More fun with Grandma

We have had a great couple of days. We have gone to the park and done lots of walks. We went to the Rose Garden and enjoyed the park even though the roses are not in bloom. Mike and my mom were good sports and circled the block a few times on the way home so I could jump out and get a crepe.

We also went to a national wildlife area a few miles from our house. It is beautiful and filled with birds, eagles, heron, ducks, and lots of other animals. We went on a great walking trail through the area. It is a great place. Derek enjoyed the experience in the comfort of his sling. Derek is enjoying his time with Grandma.

We have been playing lots of games in the evenings. We have had many rounds of Settlers of Catan, dominos, and even Phase 10. Of course, no one is competitive..ha ha!

We have the unexpected blessing of having grandma stay longer. Mike needs to go oversees for a week for business last minute. God in His kindness arranged it so my mom could stay longer to help out . We are all really going to miss Mike- but having my mom here will be a huge help!

Multonomah Falls

We took advantage of the great weather on Monday to drive out to the gorge and see waterfalls. We started at Multonomah Falls and then took the scenic drive back to Portland that passed more falls and beautiful scenery. I love the majesty of a waterfall and the raw beauty. At the highest point on the drive the winds were at 60 miles an hour. It was great.

We went back to the park and played. The dogs were great.. no swimmers. Derek slept in his stroller most of the time. When he was awake he was "talking" to whoever was near him.

Yesterday my mom and I went to an infant CPR class and then out to coffee with a friend. Our evening was filled with games. The visit with my mom has been wonderful so far: lots of fun and fellowship. My mom is a great resource and just fun to have around.

Alex the swimmer and other news

My mom is here!! It is great to have her here. Yesterday we decided to enjoy the lovely day (it was 60 and sunny) to go to the park. It is a beautiful park with a playground, fields, and a canoe launch on the river. Mike uttered his famous words.. Alex doesn't need to be on a leash- she won't go in the water. My mom and Lucky had just walked down the ramp. So I let Alex go down the ramp off-leash. And off she goes... Alex ran down the ramp and doing her best purina commercial impression- leaped off in the water. I think she even shocked herself. My spry mom grabbed her collar and pulled her up onto the pier . She was so quick about it that I didn't even get there in time and I was 10 feet away. It was pretty hysterical. She was fine and we all laughed a lot once we knew she was ok.

It other wonderful news, Derek has slept through the night the last 3 nights. Yeah! Whoopie! That's our little superhero! He gets new expressions and sounds almost daily now. He is a lot of fun!

We are off to see Multonomah Falls today. I love being outside and enjoying creation. Plus it is going to be sunny and warm for the 3rd day in a row. My mom picked a great time to come.

New Pictures

Derek is doing great. There nothing really new. He is fun and is interacting more and more. We are all very excited that my mom is coming on Saturday. She will be here to enjoy our lovely weather- 50 and 60 degrees and sun! Yeah. Enjoy the pictures.

Playing and Sleeping

Derek is now 5 weeks and over 10 pounds. He is doing great. He is making great cooing sounds and other fun noises. He is learning to interact with toys. It is really fun to watch him. He makes noises at his toys too. Of course, he sleeps a lot still. He can sleep pretty much everywhere and is evidenced by the pictures- in any position- which is great for us. He prefers sleeping on one of us during the day but is great being laid down at night.

We are all keeping busy. Our newest project is to find a stove. Ours decided to die this weekend- right as I put banana bread into it. All of a sudden i heard a pop. I looking into the oven to see sparks flying. Thankfully no one was hurt. We did have a great evening with friends after calling to borrow their oven. It was a weird beginning to a conversation. Hi can I borrow your oven? What could have been an inconvenience ended being an opportunity to deepen a friendship. God has really blessed us with great friends here!

One month old

Derek is one month old today (or yesterday according to Mike as one month averages out to 30 days). He is doing great. He is making more faces, awake more, and interacting more with the world around him. He is 9.5 pounds and growing. He even slept 5 hours in a row last night! Unfortunately baby acne has set in.

The doggies had to go to the vet.. again. We don't want a repeat of last year and going to the vet every 2 months. Alex has another fatty growth but we found out that surgery is not needed. Then we discover after that appointment that Lucky had a bum ear due to a "fight" with Alex. Lucky just needs to take meds. So 2 vet appointments in 2 days. Here they are looking happy again.

You can also see our newest paint choices for the living room. These are options 9 and 10 or somewhere in there. Thanks to some house repairs due to the prior owner's faulty work, we are looking to repaint. We think we may have found a winner in a pale green color.

I caught a few minutes of Rachael Ray today. Much to my surprise, the snacks of the day were pretzels from East Shore specialty foods in Hartland, WI. Yeah! Mike is now a fan of their pretzels and mustards so they are now a food product we bring back with us after WI visits. It was fun to see them become "famous."

Playing with Daddy

Derek has been getting better at copying us. He loves to stick out his tongue after we do it. He loves making faces at Daddy.

Mike's mom is here and we are enjoying her. Derek certainly has 2 doting sets of grandparents.

We are sad about yesterday's game. Derek is still a Packer fan like his mommy.