Thursday, September 30, 2010

Family Vacation

First trip to Hartsfield International Airport-just checking it out
The Canada Hat! On the ferry to Vancouver Island Bike Ride around Stanley Park in Vancouver-a must see if you ever visit! Waiting to cross the border
Feet in the Pacific Ocean! Been in the Atlantic and the Pacific all in his first year!
Helping Dad set up the tent at the campsite



Wielding firewood...
Next time we summit!
Warming his hands by the fire
The fish market in Seattle
The original Starbucks!
Wine tasting in the Columbia River valley
Our biggest vacation yet with Hank, and what an adventure it was. So many firsts, I will just have to hit the highlights. We ventured out to Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest to visit Aunt Susie and Uncle Kevin at their new house and see an area of the world that Johnny and I have been eager to see for a long time.-new territory for all! We left dreadful heat in Atlanta-95 degree indian summer temperatures that just wouldn't end, and stepped off the plane into cool, crisp, sunny, fall air. I had many anxieties as we prepared for this trip-first air travel, 3 hour time change, first camping trip, how will we pack all of our stuff for an airplane? I could go on...

First of all, Hank did very well on the plane. We did not buy him a seat and he was technically a "lap passenger"; however we asked at the gate for each of our 4 flights if there was an extra seat and the attendant eagerly encouraged us to take the carseat onboard and take the 3rd seat in the row. This made all the difference! Hank would sleep, play, and snack in his carseat just like he does on car rides and if he got fidgety we would take him out and he would crawl around on our laps for a while. Hardly a peep out of him on the flights. Thank goodness for cheerios and graham crackers-those two snack foods will keep Hank occupied for hours!

Our first stop was Vancouver-Hank's first international travel! and yes, he got a passport for the occasion. We reminded him at all boarder crossings not to "act suspicious" when they asked what the purpose of our trip was :) Vancouver is a beautiful city full of culture natural beauty all in the same place. After a few days in Vancouver we headed towards Susie's house with a stop in Seattle. We spent lots of time at Pikes Place Market watching them "throw the fish" and drinking coffee from the original Starbucks. Then off to Richland, where Susie and Kevin call home. We spent a few days relaxing at their house, and enjoying all that the wine country of the Columbia River Valley has to offer-another first for Hank, wine tasting! Then we were all off to Mt. Rainier National Park, and no we did not climb the mountain (although, I think Johnny would have in a heartbeat if he knew the first thing about scaling a 14,000 foot glacier). This was Hank's first camping trip-quite an undertaking and a little chilly at night but we survived-heck isn't that what camping is all about anyways, survival? We did lots of hiking and saw some amazing scenery and wildlife. The weather was absolutely beautiful the whole trip-which is odd for that part of the country. We were anticipating cold and drizzling the whole time, but instead got blue skies and sunny all week with temperatures in the 70s.

It felt good to be traveling like Johnny and I have always traveled, only this time we had our little man in the back seat chattering away at us the whole time. I'd say a good time was had by all, but it sure felt amazing to be back at home and in the eastern time zone again!



Monday, September 6, 2010

10 months old

My little man is quickly becoming more and more like a toddler and less like the baby I know! At 10 months he is crawling very efficiently all over the house tearing into absolutely everything he can get his hands on. I spend a good half an hour every night after he goes to bed putting the house back together. My tupperware is typically all over the kitchen floor, the fridge magnets are all down and strewn across the floor, the books are pulled off the shelves, the cat food is frequently spilled out of the bowls, and there is an overabundance of toys scattered throughout the house. He pulls up on everything he possibly can, and has just in the past few days started cruising-pushing chairs and other objects all around the house. He is very proud of all his new accomplishments, and will give a huge cheesy smile whenever he's gotten into something new or figured out a new trick. We are trying to work on "no", and while I'm 99% certain he knows what it means, he certainly pushes the limits. He tries everyday to get into the same forbidden things, he will shoot me a glance to see if I'm looking with a little outstretched paw. I'll say "NO" he'll pull the paw back, then look back at me to see if I'm still looking before trying again.

He LOVES feeding himself-although it is still questionable how much food actually goes in! He just started holding a bottle or sippy cup by himself (FINALLY) and thinks he's really big stuff. He eats anything I give him, and I am so thankful he is not picky (yet). He just cut his 5th tooth, so that's helping in the chewing department.

I think I'm in shock that I'm starting to think about his first birthday party. In my mind I was just pregnant last week. In his mind he seems to think he's ready for kindergarten. He is such a happy boy, almost always laughing, smiling, or chuckling at something-best sound in the world!

It just gets better and better I tell ya....











Lilypie First Birthday tickers