George

Spring!

2011-05-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

Just a few catch up photos while George is still an only child...for three more days :) Poor kiddo.

This is after fighting us about going to sleep. We finally let him just stay in his room and play. I found him sleeping upright at about 10 pm.

He has to say 'cheese' for every picture now. So silly.

First night in his new room AND in his actual real bed, not just a mattress on the floor.

Snacktime at the park.

Happy Third Birthday, George!!

2011-01-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

George turned three on Saturday.

I can hardly believe what a big boy he is becoming. His vocabulary is huge. He talks CONSTANTLY. Even in his sleep.

His well child appointment was yesterday, and he is 41" tall (97%) and 36 lbs (90%). He is healthy and happy, and still terrified of the doctor.

His favorite things right now are: Thomas the Tank Engine, Wall-E, Despicable Me, Richard Scarry, his trampoline, the playground (any playground), and WATERMELON. Believe me, watermelon deserves a mention because it's an obsession.

He's still a fruit and vegetable monster. Not such a big fan of meat, but boy, does this kid love his sweets.

We started a new class a few weeks ago that's kind of pre-school prep. We play, do crafts, have snack time, sing songs and play with the parachute. He LOVES the parachute, and singing Ring around the Rosie. And of course, snacktime. He always talks his teacher, Miss Tracy, into seconds.

George is an absolute joy! He keeps me busy, but I wouldn't trade his little boy energy for the world. It's hard to be mad at the little stinker when he flashes his grin gives me a big kiss!

Happy Birthday, kiddo! We love you to pieces!

Happy Holiday 2010!

2011-01-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

Our Holiday season was filled with family and fun!! George had a great time seeing all his cousins and extended family.

Fall 2010

2011-01-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

We had a busy fall...lots of harvest festivals. And also, a new cousin. Brian's sister Mandy and her husband Chris had a little girl October 6, Kadence Karen Maciver. Welcome, Kadence!!

And Then the Rest of the Summer!

2010-08-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, now I have MAJOR catch up to do. Oy.

I have a couple excuses. Really.

1) My computer crashed a while back. So that was scary. Luckily, Brian is a computer genius and saved the computer. And I had the wherewithal to back up my photos on an external hard drive, so I didn't lose any pictures. Thank goodness!

2) I am pregnant! We are due in May, and it's a girl. This pregnancy has been very different from George. I've been either sick or feeling off from the very beginning. Health wise, everything is fine and baby girl is looking good. So I'll roll with that.

So, here's the rest of the summer. I think we're going to have to go by season till I catch up.

The Rest of June

2010-08-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

Petting zoo in Forest Park up in Mukilteo.

Conversations with goats.

Trampoline with Daddy!

With Grandpa Gary and cousin Leanna.

Raspberry picking (mostly eating).

Future marathoner.

Wheelbarrow rides with Gigi.

Ack! It's Mid June. Let's Back Up To April?

2010-06-16T22:55:00.001-07:00

Ugh.

Catch up posts again. The last few months have been hectic. I traveled to Texas in April to meet up with some girlfriend, our family suffered the loss of Brian's mom, Karen, in May, which was heartbreaking, and then two weeks ago I flew to San Diego and participated in the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon (yes, I finished, and yes, I ran the whole thing). So, there's been lots of sad and some happy too. We're looking forward to summer around here. Whenever that happens.

So, I'm going to backpedal a bit.

George. George, George, George. The child, he a precocious one. He's talking up a storm. Some of the things he comes up with? Wow. His favorite sayings right now are 'I rest my case,' 'That's ENOUGH!', 'Ayudame!', which is 'help me' in Spanish.

He's very into music and dancing right now. If a commercial comes on tv with music, he say's 'Mommy, let's dance!' He especially likes dancing to his Yo Gabba Gabba cd.

What else...he's counting to 20, knows all his ABC's (we're learning lower case right now), and all his shapes. Even octagon. He knows a stop sign is an octagon and refers to his favorite cereal as 'stop sign' cereal, as it is octagon shaped. We're working on colors.

George is OBSESSED with Thomas the Tank Engine (and trains in general), and pretty much everything car/truck (especially garbage trucks for some reason) ...okay, anything with wheels. I picked up Cars and Trucks and Things that Go a couple weeks back and it is definitely his favorite book of the moment.

He loves to go to the park and the beach and just be outside in general. Which is hard when the weather is uncooperative, but we're hoping for some better days ahead!

And here are some shots from the last four months. Enjoy!

Bad Mommy: Post for March

2010-04-07T17:24:00.001-07:00

And here we go with a bunch of March photos:

George's first snapshot. Sure, I look horrid, but I'm so proud of him!

Chocolate ice cream. He has decided he likes it.

I mean he REALLY likes it!

With Braeden, my brother's girlfriend's son. They were zombied out after a busy day in Seattle.

Showing the WRONG way to go down a slide.

Mr. Crazy Hair.

New cousin Leanna Lynn, born on March 8.

And here's the correct way to go down the slide.

Exploring.

And rocking some shades.

All caught up for March! I hope I don't fall this behind again!

Bad Mommy: Post for February

2010-04-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ok. I haven't posted in OVER 2 months. Awful, awful. I've been trying to train for a 1/2 marathon and all the running has caused my brain to malfunction.

But, I will try to make it up to you. I am going to post a ton of pictures! Yay! Here we go:

At one of our local parks - Mommy helped him spell out one of her favorite words from the 80's!

Classic 'I'm not being naughty' pose. One of his favorite shows has a plant called 'Arthur' and he loves to say 'Mommy, Arthur's not growing!'

I would love to say that his hair is on purpose or from static, but not, that's just plain old hat head. This is at another local park we love.

Brian's friend Tom got George boxing gloves for his birthday. Super cute? Yes. Asking for trouble? Absolutely!

In the bath. George has decided that he will avoid eye contact with the camera whenever possible.
Cheesin'. George has decided to adopt a fake smile AND laugh. Which is pretty funny, really.

In the shed Brian built. We get to move all Brian's tools out of the garage, and hopefully, we will be turning the garage into a desperately needed family room.

Brian and my Dad working on the shed.

Reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I can't speak for George, but I really enjoyed it.

One of George's favorite pastimes is jumping on our bed. I probably shouldn't let him, but he has so much fun!

One reason why a nap wasn't in the cards...it's hard to fall asleep with your shirt stuck over your head.

Another park shot - this one has a fun skateboarding area that George likes to run around.

Hi, Shadow!

Catching his shadow.

After one of my training runs where I was able to wear a tank top in February! Where did that weather go? I miss it!

That's February, folks! Whew!

String Bean

2010-01-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

We went to the doctor today for George's well child visit. Everything looks great. The doctor was impressed with George's counting and alphabet skills. And the fact that he likes to read.

George is above 97th percentile (which is I guess off the charts?) height wise - he is 38 1/2 inches tall. And he's at the 75th percentile in weight, at 30 pounds 8 ounces. Which is just fine. At least he's gaining again!

On Saturday, we had some family over for a small birthday party. George had a great time. I made him a Diego cake, and we had Diego decorations and Mexican food - a fiesta! Even though I'm pretty sure Diego is South American (though for the life of me I couldn't find out which country!). Oh well. I guess a two year old doesn't know the difference!

Hopefully we'll get together with the rest of the family soon to celebrate George's, as well as a few of his cousin's, birthdays. I'm starting to wonder if he's going to think it's present time once a month! It's going to be tough come March ;) Poor, deprived child! I think he'll survive!

TWO!

2010-01-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Today, George turns TWO!

Wow. I can't believe how quickly time has flown.

George continues to grow like a weed and has new words everyday. He's putting sentences together now, and loves to read his books, Diego, dinosaurs and anything with wheels.

His two year old doctor appointment is on Monday - I will update with stats then...

Happy Birthday to my little boy! I can't wait to see what you'll learn next (as long as it's not how to climb out of your crib...).

Afternoon at the Park

2010-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we found a new park, a few miles from our house...

It was cold, so we bundled up.

Counting fish.

Such a big boy!

He loves the swings!

And the tunnel!

It was a good day!

Children's Museum!

2010-01-22T12:06:00.001-08:00

George and I went to the Seattle Children's Museum last week with his playgroup.

He had SO MUCH FUN!

Hanging out with Anneliese at Elmo's world.

Checking out his hand.

At Discovery Bay.

Little Jonah!

Playing the Organ organ.

George had a great time - we'll definitely be going back!

Christmas

2010-01-22T11:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my. I guess I'm playing catchup.

We had Christmas Eve at Gary and Shelley's (Brian's Dad and Step-Mom, and I forgot my camera that night...boo!), Christmas Day at our house, and Boxing Day up at my parents. Overall, it was a very lovely holiday. George definitely 'got' the whole present thing, but was pretty overwhelmed and wanted to stop and play with each gift. Which we should relish. I'm hoping he doesn't turn into one of the 'next present, please' kids!

Here are some shots:

George and Cousin Alli at my parents...

Hugs!

Opening presents with Gigi.

Testing out the new easel.

Opening presents!

The loot!

Thrilled.

Ditto...

Terrorizing the Christmas tree!

Mr. Mischief

2009-12-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

George appears to have entered the terrible two's early. He's got quite the naughty streak, and likes to test us. Good thing he's cute!

I think we'll keep him ;)

Kauai!

2009-12-17T20:25:00.001-08:00

Hello there! It's been a while!

We've been very busy... last month over Thanksgiving we were fortunate enough to visit Kauai with my parents.

George had a great time. We did too (the plane ride was a little - um - LONG with a toddler).

Here are some photos of George's adventures...enjoy!

Future boogie boarder with Papa.

With Papa and Gigi modelling his Hawaiian shirt.

Ahhh. Sand. This was before he got it into his mouth.

At a local playground with Daddy.

Wheeee!

Playing in the surf at Anini beach.

Beating on rocks with a stick at Shipwreck Beach...does it get any better?

Tuckered out.

Testing the water with Daddy.

Looking for the perfect place to dig.

On the putting green. He was obsessed with pulling the flags out of the holes.

Coloring - leave me alone!

In the pool with Daddy.
'
Family photo our last night there. Aloha!

Trains, Reindeer, Camels & Cousins

2009-11-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

The holiday launch for Brian's work was this weekend and we went down to Ballard with Brian's sister and brother-in-law, Julie and Ian, and their kids, Peter and Kaylei, to check it out.

George saw his first camel.

And some reindeer.

He was actually big enough to sit in the sleigh by himself this year.

But his favorite part? The wonderful model train...

And hanging out with Daddy, of course.

Halloween and Autumn Fun!

2009-11-09T19:27:00.001-08:00

A few shots from late October/early November...

George with Papa Dave.

At the fall festival at Daddy's work - he LOVED the hay maze.

And at the pumpkin patch as Tigger. What else could he have been? Bounce, bounce!

Twenty - One

2009-10-22T13:55:00.001-07:00

Our baby boy is twenty one months old!

He's eating with a big boy spoon, and has learned how to drink out of a juice box (and has also learned how to SAY juice box).

Here is is showing us an 0-plane (airplane) passing overhead.

And eating Omatoes fresh from the garden.

He loves wheelbarrow rides.

And Daddy's shoes.

We've got his Halloween costume all ready to go. Standby for Halloween pics...

Fall and Stuff

2009-10-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's October...how did that happen?

We've been crazy busy. As usual. George had a belated 18 month checkup last week. He weighed in at 26.5 pounds and is 35 1/2 inches tall. So still, 97th percentile in height but now down to 40th in weight. Now there is NO doubt who he takes after... Daddy!

Still talking up a storm. Putting words together in phrases, like "Close the gate," Dogs outside". And tonight, I sneezed and he said "Bless you." Awwwww.

So now, some photos:

George and I got some matching Chucks. Love them.

Last days of summer. George loves the sprinkler.

Happy with his "chipsies".

Constant motion.

And the mother of all bubble baths!

Happy Autumn everyone. Will be back with Halloween photos soon!

Super Late 19 Month Post - Whoops!

2009-09-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

So, George is actually probably closer to 20 months now. Whoops.

We've had a very busy summer!

George learned to slide...

He loved playing cars with Grandma Karen and cousin Kaylei...

He can wipe his face!

And he likes to help wipe others faces too (poor Annaliese) ...

His new favorite treat is black licorice...he calls it bis-bis. And this is what he looks like after a piece:

He inherited a sweet ride from cousins Peter and Kaylei. He loves this jeep!

We spent a lot of 'lazy' time in the backyard.

And passed out a lot in the car seat. This time, with a french fry hanging out of his mouth.

George continues to be super active, very verbal, and is learning to assert his independence. Which can be tiring for Mommy and Daddy, but it IS a good thing. We keep telling ourselves that at least!

For Gigi

2009-08-14T15:46:00.001-07:00

My Mom has been up in Alaska since late July, and is complaining that there are no new pictures...so, here are a few, and some video too.

Enjoy!

Sliding Like a Big Boy

Mirror at the playground.

More playground.

Mother of the year - lounging on dog, eating shoe, toys scattered everywhere, watching Dora.

Moody.

Learning to color.

Friends

2009-08-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

We've been going to Stroller Strides for about three or so months and have met some really great moms and kiddos.

Yesterday, there were only three of us in class.

At the end, we put the kids in the little car at the playground area for some photo ops.

From left: Lex, 18 months, Anneliese, 16 months, and George, 18 months

Visiting

2009-07-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

Brian was in Long Island this week so we spent a day up in Bellingham doing some visiting.

First up, my Grandma Kadee. We had a great time and George charged all around her garden. Unfortunately I didn't pick up my camera till right before we left and he had a meltdown. But still cute!

Next up, Rachel and Jason's to visit.

George got to know Miss Blakely a little better.

I don't think he was really strangling her, but it sure looks like it!

But we moved on to kisses.

George and Ally played in the pool.

It felt great to cool off!

After dinner, we headed home.

And George was out before we hit the freeway.

Eighteen Months

2009-07-25T11:07:00.001-07:00

George at one week old.

At six months.

At one year.

And a year and a half!

I can't believe it. Wow!

Brian asked me when we can stop telling people George's age in months. I think it's at two, but saying a year and a half is pretty easy too!

George is still picking up new vocabulary at a rapid pace. He's learning colors and is counting (with prompting) to ten. He does miss a few numbers here and there, but still, pretty good!

He's also starting to sing. He surprised me the other day by singing - Twinkle twinkle star. Up up up high. Diamond. Sky.

I was so excited!

George is obsessed with being outside, and will clasp his hands under his chin, look up with really big eyes and say 'outside?'. I think if we were in the yard all day, that would be fine with him. The weather has been incredible, so it's been great having a place for him to play in the backyard.

As far as food goes, he's still pretty adventurous, though some days all he will really eat are green beans (canned), avocados and berries. He is the only child I know who will start screaming for 'caddddoooooosssss' in the grocery store. Instead of cookies. But at least you can open a bag of cookies in the store to create some quiet...kind of harder with an avocado.

We're still not sleeping totally through the night. I'm sure if I really pushed it, he would, but since I'm not having to get up and go to work, getting up in the middle of the night isn't the end of the world.

George and I are still doing Stroller Strides a few times a week and really enjoying getting to know the other moms and babies. We're going to Woodland Park Zoo on Tuesday, so that will be a fun outing.

Still can't believe how big my baby is getting. Can I stop time for a little bit?

Life's A Beach (And A Spray Park)

2009-07-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Three different beaches in as many days. And one very tired, happy boy.

This is at Lake Ballinger in Edmonds. Fun little beach, but a little too much duck poop for my taste.

Jumping! Always.

I know I'm biased, but this is a pretty cute kid, no?

Venturing out into the water. And tripping.

Hanging out with Daddy.

Daddy even took him into the deep water, which was scary at first. Notice how he's clutching Brian's neck!

On Tuesday, George and I went out to Hansville to check on Aunt Julie and Uncle Ian's house while they're on vacation, and then got to go to their private neighborhood beach. It was wonderful! Lots to explore.

Mmmmm. Seaweed.

Loved the feel of the sand. It was nice and warm.

He kept on telling the waves to 'mere' (come here).

His first sand dollar. At first he thought it was a cookie and got a mouthful of sand.

He then decided it was a hat.

Running from mommy.

So many shells, so little time.

Yesterday, Gigi visited, and we made a trip out to a park in Mill Creek that has a really cool spray park. Unfortunately, it was broken.

But George had a good time anyway. Hop, hop!

We decided to make a run out to the beach in Edmonds, right by the ferry. It was great! Not too busy and lots of sand.

George claimed a stick and used it to grab seaweed.

And had a great time running up and down the beach with Gigi.

He's definitely a beach kid. Hope the weather holds and we can continue exploring all the wonderful beaches around here!

Lately

2009-07-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Just a few recent photos...enjoy!

Practicing his inbounds throw.

He discovered raspberries at Gigi's and is now addicted and can say 'berries'. More like whine berries.

Just a few more...

Charging around.

Naked water table fun.

Hey!!

Still wearing his food.

And quite proud of himself.

Little gardener.

In his play cube.

We've been out enjoying the sun and hope you all are doing the same!

Haircut

2009-07-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

George had a trim a few months back, but this is his first official haircut. We went to this precious little place in Bothell that only does kid's cuts. He had the choice between a blue airplane and a black convertible. He chose the convertible...it was closer to the television...and the toys.

Doing okay so far...

Doesn't like the water sprayed on his head. He said "It's Waining (Raining)."

When it came to trimming with the scissors, George did great. He loved this little dinosaur.

It roared. And George roared back.

Then things went terribly wrong. Note the clippers in the lower left of the photo.

So, after a pretty painless first few minutes, the haircut ended in waterworks. But doesn't he look handsome?

Don't worry. I bought him a treat afterwards at a toy store next door (how CONVENIENT for guilty parents).

Bad Mommy - Late Father's Day & 17 Months Update

2009-06-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Wow. June has been crazy. First, George and I took care of our friends Bethany and Alex's little boy, Eljas, who is four months. We had him during the day for two weeks. George adored him and had very little jealousy, which was great. I think he even learned to say Eljas (pronounced Ell-yes) but his version sounded more like 'lettuce'. He also learned to say 'baby'.

We did lots of visiting this month. We saw cousin Alli - and discovered George REALLY likes balloons.

We saw my friend Lisa and her little boy Finn. We went out to lunch and learned that leisurely, quiet lunches are most definitely a thing of the past!

We went to George's girlfriend :) Maria's first birthday party. She belongs to family friends Matthew and Jennifer.
George REALLY enjoyed his cupcake. And we had a good time playing on all their swings and slides.

Father's Day turned out absolutely beautiful and we had a barbecue at our house.

He is such a ham!

And already running away from Cousin Kaylei...

And best of all, hanging out with Daddy.

I can't believe George is seventeen months. Almost a year and a half...wow. We're in teething hell right now, but other than that, we're having a pretty fun summer, keeping VERY busy.

Water Table Fun!

2009-06-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

I stalked and finally found this water table I'd been wanting for George. I knew I was in trouble when it was featured on the Today Show. But I managed to find him one and he loves it! Here are a few outdoor shots from today.

Tuckered Out

2009-06-06T00:21:00.001-07:00

George had a busy week. We both did!

Last weekend Gigi came and spent the night and wore George right out. Thank goodness! I was able to get my garden planted and even started re-covering some outdoor chairs.

Wheeeee!

Starting last Monday, I am watching my girlfriend Bethany's little boy, Eljas. George decided he was a baby too and tried (unsuccessfully) to get back into his Bumbo seat.

Here's Eljas. What a cutie!

The boys hanging out. Yes, George looks homeless! Taking care of two kids is hard!

George outside at his pool enjoying the hot weather.

Yes, it's June, but reindeer antlers are ALWAYS fun during meals.

Sixteen Months!

2009-05-28T11:41:00.000-07:00

George had his belated 15 month checkup today. So in reality, its his 16 month checkup...but anyways... he is now 33 1/2 inches long and weighed in at 26 pounds. He's been tracking at the exact same percentile for quite some time now. Still at the top in height, and around 70% in weight.

He is now officially a climber, and I have a heart attack nearly everyday. We're trying to spend as much time as possible outdoors, he loves the backyard and anything that has to do with water. Brian is busy creating a dog free zone in the backyard to protect my vegetable garden and George from their digging, etc. , so when that's ready we're getting a wading pool.

His vocabulary is still increasing exponentially. He repeats everything. I have him saying 'handsome', which is ADORABLE. Also, awesome, soap, all done, up, down, glasses (sounds like gakkies), coffee, truck. So many. Literally a new word every day.

Here he is with Daddy, his favorite place, up on the shoulders.

Watching either Jack's Music Show or Blue's Clues.

Playing with his second cousin D.J. (26 months) at Great-Grandma Ruby's.

Having some lunch with Grandpa Gary.

Aunt Rachel treated him to his first popsicle from a real ice cream truck! What a mess!

And finally, 'helping' Daddy re-lay Grandma Ruby's patio.

That's all for now!

Arrggh.

2009-05-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

George was a pirate for his friend Ally's birthday party.

Here he is being shy. That didn't last long.

They had a fun blowup pool and slide at the party, which George LOVED. He was shaking and his teeth were chattering but he didn't want to get out.

Here's a photo of the MESS in George's mouth. Ouch. Hope this round of teething ends soon.

And this is what happens when Mama lets George have a chocolate breakfast cookie on the way back from Stroller Strides. Whoops.

Recently.

2009-05-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

We have had a few nice days, so outside we went!

George loves riding on his truck!

Pooped on Mother's Day!

And finally, I just started playing around with Picasa, and loved this shot. Watermelon is a recent favorite!

Catch Up

2009-05-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

I just realized I forgot to do a 15 month post - so here it is, belated and mostly in pictures!

George has a total of seven teeth, and about five more (including molars) trying to push through. He's drooling like a mastiff, SUPER DUPER cranky and is biting everything. Including me. So, we've been giving him Tylenol/Motrin, and it seems to help.

Here, you can kind of see the carnage in his mouth. Ouch!

If you click on the one below to enlarge, you'll notice the lovely drool string hanging from his chin!

George inherited some great toys from Cousins Peter and Kaylei's grandparents, Pete and Sue. Here he is on his bouncy horse. He has almost mastered getting on and off by himself.

YeeeeHaawwwww!

And the newest trick to give Mama a heart attack - climbing up on the fireplace. He seems mighty pleased with himself.

With Papa and his tractor.

Modeling Gigi's glasses.

Trying to eat a yam as large as his arm.

Tuckered out after a fun afternoon playing up at Papa and Gigi's before Papa left for Alaska.

And playing with Daddy in the toy corner. George's favorite part of the day!

George has several new words. Some of my favorites - six and eight (if you count to ten he says these two numbers in the correct place), donkey, ball, hippo, catten (kitten) and he's also stringing a few words together like 'Hi Daddy!' and 'Sadie, down!' He's a total sponge and we have to be very careful what we say around him!

He still loves to read, is getting better at throwing balls (and unfortunately, toys) , and absolutely loves playing outside.

We are also doing a mom's group called Stroller Strides, which is a workout with the kiddos at the mall five mornings a week (I try to go two or three). It's a lot of fun for the kids (and the moms too). And the workout is great!

We're hoping to start swimming lessons soon, there is a great pool about fifteen minutes away that we're going to try.

So that's about it for now, I'm sure there's more but I don't want to ramble too much!

Best Buds

2009-04-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

We spent this afternoon in the yard and George learned how to throw the ball for the dogs. They were so good, very gentle.

Walk for Babies

2009-04-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

George and I participated in the March of Dimes Walk for Babies today. What a great cause! We were able to raise $410 in only four days. Thanks to everyone who sponsored us!

It was raining when we left the house, but cleared up just in time.

We had a great time with lots of other moms and babies. I'm on the right, not looking at the camera, and George looks like the stroller is eating him.

Plus, George got to see his girlfriend Annaliese. She shared her crackers with him (if you call sharing him grabbing them away from her).

Thanks Melissa (Annaliese's mommy) for the photos, hers turned out much better than mine!

Feels Like Summer!

2009-04-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

George taught himself how to drink out of the hose yesterday.

He also learned how to dump entire buckets of water on himself. He didn't seem to mind the icy cold water.

It was so nice to have some sun yesterday. Today, it's about 20 degrees cooler. Oh well. Hoping for more sunny days soon!

Randoms

2009-04-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

Happy after nap.

Hanging in the tub - his favorite place.

This does not bode well...

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-04-19T23:59:00.001-07:00

For Brian's birthday we went to the Woodland Park Zoo.

George got a special new present...a harness. He does not like to be held for more than a minute, and gets restless in the stroller. He is too fast now for us to chase, so we gave in. It is pretty cute, it's a monkey.

George wasn't really interested in the caged animals. He seemed to be more interested in the ones on the loose - aka - the other children.

Here's George, Daddy, and the monkey backpack checking out a real monkey.

Eventually he finally gave in and enjoyed his stroller ride.

What a great day!

Happy Easter! Late, of course!

2009-04-13T11:12:00.001-07:00

With Papa and his new LOUD police car...

First egg hunt. Inside.

In his Easter outfit. He does not like the hat!

Spring Has Finally Arrived? Please?

2009-04-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

It was gorgeous today! G and I headed to our favorite park.

He loves the swings and says 'Wheeeee!'

Here we are at the ampitheater in the park. He started singing his rendition of 'ABC' while feeling the letters. Smarty!

Today was his first venture into the tube in the playground. He loved it.

Though he looks a little bit like a bubble boy here.

Weekend at Papa & Gigi's

2009-04-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

George and I headed up to Demingham last weekend - I had a dinner with some friends on Friday night and a baby shower on Saturday. So Papa and Gigi got in some good George time! Especially since he's starting to boycott naps. Boooo!

Here's G soaking up the sun and charging around.

Gigi's gonna get you!

George has a fascination with all wheels. Here he is helping Papa 'fix' the RV tire.

Dinnertime. Notice Gigi picking up the thrown food in the background.

Whirling Dervish

2009-04-02T11:24:00.001-07:00

Just looking at these pictures makes me tired!

New Cousin (Cous-dog, That Is)

2009-04-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

My brother got a new puppy last week - his name is Lenny. Another dog for George to torture!

Blueberries

2009-04-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

George loves blueberries. But I don't care for the mess! Wow!

Fourteen Months

2009-03-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

George was 14 months old yesterday. He's had a huge jump in vocabulary in the last month - he now can say car, duck, baa baa (sheep), doggie (goggie), kitty kitty kitty(while chasing the cat), ticky ticky ticky (tickle), tummy, nose, juice, no (of course!), ohhh noooo, book, ball, Papa, bonk ... and probably others I'm forgetting at the moment. He's like a little sponge, we really have to watch what we say around him!

He's also walking much better, definitely testing himself and gearing up for running.

And he's very attached to his sippy cups now. We usually let him have one with water at all times.

Here he is on the truck he got from Papa and Gigi for Christmas. He used it as a walker for a while, now he's figuring out he can ride it.

Here he is a few minutes later, all tuckered out and ready for bed. He's a busy, busy boy, but when he crashes, he's done for.

Sunny and Cold

2009-03-17T20:32:00.001-07:00

We went to the park today - it was pretty cold and windy, but we couldn't let the sunny day go by without getting outside.

George cruised around the basketball court,

and took a few spills.

The dirt doesn't taste nearly as good as it looks.

Sliding like a big boy!

With Papa last Sunday. Same coat. That coat used to be mine, then my brothers. We're big into hand me downs in this family!

Randoms

2009-03-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

George meets blueberry muffin.

Thirty seconds later my car alarm was going off.

Naked baby (edited)!

First pickle.

Vegging in front of the tv with his water bottle collection.

New Friend

2009-03-05T11:28:00.001-08:00

We finally had a playdate with our friends Chris and Melissa's little girl Anneliese. She'll be one this month and is a little doll!
George did really well, and seems to be getting better at being gentle. We let the kiddos play for a while then went out for a nice long walk/stroller ride. Good for us mommies too!

Thanks Aunt Kellie!

2009-02-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to get some photos of George in his wonderful Christmas sweater from my Aunt Kellie - before he outgrows it!

It even has built in mittens. He's not too sure about them!

Thanks again Aunt Kellie! You make me want to learn to knit...almost;)

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-02-26T19:52:00.001-08:00

I decided George needs to start earning his keep around here, so I put him to work on my resume.

Afternoon in the Park

2009-02-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

Since I'm no longer working, George and I have taken the opportunity to spend more time at the local park. Here are a few shots from the other day. (quick thanks to Aunt Kellie for the adorable hat!)

"Fixing" the stroller

Look at me!

Mmmmm. Bark.

Little bookworm.

Joy!

Thirteen Month Update

2009-02-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

And here we are at 13 months. I can hardly keep up!
George had his year check up a few days ago (late, I know). He is now 32 1/2 inches long (96th percentile) and 25 pounds (70th percentile). He's definitely stretching out!
His walking is getting more steady (and fast) each day. He now changes direction easily and is starting to pay attention to what is on the ground in front of him rather than just tripping.
Recently, George has become a little more picky about food - mostly that he wants to feed himself - so we're exploring all kinds of finger foods. The one exception is yogurt - he will gladly let us feed him that. But other than that, the kid would happily live on avocados, bananas and cheerios. Could be worse, I suppose!
George's vocabulary seems to expand daily. He's now saying book, duckie, car, Daddeeee, boot, bonk (when he falls down), no (of course) and oh nooooo! He's also able to point at your nose, eye, and mouth on command, but beware - he likes to jab and poke rather than just point!
And finally, George has slept completely through the night the last few nights. I'm not celebrating yet, but am very hopeful!

Houston, We Have a Walker

2009-02-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

Brian and I have been debating for a couple of weeks whether or not George was a walker. Well, last night he answered our question and took off around the house. He still walks like a little drunken sailor, but his speed increases with each try. He's only had one major spill, but I'm sure we have many yet to come.

PS. George's shirt is another 27 year old hand me down - from my brother.

Doggie Torture

2009-02-09T22:45:00.000-08:00

We are very lucky to have tolerant dogs.

Someone Hose This Child Off!

2009-02-09T22:38:00.001-08:00

George is learning to eat with flatware (toddler sized of course).

Yogurt & bananas...a favorite.

I'm done, Mom.

First spaghetti...

The italian facial.

Bathtime!

First Haircut

2009-02-07T17:31:00.000-08:00

It was painful, but we decided the mullet had to go. My great friend Shar graciously cut George's hair right before I had my appointment last week. He was not very cooperative, but she managed to get the back and sides trimmed. As you can see, it was a 3 person job...thanks, Shar!

Party!

2009-01-29T10:14:00.000-08:00

We had a birthday party for George on Sunday, kept it small but still felt very crowded in our small house. I'm so glad we split it up and celebrated with the rest of the family earlier this month! George did ok, despite refusing to nap longer than an hour all day. Here are some photos:

Checking out his banner.

Playing with Cousin Alli

Reading a book with Grandpa Gary.

Cousin Alli cheesin' for the camera - what a little doll!

As Promised....CAAAAAKE!

2009-01-23T17:09:00.000-08:00

Well, cupcake actually. HE didn't eat much of it (I think the sweetness was a little shocking) but he sure made a mess!

Happy Birthday Mister George!

2009-01-22T15:44:00.001-08:00

It is truly unbelievable to me that George has already been with us a year...that we have been parents for a year! Sometimes we feel like we're still new at this!

George woke up today at 7:00 (thank goodness - he was making a habit out of getting up at 3:30 or 4:00 am for the last week or so) with a smile on his face. His cold seems to be all but gone and he has two more teeth that have officially cut (that puts us at 6 teeth).

Today marked what I feel is George's first official tantrum. He was trying to get into the fireplace and I pulled him away - and he screamed and yelled at the top of his lungs. I was trying not to laugh, but it was pretty funny. I'm sure the humor will wear off quickly! We no longer have a baby...we have a toddler.

A few weeks ago George really took to crawling, and it seemed to slow his learning to walk. But, over the last few days, he's been taking steps between Brian and me, about 6-7 at a time. Boy, he sure is proud of himself! He's hit his noggin on the floor a few times, but is now putting is hands out to catch himself rather than go headfirst. I was getting worried!

George has decided he much prefers to feed himself, but hasn't mastered a spoon, so we're trying out all kinds of finger foods. He loves rotisserie chicken, chunks of avocado, cooked macaroni noodles, peas and waffles. He tried cut up blueberries the other day and they went over well. I also made the mistake of giving him a little cookie and I can already tell the poor kid has my sweet tooth!

We celebrated a little early with Brian's mom's side a few weeks ago (see the cousins in the pen photo below) and we're having a very low key birthday party on Sunday for everyone else. I don't want to overwhelm him, so no magician, bouncy house and ball pit (this year at least). But I promise cake smashing photos later!

Thank you to all who follow this blog - please keep reading and I'll keep writing!

Still Sick. Boo!

2009-01-19T13:10:00.001-08:00

Again, sorry for the lag in posts. We've been working on getting George healthy. First the flu, then some weird rash/fever/cough thing that he's just finishing up. It hasn't been fun and I'm anxious for him to feel better again. I'll hopefully get a more interesting birthday (gulp!gasp!) post up later this week.

Here are a few recent photos:

Chilling in the exersaucer. Boy, have we gotten our money's worth out of this thing. The 'neglect chair'. I kid, I kid.

George and cousins at our belated Christmas gathering. Snug, huh? I can't believe they all crammed in the play area. Sorry for the red eye, I STILL don't have the program to remove it. So, they're just going to have to look possessed.

Damron Holiday 2008

2009-01-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

I would feel bad about not getting a post up about George's 11 month birthday, 1st Christmas and 1st New Years until now, but it's been an eventful couple of weeks. So I'll start from the top.

George turned 11 months old on the 22nd. I can't believe he'll be one soon, it's hard to believe! He's chattering up a storm now, though none of it is decipherable - we think 'ga' is dog. And he says dada and mama as well. He now has four (almost five) teeth and he loves to bite with them - anything from toys to the soft part of your arm - ouch! He is pulling up and cruising along furniture and will take a few steps from person to person. He does crawl now, but is not crazy about crawling on hardwoods (too hard and slippery), so hasn't had much practice at our house.

He's started to put things back together rather than just destroying - he has some stacking cups that he's figured out how to nest, which is pretty cool. It's fun watching him figure stuff out.

Now to Christmas - I think it was pretty wild for a lot of people this year with the snow and ice. I ended up working from home from the 17th of December till the 29th. Up until Christmas, George and I got out of the house twice. I was going a LITTLE crazy. On Christmas Eve we packed up and made the trip up to my parents house in Bellingham, which was surprisingly easy once we got out of Lynnwood. We had a nice Christmas Eve and at parents and George was up bright and early to open gifts...well he was up anyway. He needed a little assistance with opening packages, but was pretty into ripping the paper.

Here he is with his first Tonka! He is a little more interested in eating the paper...

Here he is waiting patiently for Daddy to get his Noah's Ark out. It has about 20 pieces and they were all attached to the packaging. Next year were taking all the toys out of the packaging BEFORE wrapping them up!

A couple of shots of all the snow at my parents - it was up to Carl's chest!

We had a nice breakfast with the Green side of the family on Christmas morning then came home and had a nice quiet Christmas evening at our house.

Then all heck broke loose (a little dramatic, but it sure felt like it!). On the 26th I woke up in the middle of the night throwing up. My first thought was that I'd just overindulged on Christmas. But after about 4 hours I wasn't feeling better so my next thought was food poisoning. Brian had to go to work so I spent the day laying on the floor in George's play area while he played and used me as a jungle gym. Then he got up from his afternoon nap and didn't look so hot. Shortly thereafter he started throwing up. That lasted about 5 hours. We had a rough night but the next day both George and I were feeling much better. But for some reason his fever persisted. On Sunday afternoon he got up from his nap and was just lethargic, and that really freaked me out. Plus Brian said he had caught him near some paperclips earlier in the day and we were worried he might have swallowed one. I tried to take him to the walk in clinic but they were closed so we ended up at the ER. Brian had to be at work for inventory prep but luckily my mom was down here and went with us. We spent about 3 hours in the ER (luckily not in the waiting room, we were admitted right away) and ended up with instructions to feed him motrin and tylenol. And he got his first x-ray (nothing there, whew!). By the time the motrin kicked in, we were waiting to be discharged and George was laughing and happily shrieking. Nice! Oh well, they might think I'm a crazy mama, but we had peace of mind. I did snap a photo...

On Tuesday morning, Brian ended up getting sick, so we knew at that point it wasn't food poisoning. On Wednesday I decided to take George into see his pediatrician because he STILL had a fever and just wasn't himself. We ended up with a bottle of antibiotics and he's definitely feeling better now. Still a little temp, but he's back to playing and smiling now, which is a huge relief.

So, that's our holiday adventure! We're banking on a HEALTHY new year and wish the same for everyone else!

Snow Day

2008-12-18T19:20:00.001-08:00

Brian and I were both home from work today and after George's afternoon nap, we bundled up and went outside. We have about 4-5 inches of snow.

He took a little tumble,

and came up smiling.

He looks just like the kid in 'A Christmas Story' in his snowsuit...he could hardly put his arms down with all the layers. We had a laugh at his expense, he doesn't look too amused.

Cold nose, ready to go in. We warmed up by the fire and had a nice cozy afternoon in. Great day!

Mood Swings

2008-12-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

Happy George....

Annoyed George (thanks for the mohawk, mom)...

Naughty George (he's either going for the computer or the coffee)...

'I've had enough' George.

Say Cheese

2008-12-12T22:07:00.001-08:00

We had family photos done about a month ago. The photographer, James Taylor, is a guy I went to high school with, and he did a great job. He's super talented, and also very patient! Here are some of my favorites...

Publish Post

Week in Review

2008-12-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

I was in a Real Estate Finance course all last week, so Brian stepped up and took care of George for the entire week. They had a great time, and I think Brian was pretty exhausted by the end of it. He's a trooper!

While I was gone, George and Daddy went to Babies R Us looking for some entertainment and came home with a walker. George is too tall for it already, but likes to stand in it and use it for balance. And then he runs! He chases the dogs into corners. It's pretty hilarious.

Here he has chased our cat Bridget under a chair. I can't get over how her eyes are glowing. Scary!

Tooth Watch '08 continues. I know it seems my kid always has a dirty face, but mealtime is the only time I can get him to smile wide and hold still long enough to get a good shot. His bottom teeth are pretty much in and the top aren't far behind. And he's a biter!

Finally, baby bath torture. He looks really distressed, right? I love the bubble beard. He's really into dunking his face in the bath these days.

That's all for now. Happy Monday everyone!

Cuteness!

2008-12-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

Here's George and his (second) cousin Alli, who is 3 months younger. They are going to absolutely terrorize each other, I can just tell! She's already trying to get away from him. Come back here!

Standing Around...

2008-11-29T18:30:00.000-08:00

All George wants to do is stand these days. And he is pulling up on everything. Even in the bathtub, which is scary!

He discovered the coffee table has lots of fun stuff to grab the other day.

He's even figured out tippy toes to get those hard to reach items...

All he will do in the baby cage is stand. He is also getting frustrated with confinement as seen below (check out the top teeth!).

Finally, I walked into the nursery the other day and lo and behold, he's learned to pull up and stand in the crib...

and bounce. He's catching some air below - check out the crazy hair!

Milestones

2008-11-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

Almost crawling...

Teeth are really coming in...

and he pulled up all by himself this morning!

Reindeer and Playdates

2008-11-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Natalie, one of my college roommates, brought her little girls Kylee (almost 4) and Catelyn (8 1/2 months) over to meet George and visit. It was great to get the kiddos together. Poor Catelyn was a little taken aback by George's style of play - rough. Yeah, we need to work on 'gentle'.

After they left, George and I went down to Brian's work to see the reindeer and the toy Christmas train. We also checked out the Koi pond while we were there. George had a blast and everyone loved his antlers!

Chompers

2008-11-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

George had his 9(1/2) month well child visit on Thursday. He now weighs 23 lbs 4 oz (80th percentile) and is 31 inches tall (99th percentile). So apparently he is taking after Daddy - long and lean!
The doctor was going through his usual battery of questions and asked if George had any teeth. I said, no, none. So the doctor stuck his finger in George's mouth and said 'Actually, he has two." Oh. What an observant mommy! I really don't know how I missed that! If you look closely at the photo below, you can see two little pearly whites in the bottom gums. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we didn't even notice his teething!

Clap Your Hands!

2008-11-12T14:11:00.001-08:00

Last week George started clapping his hands. We're not sure where he learned it, but he's very proud of himself and will perform on command.

You may also notice George's new play area. Well, actually it's a pen, or a baby cage (as I like to call it). It's nice, bright colors, and plays music. His favorite part is the fact that he can hold onto it and stand up, then chew on the top rail. Mmmm!

Finally, George is modelling a 27 year old shirt. His flannel once belonged to his Uncle Ryan. Love the hand-me-downs!

Tupperware!

2008-11-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

Every kid loves a tupperware cupboard. George has his own up at Gigi's house, and he sure knows how to make a mess!

Belated 9 Month Update

2008-10-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

George turned 9 months old last week. He's developing such a funny personality. A few highlights from the month:

- He is now 'fake' laughing. It's really funny - I can hear him chuckling to himself sometimes when I'm out of the room. I'm sure he's just practicing his voice. It kind of sounds like 'heh heh heh.'

- New foods this month are beef, broccoli and brown rice (all pureed, still no teeth!). Cheerios too, and also some pumpkin pie - a fistful of Aunt Rachel's - at Grandpa Gary and Grandma Shelley's.

- He is obsessed with the dogs and they love him too. Especially at mealtime - Sadie camps out under his chair.

- He is officially sleeping in his own bed, almost through the night. Hallelujah! We're ALL sleeping much better.

- Still no crawling, but he can hold himself up on the coffee table and is starting to cruise on the furniture. I'm thinking we're going directly to walking.

- I thought 9 months was a little young for temper tantrums but I was wrong. He's pretty adamant when he wants something.

There's more but it's past my bedtime! He continues to amaze us everyday and we just adore him!

I'll Give You One Guess Who Dressed Me...

2008-10-27T22:34:00.001-07:00

DADDY!

Monkey!

2008-10-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend George and I were lucky enough to go over to Brian's Aunt Diane and Uncle Daryl's to take some pre-Halloween pictures. Uncle Daryl grows some pretty huge pumpkins and George had fun checking them out, and he was very entertained by his second cousins, D.J., Avery and Ethan.

George is too tall for his monkey costume, thus the expanse of white socks...

Minnie - Avery. Turkey (Gobble Gobble) - D.J.
Fireman - Ethan. Monkey - George.

George loved this little push wagon. He stood up like a big boy.

D.J. decided he wanted a ride in the wagon. George was more interested in his curls!

Destructo

2008-10-19T08:56:00.001-07:00

Destructo is George's newest nickname. He has decided its great fun to take apart his alphabet mat and chew any paper he can get his hands on into little drooly bits. If he can do this much damage stationary, he's going to be a little tornado mobile!

George's Big Weekend

2008-10-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a busy one!

We are lucky enough to live close to a really nice park and late Friday afternoon, George and I took a walk over to get some fresh air. George had a nice little snooze in the stroller, and then we played on the swings awhile. He doesn't look too thrilled...

The next morning, George and I took the Amtrak up to Bellingham. Daddy dropped us off at the station in Edmonds and Gigi picked us up in Bellingham. George did great - he actually napped for about an hour of the trip.

George had a great time at Gigi and Papa's. He hung out in the yard while Gigi was gardening and found something she was doing pretty funny, he couldn't stop laughing

Gigi also gave George an apple from one of their trees. Love the face.
Playtime with Papa!

George got lots of cuddles - it was a fun weekend!

Anticipation...

2008-10-10T12:35:00.001-07:00

This kid sure loves his baths!

Splish, splash!

Self Feeding and Sleeping Through the Night?

2008-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

George has slept with us since birth. We didn't plan it that way, but between exhaustion and not being able to resist a cuddly baby, it just kind of happened.

Well, last Friday, our cousin-in-law Jeanette dropped off a bunch of hand-me-downs and amongst all the great clothes (thanks Jeanette!) was a book by the 'Sleep Lady'. I've read LOTS of sleep books, and nothing had worked yet. But for some reason the method sounded do-able. Anyway, last Saturday, George slept in his crib by himself for the first time at night. He woke up a few times, but overall, not bad. And then, on Tuesday night, he went to bed fairly easily at 7 pm and didn't make a peep until 6am. I'm still kind of in shock. Now we just have to get him to sleep till 7 am at least!

George is also learning to self feed. He's been making heinous messes out of biter biscuits (they turn into cement when mixed with baby saliva) and is even using his thumb and forefinger (pincer grasp) to pick up little pieces of baby cereal.

This is what he looks like after said biscuits:

Super messy hands!

And here he is with the cereal...not quite making his mouth every time!

Checking out his first pumpkin...

And being a handsome little man!

Baby Feet

2008-10-09T17:00:00.001-07:00

For some reason I find baby feet, socks and shoes irresistable.

Here are photos of George modelling some orange crocs. Sixty seconds later they were off and now enjoy a second life as a favorite teether.

Here We Go...

2008-09-25T17:59:00.001-07:00

George is already proving to be quite the ladies man. Here he is with Maria, who belongs to family friends Matthew and Jennifer.

How sweet, a kiss on her hand...

And then he goes straight to the toes. This kid wastes no time!
I cannot wait to pull this out when they're 13.

8 Month Update

2008-09-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Our big boy turned 8 months on Monday. Some of things he's done over the last month?

- He sits totally unassisted and does not like to be propped up by anything. He also scootches on his behind and will "barrel roll" from a sitting position to get to things he wants.

- He does not crawl (yet) but can get pretty much anywhere he wants by doing the worm on his stomach or pushing himself around by digging in his heels when he's on his back

-He's got quite the temper! He's started yelling and screeching when he doesn't get what he wants. Lovely! We are both trying to let him know that the yelling isn't okay. Usually a firm "George, no" will get his attention. For a few minutes.

-He's belly laughing, which is just the best! Daddy gets the best belly laughs by tossing George's red ball in the air. Not sure why that's funny? But it sure is cute.

- George is officially a carnivore. He had homemade chicken, carrot and sweet potato puree a few days ago and loved it. I tried it too and it was yummy.

- Clingy-ness is setting in. He can play independently, which is great, but when he wants to be held, that's it. He will not allow himself to be put down at all.

- His favorite toys are oldies and goodies - hand me downs from his 10-year-old and 6-year-old cousins Peter and Kaylei - a little tykes banjo and a rotary telephone toy. Plus, he is really loving his blocks and his stacking ring toy. Anything he can bang together and make noise with.

- He's figured out the sippy cup. Finally.

- He's still completely toothless!

There's definitely more but I think I've covered the highlights. He's quite the sweet little man!

A Tisket, a Tasket...

2008-09-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's Georgie in a basket! I actually took these photos about a month or so ago but neglected to download. I can't believe he put up with being inside the basket - but he loved it. Funny kid!

Some September Stuff

2008-09-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

George is officially in 12 month clothes these days. Here he is modelling some new jammies with non-skid feet. I believe those are intended for children who WALK.

He's already exhibiting decidedly male tendencies. Exhibit A, above. He is obsessed with the remote control. We realize that if we buy him a toy remote control he will not be interested. It's the real thing or nothing!

Last Sunday was the first game of the Hawks season. Yes, it was sad, but at least George looked 110% 12th man in his sweet new Hawks gear.

He has finally decided his Johnny-Jump-Up is fun. He especially likes it attached at the front door around 3 pm when the big yellow school bus pulls up and drops off the neighborhood kids.

This week George tried cantaloupe and plum. I put the cantaloupe in these nifty little mesh bags with handles and he chews away. They're great for teething and making sure he doesn't chew off chunks of fruit. One of those things I wish I would have invented!

Lastly, George has two new favorite games. "Mommy or Daddy Fetch" and "Dump out the Bucket of Blocks." I'm a little nervous for when he becomes mobile. I'm sure our house will be strewn with all sorts of toys. I better enjoy the stationary-ness while it lasts!

George's World

2008-09-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

This week George got a new toy - good old wooden blocks. He's learning the pincer grasp and has figured out how to grab them - and then they go straight to his mouth!

Baby feet - doesn't get much cuter!

George loves his doggies and he definitely knows their names now - if you ask "Where's Sadie" or "Where's Carl", he'll look directly at the correct dog.

Lastly, George tried two unusual foods this week (at least I think so, for a baby) - avacado and tofu. He loved both. Hopefully he'll keep his adventurous palate as he grows.

Weekend Fun

2008-08-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Here's what the little man got up to over the weekend...

George can finally rock the mohawk! Woot woot!

He has definitely outgrown his swing...but he still loves it.

Mama and G killing time on the ferry to Kingston.

With Grandma Karen and Cousin Kaylei at Kaylei and Mikayla's birthday party. He did pretty well considering what a full house it was! Happy Birthday Kayeli and Mikayla!

Whoosh! Seven Months!

2008-08-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow George will be seven months old!

Every day he is learning something new. He's pretty much mastered sitting up on his own. He tires out, but his balance is getting better and he can catch and straighten himself up when he starts to fall.

We continue to try new food. This week we tried yams (thumbs up) and green beans (not so much). He's the blowing raspberries master and has discovered that blowing raspberries + a mouthful of food = a fun mess!

The dogs and cats have become much more interesting to George. He talks at them when they come in and we are trying to teach him gentle petting - rather than grabbing a fistful of fur!

We think George's first word may be 'ba ba'. This refers to anything he wants in his mouth. We're pretty sure we hear 'mama' as well, but it's only when he's really tired and is looking for a cuddle.

Sippy Cup

2008-08-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

George is learning how to use a sippy cup. He KIND of gets it, but really finds it more useful for banging and throwing. Plus, he's not to sure what to think of the water I fill it with.

Like a Weed...

2008-08-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was George's belated six month well baby exam. Everything looks great! He's 21 lbs 2 oz (90th percentile) and 28 1/2 inches (95th). And even better news, no more shots till 1 year! Woo hoo! Right now we're pushing the Tylenol, it really helps between the teething and the shot crankiness.
George now has five foods he's tried (well, besides milk): peas, sweet potato, butternut squash, carrots and rice cereal. We're trying for a new food every four days. The peas (surprisingly) and the butternut seem to be the favorites so far. I'm still making his baby food, which has been pretty easy so far.
Last week in Chelan we noticed he's kind of inchworming along when placed on his tummy. His arms aren't working in unison with the legs yet, but I have a feeling he'll be army crawling soon - yikes! Time to baby proof!

Chelan

2008-08-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

Last week we had our first vacation - to Chelan. George got to try out his big boy carseat. He did really well on the drive over and didn't really get fussy till the last half hour or so.

George went swimming with Daddy - in a pool. The lake was WAY too cold.

After the swimming he was tuckered out!

George had a great time with his new bud, my cousin Austin. He also got to hang out with a bunch of other relatives and was never without someone to hold and entertain him.

It was a great time, we look forward to next year when we'll all be chasing George around!

Busy Baby!

2008-07-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

I was in the kitchen making coffee the other morning, and I heard maniacal baby laughter coming from our extra room. I walked in to this:

George was practicing peek-a-boo...he was pretty pleased with himself.

Last Thursday, George got to meet his Grandpa Gary and Aunt Rachel at a family bbq.

Here is George's 'Are You Kidding Me?' face. Mommy gets this from Daddy all the time...or is it the other way around?

He can't stay serious too long!

Happy Monday everyone!

Six Months Old!

2008-07-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Hasn't grown much, has he!? He's obviously also developing a penchant for flipping the bird...he gets that from his daddy ;)

Six months ago I was at Overlake Hospital, completely exhausted, getting the news that after 12 hours of labor, we were headed into surgery for an emergency c-section. Brian and I were scared but excited to meet our long awaited child. George arrived at 12:56 pm, screaming and peeing. We were thrilled!

George has developed quite a personality. He has learned how to grab and has quite the grip, especially on hair. He also throws his left arm around with abandon. So he's a pincher and a hitter!

George loves to be sung to. Current favorites are 'On Top of Spaghetti' and 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame.' He also enjoys spending time in his exersaucer outside while he watches the dogs. He's learned to blow raspberries and is making all kinds of sounds. And bath time is still a favorite - just start singing 'Rubber Duckie' and he gets all sorts of excited!

We haven't had his 6 month appointment yet, so we're unsure of his stats right now, but last time I took him on the scale he was 21 pounds. He's outgrown his infant car seat and the new big boy car seat is due to arrive in the mail this week.

These past six months have absolutely flown by. Pardon the cliche, but where does the time go?

New Tricks

2008-07-20T21:00:00.001-07:00

George is learning new things everyday. Lately we've been practicing sitting.

Here he is in the tripod position....

Steady...steady...

...and we're down for the count.
George has also discovered he can chew on his feet. Yummy!
Today, George tried his first vegetable. I made some carrot puree.
At first he wasn't sure...

...but in the end, he gobbled it all up.

Busy Weekend!

2008-07-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was jam packed with activity. On Friday afternoon, George and I drove up to Bellingham to spend the night at my parents house. They live on five acres, so George and I spent a good amount of time outside walking around the property and exploring.

He is very tactile right now and this poppy must have been fun to grab!

Checking out his feet...

Rachel and Ally came to visit on Saturday morning. Ally still isn't sure about George...look at that face!

This is my cousin Amelia...

and my cousin Megan. I used to babysit them when they were George's age! They're quite the little ladies now. We saw them at my Great Aunt and Uncle's 60th anniversary party. George was very popular and was passed around for a few hours. He did great, and spent a lot of time chewing on the rattle you see pictured. Thanks to all my family who played with George and gave me time to eat and socialize!

Here's our happy little guy! He is so much fun and we just love him to bits!

When Georgie met Alli...Part II

2008-07-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

George has two Ally/i's in his life...Ally Cecka, the daughter of our friends Rachel and Jason, and Alli Lee, who belongs to my cousin Jason and his wife Carrie. We got together for dinner last night with Jason and Carrie and the little ones got a chance to interact. It was pretty darn cute! George was very interested in little Alli, and she was very chatty and adorable. We were commenting that Christmas this year will be pretty interesting with two either mobile or nearly mobile kiddos!
(Note: Sorry for the red eye...I have yet to install Photoshop onto this computer! Possessed babies!)

George Likes: Daddy Time - George Hates: The Food Processor

2008-07-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

George has begun to explode into giggles every time Daddy plays with him. It's pretty cute. They have a great time together, it'll be interesting to see how they conspire against me as George gets older.

On a completely different note, I have discovered that George is terrified of the food processor. I'm guessing it's that screaming noise it makes. Anyhow, I was in the middle of making pizza crust (for the pizza Andrea recommended on her blog...it's very good!) and couldn't really stop, so major crocodile tears ensued. Poor little guy. It was sad but I could not stop laughing. Bad mama!

Sun - Woo Hoo!

2008-06-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

It was absolutely gorgeous today. George - heavily coated in sunscreen and donning a big floppy hat - and I took to the backyard. George hung out in his exersaucer whilst I threw the ball for our crazy dogs. We spent a good half hour outside - which is pretty good considering how short George's attention span is! Then it was back inside for a nap for George and work for me. We're definitely looking forward to some nice hot weather this weekend!

George is Five Months Old!

2008-06-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

George turned five months on the 22nd. He's growing so fast I think it tires him out - he has recently started falling asleep in his play gym. He's still enjoying eating solids, we tried out banana as well as rice cereal. He loves both and yells if you don't feed him fast enough. I'm trying to teach him patience and how to eat slowly...though I don't know how much you can teach an infant about patience! As you can see, he's nearly outgrown his carseat. It's for up to 22 pounds or 30 inches. He'll definitely graduate to a different seat this summer. George continues to surprise us with something each day...can't wait to see what he'll do next!