Chick Pea,

This entry is soooo behind. How to wrap up everything you’ve done since the summer…it’s impossible. Let’s go month by month. I’ll give you the hilights, then a wrap up of what you’re doing at the end of this post.
Here is our July 2015 via 1 Second Everyday Video. I’ve included short descriptions for this month to help remember…

July 1 Hilary and Linda came over; Hilary helped me with knee rehab exercises, July 2-5 at Whidbey for the 4th, including blowing bubbles with Uncle Lynn and rolling in the parade along Shore Ave, July 6 storytime at the Greenlake Bookstore, July 7th swimming lessons at Ballard Pool, 8th a view of our sandals and my big toes which I was trying to rid of a small fungus using Listerine, July 9-12 Nana and PopPop visit and take you to the park, the Ballard Salmon festival, where you danced all by yourself in front of the mainstage, a night where you were babysit and Mommy and I went to see the Indigo Girls at the Zoo Tunes, 13, 15, and 16 and 17 my CS4HS (Computer Science for High School) class at the University of Washington (I enjoyed riding my bike there every day), July 14th having Marcus and AP over for dinner, July 18th dancing with Mommy, July 19th a summer cookout at Mommy’s coworkers house, July 20th swinging at the local park, July 21 bouncing up and down with two binkies in your mouth, July 22 tumbling and moving at Christine’s Nurturing Pathways class, July 23 Auntie Nu visits, July 24 in Aurora, CO for the Grandmasters Ultimate Frisbee National Championships, July 25 dinner with cousin and Jon and Amy in Aurora, July 26 the last game and a teammate’s baby, July 27 you and me downtown at the Columbia Tower, July 28 Nurturing Pathways class playing Magic Carpet, July 29 your first haircut at Beachcomber Kids, July 30 me at a Redmond cafe while you’re at Sharon’s, July 31 spending time with Gaga and Grandpa on their visit.

August 2015

August was awesome, as usual. Mommy and I spent our first day, together, alone, while you and Gaga and Grandpa stayed in Seattle. Mommy and I relived our first date activity by kayaking in Vashon Island. In the August 2015 1 Second Everyday video below, August 9th is a clip of you revealing you Tender Juicy Baby Belly. You contine to be in the 99% percentile for height and weight, and I believe, if there was such a category, you’d be in that same percentile for juicy belly. It has become a joke among Mommy and you and I to “show us your tender juicy baby belly.” You can’t say that much yet all at once, so you just call it, “Juicy.” Sometimes, when we ask to see it, you play shy and just reveal a little bit to us, then run away and give chase. It is charming and so juicy. We promise to stop paying attention to it when you get older and self-conscious 🙂

You and I spent much of August together, since I was still on teacher summer and you didn’t have daycare yet. We enjoyed seeing the Garbage Truck arrive and dump the bins into it’s large, green machine. We even got the guy to honk the horn early in the morning (August 11th on the video). We took an August 17-21 trip back to Illinois and Indiana, where you jumped and screamed with Kali, Annika, and Alden, and had some more time with Gaga and Grandpa. We finished out August on the video by doing laundry at home.

The August 2015 1 Second Everyday Video

September 2015

September started out with the first day of school for both of us! We are both starting out at new schools, which has been a great change for both of us. Being closer to home cuts our commute considerably, and I have found that my workload is less, meaning I can stress less and create and play more with you! Labor Day was late this year, so school had started already before you and me and Mommy set out for Cape Disappointment State Park at the very southwestern part of Washington State. This was our first camping trip as a family so we only booked the campsite for two nights, not knowing how tent camping with you would be like. You did great, staying cozy in your mini-tent in our Kindgom 4 glamping tent. Mommy organized sumptuous meals for us, and we spent time playing on the beach, hiking up to the lighthouse, and exploring Long Beach. We are set on returning next summer and fall!

September doesn’t have as many adventures like the summer did, but we’ve settled into a good routine in the mornings. You and I don’t have to leave as early, and our trip to daycare is just about 10 minutes! You seem to like your maestras, Luz and Delfina, although you still cry when I drop you off to start the day.

 

Here’s what you are doing these days:

You sometimes tuck your animals (Brown Bear, Pink Bear, Courdoroy, and Spot the Dog) in at night before you go to sleep. One night, Mommy and I saw that you had supplied each of them with a binky and nestled them all under your blanket.

So many of the things we do with you, you want to do, “Self.” Putting on your socks, eating mac and cheese, walking up and down the stairs while holding on to the rail, and pushing the Bob. You like to be independent, and eventually ask for, “Help,” if you’d like it. Time has flown by; I remember when we had to feed you pouches and spoonfuls of Gerber mushed carrots, swabbing your mouth because you didn’t even know you had hands. Now, those hands do so much for you.

Great Grammy Dorothy turned 97 in the end of September! It is extraordinary; she is still functioning well for her age. You and I called her to wish her a happy birthday; she was watching the Cubs play in the division series.

Here is you and Mommy having a conversation about all of the words you can say…July 2015

I love how you seek attention from me….”Daddy, carry?” or “Daddy, play!” You go and get a book from your shelf then bring it to me and lead me to the couch so we can read it together. You’re enjoying longer books now, and even pointing out places in the reading that you remember from last time, or colors or things you recognize that we’ve never discussed before. You seem to not miss anything. That’s why, when I want to have some juice, I open the refrigerator door and take a swig for myself while not letting you see. It’s hard to do…..we try not to let you have too much juice, you are too sweet already.

Love, Daddy