'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).