Jonathan celebrated another birthday in April. We just had a little family celebration at home. Here are a few pics from the day.
Jonathan’s favorite: Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake
Jonathan’s gift: a new manly yoga mat big enough to fit him
He was previously practicing on my old pink hand-me-down mat
Now it’s Avery’s to practice yoga on. Namaste.
We met our good friends, Jen, Ollie, and their son, Bjorn, in Seattle one afternoon at the Pacific Science Center. Avery and Bjorn had a blast seeing each other and checking everything out.
When Kieron was a few months old, he started developing a flat spot on the back of his head from sleeping on his back. We and the doc kept an eye on it, hoping it would round out once he started sitting up. By the time his nine month checkup rolled around, it hadn’t improved, and we were referred to a cranial specialist. It was unlikely this would correct itself, and by the age of two, the fontanels all fuse and the head is the shape it will stay permanently. So we opted to get a helmet for Kieron. He wears it 23 1/2 hours a day for roughly four months, and is currently about half-way through.
At first, we were concerned about how he (and we) would adapt to it, but he got used to the helmet very quickly, and it’s become part of his personality. So far the results have been great, and there is already a very visible change. Plus, there’s the added bonus that since he is learning to walk, the helmet is quite functional and has spared Kieron a number of bumps and bruises. It also provides extra protection from the energetic and not-always-gentle older brother.
Wow, I can’t believe it’s been a month and a half since our last post! We do have a good excuse though. At the end of April we moved! We now reside in Snoqualmie, WA, about 25 min northeast of where we previously lived. Although it was bittersweet to leave our great neighbors and friends, we’re adjusting well. We love our new house, the neighborhood, and the town.
The move all happened very quickly. We’d been trying to sell our house for a long time with no success, and we finally admitted to ourselves that we weren’t going to be able to make the change we wanted to make unless we rented our house out. So on a whim we decided to post the house on Craigslist and see what happened. Within a week we had suitable tenants and were looking for a place to move into. Fortunately, the stars aligned just perfectly, and we found a house we all love in the area we wanted. So it was a very busy month or so, but now we’re all situated and enjoying our new digs.
Move-in day!
Everything ready to go
Avery enjoys a brownie after the house has been packed
Don’t forget the ice cream
Begin the unpacking!
The boys assemble some shelves
We moved Easter weekend, so we had an egg hunt in the new house while it was still empty
Move-in dinner: frozen pizza!
Avery couldn’t wait to take a bubble bath in the big tub
Playing at the park across the street
Our house is the brown one on the left
Avery’s birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, so Jonathan took the afternoon off work to celebrate. We opened presents, ate cupcakes, and spent lots of time just hanging out together and breaking in Avery’s gifts.
That Saturday we threw a birthday party at our local bounce house. About a dozen of Avery’s friends came to celebrate with him. They had a blast wearing themselves out!
Avery is a sweet, sensitive kid with a vivid imagination, even for a four-year-old. He loves playing dress-up, and his favorite roles are: Superman, pirate captain, knight/dragon trainer, and chef. He has a reputation at preschool and Little Gym as a ladies man. I have to admit, this isn’t much of a surprise, as he’s not the rough-and-tumble, guy’s guy type, but is laid back, mild mannered, and (mostly) gentle. He adores his little brother, but also enjoys testing his limits with him. One moment he’ll give Kieron a hug, and the next he’ll pull him over. Avery is all about being a grown-up, and takes offense if we refer to him as anything but. He asks to be measured every day so he can see if he’s grown, and at meals he talks about how his muscles are growing. This works to our advantage, as we frequently find ourselves saying “grown-ups do…..” or “…has protein in it and will help you grow.” He’s very verbal, and often says things that melt our hearts like “I love you so much” or “you’re the best.”
Happy birthday Avery! We love you so much and you’re the best!
The birthday boy
I’m four!
Cupcakes!
Brotherly love.
Our attempt at a group photo
Aaarrgghhhhh matey!
He actually went to sleep with the hook on!
