the Lindstrom family

the return of Sunday FUNday!

2010-06-18T11:44:00.007-07:00

The ONLY thing I like about summer in this God-forsaken desert? Sunday FUNday! What exactly is Sunday FUNday? Well once the pool water is bearable and the heat is not we pack up the kids and head to the Browns' for some fun in the sun. We started the tradition last summer and so far this year it's going strong yet again. Here's a glimpse of the 2010 inaugural Sunday FUNday a few weeks ago...

It's enough to make a kid HUNGRY. Or ready for a nap. Heck it tends to have that effect on us adults as well.

And what's better than Sunday FUNday? Being able to have Monday FUNday the very next day!

Oh, and remember those not-so-encouraging pics from Alex's first day of swim lessons? Let's just say he's come a long way. Here he is "practicing" all on his own just a month later. I swear he did this at least 20 times that day (and every FUNday since). It's not the best representation of his skills since he's on a shallow step but you get the idea. He's becoming quite the swimmer!

Avery likes to get in on the swim action too. As a matter of fact, it's hard to keep this kid out of the water. Alex's swim instructor has actually agreed to give him a shot at lessons so next week he gets to show us what he's really got too!

look who's ONE!

2010-06-08T16:36:00.005-07:00

That's right. It's already been ONE WHOLE YEAR since Avery literally floated into our lives (right here in our very own bath tub as my mom likes to point out every chance she gets). Maybe one of you can tell me where exactly the time has gone because I have no idea. We must have been having too much fun because that's what Avery's all about. He is the happiest, smiliest, giggliest little guy I know. In the past month or so he has finally figured out how to pull himself up on things and started cruising a little bit but I still don't think he's in much of a hurry to get to walking. Which is surprising considering he tends to be a bit mischievous. I mean the amount of stuff to get into just multiplies once the walking starts...but don't tell him that. He's also very independent and can entertain himself with something as simple as a ball or toy phone for what seems like forever. His favorite word of course is "uh oh" but he also likes to attempt "thank you" which comes out more like "ay ooh".

It's also been a lot of fun watching the boys' relationship evolve as Avery gets more interactive. I'm not sure who adores who more. As Avery's birthday approached Alex insisted on getting him a gift so one day after school he and I took a trip to the store. Twenty minutes and many mind changes later we left with just the thing. And of course it had to be wrapped in Lightning McQueen wrapping paper. Alex was so proud of our wrapping job (he helped!) that he had to a have a picture with the finished product. And then he had to have a picture of me with it as well. (More on Alex's budding interest in photography later...)

Then he proceeded to put his hand through the paper. Avery didn't notice.

Conveniently enough his birthday fell on a Saturday so we started out the day opening a few gifts and then had family and a handful of friends over for a BBQ. Much more low key than Alex's big event but just as fun and special. Thanks to all who helped us celebrate!

"Avery's 1st birthday"

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snip, snip

2010-05-18T17:12:00.001-07:00

I broke one of my most fundamental rules of babyhood. I (well not me personally) cut Avery's hair before he turned one. GASP! I know, I know. In my defense though I didn't even realize I had done it until the cutting had already begun and hey, his first birthday was only a week away. It's just that we were sitting at Lindsey's house and I finally realized what so many had been noticing for some time...my son did indeed have a mullet. And not just an "oh look at the baby mullet" mullet. A full on "I should be wearing a shirt with the sleeves ripped off and my belly hanging out while chugging a PBR on the hood of my camaro" mullet. Lucky for me Lindsey is a hair stylist and since she was well aware of Avery's mullet situation she was more than happy to hop to the task of relieving him of it. Even though it was already past bed time. Thanks Linds!

See? Mullet.

Just because we could... For the record, Alex would have made a much prettier girl. That is he looked much better in girly things as a baby. Don't ask me how I know. Sorry Avery but it's true.

All styled and ready to go. Home to bed that is!

garage sale!

2010-05-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't already know, my friend Lindsey and I have signed up for the Susan G. Komen 3-day Walk. We each have to raise $2300 to walk so this weekend we put on a garage sale to raise some money. Being first-time garage salers I think we did pretty well in raising almost $500!!! We learned some lessons and tricks of the trade so hopefully the next one will be even more successful. Thanks to those who so graciously donated all your good junk for us to hawk!

mother's day

2010-05-12T14:10:00.006-07:00

Let me start by wishing all the moms in my life a belated Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all got spoiled rotten!!! Unfortunately for me Ben was out of town so I didn't get much in the way of special treatment -- at least not in the form of sleeping in or breakfast in bed. But I did get to spend the day with my beautiful boys and my own wonderful mom so that was plenty for me.

The boys got me some very sweet cards and two new vibrant shades of nail polish. Alex was so excited he couldn't wait for me to try one out and since I had just touched up my toes a couple of days before, he decided he wanted to spruce up his own nails. As God is my witness I swear this was all his idea. What can I say? The boy loves pink!

P.S. Ben did take me out for a fun evening the Friday before and even got me a fun new toy -- a Nook e-reader! So I did get a little spoiled...

Alex is THREE!!!

2010-05-10T12:08:00.012-07:00

April 26th was Alex's THIRD birthday! Hey, better late than never. I have to admit I had a bit of a hard time with this one. I mean technically he's not a baby anymore. Technically he's not even a toddler anymore. He really is a big boy...a "Preschooler". (Can you see my big pouty bottom lip from there?) But enough about me. What a birthday it was!

Ben and I got him an outdoor playhouse he had been lusting after at Costco but Ben ended up being out of town for the week leading up to Alex's birthday and I wasn't about to unveil such an awesome gift in a box. So after some begging and pleading (and maybe even a little whining) I convinced my mom to come over that Saturday (Alex's bday fell on a Monday) and help me bang the thing out. I'll spare you the details and the none-too-attractive photos but come 11:30pm Saturday night (hey, we did have to wait until the boys were in bed!) we were finished. And there were only 2 screws left over! We were pretty pleased with our work and judging by the look on Alex's face come Monday, so was he...

Please disregard Alex's stylish ensemble. We'll just say one of the males in the house picked it out and leave it at that.

Happy Birthday brudder!!!

Next up...THE PARTY. Oh, the party. We decided to keep it "simple" (can you see me rolling my eyes?). We had it at home, served snacks versus a whole meal, and kept to basic decor with a few key theme-inspired details -- a CARS birthday banner on the back wall, plates and napkins, and of course the Lightning McQueen cake. You know, the one Wilton sells all the supplies for in a nice bundled package complete with step-by-step instructions? Now admittedly it wasn't all that difficult to do and I think it turned out really well. But it literally took about 3 hours to complete (that's after the cake was already baked and chilled), a good hour of which was simply mixing all of the frosting colors. Needless to say it didn't get quite the reaction I was expecting from Alex but it sure did look good on the "paved" table cloth!

It was a beautiful day so we set up shop in the back yard and just let the kids have at it. And let me tell you that the Little Tikes bouncer is probably one of the best investments I ever made. Seriously. If you have young kids go out and buy one now.

It was great, don't get me wrong but holy cow who invited all those people?!?

We even had a couple of guests from as far away as Minnesota! That's right, gramma and grampa Lindstrom came down for the weekend. We had a great time visiting and watching them enjoy their grandsons. They also brought with them one of Alex's most beloved birthday gifts -- his first "big boy" bike. A LIGHTNING MCQUEEN big boy bike with training wheels and everything. I'm not sure who got more of a workout from that bike though, Alex or poor grampa!

day 1

2010-04-20T21:09:00.003-07:00

Summer is making its eminent arrival very apparent here lately with temps flirting with 90, roads nearly free and clear of "winter visitors", and the start of swim lessons. Today was Alex's first day back with the fabulous Miss Shelley and well, let's just say he wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about it as I was. But nevermind because by the end of the summer I can almost guarantee he'll be swimming the length of the pool, she's that good. For the next few lessons though I think I might be bringing ear plugs for poor Miss Shelley, my fellow moms, and the neighbors...

water baby

2010-04-20T13:00:00.005-07:00

Avery loves water. The kid goes nuts the minute he hears the tub start to fill, then splashes and kicks in a state of pure euphoria until he's completely water logged. So it was no surprise when he wanted in on the splash pad action at the zoo the other day.

Although I'm not sure you really get the full extent of his excitement from the photos so here's a little video too...

It was a good thing I actually remembered an extra outfit for him!

You might be wondering where Alex was while all of this was going on. Well, he was off "monkeying" around.

sad day

2010-04-19T13:17:00.003-07:00

I think the pictures speak for themselves. sniff, sniff...

BEFORE

AFTER

back to blogging...again

2010-04-05T21:43:00.005-07:00

That's it. I'm a blogging failure. I've fallen so behind I don't even know where to start. So I think I'll just start fresh. Wait, I've said that before? Sure I have. But you keep coming back, don't you?

Things are crazy around here. Ben has been gone a lot since Christmas. Like probably 80% a lot. I started working full time back in January and am really enjoying the job (and working from home!). Alex started an Early Preschool program which he loves and Avery is TEN MONTHS OLD which means I'm working on plans for two birthday parties in the next two months. Sigh.

Avery is funny, lovey, voracious, wiry, and dare I say a bit mischievous (I can see it in his eyes!)

Alex is vibrant, exhausting, silly, dramatic, and proving to be quite imaginative.

Stay tuned for more on these cute boys...

in the meantime...

2010-01-06T21:26:00.003-07:00

I just noticed I haven't posted a decent family pic in a while. So while you all eagerly await the impending barrage of Christmas pics, here's a family shot for your enjoyment. Some of you may recognize it as our Christmas card (and if you don't, don't feel bad -- our Christmas card list was extremely abbreviated this year) except this is the way it was supposed to look. You know, before Walmart got their hands on it.

P.S. If you design your own photo cards like I do, don't have them printed at Walmart even though you can get them cheap and they include the envelopes. They doctored my image even though I unchecked every possible box in the process. My cards came out dark and smudgy.

technical difficulties

2010-01-03T14:07:00.003-07:00

I know I promised to be a better blogger and I meant it, really! However my incessant picture-taking appears to have caught up with me and well, now my hard drive is full. Which means no uploading of new pics until I remove some of the {cough}sixthousandsomeodd{cough} digital images currently residing on my hard drive. No problem! I bought a 500GB external hard drive months ago that I've just never gotten around to hooking up. Well here I am with it all hooked up, ready to start backing up, only to find out it doesn't appear to be compatible with my Mac. Not sure how I missed that little detail. So back it goes and here I sit, ~~waiting for Wednesday when my new Mac compatible hard drive shows up on my door step~~ looking into online backup options. Maybe, just maybe, I can manage to thin my photo galleries enough manually to make room. But don't hold your breaths. I've got an entire 2GB memory card and part of another to upload.

So until then, please accept my deepest apologies and hang tight just a few more days...

the man in red

2009-12-23T16:36:00.007-07:00

It's no secret that Alex is not a fan of Santa. To be more specific, he is not a fan of sitting on Santa's lap. I think he actually likes Santa and the idea that Santa brings toys, but the prospect of interacting with Santa one-on-one? Not so much. Take last year's Santa experiences for example:

and...

But what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good screaming kid with Santa pic. Is that so wrong? Maybe. So this year when our friends the Browns said they were going to go visit Santa at the Bass Pro Shop I decided to try to ease Alex's anxiety by talking through the process. We spent the entire day talking about it.

Me: You want to go see Santa tonight?
Alex: Santa not scare me?
Me: No, Santa isn't scary.
Alex: I don't want to sit on his lap.
Me: But you have to sit on his lap to tell him what you want for Christmas. What are you going to tell Santa you want for Christmas?
Alex: Airplane.
Me: What kind of airplane?
Alex: A baby one.

We carried on variations of this conversation many, many times that day and by the time we left the house I really thought we had made some progress. I wasn't going to get my screaming kid with Santa pic but I decided my own selfish desires were far less important than my child's mental well-being.

For the record, Bass Pro Shops has a pretty sweet set-up. There's an electric train that runs around a miniature town (which Alex was mesmerized by), a slot car track, and tables where the kids can color. Genius! See, here's Alex working away on his choo-choo...

And here's some fine coloring left behind by another child, demonstrating the other choice in coloring pages.

That's right, a choo-choo or a hunter aiming his rifle. Only at Bass Pro Shops...

Next up, the main event. Here's Avery seemingly unaffected by his first Santa experience. Awww...

And here's the rest of the picture...

What happened you ask? Well as we approached Santa Alex began to cling to Ben rather tightly and by the time we were standing in front of him the whimpering had begun followed quickly by tears. Santa tried to offer some comforting words (as did I) but it was to no avail. So when I heard Alex whine that he wanted one of the candy canes he had seen Santa give the other kids I took my chance and said "well you have to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you want then." I have never seen Alex move so quickly as he did to look at Santa, spit out "airplane!", and turn back burying his face in Ben's shoulder. Santa produced the tiny candy cane as promised but wait, what about my picture? So I told Ben to peel him off onto Santa's lap and kneel there beside him if necessary. Santa looked at me like I was crazy as it was so you can imagine his face as I pushed my 6-month old into the crook of his other arm. I mean come on. Like this guy hadn't dealt with a crying kid before?!

Oh, and some have pointed out that they too would be crying if there were such freaky looking reindeer (perhaps once alive? quite possible based on the location.) only feet away. But no. He WANTED to sit on one of them!

So there you have it. I got my picture and 10 seconds later Alex was happily aiming a laser rifle at a target. Again, only at Bass Pro Shops... (Insert heavy eye rolling here.)

But speaking of screaming kid with Santa pics, mine are nothing compared to the doozy my cousin scored this year. Just check out the look on Santa's face! Priceless.

back on the blog wagon

2009-12-15T19:54:00.008-07:00

OK so I will spare you the sob story of why this blog has been so neglected for so terribly long. I got behind this summer (what, with a new baby and a 2 year old? noooooo...) and the prospect of catching up just became so overwhelming as time went on that well, it was easier to just ignore. So here we are starting fresh. If I find the time and inclination over the coming weeks and months I will try to go back and share some pics and stories from the past 5 months (holy cow it's been that long?!?) but I make no promises.

So to catch you up... Avery is now 6 1/2 months old. Crazy, huh? He is a sweet smiley boy who is pretty content to go with the flow. He is a peanut compared to his brother, only weighing about 16lbs (Alex was close to 20lbs at this point), and a little less "high needs". He is actually eating some homemade baby foods -- from a spoon!!! -- (Alex never would) albeit with a few digestive/allergy issues that we're working to figure out. Avery also has 2 teeth and is this close to being able to sit without any assistance. He enjoys pacifiers, kisses and watching his older brother's every move. I think he's taking notes.

Cute, right?

Alex is 2 1/2 and literally a laugh a minute. You'd be amazed at some of the things that come out of this kid's mouth. Some of his favorite sayings include "that's awesome", "in a little minute", "oh stop it" and the sometimes proper, sometimes improper use of the days of the week and words "yesterday" and "today". He definitely has his challenging moments and possesses quite a strong little personality but all in all he is an amazing charismatic little person.

Did I mention he has the best smile ever?

I guess I'll quit gushing about my kids now and figure out what I'm going to post next. Check back often because I'm gonna be a blogging fool. At least that's the plan.

Oh, and speaking of kids, Spencer would have been 4 on Thanksgiving. FOUR. As in years old. How time flies...

P.S. Like our festive new layout?

giggle of the day

2009-08-22T09:40:00.003-07:00

This morning as Alex was busying himself ripping up and crumpling Ben's discarded sections of the newspaper Ben asked "why do you crush everything, are you angry?" His reply? "No, I'm Alex."

take me out to the ball game

2009-07-15T19:39:00.004-07:00

A few weekends ago we tempted fate by taking both boys to their first Diamondbacks game with our friends the Browns. At 1:00 in the afternoon. For those of you unfamiliar with toddler law (or so far removed that you've forgotten) that puts the game smack dab in the midst of prime napping time. I can't tell you much about the game -- I was just there for the nachos -- aside from the fact that we played the Anaheim Angels, we lost, and Alex was amazingly well behaved for only catching a few winks in the car on the way there.

Avery slept nearly the entire time but did wake up every now and then to catch a few plays.

Alex and Peyton bounced around from seat to seat keeping each other entertained until Peyton finally gave in and crashed out.

Alex managed to power through and I think had a pretty great time although I'm pretty sure football is still his #1 spectator sport.

And the icing on the cake? Getting to watch the "choo choo" (aka light rail) that runs right in front of the stadium...

1 month: a recap

2009-06-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

Before anyone begins to worry that I've been swallowed whole by the vast undertaking that is becoming a mother of two, I thought I'd better post an update. The truth is Alex has become quite fond of the computer (and quite adept at using it as well) so it's something of a challenge to get on long enough to even read an e-mail or two, let alone respond to one, without him wanting a turn. Updating my Facebook status is sometimes pushing it. And well I just seem to find better things to do while he's sleeping. Like take a minute to relax and watch something on TV other than 'Cars', 'Thomas', or his new favorite -- a FAA produced DVD on Agricultural Aviation that Ben was kind enough to bring home from work. Or re-fold the load of laundry he so kindly "helped" me with.

But seriously, life with two is good. Alex couldn't be a better, more loving big brother and Avery sleeps. A lot. So far. It's too bad that after growing 3 babies and now juggling a toddler and a newborn my brain is completely void of any semblance of memory or I might have a few cute stories to share. I'm sure something will come to me at some point but until then, here are some pictures. Which I'm sure is what you're really here for anyway. There are probably so many that I may even break them out into a few separate posts so keep scrolling down until you get to something you've read before (probably Avery's birth announcement).

brotherly love

2009-06-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

If I were to be completely honest I'd say we were all a bit nervous about how Alex was going to take to having a new baby hanging around but this kid never ceases to amaze. Granted for the first few days Avery was "baby Alan" (Alex's cousin) but he quickly upgraded to "baby brudder" and eventually "Avwy". He looooooves his new baby brother and I can honestly say there's hardly a bit of jealousy there. Our biggest problem is making sure he doesn't smother Avery in fact. Well that along with reminding him to gently push the bouncy seat so Avery doesn't catapult out of it, your mouth is not a place for Avery's pacifiers, and yes you may kiss the baby again but please just don't smother him!

The feeling is definitely mutual being that Alex seems to be the only person guaranteed to get a big smile out of his little brudder so far.

squeaky clean

2009-06-22T15:50:00.001-07:00

Somewhere in the past month Avery got his first bath. Not much more to it than that except Alex reeeeeeally wanted to get in the tub and help. I managed to keep him out but he was not happy about it.

Avery started out thinking it wasn't so bad...

...and ended up changing his mind.

But all was forgotten once he was dry, clothed, and snuggled into the sling for an evening walk.

everything old is new again

2009-06-22T15:37:00.003-07:00

Not only does Alex love his baby "brudder", he loves baby brudder's things. All of which were previously his things though he seems to be enjoying them much more now than back then.

Alex in the Bumbo. (This one I find particularly funny considering his chunky thighs outgrew the Bumbo when he was about 6 months old yet at 2 years he fits quite comfortably.)

Alex on the Boppy (with a baby blanket).

Alex in the infant car seat.

And my least favorite -- Alex with the pacifier in his mouth. (This one makes me crazy. He doesn't even suck on it, just lets it sit in his mouth.)

pictures!

2009-06-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

New baby means a trip or two to our favorite photographer Kim Heffington. Alex and I went back in April to get some shots of he and I pre-Avery and then we all went again a few weeks ago to celebrate our newly expanded family. Click on the links below to see the complete slideshows...

http://www.kimheffington.com/show/lindstrom/

http://kimheffington.com/show/avery/

announcing the arrival of baby Avery!

2009-05-24T10:18:00.005-07:00

It is with great pride and excitement that I introduce to you the newest member of our family, Avery Lucas Lindstrom. He was born Friday May 22nd at 4:46pm, weighing in at 9lbs 6oz (a whole pound less than Alex!) and 20in long.

His birth day was amazing and overall very productive day for me. I managed to hem a pair of curtains, go to lunch with my friend Lindsey, and have a baby by dinner! Here are a few pics taken by my friend Andrea Trotter within his first hour. As you will see, he was in fact born at home which was the most wonderful experience you could imagine.

More pictures can be seen here: http://imageevent.com/andreatrotter/lindstrom.

catching up

2009-05-10T16:44:00.003-07:00

As you can see, I've been busy catching up on my posts. We've had lots of fun things going on the past couple of months so keep scrolling down to make sure you don't miss anything! But before life gets completely crazy with the arrival of our newest family member (due May 18th) I thought I would just catch up with a glimpse into our day-to-day lives lately.

Alex turned 2 just a few short weeks ago and has grown into the most fantastic little person (not that we're surprised). We ooh, ah, laugh, and sometimes cringe at all the new things he seems to be picking up daily. His obsession with all things motorized continues to grow of course and has even reached a new level in regards to the vehicles driven by those he knows best. Every GMC Sierra we pass on the street is "Damma's truck", every Jeep is "Mike's Jeep", every Tahoe is "GiGi's truck". Sure sometimes he mistakes a Honda Accord for Addie's Hyundai Sonata or a Chrysler 300 for Daddy's Magnum but who can blame him? A favorite hobby continues to be "driving" Daddy's car in the driveway as he has now mastered turning the car on and off as well as operating the stereo and garage door opener. But he also continues to keep in touch with his feminine side, regularly sporting Mommy's shoes, handbags, and cell phone through the house. I think he walks better in my red patent leather Steve Madden wedges than I do!

Seemingly overnight Alex has also become infatuated with numbers and letters. He "counts" everything -- "tree, figh, seben, eightnineTEN!" There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which numbers get ommitted (he does include them all from time to time) but the order is always correct. He's also become quite fond of the ABC's as is evidenced by our magnet-laiden refrigerator and foam letter-laiden bath tub. I might even blame my lack of blogging lately on the fact that he kicks me off the computer quite regularly to play one of the ABC games on the Fisher Price web site but that might be stretching it. Just a bit though. When I started writing this post (how many weeks ago I don't want to admit) there were a choice few letters that he had mastered and would point out anywhere and everywhere they appeared. It all started with the letter H which still remains near and dear to his heart, and has since grown to include at least half of the alphabet.

Here are a couple of videos that will give you a glimpse into the little person Alex has become. And I promise once I figure out how to rotate the first one so you can view it without having to cock your head to the side I will update it!

Well I could probably go on and on about Alex as you can tell and truth be told he's probably more interesting than anything else going on around here at the moment. Except for the fact that we're expecting a new member in a matter of days (??) I suppose. I've been working a part time schedule lately which you would think should give me plenty of time to get everything in order. Yet somehow Alex's big boy room is still yet to be finished (although work on it has finally begun!) and I've yet to purchase so much as a package of diapers for the new baby (not that we need much more than that with this being #3). Ben is working as hard as ever, flying all over the country and even beyond from time to time. He and Alex have become quite the pair with their weekend projects and outings. I can only imagine what the future holds with another little guy in the mix!

look who's 2!!

2009-04-26T21:23:00.009-07:00

Happy SECOND Birthday Alex! Can you believe it? I know I can't!! Where has the time gone??? We certainly had a great birthday weekend full of fun and celebration. Yesterday we had a party at our house with family and our closest friends. There were lots of bubbles, some wet 'n wild water fun, and of course cupcakes. Who could ask for more?

Alex & Peyton working the bubble machine.

Addie "working" the splash pad.

water balloons!

not sure who was more into the presents, Alex or Ben?

the fam -- me & Alex, Ben, mom, Mike, Angie & Alan, Scott

Today we got up and met the Browns at a local park that also happens to have a choo-choo. Imagine our surprise when the boys actually went more nuts over the humongous playground. Either way there was lots of fun to be had!

we always knew he was part monkey but future rock climber too??

the boy loves his slides! and this playground had some good ones!

all aboard!!!

Belize

2009-04-24T07:34:00.014-07:00

Last month Ben and I went to Belize with his parents, brother Alex, and sister-in-law Deena and oh was it amazing! It was a bit of an adventure getting there as we bounced from one airliner to another, on to a smaller prop plane to get us out to the island of Ambergris Caye where we were staying, followed by a cramped non-air conditioned van over to the dock and then a short boat ride out to the resort. Whew! It tires me out again just writing all that.

boarding our plane in Belize City. as you can imagine Ben about had a heart attack -- a turbo prop!? in a foreign country!?

just to give you an idea of where we landed -- Alex collecting our luggage

almost there! waiting for the boat to our resort.

We stayed in the cutest little ocean front bungalows and had the soft sand beaches practically to ourselves.

ours was the pink one, second from the end.

and this was the view from our porch.

one of the local residents.

I spent a lot of time lounging (yes, in my bikini thank you!) while Ben was a bit more adventuresome. He and his brother gave the resort's Hobi cat (sail boat) a good workout to say the least. I did tag along for a ride or two as it's a pretty good time.

my idea of a day on the beach.

Ben's idea of a day on the beach, 'Survivor' style (he collected and cracked that cocounut himself).

Ben, Alex, and Deena out for a spin.

We ventured into the town of San Pedro a couple of times to do some shopping and of course eating. Did I mention how good the food was? As you can imagine, the freshest of fresh seafood was abundant. There was also a lot of cajun/creole influence as well as curried dishes which surprised me a bit. I think I expected more of a Latin feel (being that the country borders Mexico) and got a very Carribean experience. This applied to everything, not just the food.

The highlight of the trip by far had to be the snorkeling though. We went twice while there and were just blown away. On our first time out we saw a nurse shark, beautiful giant spotted eagle ray, and a green sea turtle, all within about a minute of entering the water! The reefs were just amazing.

me, snorkeling. yes gramma in my bikini!

just a glimpse at the amazing reef.

green sea turtle we spotted just seconds after jumping in the water.

shark ray alley. it was only about 5 feet deep here. amazing!

I HIGHLY recommend adding Belize to your list of vacation destinations! A huge thanks to Ben's parents for planning such an amazing trip.

P.S. Did I mention it was "amazing"? Someone please get me a thesaurus!

Easter

2009-04-20T22:51:00.001-07:00

I have to say I think this Easter was my favorite holiday with Alex so far. He's reached the age where he's finally "into" all of the activity and excitement that a holiday brings.

The night before we went over to our friends' the Browns house to dye eggs. Unfortunately Alex's buddy Peyton was a bit under the weather and missed out but Alex became quite the little egg master. Who knew dying eggs could be such serious business?!

Later Easter morning we headed over to the Smith's -- in his favorite new set of wheels courtesy of Gramma -- to hunt for eggs with Addie. Again, Alex was a pro and had his basket filled within minutes. I think next year we're going to have to have the bunny step it up to intermediate egg hiding.

Alex had such a great time and wasn't stingy with his Easter love. Isn't he sweet???

Later that day we went out to Gigi and Papa's house for Easter dinner which was absolutely delicious of course. Here are a few pics in honor of baby Alan's first holiday...

Spring for SIDS 2009 -- THIS Friday!!

2009-04-19T19:54:00.012-07:00

Those of you who know me know that in February 2006 we lost our first son Spencer to SIDS. He was 11 weeks old. 2 months later I ran my first Spring for SIDS event in his honor at the company I was working for. The following year I was asked to join the National Steering Committee for Spring for SIDS and have been helping teams across the country raise money ever since.

Well, it's that time of year again -- the American SIDS Institute's annual Spring for SIDS fundraiser takes place this Friday April 24th! I apologize for the late notice but I've been so wrapped up in working with my other teams that I have apparently neglected my own efforts this year. Last year we were able to raise over $115,000 nationwide (over $6,000 of which was in Spencer's name) and hope to do even better this year!

For a minimum $5 donation you receive a Spring for SIDS sticker to be worn with a fun "Springy" outfit this Friday April 24th in support of SIDS awareness and research. If you'd like to make a donation, you can either give/send the money to me directly (make checks payable to the American SIDS Institute) or donate online by visiting www.springforsids.org and clicking on the "Make a Donation" link at the top of the page. If donating online please designate team "Remembering Spencer".

Since this is such late notice and if you won't be seeing me in person before Friday, if you plan to make a donation just let me know and I'll put a sticker(s) in the mail to you ASAP. Remember, any amount helps and all donations are put toward SIDS research and awareness. To learn more about these efforts please visit www.sids.org.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us remember our son in such a wonderful and important way.

welcome baby Alan!

2009-03-05T10:08:00.003-07:00

Congratulations to my "little" brother Scott and his wife Angie on the birth of their son, Alan Webster! He was born at 3:33pm yesterday afternoon weighing 8 lbs 6 oz and 21.5 inches long so he's the cutest little string bean! I was lucky enough to see him within about a half hour of being born and he was so wide-eyed and attentive. Alex can't wait to meet his new cousin and start teaching him the ways of the world!

vegas

2009-03-03T16:03:00.002-07:00

So for those of you who don't know, I have officially entered my 30's. It's true. And what better way to celebrate the onset of a new decade for a 6 month pregnant gal than a trip to Vegas?!? I've always wanted to go see a Cirque du Soleil show and Ben has never actually been to Vegas for fun (though he's been many, many times for work). Lucky for us the city is hurting right now so we were able to stay at the Bellagio for a steal. The girl at the front desk even saw it was my birthday and upgraded us to a strip view room. Take a look at that view... Jealous?

Adding to the good time were our friends Lindsey and Jarad who joined us on our little getaway. We did lots of shopping, walking, and EATING. Oh the food. And the walking. Ouch. Lindsey and I even got in the best massages ever while the boys learned their way around the roulette table. And yes, I did get to see Cirgue du Soleil. Awesome! Here are a couple of pics of Lindsey, Jarad, and myself waiting for our amazing dinner at TAO at the Venetian.

And here's Ben and I on the bridge between Caesar's and the Bellagio. It was a gorgeous night!

Can't forget to show off me in my birthday crown. Lindsey and Jarad thought it was just hilarious considering my "condition" (it read "Birthday Slut"). Ha! And what's Vegas without a little sparkle?

Thought I could get through an entire post without talking about the little man? Another HA! It was Alex's first ever night(s) away from Mommy but he had such a good time with Gramma he barely even noticed. Can we say "bitter sweet"? She even taught him that Mommy and Daddy went on an "airpane" to "Besas" (Vegas). Isn't he sweet?

our soccer tot

2009-02-19T06:56:00.002-07:00

A couple weekends ago we took Alex to try out a Soccer Tots class. Now one might think that soccer for a 21-month old might be a bit ridiculous or even somewhat "pushy" on the part of the parents but I assure you it's neither of those. It was actually one of the cutest dang things I've ever seen in my life! And our intentions had more to do with the whole group interaction and direction following aspect than hoping to foster the next Beckham.

Alex wasn't feeling so hot so it took him a while to warm up to things but once he did, he had a great time. And with the kids being so young, parent involvement is a requirement so Ben also got in a little work out. Some of the activities included kicking the ball down the field and back (amazing how well these toddlers did with this!), some red light/green light (by far the most entertaining of the class), and an obstacle course.

Apparently Alex's favorite activity of the morning was parachute time at the end. I think he enjoyed helping the grown-ups spin it just as much as he enjoyed riding on it!

We went ahead and signed him up for the rest of the session and he goes back for his second class this Saturday. Ben and I will be headed to Vegas for my fabulous birthday celebration but I'm sure Gramma will have pics to share!

gramma and grampa come to visit

2009-02-17T16:55:00.001-07:00

Weekend before last Gramma and Grampa Lindstrom came to visit from Minnesota. Unfortunately we weren't able to give them sunny skies and shorts weather but I think it was probably still a nice break from the below freezing temps and ice they'd been having. Alex had a great time showing them around! He took them to the park where they played a rousing game of "I see you!"...

And to the zoo where he showed them all his favorite animals...

He also took to some fun spots to eat and one of our favorite shopping destinations. There were also lots of play-doh demonstrations and lessons on how to play with cars. All in all it was a great weekend and he's already talking about what he wants to do the next time they come. But leave it to me not to get hardly any good group pics!

two peas in a pod

2009-02-09T23:08:00.005-07:00

Sorry Ben, I had to do it!

BUBBLES!!!

2009-02-05T11:25:00.003-07:00

It's been a while since some of our distanced relatives have gotten to see Alex in action so I thought I would post a video of some bath time fun. Don't mind the bite marks on his right arm -- he and a little girl at daycare have something of a love-hate relationship. This injury he earned after chucking a Hot Wheels at her head.

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-02T15:19:00.007-07:00

Yesterday was a historic day here in AZ. The Arizona Cardinals played in their first Super Bowl and Alex I think ate his weight in M&M's. You'd never know it by looking at the pictures but he was in a F-O-U-L mood yesterday but wouldn't you know bribery goes a long way with a 21-month old? See those M&M's in his hand? M&M's to put the jersey on. M&M's to put his hat on...

See the bowl in front of him? Yep, M&M's to go outside and play with the kids.

But it was all worth it to get this shot of he and Peyton, the cutest Cardinals fans around!

Here he is getting ready for half time...

and celebrating the Cardinals' awesome final touchdown.

Lindsey and I even got in on the team spirit with our matching T's. Don't mind my haggard look -- it was a long day and I'm in need of a hair cut.

Thanks to Lindsey and Jarad for the great time! And to our beloved Cardinals: Way to go on a great game! You may not have won the big game but you sure gave us fans something to be proud of.

sweet silence

2009-01-21T22:24:00.002-07:00

Need I say more?

I've been published!

2009-01-18T10:16:00.004-07:00

My "imaginary" friend (phrase coined by Ben in reference to the fabulous ladies of my online mommy board) Lee runs a great product review blog MySentimentExactly where you can find all sorts of great info on the latest and greatest in mommy and baby/kid products (not to mention chances to win some freebies!). She asked yours truly to pen an article on SIDS which can be read here: http://www.mysentimentexactlee.com/2009/01/facts-about-sids-and-halo-sleepsack.html. Check it out and also enter for a chance to win a HALO SleepSack!

did I forget to mention?

2009-01-10T12:57:00.005-07:00

We went for an ultrasound a few days before Christmas (I'm 22 weeks - almost 5 months now) and found out that Alex is getting a...

...baby BROTHER!!! That's right, it's another boy! I swear these Lindstroms should have been royalty with all the male heirs they could produce. Sorry the images aren't so great but I had to take pics of the ultrasound print-outs since our scanner is broken. Here's another one looking at baby straight on -- that's his head/face on the right and body on the left and you can see his little fist up by his head.

I know Alex is going to love his little brother as he's already been practicing on Addie's...

Cousin Christmas

2009-01-09T16:46:00.005-07:00

Last weekend was our I don't know -- umpteenth? -- annual Cousin Christmas. Now that we're all older, a bit more spread out, and having families of our own we've found it works well to just get together after the actual holidays and do a little extended family bonding. There are 5 of us cousins total but us 3 eldest grew up almost like sisters:

Beth, born in June 1978, modeling her new Snuggie (yes, as seen on TV). She keeps things interesting. ;)

Kelly, born December 1978, showing off her latest culinary specialty (yum!). She flew all the way from Thailand for the festivities this year!

And myself, born February 1979, demonstrating my flawless yoga technique on the Wii Fit.

Aunt Debbie even got in on the Wii action!

And a pic of the grammas with their precious grandkids -- my mom with Alex and aunt Debbie with Mason and Caleb (Beth's kids). Not bad with 3 wiggle worms! Aren't they cute?

daddy's new "air-pane"

2008-12-31T23:20:00.000-07:00

The other day Alex and I swung by the airport to see daddy. For those of you who don't know, Ben just returned from a 3-week stint at flight school in Wichita where he learned all about flying this magnificent brand new jet. We're very proud of our new Captain!

Alex was very excited to spot a "copter" landing not far away.

Getting a feel for the Captain's seat...

And what's a trip to the airport without stopping to watch a few take-offs and landings?

Christmas festivities

2008-12-29T21:18:00.008-07:00

I am actually a little embarrassed to even be publishing a Christmas post considering I did a horrible job of capturing the holiday. I really didn't take many [good] pictures at all and from the ones I do have, you'd never know we actually had a nice family celebration at our house that day considering nobody actually appears in any pics besides well, Alex. I need a do-over.

It all started Christmas Eve when we attempted to go to church. We thought it would be fun to take Alex to this ridiculously large church in our old neighborhood because of all the over-the-top festivities they put on. Lo and behold apparently we weren't the only ones with the same idea as we were turned away from the overcrowded sanctuary which holds over 1,000 worshipers. Unfortunately it didn't look like Alex would withstand a 90 minute wait in addition to an hour-long service but he sure did enjoy the cookies, cocoa, petting "zoo", and snow (complete with sledding hill though he didn't go down it). Next time we will make sure to get there earlier!

We came home from our failed attempt at Christmas Eve church and had a delicious homemade pizza dinner, just the 3 of us. The next morning Alex was up before the sun (as usual) and we lounged in bed for as long as he would let us before venturing out to see if Santa had come. I was dying to know what Alex would run to first -- the pint-sized trike complete with airplane helmet and bike bell, Little People airport, or bulging stocking. The winner? His cozy coupe. You know, the one he got for his 1st birthday?

When he finally realized there were goodies to be had what did he go right for? The Little People Airport of course!

He must have played with it for a good 30 minutes before he even thought about moving on to something else. And trust me Ben and I were taunting him like no other. I finally got him interested in his stocking though. Here he is surrounded by all of his stocking loot and where is his attention? The airport.

After much more coaxing and taunting I finally got him to unwrap his first gift (and what would be the first of many, many John Deere items) which he then proceeded to fixate on for another half hour or so (are you seeing a pattern here?).

Anyway, here he is with a few other Christmas favorites -- an actual ride-on tractor from Gramma and Grampa in MN, helping set up a real live choo choo from Great Grampa, and the trike from Santa that he took all day to warm up to.

I hate to break it to those of you who worked hard to give Alex THE Christmas gift but I have to say Great Grampa won that prize by a landslide. Alex went crazy for this thing, chanting "choo choo!" all afternoon and following it around the track. One of these days I'll get the video uploaded and share because it's priceless.

And a couple more from the day after with some of his other newly prized possessions just because they're so cute. Please excuse the aftermath scattered all over our living room.

santa, take 2

2008-12-21T17:08:00.005-07:00

Call me mean or even sadistic but I insisted we take Alex to see Santa at the mall this weekend. After being at a friend's house and seeing 15 or so years of shiny framed 5x7 pics of her kids with Santa through the years I decided I really want to do the same. About 40 minutes into our wait I couldn't help but wonder if maybe I was taking my own selfish desires a bit too far but hey, we were only about 10 people away from the man in red!

Alex was actually really good in line. the soft pretzels he shared with daddy I'm sure helped a bit. not to mention the giant Christmas trees bathed in lights. He was in complete awe as we walked under the tallest of the trees which sits right behind and above Santa. You could actually look up and see the inside of the tree, not to mention the lights flashing around on the walls and floor.

Apparently Ben was pretty impressed as well!

So after about an hour in line, 2 soft pretzels, and $19.99, this is what we got. But don't get me wrong...I couldn't be happier with my glossy 5x7! (Is that bad?)

'tis the season

2008-12-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was chock full of Christmas fun! We started off Saturday by having breakfast with Santa. It was a pretty cool and very well organized little event put on by the city. We went with the Smith family though you'd never know it since we couldn't get a single decent pic of Alex and Addison together. They were having such a good time (well for the most part -- see below) we could barely keep up with them! Of course Alex loved the breakfast (he's quite the little piggy these days) and his little goody bag, complete with CRAYONS (or co-cohs as he calls them).

However Santa, not so much. We even prepared by reading a Christmas book every night before bed for the whole preceding week. But what can you do? I still love the pics...is that bad? You should see the one they actually snapped us as a souvenir!

He did enjoy the patch of snow they had trucked in. Hey, you take what you can get around here! And of course the kids go nuts.

We also went with some friends to check out the amazing light display at the local LDS (Mormon) Temple. I know the pic is blurry but the flash just didn't do it justice. Those are 3 giant wise men leading camels in the front with the visitor's center right behind that and the temple backlit in the background.

This was a really cool talking nativity scene. The figures stood about 4ft tall.

Alex was in awe!

He and his buddy Peyton loved the live music put on by some very talented choir members.

And what would an Alex post be without a funny story? This pic was snapped seconds after he took a spill into one of the flower beds while attempting to inspect some lights a little more closely. I call this the "what, did I do something wrong?" face.

us, tackyfied

2008-12-06T10:27:00.003-07:00

Before you say anything, I know it has been forever since I've updated the blog and for that I'm very, very sorry. Ben has been out of town more than he's been in and at this point I'm not sure he's ever coming back. Hopefully he can manage a fly-by for Christmas. Just kidding, he'll be home before Christmas. Anyway, keep scrolling as there are a couple of new posts and pics I've added today.

And just for giggles, here's a rare family shot. Ben and I were headed off to a "tacky" themed birthday party but Alex just had to get in on the photo op. He put the glasses on and stood there all on his own. What a ham!

such a boy

2008-12-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

As if we didn't know this already based on his mischievous nature, no-fear attitude, and love of anything and everything motorized, Alex is officially all boy. Well except maybe when he clomps around the house in mommy's shoes... He and daddy spend a lot of time "working on things" outside on the weekends lately. That is when Alex isn't dragging Ben back and forth to the park down the block.

Here they are mowing the lawn...

And Alex's newest hobby -- checking the tire pressure on my car. More like letting all the air out...

turkey day

2008-12-05T21:30:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, I know we did! We went out to Mike's new house where there was lots of space, lots of people, lots of food, and lots of fun. Alex had a great time "hiking" the mountain out back with Ben and riding the quad. He claimed the biggest leg of the two turkeys Mike slaved over only to lick it! I think Ben was more than happy to finish it for him though...

Gramma was excited to bust out some Christmas books she's been hanging on to and of course Alex was happy to join her. One is a really neat pop-up of the Nutcracker that kept him occupied for some time (quite the feat these days!).

goodbye duck tail, hello big boy

2008-12-05T21:00:00.002-07:00

I'm sad to announce that I finally gave in and got Alex a hair cut. Our friend Lindsey is a hair stylist and was kind enough to relieve him of the wings over his ears and duck tail that had formed on the back of his head. I was hanging on to hope that they would indeed turn to curls but alas here in the driest of dry climates it was just becoming a funky frizzy mess. She didn't even touch the top or front yet it makes such a difference in his appearance! And he was such a good boy, sitting there patiently (once he got a snack of course) even though it was long after bed time.

Here he is the next day showing of his new 'do and his Vikings pride. Ben couldn't resist the pint-sized Peterson jersey at the Football Hall of Fame on his last trip to Cleveland.

And just because he's so dang cute, here he is loving the neighbor's trike (not to mention it's Backyardigans so I had to post for Cousin Macord). Guess what somebody's getting for Christmas this year?

Happy Birthday Spencer

2008-11-26T10:46:00.001-07:00

Today our angel would be 3 years old. We love you bubba!

Alex does Seattle

2008-11-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Seattle for my first business trip in years. All of the planets must have been aligned the day the plans were made because it just so happened I got to take Alex with me. My mom was already planning to be in Washington helping my grandparents move and of course jumped at the chance to play nanny for a few days. While I was busy working they were even busier seeing the sights.

The first evening we were there we were lucky enough to meet up with one of my online friends (or as Ben would call her, one of my "imaginary friends") and her son. We had a great time exploring the famous Pike Street Market and some of downtown Seattle. Thanks "Al-Dawg" (this is what her son calls her these days) for the great time!

here's Alex picking his nose in front of the market

and the boys on the pig

just some of the amazing fresh goods available there...
I brought a couple of these babies home and had ourselves one heck of a dinner this weekend!

I also couldn't resist bringing home one of these amazingly beautiful pepper garlands. I know, you're thinking why the heck would someone from Arizona buy peppers in Washington but I have never seen anything like them!

fruits and veggies galore

I seriously think we need to pack up, move to Seattle, and take up residence in the hotel we stayed in. Not only did Alex sleep like an angel while we were there, the view of the traffic kept him entertained for hours!

The second day there was all work for me so Alex and gramma hit the town!

They even took a duck (land/water) tour. My good boy waited so patiently with his duck whistle which he finally figured out how to blow just the other day...

I know you can't tell from this picture but apparently he was so excited to get on the duck he could hardly contain himself. Unfortunately he only lasted about 20 minutes before succumbing to the motion and hum of the motor and drifting off to sleep. Isn't he cute all bundled up?

On day 3 they hit the Children's Museum. Gramma says Alex practically owned the place. They were there for hours and he just kept going and going and going from one "station" to the next. He slid...

and shopped...

and "dined"...

and drove...

and created his own Mr. Potatohead (these pics amaze me because he looks so intent and is even putting the parts in the right places!)...

and painted...

and threw a tantrum or two...

and made music...

...and did so many other things any more pics would blow up my blog! But I think you get the idea. The kid had a pretty good time. He was such a good little traveler too (minus the 20 minute episode on the way home but hey, it was late, he'd had a busy day, and at least the plane was half empty!).

pumpkins and candy and tantrums, oh my!

2008-11-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Apparently fall has arrived though you would never know it from the 90 degree weather around here. But what else is new? As usual, I'm a bit behind on the blogging so this is going to be one full post. I'll try to keep the chit chat to a minimum and get on to what everyone really cares about...the pictures!

We started off the fall festivities with our annual trip to the Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Festival. This year we went with our fun-loving friends the Browns in the evening when it was cool enough to dress in jeans and long sleeves so we could at least pretend it was cooling off. The kids had a great time stuffing their faces, making friends, riding their first rides (well for Alex at least), dancing to the live music, checking out the animals, and of course watching the choo-choo!

group pic -- Jarad, Ben, Alex, Lindsey, & Peyton
(I of course took the picture)

the boys loved riding in style!

they couldn't wait to get on the choo-choo but it turned out to be a "haunted" ride so I don't think Alex was too impressed

a rare family shot

Alex was so tuckered out by the end of the night this was as close as we could get him to the pumpkins!

Halloween itself proved to be a bit of a challenge considering it was still in the 90's and Alex's costume was all fleece. Oh but what a CUTE costume it was! Here is he is modeling the top half at Addison's first annual Halloween party last week. If you asked him what a monkey says he would proudly reply "ooh ooh ooh!"

Here he is Halloween morning making sure our pumpkin was still out front. Yes it was 90-something that day and he's wearing a long-sleeved shirt but gosh darn it just because a kid lives in warm weather shouldn't mean he can't get into the spirit! Finding a short-sleeved Halloween t-shirt is about as easy as finding a warm weather costume!

Halloween night we went over to the Smiths so Alex and Addie could do some trick-or-treating. He was oh so adorable as he walked up to the first door and said "titoteet", watched a bit perplexed as a mini butterfinger was dropped in his bucket, and replied with a prompt "tay too!" He stood in the driveway pulling his one piece of loot out of his pumpkin, inspecting it, and dropping it back in a few times before we crossed the street to hit the next house...

...and then this happened. Yes Alex has hit the tantrum stage and hit it hard. They come on quick and without warning. Apparently we were done trick-or-treating.

So I picked him up, took him back to the Smith's, stripped off the top half of his costume and he was fine. Who can blame him? It was at least 85 degrees out and he was a sweaty mess in less than 10 minutes. Daddy gave him his first ever sucker and things were even better!

Oh, and as a bonus, here is Ben's brief tutorial on how to carve a pumpkin in 5 minutes or less. Ingenious!

Ben: Here, you try!
Alex: Uh are you nuts?!

nap time, a pictorial

2008-10-22T14:46:00.004-07:00

As many of you already know, Alex has never been the greatest of sleepers. So it's not surprising that nap time at daycare has proven to be a bit of a challenge. Our ever-patient sitter K has discovered that he will actually sleep (most days) but only on the couch, in the living room, with the tv on. I'm not too crazy about the tv part but whatever works. Depending on what time he goes down (which varies as greatly as the length of his naps) there may be a room full of kids or he may be all by his lonesome. Sometimes he just falls asleep and sometimes...well sometimes it results in a kodak moment.

On this particular day K had taken the other kids out back to play while Alex did his thing. When she came back in to check on him this is what she found...

She picked him up, put him back on the couch, and he started to fuss. So she tried to help him settle but he wasn't having it. She went to check on the other kids and when she came back he was laying on his tummy on top of the coffee table -- asleep. And that's where he stayed for the duration of his 45 minute nap.

This picture was the result of a similar situation. I believe she was actually able to relocate him to the couch this time without incident though.

Apparently Alex and Daisy (the boxer) favor the same corner of the couch. Most days they take turns pushing each other out but on this particular day they must have just been too tired to care.

playing catch up

2008-10-19T20:19:00.005-07:00

It turns out this working thing really puts a damper on one's free time and well, the blog is suffering for it. So I'm going to attempt to make up for my 2-week blogging hiatus in this one post.

First of all, kudos to those of you who solved the riddle! I knew it was creative but I didn't really think it would be that difficult to crack. Just know that if you didn't get it on your own, you weren't alone. Anyway, yes we are expecting another baby due around May 18, 2009 (originally May 17 -- it changed by a day since I last posted). Should be interesting because last 2 have both come on the 26th of the month which also happened to be 10 days past their official due dates. This one will obviously be breaking one of those traditions if not both. Anyone want to start placing bets now?

Back to the catching up...

A few weeks ago my friend Lindsey and I drug the boys out of bed at a grueling 5:30am to do the Walk for Hope and help raise some money to fight breast cancer. It was a gorgeous day albeit exhausting.

For being a lesser known walk it was amazing how many people were there! Here's a shot of the crowd entering the zoo which was part of the course.

Zoo admission was included for the rest of the day so once we finished our 3 miles we took the boys back for some fun. I think it's pretty safe to say that their favorite part of the day was the petting zoo/farm area. I mean they got to ride on real "ta-kors" (tractors)!

Peyton also enjoyed the animals but Alex opted to sit that part out.

He did however enjoy the farm playhouse. Notice that nice red mark on his forehead? That was courtesy of the header he took out of his stroller 20 minutes earlier at the Wallaby exhibit. Can we say bad mommy?

And finally proof that is was all in all an exhausting day. Anyone who knows Alex knows that this is a RARE occurance!

Last weekend I finally made good on Ben's Fathers Day gift and took him to the Neil Diamond concert. I personally am not his biggest fan but have to admit it was a good show. The man is definitely a born entertainer. Though after witnessing him live and knowing what a huge fan Ben is I have to wonder why it is that Ben refuses to take me to the theater, particularly musicals. I also have to wonder why ol' Neil hasn't joined the likes of Elton John, Billy Joel, and even Abba in taking his music to the stage. The man has Broadway show written all over him!

Think Ben enjoyed the show? (pardon the poor picture quality -- they were taken on my cell phone)

riddle me this

2008-10-06T20:42:00.004-07:00

First one to figure it out gets...

to cut the cord!

Hahahahahahaha!!! Just kidding.

About cutting the cord that is...

P.S. Look carefully -- it's a two part riddle.

word count

2008-09-30T16:31:00.008-07:00

Literally overnight Alex's vocabulary has just exploded! It's amazing the words he has come out with in the past few days. Not to mention trying to repeat others. Ben and I were marveling over this last night when he asked whether I had been keeping track. Well to be honest, um no. So I thought it might be fun to try to make a list. Here goes...

mama (and as of yesterday even a "mommy" now and then!)
dada
no
ball (baah)
shoes (shoosh)
cheese (cheeess)
car (caaah!)
truck (kuck!)
nose (noh)
eye
diaper (dy dy)
baby
boat
dog (dah)
bubbles (buh-buls)
duck
fish (shish)
tractor (ta-kor)
helicopter (ca-kor)
ice (aaass)
bye-bye
night-night (nye-nye)
hi
thank you (tay too)
uh oh
hippopotamus (buh-boh -- Sandra Boynton fans will understand)

He also identifies several animals by their sounds: dog = woof, kitty = mooow, monkey = oh oh oh, duck = cak cak cak. He's working on roaring (lions, monsters, etc.), mooing, and snorting (pig). And no, surprisingly enough there is no word for airplane as of yet. Just the "shhhhhh" sound as he moves his hand through the air.

The one that really makes me smile though is his way of saying "I don't know". It took us a while to figure this one out but every time you ask him a question that he can't "answer" he says "noo?" in the same tone. "Where's your blanky?" "Noo?" "Where's the tractor?" "Noo?" It's so stinkin' cute!

Oh! And I can't forget the signs! He does eat, more, milk, drink, all done, bubbles, and please.

OK so that's all I can think of at the moment but I reserve the right to come back and add more later...

he's obsessed

2008-09-24T19:29:00.004-07:00

Alex is definitely all boy all the time. He goes nonstop and climbs everything. He can climb up on top of the coffee table, dining room table, kitchen island, not to mention get in and out of the tub. And of course he is OBSESSED with cars, trucks, airplanes, lawn mowers...anything with a motor. The other day my mom was watching him and a show on corporate jets happened to come on the tv. He dropped what he was doing and was glued to the tv. Here are a couple videos my mom got on her cell phone of him immitating the planes...

wish us luck

2008-09-21T20:15:00.005-07:00

Well tomorrow is the big day. I go back to work. Real get-in-the-car-and-drive-40-minutes-to-an-office-for-8-hours-a-day work. And yes, that means Alex is going to daycare. We found a great lady named Kim who will be watching him in her home which is about 1/2 mile from our house. He already spent half the day there Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in an attempt to get him acclimated and did pretty well. She has an awesome play room and 19-month old daughter that keep him busy and well occupied. So be thinking of us this week as we all get adjusted to the new routine!

hey baby

2008-09-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

My son's first sentence -- "hey baby". Actually it was probably "hi baby" but the "hi" sure took on a "heeey" sound. The lucky lady it was directed to? My friend Benah's (rhymes with Dana) cutey-patootey 10-month old daughter Greta, last night at dinner. Alex is infatuated with her, as is evidenced by the following pics. These were actually taken several weeks ago when Benah and family came over for dinner.

A word of warning to his harem: watch out girls, he appears to be trading you all in for a newer model!

And I can't resist adding a pic of Alex and Fin (Greta's almost 3-year old brother). Who can resist the two blondies!?

CHEESE!

2008-09-05T13:32:00.004-07:00

Alex (or rather Alex's mouth) has been very busy lately. In a span of merely 4 weeks he sprouted EIGHT new teeth! That means in less than a month he doubled the number of chompers in his mouth -- 4 molars and 4 canines (the pointy ones). Get this kid a steak! He loves to show them off but don't get too close, he may bite!

we're back!

2008-08-16T15:38:00.003-07:00

Yes, yes we got home Monday night but it's taken us (me) a while to get re-situated and upload all of our pics (there were a ton!). We had a nice long visit with Ben's family and they were kind enough to bring out the best weather just for us. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was absolutely beautiful the entire time we were there. It only rained twice, neither of which lasted very long, and both of which were actually welcomed by us desert dwellers. We didn't even come close to having to break out the coats and hats this time!

We spent a week up at the lake house which is on Lake Vermilion (way up in northern MN). Alex was of course in love with everything motorized...the boat, the Ranger, the snow mobiles (which Gary started up one day just to let them run for a bit), and cousin Macord's motorized four-wheeler. He went on his first kayaking excursion and his first tube ride with his new friend Hannah. Hannah came up to the lake with her mom Jess and dad Tom who Ben has known since Jr. High. Ben's brothers were kind enough to give me a lesson in knee boarding which was a lot of fun. I am no longer the only one without a water sport! We took lots of boat rides and saw lots of wildlife. There were 2 duck families and 1 loon family that frequented our bay, not to mention at least 2 dozen eagle sightings.

As always we were a bit bummed to leave the lake but it was for good reason as we had our nephew Macord's 2nd birthday party to attend. The last few days we were there we just hung out enjoying the nice weather, good company, and let's not forget the plethora of motorized vehicles/toys. Alex is already asking when he can go back and have another tractor ride.

a check up and checking in

2008-07-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

Alex went to see Dr. M yesterday for his 15-month well visit and indeed all is well. He weighs about 27.5 pounds and is about 31 inches long. Surprisingly that puts him below average for height. Not surprisingly he is well above average for weight.

We leave Thursday for a nice long trip to Minnesota so I thought I would leave you blog junkies with a few recent pics to tide you over until we get home.

"powering up" just like daddy

licking his plate - um I mean the table - clean after a particularly tasty pasta dinner

the aftermath of said pasta dinner

wet 'n wild

2008-07-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

The Smith family came over yesterday for some food and fun. After dinner we took the kids outside to play with the water table and enjoy the "cool" (it was only 90-something!) weather. I think they had a pretty good time and we definitely got a few laughs out of it.

did somebody say airplane?

oooooh!

bubble time

Alex's idea of fun with the hose

Addy's idea of fun with the hose

um what is she doing??

water in his veins!

2008-07-24T13:06:00.004-07:00

Uncle Alex, Uncle Dan, Cousin Kelly, Ben, me, and now Alex... What do we all have in common? Swimming! Granted Alex is nowhere near ready for his first 100 meter freestyle but after 4 weeks of swim lessons he's well on his way. OK so maybe the class wasn't as progressive as some and maybe Alex only tolerated about half of it but it's a start! And today he officially "graduated" from City of Mesa's Swim Babies program. He's an expert bubble blower and can almost get out over the edge by himself (I'm sure he recites "elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist" in his sleep by now). He doesn't even mind going under (repeatedly) but the back floats are still going to take lots and lots of work. He loves jumping in so much I think he might be ready for the starting block by next summer although he won't get very far unless he figures out how to kick in the pool like he does in the bath tub. Anyway, here are a few pics Ben took last week when he came to watch...

to Africa and back

2008-07-15T20:38:00.006-07:00

I thought you all might be interested in seeing some pictures from Ben's recent adventure. It's not easy to make it across the vast expanse of Atlantic that separates the Americas from Africa so they had to fly up over the top. Their final destination was Windhoek, Namibia which is a couple countries north of South Africa on the west coast of Africa but it took them 3 days to get there and 3 days to get back. On the way over they spent the night in Reykjavik, Iceland and then Casablanca, Morocco. On the way home they spent the night in Accra, Ghana and then London, England. There were also many, many stops in between. Unfortunately Ben was a bit preoccupied with everything that piloting an international extravaganza requires to take pics everywhere he went but he did a pretty good job of getting the highlights!

approaching Reykjavik

the plane in London on a fuel stop

views from Ben's room in Windhoek

apparently wild boar are to Namibia what the iguanas were in Costa Rica...everywhere!

one day Ben and his co-pilot Shaun took a little "safari" and got a good look at some of the local wildlife

Ben and this rhino got very up close and personal when she tried to nudge him off the box of food he was sitting on!

they also got to watch a lion feeding

this is where Ben and Shaun passed a few afternoons. our conversation when he first told me went something like this...

me: you play tennis?
Ben: I used to be pretty good
me: and Shaun?
Ben: apparently he used to be better

Ben in Ghana in his full pilot regalia

flying over the Sahara

and the Straight of Gibraltar

daddy's home!

2008-07-15T16:08:00.001-07:00

Ben got home Sunday from a 20-day trip to Africa. That's right... 20 days. In Africa. Quite the adventure huh? OK well actually it was 14 days in Africa because it took them 3 days to get there and 3 days to get back. I won't lie, 20 days with Alex 24/7 took it's toll but we made it through. Poor Ben brought back a bit of a stomach bug with him so he's just now getting to enjoy being home. Boy did we miss him!

friday fun

2008-07-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today Nancy and I took Alex and Addison over to our friend Jeanette's house for a play date. Her daughter Ava is just 8 days younger than Alex so we all had a great time being pregnant together and now watching our babies grow. We played inside for a bit and when the competition for the pink princess cell phone got too heated we decided to cool the kids off in the pool. Addison and Ava enjoyed taking turns in the lily pad and showing off their new swim lesson skills while Alex pretty much just did his own thing. I was really hoping to snap a pic of the three kiddos together but no such luck. Go figure.

Somehow I've earned a reputation as the baby bang trimmer. Have a baby who can barely see through her long wispy locks? Not quite ready for the production of a professional first hair cut? Too afraid to poke her eyes out yourself? Call Jenn! Addison was my first victim -- err, client -- and Ava my second. She may look terrified in this pic but I assure you she was a very satisfied (and easy!) customer.

Alex and Addison finished off the day with a tasty homemade pizza dinner followed by a little tv and a nice relaxing bath. These two are quite the pair!

as requested, Alex and his "baby"

2008-07-06T21:22:00.005-07:00

As Gramma Penny commented on my previous 4th of July post, Alex was quite smitten with a toy stroller he found in Aunt Debbie's awesome toy room. He pushed it all around the house, the patio, the pool deck, and even through the grass and some rocks. It really didn't surprise me since he loves pushing his own stroller around so much. That is, me holding him under one (eventually very sore and tired) arm as he holds on to the handles and "pushes" while I attempt to avoid collisions by steering as best I can with my other hand. Do you think we would get even funnier looks if I brought a doll stroller along on our trips to the mall for him to push around instead?

fun on the 4th

2008-07-05T21:41:00.012-07:00

Yesterday we went over to Aunt Debbie's for an impromptu 4th of July shindig. As is customary with family bonding events at the Bills' B&B, a great time was had by all. Alex, who just started swimming lessons this past week, was eager to show off his new water skills...blowing bubbles, getting dunked without crying, and getting out of the pool almost all by himself! And then back in, and out, and in, and out, and in, and... You get the picture.

We sure missed Daddy (this pic is for you Ben!) who's busy working. I doubt they had fireworks in Africa but if it's any consolation, we didn't end up seeing any either.

(his shirt reads "Dad's Little Firecracker")

Oh, and if there was ever any doubt as to whether this kid actually carries any of my genes this should wipe it out. Here's Alex "eating" a tomato (Gramma P was so proud)...

And here he is tossing it to the ground. That's m'boy!

Thanks again Aunt Debbie and Uncle Lloyd for a fabulous 4th!

our little book worm

2008-07-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Alex loves books. And the funny thing is, he's had this obsession since before he was even born. OK well maybe it started out as my obsession... When I was pregnant with Alex I would tell anyone that asked what we wanted or needed just to get him a book. We certainly didn't need any more baby stuff and I thought it would be really fun to just have a huge collection of children's books. In the beginning he was of course more of a passive participant in our regular reading sessions but things sure have changed. For several months now it's not uncommon to find him sitting on the floor turning pages. Sometimes he flips through them in earnest as though searching for something while other times he seems to study each and every page so carefully. I love to just sit and watch him. As with most things we've definitely had our frustrating times...chewing pages, tearing at bindings, flipping pages back and forth with utter disregard to the story...but last week he did something that has made even the most frustrating story times all worth it. He brought me a book, climbed into my lap, and sat expectantly yet patiently as I read it to him. To me it's almost more of a sign of his transition from babydom to boyhood than walking. And granted we've now read said book at least 9 times a day every day since but how can I possibly say no?

neighborhood adventure

2008-06-26T17:09:00.010-07:00

Yesterday Alex was out front with Daddy showing off his new walking skills when he decided he wanted to take a little hike. So off they went across the street...

down the sidewalk...

through the rocks...

across the grass...

up a hill...

and some stairs...

until he finally reached the play set (which is about 100 yards from our house)!

And then he was ready to come home.

he walks!

2008-06-22T11:20:00.004-07:00

At almost 14 months I think we can officially say we have a walker! Alex technically took his first steps a little over a month ago but the progress has been slow and sporadic (by sporadic I mean when somebody other than me is with him) at best, which is funny considering everybody swore he was going to take off running the minute he figured it out. Apparently our little dare devil is afraid of something after all. Week before last Ben took him to open gym at Gymboree where they basically get free reign of a big padded room full of steps, slides, tunnels, teeter-totters...you get the idea. They'd been there about 15 minutes when Ben called to tell me that Alex was all over the place, taking 10 to 11 steps at a time. Of course he was...because I wasn't there! Two days later it was the same story from my mom. Then Ben left for 5 days and I am not exaggerating when I say Alex took maybe 10 steps the whole time he was gone. Ben comes home and what do you know? He's walking all over the place. Without bribes or coercion even! Granted it's still just from one object to another but sometimes he even gets back up and keeps walking when he falls rather than just continuing on hands and knees. And as you can tell, he's quite proud of himself. Can you blame him?!

starting him out early

2008-06-12T19:37:00.008-07:00

Ben loves to tell everyone how his dad had him out on the riding mower when he was just 3 years old (or was it 2?). I believe his parents will tell you he was more like 5 or 6. Well eat your heart out Grampa G because we've got Alex training for his yard duties at just 13 months!

OK, OK the real story is that we were out in the garage supervising as Ben hung some new shelves and Alex got a bit antsy just sitting in the stroller. As anybody who's been around him in the last 5 months knows he loves to push things around so of course being in the garage the mower was an obvious target. Not only can he push it, he can back it up, turn, and maneuver it pretty well! And trust me, it's not easy! He "mowed" past 3 houses and back, pushed it back up the driveway, and parked it in the garage. All that hard work and the 101* heat made for one thirsty boy!

Speaking of walking (sort of), Alex has been making great strides (ha ha) in the past 2 days. He's now up to 10 or 11 independent steps at a time and even initiates it himself (as opposed to being bribed and coerced)! I suspect we'll have an official walker on our hands any day now...

uh ooooooh

2008-06-05T10:18:00.001-07:00

Alex first picked up the concept of "uh oh" in March. Back then it came out more like "uh-uh". It was really more of a sound than a word or phrase but he did use it in the right context. The first time he did it I wasn't quite sure I'd heard right so I picked up the book he had just dropped and of course he did it again. Typical Mom, I was overjoyed with this "advance" in communication and he could tell so we repeated the exercise at least a hundred and one times that day (we were on a plane to Minnesota so what else did we have to do?) This continued for a few weeks and then he apparently tired of "uh uh" because it pretty much disappeared from his repitoire. Until last week. I can't even tell you how it started again but all we hear is "uh oooooh" all the time. And it sounds like a real "word"! You can actually hear his little voice! We obviously think it's pretty cute.

baby signs

2008-06-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to teach Alex a little bit of sign language for a while now. It started with me pumping my hand open and closed in front of his face (the sign for "milk") while nursing from about 6 months on. But as with everything else, he seems to be on his own schedule as far as putting it to his own use. So we signed up for a Baby Signs class thinking some formal instruction and interaction may help things along. Today was our 3rd session and the theme was bath time so of course it was a huge hit. Not only did class involve water (everyone wore their suits), there were bubbles too! Alex was most definitely in heaven. Some of the kids were a bit apprehensive about the mini blow-up pool but it didn't take Alex much time to start splashing and eventually "jump" right in (he was the only one to actually get in the pool). We've also done meal time which consisted of a pretend picnic and bed time where everyone wore their pj's.

So after 3 weeks of Sign, Say, and Play how's Alex's signing coming along? Well he's still using a double-handed "milk" motion for almost everything and there's still lots of pointing and "da!" or "da?" going on but we sure have something fun to look forward to every Wednesday morning. Plus Alex's new friend Peyton is there AND Mommy has a whole new set of catchy tunes to keep her up at night!

boobie boy

2008-05-31T19:44:00.005-07:00

One of Alex's favorite activities of late is to empty things. His toy bin, the laundry basket, the refrigerator, the tupperware cabinet, drawers... The other day he discovered the treasure chest that is Ben's 3-drawer night stand. Ben has been casting random goodies into those drawers since we got that furniture 4 years ago, apparently including part of a gag gift he received for his 30th birthday -- the Mini Sipper. If you can't tell from the picture, the Mini Sipper is something like a tiny ceramic coffee cup shaped like a boob. It even has a nipple on the front. Therefore it should be no surprise that Alex became immediately infatuated with it. Alex carried this thing around our bedroom with him for at least 20 minutes this particular afternoon, stopping every so often to take a "drink" (it was empty)...and no, not out of the nipple!

music man

2008-05-28T12:03:00.013-07:00

Every Tuesday for the past few months Alex and I have been going to a music class at Gymboree. To say that he loves it would be a HUGE understatement. The "theme" changes every 3 weeks so right now we're in the middle of Jazz which I think is his favorite so far. He's been quite the dancin' machine these past couple of weeks! We've also done Celtic, Reggae, Broadway, Big Band, and next week we move on to Folk. Every week we sing, dance, and play with various musical instruments and other toys. The "props" change about every other song and while in the beginning I would have to pry one from his hands (or mouth), he now actually helps put them away! Most of the time Alex is a bit of a class clown, cheesing it up the entire time, but sometimes he wreaks a bit of havoc bowling over the smaller kids (or inadvertently sitting on their laps) to get what he wants. But through it all I am happy to announce that Alex has met his first official guy pal, Peyton! These two definitely rule the roost!

The class is led by Miss Susie who is simply amazing! To watch her in class you might say she's a bit of a "pied piper" because the kids are just captivated by her every move (mind you she is the one with the toys!). Each time she reaches into one of those mysterious cupboards, each set of little eyes is just glued in anticipation of what's coming next. Jingle bells? Balls? Rain sticks? It's all so exciting!! But as enchanted as they all are I think Alex is particularly enamored. Dare I say he's developed his first crush? I mean you should see the way he smiles at her.

P.S. I couldn't resist one last pic because it just cracks me up. At the beginning and end of every class Miss Susie rolls out these floor drums that the kids of course go nuts for. We then sing hello or goodbye to everyone while the little ones "keep the beat" for us. As you can see, Alex just can't get enough of the drum...

so long old friends

2008-05-22T10:30:00.007-07:00

Today Alex and I returned Ellie and Jake to the Arizona Adopt-a-Greyhound group. We cried the whole way home. I'm sure they will find a nice, loving new home but there will always be a place for them here in our hearts.

baby steps

2008-05-19T13:20:00.003-07:00

Literally. Yesterday Alex took his first independent steps (with the encouragement of Daddy of course). He loves to practice walking (only with Daddy) and can even hold on with just one hand! At times he gets going with such determination and momentum that it looks like he's pulling Daddy along behind him. Let go and he sits down. If I try to practice walking with him he sits down. He's a very particular little guy. He barrells through the house pushing his cozy coupe (one-handed) like a bull in a china shop (a bull with a walker that is) running over and knocking down everything in their path. Know what I have to say about that? BOCK BOCK BOCK B'GOCK!!!

In other news, he went to the doctor today so Dr. M could have a look at the dog bite. It looks good and is already healing nicely. He weighed in at 24lbs 8oz and is about 30" long.

Alex's horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day

2008-05-17T13:53:00.004-07:00

As you can see by the subject yesterday was not such a great day for Mr. Alex. As it turns out he is only part monkey (though he appears to think he's 100%) and in testing his climbing skills fell off the couch and hit his cheek bone on the edge of our bed's footboard. Later in the afternoon I finally managed to convince him that playing with two feet and even his bottom on the floor can be fun too. At one point his attention went from cars to Jake and to make a long story short, he got bit. Nothing serious, just a nip on the shoulder. It wasn't enough to break the skin but did bring blood to the surface. So needless to say, Jake and Ellie are now at the dog sitter's patiently awaiting a new home. We'll miss them terribly but know it's for the best. There will always be a special place in our hearts for those crazy greyhounds!

pictures!

2008-05-15T17:01:00.005-07:00

We paid a visit to our favorite photographer Kim last week to wrap up Alex's "Baby's First Year" package and get a few family shots too. Alex kept us all pretty busy chasing after him but as always Kim managed to get some amazing shots. You can see them all HERE. Click on the arrow to start the slideshow. Being the thoughtful lady that she is, Kim even set it to Alex's favorite song off her website (he dances up a storm whenever he hears it)!

Funny story... Notice the rock in his left hand in the shots of him in the yellow shirt? He picked that up at the Wigwam (where the outdoor shots were taken) and unbeknownst to us carried it all the way back to Kim's studio. Of course he wasn't about to give it up by the time we discovered it!

olé!

2008-05-14T10:39:00.003-07:00

Two Sundays ago Alex went to his friend Ava's 1st birthday party. Being that her birthday falls on the eve of Cinco de Mayo, it was quite the Mexican Fiesta! As you can see Alex had a great time.

he's this close!

2008-05-12T20:31:00.005-07:00

(picture me holding my thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart)

To walking that is... Today we were at "aunt" Nancy's house and Alex stood up from kneeling all on his own with no support for the first time ever (at least that I've seen)! Sources say this is the big indicator that walking is soon to follow. He actually kinda sorta took a step/shuffle sideways before getting back down on his hands and knees. I know it's only a matter of time because he's been standing on his own for longer periods of time and his balance is excellent. He reminds me of a mini body builder at times because he'll stand there with his legs a little more than shoulder width apart and lift one end of his little plastic wagon from underneath while grunting and growling. I'm enjoying these last days (weeks?) of "limited" mobility because everyone seems to think that once he figures out how to actually take a step he'll be running. Lucky me!

Side note: Gramma Penny claims to have witnessed him taking a step or two on his own a few weekends ago at cousin Mason's birthday party but since I didn't see it, it didn't really happen!

$115,930!!!

2008-05-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is how much money was raised through Spring for SIDS this year! Last year we raised about $80,000 nationwide and our goal this year was to break the $100,000 mark so we are extremely excited! Thanks to everyone for your support and donations. This money will go a long way to fund SIDS research and education.

Spring for SIDS
American SIDS Institute

like father, like son

2008-05-04T22:02:00.006-07:00

I hate to say it but Alex is his father's son. {sigh} Not only does he gravitate toward anything with wheels, he's obsessed with wings as well. All he has to do is hear an airplane and his eyes immediately go to the sky. The second he sees one his finger shoots upward and he repeats excitedly "da! da! da!" We even have two picture books that have multiple pictures per page and he will almost always open them to the same page and immediately point to the airplane. And as if we needed more proof, just look at how happy he is in a cockpit...

new year, new blog

2008-04-28T20:17:00.005-07:00

Yes I know it's April but we just celebrated Alex's 1st birthday which in this house is a way bigger deal than the "real" New Year's Day ever is! I'm sure you're a bit disappointed to see me writing as, well, me but a) it takes a lot less effort and b) one of these days we will probably have another child and then I'd have to maintain two personas on two separate blogs and then I'd probably never post. So basically it all boils down to the fact that I'm lazy apparently. Besides, wouldn't you like to read about what everyone in the family is up to and not just Alex? (ok just humor me on that one)

Anyway... As I was saying, Alex is now a year old if you can believe it. We're not sure where exactly the time has gone but it managed to go rather quickly. And no, he doesn't walk yet. (Thank God!) He is however a very busy boy and quite possibly part monkey. He climbs anything and everything. One day Ben turned around to find him sitting on the edge of our bed (the top of which hits me about mid-thigh) when he'd been playing on the floor only seconds before. Lucky for us he has magically figured out that it's much easier to turn around and back down off of things than to go head first. This amazes me because it literally happened overnight without any direction from us. One day he's going over the side of the chair kamikaze style and the next he's creaping up to the edge, turning around, and shimmying over feet first on his belly. His vocabulary consists of about 3 or 4 "words" -- mama, dada, uh-uh (uh-oh), and da! "Da!" serves 2 functions: 1) to identify one or both of the dogs and 2) to identify (or question, as in "what's that?") everything else. How do I know the difference? I'm the mom, I just do. He's got a smile that will stop anybody in their tracks and a laugh that gives St. Nick a run for his money. He even snorts from time to time.

Sure he's changed a ton in the last year but I have a feeling all those posts that never were have nothing on what's coming in the next year so stay tuned...