Camping with Grandma

This weekend we went camping with Grandma, who arrived here late Friday night. We stayed at a new spot called Denny Creek, in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest just a couple of miles away from Snoqualmie Pass.

Saturday was a cloudy day, and we knew that there was a pretty good chance of rain, but just after lunch we got a beautiful blast of sunshine and decided to go for it anyway.

The kids are getting pretty adept at camping after our last excursion to Oregon with Uncle Eric. While we were setting up, Nora helped me keep track of the tent stakes. Nic was content to watch us from the confines of his Pack-and-Play. Our dinner Saturday night consisted of classic camping fare with a slight variation: I forgot to pack the graham crackers. We were forced to improvise on the recipe and discovered a delicious (and gluten free!) substitute: putting chocolate and raspberries inside a roasted marshmallow. Yummy!!

The next morning we packed up our soggy tents (the rain had finally caught up to us) and headed out on the trail to Franklin Falls. It was an easy hike along Denny Creek to a beautiful waterfall. We could see the westbound lanes of I-90 on a bridge far above us. The water in the river was crystal clear.

We made a couple of stops on the way home...first at the Snoqualmie Brewery for some fantastic sandwiches (and beer!), and then a roadside stand where we got a great price on some locally-grown peaches and nectarines. April made a salsa out of the peaches for dinner tonight which was fantastic.

We're hoping to squeeze in one more camping trip this season before the weather and our schedules become too crazy.

Nic Giggling

Nora "jumps on it"!

At the zoo with Kristian

Will it happen soon?

Nic has been pulling his knees up and almost under himself for the past couple of days. He sure looks happy in this picture! I think he's ready...I'm just not sure if I am :-)

Favorite Pastime

Golden Garden Park

Nic enjoyed his first sand experience,














Nora and Uncle Eric made a sand castle,














and Nic got some lovin' on the beach!

Big Boy Sleeper!

Nic is officially falling asleep on his own without the Miracle Blanket! Jessica was right...babies that sleep through the night will continue to do so with or without swaddling.

Oregon

Oregon

Trip to Oregon with Uncle Eric

We spent the last few days hiking through the Columbia River Gorge, Portland, and the Oregon Coast with Uncle Eric and his friends. We saw some incredible scenery...lots of waterfalls, beautiful mountains, acres of hop plants (ok...maybe beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder), and a spectacular sunset over the Pacific at Nehalem Bay.

Nora impressed all of us with her stamina...she made it through almost 2 miles of hiking on the first day completely on her own feet.

Lots of great pictures...more will be posted soon.

Big HUGE Fishies

Jay and Brian were extremely proud of their catch!









Look at those bass!










And the best part? Eating them, of course!

Company Picnic

On Sunday we went to the Microsoft Company Picnic, which is held every year at a farm near North Bend. It's not really accurate to call it a "picnic" anymore, since the event is now attended by tens of thousands of people over three days. It's more like a carnival.

This was our first year at the picnic. April and I were stunned by the sheer scale of the event. The site is easily over 100 acres, with an incredible view of Mount Si. There was a huge variety of activities for the kiddos, everything from pony rides and a mountain bike trail to a dozen of those inflatable bouncy structures. There was even a circus tent where a group of clowns and trapeze artists put on a show every couple of hours.

The food court was incredible too...in addition to the traditional carnival fare, they served yakisoba noodles, a variety of curries, ribs, vegan hamburger patties, kosher and halal food, and even protein shakes from the health club for those who wanted to stick to their diets.

Needless to say, Nora was in heaven. She ran from one ride to the next, and became quite proficient at taking her sandals off so that she could dive into the bouncy inflatable thingys with reckless abandon.

The only ride that disturbed me was the inflatable crocodile, where the kids crawl into the croc's mouth, through its throat, bounce around on the inside, and then get pooped out the back of the beast. I'm not sure what the attraction was but Nora seemed to love it.

Nora and April also rode the tilt-a-whirl. April told Nora a story about the time that her, Auntie Pea and Uncle Drew rode the tilt-a-whirl at the Jones County Fair...and Auntie Pea puked all over both of them. They had to be hosed down at the site and walked home soaking wet. As Nora and April spun around on the ride, Nora looked up and said "Mommy, I'm not going to puke on you! Look!" True to her word, Nora held it together.

She's already looking forward to next year's picnic.

8 Months Old!

Nic is eating just about anything put in front of him right now. He LOVES green beans, carrots, and applesauce. He's started gnawing on Cherrios every once in a while, but they are mainly to play with and push off the tray. It is so much fun to see him develop and grow!










His new ability to sit up has made life around here feel a little more normal. He joins us at the dinner table, sits in a "big boy" car seat and plays on the floor with Nora and his toys.









The biggest change in Nic has been in the sounds and faces he makes! He is now forming some consonant sounds and uses them at strategic moments such as when we lay him down for the night: Mamamama and Dadadada. He has already figured out how to tug at our heart strings! He has also found his tongue and is able to curl, point, and turn it all over the place which makes for some funny faces.

Summer

The past four weeks have been filled with a lot of exciting events for us and the kiddos.

Week One:

We flew back to Milwaukee, where we got to reconnect with lots of friends and family members at Auntie Nessa and Uncle Dan's wedding.

The ceremony took place in Milwaukee at Villa Terrace, a beautiful 19th-century art museum which sits on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Nora was the proud flower girl, waving to the crowd as she walked down the aisle with her bouquet.

Similar to her previous flower girl engagement, Nora kept the guests entertained late into the evening with her dancing at the reception. She also had two eager dance partners--her cousins Ethan and Logan--who kept her on her toes.

We were really grateful to have Grandma and Grandpa there to keep an eye on Nic during all of the festivities. He had lots of fun meeting many of our friends and relatives for the first time.

Week Two:

After the wedding we all headed separate ways...Nora spent the next week with Nana and Papa in Wisconsin, and Nic went to Iowa with Grandma and Grandpa (and Auntie Pea, who was passing through Cedar Falls on her cross-country drive to Maine). April and I headed up to Hayward with some friends for a traditional "up north" vacation. We spent several lazy afternoons fishing on a pontoon boat and drinking beer.

It has been several years since I was last in northern Wisconsin, and I remembered the marathon Trivial Pursuit competitions we used to have with the Millers in our cabin on Squash Lake. Not much has changed, except the version of Trivial Pursuit (90's edition).


Week Three:

Back to Seattle. We're experiencing the most beautiful weather the Pacific Northwest has to offer...temperatures in the high 70s, blue skies, no rain, and stunning views of Mount Rainier. We had wood floors installed in the living room while we were on vacation, and after re-arranging all of the furniture it feels like our house has doubled in size.

Uncle Eric is coming out here to visit us tomorrow. We are going to spend a couple of days in Oregon, with stops planned at the Columbia River Gorge, Portland and the Oregon coast.

Sorry for so few pictures, more will be posted later.

Discovery Park

Busy Week

Thursday: Pictures at JC Penny's - a link to the photos will be posted soon. Just in time for the photo shoot, Nic sat up on his own!
Auntie Pea here for a week before she moves to Maine for her new job.

Friday: Nora went to the ENT and found out that she will have her ear tubes removed on July 21st.
Nora and Nic stayed home with Auntie Pea while Mommy went to a meeting for her social skills business.

Saturday: Neighborhood Rummage Sale - Daddy sold his motorcycle!
Nora had her last ballet class at the community center. She is now being enrolled in a REAL ballet school in Kirkland with her good friend Mila.

Sunday: The whole fandamily went to Discovery Park and went on a nice long hike. Nora was asleep in the stroller on the way up from the beach. Nic had his first ride in the backpack carrier. He loved it!

Nic is now eating anything we put in front of him. He loves bananas, peas, sweet potato, squash, oatmeal, and rice. He also enjoys gnawing on chunks of apples, pears, and oranges. He's still sleeping like a rock star. He never stays up more than two hours between naps and is asleep by 7:00 pm and we don't hear a peep until 6:00 am. Good thing Nora broke us in because we were expecting him to still be up at least once a night and we've been pleasantly surprised.

Nic's favorite thing to do right now is scream like a pterodactyl. We remember hearing these sounds from Nora, but Nic has perfected them. He also has a lovely scream/grunt that he has learned from the other little girl that our nanny watches. He tenses up his whole body, shakes a bit, and makes his new crazy sound. It is funny at home, but in the restaurant this morning, it was a bit embarrassing!

Blowing Bubbles and Becoming Independent with the Hair dos

Nora's Final Ballet Performance

Does he look like his daddy or what?

Hunger Strike = Ear Infection

Hunger Strike

I know Nora did this at some point too, but Nic is refusing to drink much more than about 15 oz of formula a day! He is still a huge fan of his green beans, but he hates the bottle at the moment. I'm trying not to be paranoid, but after the doctor told me his weight is down into the 5th percentile at his 6th month visit, I'm feeling flustered. I know his body will eat what it needs and for some crazy reason, Brian and I make skinny babies, but this is unnerving. Any suggestions?

I think all of this has something to do with the fact that he is getting is bottom two teeth. I can feel them right under the skin and he will not let me get close enough to get a peek. But goodness sakes Margie, ya gotta eat!