Well Rested in Seattle

After two nights in a skeezy motel in Auburn, Washington, Matt and I decided to splurge on a fancy hotel in downtown Seattle. We had great time at the Hotel Monaco, watching Iron Man, eating Thai takeout and getting some good sleep.

The next morning we did a short walking tour of downtown before catching our flight home (back to over a foot of snow),

Pike Place Market

Matt placing his order on our visit to Mecca (the original Starbucks)

Oliver hanging out in the swanky hotel room

Rida Rida Ranka!

Visiting Great Grandmom and Grandad

We had a wonderful weekend in Washington with Grandmom, Grandad, aunt Karis, uncle Tony and cousins. It was great to introduce Oliver to his Washington state family. Grandmom and Grandad really enjoyed Oliver! We had a wonderful lunch at Grandmom and Grandad's home and a delicious spaghetti dinner with Karis and Tony, went to church with the whole family and had a beautiful Sunday brunch at a restaurant on Puget Sound. Thanks everyone for beings such great hosts!

Grandad is trying to see if he can keep a ping pong ball in the air by blowing on it - not as easy as Caleb made it look!

Caleb and Kevin with Lucian (Oliver's second cousin)


Oliver playing with Lucian. He thought the ball popper was pretty cool (somebody might be getting one for his first birthday...)

Matt reading to Anthony

11 Month Update

It is hard to believe that in one month Oliver will be a year old! He is already turning into a little boy. The following is an update of what our 11 month old boy is up to:

• As mentioned in the previous post, Oliver LOVES his train and he walks all over the house with it.
• He likes to clap and wave and has started to give some timid high fives.
• He and dad like to clink glasses and cheers when they are having breakfast together.
• After taking a drink he likes to mimic his dad and make a very satisfied "ahhh" noise
• He continues to drop things on purpose and then say "uh-oh!"
• It is clear that he is getting increasingly frustrated that he doesn't have words for everything he wants to communicate. He has started to point at things that he wants and he screams if we don't respond immediately or if we guess wrong at what he is pointing at(not our favorite new development).
• He likes to brush his teeth - he has four new ones coming in on top this week!
• He has decided that he no longer likes bottles (a bit of a bummer, as he also doesn't like sippy cups...)
• He is really into toys and is very busy playing all the time
• He has started to stand unassisted, but isn't quite walking yet
• He still has the sweetest smiles and is very quick to laugh

Look mom - no hands!

Choo-Choo!

Oliver has been really into his train lately. In the evenings, when we get home from work and daycare he loves to push the train back and forth from the kitchen, through the dining room, into the living room and sometimes all the way to our sunroom and then turn around and do it all over again. He just can't get enough of it. So far he hasn't tried walking without the help of the train, but we are thinking it can't be too far off.