Levi's work Christmas party was tonight -- our first night away from Blake together. We headed off to Bellevue for the party & lucky Blake spent the evening with the Soltani family. It was so fun (& comforting) to get updates about how things were going. I love seeing my dear friend's family loving & caring for our little boy!

Noah held him multiple times & even sang sweet lullabies when he thought no one was listening.

 Modern technology sure has taken the stress out of leaving your baby for your first evening out together. Not only was I able to get updates about how Blake was doing, but I was able to receive these precious photos of the great time he was having! Thank you Solatani family (& Kathy) for taking such wonderful care of Blake & gifting us with our first evening out.

2 Months

Blake hit 8 weeks last Saturday & today we got the official stats at his 2 month well check.
Weight: 13 lbs, 4 oz -- 90-95%
Height: 23.75 inches -- 75-90%
He still prefers to have his hands out where he can wave them around (see above photo) & he kicks his legs much more now also. Just this week he rolled over for the first time, surprising himself & us! We are delighting in how expressive he is & his interactions with everyone around him. He smiles very readily & "talks" with coos & squawks. 

He loves being around people & gets fussy if removed from all the activity.

He has changed so much in two months but one thing stays the same -- he is such a joy!

Westlake Carousel

We went on a little Christmas outing yesterday with Opa Alan to the carousel at Westlake Center. Blake got to try out his vintage REI winter suit (thanks Clarissa & family) -- it's pretty big still but kept him nice & warm.

So warm that he slept through the carousel ride & the entire downtown outing. We probably all enjoyed it better that way. :)

 

After listening to a lot of carousel music at home, Alan was disappointed that they weren't playing authentic carousel music, but Christmas music instead. Perhaps he will find some Christmas carousel music to suggest to them for next year.  :)

We're in trouble...

I'm not sure who was more surprised when this first happened, Blake or me. He was pretty stunned that he'd managed to get himself out of much-hated tummy time. I'm fairly certain (or at least hopeful) that it will take him longer to figure out how to roll from back to front, but we definitely need to keep an eye on our little guy!

Smiley Boy

I was warned about the onslaught of emotions when your baby is born (though nothing prepares you for what is actually feels like). But I was not prepared for the tidal wave of emotions when your baby smiles at you. I can't get enough of Blake's smile -- he grins & coos & is beginning to laugh, & all the while my heart is melting that this amazing, happy little boy is mine.

Thanksgiving Week 3

Hoo me?

Salmon in Piper's Creek

Last Thursday Blake & I met Opa Alan for an outing to see the salmon running in Piper's Creek. The creek runs through Carkeek Park & empties into Puget Sound, all within the urban surroundings of north Seattle neighborhoods. Carkeek is a childhood stomping ground -- many visits with Small Faces Daycare & walking the railroad tracks with Alan. I have known this small creek for decades & it was so exciting to walk along the banks & see salmon resting in the pools, some as big as 15 inches!

 Below is a little excerpt from the Ballard blog about the salmon. They continue to run into December so I hope you get out to see them!

The salmon in Pipers Creek are chum salmon, which were a gift to Seattle from the Suquamish Tribe for the Piper’s Creek salmon stock supplementation program, according to Seattle Parks and Recreation. After two to five years at sea, they are now returning as 10-22 pound adult fish, ready to spawn. Seattle Parks says the returning salmon include fish released through the stock supplementation program and possibly descendants of fish that spawned naturally in the creek. Up to 600 salmon return to Piper’s Creek between October and December.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Week 2

Weekend Smiles

Over here we've had a lovely, full weekend: Saturday we had a photo shoot with friend Rebekah Gough, who recently started her own photography business! It was a gorgeous, chilly day at Discovery Park & we are eager to see the photos she took of our little family. After the shoot, we warmed up with lunch at the Jolly Roger Taproom & then dinner with our dear friends the Walkers. The smiley photo above was taken this morning before we headed off to church, then lunch with Grandma Jo & Great Auntie Mel. Ready for bed now!

Future Babysitter

Alina was very excited to hold Blake.

He was pretty excited too.  :)

Note to Self...

Nothing motivates you to get over the fear of cutting your baby's fingernails more than him scratching his face until he screams & bleeds.

Trying to capture Blake's smiles on camera...they are becoming more & more frequent.

Thanksgiving Week One

Election Day (post nap)

Blake is not too concerned about the elections...

November -- Capturing Our Blessings

Every November for a couple years now my dear friend Kristen & her wonderful sister-in-law Rebekah, have posted a photo a day -- a moment of thanksgiving for something beautiful from their day. I joined them two years ago & will do so again this year. But to keep my life simple, I'll be posting it to Facebook daily & then posting the week's collection here. I will also forgive myself for poor quality photos shot on my phone -- it is, after all, an exercise in thanksgiving, not perfection. So, look for my daily post on Facebook & look here for the last few days collected together.

Perhaps you will join us.

Halloween

Halloween was a little different this year.

Instead of planning & creating my own costume, I threw together an infant candy corn costume for Blake.

Instead of going to a bar or a rowdy party...

...we had dinner with my family & visited a few of the neighbors.

Instead of costumes...

...we were dressed as new parents, with burp cloths stuck in our back pockets (not planned).

And it was wonderfully fun. :)

Candy Corn!