Christmas 2012

Snowflake Lane:

Meeting a princess at Snowflake Lane:

Lily fell asleep on the way to Redmond holiday celebration.  It took some coaxing but she finally woke up:

Lily and Rio caught with their eyes closed:

Trying to engineer a Christmas card picture with Lily holding lights and Rio holding staple gun.  Didn't quite work out:

Picking out our Christmas tree. Lily found the perfect one and said it spoke to her:

Silly faces:

Decorating the tree:

Christmas morning:

Exchanging gifts with Audrey and Jack on Christmas Eve:

Christmas day and Nonna's birthday with Grandpa, Nonna, Bianca, Nathan, Stephanie, and Amelia:

Pictures

The new house:

Decorating cookies at our cookie exchange party:

Playing together on the swing:

Rio holding a baby for the first time (soon after this picture Rio gave Derek and GIANT hug):

Mom's birthday:

Couch potatoes:  

Halloween 2012

Lily you borrowed Grant's dog costume and pretended you were a dog.  This, however, was not your halloween costume. You, of course, were a princess.

Rio, you were a turtle:

Pre-trick or treating dinner with Audrey, Jack, Grant, and Lily:

Rio totally got the idea of going house to house and getting candy:

Lily and Grant look like they are in the middle of a serious conversation:

Rio's first lollipop.  Not Lily's first lollipop:

This was actually taken at Disney on Ice where Lily wore the same princess dress:

Rio Update: 17 and 18 Months

Dear Rio,
There is a perfectly good explanation as to why I haven't posted anything in the past few months.  We moved from Seattle to Sammamish, then Thanksgiving arrived, followed by Christmas, with a little procrastination thrown in as well.  Here we are two months later and you are 18 months old!!  You handled the move very well. You have adjusted to the new house.  Jacqueline could no longer be your nanny so you also started daycare.  The transition to daycare has probably been the hardest part for you.  You still cry for a few minutes when I drop you off and then break down in a laugh-cry when I come pick you up.  Overall, I think you like it.  You are much more communicative now.  Here are some of the words you say on a regular basis: hi, bye, more, wawa (water), Mama, ihee (Lily), up, yeah, no, Scow(Scout), moo, woof, neigh, baa, go, cheese.  You reliably answer with yes and no.  You call all drinks "wawa" no matter how many times I try to get you to say "milk."

You have become even more interested in TV.  You (like your sister) are particularly fond of Dora.  You will appropriately yell out "backpack" and "map" when Dora tells you to.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

You have been teething consistently for the last two months.  You now have a full set of teeth.  You are a finicky eater.  One day you will eat everything and the next three you will survive off of milk, cheese, and bananas.  I don't get it.  You have finally been weaned from that one night time feeding I was letting you hang on to which has resulted in better sleep.  You are still an early riser but currently you make it to 6:00am on your own.  We continue to have a morning ritual of you coming into Mommy and Daddy's bed and snuggling for a while before you start your day.

You and Lily have started playing together.  Once you two start laughing about something it's hard to get you to stop.  If Lily is crying you are quick to give her a hug.  I don't even have to prompt you to do so anymore.

Things you love: water play, anything to do with balls, cars, legos, dancing, jumping, following Lily everywhere, anything with buttons, your blanket, your binky, anything with a screen, watching me cook dinner, throwing rocks in the pond in the backyard, being outside.

You are a happy, clever, sweet, loving little boy and I love you with all of my heart.  Now to catch up on all the pictures!!!

Love,
Mama