Swim Class!

Alistair and I have been going to a swim class at the YMCA since the beginning of March. Today was our fourth class. So far Alistair has done ok. Each class he gets a little more relaxed. He doesn't smile and giggle yet, but I think we are getting there. I have signed up for next session. I think we will keep this up for a while. It's fun to have something like this to do on Wednesday mornings! Thanks to Carolyn for being the official photographer of today's class!(:

Doing laps...paddling back
Hey Carolyn, why aren't you swimming with us?
Flying Fish!
Riding the wave mat

A Matter of Perspective

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day! Alistair looks very shell-shocked in the photo above...but if you don't catch him in the middle of playing with something and just pose him, this is the look you get!(: We had my family over for a delicious dinner! We had corned beef (which Natalie informed me, upon asking what we were having for dinner, that she like beef and corn), mashed potatoes with cabbage mixed in, Irish soda bread and roasted root veggies and for dessert we had a Chocolate Orange Guinness cake. We also drank black and tans or just straight Guinness. We had a nice time and Natalie got to spend time with her cousin and her favorite dog in the world! Natalie held Alistair a couple of times and then informed my mom that she could pick him up. My mom didn't think she could by herself, but maybe with some help she could. So mom held him out and she grabbed him and held him off the ground. She did this a couple of different times and I snapped a couple of pictures. It's funny how different angles can change the perspective of size. In the top photo, Alistair appears to be the same size as Natalie, but the one below shows Alistair to be a bit smaller and more baby-sized.

Despite the look on Alistair's face in all 3 photos, he did have a good time and was happy. It just happened to be that we caught him at off moments! (:

It's Raining, It's Blowing....Let's Go Camping!!!

Yes, the crazy Martinson/Hennessey clan went camping to the beach this weekend - Grayland Beach. We headed out Friday with my parents and spent most of the weekend indoors. Seth's parents joined us for a Saturday afternoon snack and visit before they head off to Hawaii this week (lucky!). We stayed in a yurt and as you can see above, we got quite a bit of rain over Saturday night! Let's put it this way, there was no water under the yurt -AT ALL- all weekend until last night! Also, our yurt was next to the bathrooms and by Saturday evening our shortcut was cut-off and a lake formed!

So most of our weekend was spent in either the yurt or the trailer, but mostly the trailer. My parents brought the highchair (the one Jeff and I used as tots) so that Alistair would have a place to sit while we ate and while he ate. He seemed to have quite a good time being able to use the tray - beating it with whatever food or toy he had in his hand. He also tried mango for the first time this weekend and he seemed to like it!

Oh and big news - Alistair has a tooth! It has broken through on the bottom, which would explain a few attitude issues these past few days! (:

Alistair, Papa and Sadie sacked out on the bed, exhausted after a long weekend at the beach. Notice Alistair's little navy blue feet kicked up and resting on Sadie's back! (:

9 months old...ALREADY?!?

Alistair turned 9 months old this week! It is hard to believe it has been that long. In fact, it is hard to believe it was a year ago yesterday that we found out about his heart defect at one of my ultrasounds. We have come a long way since then! This week he had his 9 month check-up with the doctor. She was very pleased with his overall growth and development. He is now 27 3/8" tall and is 17lbs and 12oz. His head is pretty much unchanged, which is just fine! (:

Alistair is on the verge of crawling. He has all the components down, just needs to figure out how to put them all together However, we are not in any hurry to have him be mobile on his own quite yet. He is still working on strained foods. He isn't the biggest fan of finger foods, although he is getting used to Toasted Oat Circles (Cheerios, Target-style).

Alistair started swimming class today. We had a great time. We splashed and kicked and paddled and blew bubbles. No tears on Alistair's part, but no smiles either. I think he was just taking everything in. We got out to the pool early to get acclimated to the environment before class started and all the ladies finishing up their water aerobics were oohhhing and ahhhing over Alistair. One of them made a point of letting me know after class that they decided he was the cutest baby in the class. (: Of course he was, but then again I am biased! Alistair has some fancy new duds for both the pool and the beach! The top photo is his pool get-up and below will be his beach get-up, as soon as their is a beach warm enough to be on! I will try to get some photos of swim class, I just need to find a photographer to come along!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Fun with Alistair

Bad to the Bone! I'm ready for Sturgis!

My new high chair....does this thing go down anymore??

I guess not!

Sitting Up!

Alistair can now sit-up for an extended period of time without support. He needs help getting to that position, but does a pretty good job staying there for some time. He doesn't just fling himself backward without a care like he used to anymore. We were playing on the floor tonight before his bath. He loves to be in just a diaper, so we try to accomodate that from time to time!
He is doing better on his eating of solids. We have had pears, peaches, apricots, plums, prunes, applesauce as well as mixtures of the above listed with some grapes, blueberries and pineapple. Alistair is not a fan of bananas. Not sure if it is the taste or the texture, but no matter how much he loves his fruit, if it has a banana in it, forget it! He has also made it through orange veggies. He likes carrots and sweet potatoes. Not a huge fan of squash. We have been slow on the veggies as he has been having some digestive issues - constipation. Poor guy! He is off cereal all together as that can contribute. He is down to the calories in his formula - it isn't being fortified any longer. We are going to start green veggies next week and I think we will also pull out the high chair and give him some finger foods to play with and see how that goes!

The Beautiful Cascade Mountains

The four of us drove up to Lake Easton State Park just east of the Snoqualmie summit. It was a gorgeous day (has been this way for a few days now). Our main reason for going was to scout out camping sites for this summer. However the snow is so deep there that they just close off the camping loops and they become snowmobile courses for the winter. So unfortunately we didn't get to see the sites. After church we stopped at Whole Foods in Bellevue. Seth ran in and got us a picnic lunch while I sat in the car and fed Alistair. The drive up was uneventful and not a lot of cars on the road. We parked at the swimming area lot. Once we got everyone situated, Seth and I sat down to a delicious meal of Curried Chicken on rolls with a few different salads and some olives. He also picked out a yummy piece of German Chocolate cake for dessert. We only got a taste, however, as both Alistair and Sadie were whining to get moving. So we packed things up and took off for a little walk in the trailer loop. During the winter the road through this loop is turned into a cross-country skiing track. Sadie ran around trying to roll in the snow, but the snow was a little iced over from the sunshine. There wasn't much in the way of powder, so she just had to make due. Once we got around the loop, we went back down to the swimming beach and attempted to walk along the area we usually swim in during the summer. However, every other step resulted in sinking to your knee in the snow. While this was fun and all, we decided it would be more fun to come back with snow shoes and actually get further on the surface of the snow! We stopped in North Bend on the way home to visit with Uncle Bob and Auntie Ann...it also gave Alistair a break from being strapped into something (carseat, backpack). Then we got home and spent the rest of the evening lounging...fresh air poisoning doncha know?

Big Head Alistair

We had a slight scare this week with Alistair. He had a doctor appointment last weekend and while he was there they measured his head. Turns out his head had gone from the 80th percentile to the 97th percentile in the matter of a month. So his pediatrician ordered a cranial ultrasound to take a look to see if there was anything causing the rapid growth. The ultrasound showed a possible explanation, which was Hydrocephalus (Water on the Brain). But before they made that determination, they wanted to do a CT Scan to get a better idea. Yesterday we went in for the CT Scan and the doctor called last night. She said that his head was fine, there was nothing indicating that he had anything wrong. He does have some extra fluid around the sides of his brain, but that is common for premature babies as well as babies with big heads - of which he has both issues! (: So it was a stressful couple of days. Alistair will continue to get his head measured monthly to monitor the growth. But otherwise...WHEW!!! Here are some recent photos to enjoy...
Alistair has made it through the fruits and is now trying vegetables. We decided Sweet Potatoes would be a natural progression as they are still somewhat sweet. He actually made a BLECH noise upon taking his first bite and gagged on subsequent bites. But we kept trying and he has finished a container or 2 now!Alistair has found his feet and they have now become his favorite toy! He loves them especially when he is naked as he has the most flexibility with no layers of fabric to hinder his movement.Putting them in his mouth is even more interesting...especially with socks! Yum!

Camping at the Beach!

What? Camping at the beach you say? That can't possibly be correct, it is the beginning of January on the Washington Coast and you are camping? With a baby?? Yes that is right, we headed out to Grayland Beach State Park for the Martin Luther Day holiday weekend and "camped" with David & Judy. We stayed in a yurt and David & Judy had their trailer. So no we weren't sleeping in a tent and huddled around a fire for warmth. But we did some communing with nature and spent time out on the beach letting the dogs run and run and run! We have never been to the beach when there is snow and ice! It was definitely cold during the night and early morning. But during the day the temperature didn't seem too bad, but it was probably due to the constant sunshine and blue skies! It was gorgeous! Alistair did very well - no major breakdowns or crying sessions. He slept well at night and we were able to keep him appropriately dressed for whatever situation he was in.

These dogs are tired...all that running is hard work!!

Not me! I am the youngest...I could go forever!

What? Your not using it!

Alistair!!

Got Peaches?
Alistair the Anaconda slowly devours his prey. Poor bear never had a chance.
I'm goin' to the store, ma...I'll be back in a jiffy.

WHEN is he LEAVING??

Alistair - Extreme Athlete?

Alistair is now tipping the scales at 16 1/2 pounds. This is making quite a difference in the effect he has on his bouncy seat and position he gets himself into. As the photos below show, he gets himself much further down on the seat...so much so that the bottom of the seat is in the middle of his back! When we gets to that position, he then tries to roll over. When he is higher up on the seat, he has learned to pump and kick his legs to get the seat to bounce so much that the back of the legs bounce up off the floor. He is on the verge of just plain flipping out of the seat. Yes I could strap him in, but what fun is that? (:

He also really enjoys playing in his Jumparoo. This is a Johnny Jump-Up for those with no good door jams. It sits on an independent frame that you can set-up anywhere. Alistair wasn't a huge fan of it when we first bought it. But now he can't get enough. When you put him in it, he just goes. Tonight Seth asked me if there was any way for him to launch himself out of it (which I don't think there is). That should give you an idea of how hard he was jumping! We used to call it his Vomit Comet because no matter when we put him in it after eating (5 minutes or 2 1/2 hours) he would get rid of what he ate. But I think his system has adjusted as he doesn't seem to have a problem now! Oh and he is dressed in this photo...but just a diaper (the way he prefers to hangout).

Happy New Year!!

It's 2007 and 2006 went out with a bang (at least in our neighborhood). Carolyn and Njord came over for a fondue-themed dinner. We played a game and managed to stay up until midnight...it seems to get tougher every year! (: New Year's Day was celebrated the way we have been doing it for 3 years now, Ravioli and Sausage making at the Hennessey's. It was fun and very delicious as always! Alistair and Sully had their own chef hats and aprons, but really didn't contribute much in the way of helping us make anything. They did a better job of distracting people from working! (:

We had sausage galore this year with 3 Cuisinarts going for 8 or 9 different types of sausage. The men, as always, stuffed the sausages...and did a great job! Notice the technique, perfected by the protrusion of the tongues!We had 3 different types of ravioli - plain pasta with artichoke and cheese, beet pasta with meat and spinach pasta with cheese. They were all delicious.

We all left with full tummies and leftovers to enjoy. It was a fun day! Here's to a fun and prosperous 2007!

Alistair's Many Christmases

Alistair thoroughly enjoyed his first Christmas again and again and again....he endured 5 Christmases in all and did a really good job! Saturday started off with Martinson Christmas (usually celebrated Christmas Day) on Fox Island. Fun was had by all as we enjoyed a delicious meal and opened presents. Alistair got to size up his cousin Carrie - she is 3 months younger than him and they are the same height and weight (Alistair is small for his size)!We stayed the night down there to save driving back down the next day as Christmas Eve was celebrated in Graham with the Harris clan. We had our traditional Seafood Quiche which was delcious as always. Then we headed to church at St. Thomas in Bellevue for Christmas Eve Mass at 7pm. We celebrated with Slade Gordon. We don't know if he is a regualr member or was a visitor as we have never seen him there before - he may usually go to the earlier mass on Sundays.

Christmas morning we got up and opened gifts at home. Alistair didn't quite get the whole opening presents thing and we didn't go overboard on giving him stuff since we would just have to turn around and unwrap what we wrapped! (: We then headed back to Fox Island and celebrated Christmas with my family. Both Natalie and Alistair were loaded down with presents from Papa and Nana (the rest of us didn't make out too badly either!). Alistair got a cool animal train set and a cuddle and learn puppy. His two big presents were a Radio Flyer plush bouncy horse from Nana & Papa and a Tickle Me Elmo Extreme from Uncle Jeff, Aunt Michelle & Natalie (although I am pretty sure it was all Jeff's doing!). The horse is quite popular with Alistair...he loves to sit on it and bounce and try to chew on the handles, etc. The Tickle Me Elmo he is not too sure about it, but it is quite entertaining for the rest of us! Sadie doesn't care for it, but that is no big shocker! Next time you are over, please ask for a demo! Natalie wanted to see Alistair in his Gingerbread costume, so we put it on him and she agreed to hold him and pose for some photos. She seems quite enamored with him all in all. After Fox Island we headed to Olympia for our final stop. We had a nice time with the family, opening silly stocking stuffers and some great presents. Alistair was showered with clothes and more toys. His favorite gifts at this stop was the puppy blanket his Grandma made for him. It is one of those small blankets with a stuffed animal head and arms attached to it. It is very cute and quite soft!

We got home today. Seth has the rest of the week off and we are tackling some projects around the house. Christmas was fun and it is hard to believe the holidays are over! Alistair will be 7 months old on Saturday. He is getting to be a big boy, where did the time go?

Ho! Ho! Ho!

We took Alistair to go see the Nordstrom Santa in downtown Seattle last Wednesday. What a haul! We got downtown and in line at about 3:20 or so and at about 4:40 we finally got to see the big man! We were on pins and needles the whole time waiting for Alistair to break-down because he was 1) fed up with not doing anything and/or 2) Hungry. But much to our delight, neither occured and he enjoyed people watching (as did we) and just taking in the lights and decorations around us. When we got to Santa, Alistair just looked at him with his big eyes. The photographer showed me where to place Alistair once he got the picture framed. When he gave me the greenlight, I set Alistair down on Santa's lap. For a split second I thought he was going to loose it, but he didn't and instead started looking around and immediately checked out the person holding him. Seth and I flanked the photographer and began trying anything to get Alistair to look our way and smile - clapping, making faces, making funny noises, the whole bit. We did get some smiles out of him. I resorted to running up and tickling him under the chin. The photography studio sent us 2 different photos - I think they were torn on which pose to send, so they just sent both! He is smiling in the other photo, but looking up at the ceiling (there were twinkling christmas lights). The best part is that Santa sits in a store window and the line wraps down that way, so I am sure we were a good show to watch while waiting for their turn! All in all I think Alistair enjoyed meeting the infamous Santa...but if he is anything like his mommy, that will all change in the next few years!

Hennessey Refugee Camp

This has been quite the end of last week and now beginning of this week. After the incredible wind and rain storm left most of Western Washington without power, we were fortunately left standing with our power. We did lose it for all of 4 hours Thursday evening, so we went to Canyons and had a leisurely dinner and watched the pathetic Seahawks game. We are usually less fortunate since we are in Snohomish County - our neighbors behind us in King County (the county line is our fence) have power when we don't. However the tables were turned and seem to still be. Because we do have power, we are lucky to be able to help out our friends and family. Gabe, Ranae & 7-day old Sully are out of power and most likely won't have it back until Monday or Tuesday. So they have been staying with us since Friday afternoon so Sully has a warm place to be. Carolyn and Njord didn't have power Friday either and they also sought refuge with us. They did have it back last night, however Jen (Ethan-less as he is in Germany) didn't and came up to stay with us. She may be back tonight, but she is hoping they have power. Tomorrow night Seth's dad returns from a long weekend trip to visit the Minnesota relatives (Judy is on a work assignment in Detroit and met him in MN) and will come to stay with us as they won't have power until most likely the end of the week! Our doors are open and we welcome you to come warm yourselves. You can spend the night, but we can't promise a bed - depending on how many other people are here! Couples with infants have first dibs on the guest bed! After that it is an air mattress and then the couches!

****UPDATE****

Gabe, Ranae and Sully fortunately had their power restored today and were able to return to their house. Jen has her power back as well. As for David, I think he might head to Olympia and stay in their trailer. He can turn on the heat and the clean water tank is full. We will see! But our doors are still open to those who still don't have power.

Party at Alistair's Crib!

Alistair really likes his crib these days. He has discovered the little spinning things on his aquarium and will lay there and play with them whenever he wakes up - 12pm, 5pm, 1:30am...whenever. It resonates very well over the baby monitor. I have turned down the one in our room so that we can still hear him cry, but any other noise is not as audible. He hardly cries anymore when he does wake up, we just hear the crab or starfish spin and go in to get him up. The other thing he has gotten into is rearranging his friends that hang out in his crib. They are usually arranged at the head and foot of his crib:

But now that he has his go-go gadget arms and gripping devices, anything within arms reach and easy to grab gets grabbed and hurled around. He also rocks back and forth from one side to the other which moves him up or down his crib and closer to things to grab. Many times when we go in to get him up, his crib looks like this:He also has figured out how to role over onto his tummy, but has forgotten how to role back over to his back - a skill he had mastered before he figured out how to role onto his tummy. So he will sometimes role over onto his tummy, give up and go to sleep. Or he will get mad because he can't get back over and then howl until one of us goes in and recues him. He doesn't do that too often though. More often than not, he has a party in his crib and then they all collapse where they are and go to sleep (or at least that is what it looks like!).

Welcome Sullivan!

The Sandholms had their baby on Friday, December 8th. Sullivan Franklyn Sandholm is his name and he looks just like his daddy. Everyone is doing well. Ranae had some complications, but she is on the mend! If you would like to see photos of him, here is a link to their blog: http://www.sandholmranch.blogspot.com/. There is also a link along the right side of our blog! Congrats to the Sandholms and we look forward to getting to know Sullivan!

What we have been up to in the past week

Alistair started Rice Cereal this week. He has been doing very well with it. We have found the thicker, the better as far as his preferences are concerned. The first day I followed the instructions on the box and it was fairly soupy. So each day I have added a little less liquid and he is consistantly finishing the bowl now. It is only a tablespoon of food and a tablespoon of liquid, but still! (: He eats sitting in his Bumbo on the dining room table. He isn't big enough for his high chair yet. We have also been playing dress-up with him. One of my friends sent him the costume below for Christmas. He didn't seem to mind it too much, despite the look on his face!
This Christmas outfit is courtesy of his 2 grandmothers. Nana Martinson bought him the Christmas pajamas while Grandma Hennessey knitted him the Christmas tree hat. While many people have made comments about how mean we are to our child by dressing him up...let me just point out that WE didn't buy any of these items! (:

6 Months Old!

Our little baby is getting so big! It is hard to believe he is 6 months old already! One day he is tiny and fits in the palm of your hand and the next he is 14 pounds of little boy. He is 25 inches long now. He is fitting pants in his size range much better now! He is constantly changing - he is getting closer to rolling onto his tummy from his back (already has the tummy to back down), he reaches for everything and if he gets it, it goes right into the mouth! We had his pictures taken at Sears yesterday. The photo above is one of many cute shots they got. Incidentally, the photo below is one from a session I tried 2 weeks ago. With a more professional camera I might be able to do-it-myself and not pay for it! (: