March 2008

It seems that we've left the cold and flu season behind us as we were all able to stay healthy for the entire month.

As a result we got to see Blake in his natural state as a happy, playful little boy. And then the teeth came. His entire upper jaw seems to be sprouting them, including a couple of molars. All together he's got six up top and two on the bottom now. In a way it's nice to know that his crankiness is caused by something and not his natural demeanor, but between sickness, teething, and his allergies the poor guy doesn't get to enjoy that natural state very often.

When he is in a boisterous mood, he really likes to hit things. He'll pull himself up to a table and then just start slapping it. We have some glass coasters we had to put away because of the loud noise they make when Blake hits the end table with them. His new nickname is "Bam Bam."

Blake went to his first swim class this month. He started out a little scared sitting there on the side of the pool with me and cried a little in the pool, but I think this was due in part by a number of other babies who cried throughout the entire class and Blake found this a little disturbing. He's been to the pool before and enjoyed it (especially after learning how to splash), so I'm confident he'll grow to enjoy swim class soon.

Kyla has been learning the concept of money. She participated in a UW study called "self control and the preschooler" and received $10 for her effort. Becky took her to Toys 'R' Us afterwards and told her she could buy anything she wanted with her money, but that she was limited to the $10, so she bought a doll of Ariel, one of the Disney princesses.

We've explained to her that Daddy goes to work to make money. Now she keeps reminding me to bring quarters home from work so that she can ride the little rocket ship at the North Bend mall. I'm not sure yet how to explain direct deposit.

She has also developed a strategy of being indirect when she wants something. For example when we're out shopping she'll tell me, "well I really like to go to Starbucks Daddy," or when we get home she'll proclaim, "Mommy always let's me watch a show when we get home Daddy."

Easter made for a very busy weekend taking us from the Chambers' on Saturday to Linda's for Easter brunch and then to Dot's for Easter dinner. The Easter Bunny initially put plastic eggs with candy out in our back yard on Saturday night, but the next morning it was raining hard and a few of the eggs had been opened by animals, fortunately the Easter Bunny got up early on Sunday morning to gather the uncompromised eggs, clean them, and then re-hide them in our living room.

Milestones for the month include: Blake can now takes steps on his own, he can crawl up the stairs and down the stairs backwards, he claps when he's happy, and Kyla can write her own name unassisted.

Spring has sprung and Mother Nature rewarded our long wait by starting the season with several days of snow. Oh well, this is the Pacific Northwest, what do you expect?