happy girl

For the longest time it was really difficult to snap good photos of Meredith, but this is slowly changing!

bears & butterflies

The fun thing about going to something like the zoo with a toddler is that you never visit it the same way twice. Every single trip is unique and I'm always surprised by the different things we see each time. It isn't a big zoo, yet every trip reveals never-before-seen things and this morning's trip was no different.

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Today we enjoyed the latest installment featuring animals of the Great Northwest and the Winged Wonders exhibit which is a temporary, summer-only exhibit. The first one was great! The forest setting and water features provide a perfect escape from the warm days of summer. It's also a nice new way to enter the zoo and begin your exploration. The Winged Wonders were also a sweet surprise. The photos above were taken in the gardens inside this exhibit but outside the butterfly aviary. Inside the aviary, the butterflies are beautiful and friendly. Several even landed on us! [If you know me at all, you must know it took every ounce of my being to not swat at it and scream. Thomas didn't notice the one that landed on him.]

Chipper

Thomas seems to actually like these larger-than-life-size furry characters. This morning his playgroup met at the local amusement park for their "Preschool Party" - 2 hours of unlimited kid rides that ends with storytelling by Chipper himself and a snack of milk and cookies. It's all for a low price so as you might imagine, the place is hopping with preschoolers and their mamas. After the story, children are welcome to greet Chipper. We waited for the crowd to thin before saying hi! ourselves. Thomas loved the furry character. That might be an understatement because he really enjoys greeting these characters, talking to them, touching them, etc. It's fun to watch and I could tell Chipper also enjoyed meeting Thomas!

We got to the rides late, but Thomas did have time to ride the carrousel twice. Meredith also rode both times with us and was totally mesmerized by the movement of the horse as well as of her brother going up and down on the horse. We all had a really good time and are looking forward to going again next week! [Next time I'll also remember to charge the camera's battery before heading out...]

Thomas sings!

Translation:
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

sweet baby sounds

four months

length: 23.5" (25th percentile)
weight: 12lbs, 6ozs (30th percentile)
head: 16.25 inches (50th percentile)

Pacific City: Home of the Dory Fleet

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M and I both grew up going to Pacific City and we both remember it as a sleepy town without much to do. However, since we've been together we have ventured down there time and time again. Something about this small beach town off the beaten track keeps us coming back. This week we took our kids for their first visit to P.C. and we all had a great time. With a view of the Nestucca River from the sofa and deck of our vacation house, one couldn't help but relax and enjoy the moment. It was wonderful!

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It was a week of firsts for the kids! Kite flying! Sleeping on the top bunk of a bunk bed! Shower! Visit to the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Visit to the Tillamook Forest Center! First climb up the big sand hill in P.C.! Saw pelicans! Met Smokey the Bear! Saw surfers and Dory fishing boats!

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[Also of note: I came across a Harbor seal pup while running one morning! Meredith hit the 4 month mark! And I turned 36, not the "big 4-0" that my niece called to wish me a Happy Birthday for.]

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pretty in pink

Meredith received so many great hand-me-downs and gifts that we haven't really had to buy much of anything for her. I enjoy seeing her in the cute things her cousin wore just two years earlier. Lots of memories there. I also love this box full of wonderful things our neighbor gave us. Her daughter was dressed very well and it was so sweet of her to share these special items with Meredith. I especially love this pink linen outfit. There's nothing more sweet than a baby girl in pink. Well, maybe with clips or a bow in her hair but we'll get there soon enough...

Meredith is already growing up too quickly. I'm savoring every moment because I know this period will be over with before we know it and soon I'll hear the same kinds of things I hear out of Thomas' mouth: "I don't like kisses. No more kisses, mom." Yes, he calls me mom and M is now dad. Whatever happened to mama and dada??

Latest Meredith news? She rolled this morning for the first time! She's been close for about a month, but this morning she rolled four times like she's been doing it for weeks. Sleep is also improving. I'm afraid I'll jinx it by saying anything, but the last two weeks have seen many 5 and 6 hour blocks of sleep at night. It's usually just the one good block but last night she did a 6 hour followed by a 3-1/2 hour block. Yes, this mama (or mom as Thomas now calls me) was doing a happy dance this morning! Her 4am gassiness seems to have subsided which is why she's now doing a longer second block of sleep. Thank goodness.

vacationing in Sunriver

Our family enjoyed a week in Sunriver - gorgeous Central Oregon summer weather, a comfortable house for us all and many activities to keep us busy. It was a fantastic week away! Our favorites?
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M: riding bicycles with Thomas and seeing deer along the path
Thomas: dinner at Deschutes Brewing with his Uncle Pete, petting a lizard at the High Desert Museum, riding bicycles with daddy, the Bend Farmer's Market... Thomas has a lot of favorites and they change every time we ask him!
Meredith: staring at the ceiling fan in the living room of the vacation home and having Thomas read books to her
Bela: hunting on Mt. Bachelor and having Thomas read books to her
Greta: running around the vacation home's property and having Thomas read books to her
mine: the High Desert Museum and having us all six together
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Bela and Greta hunting on Mt. Bachelor

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Meredith found her feet and has been drooling excessively. Teething?

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A big bed for such a little boy!

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Sunriver is all about riding bicycles.

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Bela thinks Mt. Bachelor is heaven

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Pumping water at the High Desert Museum

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Drake Park, Bend

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Thomas reads to Meredith

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chocolate ice cream - yum!!

trolley ride with daddy

This morning M took Thomas on a local trolley ride. It's a 40 minute one-way ride that connects Portland to the city of Lake Oswego. This trolley service first connected passengers and became the main transportation link between the two cities in July 1887. Yes, 1887! Passenger service ended in October 1929 but freight service continued until 1983. Today it is run by the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society and rides are offered to the public. The trolley they rode this morning was a 1932 streetcar.

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M said they had a great time and Thomas really enjoyed the ride. He wasn't scared going through the 1/4 mile dark tunnel and he wasn't nervous with the bumpy ride of such an old trolley. When I put him in bed this evening, he was still talking about the trolley and how much fun he had. Sounds like I missed out on a great time!

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Thomas on the trolley

"Hi sun. It's so good to see you!"

It's felt like early fall around here the last few days. The mornings start out cool and if we're lucky, the sun will make a showing sometime in the late afternoon. Today was no different. After naps, we spent the late afternoon/early evening hours at a local brewpub soaking up the sun, exploring the grounds/gardens and savoring the cold beer. As Thomas likes to say, "Hi sun. It's so good to see you." Yes, it is good to see you. Maybe you can come around a little earlier tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that...??

It's always sunny in Hood River...

One of our favorite places is Hood River. M and I have many fond memories of things that happened in and around there - birthdays, a wedding proposal, a friend's wedding, etc. It's a special place for us and we always enjoy spending time there. Today we took the kids out there for the day. It was pure sunshine, relaxation and a fun time for us all!

talking at two

Thomas talks all the time. Some of the things are funny, but I always wonder what a stranger would think if he were overheard in public. Some could get us in trouble! Fun things we've heard him say this weekend...

"Tim the realtor has a nice house." [He seems to think every house the realtor shows us is really the realtor's own house. And he likes them all.]

"Oh, WOW! I like that." [He says this about everything - every other house around the neighborhood, every construction vehicle we pass, every truck we see while out driving, etc.]

"Mommy, don't hit the baby." [I was patting Meredith on the back to help her burp. Really!]

"Daddy, don't hit mommy." [While driving, M reached over and patted my leg. Really!]

"Thomas has a penis. Daddy has a penis. Mommy does not have a penis. Meredith does not have a penis. Bela does not have a penis. Greta does not have a penis."

"I had a good time." [After anything and everything we do.]

"I don't like pictures." [One out of every four photos I snap looks like this.]

By far our favorite is "I love you, Daddy" (once it was even mommy!). He will say it totally out of the blue. And sometimes with an arm thrown around M's shoulder.

The twos are fun.