Let’s see here. Monday we….cleaned? Tony worked across the street as he now does from 4-6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.  I don’t know what else Monday involved. Probably a lot of dealing with PCC, TBCC, and the likes.

Tuesday my mom and grandma came down! They actually spent a lot of time working really hard; weeding, doing yardwork, and chippping most everything in sight. My mom brought the trailor down (to bring the chipper and co. back) so we have happily found a bit more room and when my nana and grandpa move they will have a trundle bed to put in their extra room. Now, if we were just to get on getting rid of the bonus day bed and queen that remain. Then Ali would have an honest-to-God bedroom!

Wednesday was more working outside, a walking tour of Rockaway that was cut short as the air grew cold and damp. Before they left town we all went to dinner at The Mazatlan, a mexican restaurant north of us. Ali was the most well behaved she has ever been when we’ve gone out (and, really, we haven’t gone out much) so the whole thing was quite a treat.

Thursday is also kind of a blur. I think we just kind of hung around the house. I watched a lot of TV gearing up for the future when I figure I won’t have the time. Oh yes, and I waited impatiently for Miss Adriah Michelle to grace us with her presence. That’s right. I spent the day on pins and needles, unable to concentrate on much of anything except refraining from bugging Cynthia while in labor and all.

Friday we spent the morning getting ready to leave at naptime (trying to work all/most travel around the new routine from now on). Which worked out well as, when my mom was here, we decided that on our way to town we’d "swing by" Newberg to pick Trista up from George Fox for her first weekend home. Swing by being a relative turn because, while on the way, there is no good way to get there from here, so it’s kind of indirect. Anyway, Trista’s last class got out at 1:30pm, so it wouldn’t have don’t much good for us to leave much before noon anyway.

Ali testing random doors in Trista’s dorm.

In the half hour from Newberg to Gladstone.

One guess who gave her a bag of Cheetos.

Also on Friday we visited my grandparents on last time before they move into their new apartment. Ali was in a pretty good mood, inventing some hanger sorting game that entertained more than just her. Friday night Jordan and Becky came over for dinner. If my dad hadn’t been at work than we’d have had the entire family together but, nonetheless, all four siblings were there for the first time since we all reside in different cities. Also, sidenote, one of the cutest things I’ve seen in a looooooong time (except maybe Adriah which is coming up) was Trista and Alyssa running to hug each other. I don’t think they knew how hard it’d be to be apart. Friday night we all (well, the girls, Tony and I, my mom and, when he got back from work at 8pm(!), my dad) watched Baby Mama which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Saturday we headed to the PCC Sylvanis Campus in the morning (Ali slept TERRIBLE the night before, crying in her sleep most of the night so we got up a little late and were all tired) to get one of my books. We were happy to find it used and therefore $66 instead of $88. The night before Tony and my dad ordered my other two from Amazon because that’s where they were cheapest. My dad buys a lot from the site and gets free shipping so we had him do. Except he pushed a wrong button and accidently shipped it to their house versus ours so I’ll have to wait a couple more days. Either way, I should have all my necessary books by next week which is quite a relief. Especially to the tune of $175 instead of almost $300!

After picking up the book we walked around the very impressive campus, which Ali really, really, enjoyed. I think Tony took a few pics but they’re on his phone so I’ll have to get them later. Then we went back "home" for Ali to have a her snack-nap-lunch triple whammy andwait to hear that Cynthia was home, settled, and ready to be decended upon.

It didn’t happen. Poor them, Adriah was born Thursday morning and they didn’t get home until late Saturday evening because the discharge was soooooooo slow. We amused ourselves though, going to Value Village (oh, how I miss having one near) and Blockbuster to get two previously viewed movie for FREE because of some surveys Tony took online. We got Dora videos.

Then, after Ali went to bed, Tony and I ventured out to have a quiet, not-frenzied, relaxing trip to Target. It was great. First, because we so rarely get to go to any stores beside Fred Meyer and, second, because we never, NEVER get to go out just the two of us. And third because, now that Ali walks, she wants to always walk. Which is not always possible and rarely appropriate. So it’s complicated things a bit.

Ali waving bye-bye everytime someone leaves the room.

You can’t really see them but I finally got to buy Ali some legwarmers at Target. i LOVE them. They are super cute, were really cheap, seem warm, and are AMAZINGLY easy when chaging a diaper. I need them in every color ASAP!

This morning Ali woke up really early, like pre-6am. But, she slept better last night so it was ok. Also, I went upstairs and fell back asleep on the couch while Tony dealt with her. So even more ok! We ate breakfast, packed everything up, and were off to Cynthia’s by 10am.

I am still in shock over how tiny Adriah was. I cannot believe, or even fathom, that Ali was that small. We feel so lucky to have seen the newest addition sor early on in life and one more CONGRATULATIONS to the beloved Edge family.

From there we came straight home (timing it to naptime again), watched some of the red carpet Emmy pre-show and are headed down now to catch the ceremony. Since we had satellite, we get cable channels on the East Coast time, so there was three hours between the end of the pre-show and the actualy Emmys. Usually obnoxious but today agood thing. Leaves me time for absurdly long and in-depth posts like this one.

Something I fear I may not find/make time for in the immediate future.

Last Monday is was Beeeeeautiful here. But before we could hit the beach Ali and I had to man Off Our Rocker while Tony had a business call. Note the beads, Huggies spray-sunscreen, and what appears to be texting. Oh, and her ADORABLE new hair-do.

Baby in her toy box/basket.

I got my hair highlighted last Wednesday!!!

Sleeping on the way to Grandma and Grandpa’s Thursday morning[ish].

Trista and Ali running through the sprinkler on Friday because it was HOT.

Then we cooled off the this boat turned pool.

And that brings me to last Saturday, which was the annual Lewis family picnic. Upcoming!

Ok, here’s some catch-up pics.

Last week it was actually warm enough to get in the water a bit.

Ali reading about the new season of Sesame Street on the pot.

She has now discovered simulated phone usage. Which involves the phoneheld in the vicinity of her ear, and screamed baby-babble. Here she was specifically "talking" to Shayla.

Riding her bike…today! (Which means we’re up to date)

And more phone chats.

Nighttime is just as painful. She continues to wake uo every hour to hour-and-a-half with usually one three hour stretch. Isn’t that worse thanmost newborns?!?! I might call the doctor soon just to….I don’t know. Just to do something??? But that’s a whole other issue considering we’ve seen a different doctor every time (three of them) we’ve gone since moving here and we hear [hope!] there’s a permenant one coming soon but it’s hard having no established relationship.

I am working on drastically cutting down my caffeine intake because that could definitely be having an effect. Went from having two cups in the morning to mid-morning and one about 3pm to having one and half before noon and today having one about 10am. So we’ll see. No real improvements yet, but UGH. What a hard time to cut down on the stimulants. I kind of feel like a walking zombie.

Tomorrow we’re going to the Tillamook County Fair which is exciting. Next weekend we’ll be in the Portland area for the Lewis family picnic and for a wedding. Next week we are spending a few days in Off Our Rocker again. And by we I now mean Tony, as we discovered it works best if he just goes over there with his laptop and does his own work. I am working on enrolling for some classes in the fall through PCC. it has been especially difficult since I’m going to begetting financial aid (which involves tons of hoop jumping) and I’m finally transferring credits from three different colleges. I have to go next week to take a math placement test at TBCC (Tillamook Bay Community College), which I’m trying to study a bit for but it’s kind of depressing to look at stuff you know you know (or knew) how to do and realize you no longer have more than a faint inkling.

So we’re busy. And tired. And we’re had nary a sunbreak here since last Sunday! Which is so frustrating for me.

• Bedtime is going great. It’s the middle of the night that’s a struggle. I can only do about one wake up where I put her back down because it takes me forever to fall asleep again. The second time I’m right back in bed with her. Only thing is, we put the trundle Ali and I usually sleep on away and bought the rocking chair up (now it feels like an actual nursery!) so it basically seems like I’m bedless.
• Last night Ali went down at 8:30, woke up at 9:30, 11:00, 1:00 (and cried with Tony for about 25 minutes before I went up. At this point he had yet to go to sleep and I had just fallen asleep about 12:45), and then whenever I went up there and stayed. Probably two-something. She woke up this morning before 8am. UGH. Luckily her and I napped this afternoon. Well, evening. Until nearly six!
• I feel like a new parent again except one-year-olds (thirteen months tomorrow!) need much less day-sleep than newborns. Should have tackled this endeavor then…
• Ali has now discovered the toilet. And the joy found in dropping this in it.
• Yesterday we met Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley in Tillamook. He was a very nice guy.

• Monday and Tuesday next week I am subbing at Off Our Rocker across the street.
• Tomorrow we are hoping to have a picnic somewhere for lunch. Hopefully sans wind.
• I know I have more stuff to update from our trip up north last week. But here are pictures.
• We are getting very, very close to having a toddler. There have been a number of shuffle lunges and even a few step, step, lunge. Any day now.
• Tony and I are about to do an exercise video. Good, because I love exercise and am looking forward to getting back to it. Bad, because I don’t think either of us has done much (besides some walking here and there) since we broguht Jordan back his week. Over two weeks ago.

Two in case you haven’t noticed[s].

1. I have a LOT of odds and ends posts that I’ve been saving, haven’t gotten around too, or have been otherwise held up on and am getting to them in fits and bursts. Is that a saying?
2. I recently uploaded pics from both Tony’s phone and mine. Like, a year and a half worth of pics. I’ll start with Tony’s. View his full collection here.

I was in early labor!

Remember this?!?!

Perfection.

At Off Our Rocker in January.

Jordan and Becky outside of his new apartment.

The view from his balcony.

On Easter Sunday….fell asleep during service.

Just last week.

…to be continued with my phone. Probably later tonight.

Last week, Thursday to be exact, our friend Julie (from Off Our Rocker) appeared at our window while Tony and I were watching TV during Ali’s morning nap. She said Don Best (Best Impressions) was digging up a shipwreck and we should go look. Well, we didn’t know who Don Best was, but it turns out he’s our neighbor across the street. He has lived here his whole life. Coincidentally, he grew up in a house where ours is now built.

So, apparently in 1908 a ship named the Emily Reed was sailing from New Zealand to Portland, mistook the Nehalem River for the Columbia, and crashed. People died, etc. Now there are remains on Rockaway’s beach, most of which Mr. Best has seen a number of times. In fact, he said his father and grandfather even took the copper of the remains back in the day. But, this one he was digging up, he had never seen. That’s how bad the erosion has been this winter. Here are some pics. They’re not great, but they show that this was no small piece of boat. Also, I’ve been trying to dig up some info on Emily Reed, to link to at least, but nada. Tony and I couldn’t even quite remember the name (he told me Ellen Page but I said that’s the chick in Juno) so we had to go over to St. Mary’s by the Sea where Don had told us they had a little display up.

Sunday night we went overnight to Seaside. Billie had rented a timeshare for the weekend but, due to her extensive travel, really needed to weekend at home. Dave and Rachel decided to still come down and stayed Friday and Saturday night. Sunday we headed up after church (really only about 25 minutes from Manzanita, which is about 20 minutes from us) and spent twenty-four hours "getting away." The room was….well, much more than just one room. It was a three bedroom "condo."

This was the view from the balcony. Not surprising, the beach was of little interest to us, as it’s nothing new. What was of interest were the pools! We went swimming three times. Luckily they keep the water very, very warm, because it’s outdoors and, at least while we were there, there was a nasty wind coming off the ocean.

I am writing this from the store across the street from us, which I am "watching" for the day. So Ali and I are chilling at Off Our Rocker. It’s too bad ya’ll are far away or you could come down and visit. Road trip anyone?