Happy 9 Months, Sweet Potato!

Summer is cruising by like a rocket. Over the Fourth of July, we visited the Olympic Peninsula. With Forks, WA as our temporary home, we did day trips to Cape Alava, Rialto Beach, The Hoh Rainforest, Neah Bay, and Shi Shi Beach. The Olympic Peninsula was a part of Washington Mommy and I always wanted to see more of. We maxxed out our time with you.

On the trail to Cape Alava, we took you in the B.O.B. instead of the backpack. It was a 3.1 mile trail that was very level, so we thought it was a good choice. It turns out, more than 1 miles of it were on wooden boardwalks that had steps up and down just so that the B.O.B. couldn’t roll over them, so Mommy had to lift the B.O.B.’s front end so I could prop you over many of the steps. But we made it

Cape Alava

The Hoh Rainforest

You and me, Mike and Theo, Clementine and Daisy went on a hike to Tiger Mountain. The dogs got more looks than you and Theo did. Maybe the people we met on the trail couldn’t believe they would see two daddies with two kids in backpacks at the same time!

The Midwest Peabodys converged on the Pacific Northwest for a four-generation reunion on Whidbey Island. It was the inaugural meeting between you and Great Grandma Dorothy and your second time with your cousins Kali, Annika, and Alden. We had several days to compare baby experiences with Uncle Andy and Aunt Kara, and play with your cousins Kali and Annika. We had cookouts, played in the water, swam at the Useless Bay Colony Pool, played Nerts, and watched the World Cup soccer matches.

You and Great Grammy Dorothy

After the family went home, Mommy also left for a week and we had Dad-Kid time together. This was the FIRST TIME Mommy had spent a night away from you; she wasn’t sure how she would do. It was Mommy’s goal to have you weaned from breastfeeding by this trip to Europe, which was accomplished, so I took over with formula and solid foods, which seemed to work. While Mommy was gone, you went to daycare one day and I climbed Mt. Si, we visited my financial advisor downtown, you had some time with Aunt Karen and Aunt Anita, went to your 9-month pediatrician visit, and returned to Whidbey Island to see Grammy Diann and Great Grammy Dorothy more personally.

Aunt Karen is moving back to California to start a new job, but it was great to have her in our home town for a while so we could spend some time together. She was there for the weekend of your birth, you know. She played a big part in the hospital. Aunt Anita was in town to help with the move. 

What You’re Doing These Days: You are getting on all fours and rocking back and forth, but you haven’t taken your first crawling moves yet. You tend to reach for the items we don’t want you to reach for (the paper, the remotes,  the iPad, the instructions for your little tent, the computer, Mommy’s coffee cup), and continue to astonish us with your reachspan. You can hold your bottle to feed yourself; just a few weeks ago you needed our help to prop it up when it was full, now you don’t. When you see the bottle coming you spit out your binky and start to blabber and hyperventilate.

There is much more of the summer to come! I can’t wait. Sweet dreams, munchkin.

Love, Daddy

Here’s an archived picture of you IN Mommy. I’m guessing it is around July 2013, about 8 months. Notice the “not-so-excited-about-this” look on her.