom. Hannah is just one month behind me in her pregnancy. I think she knows I'm pregnant, too. We bond.









There are lots of fun parks in Snohomish! And the best part: They're NOT crowded. Amelia loves chasing ducks and geese. We've bought bread to throw at them, but the fighting over the bread sort of turns it into a negative experience. So she just chases them instead.








Since we live on a lake, we go find rocks to put in a bucket and then go throw them in the water. She hands me rocks and likes to watch me throw it far. And yeah, I kind of like to show off for her, biting my lower lip and grunting to really huck it out there.

On Wednesday mornings we dress up and head to Bible Study Fellowship. This is where I drop her off in a class with other toddlers and we are each in our classes for two hours. The children's teaching leader has identified Amelia as a "Victory". In other words, the first couple weeks were a little rough making the adjustment of separating. But every week has gotten easier, and her instructors have told me she's getting really fun to have in class.

Amelia loves brushing her teeth. With each toothbrush. For about 10-15 minutes. Now, whether or not she's actually effectively brushing her teeth, I don't care. If I've somehow convinced her that personal hygiene is fun to do several times a day, I consider that success.

The Big Move

No, I didn't mean to get that kid running in the picture. But it sure looks like I did.


A few weeks ago, this little family took on three days of a moving, packing and transitional fiasco, and we have moved up to Snohomish, WA. We are staying at a one-bedroom apartment above a garage, located on a lake 30 minutes outside of town. The apartment is roomy, and the lake is beautiful and quiet. The place is owned by some extremely generous family friends that are the picture of kindness. I did not expect that we would be so much happier here. There are so many elements that have made our move prove to be the right choice and a real gift. We feel like a complete family, with dad home from work quickly and lovely evenings that aren't rushed the moment he walks in. We've found a church that we really love, we actually want to stay there and visit with people when the service is over (which we've NEVER done). And I've joined BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) for my 6th year here, and even more exciting is that Amelia was placed in her first class this year! I also live close to a long-time friend, who is mother of two of Amelia's good friends. I've also made new friends that I feel like I've been best friends with for years, and I've fallen in love with a group of fantastic women who are as in love with God, their husbands and their children as I am. We live closer to Grant's family, which is an immense blessing, and convenient for date night :). I'm sad that I had to move further from my family, but I know that I can (AND WILL) hop on the ferry and spend a couple days there as often as I need. We are so happy, and so thankful for this new stage in our life.

Our new mailing address, for anyone who'd like it, is PO Box 1855, Snohomish, WA 98291. We don't have internet where we live, but I'll try to keep blogging and updating as much as possible.

Amelia and the deer

A few weekends ago, Grant took Amelia scouting around my parents house, looking for signs of deer activity for hunting season. Grant took Amelia on a hike for a little over an hour, and they saw four deer! One of which, they were able to get very close to. Grant said that when Amelia saw it, her mouth dropped, she pointed at it and said "assshhhh!!" (Meaning "Cash", our dog's name, which is what she says when she's excited about something). Then she gave the deer one of her big arm waves to say hello.

Since then, if Amelia sees a deer or something that resembles a deer, she is in awe. The mouth drops, and she gives a big gasp. It looks something like this...

This photo was taken while dad was watching the hunting channel.

Also, this summer has been a blast, and I've been given lots of breaks thanks again to my sisters and mom. But now that school is starting, Meg is going back to school and Grant and I are looking at some new oppurtunities for our whereabouts in the future, it's hard to know what the next few months will look like. But I do know this has been a fantastic summer and I'm so thankful for all the special memories I've been blessed with, like this one...