Wild Wild West

We just got back from a visit to Montana.  We spent a few days at the An Ri Ra Irish Festival in Butte Montana with my Dad's cousin Rosie. 

Keaton got a shamrock painted on his face and was flirting with the girl who did it.

My dad thinks this sign is pretty cool! We kept telling Rosie she should run for mayor because she knows EVERYONE (she is a principal at a local school).



There aren't many rules in Montana so Keaton got to hang out in a bar and won $11 gambling.

Then we went up to Flathead Lake to my Aunt Joan/Uncle Richard's place (my dad's sister).  This was definitely the nicest house I have ever been in.  So we got some investing advice from Richard and will see if we can make the big bucks in the stock market (I doubt it....)



We went on a hike at Glacier National Park.  Good thing we had Keaton with us to keep us safe from the Grizzly bears!

Keaton found hiking to be so relaxing that he passed out! Once he starts walking he'll discover it's a bit harder.

Keaton was a trooper with all the driving and did pretty good.  Thanks to his great Aunt Claudia for buying him a bunch of new toys to keep him entertained.

All grown Up

I'm starting to realize I no longer have the newborn that everyone wants to see when you go to the store!  I think it really hit me when I was able to put him in his stroller without the car seat adapter and when I started feeding him with a spoon....he is so quickly becoming a little guy and no longer a baby!!  He even had a little scab (very very tiny) on his toe!!!

A few weeks ago we started Keaton on rice cereal. I was really hoping to wait until he was 6 months but the doctor thought it might help with his massive spit-up.  It didn't.  He really had no interest in rice cereal as you can see in these pictures...Manny really likes it though so he got the leftovers!

We have also tried oatmeal cereal and he seems to like that much better.  I'm thinking of trying banana's this weekend.  So much for waiting till 6 months!


He is also really enjoying his stroller rides where he gets to see the world instead of staring at his mom....I guess I am no longer his entire world!

Staring at mom:

Exploring the world:

So if Keaton is "all grown up" when am I going to feel like a mom all the time?  I'm starting to think it's similar to the feeling you get when you are an adult...still waiting for that feeling.  I have moments where I feel like a mom, like when I'm getting a stroller out of my car to go walk through the mall or when I was shopping at Target on a Tuesday morning (which I think you have to be a mom to go to target then because there is no one else there) and I was buying "little swimmers". 

The Most Fun I've Ever Had

We've been pretty limited with what we can do with Keaton since he's only 4 months old...most adventures have consisted of him being in a stroller or our arms.  Today we went swimming and it was so much fun to be able to watch him participate! I really didn't think he would enjoy it since he's still not a big fan of baths but he was in the water for about an hour in this fabulous floatie my aunt got him. 

We plan on heading down to the Lincoln Park wading pool soon so Keaton can show off his swimming skills and floatie to all the kids there...if he doesn't chew a hole in it first :)

Boston Bound

We just returned from a trip to Boston where Keaton got to meet his grandparents for the first time and his cousin Wyatt! I would say it was love at first sight for all and we already miss them!

My dad and my aunt Claudia also came to be part of Keaton and Wyatt's baptism. We were a little worried about the all white outfit staying "all white" for the entire ceremony, especially after the previous day's disaster in the pants. But it was a success! Keaton's godparents Eileen and Matt were also able to share in the ceremony.

Here is a picture of the dads on Father's Day, which was also the same day as the baptism:

This was our morning view from grandma's beachfront cottage that we got to stay at....now that we know where she hide's the key, we might be back sooner than she thinks!!

No more big trips planned for the rest of the summer. Instead we'll be enjoying our "almost beachfront" property over here and exploring the parks and beaches in West Seattle.

Adventures in Alaska

Keaton went on his first vacation last week to Fairbanks, Alaska. We went up there to meet his new cousin, "Baby No Name". She was born on May 12 but doesn't have a name quite yet so that is what we called her. It was a great trip and the sunniest weather we have seen this summer (in the 80's and sunny every day)!

There were a lot of firsts on this vacation.....here are some pictures of them.

First time on an airplane:

First time on a boat:

First time on a train:

First time in a swimming pool:

First time on a swing:

First time visiting Santa at the North Pole (he wasn't there):

First time being hot from the sunshine (it's been a chilly spring so far in Seattle):

Here is a picture of all the cousins:

Here are Keaton's souvineer t-shirts "My First Alaska T-Shirt", "Dear Santa, It Wasn't Me":

Overall, I think the highlight of the vacation for Keaton was discovering his thumb! Sucking his thumb was probably his favorite part of the whole vacation!

Next Vacation in 2 weeks to Boston, MA! More adventures to come.....

A Taste of the Good Life

Last week Keaton had a "taste of the good life", a few licks from a powdered sugar donut. At 2 1/2 months it was probably a bit early but I don't think much, if any, actually got into his mouth.

TJ and I also got a "taste of the good life", going out without Keaton for the fist time. We went to Salty's (where we got married) to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. Even though neither of us enjoy seafood, we did enjoy our burger/salad and time away....but we talked about the baby the entire time which I think means we missed him and wish he had been with us.

Afterwards we stopped and got cupcakes at Cupcake Royale which we had at our wedding. While I was eating my cupcake I accidentally dropped the wrapper on the floor and before I could grab it Manny also enjoyed a "taste of the good life" devouring the wrapper and all!

Things you really have to experience to appreciate

There are so many things people told me about having kids but until I experienced them myself I didn't fully understand or appreciate what they were telling me. These are the few so far...

Everyone always talked about the "miracle of childbirth". I never really believed it was a miracle because if nearly everyone does it then why would it be considered a miracle. But after experiencing nearly 10 months of being pregnant, really learning about how babies are made, and then going through labor I can now understand why it is called a "miracle". It really is an unbelievable experience and one that I think about almost every day. When I see pregnant ladies or see someone in labor on TV it brings up so many emotions. I definitly have quite a bit of pride for making it through pregnancy and labor and think all women who have done it should be very proud!.

The gift I have been getting recently from Keaton (besides lots of dirty diapers) is his smiles. Up to this point I have been kind of dissapointed with the lack of communication between us....Manny (the dog) and I communicate much better than me and my child. Manny knows "treat", "go potty", "dogpark", "helecopter" and is really good at having a pouty face when he wants attention. I didn't really think a smile would be that big of a deal but it really is and makes up for any lack of sleep, fussy moments or all those dirty diapers. And it is reassuring that you are doing something right and hopefully he's on track to becomming a happy little person! Here is Keaton's first smile I was able to capture on camera.

This second picture is the only picture of him smiling from his photo session a few weeks ago...I'd like to think he's smiling because he is holding a blanket his grandma make him (grandma Leah Morgan). She would have brought many smiles to his life as she did to mine!