Chris and Sonja - The Sweet Seattle Life

Too nice a day to stay inside

2012-01-27T15:49:00.001-08:00

Today was glorious. We headed down to the park for some swinging (Ben), duck chasing (Bailey), and exercise (me).

Plus we didn't see any poor coots plucked off by marauding bald eagles this time so we had that going for us.

Pool Fun

2012-01-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

We went back to the Mount Lake Terrace pool yesterday with my Mom. Surprisingly, it was packed. Crazy, considering that it was empty on Monday.

And it wasn't as warm this time around either.

No good, Peeps.

Ben was a little more reserved this time around, perhaps because we were dodging bigger kids for the majority of the time.

Is the swim diaper still on?

Good.

Yikes, that was the penultimate Weekly Photo! Only one more!

Chair on a wall

2012-01-23T18:07:00.001-08:00

Best bathroom invention ever! Well, with the exception of the toilet. And the sink. And tp.... Ok, so maybe just a darn good invention.

New Favorite Place to Take the Baby in Seattle

2012-01-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

My Dears,

We have a fabulous new rainy day Seattle hangout for the bambino. The only problem is that it's technically not in Seattle.

It's the Mountlake Terrace Pool, about 15 minutes north of Seattle.

They have an area that is exclusively for babies and toddlers: the floor of the pool is padded, not rough like most pools, and the depths range from six inches to about two feet. They have float-y things, toys, pool noodles and water features that blow bubbles and rain down water droplets.

It's a baby pool heaven.

I have never seen Ben laugh so hard. And he is a baby that laughs a lot.

The pool is also warmer than most, so the bambino didn't get cold.

There is also an area that is a 'river' with a current although we didn't make it over to that part.

Even better, it's only $2 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-4 pm. We went during that time today and other than our group of five moms/babies, there were one or two other parents there with their children. So not crowded at all.

We are going back for sure.

image source here.

Weekend Activities

2012-01-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

Lazy weekend?

Check.

And it was great.

After a long stressful week we were due a bit of downtime. We went to a husky basketball game on Saturday with Megan and Eric and then out to dinner with my parents. We haven't been to a restaurant with Ben in a while and despite the late hour, the bambino did pretty well. He has started a throwing phase so we spent most of dinner picking up various objects that the child had gleefully hurled to the floor.

Sunday we went out for a brief walk to the store and a coffeeshop, this time with Ben firmly ensconced in his stroller. It's nice to be out and about. The snow is pretty much gone and the streets are back to their regular soggy selves. Except that they now have giant pot holes, thanks to the freezing/thawing action.

On Sunday afternoon we zipped over to Megan and Eric's for a little football watching, some baby wrangling, and lots and lots of eating. Not too shabby for a rainy afternoon.

The Real Polar Bear Plunge

2012-01-23T09:05:00.001-08:00

Jumping into Lake Washington is like a dip in a hot tub when you consider what these crazy dudes were diving into in Seward, AK.

Now that is hard core.

Things I have learned in the last year (since having a child)

2012-01-21T10:46:00.000-08:00

[I've been working on this list for a long while but wanted to wait until we'd been at this parenting thing for at least a year before I posted it. We're a week shy of Ben's birthday so I guess we didn't quite make that deadline. But that's ok. This list has changed slightly over the last few months and I suppose it will continue to evolve over the next years as well. So consider this a list that is good for today. Tomorrow's list could be entirely different].

A few lessons, a few reflections, and one regret from our first year as parents:

I didn't know the meaning of 'sleep depreivation' until I had a newborn. There were many, many days during the first six weeks that I dreaded the night-time. And frankly, I often felt that I was living underwater for those first nine months. For a girl that loves her sleep, it was torture.

Joining a local email listserve was a fantastic way to acquire lightly used toys, strollers, and clothes. Our's is through Yahoo Groups and is an amazing resource, and not just for kid-related items/issues. They have everything from plumber recommendations to places to take children on rainy days. We also bought an umbrella stroller, a bike trailer, clothes, shoes, and toys through our listserve at great prices. This is truly a fantastic resource. Plus, Craigslist and summer garage sales are gold mines of hardly-used second hand items. That said, the kiddo ain't cheap. We've spent money hand over fist this year.

We are constantly amazed by this child. Chris and I look at each other frequently: How did we produce this perfect, wee little babe? Watching his personality start to develop has been so much fun. He's full of laughter, easy-going, and a bit on the mischievous side. Our weekends now mostly consist of us sitting around and watching Ben play. He is that entertaining. [Right. I realize that only a baby's parents would be so devoted as to spend all their waking hours watching their child play. Clearly we're a bit biased].

We went from being very hale and hardy to aways, aways sick. Chris and I have started calling the Bambino 'our sweet little petri dish'. He's a generous one too, and likes to share whatever he has with us. Yuck.

The first time the baby smiled was like the sun peeking above the horizon: simply glorious. He had us hook, line, and sinker.

Having a baby is life-changing. Duh. I knew that. But I also failed to anticipate how it complicates matters. No longer are we fancy free and footloose. Every single outing requires planning. No longer are we especially welcome at posh restaurants, on airplanes, at parties... A trip to the grocery store is no longer quite so quick. Or simple, especially if Ben is napping. And those lazy weekend naps we used to take, unless we manage to time them with the baby's, are a thing of the past.

That said, for the most part, I'm ok with the lifestyle change [with a few reservations]. I love having this baby in our life. Taking him to the zoo, celebrating Christmas, going for walks to the park: I'd forgotten the joy that kids experience (and share) with simple activities. They truly live in the moment and it is a good reminder to relax, take a few deep breaths, and enjoy life, to the best of one's ability.

It is disgusting how much plastic (in all forms) is marketed towards children. That said, there are some pretty ingenious plastic gadgets out there.

I am so grateful to have a partner to parent with. The stresses and worries are easier to deal with if you have someone that is equally committed to the cause and shares the same concerns. I have such a new-found appreciation and respect for single moms and dads. How on earth do they manage without the support of another adult? From my vantage point, it looks like it would be completely overwhelming.

Additionally, I am so grateful to have family members near and far that are involved in Ben's life. This baby has a wonderful extended family. I am grateful that they love him -and us, too- as they are willing to watch the babe whilst we take a few minutes to ourselves. For Chris and me, having time alone, without the constant pressures of child rearing, is very, very important. I miss our long rambling conversations about life, and dreams and travels. Life was slower and more relaxed without the baby. These last few months especially have been a whirlwind of activity: little sleep, a crawling child, sick family, and a husband working crazy hours. A part of me dearly misses those slow days. Having a few hours every week to relax and unwind are so gratefully appreciated. My mental health thanks you, dearest family members.

I love seeing Chris and Benjamin together. Chris walks in the door at night and Ben lights up, starts windmilling him arms, and does a frantically gleeful army crawl over to his papa. Chris was, like many guys, fairly reserved around babies and I often wondered how he'd take to our own little bambino, once he was born. Talk about a dumb worry. This little babe has his papa wrapped tight 'round his chubby little finger. Their adoration for each other, from this mother's point of view, is completely and utterly charming. I'm sure it's nauseatingly saccharine to everyone else.

I used to think that a shower was a mandatory daily activity. Now I consider it a major success if I manage to sneak one in. And working out/getting exercise? GOLD STAR DAY.

The friendships and resources from my two mom's groups have been invaluable. Early on, Benjamin and I enrolled in a PEPS group and it has been such a fun experience to track our babies' progress, swap horror stories, get tips, and above all, commiserate upon our lack of sleep. Benjamin is currently enrolled in an infant preschool co-op. It's only once a week for two hours but I think we both look forward to the interactions with both moms and babies. Every other week we divide into groups and one group watches the bambinos while the other group attends a parenting seminar. And the mom friends I have made are amazing, talented, and fabulous women. Chris and I joke that we should have had kids years ago, just to meet other great parents.

And lastly, but most importantly, I love this child more than I ever thought possible.

My Dears, is there anything you'd add to the list? There must be lots.

My regret:

I'm not sure I have the skill to properly express this sentiment but know that it comes from a good, well-intentioned place:

The only loser this year has been Bailey. In a big way. He went from being an adored, beloved pup, who was the apple of his owner's eyes...to being replaced by a screaming, tail/ear-pulling terror. He is a step lower on the totem pole.

While that may not seem like much of a change, it was a monumental and fundamental shift for our poor dog.

And given that it happened in his retirement years, when things should be calm, and steady, and peaceful, the change was especially egregious.

No longer are the seats down in Pepe the Prius, making for a giant, car-riding playground. He has been relegated to the very, very back. No longer is he allowed upstairs in the house, as he constantly woke the baby from deep slumber with a shake of his collar. Not to mention the dog hair that made its way into every nook and cranny (crib, chair, diaper!). Instead of following my every step he is always being told to "Go to your bed". Which is in the corner, out of the way. The list continues. This poor dog.

Through it all, he has been the wonderful pooch that we know and love. A few behaviors have emerged as he's sought to best the baby in the game for attention. Little does he know that he's on the losing end of that battle. For example, he has taken to placing himself between me and Ben in the hopes that, by forcefully inserting his body directly in front of me, I'll forget about the baby and will pet him instead. And he accosts anybody that comes to the door, knowing that the visitor will soon make a beeline for the baby. His biggest champion in this regard is Eric, who dotes on him excessively upon arrival.

And my parents have been so sweet: they take Bailey off to 'Dog Camp', as we call it, for a bit so that he can have time when he doesn't have to compete against the child for attention. Bailey is loathe to leave their house. Always. [What wonderful parents.]

So I guess my regret is that I wish I'd planned out our dog-owning days a bit better, to the extent that one can plan such a thing. In a perfect world, our sweet pup would have grown old and passed away, before the arrival of the baby. He would have enjoyed his retirement years being feted and adored unconditionally by us. Not replaced.

I still love him, still adore him. But I'm also unapologetic in that my focus has changed. Benjamin is, at this time, my top priority. But I regret the shift deeply.

Both Chris and I agree that we'd like to have dogs later on. When our child is older. I had a steady succession of pups growing up and I'd like to continue the tradition. But after Bailey is gone, which may not be for another few years yet, depending on the condition of his hips, I think we'll take a break. I think a new dog, coming into the family, would quickly realize its place in the family hierarchy. It's Bailey's sudden down-grade has been so difficult for us all, but especially him, that has left me so remorseful.

Live and learn, I suppose.

Done with Snow

2012-01-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

Ugh. I did not enjoy the latest Seattle snow event.

Our city is perpetually ill-prepared to deal with snow storms and this year we were too: our family was low on food stuffs, Ben and I were battling colds, Chris was working insane hours. And Pepe the Prius, our one car capable of handling snow, got a flat tire yesterday as Chris was trying to leave work.

Not surprising, given how the rest of the week went.

So we are looking forward to a better week next week. An end to this nasty cold would help things considerably.

On the plus side, we were really fortunate not to lose power. Keep your fingers crossed for us as it's a howling gale out there.

How am I supposed to eat my breakfast if my bowl is filled with snow?!

Snowy Walk

2012-01-18T18:16:00.001-08:00

So nice to get out of the house for a bit. Bailey loved it too.

SNOW

2012-01-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

It's snowing as I write this. Which is great. I like snow. Except I found myself looking at pictures of Tahiti on Pinterest this morning. So clearly I'm not digging the snow as much as I think I am.

Speaking of "digging snow". Yesterday our dear neighbor decided to use a plastic rake to clean his driveway of the white stuff. I thought it was pretty funny until I realized how effective it was.

Way to go neighbor, way to go.

Here are a few pics from our jaunt yesterday.

This little one LOVED it.

We really need to get him some snow pants and boots, though. Cotton just ain't gonna cut it when he's ambulatory. Fortunately he is well equipped in the hat/jacket/mittens department.

Chris - aka Mr. Alaska - teaches the bambino the proper way to eat snow:

Ben was impressed.

But not so taken with the concept that he was going to try it for himself.

This boy loves his papa.

This is the one that really loves eating snow. Crazy, given that's he's as SoCal as they come:

Whoohoo! Snowballs! Throw another one, Papa!

Rosy cheeks, rosy nose. They kind of match his hat.

Snow

2012-01-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we were going to go East to find some snow for the baby to play in.

But that's not necessary anymore.

What? You don't put your baby in a basket?

It was a good way to take pictures without him moving around.

Besides he was still in his pajamas. And I didn't want them getting wet.

We're going to get geared up today for a little full-body snow play.

I think I like this last one best:

Ben - 50 Weeks

2012-01-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Huh. The kiddo is pointing to his ear in half of these pictures. What does that tell you?

Double ear infection?

Why yes.

We're down a Coot

2012-01-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

I was at the park with a friend today and we were pointing out the ducks, seagulls, and geese to the babies. Suddenly the birds scattered. I thought somebody had let a dog loose (Bailey was going nuts on the leash).

Instead, it turned out to be a pair of bald eagles that had appeared on the scene. They quickly identified a group of American coots and, working in tandem, herded them into a tight group by repeatedly dive bombing them. The coots were diving underwater in an attempt to escape.

Eventually one of the eagles swooped low and grabbed an individual. The remaining birds quickly dispersed.

I got it on video, actually. Which I probably won't post.

It was interesting to watch. Hard to watch. I'm glad that the kids weren't at an age that seeing a cute duck plucked out of the water would scar them for life.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I was aware that bald eagles ate more than just fish. That realization occurred when my dad was almost beaned by a headless duck that a startled eagle dropped while flapping away. They're also responsible for the decimation of our local blue heron rookery; a massacre that I find to be especially egregious.

Yet on the other hand, how can I hold it against the eagles? I like to eat duck, too.

Still, it did put a damper on the walk. I like coots.

Why couldn't they go for the sea gulls? Or the crows? I'd happily offer up a few hundred that routinely roost in our neighborhood.

School Picture Day

2012-01-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

My Dears,

I took the headshots for Ben's preschool class today and it went fairly smoothly... until I got to this really fidgety kid. He would not sit still. Never looked at the camera. Tried to eat leaves.

This kid:

He looked in every single direction except mine.

Think maybe he's over-photographed? Just a bit? At least he's happy about the whole thing.

This last one was in the middle of a willy-willy-wham-wham. Which I've yet to get on video. Someday we'll get the crazy shake-shake documented.

Peace,

Sonja

Medical Info

2012-01-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

My Dears,

The other day I was needing to call Ben's doctor and realized that I really should have the number near at hand. Not just for us but for grandparents or babysitters that might need to access the information quickly.

So I whipped up a quick sheet of important information and posted it in his room and by our downstairs phone as well.

Here is what we have so far:

All our names
Home address
Home telephone number
Ben's birthday
Medical conditions/allergies/etc
Medical insurance subscriber number
Medical contact numbers (911/Poison Control/Pediatrics/Consulting Nurse etc)
Our cell and work numbers
Local backup emergency contact numbers (my parents, my sister-in-law, etc)
Non-local backup emergency contact numbers

Anything else that you would add?

Update on Trollie the Chia Pet

2012-01-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

So Peeps,

What to see how Trollie is doing?

Take a gander:

Yup. Exactly the same. Nary a seed has sprouted. Trollie doesn't seem to think we're very hospitable 'round these parts.

I would worry except that the seeds are supposed to sprout in 3-4 days. We're pushing a week.

My plant-tending ego is suffering.

Which reminds me of a funny story: My Sister-in-law Megan and I both started growing avocado pits around the same time. It's the project where you suspend the pit above a glass of water and watch it send down roots into the water and send up sprouts.

Well, we've been doing it for six months now and Megan's little seed has turned into this gigantic plant with tons of roots and beautiful leaves. And mine?

nada. zero. zilch. No roots. No leaves. Just one very sad, sad little pit.

Over Christmas I went over to water her plants while she was off on vacation and I thought about switching our plants, as a practical joke. But I nipped that idea in the bud as I would have felt awful had I stolen her plant and then managed to kill it.

My avocado-growning mojo is at an all-time low, clearly.

And evidently so is my ability to grown chia pets.

The Big Map Project

2012-01-11T16:56:00.001-08:00

Ok Peeps,

We went from a blank wall to... Still a blank wall.

But! We've made some progress! Namely, I've acquired the artwork! Here is a piece of it:

Can you guess what were going to do? Tonight I'm going add a cardboard backing and then we'll start pinning! All the places we've been. I'm also going to craft some sort of frame; probably one made out of baseboard and then painted some lovely color. I'll keep you updated.

You are not going to believe the size of this thing. It's super gordo.

Zulily [Part II]

2012-01-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

What? You don't make your children become employed at the tender age of 11 months?

That college account doesn't fund itself. Besides, we've got to keep the kiddo rolling in cheerios.

Ok, My Dears.

That was the last Zulily post, I promise. I think I might buy yesterday's monkey shirt; pinned with the picture, it would be a good one for the baby box.

photo credit: Zulily.com

Soon to be: a not-so-blank wall

2012-01-11T09:03:00.001-08:00

I know, project teasers aren't very fun but seeing as its as far as I've gotten, it's all I have to show right now. But hopefully that will change by this afternoon.

Be prepared peeps, this is big! [Literally, not figuratively.]

Look Who Is On Zulily.com Today

2012-01-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ok Peeps,

Ten points to the one that sees him first!

(not hard, I know)

This little monkey looks familiar...

We had a blast going down to Zulily for his photo shoot. They set him up with cheese, crackers, a stylist, and a photographer. What a life, eh? Definitely lots of fun to see how professional indoor photo studios work.

I think he'll have another outfit (Carter's) up on the site tomorrow. Picture credits: Zulily

This will definitely be a fun one for the baby book.

My Favorite Photo Of 2011

2012-01-10T00:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's fuzzy, grainy, poorly lit, and taken with a crap camera that was gasping its last gasp, but it remains my very favorite picture from this year.

The love we have for this plucky little child is palpable.

Weekly Photo Catch-up

2012-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

As we wind down with the photos from Ben's first year, I've had a few moments to reflect on the project.

Here we go:

I won't lie: It's a lot of work
That said, I really look forward to setting up our mini photo shoots and then reviewing the photos later to find the 'winner(s)'. Today I found myself practically begging for Ben to go down for his nap so I could look at this set of photos. Then I realized how messed up that was. So we sat down and ate cheerios instead. Such is life.
It is less work as you go along. Most of these were shot "on the fly": on a walk, playing with boxes in the living room, in the Costco parking lot, etc. The only one where I actually got out and balanced the camera settings was for the 49 Week outdoor shot (which was for another project...more on that later) and for the scooter shot (which backfired on me anyway as he promptly waltzed into the bathroom to check out the sink fixtures). Frankly, he's a lot harder to pose now that he's mobile. Hence the 'on the fly' shots - some even with a camera phone (although the quality is crap on those).
I wish I was better at taking pictures indoors. I really like outdoor shots but my indoor ones - especially in a house that is poorly lit - are not that great. I really, really need to work on my basic photography skills, especially my understanding of aperture/shutter speed/ISO. I'm tired of struggling in this department.
Given that new parents take vast amounts of pictures of their newborn children anyway, this project probably wouldn't be that much of a stretch. I'll bet many of you already have pictures from each week, you just don't realize it. Or perhaps they're still on the camera. Adding a quick caption isn't that much extra work.
I use Apple's Pages program to insert the shapes and lettering. It's quick and easy. There are many, many other programs that would work as well: Picassa and Word, to name a few.
One thing to consider: If you do it for your firstborn child, be prepared to do it for successive kids as well. It was be so sad for your first child to have this wonderful documentation of their first year... and then nothing for the littler ones. So take that into account when thinking about tackling this project.

Ok, there you have it, Peeps. Now on to the pictures.

Oh, one more thing: I am very aware that all my photos are over-edited. But I just can't help myself. It's so much fun to bump up the saturation, do color corrections, and crop like crazy. So, I guess my goal into the new year is to become more proficient at photography so that I don't need to do so much work to make the pictures look good. How's that for a New Year's resolution?

I'm telling you - boxes make for awesome toys. This one gave us weeks of entertainment.

This little man sure likes shopping carts. Costco is the only place where the carts are double wide: two babies can sit side by side. Clearly, Ben needed a twin.

The kiddo is still working on his scooter skills.

Sometimes working on the plumbing is far more interesting.

Dad, I think I found your problem!

Speaking of having a hard time taking photos: I was working on a thank you card project (you might have noticed that piece of white poster board in his lap) but the little one would absolutely not sit still. Scrap that project.

And lastly, just hanging out in the crib. In his skivvies.

xxoo,

Sonja

End of the Holiday Season

2012-01-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

I am both relieved and mournful that the holiday season has come to a close. Grateful that things have slowed down; sad that the excitement of the season is past.

Oh, my greatest thing to be thankful for? Christmas songs are not playing on every single music device in our home anymore. I'm not going to repeat what I said when I discovered that all of my radio presets had been changed to Christmas music stations. It's not fit for a family-friendly blog.

But I do loathe taking down our holiday cards. There were so many wonderful ones this year!

I adore getting cards. Never do I look forward to the mail more than during the weeks of December.

Oh well. I suppose there is always next year to look forward to.

Randomly, can you tell what is happening here? We're going to have a banged head in 3...2...1. Ouch!!

The Best of this week's YouTube Videos (According to me)

2012-01-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

My Dears, You're getting my random collection of favorite videos tonight: Here is your political "oops" of the day. John McCain tries to endorse Mitt Romney....and fails: And then: How can you not love talking dogs?! I'll admit, this one is my favorite of the three. And, lastly, a bit of Tebow fun: Pretty sure that one had people up in arms....but I loved it. Personally, I've always preferred the celebrations that involve samba-ing around the goal post or doing standing backflips, rather than the god-stuff. They're a bit pep-ier.

Day at the Park

2012-01-07T09:06:00.001-08:00

He loves the swings (I like them too because it keeps him from eating wood chips)