Davey at Four Months

Davey is now four months old! Time seems to be going so much faster with him than Sophie, and I can't believe how fast my little boy is growing. We took him in for a check up (and shots, poor baby) on Monday and he is just thriving. Current stats are 26.5 inches (95%) and 16 pounds 15 ounces (80%). We really put him to the test with a road trip to Seattle and he did very well. I'm hoping our flight to Texas tomorrow goes just as smoothly. We are excited for him to meet our friends and the rest of the Howe family!

Davey at 4 Months

• He slept through the night for about 10 days in a row while we were on vacation and it was wonderful! He has since gone back to waking up one or two times to eat. I think he's getting to the point where milk doesn't sustain him, but we're going to hold off solids for now. 
• Is ready to move up to Size 3 diapers, but we still have a bunch of size 2 to use up. I had no idea he would move through sizes so fast and bought a few more than I should have. 
• Is wearing size 9 months, but I am still squishing him into a few size 6 month clothes that I'm just not ready to put away yet. 
• Loves to be carried in the front pack. I turned him around to face out a few weeks ago and he loves it! Unfortunately he's getting pretty heavy and I can only carry him for 30-40 minutes before I start getting tired. 
• No sign of teeth yet, but I expect to see them break through any day now. He's been pretty cranky, drools like crazy, and loves it when I rub his gums. 
• Has complete control of his head and neck, and is now working on strengthening his core. He sits really well supported, and can sit independently for brief periods before toppling over. Sophie was sitting by 5 months, and I think he might be on the same track. He can also roll onto his side, but doesn't really seem interested in trying to go any further. 
• Grabs anything and everything to try and put it in his mouth. I normally wear my hair up, but now I do it that way even more. He's always grabbing handfuls of it and it's really hard to untangle his little fingers. 

Took his first bath without the bath seat. At first he screamed, but now LOVES splashing in the water and his legs kick a mile and minute the whole time he's in there. 

Getting acquainted with the baby (and momma) in the mirror

My parents have a walker that we used while we were visiting. He did really well standing in it, and after a few days starting scooting along. By the time we left he was cruising both forward and backward all around the kitchen. 

Has discovered his toes! He is always curling up his feet now to try and grab them. 

Sammamish Summer 2016 - Part Four

DINNER & PUTTING AT SAHALE We always love to go have dinner at the country club while we're in town. These nice dinners are getting a little more hectic with each grandchild added to the family, but everyone was on pretty good behavior. After eating we went out to put around on the practice green. 

IDLYWOOD BEACH We actually went to Idylwood twice on our trip. The first visit was to just take the kids to the playground, but they saw the sand and went down to play by the water even though it was cold and wet. Since they loved it so much we decided it would be fun to go back again, this time prepared with swimsuits, sand toys, and towels. It was also July 11th (free Slurpee day!) so we made a trip to 7-11 on our way there and let everyone enjoy their treat down at the beach. The kids had a blast and could have played for hours. Sophie was the designated water hauler and made about 50 trips to the lake and back. She slept well that night :)

THE CABIN & GOLD CREEK POND The day before we left we went up to the cabin to spend some time in the mountains. In the morning Dave helped my dad cut down a huge tree in the back yard that had died. We went out to watch it "timber!" and then the boys spend the next few hours clearing away branches and cutting the tree into log rounds for fire wood. After they were done we took a walk around Gold Creek Pond. The water is perfectly clear and the wildflowers were in full bloom - so beautiful! For dinner we went to all you can eat Taco Thursday at a local restaurant and I was able to put away three before calling it a night. It was a good end to a great trip

My summer girl with band aids on both knees

Throwing big rocks

Yee haw!

Sammamish Summer 2016 - Part Three

RASPBERRIES One of the best parts of going home is the raspberries! Washington is one of the top raspberry producing states in the country and our July trip normally corresponds with the picking season. We go to Harvold's farm in Carnation and this year we brought home 29 pounds!! Most of the berries were used for jam (I made 10 batches this year) and the rest went into crumble, smoothies, or straight to our stomach :)

ORCA SPLASH PARK We took the kids to a nearby splash pad and playground for a picnic lunch. It was overcast when we arrived, so we ate first, but then the sun came out and it warmed up enough for the kids to get wet. Sophie was really timid at first, but her cousin Anne helped encourage her, and by the end she was even climbing up the big whale!

REMLINGER FARMS FUN PARK We almost canceled this adventure due to rain, but at the last minute decided to go and we're so glad we did! It was still sprinkling when we arrived, but soon cleared up and the bad weather helped keep some of the crowds away. Some of the "attractions" made me laugh, but the kids were the perfect age to enjoy the park and were able to go on all the rides except the pedal cars. Sophie and Will really loved the roller coaster and rode it three times. Other highlights were the mini Ferris Wheel, the hay pit, and train ride. 

BOATING We had to go out on the boat in shifts this trip since someone always needed to stay behind with Dave. Unfortunately this means I was never able to see Dave do anything, but he did take a video of one of his wake board runs for me so I could watch later and he has improved a lot in the last few years! I was able to water ski a couple times and Sophie took a tube ride. We also took turns in the kayaks. I'm looking forward to next year when Davey can participate more!

Sammamish Summer 2016 - Part Two (4th of July)

We had a typical northwest 4th of July, meaning that it was cool and rainy.  We hung around the house in the day and let the kids play. Luckily the weather was never enough to threaten the fireworks, and we were able to go out on the boat in the evening to watch the lake show which never disappoints!

Sophie with her cousins Will and Anne. They played so well this trip! Sophie is already looking forward to seeing them again at Christmas. 

My dad grilling our burgers in the rain

The kids had some ice cream cones out on the deck where they could watch little firework shows going off around the lake. Sophie insisted she wasn't cold, but it made me shiver to look at her. 

Only in the northwest would you need to wear a down coat in July :)

Once it got dark we went down to lake. The neighbors do a good show off their dock that we watched before going out on the boat. The noise was a bit much for Sophie because they were right over our head, but she wasn't scared!

A lovely picture of us on the boat headed out for the big show. Davey was a brick in his life jacket, but didn't protest too much and eventually fell asleep and stayed out for the rest of the night. 

The fireworks are launched from a barge in the middle of the lake and from our boat we are able to get great view! My favorite part is hearing the echo off the surrounding mountains, and seeing the reflection off the water. God bless America!!