Alaskan Adventures of Dashel & Lyra

Lyra Elise Culbreth~ 1 year later, a great party and a great birth story

2010-04-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful brunch for a few close friends. The party girl had several costume changes with the help of her personal assistant aka mommy. The menu was superb~ organic fruit salad, several types of homemade sticky buns, veggie and egg goulash, beet salad, and of course the organic pumpkin and sweet potato muffins with a delicious tofu and maple frosting!

I spent a good portion of the afternoon in the bedroom where Lyra was born. Looking back at her birth I almost can't believe how magical it was. My mom had flown in the day before and we wanted to get out and enjoy the day, so after a light breakfast of yogurt and granola we were off to "turf time" to meet up with friends and let Dash run around. It's funny now to think that I was probably in labor this whole time! After that we zipped over to the store for some last minute grocery's. I was obsessed with having enough food in the house to feed everyone during the birth (us, dash, grandma, midwives). After that we went home to let Dash nap and to get ready for Lorna, my midwife, to come over and drop off some supplies. Matt had to work that night, so I only saw him for a few minutes before he had to leave. When Lorna arrived we all sat down for tea and she listened to the baby's heartbeat and we just talked for awhile. Dashel came with me to every prenatal appointment, so as usual Lorna helped him listen to the baby's heartbeat and showed him where she was positioned. When Lorna left mom and I made dinner later, and after Dashel went to sleep I went down town to meet some friends. While we were all sitting around laughing and talking I started wondering if I was in labor as the contractions were getting pretty regular, so I decided it was time to go home and rest. I remembered Dashel's birth being so long, and I wanted to make sure I had enough energy for Lyra's. When I got home, I don't remember telling my mom I thought I was in labor, I just went to bed to listen to a book on tape and finish knitting some little green socks for Lyra (yes, I got them done just in the nick of time). At around 1 am I realized it was time to get Matt home, so I sent him a quick text, and he was on his way. Then I went to the bathroom, where a huge contraction overwhelmed me. I instinctively got on all fours and was trying to ride it out when Dashel came in crying about something and wanting a hug from me. My mom came in and was surprised to see me on the floor. I remember telling her to call Lorna. Dashel heard Matt get home around the same time, so Dash went with him to the other room, and I stayed in the bathroom. I remember hearing my mom telling Lorna over the phone "no she can't talk, she's on the floor of the bathroom." A second later my mom told me that Lorna was on her way. All I remember after this was my inner focus to have this baby, I didn't want to lose focus of why I was here and what I was doing. I remember crawling into my bed, kneeling and putting my head onto my favorite pillow. I'm pretty sure we called this polar bear pose in our hypno birthing class. I rode every contraction out in that position. When Lorna arrived I told her my water hadn't broke and I didn't want to be checked for dilation. I knew that if they told me I was only dilated a few centimeters I would be crushed, so I preferred not to know. I knew Kristen was there assisting Lorna, she was very quiet and the whole room was dark and warm. I felt incredibly safe. At no point during my labor and birth did I feel things were out of my control, my body knew what was happening, it remembered from the last time. I remembered Kaye coming in and touching my shoulder, telling me she was here. Matt lay next to me going in and out of sleep. Lorna sat next to the bed, slowly pinning my hair back away from my face and supporting me during every contraction. Pinning my hair back was so comforting. I knew I needed to have it done, and somehow she knew with out me even having to ask, it seems like something so small, but it was so wonderful. Later Lorna asked how I felt, I thought I could push, so they finally checked and I was 9 centimeters dilated! My cervix is a little crooked, so we knew I wouldn't go any further then that with out assistance. Matt asked if I wanted to get in the tub, but the thought of hearing the noise of blowing it up and filling it up was too much, I said no. Lorna said that it would speed things up if I got on the birthing stool. Speed things up, yes! It took some time for my body to leave it's safe place in the bed, but as soon as I was on the birthing stool things began to happen quickly. Matt was behind my, Lorna in front, it felt like Dashels birth all over again at this point, same people, same position. I think I pushed 3 times, when I looked down at one point I thought, wow, it's a lot wetter then Dashels birth. But it was because my water broke as she was crowning! Her little shoulder got stuck at the end, and Kaye and Lorna had me get on all fours, and then she was out! It took a second for her to cry, it was a little wet sounding but she was here! Kaye and Matt handed her to me from underneath, and I sat on my knees and looked at her tiny, red, squished features and marveled at how perfect her little round head was. I heard Dashel wake up and ask for some water, I called out for my mom to come in. She and Dashel walked in, My mom couldn't believe that they had slept thru the whole thing. Dashel went to Matt and we all just stared at our sweet little Lyra. The rest of the day was a blur, lots of food, and naps, and breastfeeding, and hugs, and tears, and phone calls. Dashel and Matt played outside in the snow for awhile. I was reminded how much a newborn sleeps (thankfully!). Lyra and I didn't leave the house for a week and it felt like vacation. Our wondrous midwives came and tended to us, Matt and my mom cooked and cleaned and played with Dashel, and friends stopped by to wish us well and see Lyra's face for the first time. It almost felt like we had gotten away with something. Wasn't birth supposed to be this harrowing, scary experience? No, it's not. No, it isn't. It is the most beautiful and empowering thing I have ever done in my life. I'm so proud of Matt for being enlightened enough to trust me and my body to do what it was meant to do, thank you! I still feel incredibly lucky to have given birth in the warmth and safety of my own home. Thank you Lorna and Kaye for being with us during the births of both our children, you gave us the courage to believe this was possible. Thank you Mom, for listening to me and believing that I could do this at home. Thank you Kristen for being so quietly attentive to the needs of our family. Thank you Dashel for having room in your heart to welcome a sister into your life. We are so blessed!

You can't arrest me, I'm a rockstar. Sid Vicious

2010-02-09T08:36:00.000-08:00

Little Miss

2010-02-08T23:38:00.000-08:00

So Lyra goes by "Little Miss" I can't be sure, but I think Matt started it and somehow it just stuck. But that's how nick names are, plus it's just the cutest thing ever when Dash calls her "LI-ttle Msss!"

Snowy Days in Juneau!!

2010-02-08T23:14:00.000-08:00

Daddy and Lyra make such handsome pair! I love her face in these photos, her personality is just blooming right now, and you can see it in a lot of these.

sassy

"What is Dashel doing?!?!"

"Holy Guacamole!!"

Dashel LOVES the new sled Santa brought him. He is pretty fearless tearing down the mountain and making momma nervous!

My girl

Busy kiddos!

So I get home from work one night...

2010-02-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

and I find this little scene all squished up in Dashel's bed! Love em!

Grandpa's Visit!

2009-09-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

We had a blast when Grandpa came for a visit. Fishing, fishing, fishing, swimming, reading, more fishing and hiking, fishing, and if you haven't guessed already... fishing!
Here we are at Point Louisa!

False Outer Point

And here we are in the most treacherous waters of all... the Juneau swimming pool! Lyra's 1st time swimming, she really liked it and was really good about holding her breath underwater.

"you lookin at my noodle?"

Reading with Grandpa is the best!

Good Morning Sunshine

2009-07-30T07:03:00.000-07:00

Almost every morning Dash says "I want to hug Daaaaaady." So I just had to take a few pictures of it. Lyra is becoming a little more demanding with us, Matt has started calling her "little miss can't be wrong" so now Dash calls her that ALL the time. It's really funny. Demanding may be the wrong word, she just likes to have someone helping her stand up all the time or feeding her or cuddling her or kissing her or rocking her or smiling at her...

Mama's so funny!

2009-07-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

Lyra's laugh is so sweet, it sounds really high pitched and ever so slightly raspy. We're still waiting for the 1st teeth to come through, I'm pretty sure she's going to have a couple on the bottom in a few weeks.

Trampoline!

2009-07-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Dash and I go to gymnastics once a week. Before we get there I always ask "What are ya going to do at gymnastics today?" and his response is always "I'm gooooing to run, and run, and run, and jump on the trampoline." So here are some shots of the boys doing just that... note the capes :)

Monday Breakfast Club!

2009-07-27T23:28:00.000-07:00

ok, so some days it's Sunday and some days it's Monday, but either way it's always amazing! I couldn't ask for better peeps to spend the morning with.
The menu was divine~ fresh steamed crab with drawn butter, just out of the oven rosemary scones, fresh fruit with whole yogurt, and of course great coffee and mimosas! And I didn't have to cook a thing. It was in the 80's again so we ate out on the deck.
The guest list, left to right~ Jennifer, Brenden, Laura, Renee, Theresa, Alison, Mindy, Dashel

Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick...

2009-07-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

We love play dates with Malcolm!!

2009-07-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

We're so happy when Malcolm comes over to play. He and Dash get along splendidly as you can see.

Inside the tent/fort

Outside the tent/fort

flowers AND big rigs

The 4th of July!

2009-07-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Jared was in town, so naturally we went to The Hangar for nachos & beer.my pretty gal

Jared and us gals.

Dashel looks a little heat exhausted, it was in the 80's.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling...

2009-07-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Keep on rolling Lyra! Here she is making her online rolling debut...

The 4th of July!

2009-07-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Loving the parade, here are some of our favorite friends~ Cedar, Sage, Calahan, me, Dashel

Sushi!

2009-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Matt and I recently started making sushi rolls, which is actually really fun and pretty easy. Dash likes to sample all the ingredients before we roll and then after he LOVES stabbing them with his chopsticks before devouring them whole!!

Prepping our rice, you can see how my technique differs from Dashels...

Summer Days

2009-06-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

So happy!!

2009-06-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

I swear lyra sounds like a little bird when she talks and coos. She has this warble/ twitter that just melts my heart everytime!

Baby Blues...

2009-06-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

bumbos & bald spots

2009-06-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

The bumbo chair has been a big hit with Lyra, she just loves sitting and looking at all the action! I'm hoping this will start to cut down on her bald spot action, as you can see, she has a VERY pronounced hair line... kisses!

"I didn't even know I had toes??!!"

Showing off...

2009-06-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Dash is always trying to show Lyra just how to crawl. This is usually how it goes...
Dash "Come on Lyra"
Lyra "grunt!"
Dash "Come on Lyra!"
Lyra "gruuunt!"
This usually repeats itself a few dozen times before one of them gets bored :)

Go Lyra Go!

2009-06-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

She's trying so hard!!

Sandy Beach is our favorite place to play!!

2009-06-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Sandy Beach is not only our ONLY sandy beach in Juneau, but it also just had a whole new playground built! Dashel's favorites are the swings and the rock wall (he climbs it all by himself!) Maybe he'll take after Gama and Bapa and climb some real mountains one day.

That's my daughter!

2009-06-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

"It's a meat ball and a duck!"

2009-06-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

So I was letting Dash watch Sesame Street the other day and Big Bird and Snuffleupagus were talking about sharing and being friends. So Dash turns to me and says "It's a meat ball and a duck! They are friends, the meat ball and the duck" It cracked me up to see what he was seeing and to imagine what the world would be like with out preconceived notions about anything! I love that in Dashel's world a meat ball and a duck can be friends!
Here are a few two year old firsts!!
This is two in one, first time on the big boy swing and first time dressing himself (note the sponge bob jammy bottoms... he has NEVER even seen sponge bob??)
first time painting, dash prefers finger paints but we dabbled with water color and rock painting as well

sometimes you have to step back to get some artisic clarity

just looking dapper!!

vroom vroom!

Lyra & Maddox

2009-06-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

So many of our friends are having or have just had their 2nd child recently. Here is Lyra with her friend Maddox! What a couple of cuties!Dashel is giving Maddox the BIG brother look, keeping with the rules of always looking out for his little sister.

ahhhhh

Another day at the beach

2009-06-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Lyra is growing up!

2009-06-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here she is, we have our 2nd pediatric visit in a week so I'll be able to tell you how big she has gotten, but until then just check these out...
trying to crawl or roll over, or just have a look around...
after bathtime she just loves to laze around in her towel...

babies...

smiling...

still lazing about :)

Earth Day!

2009-04-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

It makes Lyra cry when she hears about how some people still don't recycle! It's soooo easy to do. If I can do it with 2 kids in cloth diapers then so can you. This is the only planet we have and we should try to preserve it.

Things we can do to help:
Drive less or drive a fuel efficient car
Recycle & Reuse!!!!
Use compact florescent light bulbs
Eat locally grown food
Avoid packaging (like using reusable grocery bags!)
Plant a tree!

Hats & Kisses

2009-04-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

I love hats on my kids! Usually everywhere we go they both have hats on, in Alaska it's a must!Purple hat knitted by Miss Katheryn

White hat knitted by Mommy

Happy Birthday Dashel McCrea!

2009-04-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Dash turned 2 on Sunday April 19th! It's so hard to believe that he was born 2 years ago, in my mind he's still a newborn sometimes! After he saw the train on his cake he wouldn't even take a bite. all he wanted to do was play with the train who he named Diesel (I don't know where he learns it).

I totally forgot to take a picture of the cake! But here are 3/4 of it, Matt baked it and it turned out wonderfully, a caramel apple cake! yum!

The guest list:
Finn!

Ingrid aka Iggy

Jack

Sophie

Reed

Kate

Elijah

Sierra aka Sisi

And of course Lyra

Things got boring inside so Dash led the party to the deck for bubbles and sweeping?

Good Night Dashel...

2009-04-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

Dashel really wore himself out at the party. He was VERY excited about the new bedding that Grandma and Bapa gave him!

Does Lyra look like Dashel??

2009-04-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

We have been getting that a lot recently, so I'll leave it for you to decide...

Lyra Lyra

Dashel

Lyra

Dashel

Lyra, Lyra, Lyra...

2009-04-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Here she is, starting to get her little personality!

kissy, kissy

Always hard to be a stylish baby in a cold Alaskan environment, but it can be done :)

A Day at the Beach.

2009-04-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Dash, Lyra and I met Jack and his mom Rosie at the Beach yesterday, it was another beautiful slightly overcast day here in Alaska.

Run boys, run!Love low tide.

Dash fell in love with Bruno, especially when Bruno let Dash try and bury him :)

busy busy

Easter Sunday!

2009-04-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

We had a really good time, lots of family and friends came by for our pot luck brunch. The Easter Bunny also hid some eggs and left a basket of goodies for Dash (and Lyra).

Here is Micheala, Cedar and Pam... Trinity, Melissa, Dash, Clive and Renee...

Looking for eggs!

Basket of goodies

Score!!

Relaxing...

2009-04-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

We are big on just kickin back at home playing, reading, eating...

What's that joke? "see food" "sea food" ~best friends~

Dash has learned to throw my yoga ball really high! fun times.

My girl and I.

My man and I.

Who needs a Bunny?

2009-04-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Dash got to meet Frog & Toad at Heathside Books! We always love going there because they have the best book selection (and a train set for the kids to play with).

Who knew that frogs got this tall?

High Five!

Low Five!

Grandma Pam even got in on all the fun!

Spring???

2009-04-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

Game Night!

2009-04-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE having peeps over for dinner and games, some of our faves are Apples to Apples, Scrabble, Mega Monopoly, Spades, and Cribbage. Here are some pics of Milenka and Jilly with sweet baby Lyra. And Dash had to help Mommy cook dinner that night so I snuck some of those in as well.

nice apron dash!!

dried beans are a great way to have your kids help with the dinner process with minimal clean up!

My girl...

2009-04-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dashel loves Lyra

2009-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Dash has really been warming up to Lyra recently. He loves to show her his trucks, give her hugs and kisses, and help her bounce in her bouncy chair. He also likes just hanging out with her :)

Double the love & double the trouble!

2009-03-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Dashel has been adjusting very well to our fams new addition. He refers to his new sister as "baby ly~la" and when we ask him what the baby does he enthusiastically cheers "milk!!"
The first time he saw Lyra nursing, he leaned way in for a better look and then said "baby bite... let go baby!" of course I had to remind him that he nursed also, and that it's not a bite. How soon they forget, I weaned him only 5 months ago!
He also likes to be included in all the baby love. Almost every time Matt or I pick Lyra up Dash asks for a "hug... hug?" And who wouldn't want that :)
Lyra is also the lucky recipient of sticky faced kisses from her BIG brother (see example below)

My beautiful babies!

2009-03-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

Dashel~22 monthsLyra~ 2 weeks

The many faces of Lyra Elise.

2009-02-26T18:35:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like to hold a baby?

2009-02-26T18:23:00.000-08:00

The answer is~ nobody!!

Dash and Lyra taking a break.Grandma Pam

Uncle Chris

Grandma Patti

Mommy

More of Lyra

2009-02-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

Here is Lyra getting weighed for the first time by our wonderful midwife Lorna.
8 lbs 11 oz!!!Lorna & Lyra

My babies.

Lyra Elise Makes Her Debut!!

2009-02-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

Lyra Elise Culbreth
Born at Home
February 21, 2009
6:45 in the morning
8 lbs 11 oz!!!
20 inches
Well we finally have our little girl. My contractions started in around 1 am, our midwife Lorna came to the house around 2:30am, and we had her in our arms at 6:45am. We are so happy to have had her in the comfort of our own home with Dashel and Grandma Patti (both asleep in the next bedroom!) and our wondrous midwives (Lorna, Kaye and Kristin). Lorna and Kaye were our midwives with Dashel as well, so this was really special for us.
Lyra is the name of the heroine in the books The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. She is courageous and loving and brave and full of sass and we can't wait to see how our own little Lyra turns out. Elise is from the beautiful song, Letter to Elise.

Our first photo as a family of four!

Grandma Patti and Lyra.

She sticks her tongue out all the time, what a comedian.

Dashel just loves looking at his new baby sister.

Labor is soooo exhausting.

I can't believe we just had her.

Almost time...

2009-02-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

We have a little over a week until baby girl arrives. Dash has been really helpful lately by putting himself to sleep, helping wash and fold all of the new baby clothes, cleaning up his toys, and just being plain adorable. He also likes to read his Dinosaur Roar book to the baby and try and feed her granola bars via my belly button. We've been practicing our lullaby's, so now Dash sings "rock... baaaaby" when ever he sees a baby.

Matty took these pictures today, I think they turned out great!

Kawehi & Kaya are healthy and home at last!

2009-02-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby neices got to come home last week and apparently are hungry and healthy. They both recovered from the infection they had and are on the mend. I hear it's "cold" there in Hawaii (60's) so the girls are all bundled up. Dusan and Sheryl are doing good also, I could never imagine handling more than 1 newborn at a time, wow!Proud Papa!

I think this pretty much sums up being a new parent.

Kawehi (closest) and Kaya. For those of you who may have seen pics of Dusan as a baby, Kawehi is the spitting image of him!

What a couple of cuties!

I'm an Auntie!!

2009-01-16T10:51:00.000-08:00

Kaya & Kawehi Jouppi
Well these two little girls just couldn't wait any longer to get here. Dusan and Sheryl had them via Cesarean section on Monday the 12th. Both over 5 lbs! Pretty good for twins. But both had to be medi vacked to Honolulu for treatments not available in Hilo. Kawehi is doing good now, Dusan finally got to hold her (see below) and Kaya is still receiving a lot of medical treatments but we are very optimistic. Keep your thoughts positive for these two sweet little girls and I will hopefully ave some more updates soon.

Kaya Kawehi

Dusan holding Kawehi for the first time!

Juneau's Santa!

2009-01-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

Juneau's had the same Santa for the past 35 years. My friend Tara told me that she remembers seeing him when she was a little girl (we are both 30!) So here's one of Dashel's photos from this year and one from last year with good ol' St. Nick

Snowy Weather Part 2...

2009-01-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

We have had soooo much snow! Poor Matt has been out shoveling at least 2 times a day, everyday for the last couple weeks. Dash of course has a great time. We shoveled a little trail for him in the yard and of course he has his own snow fort. But his favorite thing is when Daddy tosses him in the HUGE snow pile out front, which he can't get out of :) shovel, shovel, shovel

Stuck again.

We used to have a yard, now it's just snow storage.

Christmas Morning!

2009-01-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Santa came to Juneau this year bringing lots of presents for Dashel. His favorite was the Thomas Train set (of course) . After spotting that he didn't really want anything to do with the rest of the presents or with Mommy and Daddy. So the whole morning was pretty relaxing, lots of reading books and down time.

The Night Before Christmas...

2009-01-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

and all through the house Dashel was stirring and baking wreath cookies...

My Reader!

2008-12-31T12:24:00.000-08:00

So, I'm walking past Dashel's room and I catch him reading on his bed all on his own! Yes it's a book all about trucks, his favorites are the monster trucks... no we don't know why :)

Smile for Mommy!

2008-12-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

Dash has a serious shoe fixation, especially when it comes to my shoes. Baby boys 1st set of heels :)

Trying to get Dash to pose for a picture...

Snowy Weather!

2008-12-31T12:03:00.000-08:00

So as we all know it has been VERY snowy here lately, this is just the first day of heavy snow. I really need to get some more pics, because the snow is really mounting up!1st Snowman

A sunny day at the Mendenhall Glacier.

2008-12-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful day to be out on the Glacier. The lake beneath is frozen so ice skaters were out, cross country skiers were everywhere. Even Mark Kelly (famous photographer) was out taking pics of the waterfall and ice surrounding it. Dash liked riding on the sled, but I think he liked his hot coco even more :)

Santa Claus & Dashel McCrea

2008-12-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

Dash enjoyed his time with Santa, when we walked into the building Dash just stood there holding my hand and pointing and whispering "ho, ho, ho". Dash asked Santa for a choo choo (train) and I'm pretty sure that is what Santa is bringing :)

Toddler Holiday Party!

2008-12-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

We hosted the 1st annual Toddler Holiday Party last weekend.
It was a lot of fun, all the kids (12!) brought a wrapped book to exchange. Although you put this many tots in a house together things are bound to get messy. These pics are mostly of us trying to get a picture of all the kids together... mission impossible :) But Dash and Finn (on the left) held hands and stood there together, so cute!

Lots of boys! Dash, Finn, Malcom, Elijah, Gavin on the top.
Lydia (back turned) and little Sammy

While Santa's away the Elves will play!

2008-12-10T12:31:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Books before bedtime

2008-12-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

We always read a few good books before hittin the hay.

Thanksgiving!

2008-12-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

We went over to Matt's folks house for a little turkey and pumpkin pie.

Even the dogs got in on the action.

Napkins have so many uses :)

Viva la North Nouglas!

2008-12-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a look at the house and back yard. Mt. Juneau to the left, Mt. Roberts to the right, Silver Bow Basin in between. Plus we have a nice little view of the Harbor and the beginning of down town Juneau. Dash really enjoys walking down to the water (which is really muddy and gross!) and looking at all of the mussels and barnacles. Plus he is trying really hard to say the word barnacle... which sounds like "brn~ ckl~ckl".

Moving day has lots of suprises...

2008-11-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

I went to check our mail for the last time and I find this. Too funny right? I guess that it happens in downtown Juneau a lot? I forgot to ask my neighbors before we left. It did take a lot of effort not to let Dash eat this little hotcake. I do have my suspicions on who it may be though... you know who you are :)

Snow day!

2008-11-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

A few days before our move it snowed! Dash took it upon himself to shovel the entire sidewalk! What a good boy.

I found my camera!!

2008-11-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

I looked everywhere for it, I thought somehow during the move I threw it out. But today Matt found it for me, hurray! So here are my group Halloween pics, you can tell how good toddlers are at staying still.

Boo!

2008-11-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

Dash went as a Dragon this year (which he LOVED). He says "grrrr" and runs around wiggling his tail. We went trick or treating at the mall, and at first he was scared to hold out his pumpkin, but once he realized that people GAVE him things it was a different story. Here are some pics of us at our toddler play group at the Juneau Family Birth Center. Grrrrrrr...

Yes We Can!!

2008-11-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Election day was very exciting for us up here in Juneau. As some of you already know Matthew and I are Obama supporters. The things that are most important to us such as equal rights for ALL people, early childhood education, support for our teachers, and supporting the economy for the lower and middle class are everything that Obama stands for and we are so happy to have him as our next President!! Dash came with me to vote early that morning. I brought with extra snacks and books, but of course there were no lines, we breezed in and out. Dash really liked his "I voted" sticker. And we even got him to say "B~ma" which I am taking for Obama. This was the first election I felt like my vote made a difference (yes, even though AK is a red state). I know I am not alone in feeling elation, hope, and the power of this nation returned to the people.

It's a girl!!

2008-10-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

Well it just goes to show that I have no will power and that I can convince Matt go along with me on almost anything. We were at our ultrasound, and I was starting to crack with anticipation on whether it would be blue or pink... well you know the rest. We are overjoyed to be adding a girl to our family. No solid names yet, so for now we are referring to her as "baby girl". Here are her debut pictures!

We read banned books!

2008-10-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

It's Banned Books Week and I just wanted to remind everyone to run out and check out or buy one of your favorite banned books. BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
Here is a list of our favorite banned books. The Harry Potter series, The Golden Compass, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, The Color Purple, Gone with the Wind, Pillars of the Earth, and The Perks of being a Wallflower.

Tractors!!

2008-10-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

Don't think I need to say more. Dash is obsessed.Yep.

Let's go ride a bike.

2008-10-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Dash loves riding his bike down to the park ringing his bell as we go.Look beyond the red roof and you will see two HUGE cruise ships docked.

We are so lucky living downtown, we always run into friends at the park.

This is one of Dashel's friends Finn. I guess it was brown overalls blue shirt day.

"Bing Bing!"

Summertime days.

2008-09-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

"Hey there!!!"
October 1st is tomorrow so I guess that summer time is officially at an end. Here are a few of our favorite summer time moments while visiting Grandma & Grandpa's house in Suncrest, WA.

Taking walks through the forest.

Eating all the fresh picked fruit from the local orchard.

RUNNING!

Ok, not a favorite, but the first fat lip had to be documented.

Tractor rides!

Meeting local wildlife.

Eating...

Eating toes...

Picking Grandma's veggies.

Eating Grandma's veggies.

Hanging with Grandpa aka "Bapa"

Looking at the Spokane river.

Kayaking for the first time!!

Doggie kisses!

Dashel is a BIG boy.

2008-09-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

Dash is officially a toddler now. At his last doctor appointment he weighed 25 lbs! I can't remember the height, but for weight he was in the 70% and height 75%. We are really glad that Dash is developing into such a sweet boy, because he is going to become a big brother mid February! Matt and I are extremely happy and can't wait for Dash to start realizing that mommy and daddy are going to have another baby. We will keep everyone posted and will post some pics of our ultra sound in a few weeks.

Here Dash and I are inside a tractor! Lucky for us the foreman on this job was a grandpa of 12! He knew exactly what Dash wanted to do!
Dash also ride the choo choo train at the park.

He goes down the slide all by himself now.

Off exploring!

Nothing like kickin back with a good read when the day is over.

Blueberry season!

2008-09-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

Everybody loves blueberry season here in Alaska! Here we are up at Eaglecrest.

Dash LOVES all things mechanic. Buses, cars, trucks, tractors, dozers, planes, trains, helicopters and the list could go on and on...

You sometimes have to take a break from the tedious business of berry picking to eat some fruit leather and drink some tea.

Dashel's summer time days

2008-09-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

This summer has been rather rainy and overcast, but we still always try to find something to do outside. Here we are at the Brotherhood Bridge trail, Dash loves to examine every blade of grass and leaf he comes across.This is by far Dash's favorite trail. The Airport trail starts out by the airport (of course) so we get to see all the planes landing and helicopters soaring overhead. Dash knows the difference between planes, jets and helicopters! So by the time you get past the airport area you're out on the flats looking across the channel at North Douglas and beyond, it really is beautiful out there.

Hiking with Daddy is the best because Dash gets to ride in his BIG BOY backpack. It's so big in fact, that mommy can't use it!

Sometimes we all get a little enthusiastic and end up sitting in a mud puddle... right?

Sunny weather hits Juneau!

2008-06-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

The weather has been unusually nice here and we take advantage by going to Sandy Beach in Juneau and having a little bbq with our friends. Here is Ali, Gavin, Crystal, Dash and Matty.Dash and Auntie Crystal always have fun together.

This is actually at Castle Park on another sun shiny day.

After a hard day in the sun you need to have a BIG dinner. Dashel's favorite is whole wheat noodles with tomatoes and fresh basil.

Sex and the City movie!

2008-06-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, the movie finally came out! It was amazing, Brenden, Todd and I got all gussied up, had cosmos at their house and then just made it to the movie. The audience was hilarious, people yelling stuff out and clapping. Needless to say we had a great time.

Brenden and I.
Brenden and Todd.

Adventures with Grandpa Scott!

2008-06-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Dash have so much in common. They both love to get dirty, examine rocks, bugs and the water hose, they also both LOVE doggies!Time to get wet.

Dash couldn't get enough of the driveway, rocks galore.

The Cat Zoo!

2008-06-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

You can't really see them in this picture, but there are 4 baby Siberian Tigers behind us. Shortly after our visit here Dash began growling when he saw a Lion or Tiger, or was prompted by us with "What's a Lion say?" This sign didn't fill me with confidence during our visit. Especially when you have a 1 year old trying to run head first into everything.

Okay, nobody look at the camera!

Adventures with Grandma Patti!

2008-06-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

When we visit Grandma and Grandpa there is always something fun to do. Going to Anthony's for steamer clams is always Mommy's favorite thing.
Swinging in the back yard.

Hiking the trails with Grandma.

Taking all of his naps in Grandma's arms is Dashel's favorite thing.

Accompanying Grandma and Mommy to the mall for a day of shopping... not one of Dashel's favorites, but at least he gets a cool ride.

Dashel really likes animals!

2008-06-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

I love visiting my folks because there are always tons of animals to see! Here we are visiting with Roushon the horse!You gotta love little chicks.

Grandpa and Dash exploring.

Hiking!

2008-06-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Usually we end up just backpacking Dash for our hikes, but he wanted to hike on his own this time. He only took a few stumbles and got muddy, but that's what being a boy is all about.

Hiking in the snow... in May.

2008-06-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been on here in over a month, so these are a little old. Here is Marie and baby Lydia hiking with us up Perseverance Trail. What is up with the snow!?! That is Betsey the dog twirling around our legs. Here is Shayna and Reed (I love his Gnome outfit!), what a couple of cuties!

Dash's hiking outfit.

How much do we LOVE breakfast.

2008-06-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Laura & MattyLk & Milenka

Dash loves it when Auntie Laura comes into town!

Ever the skeptic, Dash still isn't sure about pancakes.

cute.

Lk visits Juneau!

2008-06-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful friend Laura moved to Ketchikan this fall to become the best teacher around. But we got to host her visit for the Folk Festival this year and we had the most amazing time! Here we are at Zepher eating lamb, oysters and the all important goat cheese sprinkled salad. Love it!I just love Brenden and Laura!

Some of you may recognize this fellow (Chris Jones) but few of you know that we have known each other since the 6th grade! He's here working for the summer, and seeing if he wants to make the move down here to Juneau-ville.

B & D

Birthday Boy!

2008-04-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Dash turned 1 today! We threw a party at the Jumbo Gym. All of our favorite peeps came, including high school friends, new school friends, new babies, old babies, little kids, big kids, and everybody in between.The presents were fun for everybody, Dash needed a little help from the BIG kids.

Here is our friend Dylan, helping organize the gift pile.

Lydia has had a little too much fun opening presents!

Dash actually kissed Sierra last week, she is now officially his girlfriend. If we were East Indian, they would be engaged right now :)

Everybody got their very own KAZOO!!

Dash loves his best bud Gavin. Look at those beautiful eyes!

Reed is one of our favorite people to hang with, what a cutie pie!

McKenzie is so sweet, she's our token red head today :)

Tracy and Alison.

Free kisses from the birthday boy!

Zach gets walled in...

Dash is VERY curious about that...

It's all over...

The food was amazing, and shockingly Dash didn't really like the cake.

But he did like the veggie platter, go figure :)

Snowy days in April.

2008-04-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

WOW! Poor Dash just wants to go outside and play, but the snow keep falling. We cannot believe this is happening during Dashel's birthday week.The backyard.

WOW!

Dashel turns 1 tomorrow!

2008-04-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

I just can't believe it. My sweet boy turns one. Pregnancy seemed to last FOREVER, but Dashel's life is flying by. I have been remembering a lot about those first few days with him lately and I just wanted to share some of those images with you. this first one is his first sleep in his bed when we arrived home.

He is literally about 1 minute old here, maybe less :)

Meeting Grandma Patti.

Meeting Grandma Pam.

Here is one of our fabulous midwives, Lorna, giving Dashel his exam.

Here are the Grandma's and our midwives.

Weighing in at 8 lbs 6 oz, Dashel McCrea.

Lunches at the Hangar.

2008-04-10T13:07:00.001-07:00

I love to have lunch at the Hangar. The Ginger Salmon rice bowl is delicious and the best part is Dash loves it also. Dash also loves being upstairs and looking down at all the other diners and large model planes that are abundant there.

Ok, I'll eat now...

Wild Alaskan Salmon is the best!

Planes!

Our little botanist.

2008-04-10T12:47:00.001-07:00

Dash really examines plants. He stands above them looking and touching the leaves with constant reminders from mommy to "be gentle."

He keeps taking off his hat and then trying to put it on, with very little success.

Dash loves quirky Juneau.

2008-04-10T11:36:00.001-07:00

Juneau is a very interesting town to live in. We get some strange weather, a lot of tourists and wildlife galore. Dash and I take a walk together everyday, here are a few of our sights. There will be a second installment of this series once the cruise ships start docking... The fact that Dashel is still wearing his down puffer suit should give you all a clear and chilly picture of our weather :)
BIG wind gust!

Our view of Douglas aka "the rock"

The Governor's Mansion (a 5 minute walk from our house). Governor Palin is 8 months pregnant right now, this will be her 5th baby. She also did a spread in Vogue this fall. I have to admit that I don't really like her politics, but I like her moral code and the fact that she balances family and work with a lot of class.

We have ALOT of crazy stairs here. Seriously, you don't need a gym membership, just live downtown and walk everywhere :) Good for your body, your heart and your environment! I have been hearing a lot about the environment lately and I just think we can all do MORE! I have totally switched to cloth grocery bags. And we did use cloth diapers for 5 months before giving up... We try to walk as many places as the weather allows, and we recycle, recycle recycle.On NPR this morning they gave 2 stats I thought were shocking. 1) If the whole world lived the way that US citizens lived, it would take 4 Earths to support us!!! 2) The average US baby (by the time he/ she is 12 months) has created more garbage than most world citizens do in their life time! The fact that the planet is changing for the worse and the the fact that we all love and want to best possible future for our children should convince all of us to make a change in how we live day to day. Less consumption + less capitalism = better planet! xoxo

Juneau's own Russian Orthodox church! It has seriously been under construction for like 3 years now... yeah.

Dash loves the ladies.

2008-04-10T11:29:00.001-07:00

Here are two of Dashel's favorite friends, Alison and Caitlyn, they are all trying to crowd into this window in order to stare at the doggies outside.

Dash loves doggies.

2008-04-10T11:20:00.001-07:00

I was reading this National Geographic and they had a whole spread on the intelligence of animals. Dash was very curious about the pictures, so I started showing them to him and telling him about the different animals, bla bla bla. So we flip to this picture of "Betsy" the dog, and Dash became smitten. He kept hugging the magazine and kissing the picture! I had to take it away eventually because some of the paper began dissolving! We may have to get a border collie some day.

Come on down, and feist your eyes upon the eighth wonder of the world!

2008-03-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

Here he is! The incredible, the amazing, the boy genius... the WALKER! Yes folks he is walking everywhere now and trying , I repeat trying, to run. Next thing we know he'll be attempting to tame lions and train bears. Clothes or no clothes it makes no difference to this boy, he'll walk whenever the urge strikes

Hoppy Easter, Happy Spring!!

2008-03-23T18:32:00.001-07:00

I love these two boys so much, I can't get enough.
Our Easter eggs this year! They turned out pretty good.

Happy Easter everyone! We've had a lot of sugar today!

Dash meets the Easter Bunny.

More eggs!!

Sweet boy.

2008-03-23T18:21:00.001-07:00

This boy is so sweet he gives me a toothache. I'll say to him, give your bear a hug and kiss and he squeezes his teddy and open mouth drools all over the top of his head!

These boys sure like to sleep. I have always loved that Matt can sleep through my noisy morning routine. And now Dash is taking after Daddy and doing just the same.

I wish I could sleep in ANY position :)

Dashel meets Skippyjon Jones.

2008-03-23T18:06:00.001-07:00

This was a lot of fun, as you can see. I mean who doesn't want to meet a giant cat who stars in his own children's book series. After we met Skippyjon, Dash picked out one of his books which we made sure to read before bed that evening.