Hello, baby. {Lucas Dowell Richardson}

Born on January 16th, 2013
Beautiful boy. Beautiful Mommy.

Instagram Recap

Putting away Christmas is the saddest. I'm still recovering.

Now, that's a lot of decorations... and that's not even all of it.

 

My new calendar. I am so in love with it.

Sarah getting her face on. Girls or so awesome.

Our house above the garage is full of icicles. It's crazy cold out there.

I'm already putting up Valentine's Day but I couldn't let go of Christmas cards for at least another week or so.

This little princess pink in dressed to the nines all day--every day.

Here she is mixing it up in her old bumblebee costume. She thinks it's her butterfly dress. We let her believe whatever she wants.

Happy anniversary to my sweetheart, Blaine. Seven years and many more to come. Oh, I love this guy. He took me out to "Texas De Brazil" (YUM!) and we even shopped a little.

This little boy is my best little pal. Watching his favorite show, "How It's Made" together and snuggling with a bowl of popcorn. He even tells me he loves me all the time lately. Love him.

This is hilarious and is a real text conversation I was having with Blaine about what we needed from the store and how I was worried about Sarah getting SICK. Hmmmmmmm...

 Sticker books and Sleeping Beauty. Man, I had cabin fever this night.

 Sarah asked me to take this picture of her with her sunglasses on. She is so funny.

 Getting this girl to eat her lunch is one of my least favorite things to do... At least she's cute.

Preggers

I have really been terrible at documenting this pregnancy. I'll admit that I kind of did it on purpose... if I don't really know exactly how far along I am each and every day, the time seems to go by a little faster. Yeah, I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but it's worked for me this time around.

Anyway... I think this is about 17 weeks.

Judging by what's going on in my bathroom I think this is between Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating... which would put this picture at about 24-25 weeks along.

This is me today: 32 weeks along. Yikes.

Twenty things I learned (and re-learned) in 2012

Star Wars (even episodes I,II, and III) are still awesome to a four-year-old.

Sometimes planning is futile. Sometimes... babies just need come in their own time.

Disney can and will heal all wounds.

I am a worse mom than I think I am.

A good night's sleep can do wonders for your health.

Patience really and truly is a virtue... One I was not born with but one I am trying to learn.

My life is seriously, pretty great.

If I go too long without some kind of creative outlet, I start to get blue and funky.

Kindness and being polite can make all the difference.

Big boobs suck.

Dressing up a bit will make a gal feel better about almost anything (even for a two-year-old).

My female friendships are some of the most valued friendships that I have.

I don't read nearly as much as I should (or want to).

My two biggest vices are: Diet Coke and T.V. And I don't plan on cutting either one anytime in the near or distant future.

Little voices saying, "I love you" is heaven on Earth.

I spend too much time and money on "stuff" and not enough on "experiences".

I am a better mom than I think I am.

Things don't always happen for a reason.

Family really is everything.

My husband is absolute best. There. I said it.

New Year's Eve 2012

We had our families over again this year for New Year's Eve. It was both food and fun-filled and involved an early balloon drop and a late-night machete balloon pop.

So... about the machetes... Blaine bought them for everyone who went to Washington for Christmas this year. They cost $3.99 each and they were meant to go in everyone's stockings Christmas morning. You can imagine how bummed out Blaine and I were to realize that we forgot to bring them with us. Good thing people were still excited about getting them in time for New Year's balloon popping.

Everyone got in on the popping action... and I have the video to prove it. :)

Seriously... awesome. So awesome that we all popped to the soundtrack of "The Final Countdown" in true Gob Bluth style.

Over the River and through the Woods...

It was a Lee Christmas this year. And while we missed Laurel, Michelle and all their family... I've gotta say, we had a really great time.

Here we are packed as tight as possible and watching 'Elf."

On the road. Jake was puking his guts out for the last 2 1/2 hours of our trip... then I got sick late in the night. It sucked, but it thankfully didn't last long at all. Also, no one else got sick because of us. *Phew*

This in my parents' Sacrament Meeting (I know... irreverent.) Anyway, my mom drew a picture of Jakey and, or course, Matt and I wanted her to draw us too. Seriously, this is what she drew. As Matt said, "looks like a toilet bowl with a face."

Christmas Eve means two things: Mexican food and a hilarious Nativity re-enactment. My mom went all out this year with each character's costume ready and bagged to be picked by us. It was awesome.

Blaine was the donkey.

Matt, an entranced wise-man.

Sarah was Mary.

Brett and Robyn were shepherds.

My dad was the inn-keeper.

My mom narrated. (I was the angel/photographer).

"No room."

Baby Jesus was a black Cabbage Patch Kid, right?

Bearing gifts.

Matt, Megan, and Scotty looking very wise.

Oh, these two... :)

Christmas jammies.

Cookies and milk for Santa. Oats for Rudolf.

Now that's true Christmas spirit.

And a great throw-back to 2006. 

Les Miserables. Can you tell who didn't like it?

Voo Doo Doughnut in Portland. The Portland Cream knocked my socks off! (Right, Mom?)

We found this flyer outside of "Bunk" (a great Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives sandwich place).
"The Mormon Trannys" and "Clackamas Baby Killers". Wow.

The kiddos eating their sprinkle doughnuts at the little table. Yes... Sarah is wearing her Rupunzel dress and is feeding her new Rupunzel doll.

It stopped raining for about ten minutes and Jake was pumped to ride his scooter outside instead of inside. Thanks Steve and Chris for the scooters and thanks, Mom and Dad for allowing the kids to ride these in your house!

Hours of entertainment for our drive back home.

Baby, it's cold outside.

We had a wonderful Christmas in Washington.