the fordice family

Portland CityFest this WEEKEND!!

2008-08-18T21:10:00.001-07:00

Envision the largest party you've ever attended. Multiply attendance by 100 or even 1,000. That, my friend, is a Palau festival. These events have taken place around the world. And now one's coming to our own backyard…

Portland CityFest with Luis Palau features each of the following, so there's somethingfor everyone. It's one party you don't want to miss!

For more info visit: http://www.portlandcityfest.com/

Hope to see you there!!!

chuncky monkey celebrated his first year of LIFE

2008-08-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

48 family and friends (i know... a bit out of control) crammed into our garage this weekend to celebrate Carter's first birthday! We are overwhelmed sometimes when we think of all the friends the Lord has blessed us with. Thank you to all our family and friends who came to celebrate with us! It has been an amazing year!

Love to all our friends and family around the world who celebrated with us from afar!!!

His first slide ride at the BIG paaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrtaaaaaa!

Post party celebration... forget presents... all he wanted was balloons!

All the Fordice counsins

he demolished the cupcake in 10 seconds flat_______

2008 Cali vaca

2008-07-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Auntie Pater & Auntie Court

Grandpa Pate and Carter eating watermelon

Jay's favorite new game: Rock Band. We got to stay with Andres and Cristina Ichaso. We can't wait to meet Tiago in September!!

Mom's favorite

Our cali hottie.... Carter had NO fear of the water. He'd dunk himself in the salt water again and again, ate sand and now has a nice golden farmer's tan!!

the fam at Ventura Beach

the month of may came and went

2008-06-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

Carter is almost ten months old, which seems crazy to think we are only two months shy of celebrating his 1st Birthday! Carter took his first steps two weeks ago and is communicating a ton. We have caught him in the back seat laughing hysterically... we have no idea what has been so funny!

My brother, his girlfriend, Krisiti, and Nanna came to visit on Mother's Day weekend! We had a blast showing them around Portland. It was a great way to celebrate my first Mother's Day!

We had to show you "Spike"! It's our bathtime tradition!

New lands to conquer

2008-04-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Carter's second trip to Seattle. We found out we were prego with Carter in Seattle, December 2006!!!

We drove up to Seattle for the day to see Ashley, Fran, Anna and Nick. So much fun! Miss you Ash!

Our new favorite picture of Carter. Oh, he is just a doll!

Can't stop kissing those chunky cheeks!

I love my puma pants Uncle Richard. Carter is now crawling and climbing all over the place. His little mind is going 100 mph as he discovers his new life of mobility.

Conner, Carter, Jackson and Mack! All these cute boys were in their first commercial together for the nonprofit, Twinkle Toes!

Spring Fever

2008-03-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Carter is now a few days shy of 8 months. His first tooth came in at 2:30am today.... he wasn't to happy with life but for the most part he is a smiling, laughing, and squeeling little boy.

Carter got to try out his NEW (and first) swimming trunks at gramdma and grandpa's indoor pool at the beach house. He loved posing for his picture but wasn't too sure what he thought of the water.

I eat everything in sight...

2008-02-13T22:59:00.001-08:00

My new nick name is Chunky Monkey!! Carter really isn't chunky... yet. But we were excited that we finally are on the charts for weight gain. He loves his food, well at least wearing his food!

I just can't get enough of those brown eyes!

Carter has discoverd his toes and will do just about any kind of acrobatic move to get to them!

I heart YOU!!

2008-02-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

Carter got hit by cupid a little early this year! One night we called grandma and grandpa last minute to babysit. While we were out for sushi grandma and grandpa thought it would be funny to put a heart tatoo on Carter's butt. We cracked up so much we had to share it with all of you for Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Sittin Pretty

2008-01-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

Carter is almost 6 months old and sittin pretty all by himself! He's smiling and laughing all the time. Anything can set him off and the giggles just keep coming!
We started solids at 5 months old and Carter just loved the rice cereal! This is his first meal!

I just had to take pictures of Carter wearing his first pair of Nike's.

Parent Job Description

2008-01-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is hysterical. If it had been presented this way, I don't believe any of us would have done it!!!!

POSITION :

Mom, Mommy, Mama, MaDad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop:

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in anoften chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.

Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Meeting Santa for the first time!!

2007-12-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

California Trip

2007-12-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Rick and Uncle Richard
Great Grandpa Pete

Where did my new friend Oscar go?

Pete and RE-Pete

2007-11-23T21:52:00.001-08:00

Like father, like son! Little Carter and Little Jay.

Can you tell which is which?

Galoshen it up this fall!

2007-11-18T21:43:00.000-08:00

He cannot talk. He cannot walk. BUT he has galoshes!! Carter is pretending to stand on his own but daddy couldn't help show off his overalls. They're WAY to big for him, but not long enough!

"Grandma has to mend all my pants because I am a skinny boy!
Thanks Grandma!"

Trick or Treat...

2007-11-01T10:34:00.001-07:00

We love our lil' pea in the pod!
The fordice cousins at grandma and grandpa's.

Carter's 11 weeks old!!

2007-10-24T23:11:00.001-07:00

Carter is mesmerized by his Baby Praise DVD and loves his baby elephant!

He caught daddy taking a picture of him!

Daddy brought Carter home his very own Argentine Soccer Jersey!

Carter makes us laugh all the time! He is such an easy going baby. He loves to stand up (not on his own), and to talk to us by making his funny high pitched squils. He laughs at himself when he sees himself in the mirror. We just laugh our heads off! We couldn't be more blessed with such a wonderful son.

Our lil Sweet Pea in the Pod

2007-10-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Just look at what my parents do to me!!!

Happy Halloween!!

Our lil Old man

2007-10-10T22:18:00.001-07:00

Honestly... can he get any cuter? With Carter's receding hair line, little baby wrinkles, and baby grunts, he couldn't be a cuter lil old man!

seven weeks and counting...

2007-09-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Scrub - a - dub - dub...

Grandpa's 60th Birtday Party

Carter and cousin Abby

The Fordice cousins:

Ellie, Cami, Carter, Abby, Ruby, Hailey, Maisie, and Emma

Carter's first vacation at Cannon Beach, Oregon

the little guy is growing

2007-09-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

the king has arrived....

2007-08-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

Carter Andrew Fordice

Arrived: August 4th at 1:38pm
Weight: 7 lbs, 10 oz.
Length: 20 inches
Status: The cutest kid you ever did see!

well....

2007-07-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

Carter has 2 hours and 13 minutes to arrive before his due date is over. After that, he's grounded. We're not messing around any more.

Okay, maybe we'll cut him some slack. After all, he's young. But seriously, how long do you have to wait to get this show on the road?

Michele is doing well, and we have plenty to keep us busy (Friends on DVD), so it's not like we're in dire straits. But we are ready to meet this little guy, and Michele is ready to see her toes again.

Carter was pounding on Michele's tummy this evening. Grandma Marnie and Great-Grandpa Mel we're there to witness it.

We think he was pounding to get out. Or he was shaking his fists in defiance - "Heck, no. I won't go!" We're praying it wasn't the latter.

There's not much more we can do than grab a good book, a bottle of hot sauce, and wait.

We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. After that, we'll know more ... hopefully.

the waiting game continues

2007-07-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

No, nothing yet....

Little Carter is still keeping us guessing. Michele had a doctor's appointment today. Not much progress (1.5 cm dilated, 80% effaced).

It was actually a relief for us. With the anticipation that little Carter could come any day, it makes it somewhat hard to focus on anything else. (Everytime I got a phone call yesterday I was sure it was Michele saying she was going into labor.)

Sure, the little guy could still come at any time, but it seems for the next few days the pressure is off.

So, that's the word. Sorry it's not very exciting. Carter has decided to chill out for a while and give us a few more nights of somewhat uninterupted sleep. (We're very much appreciative.) And Michele is doing great, so there's really nothing to complain or worry about.

Just hanging out, waiting.

We'll keep you posted. And just figure for now, no news is ... well ... no news.

calling in the troops

2007-07-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome Pater!

No, we're not in labor. (At least I'm not. I haven't checked with Michele in the last few minutes.) And no, we didn't rename the little guy Pater.

Pater is Michele's friend Sarah (Pate) Garcia who arrived in Portland today!

We thought it would be great to have Sarah come up for the next few days -- helping Michele get ready, having some fun, and just relaxing until the Big Day. Sarah is hoping Carter decides to make a break for it on Monday. (That works best into her schedule.) We'll see what we can do.

Until then, there are only so many walls you can paint, rooms you can clean, and projects you can finish. (I must say, our fridge looks extremely clean and our pantry is quite orderly.)

Keep praying, and stay posted.

mama mia

2007-07-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a friend told us about a mexican restaurant in town that guarantees their food will put a woman into labor. (I'm assuming they are only referring to pregnant women.)

I guess they have a wall that each woman signs -- a testament to the legend.

We didn't get the name of the place, and didn't hear if the food was any good. (I guess it doesn't matter when you get to that point.) We might have to look into it if little Carter holds on any longer.

Some have also been saying that earlier pictures of Michele don't do the tummy justice. (They shouldn't. Carter has grown since then!) Nevertheless, we felt the need to give you an update -- a visual reminder of the tummy that is Carter.

(Let me just take this time to say how stinkin' cute my wife is!)

We're not quite sure how much more the little guy can grow, but as of today, he's hunkering down.

Keep checking in. It can't be much longer. Can it???

counting down the days (your friends are waiting)

2007-07-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

Officially, we have 12 more days.

Mentally? Well ... mentally, I'm not sure if we're ready or not. We think Carter is ready (or at least that is how we are interpretting his nightly jumping jacks). But we won't know for sure until he makes a move for freedom.

Michele had her 38 week appointment today.

The update: 1 cm dilated, 60% effaced.

We're in the home stretch! So this weekend, it's an all out, last ditch effort to get ready for this NEW ADVENTURE! (How do you change a diaper again? I think I need a refresher course!)

Hurry up, Carter. Your room is ready and your friends are waiting.

the waiting game

2007-07-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

Sure, the due date is still weeks away - 21 days to be exact. But we're ready now!

Carter, feel free to come at any time.

The room is finally put together ... for the most part. We made our friend Nathan help lug the exercise equipment downstairs and the crib upstairs. I felt kind of bad. We enticed him with food and then put him to work. (That's probably the last time he agrees to come over for dinner.) But hey, we got some good work out of him. (Thanks, Nathan.)

Our doctor's appointment last Thrusday was a weird one. The quick version: Baby is healthy, in position, and - in the doctor's terms - "Wow, you have a big baby." She said that right as she walked out the door.

As you can imagine, we had some unanswered questions.

It turns out, although Michele is at 36 weeks she is measuring at 38.5 weeks. So really, Carter could come at anytime. Michele is really hoping he comes sooner rather than later. (Not that we really have much to say about that.)

It seems babies are showing up all around us. Our friends Heidi and Brian just gave birth to cute little Gabriel. My brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Megan, just welcomed Ruby Grace to the family. And friends Eric and Ashley received beautiful Audrey on the 4th of July. Needless to say, our lives are pretty baby focused at the moment. I can't imagine holding one of these cute little guys and knowing he's our own.

Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Keep praying that Carter Andrew Fordice arrives healthy and happy - and that mom and dad are ready for this new stage in life.

Is anyone ever fully ready for this?

last night of birthing classes

2007-06-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

That's right! Tonight was the last night of our wonderful, beloved, exciting birthing classes. Now we finally know how to breathe. (We were having trouble there for a while.)

As much fun as it has been, I think we've seen more than our fair share of birthing videos. Miracle for sure. But not something to watch for fun every Friday night.

So now that we (Michele more importantly) are certified baby birthers, we're ready to go.

Bring it on!

jay's fascination with trucks

2007-06-25T23:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't always loved trucks. But now - with a boy on the way - I think they're the coolest thing.

A friend gave me a book today. Well, it's more for Carter, but I get to enjoy it as well. The title - My Big Truck Book. And seriously, it's awesome. Bulldozers, fire trucks, excavators, snow plows - It's as if I'm re-living my childhood, and Carter isn't even here yet.

As if overnight, I'm into all things kid! Trucks, dinasours, lions, tiger, and bears - oh yeah! And don't even get me started on motorcycles.

Can this guy get here already so I don't feel like such a dork reading these books by myself?!

fresh paint and new furniture

2007-06-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

The never ending projects continue in preparation for baby Carter, but we're getting closer and we're seeing the end.

To date - the crib is finished, the room is painted, and the changing table is built.

But ...

The crib is in the garage, the exercise equipment is in the baby's room, the futon is blocking the hall, and I'm sure I saw that car seat around here somewhere.

How much time do we have until Carter gets here?

mommy and daddy at the coast

2007-06-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

five weeks and counting...

2007-06-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

Carter keeps growing!

It's crazy to think our littly guy will be here in just five weeks. Mommy doesn't think he can grow much more!

Last weekend we took Carter (in his mommy's tummy) to the Oregon Coast -- Father's Day at Cannon Beach! The rain came, but we still had fun with Grandma and Grandpa Fordice, Uncle Mark, Aunt Jessica, and cousins Cami, Hailey, Ellie, and Maisie.

Keep praying and stay posted!

carter's first portrait

2007-05-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Your first glimpse of the cutest boy ever!

carter fun facts

2007-05-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Andrew is Michele's grandfather's name.
Mommy has been craving chinese food -- can't get enough!
Carter likes to shake his groove thing around 6:30AM.
7 cousins -- Cami, Abby, Hailey, Ellie, Emma, Maisie & Ruby (still growing inside mommy) will welcome Carter on July 30th!
Carter has been to California, Tennesee & Florida ... he likes Oregon the best!
Daddy hopes that Carter will have Mommy's brown eyes.
Mommy hopes that Carter will have Daddy's lil nose and ears.

the beginning

2007-05-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

Hello Family and Friends,

We bring you this site so you can join us in welcoming Carter Andrew Fordice!

More pics to come!

michele & jay