"Happy Trails To You.."

Matt starts his new job on March 1st, and as a going away present some folks at his old office pitched in and bought us this super neat Kelty backpack! We are thrilled at our new present as our little one is now too big for the Baby Bjourn. I'd say she's ready to hit the dusty trails, wouldn't you?

Grizzly Cub

GO GRIZ! This one's for you, Grandpa Beecher!

Weekend of Fun

This past weekend was packed full of family and fun activities! Grandpa Beecher met Matt and I for some skiing on Friday, and treated us to a wonderful dinner and play on Saturday. We all went to see Annie, and a great time was had by all of us. Blythe loved seeing her Grandpa Beecher again, and they had too much fun! We snapped this cute picture - definitely a keeper!

On Sunday we packed Blythe in the car and headed over to the western side of Washington state. We're looking into building a barn (we like the Great Western!) that can be converted into a house, and we wanted to talk with the sales rep in person and view an actual structure. Ten hours in two days is a lot for a little critter to spend in the car, but she was once again the intrepid traveler. We were really excited by what we saw in Rochester, and we're thinking very seriously about building one. It's so thrilling!

Here's a picture of us having some down time in the hotel room. Our girl is just so much fun!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We wish you lots of love and happiness on this special day. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!!

We Have a Little Toothin'!

It's almost comical how Blythie has been "teething" since she was four months old. Rather, I thought she was teething at four months old. It seemed that every time she was especially cranky or fussy, I was sure she was teething. I know teeth go up and down before they break the surface, but do they do that for three months? Who knows. So we were playing today and she chomped down on one of my fingers, and to my surprise there was something small and hard biting me! Could it be? Is she actually teething? Yes! The answer is yes! Little Miss is still rather coy about showing off her pearly white, but as soon as we can snap a picture you better believe it will be posted.

In the meantime, here are some pictures to tide you over. Here she is having fun with Daddy!

Playing with her toys.

We are slowly but surely decorating her room. Our theme is sweets and hearts. Cupcakes, hearts, sugary treats, etc. A sweet room for our sweet girl.

Like the shirt says, " Everyone loves a blue eyed girl!"
Blythe likes to chew on everything - including herself!

Blythe, Phillip, and the Perfect Tutu

Blythe and I set out this afternoon to find the perfect tutu for our good friend, Hannah, who is turning 4 today. We first went to a run-of-the-mill store that had mediocre tutus - nothing good enough for Miss Hannah. I was unsure of were to search next when all of a sudden "Empire Dance" popped into my head. Now, my family has a history with Empire Dance as my step-sister, Brook, always visited the shop to get her dancing shoes whenever our family was in Spokane. Synonymous with Empire Dance is the owner, Phillip. Phillip speaks with the most wonderful accent that sounds like a mix between english and french. I made him up to be a ballet demi-god in my mind, and I rather think he still is. So, Blythe and I headed to Empire Dance and there, shining in the light, was the most perfect purple tutu. Who else was there, you ask? Phillip, of course. He took one look at dear Blythe and they were inseparable the whole time we were in the store. She took to him like he was her long, lost friend, and he carted her all over the store gathering things, talking to people, and just having the best time together. As we were getting ready to leave Phillip insisted we get some pictures so he could email them to me. The immediate kinship between Blythe and Phillip was nearly tangible and more than a little bit magical. When I got home the pictures were waiting for me. So, without further ado, here is Blythe with dear Phillip. It was a spectacular day!

Miss Red Raspberry

One of Matt's long-time patients was discharged today, and as a parting gift she brought him the most precious hand-made red raspberry hat for Blythe. It's just about the most adorable thing we've ever seen, and the cutest girl in the world wearing the cutest hat in the world makes for one adorable photo session.

Of course, the cats had to get in on the action too!

Just Ducky!

Blythe has outgrown her yellow foam bath mat, but is still too little to sit in the tub all by herself. Our friend Crissie told us about a tub-within-a-tub that her son just loves, and we decided to see what Blythe would think of it. Well, she absolutley loved it! She sat by herself like a big girl, and she could have played in that thing for hours. The duck even quacks when you squeeze it's beak! To borrow the saying from Ina Garten, "How bad can that be?"

Cozy Night at Home

After the whirlwind of the holidays, we are enjoying having some quiet, cozy nights at home. Last night Blythe played on her little mat and watched some TV with her Daddy.

She has her 6 month check up tomorrow, and we're excited to see how our girl is progressing. I am not, however, looking forward to another round of shots. Poor peanut. No pain, no gain as they say.

New Years at the Cabin

Being the intrepid travelers that we are, after returning from Oklahoma we headed to Montana to spend New Years at the cabin. Blythe was fortunate to meet her Great Grandpa Haggerty and Helen for the first time. She was delighted by the fire, hundreds of Christmas lights, and first sleigh ride on a real horse-drawn sleigh!

It seems that pregnancy brain has morphed into raising-baby brain because I forgot to dress Blythe in her first ever Christmas dress for Christmas dinner while in Norman. So, we decided New Years would be the perfect time for her to show off her gorgeous dress. She definitely knew she was pretty!

A new day dawns at the cabin.

This picture is extra special as four generations are present. Pictured are Great Grandpa Haggerty and Helen, Grammy Marilyn, Mom, and Baby B. Blythe is quite a lucky girl to have such loving families on both sides.

Lauging with delight at Grandpa Tracy!

This was our improvised high chair. It worked splendidly!

All bundled up for our real old-fashioned sleigh ride!

Happy New Year's everyone!

Christmas in Okie

Whew! What a busy time we have had this very merry Christmas season. Blythe experienced her first plane ride (what a great little traveler!), her first visit to OK soil, her first meeting with the G'G Parents, and her first Christmas morning. She was a busy little critter! Here are some pictures we snapped to document our little girl's big adventure!

Posing with Aunt Claudia.
This was snapped on our way back to Spokane in the airport. I think Blythe was so glad to have some "time to herself" that she laid on that blanket for 2 hours and didn't make a peep!

On the way down to Oklahoma. Just relaxing on the plane.

Reading a book with G'Grandmother Bonnie.

Mommy Susan, Grandpa Hal, and Uncle Dan.

Morning coffee with Grandpa Hal.

Starting Her Off Early

What can we say? A girl needs her morning latte before all seems right with the world. After a nice cup of joe, a warm bath is the perfect way to start the day off right!

Sittin' Pretty

Blythe turned 5 months old two days ago, and what a superb five months it's been! We see little glimpses of her emerging personality every day. She has a wee bit of a temper (mostly when her baby food is gone), but for the most part she is just delightful. Lately, she's started to stick her tongue out when she sports a big smile - just like her daddy at times!

We've been practicing sitting so she can get the hang of it. She's done a few face plants into the carpet, but doesn't seem to be bothered at all by them. Today she sat by herself for the first time. She was even gracious enough to stay like that so mama could get a few pictures. She's just the best darn baby ever!

Fun Filled Weekend

This past weekend Grandpa Beecher braved the snowy weather and ventured to Spokane to visit the Fain clan. He hadn't seen Blythe since she was 2 weeks old, and he was surprised at how much she'd changed. We had a fabulous weekend full of great chats, shopping, theater, and good food. Blythe was enamored with her Grandpa Beecher, and we really enjoyed having him visit. He even picked out her first Christmas dress - quite a special gift for Little Missy! Thanks for the great time, Grandpa Beecher. We love you!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Sorry it has been a while since I've updated the blog - this time of year is just so busy! This was the glorious sight that met us the morning after Thanksgiving as we ventured out for lattes. Blythe isn't saying so quite yet, but we're sure she loves the snow!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We were so fortunate to have Blythe's Grammy Marilyn, Grandpa Tracy, Aunt Brook and Cousin Sala join us for a feast of all feasts. A great time was had by all, and we are so thankful for the wonderful family we have. Blythe was thankful for family as well, but she also had her own little reason for joy and thanks - her first experience with sweet potatoes! We have been giving her rice cereal for a while, but this was her first foray with a solid food. She seemed to really enjoy them. She even leaned into the spoon after the first or second spoonfuls. What a pro! I will also say that her appetizer to the "main course" was a little french vanilla cool whip - thank goodness for grammies!

4 Months!

We can hardly believe that our Little Missy is already 4 months old! She has changed so much since birth, and every day she seems older. Blythe had her routine check-up today, and she registered in the 75th percentile for everything which is a great sign in terms of her progression and growth. (Matt says "Of Course! Anything less than that would be un-Fain like.") She is now 14 lbs 7 oz and is 25 inches long! The doctor also showed me her lower gums, and there are two little white ridges that can just barely be seen. She should be sporting some shiny new white teeth soon. The doctor also said that she can start eating "solid" food. Mmm.. smashed peas. He also said that she needs to be spending time everyday in her stand up bouncy toy thing. She was plugging along and then decided to shove her hands down the leg holes - too funny not to take a picture!



Every once in a while I get a glimpse of the toddler to come. It's all happening too fast!