It's fun being one!

Many thanks to everyone for helping make Amelia's first birthday special! She officially has her own baby doll collection, and she is in LOVE. Walking is now her preferred method of transportation. Particularly, walking while holding a baby doll with both hands, one on each of its arms:) Woe is the person (usually Marley) who comes between her and her "Dady"!

At her one year check up she was 30" tall (80th percentile) and 21.5 lbs (58th percentile), and right on track with doing everything she should be (and more) for her age!

For comparison's sake, here's one-year-old Marley. Any guesses as to how big he was at one year?


That's right! He was 30" tall (only 50th percentile for boys) and 21.5 lbs (27th percentile)!  How crazy is that?

Dear Baby Girl

If there were any doubt that our hearts would have the capacity to love a second child, it vanished the moment we laid eyes on you for the first time. Watching you grow and learn has been no less wonderful, either. Each time we feel like we know what to expect, you surprise us.

There is so much to love about you. The way you bury your face in our necks when you are scared. The way you smile at your big brother. The way you focus on a difficult task with such serious intent. The way you throw one arm over your face when you're sleeping. The way you point and exclaim with wonder when you see something that interests you.

You are an amazing little person. We are humbled and honored to be your parents. Happy birthday, little girl.

Cudjoe Key

After Sarah moved to Virginia a few years ago, we made an effort to coordinate our trips back home to Michigan. But, with two of us already traveling, we started to think: why not have all of us travel, and we can go somewhere else for a change? Enter the destination family vacation! Our first trip was to Boulder, Colorado two years ago. We had a blast and decided to continue the tradition, this time with a trip to the Florida Keys. Like Boulder, none of us had ever been there. Also, like Boulder, we had a great time! The one downside to our trip was that my brother, Patrick, and sister-in-law, Cyndi, couldn't make it. I was especially missing them the night we went out for Cinco de Mayo. Cyndi is really fun to go dancing with:)

As I looked back on our photos to decide which ones to post, I realized that most of them were of Marley and Amelia.  Hmm...kinda like all of our pictures anymore.  Ah well, at least some of them feature other people, too. 

Marley and Lilyana share a pretzel

Amelia and Grandpa sitting on the porch.

Grandpa helps Marley capture a cool bug in his 'bug watch'

It was hard getting these two to sit still for a picture together

Checking out the touch tank at the aquarium

Sarah helps Amelia touch a big shell

Alicia and Sarah head out in the kayaks that came with our rental house

We spent lots of time in the swimming pool

How is it that Matt looks so cool in his kayak?

Jeff even took Marley out a couple of times

Grandma and Lilyana

The dock outside our house

Great White Heron

The view from our beach

I am cold.

Luckily I didn't have work to return to today, otherwise I might have had some serious post-vacation blues.  Also luckily, our first day back was Mother's Day.  I slept in, followed by breakfast in bed, followed by a late lunch at Prost! with the Franklin's. 

 

Seattle is cold.  And rainy.  There's no ocean out my front window.  No sound of breeze blowing through the palm trees.  No swimming pool.  No lazy days hanging with the Collins's.  No giant iguanas walking across our front yard.  No kayaking on the shimmering bay whenever the mood strikes you. 

But at least there's German beer and sausage.  Hope you all enjoyed your Mother's Day as much as I did.

Stay tuned for more about our trip to the Keys.  Just let me put on my sweatshirt.  And my hat.  And maybe some wool socks.

Keyed Up