Hangin' Around The House

With Abi starting school, the anticipation of a busy holiday season and the family coming down with colds, we have been spending a lot of time hanging out at home.

I've discovered that one of the great things about slowing down a bit is it gives you the opportunity to witness and celebrate all those little moments in life that may otherwise be overlooked. A perfect example happened today - Brady is the most impatient eater I have ever seen. He cries if the spoon is not waiting for him with another bite as soon as he swallows. As you can imagine, this has created some tearful and loud mealtimes. To help with this, I have been trying to buy myself some time by teaching Brady to pick up his own finger foods. Today Brady actually picked up a small piece of cracker and managed to put it in his mouth (along with his entire fist). It only happened once but I was so excited. As I was clapping, cheering and carrying on, I looked next to me to see Abi celebrating right there along with me. She was just as excited by his accomplishment. It made me realize that my little girl is growing up so fast and one day she won't be at home to share in all my little moments.

Abi is adjusting really well to preschool. She seems to be having a great time although she is pretty tight lipped after school, only sharing the most important information with me such as who was absent or who got in trouble. She loves hanging out with her little brother and is quite helpful when I have my hands full. I recently resurrected some of Abi's once-retired toys from storage for Brady. Both kids have enjoyed the change of scenery and it has kept them busy for hours. I think I forgot just how many loud, battery powered toys we own (or maybe I am just getting older). Of course, these are Abi's favorites and she likes to play with them all at the same time!

Abi learned how to do a somersault all by herself this week...

Visit to the Seattle Aquarium

Brady is doing good as well. He continually tries to "talk" more every day. He has his two bottom teeth and recently discovered his tongue so he has it sticking out in every picture. He is also becoming much more interested and interactive with all of us, which is fun. He is rolling over and sitting up unassisted but still loves to be held all the time so there is not too much motivation to crawl or walk!

Some of the good moments...

...and some not so good moments...


Here is what I found in Brady's crib when I went to check on him during his naptime. It must have been comfortable since he took a four hour nap!

First Day of Preschool: Take Two

Today we headed back to school for Abi's second day of preschool. This time around, Abi did great. No throw up or tears - just a happy girl excited to meet her teachers and classmates (and, of course, the pet turtles). When I went to pick her up, she was just as excited as she showed me all of her artwork and I got a play-by-play rundown of her potty and snack times (must have been the highlights of the day!)

I am still not sure whether her little episode on Tuesday was due to nerves or sickness. Over the past few days, she definitely hasn't been acting like herself but also did not have the flu or a cold - just feeling a bit under the weather, I suppose. In an attempt to not stir up any unnecessary anxiety, I didn't take any pictures this time around so I am glad we had the trial run to capture the moment.

Hopefully the remainder of the school year will go just as smoothly!

Happy 6 Month Birthday Brady!

Hard to believe that my little baby boy is already 6 months old. I am often amazed how kids from the same parents can turn out to be so different in personality and temperament. This is definitely the case in our family. Brady is the polar opposite of Abi in many ways but also brings so much happiness into our lives.
He has taught me about balance & patience; and often gives me a new appreciation for the little things in life. His simple smile can brighten my day and I can't imagine my world without him.

First Day of Preschool...Well, Almost...

We made it to preschool but quickly ended up leaving as Abi's first experience at preschool was her throwing up all over herself, me and the bathroom floor (thank goodness we were in the bathroom rather than the classroom!)

Josh and I woke up this morning to Abi complaining that her tummy hurt. After she ate her breakfast, she said that her tummy felt better so we got ready to go. We took pictures and headed to school. As soon as we got to school, she mentioned that she needed to go to the bathroom. We hung up her bookbag and coat and headed to the bathroom. As soon as we got to the bathroom, she proceeded to throw up EVERYWHERE! After she was done, I told her that we needed to go home today and we could go to preschool in a few days. She then burst out in tears because she wanted to stay at school. I am sure the other parents were staring at us as we walked out to the car with one unhappy (& smelly) girl!

I am not sure if this episode was due to nerves & anxiety or if she is really sick...I guess time will tell. Regardless, we will try again on Thursday. Wish us luck!

Here are some pictures from our trial run this morning:

And then it all went downhill about 30 seconds after we took this picture...poor girl!

Lake Chelan

This year we headed to Lake Chelan for our summer trip. The weather was perfect (mid to high 80s) for the entire week. As soon as we arrived, Brady's first tooth broke through his gums so he wasn't the happiest throughout the trip. Regardless, we all had a great time - a big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for everything!

Awwww...some sibling love!










Just Chillin'

This year we took Abi to Slidewaters for the first time. She did great and had a blast! She went on the smaller slides all by herself and went down the big slides with Daddy. After each trip down, she would say, "This is so, so, so, so, so EXCITING!" I have a feeling that we will be visiting Slidewaters on an annual basis from now on!

The one way that Abi could ensure that she would not get any water in her mouth while on the slides!









...and a beautiful sunset to end a perfect vacation!

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