Great Times in Newport!

This past weekend, we finally took the escape that we had been hoping for for so long! The boys did not have daycare on Friday, so we took the opportunity to go to the beach and use the gift certificate that we have had for months! We stayed at the Shilo Inn in Newport on Friday and Saturday night. There are SO many great photos - so I am only able to post the best of the best here - but I will send a mac website link so you all can view all of them. 

This is how the drive out started...I turned around in the car and found this...are you kidding me??? How sweet are you two???

This is the first time we have been away overnight with both kids, so we had to learn how to balance naps/food and playtime. It wasn't easy! There are so many more pictures of Henry here simply because Charlie was napping! Here is Henry on the beach Friday. The weather was AMAZING - 60's and sunny the whole weekend!

Higgy and Henry ran and ran and ran:

Family  photo with the Newport bridge in the background:

We visited the Newport Aquarium on Saturday. Henry loved it! Charlie slept...the WHOLE time!

They had amazing "oddfish" displays - here are some of the jellyfish, but the other displays had beautiful blown-glass things hanging in the tanks. I just couldn't get any good pictures of them.

Henry touching starfish and sea anemonae.

Here is what Charlie did the whole time:

Henry watching the sea lions:

And then Henry busted this out...this is him showing his "muscles":

AND...drum roll please....

And Charlie...still sleeping:

Jumping off of the cement turtle:

Oh wait...is someone waking up???? Naturally, we were in the parking lot here:

And then we had the best/freshest Halibut-n-chips at this outdoor stand. The fish was caught the day before and it was the BEST fish-n-chips I have ever had! 

Though there are no pics of it, we swam A LOT in the hotel pool. Henry is so independent (with water wings) in the pool. He ventures out into the deep end all by himself now.  And CHARLIE - the pool is like a drug to him. He goes into this zone-out world and is so at peace in the 87 degree pool! He even hung out in his swim ring by himself and just splashed and splashed and splashed! It was so cute. 

We are so sad to be back. Though, our house seems like a mansion compared to the 100sq ft room we were stuffed in! I just couldn't be away from the kiddos today, so they are both home with me. I dread tomorrow when it is back to the office and back to ... gulp...daycare.

Look for the mac link email! Love, B  

Charlie's 1st tooth!

So, there was one really important reason that I chose to blog today - and in the end, I completely forgot to mention it! Yesterday, Charlie cut his very first tooth!!!! It is little and it is SHARP! I've been trying to get a picture of it, but it is such a small chip and every time I pull his lip down, his tongue comes out. So no pics yet - but I'm working on it! Yea Charlie! Now you can enjoy ribs with the family!!!!

Is the weekend really over????

Before I start today's blog - take a look at this picture and tell me what you see. A sweet baby? Maybe cooing? or babbling? or giggling? WRONG! Charlie has recently, we think, swallowed a whistle. He blows this whistle every few seconds, much like a referee. It is the most ungodly high-pitched scream/squeal I have ever heard. This is a picture of Charlie blowing his whistle. 

Though the sounds makes you want to tear your own eyes out, you can't exactly get mad or frustrated because it is the sound he makes when he is excited and happy. He must be one happy, happy little fella! 

Well, as usual, the weekend was just too short.  We really didn't do much, which always makes for a nice weekend here! Friday night, we actually stayed home (I know!) and sadly watched the Angels lose to the Red Sox, but we made up for it on Saturday night when we schlepped the brood to Pioneer Place for a fabulous meal at the mall. Big Spenders. Saturday night, we watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was such a good movie! Raunchy and touching all at the same time! Here are some pics from the past few days: 

Henry loves "going downstairs" before bedtime to spend some quality time with Daddy on the couch as he settles down for the night. He says he wants to watch "baseball" or "football" with Daddy - when I really know he just doesn't want to go to bed. 

Here is a sneak peak of Charlie's Halloween costume. I just couldn't wait to put him in it!!! Roar!!

Here is one way to keep Charlie in one place! 

Henry going ape on his Spiderman punching bag. Charlie HAS to be right where the action is, which is usually to is detriment. Shortly after this picture was taken, Charlie took one to the top of the head.

Hi Charlie!

Here is Charlie playing with Henry's squishy octopus thingy he got at the mall Friday. As we all know, Charlie cannot keep food or beverage down, and throws up ALL of the time. Between this photo and the last photo, he must have spit-up....keep scrolling down...

I'm so sorry Henry! This is what happens when Charlie gets a hold of something. This toy is now a sticky lump that smells real bad. I love how the "perp" is in the background! 

Happy Wednesday! Here is a morning in the life of the boys: 

Good Morning Charlie - actually this was at 7:30am, Charlie had been up for almost 2 hours by then!

Henry is really into "felling" (smelling) things. When he got out of bed, he wanted to fell mommy's candle:

Every morning...the very same thing: apple juice and yonga (granola) bar:

Check this out! Here is a picture that Barbara sent us. Nathan was 2.5 and Tyler was 6 months. I totally see Henry's eyes and nose in this picture.

See Grandma? Its still in one piece! So, the topic of this car has taken on a life of its own....as I have learned, everyone has their own name for this car: 

Nathan calls it "the stubsmobile".

Krissy has named it "the bread truck" and 

Merri has always called it "the toaster"! 

Mom and Dad have always called it "mini-me"

Knowing all of this, I shall now name the car "Sybil".

I woke Henry up with the camera today. Good morning Henry. It just so happens this is the 4th morning that Henry has woken up in his "pirate jammies" as he calls them. The are hand-me-downs from Ax and the glow in the dark - easily a Henry favorite! It is safe to say that these jammies are super crusty and have the faint smell of urine. Tonight is not pirate jammie night. 

Charlie: "whats up brother?"

Henry came home in these socks yesterday - he calls them...wait for it...."pirate socks", but this morning I realized they are nautical, not pirate.

Charlie is just giving some loves, but Henry was saying "Dooooon't Tarey".

Who's ready for a good day??? As Henry would say "I too!" 

Over the past week or so, Charlie has started to show serious interest in Henry's big boy toys, and in turn, Henry has started to show major interest in Charlie. Almost like he is trying to play with Charlie. One thing is for sure, never ever again can we leave the two of them alone in the same room. Yesterday, I walked in on 1) Henry dropping a plastic egg from 3 feet above Charlie directly on Charlie's head 2) Henry pretending Charlie was in his way and "stepping" over him, but every once in a while stepping "on" him and 3) Henry showing Charlie his 2.5 foot long firetruck (in pics below) and driving straight into Charlie's face. 9 out of 10 times, Charlie laughs when Henry "plays" like this - he LOVES Henry. However, I also saw Henry taking a small toy away from Charlie and sweetly telling him "Sorry Charlie, this is too small for you", giving him "blow fishes" on his forehead (see pics below) and trying to explain different toys to him - it was all very sweet and of course, not all bad. 

Henry giving Charlie blow fish kises - Charlie was LAUGHING!

Henry was crawling along with Charlie - everywhere he went!

Sweet naked baby with Henry's firetruck..he actually looked when I called his name.

Mom - I'm getting rug burn:

Charlie trying to escape Henry's messy kisses:

Little man is naked because I was putting him in PJs, but saw some cute photo ops - he is not always naked, though it may look like it here. 

Henry had his very first playdate yesterday with Ry from daycare. He went over to Ry's house which is just a few blocks away from us. Those boys play HARD and Henry came back Rytized (as I call it) - he was full of P and V for sure, but that could be because he didn't nap yesterday. On that note, Henry is in his room now thumping around (it sounds like he is building a missile of some sorts?) - so I may be in trouble again today. PLEASE don't be too old for naps Henry!!! Just when Charlie has become a relatively good napper for me, Henry is napping less and less frequently. Boo, Hiss. 

Henry's funny new phrases of the week are: 

"Daddy/Mommy, I need to show you something" and "Oh...my...gosh..." (he got a new "incredible machines" book from Costco yesterday and everything is "oh..my...gosh...I need to show you something!" He is such a big boy now! Love, B

Some pictures from this afternoons Fall Festival Party at Peter's house:

Charlie sitting in the grass

Mommy & Charlie

Henry drinking the cider that we made (I can't believe I didn't take any action shots of us making cider....we cut apples in 1/2 and fed them into a grinder machine and then "pressed" the juice into a strainer...we got a 1/2 gallon of juice and it is so good!)

The had the bluegrass band "Jack Straw" playing, but it was too loud for Henry!

Henry & Daddy

Playing in the grass...so cute!

Playing on one of the rope swings

We had a very nice time, considering it was a work event. Nate got to meet all of my kooky co-workers, which was quite a treat. His house was beautiful and the land was awesome with a view of Mt. Hood. Looking foward to Football Sunday tomorrow! Love, B