Overalls

Raspberry

Lily, if you can't be found directly next to me I'm pretty sure I will find you picking and eating raspberries from the backyard. One of the best parts of living in this house is the raspberry bushes. Just please, save me some.

Bad habits

Lily and Rio,
Since we have moved and I have been staying home everyday with you we have all developed a less than ideal napping habit.  Napping on the couch. Lily, you no longer will nap on your bed. Rio, you seem to nap best in my lap or arms and since I'm holding you I generally fall asleep too. This can't be good. 

Mommy

At the mall

Sleeping at the mall and not too impressed by your sister's dance.

At the mall

Dancing at the mall and trying not to smile. 

Beach

This beach is half of a mile from our house. How cool is that?

Mommy

Children's Museum

Yesterday we went to Kid's Quest Children's Museum. You loved watching Lily play. You were super observant during every activity. Soon you will be running around and playing too!

Mama

Cousins

Painting with Jack. 

Rebecca

Mt. Rainier

The view from a nice spot half a mile from our house.

Handsome Chap

Yes, Rio. Your dad is, in fact, quite rad.

Love,
Dad

Having Fun

Lily and Rio,

We have been on many adventures and already had many great times since moving to Seattle.  Some of our outings include: zoos, sunset picnic at the beach, sunset picnic at the sculpture garden, throwing rocks in the lake, dinners with family and friends, play dates with Grant, walks around Seward park, tons of playgrounds, the aquarium, and tons more.  Here are a few photos:

Rio Update: 3 months

My dearest Rio,

As a fellow second born child I promised myself I would take as many pictures of you and document your life as thoroughly as I have documented your sister's.  The move has made that somewhat of a challenge.  Now that we are settled I will do a better job of photographing and writing.  You have changed from a tiny and unaware newborn to an alert and active baby boy.  You look bigger and bigger to me every single day.  I'm not sure but I think you weigh 16 pounds already.  This would make sense because you like to eat.  A lot.  You are a pretty easy going guy but you certainly have your moments when you want to be held and nursing is all you want to do.  So far you are great at putting yourself to sleep.  You go to bed between 7:00 and 7:30 every night.   All we have to do is put you in your pajamas, lay you in your crib, and you just fall asleep.  You wake up one to two times to feed at night. You don't even cry.  You still grunt a lot.  The grunting means your uncomfortable and I feed you to make you feel better.  You eat and fall right back to sleep.  You don't even need to be swadled at night anymore. Not too shabby for a 3 month old baby.  

You have really started to reach for objects in the past few days.  You are learning to use your hands to grasp and bat at things.  You know to put your fingers/hands in your mouth to soothe yourself.  Mommy and Daddy are constantly shoving the binky in your mouth.  You tolerate it but I think you would probably prefer your hand.  You are happiest when we are outside or on the go which is good because we are always on the go with your sister.  You have recently taken notice of Lily.  You watch her dance around and sing to you.  You smile when she is in the room.  You are a very smiley baby.  

These first two pictures are from the beginning of the month.  You were so tiny and barely filled out your car seat:

All smiles:

Chubbin' up:

Love you, 

Mama

Hello Seattle

Lily, Daddy had prepped you about this new place we were moving called Seattle.  He told you about the Space Needle.  So every time we see it you yell "Space Needle!"  That made me think of something else. The other day you saw a really large cell phone tower and were convinced it was the Eiffel Tower.  I guess a little perspective is lost when only looking in books.  

Once we arrived, we stayed in a hotel while we waited for the truck to arrived with our things.  Little did we know that we would have to stay ten whole days in a hotel room.  That was a really long and exhausting ten days.  Since we had nothing to do in the hotel room we made sure to go out and explore the city.  We got to enjoy one of the greatest perks about moving to Seattle which was to spend time with family.  We went to Point Defiance zoo where you actually saw real elephants (they only have statures of elephants at the Philly zoo). 

You are learning that water and boats are everywhere here.  The cousins playing on a tug boat:

Throwing rocks in the lake:

Audrey spent a few nights with us in the hotel.  When we walked around the hotel several people thought you were sisters.  

Myrtle Edwards park.  This place is actually IN downtown.  Water and mountain views are everywhere.

Killing time in the hotel room by reading books to your baby doll:

We had a few sunset picnics with Aunt Heidi, Uncle Steven, Audrey, and Jack:

The other great thing about living in Seattle that Mommy and Daddy's college friends (Kim and Zach) live here too.  You quickly became buddies with their son Grant. 

We have had a lot of fun in a short amount of time.  Yay Seattle!  We are so happy to finally be here!

Farewell Philadelphia

It has been a long month. Moving across the country with two kids and two dogs was complicated at times, but Lily and Rio, you were both amazing. The movers came to pack up the house on a Tuesday.  That night we slept in a house that was only recognizable by our bedding. Lily wasn't upset or concerned. She handled it like she had done it all before. The next day the movers loaded the truck and were gone. Lily when you saw the empty house you didn't think much of it. We spent the next night in a hotel and enjoyed our last day in Philadelphia before boarding the plane for Seattle.

Goodbye 153 Bryn Mawr Avenue.  You were a great house.  Even though Lily and Rio will probably have no memory of you I will always remember the house we lived in when my two children were born and all the great times that were had.  

Goodbye weird elephant at the Please Touch Museum:

This was your first night in a hotel room.  Lily was in love with the whole idea of a hotel.  We had a great view of the planes taking off and landing.  Lily was entertained for hours by exploring little things in the hotel room.  You jumped right into bed and meticulously read through the bible then it was on to the book of Mormon.  You turned the pages one by one and made up your own stories.  It was great!

After days of packing/moving excitement we realized you really needed a bath.  Fortunately you were still small enough to fit in the sink.

Then it was off to the plane.  Other than a minor freak out going through the security line (trying to explain to a two year old that you just have to take off your shoes did not go over too well) the flight was great.  Rio, you pretty much did this:

Lily you pretty much watched Dora DVDs the entire time.


By the end of the week we were all so very exhausted, but we made it.  The chapter of our lives in Seattle has begun.  The move was hard but we did it for both of you.