Just Can't get Enough

Can't help myself...

I've taken so many pictures of my kid and well, here's a sample.

I love this little guy.

So, Jake can hold his head up pretty well. I know he's really not quite big enough for his bumbo, but I couldn't resist it. At least for a picture or two, anyway.
Sleepy baby.
Look at those baby blues. I kind of hope his eyes stay blue. They are so pretty.
Jake all bundled in his snugglie (Thanks, Em and Lizzy-- LOVE it!) and ready to go down. He's a great napper in the day, but come 7pm and out come the big guns. And tears.

The Geek Squad.

My awesome Aunt Lara bought this onesie for Jake in Silicon Valley. Those of you who know Blaine know that this is perfect! I actually saw this onesie at Norstrom once for thirty bucks. being the cheapskate that I am, I didn't buy it... needless to say, I regretted it. Lucky for us, Lara pulled through. Thanks, Larabelle!

This picture kills me.

Love these dudes.

Seriously.

Blessing Day

We blessed Jake in our home ward on Sunday, October 12th.

We were lucky enough to have both of our entire families there, along with some friends, aunts, uncles, cousins... it was awesome. Thanks to all those to came. We really appreciated it!

Anyway, here are a few pictures. Laurel posted more on her blog--I tried not to do too many duplicates.

Here we are! Blaine, Jake and me.

Megan made his little beanie special. Isn't it cute?
The Lee clan minus Brett: Megan, DeAnn, Dave, Alicia, Jake, Blaine, Laurel, Isabel, Scott, Matt,
Michelle +1, Brad and Jason.

All anyone has to do is pull out a camera and this little girl says "cheeese!" I love it.

Brent, Jen, Doug and Sean.

Jake with Grandpa Steve. Steve was telling Jake all about this summer's Cali trip

and Jake was entranced.

Jake with Chris and Steve.

My cousin, Matt with baby Seneca. I LOVE this little girl. can you believe her hair? It's amazing!

Sisters and Cousins.

The Lee girlies.

My dad and my baby. :)

The Most Popular Girl

So, it really much be Halloween because I am watching

Teen Witch on TV. Yeah, I know you all remember this movie and it is awesome!
I just made Blaine watch "The Most Popular Girl" sequence and I'm pretty sure he's grateful for it. His day is now a little brighter, especially after seeing that way boss guy rap to Louise from that bitchin' convertible.

Michelle and I once watched that rap part over and over until we learned it enough to call Laurel and sing it to her. We used to tell her she looked like Louise. I think she still thinks she does, actually.
And, Ange... I didn't forget that you once told me that you learned to kiss watching Brad and Louise make-out in that really romantic, deserted-house-no-shirt-on-Brad scene.

Lucky 7 Tag

7 Things I Can Do:
1. Knit. Nothing spectacular at all. Really I can just knit scarves.
2. Make great salsa. I actually think I'm losing my "touch". Guess I just need to practice.
3. Tell you what PVP online-gaming means.
4. Do my make-up while driving. I'm freakishly good at it, though I'm really trying hard not to do it with the little guy in tow.
5. Teach high school English.
6. Dye my own hair. (Don't freak out-- Katrina, Jami, and Sharri.) It's not my fault I've been going gray since sophomore year.
7. Dissect Pam and Jim's relationship since season one.

7 Things I Cannot Do:
1. Math. Seriously. I have had a big problem with math since I was a little girl. I cannot even begin to count all the tears shed involving math. It's a miracle I passed it in college at all. (Why an English major has to pass 1010 and 1050 is beyond me!) I don't do math anymore. It's why God invented calculators.
2. Leave my kitchen a mess.
3. Remember how to move music from our server to my itunes. I have to ask Blaine how every time... and he rolls his eyes every time.
4. Budget. When I was single I tried to deal with cash as much as possible. That way I knew when all the greens were gone, I was in trouble.
5. Sports. Seriously. Don't ask me to play on your co-ed softball team. Ever.
6. Sleep alone. (Okay, I can do it, it just sucks. I hate it.)

7 Things that Attracted Me to Blaine:
1. He was the "one that got away" and he gave me another chance, no questions asked.
2. He has great, big, kind eyes.
3. He's not a sports fan (*relief*).
4. He let me (and still does) rant on and on about everything. I guess I can get pretty fired up.
5. He always makes me feel really important and special.
6. He was affectionate. Still is. I really, really need affection.
7. He was (and still is, duh-- do I have to keep saying it?) a bona fide catch... a Priesthood-holding, job-holding, superb hubby, wonderful daddy CATCH. Seriously, I don't know how I got so lucky.


7 Things I Say Most Often:
1. Seriously?
2. Hi buddy. (Talking to Jake.)
3. That's hilarious.
4. I love you.
5. Are you kidding me?
6. Baby.
7. Awesome. (Usually said sarcastically.)

7 Celebrity Admirations:
1. Paul Newman. I am still in mourning. He was a great actor, man, humanitarian, husband and father. Seriously, he and Joanne Woodward were married forever. That never happens anymore in Hollywood.
2. Conan O'Brien. This is another crush. I love Conan. I think he is brilliant and hilarious.
3. Tina Fey. I LOVE her. I love everything she does. I think she is hilarious, smart, sharp, and super sexy. Smart is sexy, right?
4. Stephen King. I love his writing and everything I've heard about him indicates that he is a really, really great person. He's actually very normal and (again) has been married to his wife forever. He is also a former English teacher.
5. Jason Bateman. Okay, okay, it's all because of Arrested Development. But I think he is a pretty normal guy.
6. Audrey Hepburn. Classic. Nuff, said.
7. Jimmy Chunga. Just kidding. I hate that douche bag.

7 Favorite Foods:
1. Chips n' salsa
2. Chocolate
3. Peanut butter
4. Fresh fruit. Right now, Autumn apples.
5. Cheese. Preferably Tillamook.
6. Mexican
7. Almonds

7 People to Tag:
1. Katrina Kirk
2. Dee Robinson
3. Tammy Shumway
4. Markelle Carter
5. Laurel Richardson
6. Alison Anderson
7. Jacki Sharp

Fall, fall, fall!

I love this season. Everything about it. The earlier nights. The cool, crispy air. The fashion (Oh! The Fashion!). The food... you know, pumpkin-flavored-everything. The leaves. The smell... Autumn totally has a smell. The colors...

Ah... Fall.

I was just at my parents' (Camas, WA) for almost a week after Jake's blessing. Those of you who know me well, know that I am more than a little biased about the Northwest. I think it is the most beautiful part of America and it's prettiest in the Fall.

So, the trip was great. Jake was a champ on the plane and the 12-hour-drive. My family is awesome.

P.S. Pics to come showcasing the baby blessing soon.

"That's me in the corner..."

"...That's me in the spotlight..."

Okay, so I don't feel like I am "Losing My Religion" (thank you R.E.M. for your input tonight), but I definitely am feeling a little lost. I have come to the devastating epiphany that I am a phony. I am an English major *slash* English teacher (still claiming it), and I feel like my writing skills are circling the drain.

I think I used to write some decent stuff. I wrote countless articles--hell, sometimes entire sections as Life Editor of The College Times. I spent hours upon hours writing essays and papers analyzing things like feminism in a post-structuralist world...whatever that means. I once even devoted a final paper in a British Literature class successfully linking Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. It was really good too.

So, what to do, what to do? I think I need to really work on this. As a kid I was a pretty good artist. I don't know why, but for some reason I stopped drawing and now I honestly can't do it anymore. How sad is that? Writing is something I really love and I don't want to realize in a decade that I simply lost the taste for it. I guess then I'd be really pathetic.

Baby Blessing Invite

To all interested:
We are blessing little Jacob this Sunday (the 12th). If anyone would like to come, we'd LOVE to have you. Our Sacrament meeting is last so we are telling people to be at the meetinghouse at about 1:10 pm. Email me aliciacarter06@gmail.com if you'd like the address to the building.

Talented

Today I realized a new talent of mine: I can do make-up with one hand, while holding baby and sitting one-cheek-style on the bathroom sink. I can also do my make-up while breast-feeding. Wow.
I have the top score on Bejeweled (over One-hundred-thousand) on the itouch, thanks to middle-of-the-night feedings.
I'm trying to make three and four day hair work for me, am working on my Tetris skills, as well as getting a shower before noon. Big stuff ahead.

Normal?

As I am sitting here listening to my kid wake up on the baby monitor (boo) ... I'm also thinking he's pretty perfect in these pictures. Go figure. Will life ever feel normal? Not sure, but it's a hell of a ride. (Sorry for the swears, Mom.)

For all those who enjoy the ever-going Blaine sleep-walking saga: two nights ago he was wandering the bedroom looking for Jake's air. When I asked him again what he was looking for (wouldn't you?) Blaine said, "His air." Then, very sarcastically added, "You know, the stuff he breathes." I think I actually woke him up because I was laughing so hard.

At the risk of being a mom who only posts pictures of her baby, here are a few recents:

Here's Jake sporting his church onesie Markelle made him. He's been pretty smiley lately. I think he looks like my brother, Scott here.
Love those cheeks.
I just adore this little man. Too bad he's inherited my acne lately. I'm going to get him on Proactiv ASAP. :)

The Best Toy Ever Part 2

It turns out the same company that made Baby Wee Wee made a toddler version.