Exciting Times

Wow so it has been a while. I guess I can't say I've been super busy, cause I don't really do too much - besides taking care of Rowan, Sean, 2 dogs, and 3 cats, and everything else - but nothing too out of the ordinary. Anyways. Lots of new things have been going on in our world, so maybe that's why? But here I finally get a few moments to sit down with my Ben and Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup and click away for a few about whats up.

We survived the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas were lots of fun, and Rowan really enjoyed ripping open presents. He got some great new toys from all of his grandparents and aunts/uncles, an awesome hat crocheted by his Aunt, an awesome book from his Grandpa that has the recording of said Grandpa reading, some pretty neat blocks too. We had lots of fun here at our house, getting a Christmas tree and putting perdy blue lights on it. All in all it was great fun, and makes me look forward to next year all the more (especially if Renee and Ryan come out :)).

Rowan Patrick got his first pair of shoes! He has been pulling himself up and standing at the coffee table in the living room lately, and since we don't have carpet his poor little feet were sliding about at times, creating the not so happy baby who was falling down and going boom due to slipping. So we were out at the store the other day, getting something else, and ended up getting him the cutest little shoes.

That little - well big really - thing we happened to be out shopping for was a bed!! We got Rowan a mattress and all the fixin's and he has started to take his naps in his own little bed in his own room! I have been super impressed with how the transition has gone, he has taken it like it was no big deal at all. Which is super cool. I'm just wondering how the transition for night time will be. But that I'm not even thinking about yet, so why worry? I'm not! Its great. He is actually in his room taking a nap right now - hence the blogging. It is super neat though, he is doing great with it, and there have been no changes at all in his napping habits - well except he is actually going to sleep easier now then he had been before, which is great! He is usually down in 5 minutes or less, which is really nice.

Another exciting event hasn't quite happened yet, but it is about to! This Saturday will be Sean and I's first year anniversary - I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. We are going to go to the coast - with Rowan of course - and go to the aquarium, and stay the night. It will be great. A good friend of ours will be staying here at our house with the dogs, so everything is taken care of! It will be our first trip as a family that we are doing just purely for fun. Not to visit anyone - which is fun, but not quite the same - or do anything in particular - except have fun! Rowan has never been to the ocean before, so I am excited! Plus he really likes fish, so I know he is going to dig the aquarium!

And since I am talking about dates, today is actually Rowan's 11 month birthday. Pretty fancy stuff. I can't believe how much he has changed and grown in the past year, it really is astonishing. Lately he has been walking with our help, and he is doing so good with it, getting better every day, I can't imagine my little baby walking sometime in the near future. It is insanity! But super wonderful.

Well that is all for now, sorry there are no pictures, for some reason it isn't letting me load any :/ So I will try back later when I can and put some in! Love you all!

Michigan Trip

So a lot of Sean's family lives in Michigan (his mom, dad, and sister). His other sister, Bridget, lives in New York. None of them except his mom (who came out for Rowan's birth, and during June) had met him before last week. It was quite the adventure. We took the train from Eugene, up to Seattle. Then from Seattle to Chicago. That was a 2 day ride right there. I have never been east of Oregon except the one time I went to visit Renee in Boston, and that was by plane, so it was a great way to see the country! I had never seen country so flat, and so much corn in my whole life! We got to ride along side the Mississippi River for a while, and all in all it was great. Rowan loved all of the people on the train, and going to meals in the dining car was always a hit with him.
We arrived in Michigan on the 3rd day of traveling. We took a train from Chicago to Battle Creek Michigan, and were supposed to take a bus from Battle Creek to Lansing, but due to Rowans amazing skills at making new friends, we got a ride from a wonderful woman and her daughter. Her daughter was getting ready to head off to college and they spend the weekend in Chicago together. It was really rather wonderful, instead of waiting for an hour at the bus station (at 11 pm no less) and then an hour bus ride, we got a ride right away! It was great. Sean's cousin Jess came and picked us up at the train station where we were dropped off, and took us to his aunts house. She is a wonderful lady, and I was very glad to meet her! We got up the next day and headed up north to his moms house.
We rented a car and were off! It was pretty exciting to finally be arriving, and was great to see everyone. The week went by too fast, filled with lots of Rowans cousins (7 kids ranging from 3 to 13), lots of swimming (Rowan loves to swim!) and great times with Sean's family. His sister Rory takes amazing pictures, and took some great family photos for us. All in all it was a wonderful time, and so much to tell but I'm still rather tired, and over all just glad to be home. That is one thing about traveling - it is lots of fun, but always great to get home!

 

Signing On

Well little Rowan and I are starting another new adventure. Sign language. He has done so well with the elimination communication, I figure we might as well try this too! He doesn't quite have the dexterity with his hands yet, but I figure if we start doing it now, by the time he has it he *might* give it a go! We have picked out a handful of signs, and are going to start with those, and slowly add more. Here is what we are starting with: milk, mama, papa, bed/sleep, potty and more. Once we get used to using those we will add more! I am pretty excited about it, because Rowan is such a smart little man, and he loves it when I count to him using my fingers, and so far he seems to enjoy the signing, smiling whenever I do it. So here goes  to another adventure with our smart little man!