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July 1, 2009 -
Acorn is a.....BOY!!!
We went in for the ultrasound this morning (thank you Nana for coming over to watch Eric!) and were very relieved to learn that everything looks good. Acorn looks healthy and is still measuring with a due date of November 21st. His heartbeat was 152. Acorn was very active during the ultrasound. He kept turning over and over and giving the tech a hard time. Since Eric was such a calm baby, I think I'm in for it with this one! Dave's dad has always said that the Browning tradition is two boys (first) and then a girl, so the tradition carries on! During the ultrasound they also checked me to see if they could find anything that had caused the spotting and found nothing- a good sign. Everything looks normal.
After the ultrasound and a coffee break we then had an appointment with my OB. She checked me out and also could not find anything wrong. Another good sign! I can gradually resume most activities, although she still wants me to take it easy and rest a bit more often. I will also continue to not lift anything heavy- including Eric. I've been changing his diapers on the floor, and he is working on mastering climbing into his car seat and into the crib using the stepstool (although we hope to attempt the big boy bed soon). Upon arriving home we were excited to tell Eric that he is going to have a baby brother. We asked him what he thought about it and his response was 'okay'.
So...now we continue to work on Eric's big boy room. We plan to keep the nursery with the same transportation theme, although we will move the things that are Eric's into his big boy room.
I thought it would be interesting to do a comparison of Acorn and Peanut's (Eric) profiles at the 20-week ultrasound. To us they look totally different. If you open this Power Point file you can see the two side by side: Acorn vs. Peanut
June 29, 2009 - I called my OB first thing this morning, but can't get in until Wednesday morning. I was supposed to have Acorn's 20-week ultrasound on Thursday, but instead we will have it on Wednesday with a follow-up appointment with my doctor right after. I still haven't had any spotting since Friday evening and I've felt movement all day. Dave worked from home today, which was a big help. I did a few more things around the house today, but still took it easy and didn't do any lifting. So, check back on Wednesday and hopefully we'll have good news to report (and pictures of Acorn).
June 28, 2009 - Another day on the couch and of Dave being super busy. Nana came over with some dinner for us and was kind enough to put a finishing coat of paint on the baseboards for me. Now we just need to get the closet doors done! On the plus side, with all of this sitting around I've noticed Acorn moving around and kicking a lot more than I noticed before.
June 27, 2009 - It was a very weird day today not doing anything. The most I stood was while I took a shower! Thankfully, I had no spotting today. While I vegged out Dave was super busy taking care of both Eric and I. He also found time to take Eric to Home Depot to buy closet pieces and get them installed! He even purchased the mattress and bed frame for Eric's big boy bed.
Also, here's a video from this morning of Eric playing: Laptop & Thomas
June 26, 2009 - Today was a good day and a bad day. On the good side, I finally had some success with Craigslist and found the train table we were looking for- and it was still available! So, we drove up north of Vancouver to pick it up and then had lunch and some playtime with Nana. On the bad side, this evening I noticed that I was spotting a little bit. Not good. This happened, of course, at 5:30 on a Friday. After speaking with the doctor on-call we decided that I would spend the weekend sitting on the couch and doing nothing.
June 25, 2009 - Eric woke up with a cold this morning- his first in a couple of months. Poor kid. Hopefully he will learn the art of blowing his nose soon! On the plus side, this morning the carpet was installed in his big boy room. As you can see from the pictures he has made himself right at home in his new room!
June 24, 2009 - This evening we headed up to PIR for an evening with the cars. Dave especially loved looking at all the Mustangs there...
June 22, 2009 - A Day with Thomas! This morning we headed out to Hood River, to the Mt. Hood Railroad, for a Thomas the Train event. Eric had a great time riding Thomas, as well as going through all of the various booths and activities. He especially liked playing with the trains and the petting zoo, which we did before the train ride. When it came time for our turn to get on the train, Eric just couldn't wait to 'go ride Thomas'. And, yes, we ended up getting him a small train set while we were there and he had a blast playing with it after we got home.
Videos: Thomas
Arriving
First Trainset
As we were getting ready to head back home from Hood River, we were surprised with a phone call from Dave's brother and learned that Eric has a new baby cousin! Christopher Allen Browning was born around 6:45 this morning. We are so excited for Doug and Eiko! Welcome baby cousin Chris!
June 21, 2009 - Happy Father's Day, Dave! Today was a different Father's day- Eric started the morning off by being sick. By mid-morning he was feeling better but Dave was dealing with a migraine. Between the sickies and the weather uncertainty, we never made it to the car show up in Woodland but decided to head up to Vancouver and go out to dinner with Nana and Pops. Then our trip up there (usually only 20-25 minutes) turned into an hour+ ordeal due to a bridge closure. Needless to say, we were all very hungry for dinner and it was a late evening.
June 20, 2009 - Eric surprised us this morning by sleeping in until almost 9:30! In fact, I was wide awake by 9, wondering why he wasn't awake yet. Guess he was a tired boy. We then spent the day working on Eric's room. Dave got the new entry door cut and I got a lot of painting done. I just have a couple of things to finish up before the carpet is installed on Thursday.
June 17, 2009 - This morning Eric's 'mom's morning out' class started up again for the summer. This session the class is a bit longer, a full two hours. It was nice because I had enough time to actually get some errands done. Eric had a great time and at lunch surprised me by singing a new song- one that they had sang that morning! After dinner tonight we ended up walking all the way to Burgerville and back to get their yummy strawberry milkshakes. And, yes, Eric walked the entire way there and back!
June 16, 2009 - Today I got the call that the carpet is in and ready to be installed. We've pushed off installation for a week and a half, so lots to do before then.
June 14, 2009 - We spent most of today and this evening at Nana and Pops', while Dave set up a new computer for them. Eric had lots of fun playing, and especially loved sitting in all the cars! He sat in the hot rod, Nana's pick-up, Pops' Mustang, the neighbor's Mustang, the neighbor's truck, and even got to 'drive' the neighbor's boat. Whew!
June 13, 2009 - Between yesterday and today I got the first coat of paint on all the baseboards and moldings and today Dave got them installed. Now we get to seal the holes and paint a second coat of paint. This afternoon we headed down to Albany for a graduation party. Dave's college roommate, Dieter, graduated with his master's degree today. It was a fun afternoon of seeing friends we haven't' seen in a while.
June 9, 2009 - I finally got the closet in Eric's big boy room painted- next will be time to tackle the baseboards and moldings... Also, here's a good video of Eric singing Old McDonald, which he began singing only recently. Video: Old McDonald
June 6, 2009 - This has been a week of cars! This morning Dave and Eric went to the all Ford car show at our county fairgrounds and had a good time, especially looking at all of the Mustangs. Dave also bought Eric a toy hot rod (Eric picked the purple one), and Eric really loves it because the hood, the trunk and both doors open. Of course, the steering wheel was broken off before they even got home, but Dave managed to fix it, to Eric's delight.
June 5, 2009 - Over the last few days Eric has started saying 'yes I do' or 'yes I am' when we ask him questions. Although there are still times when we don't know what he is saying, he is definitely speaking in very full sentences and talking up a storm.
June 4, 2009 - This morning I had my 16-week appointment for Acorn. It was a fairly quick and routine appointment, but Eric and I did get to listen to Acorn's heartbeat. Here's a recording: Acorn 16-Weeks
June 3, 2009 - Tonight Dave and Eric went to the first PIR car event of the summer. Jen had her City meeting tonight and the weather was great, so it was a good night to go. Eric loved walking around and looking at all of the cars.
May 31, 2009 - After lunch we went over to Home Depot (Eric LOVES going there) to pick up some moldings and other things for his big boy room. We also started the ordering process for getting carpet installed in the room. We are now on the clock- there are several things we need to have done before we can have the carpet installed, so lots to do in the next few weeks.
May 30, 2009 - This morning Nana came over to help get Eric's big boy room painted. She did most of the work, and was brave enough to let Eric in the room with us. We had a few mishaps, but nothing that couldn't be cleaned :) This afternoon Eric played in his pool for a while, and was very happy this evening when Dave came home from his trip to San Diego.
May 29, 2009 - I started painting Eric's big boy room this afternoon. I didn't get much done- only the first coat of the green walls- but it is a start....
May 28, 2009 - We had a busy day today! This morning we met some friends at the zoo and had a good time. It helps that the weather was in the 80s today. After the zoo we headed up to Nana and Pops to spend the afternoon and evening with them, since Dave is still in San Diego.
May 25, 2009 - We had a nice weather day today and this afternoon headed up to Nana and Pops' for a family BBQ. After we ate Dave and Uncle Mike took the kids to the park and flew a kite and let the kids run around. Eric also got to enjoy his first ice cream cone! Surprisingly, it didn't make as much of a mess as I thought it would. In the early evening Dave headed out to the airport for his trip to San Diego- he will be gone for 6 days.
May 24, 2009 - After lunch Eric and Daddy walked all the way to our neighborhood park and back. I was amazed that he didn't ask to be carried! In the past we have used the stroller for at least part of the trip. Needless to say, he was worn out and took a good nap this afternoon.
May 23, 2009 - We are noticing that Eric is starting to use the words 'me' and 'my' more, instead of referring to himself in the third person as 'Eric'. This is great!
May 22, 2009 - Tonight after dinner we went outside for a walk and Eric quickly noticed that our next door neighbor had brought his boat home from storage. He was so excited to see it up close, and was even happier when he got to spend some time sitting in the boat and 'driving' it.
May 20, 2009 - This morning we went to the library to get new library books and for the first time we got all paper page books and no board books! Eric is doing great with these kind of books- no tears to the pages yet! (knock on wood :)
May 17, 2009
Yes!! We are excited to announce that Jen is pregnant and Eric is going to be a big brother! The nickname for this one is Acorn and has a due date of November 21st. But, since Eric was 6 weeks early, we will be happy if Acorn waits until at least Halloween before arriving. Jen is about 13 weeks along and so far the pregnancy is progressing normally. She has been tired and has had some nausea, but hopes that will subside soon. Here's an ultrasound picture from about 8 weeks and a sound file of Acorn's heartbeat at 11 weeks. Keep checking back for more updates!
May 17 2009 - This afternoon we had a get together with Jen's friends and their families and had a great time in the backyard. It was another super nice day and we even set up the kiddie pool. By the end of the evening, Eric had a great time playing in the mud and getting dirt everywhere. He also got to wear his big brother t-shirt again!
May 16, 2009 - Today was a gorgeous day with a high of around 85 degrees. Last night we went to Home Depot (Eric loves saying this!) and got supplies for our projects today. Dave worked on our fence and re-built the side gate that fell down this winter, while Jen and Eric got the veggie garden planted.
May 12, 2009 - We headed over to Intel today for lunch and had a lunch out with Dave. Eric was very excited to see Daddy and had a great time trying every color on the whiteboards in his office.
May 11, 2009 - We begin a week of telling everyone about Acorn by telling Jen's playgroup. It is so nice to be able to share the news!
May 10, 2009 - We headed to Skamania Lodge this morning to meet up with Nana and Pops for a Mother's Day brunch. We were very excited to tell family about Acorn and it was great to be able to tell both sets of grandparents at the same time. Jen changed Eric into his 'I'm going to be a big brother' t-shirt after we arrived and surprised everyone!
May 9, 2009 - This morning Jen headed to the Beaverton Farmer's Market to play with the band. Mid-morning Dave, Eric, Grammy and Grandpa came over too and we enjoyed walking around. It was a nice sunny day and it was fun to see all of the people enjoying the market and the community. Eric had a fun day playing with Grammy and Grandpa.
May 8, 2009 - This evening Dave and Eric went to the airport to pick up Grammy and Grandpa, who came up for a quick weekend visit. Eric was so excited to go and pick them up and even got to stay up a bit later than normal to play with them.
May 7, 2009 - We had to hit the grocery store this morning for a few more things and it was all I could do to get Eric to try on some sandals. All he wanted was to go back to Playland! So, more peaceful grocery shopping for me :) We took these pictures this evening while Dave was grilling some steaks for dinner. After Eric went out with him on the deck he came back in to tell me he needed his sunglasses. Smart boy! Here he's all decked out in his new alligator sandals, his Mickey sunglasses and is taking a picture (like I was) with his Mickey camera. Too cute!
May 5, 2009 - What would normally have been a boring morning of errands and grocery shopping turned into a fun morning for Eric. First, about 10 seconds after we pulled into a parking space at the grocery store a fire truck pulled up in front of us to park. I quickly got Eric out of car seat so that he could watch the fire truck. Just as they were getting out of the truck, though, they got a call and had to leave. But, one of the firemen took a few seconds to say hi to Eric and gave him a sticker. So nice of them! We then got to watch them drive away and turn on the sirens.
Both of our regular grocery stores are being remodeled right now. Today when we walked into one of them there was a sign announcing that Playland was open- one hour of free child care while you shop in the store. We went to check it out and Eric couldn't get out of the cart fast enough. All he wanted to do was 'play play play'. He ended up having a fun 45 minutes of playing while I got to grocery shop all by myself. What a treat!
May 2, 2009 - Tonight we went for another walk after dinner. It's been getting nicer in the evenings and staying lighter longer, so as long as it isn't raining many nights we are going out for walks. It also really helps Eric wear off some energy before bedtime. He loves to run with Daddy. I'll have to get a video of it sometime... This morning Dave got to sleep in and on sleep-in mornings (whether it is Mommy or Daddy) he loves to go in and wake us up and then spend time playing on our bed. Here's a video of him Playing on the Bed.
April 30, 2009 - Today we had an 'at home' day with no errands or activities. It was a nice morning, so late morning I asked Eric if he wanted to go outside and go for a walk, expecting him to jump at the idea. Instead he informed me that he wanted to 'bake' and use the 'red bowl'. He was very serious about it! talk about random and unexpected :) So, instead of going for a walk we made chocolate chip cookie bars. He's going to be our little chef! He loves to stand on the step stool and watch me prep things in the kitchen.
April 29, 2009 - Tonight during dinner, after Dave had gone downstairs to get himself a drink, Eric announced to us "Eric happy Daddy have green beer". Needless to say, we busted up laughing. Dave's Stella beer is in a green bottle and Eric has dubbed this 'green beer'. We caught this cute picture later that evening...
April 26, 2009 - I had a band concert this evening and Dave and Eric were able to come. We play in a small church, so it is not a quiet concert. Once the first song started, Eric immediately decided it was way too loud for him. He buried his head into Dave and covered his ears. Poor kid... They ended up leaving after the first song and I feel so bad. Hopefully our summer outdoor concert won't be too loud for him- he did fine last year.
April 24, 2009 - Today, all of the sudden, Eric has started to sing along. Usually when we sing a song he just sits there and listens, but today he started singing along. It is very cute!
April 22, 2009 - Eric got another haircut this morning and he did great! He loved sitting in the car for the haircut and then playing with all of the toys afterward.
April 20, 2009 - For playgroup this morning we headed to the zoo (along with the rest of the Portland area!). Today the temps were in the high 70's and it was a perfect morning at the zoo.
April 19, 2009 - Today was a gorgeous day with temperatures in the 70's. We met some friends at the Rhododendron Garden and had fun exploring and having a picnic lunch. Eric especially loved looking at the water and seeing all of the ducks. You can see that Dave was the designated photographer for the day...
April 18, 2009 - After nap today we drove up to Vancouver to see Nana's new pick-up truck and have dinner. Eric got to sit in Nana's pick-up, Pops' hot rod and Pops' red mustang and pretend to drive each of them. He had a blast!
April 17, 2009 - This morning we had playgroup at our house and set up all of the tents and tunnels. It was kind of crazy, but the kids seemed to have fun! This evening during dinner we listened to music and here's a couple of cute videos of Eric dancing while he's eating dinner. Dancing with Mommy Rocking out with Daddy
April 15, 2009 - Eric had another class this morning and once again had a great time. When we talk about him going to class he can't wait to go and 'play play play!'
April 12, 2009 - Happy Easter! Eric woke up this morning to find that the Easter bunny visited while he slept last night. He had some books and little toys in his basket and lots of eggs to hunt down (with Daddy's help). After getting ready we headed to church with Nana and Pops and Eric did really well during the service. He really enjoyed the music and even went up for the children's time (with Mommy). During the sermon he had fun taking turns sitting on our different laps. After church we all came back to our house for a relaxing Easter brunch meal and another egg hunt. And here's a video of Eric looking for Easter eggs: Easter Morning 2009 Egg Hunt
April 11, 2009 - This morning was the neighborhood Easter egg hunt! It was Eric's first official egg hunt and he wasn't sure quite what to make of everything. I had to point out the eggs and encourage him to pick them up and put them in his basket. He seemed to have fun, though! Here's a video from the hunt: First Easter Egg Hunt
April 10, 2009 - After dinner tonight Dave decided to go through today's Fry's ad while he and Eric were playing kitchen. Eric of course wanted to look at the newspaper with Daddy, and was very quick to point out the 'laptop' in the ad. He then pointed in the ad to the iPod touch (which looks like our iPhones) and said 'my phone'. Daddy was so proud! It's amazing to think of all the technology he will know that we never did at his age... Tonight we also colored Easter eggs, but forgot to take pictures this year. Eric had fun dropping (and I do mean drop) the eggs into the color and using the spoon to take them out.
April 8, 2009 - Eric had his second Mom's Morning Out class this morning and once again did great and didn't cry once! I spent a relaxing hour at Starbucks drinking my favorite mocha and reading a good book. So nice... :)
April 7, 2009 - This morning I took Eric in to the pediatrician for a follow-up appointment related to the asthma and coughing issues he had a couple of weeks ago. His lungs sounded great, the cough is completely gone and his ears look normal. But, with the number of instances he has had with asthma this cold season Eric's doctor wants him to start on an oral steroid inhaler, twice a day. This is a preventative measure that we will continue until June, when he should hopefully be done with colds for a bit. We also put in place an official asthma plan for when he does get it. Thankfully, so far whenever he has had breathing issues it has been in conjunction with a cold so there is hope that he will grow out of it as he gets older and hopefully the asthma won't worsen over time.
April 6, 2009 - Today was another gorgeous day with temperatures around 75- wow! Dave even took the afternoon off to enjoy it! Eric didn't take a nap today, so we decided to test out Dave's recent workings on the mustang and go for a family drive. It was the first time Eric or I got to ride in it! The car ran great and Eric had a great time going on the drive. Now his favorite thing to talk about is Daddy's mustang...
April 5, 2009 - Today we had sunny weather and temperatures around 70- what a gorgeous day it was. Of course, my allergies started kicking in so the 'sneezing season' begins.
April 4, 2009 - This evening I had a baby shower/happy hour event to go to so the boys were on their own for dinner. Dave was really in the mood for sushi so the two of them went to a new sushi place (one where the plates of sushi move by on a conveyor belt) for dinner. This was the first time that just the two of them have gone out to eat. Dave gave Eric a piece of sushi with cooked egg and rice, wrapped in seaweed, and all Eric wanted to eat was the seaweed! I can't get him to touch asparagus, but he'll eat all the seaweed he can get his hands on. What a funny boy! Apparently he kept asking for more seaweed, especially as he saw it going by on the conveyor belt, so Dave at the egg and rice part and Eric ate the seaweed. Since I'm not a sushi fan, sounds like the boys have a new tradition!
April 2, 2009 - Eric's cough is gone! Yea! Also, we've decided to go ahead and enroll Eric in the preschool for next fall so I made the call to get him on the list. It's hard to believe he'll be starting preschool already in September, but we think he will enjoy it. If he weren't doing this then I would probably have him in one or two classes at the rec center and this way he has consistency throughout the entire year and I don't have to stress about whether he will get into a class or not. This morning I made the mistake of asking Eric if he wanted to go to preschool and he answered 'yes'. 5 minutes later he was bringing me his shoes because he was ready to go to preschool :) My mistake for phrasing it the way I did....the concept of time is a difficult one to learn.
Oh, and here's a video of Eric and Daddy playing some music together tonight. They were sure having fun! Playing Instruments
April 1, 2009 - Today Eric had his first 'Mom's Morning Out' class at the rec center. He did really well and was very excited to go and play with the toys. The class is only an hour and 15 minutes long, designed for kids who haven't been left by a parent yet. He didn't cry once, and when I went to pick him up I had to go in and find him. He was having too much fun playing with the kitchen and didn't want to leave!
March 31, 2009 - This morning Eric and went to tour a preschool. It is one of the few programs that I have found that starts before age 3. They have a 2.5 year class that meets two mornings a week. It is a Christian preschool located at a church that is pretty close to us. There were a lot of things about the program that I like, so now we need to decide whether we are ready to start preschool in the fall.
Also, this morning Eric woke up singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song. So cute! Here's a cute video of him singing, but you'll notice that he doesn't quite have the third line of the song yet. Itsy Bitsy Spider
March 29, 2009 - Eric did not take a nap today and here's how we found him- no pants and his shirt down around his waist. Silly boy! Afterwards Dave set up his new set of tents and tunnels and we all had fun playing in them!
March 28, 2009 - Eric's cough seems to be improving and last night he finally got some sleep. He coughed for an hour or two but then settled down and slept the rest of the night without coughing. Yea!
March 27, 2009 - Last night Eric coughed all night long and didn't get much sleep (we didn't either). I took him to the pediatrician this morning and it's his asthma again. He got some meds in the office, which seem to have helped, plus he was put on some oral steroids for his lungs. He also has the beginnings of an ear infection so he'll also be on antibiotics for a bit. Thankfully, he took a nap this afternoon.
March 26, 2009 - Here's some random pictures from today...we've started moving furniture and things out of the upstairs guest bedroom so that we can get the carpet replaced and start working on Eric's big boy room. We moved the bookcases into the downstairs guest bedroom and here's Dave carrying a HUGE stack of books for me- way too many for one trip. If you look closely at the second picture you'll notice that Eric fell asleep with one arm outside of his shirt. Funny boy. The last two pictures are of Eric watching me make dinner. He just loves playing kitchen and takes every opportunity to watch me when I do things in the kitchen. Perhaps he is our future chef!
March 25, 2009 - Eric has been such a cranky boy today! Thank goodness he took a nap this afternoon- he definitely needed it. I've been tracking his napping and he's been napping only about 3 days a week. Not enough!
March 24, 2009 - This week is Spring Break, so without much going on (no classes) Eric and I decide to go and visit Pops at his office and then Nana at her school. Eric had fun visiting both places!
March 22, 2009 - Here's a picture of Eric when we were at the ER. Dave took this with his phone.
March 21, 2009 - Eric is doing much better today. He is still coughing, but not as often or as bad as last night. He slept less than 7 hours last night, so we were very grateful that he took a nap and slept for 3 hours this afternoon.
March 20, 2009 - Eric's cold turned into coughing today, and by dinnertime it was getting worse and we began to notice some wheezing. We gave him his asthma inhaler, but it didn't seem to help so after a bit Jen talked with a nurse from the pediatrician's office. We tried several tactics that the nurse suggested, but they didn't work so the nurse told us we should take him to the ER (by this time it was 10pm). Yikes! So, we packed up and headed to the hospital- not the one close to us but Emanuel, which has a Children's Emergency room.
After waiting for a while, we finally got into a room and Eric got into a little kid's gown. Eric was diagnosed as having Croup as well as his asthmatic response to the cold. He got some steroid medicine and had two rounds of the nebulizer (medicine through a steam vaporizer aimed at his mouth/nose), one aimed at the Croup and the other aimed at the asthma. He was finally sounding better and not coughing so much and we were able to head home. Eric did such a great job the entire time. He didn't cry or fuss once- he seemed to understand when we told him that we were there to help the coughing go away and help him feel better. He let the doctors listen to him and took all of the medicines without any problems. What a trooper! We finally left the ER at 1:30am. Eric crashed on the way home- thankfully.
March 19, 2009 - Eric and I both came down with colds today...yuck.
March 18, 2009 - As you can see, Eric was very excited to play with his new kitchen this morning right when he woke up. Eric also had his very first dentist appointment this morning. He did such a great job. The dentist was able to briefly look in Eric's mouth, and everything looked great, but the main point of going is to get him used to going to the dentist and having a good experience while there. He got several little toys, got to feed the office gerbils and got a new orange Elmo toothbrush. I think the visit was a success!
March 17, 2009 - We couldn't get Eric to say 'St. Patrick's Day', so instead we are calling today 'Happy Green Day'. We had lots of green foods today and dinner was a completely green meal. This evening Eric helped Daddy assemble his new kitchen, which he was very excited about, but it wasn't quite done when Eric went to bed.
March 15, 2009 - A few cute pictures from today...Eric and Daddy 'sleeping' (Eric's idea) and Eric talking on the phone with Nana.
March 14, 2009 - Here are a few pictures from Eric's swimming class this morning. Also, here is a video of Eric Swimming. You can see he really loves jumping into the pool, but by the end of class he is done and ready to warm up (note the purple lips in the last swimming picture). This afternoon Eric had another no napping day and instead found other ways to occupy himself in his bed. In the last picture he is just being silly... Lately Eric has been napping only 2-3 days a week, much to Jen's consternation.
March 12, 2009 - We thought it was cute how Eric lined up and positioned his strawberries- and then proceeded to count them!
March 9, 2009 - Just a couple of pictures from this morning...Eric posing for me and Eric putting a 'new Elmo diaper' on his 'baby Nate' (who he has named after a playgroup baby).
March 6-8, 2009 - Grandma and Grandpa came up for a short weekend visit. We picked them up at the airport on Friday morning and they left on Sunday afternoon. We mainly stayed at home, but Grammy did get to go and watch Eric at his swimming class with Daddy. Grandpa seemed to enjoy playing with Eric's laptop :) Here are some pictures from the weekend, including some Eric and Daddy car time! Also, here is a video of Grammy and Eric dancing and playing music: Dancing with Grammy
March 3, 2009 - Today we finally got to go to Eric's kindergym class- at least he and I are healthy. On Sunday Dave came down with a sinus/cold bug and is still feeling pretty miserable. At least we're not all sick at the same time...
February 27, 2009 - Jen was feeling a bit better this morning, so we ventured out to get Eric's hair cut. He was very excited. During his last appointment he sat in Jen's lap during the hair cut but afterwards got to sit in one of the little cars to test it out. Today, all he wanted to do was sit in the red sports car while he got his hair cut. He did such a great job! No crying or anything- what a big boy!
February 26, 2009 - Just another picture of Eric being silly... (but cute!).
February 25, 2009 - Now that Eric is better, this week it is Jen's turn to be sick. She first had a cold bug and has now moved on to the flu. We've been pretty sequestered this week, so hopefully she'll be feeling better soon. And for Pops- here's a fun video about your truck: Pops' truck
February 21, 2009 - Eric seems to be pretty much over his cold and flu bug, which was good as today was Eric's first swim class with Daddy. It sounds like they had a great time in the pool, especially with kicking and blowing bubbles. Also, here's a cute video of Eric enjoying a cookie. As you can see, Jen made cookies this afternoon.
February 18, 2009 - Eric has had a cold bug since last weekend, and this morning he woke up with a sick tummy and got sick several times. Poor guy! But, by late morning he was asking for food and was able to keep it down so that is a good sign.
February 14-16, 2009 - Eric went to stay with Nana and Pops over the long President's weekend while Jen and Dave went to Bend for a couple of nights. It sounds like Eric had a great time playing at Nana and Pops, especially with the train set he and Pops set up. We also understand that they read A LOT of books over the weekend. We don't have any pictures of Eric, but here's a couple from when Jen and Dave went snowshoeing one afternoon.
February 12, 2009 - Here's just a cute picture of Eric being silly and reading books in the corner, on top of a basket of stuffed animals!
February 8, 2009 - Happy Birthday Nana! This morning we went out for brunch and then went back to Nana and Pops house for birthday cake. Eric enjoyed the cake so much that he got to have two helpings! Later this evening we practiced counting and here is a video of Eric Counting.
February 7, 2009 - Today we went sledding! One of Eric's library books is about a brother and sister who get all bundled up and head out to go sledding in the snow, and earlier in the week Eric asked to go sledding and play in the snow. So...the weather looked great for today so we headed up to Mt. Hood and went sledding!
February 6, 2009 - This morning we had one of Eric's friends, Alise, over for a little while. Here's a video of Eric & Alise Playing. As you'll notice in the video, Eric has started 'speed singing' his ABCs so that he can clap and say (and hear!) 'yea!!' at the end. Funny boy! Also, this morning Eric said 'laptop' for the first time. Dave was so proud!
February 5, 2009 - This was just too cute...Eric pretending to talk on the phone and is holding his play credit card. It looks like he's ordering something!
February 3, 2009 - Eric had his second kinder gym class this morning and he seemed to really enjoy himself and explored a lot more than during the first class. He even walked on the balance beam several times (holding both of Mommy's hands)!
February 2, 2009 - The boys being silly....Dave picked up some 3D glasses today.
January 31, 2009 - Eric's fever seems to be completely gone. Yea! We just need to finish up the antibiotics...
January 30, 2009 - We woke up early this morning to go and pick up Dave at the airport. Yea!! Eric's fever seems to be lower today and he certainly seems to be feeling better. Eric was very happy to have Daddy home (as was I)!
January 29, 2009 - This morning Eric still had his fever and no other symptoms, so I made an appointment to take him in to the pediatrician. He spent a good amount of time this morning on the couch watching cartoons and had no appetite. At the ped's office later in the afternoon we learn that he has an ear infection and got some antibiotics for it. He was a trooper as we waited for an hour for his prescription and finally made it home for dinner.
January 28, 2009 - Eric still has his fever today and has been pretty miserable. His temperature range has been between 102 and 105. At this point I'm hoping that I don't get sick as well, since Dave is still in Japan.
January 27, 2009 - We woke up to it snowing outside this morning. Also, Eric woke up with a fever of 102 this morning. Between the fever and the inch of snow we ended up getting we skipped his class this morning and just stayed in.
January 26, 2009 - This morning Eric pooped in his potty for the first time! What a big boy! We still don't plan to start potty training yet, but it was a case where I knew he needed to go and I asked him if he wanted to use his big boy potty and it worked! No pictures of this event... :)
January 25, 2009 - We spent the day in today and didn't do much, but Eric did start saying the word 'hammer' today. It's so cute- we'll have to try and catch it on video...
January 24, 2009 - This morning we took Dave to the airport- he'll be in Japan for a week. We then spent the day doing a little bit of shopping and hanging out at Nana and Pops.
January 20, 2009 - Eric and I stayed in this morning to watch all of the inaugural festivities. It was a rare day with the TV on all day! Here's a cute picture of Eric copying Dave, later that evening.
January 18, 2009 - Today was Jen's birthday and after a nice morning of sleeping in, Eric woke me up with a rose and saying 'Happy Birthday Mama'. Talk about melting my heart! We then had a nice breakfast (made by Dave) and in the evening we had a nice dinner out and birthday cake afterwards. What a great day!
January 12, 2009 - At playgroup this morning I spent some time holding a friend's baby. Eric noticed, but didn't seem to mind. Then on the way home from playgroup he started saying 'Baby Nate' and said that all day. By bedtime Eric told Daddy 'Mama hold baby Nate'- his first four-word sentence. I guess it made an impression!
January 11, 2009 - This afternoon Eric told talked to Grammy on the computer and told her 'Happy Birthday Grammy'. It was very cute. Here's also a video of Eric and Daddy Building a Big Home and another of Eric practicing his Microphone Singing.
January 10, 2009 - Our playgroup celebrated all of the kids 2nd birthdays today with a party at Gymboree. Eric had a lot of fun playing with the equipment and eating his cupcake. Afterwards, we all went out to dinner together. Talk about chaotic! The restaurant has a supervised kids play area where they can go to eat and play while the parents eat. Most of the playgroup kids who tried it lasted only 10-15 minutes. When we took Eric down to the play area he couldn't wait to get in and didn't even look back. He had so much fun playing! He was there an hour before I finally went to get him and even then he didn't want to leave.
January 9, 2009 - This morning we met up with our Friday playgroup at the Children's Museum- it was Eric's first time there. Overall he seemed to have a good time exploring and playing and certainly didn't want to leave when it was time. I think we'll be back!
January 5, 2009 - Today we had playgroup at our house and Eric spent much of the morning singing! He has such a soft, sweet voice :) It took a while to figure out, but he is singing a combination of the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle. So cute! Here's a video of him Twinkle Twinkle and another of him playing with his Pager.
January 3, 2009 - This evening we went out for an early dinner with Nana and Pops and then headed over to the zoo for the Zoolights exhibit. We rode the zoo's train and saw lots of colorful lights. It was very cold out, but thankfully not rainy or windy. And the multiple hot chocolates helped! (Eric even has a bit :)
January 1, 2009 - This morning we headed up to Nana and Pops to celebrate New Years/Christmas with them. Eric got a lot of cars and had fun playing with his cousin Zachary. Here's a cute video of Eric Dancing to the Thomas music in his new book.
