Holiday Fun!!!

The Holidays were definitely busy this year, which is probably normal with a fresh four year old and a new 'almost' three-month old.  Fortunately for Sydney and Corwin, Santa did decide to make a stop at our house and bring them some gifts.  The verdict on the 'naughty' or 'nice' list was still out, but apparently everyone came through it okay and made the cut.

We certainly made the rounds, experiencing family and friends at different locations and at different functions.  All in all, a great time with lots of great food and fun activities.  It was fun to experience Corwin's first Christmas, but also see Sydney in her unwrapping fury, especially since she understands the concept so much more this year.

Nana from Montana has been with us over the holidays, so she's gotten to see how much Corwin has grown in the past 6 weeks, and how much his behavior has changed.  He's now a talking and smiling creature that loves company.  And of course she gets to see how much of a lady Sydney is becoming.  Besides the good company, one of the best parts of Nana's visit during the holidays...SALMON BALL!  This tasty treat should be more than a holiday food, so I'm thinking of integrating it into monthly events :)

Sydney also got to experience her second bout of ice skating.  She took to the ice like a champ and only happened to fall a couple of times.  Her natural coordination likely comes from her dad, but her finesse comes from her mom.  I'm sure she'll be making return to visits to the rink to work on her technique.

In other news, Sydney's cousin Lelend also had his first birthday on December 27th, so we'd like to wish him a Happy Birthday!!!  Now that you have reached your first year, your age is no longer a decimal point.

Until the first post next year...

Have a Happy New Year!!!

Birthday Girl!

  
Happy Birthday Sydney!!!

As you may have concluded from the title, we celebrated Sydney's 4th birthday this weekend!!! She is growing up way too fast. She is such a wonderful little girl (albeit challenging at times, but what 4 year old isn't!?).  She continues to enjoy being a big sister and loves her little brother so much and is now getting rewarded with smiles and coos.  It is very sweet to watch.

We had a little party at Grandma's for Syd and instead of a party this year with her friends she chose to have a "girls day out" with her BFF, Maggie.  I though this was the sweetest choice, so we will be going out for pedicure's, cupcakes, and some fun times at the local children's museum.




In other news, I recently took Sydney ice skating for the first time and she had a blast!!  She really is a natural at it and I'm hoping to continue taking her on occasion.  She'll be in the Olympics in no time, but of course that could have serious ramifications on our pocket book.

We also had some family pictures done which turned out beautifully! I thought I'd post a few to share with everyone!  (All done my MKDaughters Photography)

 

 

 

Welcome December!

As you can tell by the pictures below, the tree is out, the house is decorated, and we're all set for the holidays.  This year will be another fun one, as it'll be Sydney's fifth Christmas and Corwin's very first (and my...um, twenty-fourth...he he!).

 

Sydney has been learning Christmas songs this year.  She's got Rudolph perfected, and with Frosty she gets about every third word and mumbles through the ones she doesn't know.  Unfortunately, she did receive her mother's overall singing ability.  Hey, I'm not much better, but I certainly can't hit those high-pitch ear-piercing notes, so it's a little more tolerable.  Plus I am conscious of my deficiencies, so I am selective about where I sing and don't sing, a quality Sydney has yet to gain.

Corwin is getting bigger.  He's already pushing 11 pounds, or the size of a small terrier to those canine lovers.  His sleep patterns are really anything but a pattern at this point...in fact they are sporadic as far as night time goes.  You just never know what you are going to get, and each night is like rolling the dice but hoping for the best.  Aside from that, he's a very mellow little guy who just loves being around us, staring at the Christmas lights, and living life (so we'll keep him).

 

We did a photo session with a photographer Karen knows, so we should have some fun family pictures to share soon.  In December Corwin will also have a photo session with Rebecca, who also took Sydney's very first professional baby picts.  We'll certainly have more photos than we know what to do with, but we want to make sure that Corwin (the second child) isn't left in the cold since it's typical for the second child to have less photos.  Of course, in this digital age, that is much less likely to occur. 

 

Well, we've been very busy with life and December will be another very busy month.  So, until the next post, have a great weekend!!!

One of his favorite sleeping positions!

 

Stimulus Plan Revisited

One thing is clear from Corwin’s first month of life…his arrival has helped to stimulate the economy. Almost four years ago, we thought having Sydney would be great for the economy. Just think of how many necessary items you need to properly care for a baby. OK, then multiply that by 20 to get an idea of all of the unnecessary items that are purchased for whatever reason. Put them together, and you have made a contribution to someone’s job somewhere (hopefully in our country, however unlikely). Although, they often make it seem that your baby won’t survive without the millions of gadgets that cave men certainly didn’t have.


We heavily supported the economy with Sydney’s arrival, but we always knew we wanted two kids. Although we liked supporting businesses, we wanted to be practical about ‘just how much we wanted to contribute.’ To that end, we saved most everything from Syndey. Tubs and tubs of clothes were stored in the garage. But, since we ended up having a boy, I think we’re onto the second stimulus plan. All of the pinks, purples, flowers, butterflies, and other girlie attire needed to be retired (via donation to friends or charity). It’ll slowly be replaced by other brand new things that are more rugged and manly, what every 5 week old boy needs to portray :).  I'm sure designs with flames and skulls, or chainsaws or heavy machinery are soon to come.

In real news, Uncle Nathan and the Family came to visit for an early Thanksgiving. This gave them all time to visit with the newest member of the family, as well as the most talkative blond member of the family…that’s Corwin and Sydney, respectively, if there was any confusion. This also gave us a chance to play with Lelend, who is coming up on his first birthday. All in all it was a great time, but as usual not enough time to do everything we wanted. Hopefully the next visit will come sooner than later.

With Turkey Day approaching next week, it’s good to think about things to be thankful for. And while I know I will be thankful for the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and rolls on that day, I’m also thankful for having a large and caring family with great people.

Have a wonderful weekend!!!



"You know what I heard about Corwin?...
It's okay, he can't hear.  Anyway..."

"So, to initiate a sleeper-hold you must
put one hand here..."









Fun With Firsts

Since Corwin is relatively brand new, almost all of his activities are truly among his 'first' experiences. That includes this recent Halloween.   And while Corwin's first Halloween was experienced as an accessory (or appendage...take your pick) to his Momma, Sydney was sure she would give her third Halloween event every ounce she had to offer.  She excelled at portraying her Merida character, and she embodied the look, behavior, and passion for the Pixar beauty.  She worked the trick or treating scene heavily, and she was very successful in filling up her candy bucket (to the dismay of her father and to the excitement of her mother...we know where the candy will go!).  During the TOT event, Syd's costume actually came in very handy.  There was no way we could lose her in a crowd with those long, bright, curly red locks bobbing in and out of stores.


Nana works her magic and gets
Corwin to sleep.

Sydney is a very active Big Sister, and it is a title that she does not take lightly.   With great power comes great responsibility, and this is a new role she has relished.  She often helps with his socialization process...often reading to him, telling him stories, or singing to him in that awful off-key pitch she inherited from her momma.

Sydney is very helpful with Corwin, though, and sometimes more than we would like.  She functions as the wing-man at diaper time.   This usually means she hands off the fresh diaper, opens the garbage pails for the used one, and in general acts as a spotter.   While she would like to be more hands on, we do our best to keep her out of harms way.  Corwin does have a parameter that is designated as the 'hot-zone,' where random fluids can erupt unexpectedly in any given direction.  The trajectory is fiercely impressive, so we always approach this activity with great respect and caution.  Aside from her assistance during changing time, I recently let Sydney bottle feed Corwin for the first time.  She did great.  She kept the bottle in the right position, made sure his head was supported, and talked to him throughout the process.  It was a success, however it only took a few minutes for her to realize this was slightly boring for her endless three year old energy.


Syd feeds her bro for the first time.

Corwin's first restaurant
experience.

This was also Corwin’s first visit with Nana.  Nana made the trip from Montana to spend some time with the new little guy and his Big Sister.  She got to experience his very cool and collective nature.  While he doesn't cry much at all, he is prone to loud squeaks, grunts, and other random noises that perhaps only a yak would understand.  Sydney also got to enjoy making some cookies with her Nana.  Nana will return at Christmas, and I'm sure Corwin will have grown a bit and also improved his basic vocabulary, which at this point only includes English and a strange Italian dialect.

 

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween Time!!!

The weather has definitely changed.  It's much colder, the leaves have fallen off the trees, and for some reason people are craving sugar.

Since Corwin was born on October 7th, Halloween will mark his very first social event.  As you can see, we've already had fun snapping a few pictures of him with pumpkins.  He's a very convincing pumpkin, and you really have to look to tell which one is him, and which one was actually grown outside.

While Sydney will dress up as Merida, the courageous young lady with bright red hair from the movie Brave, Corwin decided to go with the much more simplistic concept of being a baby.  He's been in his costume all month, and I must say he's pulls it off very convincingly.  Actually, he may wear his little Frankenstein outfit, or simply continue to support his festive 'pumpkin look.'  I, on the other hand, will go as a very low functioning and sleep-deprived parent...something I am sure to pull off convincingly, too.

It's only been three weeks since his arrival, but it's clear he's already established some favorite activities.  Sleeping would top that chart.  He is part koala bear and he likes to make sure that his sleep is always maximized.  Karen would just say he's checking for light leaks in his eyes.  It'll be fun to see what other fun activities he prefers.

Big Sister Sydney has been great.  She always wants to hold him, talk to him, read him books, and help change his diaper.  We'll enjoy this as long as possible, or at least until the days of, "Dad, he's touching me again...he's not sharing...he's in my room..., etc.  But for now we couldn't ask for more from Sydney.  Auntie Jillian recently sent a great present that is perfect.  One shirt that says "baby brother Corwin" and one that says "big sister Sydney" (see below).  We look forward to them wearing their outfits.

Corwin has been able to meet many of the new family members...Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, Papa and Gigi, Grandma, and Grandpa.  And while he's also been able to meet many new friends, he's looking forward to meeting even more.  Well, much more to come, but this is the most I could muster on very little sleep.  Until next post, have a great weekend!!!

 

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Corwin Fuller!!!

 

October 7th marked a very special occasion...the arrival of Corwin Fuller!  He was born at 10:34 am in Bellingham, WA.  Because of this special occasion, he even arrived in his 'birthday suit'...he he.  We went into the hospital Saturday night, but he decided that he needed a little more alone time before making his first big social appearance.  He heard about the importance of being fashionably late, so he needed to make sure his entrance was noticed.

 

Karen did a great job...despite lack of sleep and extreme pain, she displayed unparalleled bravery and courage. She pushed and pushed, and without thought to her own comfort, she made sure Corwin made a great entrance into the world!!!  She has been a great Mom to Sydney, but she'll also be a great mother to Corwin.  It's going to be a great adventure, and we're looking forward to it!

His specifications were:

Weight: 6 pounds 11 ounces

Height: 19.75 inches

IQ: 150

 

We were very happy...a healthy baby boy.  Ten fingers and ten toes....well, that met most of the expectations right there!!!  And the day after he was born he passed his very first test...his hearing test. This means there are no excuses for not listening to his parents later on :)
 

Were were very grateful that Papa and Gigi came up from Whidbey Island to watch Sydney the first night, and then Grandma Gloria watched Sydney the next day.  Sydney loved spending time with all of her grandparents, and this meant she could enjoy the comforts of home instead of the boredom of the hospital waiting room.  For their help, we'll be forever grateful!!!

 

Corwin made his first trip home on Monday, and it was clear he fit right in.  Sydney loved being with her little brother, and she has already enjoyed holding him, reading to him, and giving him pearls of wisdom that she has learned in her first 'nearly four' years of life.  Now, if we can just get her trained on how to change a diaper we'll be set. 

That's it for now.  There will be plenty more news to share.  I'll try to update as possible, or my sleep-deprived functioning allows.  Until then....welcome Corwin!!!

First family 'of four' picture!

 

Brother-sister time :)

First story from Big Sister!

Pre-Birthday!



Grandpa Don made a "Corwin"
stamp from potato to decorate
wrapping paper.



For some reason when you think of September showers you think of rain in the great state of Washington.  But in this case, it actually had to do with Corwin's very first party.  Granted, he participated while still on the inside, contained by the boundaries of the placental wall created by Karen over the last eight months, but I like to think he still had a great time.

For me, the real question surrounds the premise of the 'shower' event itself!  It's all a sham!  I stopped by for a few minutes, estrogen zipping left and right!...you sincerely had to duck constantly.  There was no shampoo, no conditioner, no soap, and really no water or even moisture to speak of!!!  In reality, there was no one at the event that was actually showering.  So how did such events become to be called such things?  I don't know, but I must go on public record to tell others about this mis-publicized event.  Perhaps there is a slight chance that it is intended to 'shower' the new infant with gifts (my only guess), but until I find I conclusive evidence I will be very suspicious of those that refer to it by that name (whew...glad I got that off my chest!).  Anyway...moving on....

Since we already have  a girl, the big question has become...are we ready to raise a boy?  Well, as a Dad, it means I've been a boy for quite a while.  Twenty-two years of experience to be precise :)....ha ha!  In addition to my 18 years of manhood, it means I've had four years of experience as a human infant and boy.  All in all, that puts me in a great position.  I've made my share of 'male' mistakes, exactly required as a learning process to be a great father for a son.  Growing up, despite knowing the obvious 'heard of' consequences of peeing on an electric fence, you still need to test it out.  And if things involve lighting firecrackers in various objects, shooting things with a slingshot, or running over them with a motorcycle, those are all covered.  I've got all of the misguided recommendations any new little boy would need...so check that one off the list :)

Sometimes being a dad means having
to wear princess shoes...at the
request of a daughter!

And despite the necessity to participate in recent tea parties, princess dancing, and other rather 'girly' events, I'm a rather masculine guy...a real man's man.  In fact, I had to do some auto work earlier.  OK, it was only replacing a headlight, but it got the testosterone going into high gear.  Anytime a tool hits the hands, it's guy code for being at home.  A symbiosis frequently occurs which cannot be understood by the fairer sex (that is females to those who could not pick up on the obvious).  The conclusion...I love my beautiful princess daughter, but we are more than ready to tackle this new adventure of having a boy.

In just a few (or more) weeks, we will welcome Corwin Fuller.  Until then, we'll try to get as much sleep as possible since we know that will be a rarity when he makes his great escape to the outside world.  We love you Corwin!!!

Have a great rest of your week!!!