Cousins

Here are some recent pictures of the Abi, Brady, Colby and Paige. Now that Brady and Paige are getting older and becoming more engaged and interactive, Abi and Colby have fun playing with the little ones. I find it so fascinating that Abi and Colby each gravitate towards the cousin of the same gender - Abi likes to play with Paige and Colby likes to play with Brady.

Playing Peek-A-Boo

Some Bonding Time Between The Boys

Girl Talk

All Smiles!

Paige Trying to Crawl

Mommy's Baby Noises Scare Brady!...I know I shouldn't find this video so funny but I do. Not only does it make me laugh when I scare poor little Brady but I also find my baby noises pretty funny to listen to. No wonder my kids sometimes look at me like I am crazy!

The Best of Summer (so far)

I can't believe that I haven't updated our blog in over a month!  We have been fully enjoying these summer months and time is just flying by.  It is hard to believe that Brady is already 5 months old and Abi is going to be starting preschool next month!  Since I am a bit behind in posting, I thought that the best way to catch up would be to compile a list of our recent activities, celebrations & milestones.  So, without further ado, here is the Doehne Family's Top 10 Summer Moments.

10.) Derby Days - Although we have "marched" in the kids parade for the past 2 years, this year was extra special because Abi rode her bike for the first time.  We practiced for about a month before the big day.  Even though we kept a snails pace on the parade route, Abi complained that she was "going too fast" (I think that if Josh didn't start pushing her, she would have stopped!)  Regardless, she did a great job and looked fantastic in her princess outfit.

Brady waving to all of his adoring fans!

9.) Brady Starts Solids - Similar to Abi, we started introducing Brady to solid foods after he turned 4 months old.  According to Josh, one of the reasons kids are crabby for the first months of life is because they want to eat some "real" food (only a man could come up with such as philosophy).  Well, so far Brady has loved his food and some of his favorites include peas and sweet potatoes.

Before & After Brady's First Meal

8.) Abi's Swimming Lessons - Abi took 2 weeks of swimming lessons.  The first week was pretty rough and generally ended with her crying hysterically; however, she stuck with it and now is becoming quite a good swimmer.

7.) Our Big Night Out - Josh and I got a night out of the house (kid-free!) with our friends, Jami and Colin.  We started off at a bar that served Absinthe - an "experience" that Josh and Colin had been looking forward to for quite some time.  Then we headed to dinner and to a movie at the Gold Class Cinemas (you can't beat recliners, pillows, blankets and desserts delivered right to your seats at the push of a button!)

 

6.) Brady Learns How to Roll Over - Although Brady learned how to roll over from his stomach to back pretty early on; during the last few weeks of July, he learned how to roll from his back to stomach.  He has became quite the expert.  Now, if he is left alone, I often find that he has rolled himself across the entire floor within a minute or two.  He seems to really enjoy his new found freedom and LOVES sleeping on his stomach.  I have a feeling that I am going to be very busy as soon as he can figure out how to crawl!

5.) Picking Raspberries - We headed out to Remlinger's Farm this year to pick raspberries.  We had great weather and came home with LOTS of berries.  Josh made some delicious freezer jam and we even had some leftovers to snack on.

 

My current favorite picture of Brady

Abi eating raspberries...I think she ended up bringing home about 50% of her take

Our secret weapon to get the best berries!

4.) Abi's Dance Class - In addition to swim lessons, Abi also took dance class this summer.  It was a tap and ballet combo class and all of the kids were SO cute!  Generally, in the past, I have always been an active participant in Abi's classes, however as she gets older she has been taking these classes by herself.  As a spectator, I have discovered that half the time she is goofing around and not paying attention when she should be.  It is so hard for me to sit on the sidelines and bite my tongue but I figure that this is good practice for preschool.  I am already dreading our first parent-teacher conferences! :)

3.) Family Visits - Towards the end of July, Grandpa, Aunt Peggy and Uncle Bob flew in from California for a few days.  It was great to spend time together and catch up.  Abi had a great time showing Aunt Peggy her princess bedroom and I'm glad they got a chance to meet Brady. 

Kids hanging out with Great-Grandpa

2.) Brady Moves into his New Digs - On August 1st, Brady graduated from his cradle (which was in our room) to his own room.  He is now sleeping in his big boy crib and seems to like the ability to sleep on his stomach and move around a bit more. 

1.) Heat Wave - At the end of July, Seattle experienced the hottest and driest spell ever recorded.  At the peak, Redmond hit a record 107 degrees.  Without air conditioning, it was about 90 degrees in the house.  Luckily, my parent's have air conditioning so the kids and I spent a few nights at their house.  During the days, we spent our time in the inflatable pool trying to stay cool.

Fillin' up the pool

Brady is not amused by my attempts to keep him cool