September Dayz

One massive September post to bring us up to date...

Labor Day weekend

Fun with grandparents

The Seattle Great Wheel!

First bat & ball

Date night at the same $3 theater where we went on our first date, almost exactly 13 years ago.  :)

Family Wedding

On September 7th my cousin Patrick married his lovely bride, Lainey.

 The wedding was a small, charming affair at an adorable schoolhouse on Bainbridge Island, with no kiddos. Levi, being a good friend of Patrick's, was in the wedding. That meant that two nights in a row we were out with no baby, for the rehearsal & then the wedding itself. While childcare & ferry navigating were at times challenging (thank you, Soltanis!), it was rather nice to have two evenings away together.

Friday's rehearsal

The big day

Setting up the "make your own trail mix" table -- so cute.

The happy couple

All the cousins at one table = highly entertaining.

 While it was sad not to have Blakey at a family event, I really enjoyed being able to have involved talks with cousins & others. And since we had a ride back to the ferry, we got a bit happy with the help of the 10% Belgian! Fun times.

Sara did the "clean plate club" proud, in Grandpa Ed's memory.

The siblings

Congratulations, Lainey & Patrick!

We're so happy for you! 

Tillie's 7th Birthday

Our silly Tillie girl decided she wanted a clam bake for her 7th birthday. So we all gathered at a lakeside park to celebrate, complete with a delicious seafood stew that her mother put together. Add rowdy kids, balloons, a pet caterpillar & general silliness, & it was a fun afternoon.

Blake must've walked the equivalent of 2 miles all around the park with his push car.

This kid makes the funniest faces. :)

Starcrossed Cyclocross Race

The first repeat event of Blake's life!

Things have changed a bit since last year's race when he was one week old.

Ailee & Chris' Wedding Reception

Friends since preschool!

 Everyday

Outings with Grandma, playing in boxes, Facetime with Grammy & Grandpa.

Visiting the twins, playing with Calvin, running errands with mom & dad.

Walking everywhere with his little scooter (& very proud of himself).

Lots & lots of reading.

Eating our fruits & vegetables, sagging our pants & generally just being adorable.

And now for the two biggest events this month...

Boo & Andy got engaged while on their vacation in Cinque Terre, Italy!

Blake is very excited for Funkle Andy ("Fake Uncle") to become legit!

And to make sure he's ready for his duties as ring bearer...

 Yep, our little boy is walking!

It was over two weeks ago that he took his first, highly-encouraged steps, between Levi & me. A week later, he spent one productive afternoon practicing standing up unsupported over & over until he had it down. He's been fully on the move now for a week & we're just waiting for the day he starts sprinting.

Compiling the month like this makes me realize how busy it really was!

One Year

It seems like a very long time ago that I was in the hospital holding this teeny, purple, brand new baby, but I can hardly believe that Blake is now a year old.

We threw a fun party for Blake's first birthday on Saturday (post to follow). Sunday was his actual birthday & we went on a fall outing with Auntie Boo & Grandma Jo to Sky Nursery. He went on a similar outing to Swanson's Nursery last fall when he was just nine days old. See for yourself the difference a year can make.  :)

My little baby is getting so big. Today at his one-year well check he weighed in at 22.5 lbs & 31 inches tall. He's walking & babbling & pointing & exploring.

It is so exciting to watch his personality & skills grow & develop. He discovers new things every day & is constantly adjusting & learning.

Some of my favorites...

His kisses -- gentle head butts.
His skunk stripe mohawk.
The way he points at things & says "ooh".
The excited giggle when he wants something (food, milk snack, favorite book).
His cute little mouth -- it was one of my favorite things about him when he was first born. He has my family's full lower lip.
Wrestling together on our bed after his bath.
 Stuffing his cheeks full of fruit till he looks like a little squirrel -- if he had his way he would eat only meat & fruit.
Baby belly laughs.
His love of music -- he asks for music with our own made up sign & then dances happily.
The way he kicks his feet when you pick him up.
His solemn face when he's outside, taking everything in.
When he puts a bandana over his head to play peek-a-boo.
Tired snuggles. 

Blake is so friendly & outgoing, eager to interact with people, especially those he hasn't met (you've never seen a bigger flirt in the grocery store). He's also pensive at times, processing his surroundings, especially when outdoors. He has extremely good hearing & is very sensitive to sudden, loud noises (he used to cry when Levi sneezed). Dogs are a huge favorite & he makes the doggy sign a dozen times a day -- when he sees our neighbor's dog, when he sees a dog in a book, when he thinks something looks like a dog, & even when there's no dog in sight & he's just thinking about them. It won't be a surprise if that's his first word.

And like every mother, I'm so excited for the boy he is becoming but so wistful for the baby that he is outgrowing.

Happy First Birthday, Blakey!
We love you so.

 More photos from his birthday outing.

Blakey & Calvin have a special relationship.

 

Walking

While Blake took his very first steps a couple weeks ago, much of his walking has been us standing him up & providing lots of encouragement to take a few small steps forward & fall into the arms of the other parent/grandma. Now, we can officially declare that he is walking. Yesterday afternoon he was playing in the living room & I stopped by birthday party preparations to watch him. He had figured out how to go from sitting to standing -- he would stand, take a few steps, fall, stand again, fall, stand again, repeat. Within an hour, he had it down & is now standing & toddling off, completely on his own. And perhaps more exciting (or frightening?), he will now choose often to walk, rather than crawl. Our little boy is getting so big!

37/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Pumpkin

Don't want to leave you hanging while I'm trying to catch up on posts, so here's a fun one. 

 

36/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

35/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."