Got a cupcake in the oven!: Life gets busy!

Yes, it's been 8 months since I've last blogged about my little Snuggle Butt Cupcake. Days, weeks, and months go by so fast now. I'm not doing as much volunteering as I did last year (the S.M.A.R.T program through local elementary schools or Assistant Coaching with Girls on the Run, though I'm hoping to be a Running Buddy this year for the practice 5k and final 5k), still working full-time and doing my small cupcake business on the side. I've also heavily gotten into running, did a half marathon (13.1 miles) in May at the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon in Portland and again in Seattle on November 25th at the Seattle Half Marathon and am now currently in week 4 of a 5-month training plan for a full marathon (26.2 miles) on my beloved Whidbey Island (April 14th, 2013). Aaaaand I've gotten into trapeze/aerial (high-flying trapeze in Seattle every few months, low flying trapeze and aerial silks, aerial conditioning, circuit training here in Portland about 1-3 times a week). I'm definitely staying busy chasing after Ayla 3 1/2 days a week. She is a CLIMBER and into everything! She is non-stop, inquisitive, funny, loud, sweet, and sassy. I've never been so in love with anyone (including Johnny Depp).

It's hard to remember what all we've done in the last 8 months.... there was her 1 year birthday party (at Greenway Park, it was a beautiful day and we had a lot of friends and family members show up to celebrate), going up to Whidbey Island in June for my first year doing Relay for Life with my "island family", another trip to Whidbey in September (just me and Ayla), her first black eye, more teeth, some hair (FINALLY), working on the words 'mama', 'dada', and 'baby' (she understands when you talk to her, but besides those words, she does a lot of pointing and sounds), learning to sign the word 'more', sleeping through the night, saying goodbye to our sweet puppy dog, Macchiato (diagnosed with aggressive bone cancer in June, giving him final kisses in August)... and probably about a bajillion other things.
Just for reference, she's just past a year and a half now (20 months) and still wearing some 12, but mostly 18, month clothes (she's still tiny!).
So here are a bunch of pictures and the hopes that I'll keep up on blogging about once a month (or anything major at least)... maybe. ;)

Baby CC and Pogo, hanging out

Ayla and Dawson at the Oregon Zoo

The "in-laws"--Aaron, Omi, and Icen at CC's 1st birthday

Icen and Cupcake, bundled up on a stroller walk

Gotta stay warm on those cold days!

Ayla, Kirsten, and Chris, Whidbey Island Relay for Life 2012

Ayla reading to Pogo

Chris reading to the babies

Mama and Cupcake, Mother's Day Event 2012

Celebrating Ayla's birthday at the Tulip Festival 2012
with Pogo and Macchiato. Exactly 1 year earlier, I was in labor with her at this same farm!

Superheroes Blood Donor event, April 2012. Celebrating Macchiato being a canine blood donor
through DoveLewis Emergency Hospital. We had been at this event one year prior, when CC was
2 days old!