Thailand: Bored to Death Having Fun

There's a mall just a quick golf cart ride from my parent's house.  It has 6 floors and is filled with all variety of stores (from upper-end to the kind you barter at), a movie theater, karaoke rooms, tons of restaurants, and some pretty sweet arcade rides.

I'd been trying to get Austin on a normal nap routine and really needed to keep him up for at least one more hour.  He was completely exhausted, so we decided to distract him with those pretty sweet arcade rides.

And as promised in my previous post, you won't find one smiling, or even somewhat happy-looking, face on him in these pictures.  I kept thinking that maybe he was just unimpressed with the rides, but when each ride ended he would  beg to go again.

I just chalked it up to his tiredness, but who really knows.  I know they're all a little redundant, but these were the best ones.  At least maybe you can enjoy a little chuckle out of them...

Maybe that very last one has a hint of a smile???

Thailand: Around and About

As with childbirth, our laborious journey was totally worth it.  Since we arrived, we've been having the time of our lives enjoying the warm weather and the love of my family.

It took Austin at least the first full week to adjust to sleeping here (he even ran a 102 degree fever for a few days), so we kept our activities fairly low key to help him catch up on his missed sleep.

My mom (Austin's Nana) has taken Austin out for a jog nearly every morning.  I know it gives her quite the workout pushing the stroller in the hot, humid weather, but Austin absolutely loves it.

My family has to have a native driver to get them around outside of their community (all the signs are in Thai and if they were to get in an accident the protocol is that "the white people pay"...no matter what).  It's quite nice to be able to sit back, relax and let someone else worry about the traffic.  Carseats are unheard of over here (though we do have Austin ride in one) and only the front passenger and driver are required to wear a seatbelt.  So, last week when we were headed home from the Zoo (post to come) and stopped in city traffic, my mom let Austin check out the sunroof.

When the driver is gone, we're limited to only a couple other modes of transportation: bikes and a golf cart.  As you would imagine, Austin loves them both.

My dad bought an infant seat for one of the bikes so we can drive him around.  Isn't he so cute in his little helmet (also optional)?  I've taken him on a few long bike rides (as has Nana, as you can see) and whenever we get back he always says "go." He just can't get enough of it.

I bet you're wondering why he looks so grumpy when all I've sworn is that he absolutely loves riding on the bike.  It's nearly impossible to get this boy to smile at the camera anymore.  Just you wait until I blog about our trip to the fun kiddie rides at the mall....imagine dozens of pictures of the saddest little boy you've ever seen on a carousel.

But the crème de la crème is the golf cart. Austin could probably ride on it for hours at a time. We have to take turns taking him out throughout the day (this time it was Aunt La La's). It's a pretty convenient way to check out all the parks throughout the community though.

Note,mostly for my husband will see this and worry that our son will turn into a "pansy": He doesn't usually wear his helmet on the golf cart.  He had just finished a bike ride and demanded a golf cart ride before bed. Could you say "no" to that face?

 And, speaking of parks, we've sure spent our fair share of time at them lately. Austin is turning into a little thrill seeker.

Thailand: The Arrival

Well, it's official, we are never coming home.  Never.  And you probably think it's because Thailand is so breathtakingly exotic that I could picture myself living here for the rest of my days.  It is, but we are never coming home because I will NEVER get on an airplane with Austin again.  Never. It may have even been worse than childbirth.

The first leg of the flight, from Seattle to Taipei, is 13 hours.  We were an hour late taking off (after we had already boarded the plane), which made it really 14 hours.  Austin slept for 4.  Yes, FOUR of those hours.  And it is nearly impossible to keep a toddler busy on a crowded airplane for TEN hours.  If someone had given me the option to jump off of that airplane I probably would have done it.  I brought tons of think to entertain him, including a DVD player, and lots of snacks.  It was all totally useless.  He did want to do anything but run around.  Needless to say, we spent a lot of time in and around the bathrooms and walking up and down the aisles.  It was brutally painful, but we survived that leg.

Our layover in Taipei was a little stressful because Austin was so incredibly exhausted that he had a million times more energy than normal.  Luckily we found a nice Hello Kitty play place that he ran around on for a good hour.  The next flight, from Taipei to Bangkok was only 3.5 hours and he slept for 2.5 of those.  I didn't sleep during either of the flights, but I was finally able to enjoy the in-flight meal and watch The Help (amazing, by the way).

After our 22-hour trek we were finally reunited with my family.  I admit, I bawled my eyes out in relief and exhaustion.  But it was over and I had a month of upper 80-degree weather days to look forward to.

18-Month Check-Up

Can you believe it's been 18 months?!!  I know, me neither.  I can't even believe it's been 6 months since his birthday.  Technically, though, he's not 18 months until next Sunday, but we went to the doctor already.  She wanted him to see him a week before we left for Thailand just in case he had any reactions to his immunizations.

This was the first time that Austin expressed any opinion about being at the doctors -- a negative opinion, of course.  He screamed as he was weighed and measured...literally screamed.  And then he went ballistic when the doctor tried to listen to his lungs and look into his ears.  He's been going through a pretty severe case of separation anxiety lately (perfect time to send him to nursery, right?), so maybe he thought the doctor was going to take him.  Whatever it was, he was not happy and he let us know.  And then the nurse gave him two shots.  So, yeah, it was a pretty traumatic experience -- for both of us. 

BUT, I love his pediatrician.  I feel like a super mom after talking to her.  As usual, Austin is right on track in every way.  He still isn't talking as much as would be convenient for me (though the doctor says he's where he should be), but I guess it's a bit unrealistic to expect him to say, "Mom, I'm hungry.  I would like a grilled cheese, some grapes, and water in my blue sippy cup."  So, for now I'll just keep interpreting the words and half words he does say.

Austin's 18 Month Stats:
Weight: 25.2 pounds (50 percentile)
Height: 32.75 inches (75 percentile)
Head: 48 centimeters (50 percentile)

Most popular vocab words: mama, dada, nana, papa, baa (Baxter), more, milk, no-no, caca (if something is gross), uh uh (uh oh), lala (Laura, as in Aunt Laura), go (in direct command to Baxter), hi, bye.

 We love little Austin more than ever these days.  He's so fun and silly all the time.  He has a charming little personality.  At 18 months, Austin...

...is showing a streak of independence.
...does things he knows are "no-no's" on purpose (and he looks at us while doing them to see how far he can get without us stopping him).
...could probably eat cheese for every meal (especially cheddar).
...has started getting embarrassed easily.
...loves Sesame Street.
...barks when he sees a dog.
...has been taking 3 or 4 hour naps regularly (which has been heavenly for me).
...is obsessed with airplanes.
...is starting to play on his own a little more
....loves to Skype with his Nana.
...makes the appropriate sounds when playing with his dinosaurs or cars.
...has been put on time out a handful of times.
...climbs on everything.
...love to dunk his fries (or anything really) in "dippies" (ketchup, ranch, etc.).
...signs some words (milk, more, food, all done, please)
...loves to give his Daddy zugas (or raspberries if that's what you call them).
...has almost a full set of teeth.
...loves to be naked.

Notice the monkey backpack in the bottom middle picture.  It attaches to a "leash" so he can't wander too far from us.  We bought it for our trip to Thailand and he LOVES wearing it.  Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Happy Halloween (Two Weeks Ago!)

I honestly don't know how time goes by so fast.  It seriously feels like Halloween was last weekend.  We had a great Halloween.  We went to our ward Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday.  Austin wasn't too excited about his costume (interpret that as "screamed bloody murder when we finally forced it on him"), but he tolerated it once we got to the church and he realized that all the other kids were also wearing costumes.  And, by the time he discovered how to get candy, he had completely forgotten about the costume after all.  It was so cute to see him walk around and hold out his little pumpkin bucket.  He didn't want any help, either. 

He was a giraffe this year, thanks to our good friends who let us borrow the costume.  He also stopped multiple times during the ONE small loop around the parking lot to try to eat some of the candy.

On the actual night of Halloween we stayed home and passed out candy, which Austin loved as well.  I look forward to next year when Halloween will probably be even more exciting for him.

And I just couldn't help but remind myself how cute Austin was last Halloween.

I didn't take any pictures at the annual Spader Family Pumpkin Carving Contest, but I did light our pumpkins with pride on Halloween night.  Can you tell whose is whose?

Pumpkin Patch 2011

Remember last year when we went to the pumpkin patch with Carmen and Parker?  Well, we went back just yesterday.  Look at the difference a year makes...

The boys loved checking out all the little pumpkins and gourds.  Austin, as usual, did not want me to take his picture -- hence the grumpy face you'll see every one I did take.  I'm so happy that Austin has a cousin that lives near him (although, we'd love it if ALL his cousins lived near him).  Austin and Parker are great friends already and I can only imagine what fun the next few years will bring.

'Twas a Great Day for a Cape

Last Saturday Toren introduced Austin to a cape -- in the form of a backwards bib.  Austin loved it!   He thought he was pretty cool. And, I'll admit, he was.  After wearing the bib around for most of the morning I decided to make him a proper cape out of an old t-shirt of mine.  Well, he liked that one even more.  I realize he doesn't have pants on, but doesn't that just make him more superheroish?

He wore it while helping Toren organize a few things in the garage.

And while I tidied the house.

And while he smothered Baxter.

And while he ate a fruit by the foot. 

He even wore it to the annual Spader Family Pumpkin Carving Contest that night (no pictures).  All in all, 'twas a great day for a cape!

Our Day Today

I've learned that to be a successful stay-at-home mom I CANNOT stay at home.  In fact, staying at home all day ensures that by dinner time (if we are still alive) I am completely bonkers, the house looks war torn, and Austin is practically climbing up the walls.  Our best days are spent out and about until lunch/nap time.  We go to story time at the library, swimming at the public pool, to Walmart or Costco to browse around, to play dates with friends in the ward.  And sometimes we go to the mall.

I hate/love the mall nearby.  I hate it because it's a terrible mall (for shopping).  But I love it because it's so terrible that it's always deserted. I can let Austin run the length of the mall without getting into anyone's way.  And there are two play areas for him to keep busy on.  That's where we went today.  Sorry about the poor picture quality.  I took them with my phone.

As we were migrating to the next play place, Austin noticed Tilt, which, of course, was also deserted.  He LOVED it.  He probably wandered around checking out the games for at least a good half an hour.  He even found tickets that someone left behind -- enough to buy a pixi stick.

On the weeks that Toren is out of town I allow Austin and I to eat out for lunch once (it helps me stay sane).  Usually it's the dollar menu at McDonald's or a $1.50 hot dog at Costco, but today I treated us to Panda Express.  Austin devoured the spring roll, orange chicken, and rice.  He even got his own fortune cookie.  I wish I would have taken a picture when he found the fortune inside.  His puzzled face was priceless.  His fortune read: You would be wise not to seek too much form others at this time.  I'll be reminding him of this tomorrow morning when he wants breakfast.  Just kidding... Mine was: Lady luck will soon visit you.  I already feel incredibly lucky to be able to spend every day moseying around with this handsome boy.  I just couldn't ask for anything more!

Phone Photo Montage

I recently (finally) got a new cell phone.  Before I made the switch I transferred all the photos I'd taken with my old phone onto our computer.  In about 72 pictures I had captured Austin's first year.  It was quite nostalgic to look through them all again and I thought I'd share a few...

The first picture here I took just hours after Austin's birth.  It's one of only a handful that we have of him in the hospital.  He so scrunched...I love it!

These are pictures from this summer.  

Top Left: On our way to Utah for Amanda's wedding.

Top Right: Enjoying a cupcake at cousin Parker's birthday party.

Bottom Left: After eating a plum Nana gave him.

Bottom Right: Devouring beans and rice at Chipotle (he loves this place). 

And, this is my favorite picture of the bunch.  We were at a sporting goods store and I put a coonskin cap on Austin thinking he'd pull it right off.  Not so.  He wore it the entire time we were in the store.  He loved it.  Luckily, Nana couldn't make him put it away so she bought it for him.  Now he wears it around the house every once in a while.

My Busy Boy

Austin is a very busy little guy.  I have a hard time keeping him occupied when we're at home (or, keep him occupied and manage to get something productive done).  It feels most of our time at home is spent running around in circles -- him destroying the house and me putting it back together.

He won't spend longer than 5 minutes on any one thing!  And it would be an absolute miracle if I saw him playing on his own with his toys.  Usually he's dragging his toys around and following me as I do chores.  Or, he's dragging the toilet plunger around, or trying to suck on the toothpaste he can now reach out of the bathroom drawer, or pulling all the clothes out of our dressers, or climbing in the kitchen cupboards, or sticking pennies, paperclips, batteries, rocks in his mouth (I never know where he finds these treasures since I do keep the house clean).  He drive me absolutely insane some days, but I love him to pieces.

I mean, really, how could I not?

Peeling Post-its

There's just nothing like enjoying a late summer evening laying on the deck peeling Post-its apart...with your best Beagle friend.

15 Month Check-Up

I took Austin if for his 15 month doctors visit a couple weeks ago. As expected, he is totally on track. He's not saying very many words, but the doctor wasn't concerned at all. She said he is further along in other skills than some at this age so she thinks his little brain has been focusing on other things and once he's mastered those things he will start focusing more on talking.  He does say Mama and Dada (sometimes), Ba (for Baxter), ruru (barking like a dog), caca (when something is icky).  Mostly, though, he just talks in his own language and points a lot. 

Austin's 12 month stats:
Weight: 24 pounds (25-50 percentile)
Height: 31.25 inches (50 percentile)
Head: 47.5 centimeters (75 percentile)

Austin is a total toddler now and we just love him more and more each day.  At 15 months Austin...

...is running.
...loves BBQ food.
...is starting to throw little tantrums (falling dramatically to the ground screaming).
...willingly gives smoochies to almost anyone who wants one.
...got his first fat lip (by diving into the tub while I was taking a shower).
...has 8 teeth (including 2 molars and 2 more molars on the way).
...sleeps at least 12 hours at night and one 2-3 hour nap during the day.
...got his first head wound (by falling on the sidewalk...it really wasn't that bad at all though).
...loves to be chased.
...climbs on the couch and anything else he can.
...loves animals of all kinds (this summer he almost ate a worm, was bit by a rat and nearly hugged a cat to death...and that doesn't include the smothering he does to Baxter).
...loves buttered toast.
...legitimately threw up for the first time(s) because he was sick.
...is Mom's little magnet
...loves to put and carry things around his neck (necklaces, computer cords, cell phone chargers).
...can feed himself with a spoon and fork, messily.
...loves to dance.
...is starting to actually enjoy reading books (well, maybe one book at a time).
...applied for his first passport.

We're Back (from no place in particular)

Finally, huh?  I think I might have just had a record lull in blogging -- at least since Austin's birth.  I have no excuses and I feel absolutely no guilt.  Why?  Because we have just had the best summer. 

Originally I thought I'd skip doing the "catch-up" post and just start blogging from here on out, but I feel like my memory is getting worse as the years go by and this blog is really a family journal for us.  So, for the sake of my future self who will forget the memories we made this summer, here is a long and picture-filled update on the last two months:

I already blogged about the zoo, the half marathon, the children's museum, and Amanda's wedding.  So really, this is just what happened in July and August.

For the 4th of July we drove over to Pullman, Washington, to visit Maren, Blake, and the cutest nephews in the world.  Grandma and Grandpa Forsberg and Aunt Kalen drove over too.   We got there Sunday afternoon.  We toured WSU's campus and spent the evening just visiting.  On the morning of the 4th we went to a great local park and let the kid's run wild.  Austin was in heaven.  We went back to Maren and Blake's house for more playing in the backyard and a delicious BBQ.  Austin totally pigged out -- so much that he threw up the next day.  Who doesn't love a great BBQ, though.

The main event in Pullman on the 4th of July is a celebration at a park just a short walk from Maren and Blake's house.  There wasn't too much to do but it was fun walking around.  They did have a couple fire engines there for kids to explore.  We even let Austin try on some fireman garb.  Our camera died at this point, but I know Maren took a few more pictures of us with the fire engines (hint, hint, Maren).

We came back home and put the little boys to bed.  Then we enjoyed a little firework show of our own in the street, followed by bonfire s'mores, and the big city firework show that we could see perfectly from Maren and Blake's backyard.  We left early the next morning, but we deiced that this should definitely be a yearly family tradition.

Ever summer my extended family on my Mom's side goes on a camping trip together.  We've missed out the last few years because we've never lived close enough.  Not this year, though.  Unfortunately Toren couldn't take any time off work to join us (he's saving most of his vacation days for our trip to Thailand in December), but we loaded up our van and joined my Mom and John.  I was a little worried about how Austin would do [or sleep], but he loved it.

He played in the dirt, the sand, and the water.  He went on long walks with his Nana.  He ate great food and played with his cousins.  He bathed in a bucket.  What more could a little boy ask for?  He slept great the first night.  The second night he woke up really early, but my Mom rescued him and let me sleep (thanks, Mom).  Still, he did better than I expected. 

Note the sand in the mouth and the dirt in the hair:

Since we had an especially busy summer with my Mom and John we all decided to spend their last week in the states at my grandparent's cabin on Whidbey Island.  When I was young we practically lived at the cabin in the summer months.  It is one of my favorite places in the world.

The best thing about being at the cabin is that there is nothing to do but play and relax.  So, that's what we did.  Austin loved playing in the sand and he even ventured out into the water, sans diaper. 

Nana and Papa joined us for the last half of the week.  Papa took the boys crabbing.  Nothing compares to crab that fresh.  Delicious.

My grandparent's had a SeaDoo long ago.  It's been retired, but we still have the dolly to ride down the boat ramp on.  Austin was a little unsure the first few rides, but then he decided he like it.

 

 It was the absolute perfect week to end our time with my Mom and John.  I just love to spend time with family...especially when you have no other obligations to think about.  Oh, and the picture that looks like baby torture below?  Well, Austin decided he was done with lunch and couldn't wait 30 seconds for me to walk over to the high chair.

Baxter?  Of course we brought him.  He was in dog heaven.  This was probably the only time he laid down.  He's utterly wiped himself out running along the beach chasing seagulls.

 We also grew a garden this year.  The pictures on the left are just after planting.  And the pictures on the right are actually from about a month ago.  You should see it now!  It looks like a backyard jungle of deliciousness.  Our tomatoes finally turned red this week and I'm thrilled.  Thanks Papa and Toren for building it for me.

Whew...was that as exhausting for you as it was for me?  Probably not.  Anyway, it was an amazing summer and now we're looking forward to the fall (holidays for me and college football for Toren).

Children's Museum and Kid's Day

While Maren and Blake were in town for the marathon we had a few days of fun with the boys.  On Thursday we went to the Tacoma Children's Museum to let the boys run wild.  None of us had been there before and it was crowded because it was a free admission day, but the boys had a fun time.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the boys together, but things were pretty wild in there.

Then on Friday we went to Auburn's Kid's Day Festival.  Our boys were a little bit too young to really love it, but we had a fun hour there.  They had about 10 bouncy houses, tons of fun vendors giving away free swag, music and dancing, and a great play ground.  They even had a baby bouncy house that was perfect for Austin.  He thought it was pretty awesome...as long as I was right there.  Again, no pictures of the three boys together.

My BFF is MARRIED!!!

This has been a great summer for us so far, and it's really only the start.  A couple Thursday's ago Austin and I flew down to Salt Lake for my BFF's (Amanda) wedding.  I have been excited for weeks years for her wedding!  She married a great guy named Jason.  I just hope he knows what he's getting into.  Since I was Manda's roommate for 4 years I've witnessed her tuna casserole dinner and borderline hoarding habits.  All joking aside, though, they are PERFECT for each other.

I was so nervous for the flight.  I'm have flying anxiety anyway, which just increases exponential when I know I'm going to have to contain a squirmy boy who will not sleep anywhere but his crib (have I mentioned the two of us our flying by ourselves to Thailand this fall?).  He did surprisingly well.  I pretty much fed him snacks constantly, which is really the key to a happy flight, I think. He even managed to sleep for about 20 minutes.  Still, I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we touched down in Salt Lake.  (On a side note, the benefit to traveling with a baby is that no one sits near you.  Thank you, Austin.)

Manda picked us up from the airport and we hung out with her, her sister, and her niece Evelyn.  I should have taken some pictures because Evelyn is quite the cutie.  We weren't really there long enough for them to like each other though.  Maybe when they're older...  Manda then took us to the hotel where we were staying at with my Mom and John.

Austin LOVED being in the hotel.  He especially loved the hotel phone.  What' funny is that he's never seen a phone like this before (we only have cell phones) and, yet, he knew exactly what to do with it. 

On Friday we went to visit my grandma and grandpa Gailey who live in Salt Lake.  Austin was 2 months old the last time they saw him.  It was great to chat with them for a while.  Austin loved having a new audience to show all of his tricks to.

I stole this from my Mom's blog.

The sealing was on Saturday (June 18).  Laura, David and Mandy had driven down from Rexburg Friday night.  Laura was able to watch Austin in the hotel while we went to the ceremony.  Amanda looked beautiful and happy.  The sealer's message was wonderful and reminded me of my own temple sealing and how grateful I am to be married for time and all eternity.

Afterward we took pictures.

Monday morning we left with my Mom and John to drive all the way back to Utah.  In the 16 hours of our trek, Austin slept for about 3.  He was just too curious about where we were headed.  Luckily he was fairly content during the other13 hours. 

During a McDonald's pit stop.

Run a Half Marathon. CHECK.

Not surprisingly, it has been a while since I last blogged.  I don't feel guilty about it, though, because I've been way to busy enjoying life.  Last Wednesday Maren, Blake, and my two adorable nephews, Braden and Brody, arrived at our house for a fun, long weekend.  We had fun Thursday and Friday (posts to come), but the main event was Saturday: the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and Half.  Maren was running the marathon, which I still can't even comprehend doing.  And I was running the half marathon with my mom.

I must admit, I didn't train as well as I had planned.  I have been running regularly for the past 4 months or so, but just not on the rigid training schedule I had planned for myself.  But that's how life goes sometimes.  Needless to say I was a little nervous the night before the race.  I also had been nauseous on and off all week for some reason, and no, I am NOT pregnant.  But my adrenaline was sure pumping at the start of the race.  It was such an amazing experience to have thousands of people running all around you.  It was unifying in a way.  I kept my mom and I at a slower pace for the first few miles (Thanks to the help of my friends GPS.  Now I HAVE to get one of my own.), which I think paid off in the last few miles when I felt like I was dying.  I blame it on the stomach issues.  I literally felt like puking through most of the race.  Maren had the same problem, so maybe it was something we ate the night before.

Anyway, aside from my stomach, I felt great.  My body felt strong and I had plenty of endurance.  We even captured a few snapshots along the way.

Like I mentioned, by about mile 11 my stomach was in pretty bad shape.  It took everything I had to get through those last 2 miles.  My mom was feeling amazing, so I sent her on ahead.  She beat me by 47 seconds.  But I'm okay with that.  My mom rocks.  And I did make it to the end in one piece.  I finished at 2:40:15. Boy was I glad to see my adoring fans.  Don't mind Austin's less-than-thrilled face; he really was happy to be there and proud of his mama.

After we had a chance to recoup a little, we headed over cheer Maren on at the finish line.  The boys were great little cheerleaders for all the runners.

Maren and her running buddies finally came down the homestretch and we went wild.  I still can't imagine running a full marathon.  Maren's an inspiration.  As she approached the finish line she whispered "NEVER AGAIN" to us, but I have a feeling she'll change her mind.  I'm sure without the stomach problems she would have had an amazing experience.

Now, even with the stomach trauma, I’m addicted.  I think I probably could have shaved at least 10 minutes off my time had I been feeling great.  My mom and I are already planning on the Seafair Torchlight Run (only an 8k) in a few weeks and possibly the Tacoma Half Marathon in August.  And, of course, we’ll begin preparing to beat our time at the 2012 Rock ‘n’ Roll.