Summer Kick Off

A week and a half in, and we're loving our summer vacation. This is what us teachers live for...at least I do!!! To jump start our summer, we headed up to one of our favorite places, Santa Barbara, to see some of our favorite people, Emily, Brandon, and Caden. Ash, Grant, Carter, and Avery came too. In case you're counting, that's six adults, three one-year olds, and a three and a half year old....all in a three bedroom house. Yup, a bit crazy, but we survived and we all still love each other.

Here are all the babies together. They were more interested in eating sand than posing for any pictures.

I'm...

coming...

to get...

YOU!

Colin had fun playing at the beach and being tossed in the air by daddy.

Carter was the only one brave enough to venture in the water. It was freezing.

The Gourleys

And us... :)

Happy summer everyone!

ONE Year!

You are now ONE! All the cliches are true...This year has flown by. You are very mobile, but not walking. You can take a couple steps when prompted, but you'd still much rather crawl....you can get there much faster. When you want to crawl really fast, you put your head down....must be to avoid wind resistance. :) Your fine and gross motor skills have greatly improved. You love to empty things out and put them away. Your cup goes in the cup holder on your high chair tray and you want to put the lids on all the tupperware. You get very frustrated if you can't get the pieces to fit together. You can open up every door in the house including the front door and back slider. We've had to step up our lax parenting style, so you don't escape. You scream with joy and frustration...it's really loud! You still don't like the car...pretzel sticks, cheerios, and pinwheels (baby crack) make it somewhat tolerable. Your car seat is still rear facing, but we debate turning it around daily. On your 366th day of life, you had your first taste of dairy....1/2 teaspoon of cow's milk. WIth your daddy, Aunt Erin, and Papa Whalen's dairy allergies, we held off as long as possible. You handled the 1/2 teaspoon like a champ, so we moved onto one teaspoon the next day, then one tablespoon, then an ounce, two ounces, etc. You are now drinking full cups of cow's milk without any sign of allergy. That's not to say you actually like milk, but this was true of mommy milk as well. Most days, we have to strap you down in your stroller and cruise around the block in order for you drink your cup. And even that's no guarantee. Despite my attempt to feed you a variety of foods, I think you're going to be a very picky eater. I'm hoping it's a phase....everything is a phase! Right?!? You got fitted for your first pair of shoes a few weeks ago. Your feet are extra wide and a size six. From what I've been told, that's gargantuan. You've learned to use these big feet of yours to climb up onto the couch and entertainment center. You're fearless! You're still in the 90% for height and weight at 25 pounds and 30.5 inches, but you're not the thug you once were. A year later, you're still my little love bug.

Happy Birthday, Colin!

Our baby boy is ONE!

Colin's first birthday party was based on the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I always call Colin my bug or love bug, so I wanted to do something with this in mind. The book provided me with so many ideas...I love how it came together! I read somewhere that a kid's birthday party is like a love letter to them...This really resonated with me. I know Colin won't remember his birthday, but I wanted to make it special because he is so special to me! I love you Colin James Whalen! Happy 1st Birthday!

In this cute, caterpillar t-shirt, he looked the part.

His "Happy Birthday" banner.

All his birthday friends.

I made picture banner showing how he's grown/ changed over the months.

His yummy cakes thanks to his Aunt Ashleigh and "Aunt" Emily.

Every birthday boy needs a hat....even if they refuse to wear it! :)

He liked his cake, but he didn't love his cake. Hence, he didn't get too messy!

We had a fruit plate for each day of the week...

On Monday, he ate through one apple, but he was still hungry.

On Tuesday, he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry.

On Wednesday, he ate through three plums, but he was still hungry.

On Thursday, he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.

On Friday, he ate through five oranges, but he was still hungry.

Water bottles with cute little painted caterpillars.

Like most kids, Colin enjoyed the wrapping paper and bows just as much as the presents. He received so many nice gifts. Thank you so much to our family and friends for making his birthday such a great day! xoxo

Happy Days

Mother's Day and Father's Day were both happy, happy days. I love being a mom, and I know Kevin feels the same way about being a dad. On Mother's Day, we enjoyed a yummy breakfast at home and then took a picnic over to a winery for lunch. We gorged on sandwiches, cheese/ crackers, and a yummy bottle of wine. Check out the crab-tini Kevin made for dinner. It was so creative and thoughtful!

So with the bar set really high, I didn't want to disappoint when it was time to celebrate Kevin. Again, we had a yummy breakfast at home and then headed out to the duck pond in Temecula. I bought a loaf of bread thinking the ducks would be thrilled by our treats. I was wrong. They turned up their noses at our bread! I guess next time I need to bring something a little more gourmet....deli meat perhaps?!? We decided against lunch because I made ribs for dinner... a favorite of Kevin's and he wanted to be extra hungry.

We are very thankful for our family and each other!

Rollin'

This is how we roll...

The bike seat was a Christmas present to me from Colin. The helmet was an Easter present to Colin from us. He likes the former and HATES the latter.

Eleven Months

You are almost a year old...This year has flown by.

You are a dare devil. You will nose dive off any chair, lunge for what you want, and climb up the stairs without any help. You love the remote control, the telephone, the stereo, and flinging books off the book shelf in the office. You throw temper tantrums worthy of a two year if you don't get what you want. Your food menu has increased from fruits, vegetables, and tofu blends to include turkey, chicken, pretzel sticks, and crackers. You don't like egg yolks or pasta. You'll spit both out. You no longer take a bottle, just a sippy cup. You've still never had formula, so we don't know yet if you have any of your daddy's allergies. You are starting to push your walking toy unprompted, but seem to be a ways away from walking. You can open and close doors by standing on your tippy toes and reaching for the handle. You really have to stretch, but you can do it. Your Papa Gaebel baby proofed the kitchen, which bums you out because you really enjoyed playing with the BBQ tools. You still have access to the tupperware and pots/pans, which you throw all over the kitchen. You've started pooping in the bath on a semi-regular basis...mostly on the nights when your daddy gives you baths. (You're a smart kid!) You have your mom and dad wrapped around your little finger.

And you're done!

Go Dodgers!

Last weekend, we saw the Dodgers get beat by the Padres. Colin enjoyed his second baseball game, but was very upset by the loss.

We told him to sit tight... it was still early in the season. This made him feel a little bit better.

Hanging out with his friends helped too.

Kevin's best high school buds and the wives: April, James, Lauren, Shan, Baby Minna, Josh, Kevin (with Colin hidden), Me, Kristie, Baby Shayne, and Andy