Mommy-Blakey Time

I got to spend today with Blakey. It was a good, full day.

We started it off with pumpkin pancakes (he ate 3!) & Aunt Debbie's video of her koi pond, with the voices of Blake's little cousins in the background. He must've watched it 30 times this morning. Then we headed out for a walk on our nature trail. We didn't see any ducks, but it's astounding how much the grass has grown in just the past week.

 Soon after we got back from our long walk, he took a 2+ hour nap, enabling me to get some work done. After nap, we ate our lunch sitting in the sunshine in the backyard. That was followed by lots & lots of water play. Some water even managed to make it on the plants.

At 3pm, we headed off to spent a couple hours with our good friends, Lucy & Hunter (& their momma, Corre). Blake really enjoyed playing with the twins & everyone had a great time clambering all over the backyard toys, while Corre & I semi-relaxed in the sun.

And then dada came home & unfortunately Blake started falling apart a bit, as he didn't get a second nap. We got through dinner & he had an enjoyable bath before going to bed without a peep. Tonight he called me "mommy" for the first time (instead of "momma").

Misc April Goodness

Happy Sink Play

Gowey Shower

How to Throw a Joint Baby & Bridal Shower
 First, have two beautiful ladies (who happen to be cousins, as well as good friends) -- one soon-to-be-married & one expecting a baby boy. 

Next, it's very helpful when they have a color in common. The expecting momma likes grey & elephants, the bride likes sherbert orange & they both like light blue! With the help of creative relatives, have fun decorating with their colors/themes, including baby & bridal elements for each.

Use games that include both baby & bridal -- decorate a onesie for the baby & undies for the bride!

Gather loved ones & celebrate both special occasions!

Especially useful for large, close-knit families.

If possible, arrange for a visit from an adorable little boy. :)

Enjoy celebrating the two beautiful ladies & their upcoming special events. Save the games, decor & cute homemade touches to send home with the bride & momma-to-be as keepsakes or nursery decorations. Enjoy leftover food & flowers. Congratulate yourself for combining two occasions.

Easter

Fun, busy day that began with our sweet bunny rough-housing on the couch in Easter colored pajamas.

Church & photos on the traditional photo rock.

Followed by family brunch & silliness at Boo & Andy's.

And then cousin-time, egg hunt & dinner with extended family in Ballard.

 HAPPY SPRING!

Words

Blakey is saying more & more words & trying new things out.
Just in the past week, he's started frequently saying:

• up
• down
• hot
• hat 
• ball
• light
• dog

Fun.  :)

Baby

Blake has a little baby doll.

Today he spent some time cuddling her, laughing with her, feeding her & tucking her into bed. My mom got these adorable photos.

 

Spring Skiing!

Valentine Fun

I've always really liked Valentine's Day.

Not as a sappy, romantic day but as a fun day to tell your loved ones in small, creative ways how much you care. My momma likes the holiday also (wonder where I got it?) & I remember celebrating Valentine's Day as a family, with candy, handmade cards & sometimes little presents next to each place at the dinner table. I'm sure one of the main reasons we both like this holiday is due to our shared love of making cards. All my cards this year were from Blakey, most of them Batman themed. ;) Unfortunately, I did not take any photos.

In a small way, Valentine's Day is also the first hopeful glimpse of spring. By the 14th, you can usually see tiny pussywillows starting to bud on bare branches and bright, hardy primroses at storefronts. For the past couple years, I've purchased a flat (for $10!) of primroses at Costco & gifted away half of them.

This year, Blake & I had most of the day together, taking a walk on our nearby trail, making cheesecake & hosting some of our PEPS friends for a little gathering. Just like the cards though, I have not taken any photos of the primroses on my porch & sadly, I forgot to remind the PEPS gals to take some home. Please, if you would like a primrose or two, come on by -- I have way too many.

While I have, as yet, been unable to instill much romance in my thoroughly pragmatic husband, we do have our own little tradition of having pho for dinner on Valentine's Day. Simply & yummy, sometimes we go out & other times we dine in. This year, we thought it would be fun to take Blake to our local pho restaurant. It was a wonderful dinner out. Not only did Blake thoroughly delight our nearby dining companions, he also really likes pho. Being true to his love of spicy foods, he prefers dad's pho to mine, as he fixes his much spicier. We took a video so you can see how much he likes it.  :)

Working on the video -- I currently keep receiving an error message when trying to upload it.

We finished the evening with cheesecake (Blake liked it almost as much as the pho) & a few small presents. Blake loved his light-up heart (thank you dollar store).

I hope you found small, fun ways to show your love to those who matter most to you this Valentine's Day.

 

Language

Blakey combined signs & words into a sentence for the first time last night. We were wrestling on the bed after his bath, like we always do. Usually daddy is with us, but Levi was out for the evening skiing. Blake flung his arms out, palms up (sign for "where?"), immediately followed by the word "dada."

"Where's dada?"

"Dada is skiing. You'll see him in the morning."

:)