Littleman

summer? wow!

2010-08-30T12:06:00.001-07:00

wow i just looked at this and realized that I had not posted anything since the end of April! Guess that's a partial clue of just how busy this summer has been. Dave and I parted ways in June while Jonah and I traveled to New Hampshire for a much needed rest after school, Dave rode his bike across the whole state of Washington- from our house in Olympia to his mom's house in Spokane. He had a lovely long trip and made it with the help of his brother Nate on a couple of days driving support- lots of fishing, camping and seeing the countryside :). Jonah and I had an adventure in Boston for a couple of days before heading up to NH. We rode on a duck boat tour which was cut short by a very violent intense thunder storm- his first. It was a little scary but he did really well. We spent a nice long week with my folks in NH- hiking, playing with a lot of my old toys, throwing balls for Denali (the lab), and visited my Gramma who just turned 95 years old. I will endeavor to post some photos of these adventures asap.

I returned at the end of June and completed 6 credits of electives for school. Really glad that is over- the classes were great but I think summer is better left for other activities than school.

August has been a mix of work and play- a couple of quick trips to the beach in Westport for surfing, some camping, I caught my first ever fish on a fly rod!, crabbing and fishing in the Sound with our little boat (which Jonah ADORES!) ripping off our front porch in preparation for a new one, painting our back deck, and more.

Jonah is doing really well at 'school' and will be moving up a class in fall...instead of being a "skunkling" he will now be a "frog." We are bringing home all kinds of fun artwork from daycare, and they are keeping the kiddos busy with sprinklers, art projects, stories and songs. Jonah loves to read books before bed now and is particularly enamored with both boats and trucks (which he calls boats too!). In the morning when we leave he often walks out and says "Hi boat" to the boat in our carport and "Bye bye boat" when we drive away. He is talking and trying to talk a lot more- now saying yes and no in response to questions, bus, boat, dog, meow, moo (and pointing to cows) moon (which is his dear copy of good night moon book), and lots more. He is also actively playing on his own now- making motor sounds for his toy boats and airplanes and perhaps my most favorite of all now- learning to jump.

Will add some photos and videos to this soon- stay tuned! We are getting ready to take summer vacation next week to Spokane and then Bozeman Mt so more pics to follow!

Lots of Love, Em and Dave and Jonah

Ages

2010-04-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

I know I know...its been ages but back by popular demand is Jonah! now 16 months! A couple of new videos showcasing a new bubble blowing talent for starters....he actually said the word bubble several times this morning too! Then we read the bottle and it turns out he isn't supposed to play with it til he is over 4 and definitely shouldn't get it in his mouth so that was that!

He is learning to express himself more and more each day. We wonder sometimes if he will just wake up one morning and say Im hungry mom or something of the like! His vocabulary at this point is a mix of sign language (more, eat, all done, drink) and words (mama, dada, uh-oh, whoa, dog or og and now bubble! it sounds sometimes like he can also say what's this? I don't know, do it and Nonah (while pointing to himself). We are thrilled and look forward to watching him continue to figure out more words. He has also figured out that he LOVES to 'drive'- taking our keys and playing in both the car and truck. He has figured out far to quickly which key goes in which ignition even! so smart.

We also took him to his second country (aside from Canada) in March for a family adventure in Costa Rica. Though it was really hot he did great- learning to love everything water. He was jumping (into our arms) in the pool, swimming in the ocean and even figured out how to turn on the hose where we were staying and would drink out of it and pour it over himself...happy as a clam- will include some pictures. We stayed a lovely house in the area of Nosara which is on the West side of the country on the Nicoya Peninsula. Here is a link to our friends house which is rented out throughout the year: http://www.iicostarica.com/. Jonah was really a good traveler on the trip! We made his bed at night by throwing a towel over a boogie board and padding all the sides with pillows- he seemed perfectly happy with it! We hope to be back before too long!

Before we went on our trip Jonah also travelled with me to South Carolina for a work conference on Hilton Head Island! He and his gramma had many lovely adventures on the beach and in the swimming pool. Thanks Gramma for coming down to help out!

We also visited Uncle Nate and Uncle Tim and Jonahs other Gramma at Mt Baker before our trip for a weekend which was great. We stayed at a house the boys rented in Glacier, WA and Dave and I even got to go skiing together one day while Jonah hung at home. I think I have some more photos somewhere of Jonah walking Maggie the dog....

Life is going by very quickly for me while in school and working. Jonah is doing well at daycare and seems to enjoy his new friends! He also came with us on a class field trip (and Dave too) to a great state park in central Washington called Sun Lakes State Park- there is one photo of him here that is very studious- with my journal and pencil in each hand ready to go!

This weekend I think we are going to take him out in the boat (a 16 ft aluminum skiff)- Dave has been very busy getting all the necessary equipment together and we hope to go out with our crab pot on Sunday. Will be sure to post pics. Gotta find the little guy a life jacket first too.

Lots of love and sorry for the time lapse! Emily

Boy oh boy

2010-02-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Its been ages since I have written I know I know probably something to do with the whole new mom, grad student, working thing but that hasn't slowed Jonah down ANY! He is moving now- almost running, babbling up a storm and as his Dad said last night - usually 3 or 4 feet off the ground climbing something whenever you turn your back. He is starting to learn so much- imitating me putting on shoes, climbing up and getting his feet forward and pushing himself down the slide, turning on and off lights, walking up and down stairs- you name it and he wants to try it. All of this running around has him looking a little lanky - I swear last week it seems like he grew another inch. Still have 7 teeth and probably more to come soon.

Starting in March Jonah will be heading to daycare at the campus childcare center where I am in school. He is going to be in the "skunkling" room and we are all really excited and ok a little bit sad too- big steps! In any case so far when we have visited he takes a few minutes to warm up then is into all the new toys and had a great time playing with his new friends outside last week. I used to work at this daycare about ten years ago - it is remodeled and a bit larger now but a good caring place where I think he will grow and learn lots!

A few recent photos and videos (thanks to our new FLIP video camera which is awesome!)

Birthday!

2010-01-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

One more post- before school starts! ha- these are photos from Jonah's birthday party which we did the weekend before we left for New Hampshire- we had almost 25 people crammed in our little house luckily many of them were little and we all had a great time. I made a pumpkin apple cake with tofu frosting since Jonah can't have any dairy products which actually went over pretty well. He received lots of wonderful gifts from folks and seemed to enjoy all of the company. What a difference a year makes- it was neat to remember back to the major snowstorm which was about to hit Olympia, and just how ready I was not to be pregnant anymore. Amazing! Happy Birthday to our most curious, adorable boy!

New Hampshire

2010-01-03T17:36:00.001-08:00

It was lovely to be home for the holidays. Jonah did really pretty well on the plane rides and we managed to dodge two major storms - phew! We had a lovely time cross country skiing all over my parents property (sometimes with Jonah) and took the little guy sledding for his first time - he didn't even know it though because he was sleeping. It was great to also visit with my grandmother who this year turned 94- so wonderful to have so many generations together. We ate like royalty and thoroughly relaxed- tomorrow off again to work and Tuesday school begins but until then- happy holidays to all!

Jonah discovered that he loves to eat pickles and popcorn much to our surprise and he looks absolutely adorable I think in his santa suit which he wore on the big day- thanks Gramms for sending that one along! The top picture of Jonah was taken after his very first bite of shrimp cocktail- is there anything he wont eat? I have yet to find it.

Beach time

2010-01-02T21:20:00.000-08:00

A quick little video from our trip to the beach today and a promise to post lots of pictures from our trip to New Hampshire soon- we arrived home last night and had the most wonderful time- missing home and family a lot now! It was so great to be there for almost two weeks. Lots of love!

Merry Merry

2009-12-25T13:28:00.000-08:00

A couple of snapshots from Jonah's elfin suit! Will post more pics soon from our NH trip and the littlemans first birthday! Lots of Love to all of you XOXOXOX

My first turkey! and steps!

2009-12-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

Its true Jonah took three little steps all by himself the other night in the kitchen- and has repeated them a couple more times. He still prefers to use fingers or his fav. new walker toy or tride and true crawling to get around but we know walking is not far off! He is definitely getting into all kinds of things- in the kitchen and all over the house. Not much is safe that is within his reach- he is laughin in his stroller holding my cell phone which is now his phone because he broke it last week :)

We had a great Thanksgiving in Spokane with Dave's family. We spent the day skiing with his Dad and brothers while Jonah hung at home with Gramma cooking turkey- they did a great job and we had a delicious dinner...Jonah really liked the turkey and the turkey soup that came a day or so later too! We also visited Dave's aunt and uncle for dessert on Thanksgiving night- Jonah could not get enough of opening their beer/soda cooler!

It has been really clear and cold around here though wonderfully sunny- we have been getting out a little bit for some walks but I bundle Jonah up about as much as possible- yesterday we went for a run and the poor guy could barely get his arms down once I had put on two coats! He snoozed the whole way.

We can't wait for his birthday party on Saturday-wow! Then his real birthday on the 18th and travels to New Hampshire soon after for Chirstmas- yea :)

With lots of love,
Em, Dave and Jonah

Wowser

2009-11-23T17:45:00.000-08:00

Not quite sure where the last month went to- all of sudden its nearly Thanksgiving and a certain someone's birthday is quite soon indeed. Perhaps the month dissolved into a frenzy of grad school, work, and last and certainly least the flu for the last week...oh and then there was the missing camera too- in any case things are starting to right themselves around here and the little man is well cute as ever! see for yourself and happy thanksgiving to all! Hope we get to connect with a lot of you over the holidays and if not we send lots of hugs!

Em, Dave and Jonah

A few shots from halloweeen at the bottom including one of his now favorite moves climbing up on the couch (don't ya just love climbing octopuses!) and some cute ones from just the last few days after we found our missing camera...this morning he was eating toast with me in the kitchen up on the counter and last night working with Dad who was fixing up his bike...in the very top one on the couch he had stolen daves apple and was eating the whole thing with his 6 little teeth...I can't believe how big he is already!

10 months old already

2009-10-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Wow- time seems to be moving forward lately at a rapid rate! This last weekend we celebrated J's 10 month birthday. He now has 6 teeth- 4 on top and two on the bottom and just last night spent one of his first ever entire nights in his crib- and he is back there now which gives me a moment to write! He is definitely busy and getting all around the house- he stands for periods of time without holding onto anything and has take a couple of steps forward to reach out and grab something else- so cool to see but as his gramma said we'll spend the first year waiting for him to walk then the next years asking him to sit down :). He is cruising around on pretty much anything that he can though even when we are trying to get clothes or diapers on him!

We have been pretty busy lately with work and school...the weather has turned for the most part (today it happens to be raining sideways and blowing down our leaves!) but there are some sunny breaks too. Yesterday I was trying to pack us up to go the library story time when I realized I had forgotten something inside. I ran back in to grab it leaving Jonah playing with his stroller on the back porch and when I came back- I swear it only was about 45 seconds he was down 4 steps and crawling across the lawn! He also has started to bite onto his spoon when you are feeding him and then flip it up and down (i did my best to capture it!)...he is eating lots of foods - this morning we had blueberry oatmeal...but is able to eat a lot of what we are eating now which is great.

Cant wait to see family soon for the holidays!

End of Summertime...

2009-09-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well it really does feel like fall around here- we have been having a nice Indian Summer stretch though which has been great. Jonah is exploring and growing everyday...Last weekend I met my good friend Jen at the Pt Defiance Zoo and and Aquarium which is in Tacoma- we reallly couldnt have had a better day for it as Mt Rainier was out, the sun was shining and we were overlooking the water...Jonah seemed to enjoy the zoo- we all agreed though that the walrus's were our favorite! A few shots of the big guy at the playground today- it was my first official day off from work - I am going to be working 70% for the next little while so that I can have time for beginning my Masters of Environmental Studies degree at Evergreen and spend a little more time home during the week since my classes are at night. So far so good - though it has only been one day! Please ignore my 'mom voice' in the playground movie- I guess I cant help it! It does show a bit of well he is getting around though...

Jonah's new ride

2009-09-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

I lucked out last weekend- after cruising yard sales all summer and Dave looking on craigislist I managed to pull up behind just the right car dropping stuff off at goodwill and was given a childrens bike trailer for free! We are very excited and have take the little guy out for a couple of shorter rides so far but hope to continue to do more- Dave calls it his new grocery- getter! A couple of shots (we didnt even plan the color coordination!) So far Jonah seems to like but not so much the wearing of his helmet...we'll keep working on it! A couple of cute shots from the other afternoon too- he is really getting around and into lots of things...including a new fascination with the baseboard heaters, the toilet paper roll in the bathroom, the freezer door, the stove, and all cabinets! He is keeping us busy. Love to everyone!

Fall...

2009-09-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Dave and his brother Tim went off an a great fishing trip to the Elwha River on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula...after a ten mile hike in to camp they spent the day on Sunday catching some very pretty fish in a gorgeous spot- this river is slated to have the two damns that are on its lower reaches removed within the next year or two...its been a long process for the area but will only add to the fish! Some great shots- and they even saw black bear

Jonah and I had the weekend to ourselves...a little work, a lot of yard work, some jogging and good fortune! At goodwill yesterday while i was dropping some things off I was given a bike trailer which is brand new that he can ride in- pretty excited to try that out. Also some shots from the backyard this afternoon- our dogwood tree is starting to lose some leaves... meaning its my favorite time of year again~!

Also a couple of WET pictures from our visit to the Grove of the Patriarchs in Mt Rainier National Park last weekend- as you can tell it was pouring but the trees were tremendous! In other news Jonah's two top front teeth have popped through his gums and are slowly making their way into his little grin :)

Babytime

2009-09-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here are quite a few shots from Jonah's first baby play date- we had a few buddies over (Johnny who is a little over 13 months, Saryn who is a little over 14 months and Olivia who is 4 months! + Anya (Saryn's big sis) who is 5- what a great helper! Anyhow, we spent the afternoon both playing at home and the park that is close by to our house which is pretty great for toddler types as it has a squishy /rubbery floor and smaller play equipment. We also had a surprise visit from Dave's cousin Amy and her little girl Paisley the other night which was really fun- she is about two months younger then Jonah and very adorable! Jonah was more then happy to let her use his big toy as he has been happier pulling himself up and standing on the outside edge for a while now! And one shot of Dad and his buddy reading a bedtime story :-).

Growing and going places!

2009-08-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

Jonah is amazing us each and every day- he is crawling now lots of places and starting to cruise- pulling himself up and now sitting back down (last week the only way he could sit back down seemed to be to fall which wasn't too happy!). He is also clapping a lot, by himself and with others and sometimes adorably, with his own face. He is also eating really well lots of food- last night we went out for japanese food and he was really fussy in his stroller. He had already eaten so I hadn't bothered to put him in a high chair with us, but he was WAY happier sitting up and eating with us- he ate about a 1/4 cup of tofu and miso soup broth- who knew! No sushi for him yet :).

Last weekend we took him on his first backpacking trip on the Washington Coast. We had the rare clear warm weather which makes this wild place really lovely. We got a late start on Friday after setting up a shuttle of vehicles (we hiked north from one car to another then drove back around). He unfortunately got a cold which wasn't much fun (and in turn both Dad and I got that cold too) but in all it was a very successful trip! Our good friends Greg and Kate came which was great fun and a big help as they helped carry some of our extra items. Jonah was very busy at night 'sleeping' out under the stars with his mom and dad- a lot of new stuff to process! We saw lots of wildlife including 4 river otters playing in the ocean, many bald eagles, herons, pelicans, kingfishers, sandpipers and more plus an adorable little doe and fawn. It was a long but very rewarding trip- we covered about 20 miles from Friday night- Sunday and got home on Sunday night at midnight! We are all still recovering from our colds this week...

Who knew he would like the disco ball?

2009-08-10T12:25:00.001-07:00

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Over the weekend we went to Port Townsend for our good friends Jora and Marks wedding- it was a blast but definitely a long weekend too...I was a little worried that Jonah wouldnt last too long at the reception but he surprised us all by being quite the dancer! My friend Chelsea danced with him for quite a while and the pictures pretty well say how much he liked it! He loved looking at the disco ball on the ceiling and got a real kick out of watching Dad dance- he couldnt stop giggling! So cute. A couple pics from the ceremony which was at Fort Worden State Park overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca- very beautiful spot and very sweet ceremony! A good time had by all...

Sunday at home

2009-08-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

It felt really nice today to not go anywhere all day long- it was also really nice out which made me feel slightly guilty but I got over it! It seems like life has been going by very quickly as of late and it was nice to just relax after a busy and fun weekend. Here are some pics from around the house- garden and flower shots mostly as it was pretty hot and sunny to have our pale little baby out there but it did cool off this evening anyways. I am really in love with our passion flower vine off the back deck- I think it likes the HOT weather we have had...and it seems like the bee population is alive and well in our artichokes! It has been a while since I have given the garden much (ok any) love or water for that matter but somehow it has perservered and we had our first little ripe tomato tonight and I also harvested garlic and cauliflower and broccoli...

The photo of the three of us is from a wedding we attended here in Olympia on Saturday - as is the picture of Jonah with his 'Granny Jake' - she helps us with babysitting a few days a month...Jonah is eating solids with the best of 'em now- today he had butternut squash and a tiny bit of salmon for the first time- seemed to like both! He is also getting pretty good at taking sips from a real cup and using his sippy cup.

He is seemingly more wriggly by the day- pulling himself up on anything he can get near enough too and scooting pretty quick across the floor at least to chase the kitty- who is very patient :) That is Maple kitty under the chair.

New Hampshire!

2009-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Jonah and I took our first cross country trip without Dad a couple of weeks ago...When I landed I called Dave and told him I didn't know why I ever doubted that he would be great on the flights because indeed he was. He was quite charming (and quite squirmy!) to the folks all around us and we made it no problem. Dave had a very busy 10 days while we were gone with a couple of big events for work and a trip to Salt Lake City for a week for the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show.

We re-united on Saturday (after a longer, and a bit more squirmy flight) back across the country. It had been since Jonah was 6 weeks old since we had visited my parents, brother and sister in law, Gramma and friends...what a difference a few months makes in baby world...We had a few 'firsts' even on the trip- Jonah pulled himself up to standing without assistance and started to gobble up 'solid' food! From sweet potatoes to bananas to oatmeal to carrots and apple pear sauces... he is proving to be a good little eater! We had a wonderful time hanging with friends and family and celebrated my mom's 60th birthday *(incidentally the same day as Jonah's 7 month birthday!) with a great backyard party. The clouds parted for an amazing sunset with good food and people...cant ask for much more! We also go to visit Jonah's Great Gramma who is now 94~ what a treat to see her her and Jonah together- so many generations!

Uncle Travis and I got to go rock climbing one day while Nanna babysat nearby. It felt really good to be climbing!!!! We also went for a good hike together as a family up Bald Knob which is a nearby mountain that has great views of the lake and surrounding area (even to the Castle in the Clouds where we were married). Trav and I got in a couple good runs too. So nice to be home for a little while! Jonah is so much more interactive now- giggling lots at Denali (my parents black lab) playing peek-a-boo games with Grandpa and a hat, and scooting all over the place...nothing is safe anymore!

Back to work this week but already scheming up more ways to spend more time with the family :)...next time all three of us can go!

Baby's First Summit

2009-07-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

We took a break from the flooring project today since the weather was to nice to pass up and took the littleman on his first summit to mt. ellinor which is about an hour and half from home. It is about 4.5 miles round trip so we figured a good starting point for taking him out longer a little later on. He did really well- fussing a couple of times only to fall asleep. Dave carried him all the way up and all the way down. He wasnt even the only baby there! We saw 2 other babies and 3 baby mountain goats as well as lots of adults. The view from the top wasnt half bad and we both agreed it was really nice to be back in the mountains! These other few photos are from when we returned home and played in the pool and from our outdoor dinner table!

sum sum summertime...

2009-07-01T21:57:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks seem like they have been flying by...we have been blessed with some great weather and that has helped us begin work on one of our first house projects...installing bamboo flooring...these are a couple of pictures of the carpet coming out and the first few feet installed. Dave and a couple of friends have been working a lot on it and we hope to finish it up this weekend.

We began last weekend and while Dave and our friend Gerry got to work, his wife Cammy and their two kids plus Jonah and I visited the farmers market and the childrens museum in Olympia which was great. Who knew how cool a mirror at baby level could be? We'll definitely be back, there are some really great toys and exhibits there.

Also a few pics of Jonah from this afternoon. This afternoon he and kitty had some quality playtime with his toys on a blanket in the backyard under out dogwood tree while I caught up on some work. He is getting a little more independent now, playing with a basket of toys sometimes for a half hour or more at a time which is great and he loves sitting up by himself.

Then he and a new buddy Riley who is 10.5 months old and is babysat a couple of houses away at his grandparents shared a little pool time- a nice way to spend the end of a summer day!

We Love Fathers Day!

2009-06-23T15:21:00.001-07:00

We had a busy and great weekend...on Saturday Jonah came with me to work for the morning where the bottom two photos were snapped...then Poppy and Leeanne came to visit from Spokane. We had a great afternoon at the farmers market in Olympia and Poppy cooked a great dinner...then on Saturday Dave, Jonah and I all headed to Seattle. We met up with Tim, Sky, Poppy and Leeanne and spent a little while wondering around the Pike Place Market (note the token 'pig' shot!) and then we had a rooftop feast of dungeness crab, bbq oysters and steamed mussels on Tim's apartment building dowtown. The sun was shining and the views of the buildings and the water were grand! Happy Fathers Day everyone!

Californ i a

2009-06-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

We had a blast in southern California this past weekend. We flew into LA and drove north (for a really long time) to El Capitan State Beach where we camped out for a couple of days and attended the LOVELY wedding of our friends Jenn and Ian at Orella Ranch (http://orellaranch.com/OR/Welcome.html) which overlooks the coast, San Ynez mountains and the Santa Barbara Olive Company AND has some of the largest most amazing Oak trees I have ever seen. We had perfect gorgeous weather for it and little Jonah got to touch his toes in the Pacific for the first time (to which he gave a little shiver)! We stayed in a fun canvas walled tent/cabin at across from the beach at el capitan canyon which was fabulous and easy with the little guy...we all got to go swimming too!

The next couple of nights we spent in Santa Barbara with other friends Jason and Rebecca and I got to hang out with my dear old friend Laurel - who I hadn't seen since we graduated from high school! Aside from a nasty little stomach bug the little guy seemed to really enjoy himself and he got to hang out with his new baby buddy Jayden who is about three months younger then Jonah and awfully cute!

Hard to believe Jonah is turning 6 months old tomorrow! Next week he has his check up so we will find out then the latest stats...

We got back to Olympia last night and are back to work this week...missing the sunshine and palm trees a little!

Happy Birthday to my Dad!

2009-06-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos as of late. Sunday was a joint birthday party for Dave (whose birthday is really today) and his brother Tim who had a birthday at the end of May. We had fun hanging out all together on Sunday and had birthday cake and presents. Gramms is in town which has been a great help- and even allowed me to be in some photos!

Jonah has gone to two swimming so far which has been really fun...Will try to post a video of him swimming around soon. He seems to love the water and is getting so strong. In all of these photos you can see his new skills- sitting up, standing up, push ups, and being a goof! :)

My first camping trip...on a boat

2009-05-31T12:01:00.001-07:00

Last night was Jonah's first camping trip. We slept on our friends boat which is at Jarrell Cove Marina just north of Shelton on Harstine Island. This picture is from our morning coffee...not the happy baby and monkey!

This other photo is from a BBQ the other weekend- over Memorial Day...the little man is getting a bit more interested in our food!

Who Me? The Cutest Baby Ever?

2009-05-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

These photos are from this morning...you may notice he is slightly off of his mat- though we had set him on it- he is on the move! rolling and pivoting his way around to get to things...gonna have to spend some time baby-proofing soon I think.

The last two photos are from Mom and Baby Yoga class today...Jonah and his buddy Owen shared a blanket and were even holding hands for a while. Babies unite!

Bouncing and Eating!

2009-05-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

The week with Gramms went too fast! Jonah is making great strides in rolling over, and pivoting his way around the floor. We also busted out his jumper and it is a big hit- he loves to bounce and twirl and looks back over his shoulder at us while he spins and laughs. He continues to grow his personality almost as quickly as his body is growing!

Three nights ago he had his first food- rice cereal mixed with milk- it went quite well, he seemed like he wanted to lick the bowl when we were done. Since then he has had it every night and seems to love it- and makes a huge mess...there is whole new world of things for him to taste out there- it has just begun!

Oh and a happy 5th month birthday too!

2009-05-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

It seems like ages since I have had time to sit down and write...time is flying by. We have had both Grammas in town the last couple of weeks which has been great. First my Mom was here for Mothers Day weekend (and my b-day) and now Dave's mom is in town. All the extra arms for little J have been a big help! Here is a photo of one of Jonah's favorite poses as of late- flipping over upside down. He is trying to do it on just about any surface you put him on...then he is working on his little abs trying to do sit ups!

Here are some photos from my Mom's trip. We took a little birthday adventure to the Columbia Gorge in Oregon and spent the night at the McMenamins Edgefield which was very cool. It is an old poor farm from the 20's that has been refurbished and turned into an amazing place with two restaurants, a hotel, a spa, a winery, distillery and brewery, glass blowing studio, gardens, sculptures and more...lots of very cool artwork.

Anyhow we spent the night there and the next day visited Horsethief statepark in south central/eastern WA. There are many examples of petroglyphs on display at the park that were removed from the river bank prior to the dams going in (and flooding them). True to his mellow form, Jonah was a trooper travelling with us!

Mom also helped me get a lot of work done in the garden and we took lots of walks in town. Spring is in full swing!

The photos of Jonah in the yellow tote bag- are from mothers day. Travis and Caitlin got me the best ever tote that fits all things! Including a baby

This last photo is from Mom's first night here. She brought a very special gift for Jonah from Grandpa. He engraved a walking stick for Jonah with his initials and birthday on the perfect kid sized walking stick that was made by the beavers in our pond! Its perfect for him! It might not be long until he is using it either

Will post more soon from Gramm's visit :)

Proof!

2009-04-30T09:22:00.001-07:00

Jonah rolled over three times on Tuesday night! I managed to capture the last one on film. He had yet to repeat it but judging on how well he can also sit up by himself (this photo is a particularly cute example- he is in 'Uncle Gregs' Chair - we think he will soon be on the move! Also- here is a family picture from Sunday night. Our good friends Greg and Kate bought and just moved onto a fantastic boat and we went over there to visit them for dinner...

Our little Octopus

2009-04-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Procession of the Species in Olympia- for those of you not familiar here is a quick article about it from the Olympian http://www.theolympian.com/710/story/832007.html

Its a big annual parade that happens each year right after Earthday which makes its way through downtown- its has grown to have around 20,000 spectators! Participants use recycled materials to make costumes representing our natural world- there are four elements: earth, air, wind, and of course fire...

It was Jonah's first- at this time last year I was about 10 weeks pregnant! We were given a great Octopus costume for him to wear which as just about too cute. He was enthralled with the parade, he stood up for a lot of it, holding onto me watching and going "who, who, who, who" and smiling when he saw something he really liked.

Fun was had by all. My friend Chelsie took a bunch of pictures and I took a video of Samba OLYWA - a samba drum and dance group that were all dressed like Zebras so you can get an idea...Unfortunately Dave had to work but we went and visited him right afterwards so he could get the full effect of the Octopus suit :)

A good spot for a nap

2009-04-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Our weather has been really lovely these last few days ~ mid 70's during the day which has opened up Jonah's world beyond the house. The last two days he has taken his afternoon nap in the backyard- I snapped these couple of photos of him yesterday. I put down one of our foam sleeping pads and his snail quilt and he was happy as a clam! Its really nice to get yard work done...

Yesterday morning we had a quick doctor appt as well- the latest stats: 18 lbs 10 oz, and 28 inches!

A funny game called Boo

2009-04-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

While I was at work today Dad and Jonah created a new game- which elicits lots of little baby giggles. I was practicing with him this afternoon when we came back from our jog and grabbed this little video. Uncle Tim came to visit this past weekend which was really fun too!

Note Jonahs new blue 'Bumbo' chair- he is getting so much stronger, he sits propped up on the sofa now for 10 or 15 minutes at a time and even makes it a few seconds on his own before wobbling over. No rollovers yet though :)

SKIING!

2009-04-06T10:53:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Dave and I took Jonah to Mt Rainier for his very first time skiing! I carried him in our Ergo pack which worked great. It even has a little hood so his head (though covered with a hat, sunglasses and slathered with sunscreen anyhow) stayed out of the sun. It was a really gorgeous day up there with no wind and around 55 degrees. We skinned up for a little less then an hour from Paradise and then skied down - very carefully! Jonah did great, fussing a little on the way up but was wide awake and seemed pretty happy on the way down. We skied in Edith Basin then down to the Reflection Lakes road and back up to the car. We hope he liked it- the picture of him at the top - laying in the back of the car is just after we finished- we all slept well last night!

Spring has sprung- mostly

2009-04-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Tbis entry is a bit full of pictures but I wanted to show off some of the blooming flowers! Spring it seems is here which is very welcome. The jogging stroller has been great to take Jonah out and about. Yesterday we did a 5.5 mile loop trail at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge (at low tide)- he slept almost the whole time. This morning Dave and I had him out in the front yard enjoying the sunshine- he is wearing a bonnet that once belonged to my brother which I thought was pretty adorable on him! I also think he bears a striking resemblence to Uncle Trav! Stay tuned, tomorrow we are going to take Jonah for his first ski trip to Mt. Rainier - will post more pics soon!

New Found Freedom!

2009-03-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Meet our new stroller! I'm really excited about being able to run again and even walking is easier now too- not having to carry a baby . We went on a nice jog today with my friend Kira and her son Owen (in blue bunny suit). The sun was shining which was lovely. Jonah also tried out Owens' Bumbo chair which allows little babies to sit up, even when they can't on their own- I think we might try to get him one of his own. Jonah also has a new favorite toy- the handle on his phone is just the right size to grab and loves to make it rattle (and put it in his mouth)! He is doing that with pretty much everything he gets his hands on these days.

Look Ma!

2009-03-24T18:25:00.001-07:00

We think a roll over may be imminent! Jonah has been figuring out how to kick his legs up and roll about half way over. He also has taken pretty well to standing (with lots of help!) I thought this pictures were a good indicator of just how stinkin big he is getting! Gramms was very happy to see us if only for a night.

On Wednesday we had a check up and found that he has grown another inch- making that now 5 inches since he was born for a total of 26.5! He also weighs 17.5 pounds.

Babys First International Ski Trip

2009-03-24T18:10:00.001-07:00

A must for any three month old- ha!

Our annual ski trip was a whole lot less about the skiing for me this year but we did manage to pull it off. This year thirteen of us including another baby who was only 4 weeks old- Sophia- all met in Rossland, BC and skied at Red Mountain in the Kootenay Mountains. We would love to go back to the Rossland area again!

The weather was unfortunately not all that great but we did manage to get some runs in. Dave started the trip first thing with a skin up Mt Spokane on Thursday. On Friday we all skied at Red Mountain taking turns in the lodge with the little guy. On Saturday, we drove back to Spokane by via Stagleap Provincial Park and Dave got another quick tour in on Kootenay Pass...We rented a house this year and were blessed on the trip with some neat wildlife- lots of elk, black tail deer, and big horn sheep. Dave also managed to catch three eagles snacking on a deer on his way to Mt Spokane.

Great Grammas!

2009-03-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

Last week we went on our annual ski trip via Spokane. It was a whirlwind adventure and we were really proud of how well Jonah did with all of the travelling. First some photos from Great Grammas and the 4 generations...We were able to spend two mornings with Gramma Doris or GG as she is now the proud great Gramma of 6!

Jonah's cousin Jace was among lots of family able stop by on Sunday- The boys are right around three weeks apart- peas in a pod!

The boys....

2009-03-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist...yesterday as I was leaving for work early in the morning I snapped this of the boys snoozin'...like father like son!

Crawling Outside!

2009-03-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Just kidding, Jonah hasn't even rolled over yet, let alone crawled but it is spring here finally it seems...yesterday and today it is bright sun and nearly 60 degrees yea!!! We celebrated yesterday with a long walk and then going out to lunch with two other moms and new babies (6 weeks, 8 weeks and Jonah is now 12 weeks).

This afternoon, I snapped these couple of photos while we were in the backyard practicing 'tummy time' and the daffodils are proof that warmer weather is around the corner!

The handsome pic at the top was moments before Jonah had another first- he threw his frog rattle across the room! He has also started to laugh...I'll try to post a video of it soon.

A few new ones

2009-03-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

He just keeps growing!

A couple of crib shots and one with dad, one with mom- Hope everyone has a great weekend!

White Pass Weekend

2009-03-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

Friday was a gorgeous day in town- we woke up to clear skies and I snapped this photo of mt rainier out Jonah's window in the early morning.

On Saturday we headed to White Pass for Winter Carnival- and it was fantastic to get out skiing!
It was also our first time staying in a hotel with little one and we brought his playpen along which worked great (thanks Great Gramma!). We also had a quite a few elk hanging out outside our window...

Some friends were married on Saturday evening on top of the giant snow castle constructed near the base lodge. I snapped some pictures of it Sunday as I managed to leave the camera in the car during the ceremony. Anyhow, the wedding and the castle were fantastic- Jonah was the ring bearer (quite possibly the youngest ever)! A few more sculptures as well (shrek and rapunzel...)

In comtemplation of my giraffe...

2009-02-24T18:06:00.000-08:00

Jonah was extra cute this morning while I was trying to get us out the door to work, it seems like each day more of his personality keeps coming out.

He is such a mellow guy most of the time and today was no exception- he traveled with me to work, then the dentist, then the chiropractor with barely a peep and lots of smiles.
He is hit wherever we take him- while he was at work with
me today I set him down for a few minutes and the next thing I knew I looked over and he had just put himself down for a nap.

We took this little video last night- forgive the sideways! This is a little song we sing to him after he is really full...

Two Months Old

2009-02-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

I realized that when you are really little, you get a lot of birthdays! We celebrated Jonah's birth day, his one day old birthday, two days, three days etc then onto to weeks, his one month and now two months old (yesterday)!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to spend a lot of the day with him because I went back to work this week and worked a full day - he was in great hands though as both Dave and his Mom/Gramms were able to take care of him.- yea! I think it was harder on me then him at this age but we all survived :)

Today was a harder day for the little guy- he had his two month check up and got his first round of vaccines. He handled them great but I think he will be a bit sore for a couple of days. We also learned that he is 15.8 pounds and 25 inches! He is in the 97% for weight and 99% for height- amazing how much he is growing!

Preggo

2009-02-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning the house this afternoon and found the cd of photos that our friend Greg took while I was pregnant and thought I would share a few with you all- these were probably taken the two to three weeks before he was born

Snowsuits Still?

2009-02-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

Winter seems to be hanging on here in Oly...on Tuesday we got around three inches of snow which probably doesn't sound like a lot to most folks but it is when you don't get it very often. It is mostly melted now but yesterday I still put Jonah in a fleece snowsuit while we walked down to the grocery store- I realized that although he is a big baby this one suit in particular still sort of swallows him up in a most adorable way. I did realize on the way home that he is getting a bit heavy to pack around up the hill with a load of groceries and a diaper bag too!

Last night we had a little breakthrough- Jonah grabbed a toy (a little wooden fish) and brought it up to his mouth to play with for a bit...I think we are entering the stage where soon everything will be great fun for him to put in his mouth. This last week he was really taken to sucking on his hand/ sometimes thumb. I think he might be a lefty like both of his Grandpas!

Happy Valentines Day!

Storytime

2009-02-13T16:27:00.001-08:00

Jonah really enjoys his story time with Dad! We have taken to reading all kinds of books to him- its fun to rediscover old favorites from our childhood and read new ones...like the literary classic 'where's elmo?' that we read this morning followed by 'farmyard friends' :)
This photo is from NH and Dave is reading Squirrel Nutkins...

Jonah's friend Owen

2009-02-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

We are lucky to have some good friends who live a few blocks away that just had a baby about three weeks ago making Jonah a month and three days older then Owen James...We were all able to take the same birth class and now the boys get hang out! Amazing how big Jonah looks next to Owen- what a difference a month makes. Its great to have some buddies around to take walks with and share in the joys of parenthood.

Gramms Visits!

2009-02-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

It was really special to have both of our moms around for Jonahs' birth and in the week leading up to it and the week after. Dave's mom was able to make a return visit just before we went to New Hampshire and stayed with us a for couple of days. It was a great big help to have her and I know she really enjoyed her time with Jonah. The pictures speak for themselves! I am headed back to work next week part time and we are lucky to have Gramms coming again to give us a hand...

I emailed many of you photos of some of Jonah's first smiles that I captured just before we went to NH but I thought I would post them here for all to enjoy as well. He is smiling up a storm now and using his voice a lot more to coo...Yesterday we adventured to the convention center in Seattle for a research conference- I was a little intimidated to bring him but he was hit and slept almost the whole time...We are so blessed!

Poppie Comes to Town

2009-02-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Just after new years we had a visit from Poppie- Dave's dad flew over from Spokane and then his brothers Nate and Tim came to town for a visit. Jonah was just over two weeks old at this point. We had a great visit- mostly just stayed in around the house in awe of the little guy. Next up is a visit to Spokane for us to meet and visit with more family...

A sign of the times?

2009-02-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

While giving Jonah a bath at Gramma and Grandpas last week we were all reminded of just how quickly the littleman has grown- the tub that used to be too big- is well no longer too big! Despite the tight quarters he seemed to really enjoy it though and afterwards relaxed in front of the woodstove with Dad...

over the hills...

2009-02-09T10:37:00.001-08:00

Jonah took his first cross country flight last week to visit his great gramma, grandparents, aunt and uncle and many more. He was great on the flight and a fantastic baby all week. It was cold and snowy to be sure but we managed miss any major storms while we visited. It was much too short as always and very special- and nice to have extra help! Dave, Travis and I even got to go skiing together one afternoon while Gramma Nan babysat little Jonah...thanks mom!!!

Jonah impressed us all with his new smiling abilities, and has begun to talk more and more...well coo i suppose. He has now been in four states (WA, OR, MA, and NH) 46 more to go!

Blogging- the next best thing?

2009-02-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Well, we'll see...I have been struggling lately with the great distances between us and our family and friends and have decided to try to remedy this with a blog. So many changes and wonderful events have been happening everyday with baby Jonah- we hope this will be a way to keep in touch better with you, to share pictures and videos of things like first smiles, plane rides, and everyday adventures.