William & Matthew's Adventures

Big Boy Bed!

2012-02-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

The last 2 days William has taken his nap in his big boy bed, ie "The Boat Bed" and loves it, as evidenced by his awesome bed head! The first day was a 2.5 hour nap, and yesterday was a little over 3 hours. This weekend we will be moving his bed into his room. Hopefully he takes to sleeping at night the way he has his naps.

My Little Valentine's

2012-02-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day from our sweet little boys!

Jump, Jump, Jumping

2012-02-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

We finally got the Jumperoo out of storage for Matthew, and what a hit it is!

William seems to be a pretty big fan of it too, and insists on having a turn whenever Matthew is in it.

Oh, and William did his first poop in the potty on Saturday (February 4th)! We couldn't be more proud of him. We were finishing up dinner when William said "poopie." We asked if he had to go, and he nodded yes. We asked if he wanted to go sit on his potty, and he nodded yes. We asked if he wanted to poop in his potty, and he nodded yes. So, he sat on his potty, and we waited and sure enough, he did have to go.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

2012-02-06T13:50:00.001-08:00

It's official, Mr. Matthew rolled over for the first time on Saturday (February 4th). This was the best "action" photo I could get. He had already rolled from him stomach to his back. Now we just have to work on getting him from back to his stomach.

Rice Cereal!

2012-02-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

Well, we let Matthew try rice cereal for the first time last night. I'm not sure if he's a fan of the stuff yet. Only time will tell. William insisted that "the baby" try some cereal as well. So, we let William "try" a bowl of Cheerios. The boy loved his Cheerios so much, he had 3 bowls!

Matchers!

2012-01-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

I love these boys! William insisted on reading his "Dig, Dig, Digging" book and "Snuggle Puppy" to Matthew last night. I hope these moments never end!

FanFest 2012

2012-01-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Yep, we decided to be crazy and go to FanFest at Safeco field. Neither Jon or I had ever been before and it sounded like it might be fun. There would be players handing out autographs, activities for the kids, tours of the Clubhouse, and we could even see how the roof is closed! So, we bundled up the boys, and headed out having no idea just how popular FanFest really was! Here we naively thought we'd be able to get autographs for the boys. Ha! The autograph line went around the stadium! So instead, we were content running the bases, and checking out visitors dugout and the Mariner's Clubhouse. Then poor little Matthew decided to have a meltdown. Thus, our FanFest outing lasted only an hour, started out fun, and ended not so fun. I think we'll wait until the boys are a little older to go again.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2012-01-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

We refused to let a cold and flu bug stop us from enjoying our winter blast! We bundled up and went outside as the first snow flakes began to fall and again after a few inches began to accumulate. William loved the snow so much and did not want to come in. Luckily he loves whipped cream and we were able to bribe him with a couple squirts.

4 Months

2012-01-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

Weight: 17.5 lbs (95%)

Length: 25.75" (75-90%)

Our Moo-Monster is 4 months old, and we couldn't have asked for a better well-child check-up with Dr. Shifrin. Despite being on day 14 of a nasty cold/flu bug both boys were in good moods. William sat very patiently while Matthew was looked over and asked Dr. Shifrin to listen to his breathing, and look in his ears too.

Matthew has more than doubled his birth weight (8 lbs 10 oz) in 4 months which apparently is not the norm. Dr. Shifrin doesn't expect his growth to continue at the rate it has been going, but I'm not convinced. This kid is a champ when it comes to eating. We will be starting solids soon and I have no doubt he will take to the rice cereal with no problem.

I am so thankful for having another easy going little baby. Matthew is content sitting in his swing or bouncy chair or being held while he watches big brother play. This little guy cannot wait to run around after his brother, and big brother can't wait either! In fact, the other night William was very persistent in his request for Matthew to be on his activity mat and then became very frustrated and sad when Matthew wouldn't crawl around after him, even with my explaining that Matthew didn't know how to crawl.

We haven't established a set nap schedule yet, and Matthew is still sleeping in our room at night. I'm not sure when he will transition into his own room. That part is dependent upon when William is ready for his boat bed. But, sleep is going as well as can be expected. We go to bed around 8:30, sleep until about 2:30 when Matthew nurses, and then sleep until 6:30 when it's time for Daddy to get up and get ready for work.

Matthew's 3 Month Photos

2012-01-17T14:59:00.001-08:00

R.I.P. my dear Aunt Kath

2011-12-30T15:28:00.000-08:00

Early Christmas Eve morning, my dad received a phone call that his oldest sister, my aunt Kath and Godmother, had passed away unexpectedly due to septic shock from a bacterial infection. She was an amazing woman who loved everyone and who we loved dearly. She will be greatly missed, but I find comfort in knowing she's an angel in heaven watching over all of us.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-28T13:49:00.001-08:00

Santa surprised us this year with a train set and art easel for William, and books and clothing for Matthew. William was over the moon excited to play with all of his new toys. We enjoyed delicious home-made cinnamon rolls, which are sure to become a Christmas morning tradition! Then, it was off to Nana's for Christmas dinner which was so so good!

Christmas Eve!

2011-12-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was spent at Boomie & Papa's house. There was lots of good food and presents. It's so great to be able to celebrate with family!

Uncle Ry-Ry

2011-12-28T13:31:00.000-08:00

William was so excited for Uncle Ry-Ry to come visit! He had so much fun playing with him and can't wait to spend more time with him!

Daddy & His Boys!

2011-12-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

Thumbs Up!

2011-12-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

Love William's version of 2 thumbs up!

Brothers!

2011-12-28T13:21:00.001-08:00

William loves his MeeMoo and has started asking that Matthew be in his crib with him after he wakes up, or next to him when he's watching TV. This just melts my heart and hope they continue to be best buddies!

3 Months Old!

2011-12-28T13:10:00.001-08:00

Yes, as unbelievable as it is, our not-so-little Matthew is 3 months old! We couldn't ask for a sweeter, more easy going baby. His only fussy times are when he has gas issues (mainly in the evening around 7), when he's hungry, about to poop, or is tired.

He loves sucking on his thumb, fingers, or hand and we're hoping this isn't a sign of teething. Matthew is also very talkative and recognizes Mommy, Daddy, and big brother William's voices. He has a smile that lights up the room and has started laughing...we love it!

We are already in size 3 diapers and almost out of 3-6 month clothes! We don't have a set nap schedule yet, but will be working on that soon. We know he will nap in the morning, around 9, and then again around noon, and take a cat nap around 7. And most nights, we are now sleeping through the night, from 8:30-6:30, or getting up only once at about 3:30.

Visit with Santa!

2011-12-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

With Nana's help, the boys went to visit Santa at Nordstroms. You never know what to expect at this age, but William absolutely loved Santa, shouting "hi" and waving. He sat very still on Santa's lap, took direction from the photographer who told him to hold his hands, and was very talkative to Santa when the photos were done. William asked for a "choo choo," told him Merry Christmas, thank you, and see you next year. Matthew just sat there the whole time, like a little angel. This was one proud Mama, that is for sure!

Mr. Cool!

2011-12-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

Lately, Matthew has started swinging with one hand behind his head, obviously trying to be Mr. Cool.

Building a Gingerbread House!

2011-12-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

We purchased our Gingerbread House kit at Costco and were excited to decorate it with William. Our house was preassembled, which was nice, and showed exactly where the icing for the windows, door, and roof should be placed. All that needed to be done was placing the candy, which Jon and I determined we are not very creative. We pretty much followed the photo on the box. And the whole time Jon and I were piping our icing and placing our gumdrops and other candy, William was content sticking his finger in a pool of icing we had made for him and licking the icing off his finger. After each lick, he would proclaim "MMMmmm" and then ask for "More pease."

Christmas Tree Decorating!

2011-12-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

William was so excited to see our Christmas tree be brought in and set up. As soon as the tree was placed in its base, William ran over to Matthew and excitedly proclaimed "MeeMoo, MeeMoo, big tree, big tree MeeMoo, look!"

Deciding that our tree needed multi-color lights, I braved Home Depot with the two boys. William enjoyed the trip, saying "hi" to everyone, was sure to tell one man that there were "big trucks" in the parking lot, helped carry the boxes and pay for them. Once home, he then helped string the lights on the tree and has demanded the lights (or hot as he calls them) be on at all times.

Decorating the tree was also very exciting and he couldn't get enough of all the different ornaments. And thankfully, he knows that once the ornaments are on the tree, that is where they are to stay.

William's 2 Year Photo Shoot!

2011-12-01T08:54:00.001-08:00

Apple Cup 2011!

2011-11-26T19:34:00.001-08:00

Our house was representing the Crimson & Gray!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house with Nana, Grandpa, Auntie Ellen, Kaare, Uncle Pat, and Uncle Keith. Earlier in the day we skyped with Boomie, Papa, and Uncle Ryan. William loved it! The food was delicious, bird perfectly cooked, and really, it couldn't have gone any smoother.

TWO MONTHS

2011-11-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Weight: 14 lbs (95%+)

Length: 23.75 inches (75%-90%)

Matthew is 2 months old and showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, Dr. Shifrin informed us that Matthew was very "advanced" for his age and would be hitting his developmental milestones early.

He is all smiles these days and holds cooing conversations with anyone who will coo back. Our sleep is getting better and we really don't have any complaints. We go to bed around 8:30, get up around 3, and again at 6:30. Of course, sleeping through the night would be nice, and we know that will come soon enough.

Matthew, we are blessed to have you as a part of our family. You're our MeeMoo and we love you!

BROTHERS

2011-11-16T14:52:00.001-08:00

I have tried and tried to get a good photo of William and Matthew. Most times, William is too busy goofing around trying to get Matthew to smile at him, which he's very good at. Brothers have an amazing bond that just seems to happen naturally. Here are some moments I was able to catch on camera.

Mr. Smiles

2011-11-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

These days, Matthew is full of smiles that make you want to melt.

Daddy's Shoes...

2011-11-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

Are big shoes to fill. But, William does a good job trying.

The Michelin Man!

2011-11-08T09:52:00.001-08:00

Our little chunka monka is growing like none other! Just look at those rolls!

Our Big 2 Year Old!

2011-11-08T09:29:00.000-08:00

On Halloween, our baby turned 2! It's hard to believe, as it still feels like yesterday we naively went to the hospital 5 1/2 weeks before William's due date only to be told, he's coming! We have enjoyed every minute of these last 2 years, even the nights of little sleep. It is truly a gift to be able to see the world through William's eyes.

On car trips, we are constantly on the lookout for any big trucks, buses, fire trucks, police cars, worker men, you name it. This boy absolutely loves all things trucks! He also loves reading and is starting to string together short sentences. He's a big help around the house when it comes to cleaning. William's house cleaning jobs include sweeping and dusting. We're still working on the whole picking up toys and books. He helps get together his meals, pushes his highchair to the table and gets his bib out. William also helps with Matthew, making sure Matthew's blanket is on and throwing away any dirty diapers. When it's time for us to go, William helps get everyone's shoes.

For nap time, we usually get about 2-3 hours of sleep out of William. And, we've reached a point where William can put himself down for his naps himself! There are still some days when he needs to be rocked to sleep, but what a relief it is that this is now a rarity.

We have encountered some fit throwing, but know this is only a stage and hugely due to frustration in not being able to communicate what he wants. We just hope the phase passes quickly!

We are so excited though for this year and watching the excitement in William with each new thing he learns! We love you!!!

Matthew's 1 Month Check-Up

2011-10-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

Weight: 11 lbs 15 oz (95%)

Height: 22.5" (50%-75%)

2 Year Check-Up

2011-10-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Weight: 30 lbs (75%-90%)

Height: 35.5" (75%-90%)

Calling All Worker Men!

2011-10-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

William's "Worker Man" Birthday was a success! He had so much fun dressing up as a "worker man," seeing all his favorite people, playing with his cousins, and of course, eating his cupcake! This kid, who is a very clean eater and gets upset if there is even a drop of water on his tray, went to town on his cupcake!

Someone Loves His Star Wars Jammies!

2011-10-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

We couldn't get him to sit still long enough to take a picture!

William and His Worker Men!

2011-10-25T15:14:00.001-07:00

William loves his "worker men." This is what I caught him doing the other day.

1 Month!

2011-10-25T10:07:00.001-07:00

Mr. Mee-Moo is 1 month old, or at least he was last week! I know I keep saying the same thing over and over again, but he really is such a sweet, easy going baby. And, he's growing like a weed! At night, he gets a little fussy, and we're still trying to work through that issue, but other than that, it really has been smooth sailing. He eats like a champ, is content in his swing or bouncy seat, and actually enjoyed his bath the other night. Matthew's been a member of our family for such a short time, but we can't imagine our life without him. We love our little Mee-Moo!

For fun, we dressed Matthew in the same outfit as we did for William when we took William's 1 month pictures.

Matthew 1 Month Old

William 1 Month Old

Matthew 1 Month Old

William 1 Month Old

Pumpkin Patch Time!

2011-10-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Looking at the weather report, we decided this weekend would be perfect for our annual pumpkin patch adventure. The weather was suppose to be sunny. Well, the weather man was a little off, but at least it wasn't raining! We bundled ourselves up and had fun nonetheless searching for the perfect pumpkin!

3 Weeks Old!

2011-10-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Me-Moo is 3 weeks old, which is hard to believe. It feels like he's been with us forever! He's such an incredibly easy going baby, we couldn't ask for more! We are treated to 4-5 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night, and fussiness only when it's time for a diaper change or to eat. He seems to be growing like a weed too! We have already transitioned out of newborn and into our 0-3 month clothes.

Sunny Fall Days Are Made For...

2011-10-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

Family walks! Pushing 2 in a stroller is a lot of work!

2 Week Doctor Visit

2011-10-05T17:20:00.001-07:00

Weight: 9 lbs 3.5 oz (75-90%)

Length: 21.75 inches (75-90%)

23 Months!

2011-10-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Almost 2 years old, and now a big brother! Our little man is growing into quite the little funny man. He loves making us laugh and strives to be the center of attention whenever anyone comes to visit. He is definitely not shy! He is an endless bundle of energy, running laps around the house, jumping, walking backwards, you name it, he does it.

William, or "Wee-Yum" as he calls himself is a huge help around the house. I love that I can ask him to please grab the phone and he knows exactly what I'm asking. He also helps with Matthew's, or "Mee-Moo's" diaper changes by grabbing the clean diapers and throwing away the dirty ones.

We are working on sharing our toys. Poor Alex experienced William's unwillingness to share his toys. Hopefully this is a short lived phase.

He loves Bailee, or "B" and becomes very concerned if she's not in eyesight. She benefits though from being fed goldfish, cheerios, apple slices, whatever William happens to be eating at the time. He also loves yelling to see what type of reaction he can get out of her, usually a high pitched cry back.

Now it's time to start planning our big 2 year birthday bash!

Best Friends!

2011-10-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Graham finally met! Oh the fun these two will have growing up together. I can't wait for the adventures to begin!

1 Week!

2011-09-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Matthew is already 1 week old! He is the sweetest and so far proving to be a fairly easy baby. The only time we hear from him is when he's hungry, or when he's getting his diaper changed. This boy does not like having his diaper changed, that is for sure! His feeding schedule is about every 3 hours, and has treated us to 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. No complaints here!

William is loving being a big brother, though most of the time seems totally unaware that there is even a baby in the room. Luckily, William's naps and sleeping at night haven't skipped a beat. We were a little apprehensive how he would do with a baby crying.

We are settling into our new routine and can't imagine life without our newest little guy. It will be interesting to see how things change though once Jon returns to work. Right now, William is loving his Daddy time!

Say Cheese!

2011-09-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

When told to smile, this is our funny man's "cheese face." I have no clue who he learned this from!

Almost a Big Boy Haircut

2011-09-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

We decided William's hair was getting a bit wild again and it was time for a haircut, or, as William call's it, a "hair dut." So, Daddy got William's hair wet, sat him in his highchair in front of Toy Story 3, and started "trimming."

I think Daddy did a pretty good job! What do you think? My baby is definitely starting to look more and more like a little man.

Definitely not a Binky Boy

2011-09-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Poor William stumbled upon Matthew's binky, and had no clue what it was. I had to explain that babies put it in their mouth and suck on it. William thought this was hilarious, but still didn't quite get how to do it. By the way, Matthew doesn't seem to be a binky boy either.

Welcome Matthew!

2011-09-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Matthew Leven White, after 9 days past his due date, finally arrived on September 22nd, the last day of summer. Weighing in at 8 lbs 9.9 oz, 19.5" long, Matthew was born at 12:56 am, and our hospital experience was very different from when we had William.At 9:15 pm on September 21st, my water broke, leading to a phone call to the on-call doctor, Dr. McDermott, who said yes, come right in. We made it to the hospital within 45 minutes of that phone call and was wheel-chaired up to the triage center. My pants by this point looked as though I had jumped into a swimming pool...note to self, gray sweatpants were not the smartest choice of attire. All 8 of the triage rooms were occupied and I was told I would have to wait in the waiting roomfor a room to open-up. At this point, my contractions were coming very frequently and were very intense, which I told the triage nurse. She just looked at me with big eyes and said "oh, okay, I'll talk to the charge nurse about getting a room for you."Thank goodness everyone seemed to realize just how far into labor I really was. I was put into a delivery room within a few minutes at which point I told the nurse I wanted an epidural ordered. She told me "You haven't even been admitted yet, I need to get an IV started, and the Doctor needs to see you" to which I replied, "Well, can get the ball rolling as quickly as possible." These contractions were intense and like nothing I had experienced with William. My nurse was awesome, and within 30 minutes, I had my epidural and was a happy camper.

All in all, from the time my water broke, to the time Matthew was born, it was less than 4 hours!

Proud Daddy!

Our hospital stay was only 2 days, if that, before we were discharged and on our way home.

William's Welcome Home "Sign" for Matthew

William loves his little brother and greeted him with a huge "hiiiiii." He has enjoyed trying to share all his toys, blanket, and water with "moo moo." He has not skipped a beat, and I know that these two will be best buds.

We are all in love with Matthew, who was well worth the wait!

What to do with a sick boy?

2011-09-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Watch movies, or "moobies" all day. Total count yesterday:

Toy Story 3 = 2 showings

Muppets Take Manhattan = 1/2 showing (not a favorite of William's)

Princess & The Frog = 1.5 showings

Tangled = 1 showing

I wonder what today's count will be?

22 Months!

2011-09-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

We are fast approaching the 2 year mark! How is that possible? William has turned into such a great helper, helping fold the laundry, throw away garbage (or as he calls it, "poopies" - all garbage is "poopie"), clean-up his toys, vacuum, dust, wheel his chair to the table when it's time to eat...you name it, he helps.

He's very social and and immediately wants to "play" with whoever comes to visit and is persistent. And, he loves playing with other kids. He's so excited whenever little Caitlin, our neighbor, comes over, or Alex. We're still working on sharing our toys, but he's getting a lot better at it.

He also loves having his books read to him. He still loves all trucks, diggers, cars, etc. and most are still identified by the sound they make. And, he still loves his movies. I can't count how many times we've watched Toy Story 3 or The Princess & The Frog. Tangled has been thrown into the mix, but the other two still remain his favorites. Thank goodness they are On Demand.

His vocabulary is growing every day, and does a good job of communicating what it is that he wants, for the most part.

He loves Bailee. She definitely benefits from cheese sharing, however, she isn't so trusting when he tries to pet her. But, William is always concerned with where she is, and when in doubt, will yell out "B."

William is a very happy go lucky boy whose smile lights up the room! Any day, he'll be a big brother, and we can't wait to see the love he shows baby Matthew.

Sunday Mornings are Meant For...

2011-09-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Reading the comics, naturally! While William waits for his breakfast, he asks to "read." He's also a fan of the ads.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Most of our weekend was spent at home, but we did venture to Boomie and Papa's for a BBQ with Uncle Ry-Ry. William had so much fun bug/worm hunting, golfing, and as he would say "play."

Hehe...Watch out World!

2011-08-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

William may just be the next Lil Swimmers model!

Enjoying the Summer...Finally!

2011-08-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

William has been loving every minute of being outside, now that summer has finally arrived. Every day, he and Nana fill up his crab pool, where he could spend forever splashing around.

Best Buds!

2011-08-26T15:27:00.001-07:00

William always has the best time playing with his best bud,

Alex Bugbee!

Getting Ready for Matthew!

2011-08-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today we took down from the attic, the car seat, swing, and bathtub for Matthew. It was like Christmas for William! He loved sitting in his old car seat. Wonder what's going to happen when we put together the swing?

What to do on the Hottest Day of the Year?

2011-08-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

Run through the sprinkler in your diaper, of course!

21 Months!

2011-08-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

21 Months and counting! This boy never ceases to amaze us. He is in LOVE with all trucks, cars, diggers, trains, etc. A total boy for sure! We have a row of trucks (dump truck, cement truck, bulldozer, train, and fire truck) in front of our fireplace and he can make sound effects for each. We also have a huge collection of books on the subject, and William is as content as can be sitting on the sofa reading them. But, he loves to have the sounds he's making for each vehicle acknowledged. So, if you're not paying attention, he'll say your name ("Mommy, Momma, Dadda, Daddy, Nana, Boom Boom), until you say what truck he's mimicking.

Thursdays are a big deal in our house, because it is garbage day and we see the garbage truck a total of 6 times! Whenever we hear one coming down the street, we have to stop what we are doing and run to the window to watch. If we are upstairs, William excitedly will yell, "Mommy," grab my finger, pull me into Matthew's room and demand to be picked up so he can look out the window.

William is a huge help around the house with laundry (he pushes the start button), vacuuming, wiping up spills and throwing away garbage. He helped rearrange our living room, and even helped Daddy with moving the TV cable to another wall. William was in charge of holding the flashlight...a very important job, as Daddy was under the house trying to feed the cable up the wall while I tried to fish the cable out of the wall with pliers. He's helped get Matthew's room ready, although, it feels like there is still a lot to do. He helps with cooking and making his PB&J sandwiches.

He absolutely loves being outside and is quite the proficient bug hunter. Boomie taught him well!

He finally loves baths again! For the longest time, William would take a shower with us, because he was so afraid of the bath.

But, I think we are fast approaching the terrible 2's and have witnessed some fit throwing. I now know to avoid the toy aisle in Target at all cost. There is no getting the kid away from the toys without crying. He also thinks it is okay to ask "down" when in a shopping cart. There have been a few times we've allowed him to walk with us in a store, but this is definitely not a good habit, as he wants to see everything. We know his "fits" though are out of frustration in not being able to communicate to us what he wants. I just hope this phase passes quickly!

Helping Get Ready for Cousin Molly!

2011-08-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Cousin Molly visited us last week from Arizona and William was a huge help to Nana in getting our house ready for her arrival. He helped water the plants and wash off all the furniture. We definitely couldn't have gotten the house ready without the little man's help!

SEABROOK!

2011-07-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

We spent 4 days in Seabrook, a cute beach cottage community near Ocean Shores, and had a blast. Bailee got to go with us, as did Nana and Grandpa! The first night we went to the park across from the cottage we were staying in and enjoyed roasted marshmallows in the fire Daddy and Grandpa built, and William had fun walking Bailee.

The next morning, William was thrilled to be eating his Eggos at the table, like a big boy.

He also loved riding his radio flyer scoot about in the street.

We all got ready and headed down to the ocean. We couldn't have asked for better weather. The weather forecast had called for rain, but we enjoyed nothing but sunshine and warmish weather the entire time we were there. Bailee was content endlessly chasing her ball.

William was content playing and running in the sand.

Daddy built a driftwood forest which stood erect our entire stay.

That evening, William enjoyed his books with Nana and cuddling with Grandpa.

On our 3rd day at the ocean, William rode his scoot about around the house while he waited for everyone to get ready to head to the ocean for another fun filled day.

We tested out the water, which actually, wasn't that cold.

We wrote our name in the sand.

We flew our Buzz Lightyear kite.

Ran in the sand.

And of course, we played in the sand and dug, dug, dug. William loved saying "dig, dig, dig."

We loved our time in Seabrook and can't wait to visit again!

First Hair Cut!

2011-07-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally broke down and agreed, it was time for William to get his first haircut. After all, he was starting to look like a little wild man.

So, we made an appointment at Common Folk Kids, voted best in Western Washington for kids' haircuts. And we weren't disappointed. William got to pick which chair he wanted to sit in. He passed up the airplane and pink car, and went for the firetruck.

Our hairstylist was awesome. She is obviously very familiar with dealing with mom's who aren't quite ready to see their precious little boy's baby hair be cut.

William did great and pretty much kept himself entertained with driving the firetruck and playing with the supplied toys.

We were finished before we knew it. We didn't do anything drastic...just cleaned up William's look. What do you think?

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-07-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

This year, to celebrate my birthday, we ventured into Seattle and enjoyed one of the best breakfasts ever at Dahlia's Lounge! If you ever go, get the donuts...they were a HUGE hit! We then made our way to the Seattle Aquarium, which retrospect, probably wasn't the best idea. William didn't quite have the attention span we would have hoped for, understandably wanted to be down walking around, but when you throw in a Sunday crowd, it just wasn't good. We did have fun, but we'll wait until he's a little older to go again. That evening, family came over to help celebrate with Maryland blue crabs, flown in special for the occasion, Ezelle's chicken, and the ultimate chocolate cake...Happy Birthday to me!!!

20 Months!

2011-07-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Now that summer has arrived, there is no holding this boy indoors! He LOVES being outside playing in his backyard. From hitting the baseball, to swinging and sliding on his big toy, William is non-stop. He's gotten pretty good at his t-ball, and will say "ready, ready, ready" before he takes his swing. He's always pointing out the airplanes flying overhead, or the baby bunny that had taken up residence in our yard.

William loves making animal noises, train and car noises, reading his books, dancing and singing, drumming, cooking, pretend playing with his dinosaur hand puppets, dunking his basketball, flying around the house on his scoot about or Buzz Lightyear ride-on, and watching his TV shows.

He is not shy, and will quickly grab the hand of any guest to show them his toys or yard.

Could someone please hit the pause button? My little boy is growing up way too fast!

Happy Be-Lated 4th of July!

2011-07-07T19:16:00.001-07:00

In true pregnant mommy fashion, I managed to take ZERO pictures from this last weekend, and there were plenty of photo opportunities.

On Saturday, we headed down to Olympia to Bob & Glenda's. Cara was in town and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! All day Saturday was spent on Summit Lake where Cara's parents live, as well as her brother. William had so much fun sitting on the dock dumping cup after cup of lake water on himself.

We opted to spend the night at the Red Lion, which was not the greatest idea. Our room was right by the pool, where kids were enjoying themselves late into the night, and our neighbors were so loud playing board games, it sounded like they were in our room. Luckily, William was so exhausted from his day at the lake he was sound asleep. I on the other hand, couldn't drown out the noise and had Jon call the front desk for a room change. We moved down the hall to a more quite room, but the tradeoff was it smelled like stale cigarettes. The fun part was moving all our stuff, dressed in our PJs, down the hall. William was wheeled down the hall in his pack 'n play, sound asleep. I'm sure we were quite the sight!

Sunday was spent at Cara's parents' for a baby shower for Cara! I am so excited that one of my closest friends will be having a baby so close in age to Matthew. Between Graham Bugbee and Cara's mini me, William has two automatic best friends. Summit Lake was beautiful and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

For the 4th, we headed to Boomie and Papa's. We got to meet the newest 4-legged addition Cassie, who is incredibly sweet. William had fun exploring the backyard and searching for the perfect toy to play with from the toy room. There were no fireworks for us, as we were pooped from our long weekend. However, it did sound like we were in a war zone most of the night.

You are just going to have to trust us that this 4th of July was lots of fun!

Below are some photos from William's fun in the sun these past few days. The boy loves loves loves water!

Boys will be Boys!

2011-06-19T11:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy ever!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-06-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated Daddy's birthday! William helped with baking the most delicious chocolate cake ever! It was suppose to be 3 layers but there was a bit of a mishap getting the 3rd layer out of the oven...I accidentally dropped the 3rd layer, it landed upside down, and the cake crumbled apart as I tried to pick up the pan. I went into panic mode and started saying "shoot, shoot, shoot," as I tried to pick up the hot bits of cake and keep William away from the hot oven. Well William of course thought this was hilarious and started laughing uncontrollably and repeated my "shoots." Only his shoots sounded more like "doot, doot, doot." All ended well, the cake was a hit, and Daddy says he had a great birthday!

19 Months!

2011-06-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe we have a 19 month old and one on the way! There is no doubt William is going to be a fantastic older brother. He is such a sweet boy who loves to give hugs, blow kisses (and give a real kiss if you're lucky), greet you with a huge smile and wave accompanied with a "hi" or "hello," hold hands and walk around, and cuddle.

He LOVES playing outside and if he has to come in before he's ready, has a heartbreakingly sad cry. This cry also occurs whenever he's told "no."

William loves trucks, cars, airplanes, and trains. He also loves watching the Disney Channel in the mornings. We watch Handy Manny, Mickey's Clubhouse, or Jake and the Neverland Pirates. He loves pretend cooking and talking on the phone. He also is quite the little helper when it comes to cleaning, although sometimes his idea of cleaning isn't so helpful, rather it's more mess making. He is definitely a busy little worker, always go, go, go!

He loves our walks, which now that the weather is finally nice is almost a daily occurrence. He loves taking showers and could stay under the water forever if allowed. There have been a couple of times that we've run all the hot water. I guess he inherited that from me.

Fun in the Sun!

2011-06-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were finally blessed with temperatures close to 80! And of course, we took full advantage of the summer weather. There was no keeping William in the house. We enjoyed walks, looking for sticks in the backyard, swinging, sliding down the slide, and running everywhere! And yes, William insisted on wearing his RAINBOOTS.

Fun with the Cousins!

2011-05-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, William had so much fun playing with his cousins, Jacob & Owen. He wanted to be everywhere they were and doing whatever they were doing. Watch out future, when theses boys are older!

18 Month Well-Child Check

2011-05-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

This morning we saw Dr. Shifrin and had an awesome well-child visit. William's 18 month stats are:

Weight: 27 lbs (50%-75%)

Height: 34" (90%-95%)

Newest Obsession...

2011-05-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

RAINBOOTS, which are obviously cool to wear anytime of day, even with your pajamas!

Ready for Hours of Fun!

2011-05-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Daddy and Uncle Pat, William is ready for countless hours of enjoyment on his new play set!

2 Nights Away!

2011-05-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

Jon and I enjoyed two nights away in Pebble Beach while Nana watched William. This was my first time away from William. We had fun, but missed our little booger.

18 Months!

2011-05-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Every day is a new adventure with this little man. He absolutely loves being outside, whether it's going for a walk, or helping aroundthe yard, there's no holding him back when the sun is out. William has quite the array of toys outside. He has shovels, rakes, golf club, tee-ball set, a radio flyer wagon, and a big toy that was purchased off of Craigslist (which still needs to be assembled). When the weather is actually more consistent, we will have so much fun. Plus, we are growing strawberries, one of William's favorites!

William's new loves are trucks and planes. Thursday is garbage day, and as soon as we hear the garbage trucks, we both run to the window to watch. And, when we hear a plane fly over our house, William will point up to where it is and say "pain."

He's not a big fan of baths, but LOVES showers! I think he could stand in the shower all day if we let him.

He's a good eater, and will eat just about anything. But lately, chicken and beef have been kind of tricky. It must be a texture thing and I hope he grows out of it quickly.

Happy 1.5 Mr. Man!

Morning Ritual

2011-05-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

Every morning, when the heat kicks on, William loves to sit over the heat register and read his books.

Happy Be-Lated Easter!

2011-05-06T10:05:00.001-07:00

Time is just flying by! The day before Easter we were able to make time for our egg dyeing, which was William's first time. I think Jon and I were a little more excited about the egg dyeing than William.

Easter morning, in lieu of an Easter basket full of candy (I know, what kind of parents are we!?), we scattered plastic eggs filled with quarters and $2 bills around the yard, as well as presents for William to find. He had so much fun and I'm sure this will become a tradition.

We enjoyed a huge pancake breakfast and then a traditional ham dinner at Nana and Grandpa's.

17 Months!

2011-03-31T16:21:00.001-07:00

I don't know how it's possible that we have a walking and almost talking little man! William has definitely developed his own words and is pretty good about communicating what it is he wants.

"wah wah" - water or bottle of milk

"Ba - ee" - Bailee

"Brrrr" - cold or hot

"Nigh - nigh" - tired and time to go to bed

"Bir" - Bird

"Lighhhh" - light

"No no no no no" - When he doesn't want something, or when we take away something he really wants.

William also is able to make the following animal sounds: dog, cow, snake, elephant, and monkey. And, he knows where his eyes, nose, mouth, ear, hair, foot, and belly button are.

He has started to really love his blanket and loves to cuddle with it before he goes to bed and after he wakes up. His favorite TV shows we watch in the morning are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

William definitely knows what he wants and will throw the hugest fits if he doesn't get his way, which we don't give in to. I just hope this phase passes quickly.

Breakfast every morning has to consist of banana, usually followed by a peanut butter or jelly eggo. For lunch, William loves grilled cheese, or pb&j, a cream cheese sandwich, yogurt, applesauce, quesadilla, egg salad...really anything. And lately, his favorite snack is gorgonzola crackers dipped in tomato basil hummus. For dinner, we admittedly need to incorporate more veggies. His go to veggies are carrots or zucchini. He likes pasta with tomato sauce, mac & cheese, risotto, gnocchi, chicken pot pie, pretty much anything.

He is still taking his 3 hour naps and I really hope this continues for awhile. Bedtime is about 8:30 and we usually sleep until about 6:30.

One of his favorite things is giving Bailee her treats, and watches over her to make sure she eats it all and eats it fast. Poor Bailee.

He really is the sweetest little boy who likes to come up and give hugs, make kissing sounds, or blow kisses...still working on actually giving kisses. We love this little boy and know he will be a fantastic older brother!

Ojai!

2011-03-30T17:32:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a week long trip to Ojai, William's fourth trip. We were hoping for some sunshine and ended up with a 100 year rain storm. The storm was so severe, oak trees were coming down around the town, one of which was in Aunt Betsy's yard! What can you do? We still had so much fun seeing everyone and hanging out with Uncle Ryan! William particularly enjoyed the dogs, Riley, Maggie, and Poppie. And, he loved going to Aunt Betsy's where he had his own special chair in her room, and he loved poking his head out the cat door watching the cats.

Plus, Reese Witherspoon got married the weekend we were leaving, so we were on celebrity watch. I saw Robert Downey Jr. and his wife twice. We enjoyed good food and can't wait to plan our next visit!

I wish I could say our flight home was uneventful and smooth sailing. But, Alaska Airlines' computer system crashed delaying our flight by more than 6 hours. It was a complete nightmare, but we are fortunate our flight wasn't cancelled. And, William was surprisingly good, despite being deliriously tired.

DISNEYLAND!!!

2011-03-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, we embarked on our 2+ hour drive from Ojai to Disneyland. We left bright and early and still managed to hit downtown L.A. traffic. We picked up Auntie Ellen from John Wayne Airport and it was off to the park! First stop was meeting Minnie Mouse. William waited very patiently for his turn ran up to Minnie, gave her a huge hug, and ran back.

We walked around the park to get him accustomed to the crowd. The park was busy with Spring Breakers! Then, we decided Winnie the Pooh would be the first ride. William loved it. We rode a few more rides, walked over to California Adventure and rode a few rides there before William finally passed out around 5:00. He slept for about an hour in his stroller while we ate dinner. When he woke up it was off to the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. We decided to call it a night and walked back to our hotel where we were able to watch the fireworks. After every loud bang, William would scream and laugh with excitement. We finally went back to our room and passed out. It had been a long day for everyone!

The following day we got up early and hit the park as it was opening. The first stop was Fantasy Land where he hit some of the more popular kids rides, like Peter Pan. Then it was off to do Autopia, where William was just tall enough. Jon let Will drive, and you could barely see the top of his head over the steering wheel. I think he liked it though. We met Buzz Lightyear, and William was so excited for that. We enjoyed our Mickey Mouse pancakes in New Orleans Square, looked at the ducks, headed to the petting zoo to pet the Billy goats and then ventured over to California Adventure. Finally, around 1:00, William was ready to head back to the hotel for his nap, where we all enjoyed a nice long 3 hour rest. Well, it was sunny when we laid down, and had clouded over when we woke up. But, we decided to venture back to the park anyways. It started downpouring just as we got to the park. Looking like a bunch of drowned rats, we walked to Rainforest Cafe where we were hoping to wait the rain out. Unfortunately, it continued to downpour and even with ponchos for William and the stroller, we decided it was just too miserable for everyone and headed back to the hotel hoping that the following day would be dry.

We lucked out because our 3rd and final day was dry. The plan was to enjoy both parks until William was ready for his nap and then we would hit the road back to Ojai. William lasted until about noon.

Disneyland was a huge success and we had so much fun! Just seeing the joy on William's face was well worth it. We're happy that Auntie Ellen was able to join us for William's first trip to the Happiest Place on Earth!

Piano Man at 16 Months!

2011-03-08T11:41:00.001-08:00

Our little piano man is 16 months old. William loves playing the piano whenever he visits Nana and Grandpa's house and the kid isn't half bad! Hopefully we will think to record his playing the next time we visit.

These days, William runs/walks everywhere, loves his Buzz Lightyear ride-on and Radio Flyer scoot-about, looking out the window for birds and counting the cars on the street, walking around outside and hitting bushes with a stick, cleaning up Bailee's food she drops and making sure Bailee eats her treats, loves watching Mickey's Clubhouse in the mornings, has to have a banana for breakfast otherwise he freaks out, loves reading all of his books, can make snake, dog, monkey, and cow sounds, can give "five," insists on feeding himself with his fork, is a huge grilled cheese fan, is sleeping through the night for the most part but is an early riser, usually around 6:15-6:30, thinks any and everything is a phone that he'll hold up to his ear and say "hello," and has outgrown his first pair of shoes.

We are eagerly looking forward to our trip to Ojai and DISNEYLAND in the coming weeks. We'll let you know all about it!

More Snow!

2011-02-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Today we woke up to about 6 inches of snow and couldn't believe our eyes! William loved looking out the windows and kept repeating "oh" and pointing. So, with the memory of the fit of the century still very vivid, I got William bundled up and we headed out. After about 45 minutes of playing with Bailee, William had had enough and wanted to come back inside...thank goodness! Fit of the century was averted this go around, and we had so much fun throwing the snow around! Who knows, maybe we'll venture back out when Daddy gets home!

First "Real" Snow!

2011-02-24T10:07:00.000-08:00

On the 22nd, we had our first "real" snow, where we actually got some accumulation. William and I had been watching the snow out the front window and rear slider door all day. The little man was amazed by the white stuff falling from the sky. When Daddy got home, there was enough on the ground to warrant bundling up, and heading out to explore. The snow was definitely a hit, so much so that William treated us to the fit of the century when it was time to come inside.

15 Months (A Little Late!)

2011-02-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

February 2nd William had his 15 Month Well Child visit with Dr. Shifrin. I know, I know, I've been really slow about updating the blog...better late than never though, right? William and I have both been battling the worst cold ever, but I'm happy to announce after 10+ days, I think we've finally beat it!

The Dr. visit couldn't have gone better. William is still growing like a weed and hitting all of his developmental milestones. These days he's definitely fine tuning his walking (or should I say running) skills. He's a man on the move, that's for sure!

15 Month Stats:

Weight: 26 lbs 12 oz

Length: 32 inches

William & Daddy having FUN!

2011-01-26T19:39:00.001-08:00

First Steps!

2011-01-26T19:35:00.002-08:00

Happened on January 25th!

William talking on his cell phone!

2011-01-26T19:35:00.001-08:00

It's SNOWING!

2011-01-11T20:36:00.001-08:00

Well, after much talk and anticipation, it finally started to snow around 7:00 tonight. And, while it's expected to turn to rain and melt before we wake up, we were still excited! All we had to say was "It's snowing" and William would go "Ohhhh." We took him out and he held out his hand, loving every minute of it. He's a true Seattle boy, getting excited at only a trace amount of snow!

14 Months!

2011-01-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

Our little boy is 14 months old and took his first steps on January 2nd! We're sure any day he's going to take off, but for now he seems content crawling. Although, he has started an "on guard" crawl so he can carry stuff in his hands. Hopefully we can get a photo of this to share.

He's very talkative and really likes babbling. His favorites are "bee, bee, bee" and "me, me, me."

We brushed his teeth for the first time and now have a regular brushing routine. And, we've upgraded his bath to a "big boy" bath. No more little blue tub.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had! William treated us to a 7:40 wake-up, much better than his normal 6-6:30 wake-up. We opened gifts, got to enjoy breakfast with Boomie and Papa before they headed off to Bellingham, and opened more gifts. William took his normal 3 hour nap and then it was off to Nana and Grandpa's house for us where we opened more gifts and enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner. Here are a few photos from our day!

Happy Christmas Eve!

2010-12-27T15:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we enjoyed a delicious prime rib dinner at Boomie & Papa's house. William had so much fun playing with Boomie & Papa! Then it was home so we could get to bed to see what Santa would bring us!

Pre-Christmas Festivities!

2010-12-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

Leading up to Christmas, we were busy, busy, busy, but had some time for fun. We went up to Bellingham and celebrate Jacob's 6th birthday! William loved playing with his cousins, Jacob & Owen!

We had Jason & Caitlin over for dinner, and Will was sure to take full advantage of a new book reader!

Will visited Santa Claus at Nordstroms where the photographer remarked "that went a lot better than I expected." William was much more interested in pointing out all the lights to Santa and was quite the social butterfly. We ended up with a smiling photo and everyone was happy!

We made a ginger bread house!

And I baked 6 different cookies...sugar, snickerdoodle, peanut butter chocolate kiss, chocolate chip, white chocolate chip, and pecan balls. William was quite the little helper in the kitchen and helped sample some of the sugar cookies!

13 Months (A little late!)

2010-12-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, William is almost 14 months old and I promise to have a 14 month update in the next few days. First, a little note on our big 13 month old. He never ceases to amaze us, and is in love with all of his toys, and especially his books. When we returned from our Thanksgiving Ojai trip, William made a beeline to his toys and was non-stop play, play, play. William loves to point, loves lights...Jon is convinced William can say "light", and loves pictures. Whenever we point something out to him, his response is "huh." He smiles all the time and is so good natured. Here are some Yuen Lui pictures we had done about mid-November.

*Note to self on the Yuen Lui pictures, if a background looks funny in person, it's going to look funny as a photo. Lesson learned and we will definitely speak up next time...at least it provides some humor and I'm sure Will will ask us what on earth we were thinking when he gets older!

Go Cougs!

2010-12-04T20:46:00.001-08:00

Apple Cup this year was exciting and the Cougs almost pulled off a victory. The final score was 35-28. William sure had a lot of fun!

Brownies & Lemonade...YUM!!!

2010-11-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, Jon and I were both battling colds this trip, so we were only able to squeeze in a short visit with Aunt Betsy and Uncle Mike. It was nonetheless great to see them and be spoiled with Betsy's brownies and lemonade. The brownies and lemonade are definitely something we look forward to everytime we visit.

Shelf Road!

2010-11-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

No trip to Ojai would be complete without our Shelf Road walks. We are always on the lookout for creepy crawlies (one time Jon and I ran into a rattle snake about to eat his mouse breakfast). This trip we were treated to a coyote sighting!

Ojai Thanksgiving!

2010-11-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed the traditional Thanksgiving spread (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole) outside this year, and what a treat it was! The Signal house kitchen, despite its small size, easily handled the feast we enjoyed with the Currans.

Reese Witherspoon...FINALLY!

2010-11-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

For the past 6-7 years, everytime Jon and I travel to Ojai, we cross our fingers that we will finally run into Reese Witherspoon, who has a house there. It seemed like everyone ran into her, except for us. Well, this trip we finally ran into her at Monte Grapa Osteria, the Italian restaurant in town. Reese, her two kids, and boyfriend sat at the table behind us. I enjoyed dinner listening to her talk to her kids about their Thanksgiving with their dad, the plane ride, and her filming in Vancouver. William, the little social kid he is, entertained us with a game of peek-a-boo and I could hear Reese tell her kids..."Look at that cute baby." William gets this compliment more times than I can count. However, hearing it come from Reese's mouth totally made my night!!!

Bates Beach (aka Rincon Point)!

2010-11-28T13:14:00.001-08:00

Another favorite to-do outing when we visit Ojai is to visit the beach. We love looking for beach glass, watching for dolphins (which we saw two!), and getting our feet in the sand.

Santa Barbara Zoo!

2010-11-28T13:02:00.000-08:00

The Santa Barbara Zoo has become a favorite to-do outing for us when we visit Ojai. Boomie and Papa joined us. Will loved seeing the birds, especially the parrots, the giraffes, elephants, penguins, lions, and monkeys. We also took our first train ride around the zoo. We can't wait for our next zoo visit!

12 Month Check-Up!

2010-11-28T12:35:00.000-08:00

William had his big 12 month well check. His stats were:

Weight: 25 lbs

Length: 31 inches

He has gained 18.75 lbs since he was born, the average is 12-16 lbs. And, William has grown 11.5 inches. The average is 10-11 inches. Not bad for being born 5 weeks early!

Oh, and William got his first pair of shoes from Stride Rite. The boy has extra-wide feet (size 4.5) that are almost as long as they are wide.