Party On Alistair!

This weekend we had Alistair's big 1st birthday party. It was a great time! We had the party at Blythe Park in Bothell. We couldnt' have asked for nicer weather, it was gorgeous! We had a BBQ picnic with hamburgers, hotdogs and all the fixings along with chips, salads, fruit and veggies. For dessert we had cupcakes! Alistair did great and had a good time. We loved seeing everyone who came and missed who couldn't come.

Alistair's first taste of sugar, YUM!

Trying out his new lawnmower with the help of Uncle Jeff

Alistair and Cousin Natalie posing in the grass
Hanging out with Papa, eating a pepper
Food friends and family, what a great combination!

Happy First Birthday Alistair!!

Alistair is officially 1 today! My how quick this year has gone by! Alistair had a pretty good day. We went to the gym this morning and one of the girls who works in the nursery made Alistair a birthday hat. Then in swim class Alistair had Happy Birthday sung to him by everyone. We spent the rest of the day playing and hanging out at home. When Seth got home, we went to dinner at Red Robin where Alistair had his first kid's menu item ordered for him, Cheese 'n' Chicken Quesadilla. After dinner we stopped by Blythe Park to check out the facilities and did some swinging. It is hard to imagine what we were doing a year ago today!

Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day weekend we headed to Sun Lakes State Park in Eastern Washington with Seth's parents. We had a great time and the park was really neat! It was hard to believe we were still in the same state! The park is situated in a mini-grand canyon and there are some really neat rock formations/walls all around. Dry Falls is one of the sights - in geologic times it was a 3.5 mile wide/400 foot tall water fall that was much, much larger than Niagara Falls. From the name obviously you know there is no water now. There is also a series of lakes located in various parts of the area. Some are big enough to water ski and others are small and used primarily for fishing. The dogs didn't care what size the lake was, as long as they could swim in it. I FINALLY got to use my kayak! Seth and David found a lake that didn't allow gas-powered boats and was perfect for kayaking. It was nice to get out on the water! Although it was quite windy and after getting most of the way across the lake, it dawned on me that the wind was at my back and I had better turn around and start back while I still had energy to paddle twice as hard! (: We also went and checked out the Grand Coulee Dam. We missed the movie on how it was made, but it was still neat to see and read about!

Alistair did great. This was his first tent camping experience. I can't say the same for us. The first night we had a total of 4 lights shining in our tent all night from some people across the way who were apparently afraid of the dark or something. I finally got up and maneuvered the car in a way that it blocked most of the light. The second night the winds kicked up and our tent was blowing in every direction and we were concerned it was just going to collapse in on us. Sadie didn't appreciate the winds at all - I think she got as much sleep as Seth and I did. Alistair slept through it all! The last night we ended up in David & Judy's trailer because the wind had won. We came back from spending some time on the water to find our tent on it's side with 2 stakes ripped out of the ground. All of our stuff, including Alistair's crib was tossed all over the place. We tried to restake the tent, but not only did the wind rip the stakes out again, it straightened one of the rings - so instead of a circle, we now have a "U!" So we packed up the tent and everything we didn't need in the trailer and stuffed it in the back of the Pilot to deal with in the morning. The trailer was quite cozy with 4 adults, 3 dogs and a baby in a crib! (: But it was the most sleep I got over the 3 days we were there!

Alistair takes after his mommy. My parents lent us their beach cabana to provide shade for primarily Alistair. Well he preferred to crawl out onto the grass and thus into the sun. At least Seth and Sadie are staying cool in the cabana. The view behind was across the little road from our sites.
With all that sunscreen, sweat and bug balm someone needed a bath. Good thing Grandma and Grandpa had an Alistair-sized bath tub in their trailer bathroom!
Alistair prefers to kayak on land. This also provided a good place to plunk him for a couple to be able to get something accomplished.
Here is the carnage of our tent. This is looking through the door screen. Good thing Alistair wasn't in there taking a nap!

Here is a little video of Alistair entertaining himself in the trailer while we took a break from the outdoors.

Things and Stuff

So it has been a bit since I last posted anything. We haven't been up to anything huge, but there have been a few highlights here and there. I had a nice first Mother's Day. It actually started on Saturday for me. I got up and had a wonderful breakfast. Seth made Eggs Benedict with Crab and Avocados. Accompanying it was hashbrowns and fresh sliced mango. Yum! Then it was off to Gene Juarez for a 1/2 day spa. I started with a Bio-Nutrient Facial, then went on to an Algae Body Mask and Vischee Shower and then ended with an hour-long massage. The rest of the day was just spent relaxing. Sunday we got up and went to Jen and Ethan's for a nice brunch with the Hennessey family. Then we headed over to the Sandholms to hang out with them for the remainder of the day. Here the boys are posing for their Mothers:The following Monday Alistair, Sadie and I headed to Fox Island to spend the day with my parents. We just hung out mostly, threw the ball for Sadie A LOT and took a stroll around the block. Here Alistair is having a snack on the deck, with his view of the water (not seen in photo!):As mobile as Alistair is now, he is also gaining speed, balance and agility. He can go up and down the stairs by himself (chaperoned of course) - he even turns around to go down backward instead of going down head-first. He pulls himself up on anything he can get a grip on - toys, furniture, windows, your leg. He also has discovered drawers and gets into any at his height. I have taken to making bumpers for the ones he particularly likes so he doesn't pinch his fingers. He hasn't completely emptied a drawer - he leaves that to coffee table tops - but he has figured out how to put things in drawers. So now when we might be missing something - check the drawers! Alistair loves the window next to the front door. It is nice and low and has a nice, wide ledge to lean on. That also happens to be the place Sadie surveys the front of the house and barks at anyone walking by. I think she is confused by Alistair standing there as she thinks someone is arriving. So when he goes to the window, she inevitably ends up there too to see what he is looking at!
This past Saturday was our long overdue meal with the Sandholms and Folgedalens. A few years ago, perhaps 4 or 5, we decided that instead of exchanging gifts we would make a really elegant meal (with Seth as head chef) and split the groceries 3-ways. This way we have a meal just as nice as going out, if not nicer, and pay about 1/2 the price. Usually this is done around New Years, however this year was pushed out due to scheduling conflicts. We did it at the Folgedalens and had a great time and wonderful meal! After dessert, the men stepped outside onto the balcony for some whiskey and a cigar. Here Alistair is in his Pj's trying to be part of the crowd! (:
Alistair turns 1 in 9 days! Where does the time go! We are going camping over Memorial Day weekend and it will be his first tent camping experience...we will see how that goes! (:

19 days and counting

Alistair is quickly closing in on being 1 year old! Where does the time go? He is growing up so quick...turning into a little boy! Sniff! (: Yesterday we took a field trip with Ranae and Sully to Snohomish. This is Ranae's last week of freedom before she returns to the daily grind. Alistair and I are going to miss having outing buddies! Snohomish is such a cute little town with lots of fun shops as well as lots of Antique Stores - if you are into antique-ing. We went up there to check out the town as well as go to the Farmer's Market they have on Thursdays. Well it is a good thing that the town had so much to offer because the FM didn't and would have been a huge disappoinment had we driven there for just that! (: On our way out there were some people sky diving and it made me want to go again, the day was just like the day Carolyn and I went sky diving 4 years ago (except maybe a little cooler). The boys were very good yesterday, hanging out in their stollers. They both napped about the same time and generally charmed the people around us when they were awake! Ranae and I had to take turns going into some store as they were not necessarily stroller friendly. So I snapped some photos of the boys while Ranae shopped. Here you can tell Alistair is ready for a nap as he is unamused at my attempts to play peek-a-boo. Sully was more game for being entertained (as seen below).

After our day, the Sandholms stayed for dinner and then took off shortly after to get Sully home to bed. We gave Alistair a bath as he had been slathered in Sunblock and then covered in food from dinner. Alistair has gotten to the point now where he really likes his baths and if you make any move with him that may seem like you might be taking him out, he gets REALLY mad. Screams, kicks his legs, wails his fists...it's actually kind of funny to watch. He loves his duck bath now that he can sit up in it better. Also, since he has been taking swimming, he enjoys playing in the water more. He splashes like crazy and sends water EVERYWHERE!!

What have we been up to lately?

We haven't been really busy latey, but we have had a few good times! Now that Alistair is totally self-propelled, we have to keep on eye on where he goes. He likes to make a B-Line for the dog bowls in the kitchen...occasionally he will try to distract us by doing something else first so we let our guard down a little. Here he is "helping" with the dinner dishes!

Last Friday Alistair and I went to the Tulip Festival with Ranae and Sully. We had a good time despite the fact that the tulip fields have all been tilled under already. Tulip Town still had some growing, so all wasn't lost. We had a nice time in La Conner. We went to the La Conner Brewery for lunch and the waitresses fawned over the boys. Alistair LOVED posing for this photo (to his defense it was VERY windy and I don't think he liked that too much!).

This past Monday was Taco Night. Alistair loves cheese and guacamole... This is a very low quality movie, it was taken with our old camera as we don't have a big enough card for the new one yet...it is more for the sound. You can hear Alistair "talking."

Movies!!!

I think I finally got the movie thing working...hopefully! And because I am so sure, I have posted a few to view. The first is the now infamous crawling video. The second is a video taken at the beginning of the year of Alistair in his Jumparoo...the one he now mostly despises! If you listen, you can hear him growling away as he jumps. The third was obviously during the Christmas season after we discovered Alistair's affinity for tissue paper! He also is making noises in this video. Enjoy!!

Standing in his crib

Alistair woke up from his nap yesterday afternoon and I went in to get him and he was standing there smiling at me, looking very proud of himself. My mom kept saying that one day I was going to walk in and find him standing there smiling at me and what do you know! (: In addition to him discovering the multi-purposes of his crib, he may have said his first word tonight. Seth had been out of town for a night and Alistair hadn't seen him since Monday night. So tonight Seth got home and we were playing in the living room (Alistair's new favorite play area) and he kept saying "Da Da" and looking toward Seth when he said it. He "talks" quite a bit and it is usually fairly incoherent, but he was saying those syllables together and looking at or gesturing toward Seth. We will take it. Figures...the person who spends ALL DAY with him doesn't get top billing! ;)

Alistair pulls himself up on anything he can!

Alistair gets around pretty quickly now. He is going all over the place. I tried to post a movie, but no luck. I will continue to try to find a way to post them. But suffice it to say that Alistair has become an old pro at crawling! In addition to crawling, he is also pulling himself up on anything that will support him. His favorite thing to pull up on is his walker. He loves standing there and playing with all the things on top. But don't make the mistake of interpreting his motives as wanting IN his walker or you will be very sorry!

Crawling, Climbing, Sitting Up...all at the same time!

Alistair has suddenly mastered a few skills all at once. He is crawling on a more consistant basis now...although he still resorts to rolling occasionally. Now that he is crawling, he has become intrigued with the stairs in the living room (sunken room, two shallow stairs). He LOVES climbing them both, climbing one and sitting on it or just using the bottom one as support while he stands. He also has figured out how to sit himself up from crawling - although he hasn't completely mastered that skill yet. Sometimes we will go to sit and his hand is too far out and he doesn't have the strength to push off. Then he will resort to whining until someone helps him or going back down and moving on.

This photo is just funny. He has just finished a teething biscuit and has it pasted ALL over his face! Obviously it was a bath night!(:

New Camera Test Drive

Our current camera is starting to fall apart (literally) and so before we were rendered cameraless, we decided to purchase a new one. We went with the Canon Powershot SD1000. It is a nice, compact little camera with lots of features. Our other camera is nice too, but sort of clunky and definitely not a pocket camera. This camera will allow us to take it along more often as it will be more convenient to carry. I did some test photos the day after it arrived. It has a face framing setting, so you are focusing on the person's face and not the flower on the ground or something. It also has red-eye reduction which means it has a orange-tinged light that shines on the subject right before the photo snaps. If you are focusing the camera and waiting for just the right shot, then the light continues to shine on the subject. As you can see below, Alistair is NOT a fan of this feature: It's a little better in the next photo, but still clearly not a fan:
Sadie didn't seem to mind, and brought Ken along to pose with her: This photo is much better. We took Sadie to the dogpark yesterday and Alistair had a great time. He loves watching the dogs run and play. Some even come to say Hi to him. If you click on the photo and get a larger version, you can see his tooth fairly prominantly! Sadie is ducking into some shade as we haven't hit the water yet and she is HOT!

Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday Sadie!

Sadie turned 5 years old yesterday, March 29th....which also happens to be Judy's birthday (she also turned 5!) While out and about today with Natalie and Alistair, we stopped at Cupcake Royale in Ballard and got Sadie a Carrot Cake Cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting. We only gave her half as we don't want to suffer any consequences at 3am tonight! (: It's hard to believe we have had her for 5 years now...she is such a good girl!

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! (: