Alert Bay!

We headed to Alert Bay for our big family getaway this year at the end of August. My dear friend and old boss, Michael, graciously let us stay in his beautiful home on the beach while he was away. I was able to visit with old friends and show my family around the beautiful North Island and Alert Bay. It was a lot of work with 2 small kids, but for the most part things went smoothly.

Kelsey at Rathtrevor Beach on the way up-Island

Everly and I at Gator Gardens, Alert Bay

Jim and Kelsey whale watching. We took a Whale Watching tour out of Telegraph Cove. We say Orcas, Dall's porpoises, and pacific white sided dolphines (and eagles, sealions, salmon jumping, and other water birds). It was awesome. It cost us a smal fortune, but was well worth it. Kelsey enjoyed it and both Kelsey and Everly were well behaved!

Jim and his girls in Telegraph Cove

Jim and Kelsey on the ferry home! Kelsey wasn't a fan of the wind.

Happy 35th Birthday Daddy!

We celebrated Jim's 35th Birthday in our backyard eating hamburgers and cake with his dad, Frankie, and my mom. Kelsey was so excited. She couldn't wait to get daddy a brown and blue cake (and we found one!). Summer birthdays are the best! Happy Birthday Daddy!

Kelsey watering her flowers after cake

Jim and Kelsey blowing out the candles on his brown and blue cake

Kelsey and Everly

Dad and son enoying a beverage in the yard.

Bath time is fun!

Everly loves having a bath. She smiles and coos and kicks her fat little legs and waves her fat little arms!

In the kitchen sink

In the bath tub

Everly at 2 months

Everly at 2 months (photo by Jerusha Chong)

The last 2 months have certainly been a whirl-wind and have been tough, but enjoyable for the entire family. At 2 months Everly weighs 12 lbs 6 oz. She gotten very tubby and has many rolls and dimples all over. She is strong and holds her head up when she's looking over a shoulder or placed on her tummy. Her arms and legs are constantly moving. She can follow us with her eyes and smiles big toothless grins when someone speaks to her. She has also started looking and smiling at toys. I'm doing a combination of breastfeeding and bottle feeding (with breast milk). She has had some problems nursing and some gas/reflux issues. I find she eats better from a bottle (less gas), but want to keep up with the breastfeeding in hopes we'll get better at it. At 8 weeks, we propped one end of her crib up (assuming she had some sort of reflux) and she took to it immediately and is no longer in my bed. She goes to bed about 11 PM and wakes to feed about 3-4 AM, then about about 6-7AM. During the day she still feeds ever 2-4 hours. She's awake most of the time now, although some days there are still exdended naps. She's a good baby, but not as content as Kelsey was to sit and observe the world around her. She's still happiest when she's held, but enjoys her swing and is starting to take to her bouncy chair.

Happy 4th Anniversary

Jim and I headed down to Washington to celebrate our 4th Anniversary (kid-free) on July 10-11. Everly stayed with Jim's mom and sister and Kelsey went over to my mom's house. We started in Mt Vernon at the Skagit Valley Highland Games, then hit the Outlet mall and Kohls, then off to the Olive Garden for an adult dinner, and then down to Seattle for a Mariners/Yankees baseball game. We stayed at the Best Western in Mt Vernon and enjoyed our quite kid-free room, comfy bed and hot breakfast in the morning. We hit Bellisfair Mall on the way home Sunday morning and returned two new people ready to once again tackle the world of parenting.

Lazy Days of Summer

Mother Nature has finally given us some sunshine so we've been trying to spend more time in our little backyard. Kelsey has a little blow-up pool she likes to play in and we've been enjoying eating our dinner at our new patio table (Happy early Anniversary from Mom C).

Sisters

Our beautiful girls - Kelsey Shea and Everly Brooke...