Our Summer Part II

The other adventure this summer was Felix learning to walk! Before we left he had already started taking a handful of steps at a time, but it was slow going and mostly just falling gracefully. About a week and a half after we got to Utah he just decided to start walking I guess, because there was no more crawling for this kid after what he knew he could do. With the walking comes shoes! At first Felix was unsure about shoes, so we took him to a park to practice with them. It was Memorial day so we brought a picnic and played in the park. 

Dad putting shoes on

hesitant about touching the grass (luckily his grass phobia is gone now!)

One day I went down to help Andrew and Rebekah and watched their girls. He loves Katherine and Rachel's toys! 

Getting into mischief in Katherine's room!

We figured since we were in Layton/Ogden, we should do something to help us get to know the area. Phil heard about the Ogden art festival, so one saturday we drove to downtown Ogden for the festivities. Union Station in Ogden is a beautiful old building and Felix loved playing inside. 

We were so excited to be in Utah when Dan and Wendy had their baby. We loved getting to meet little Taya and snuggling with her. She really is a great baby and we also got to be there for her blessing in August before we left. 

To finish off the post, I thought I would share some awesome pictures of Felix that need no commentary. 

We're Back!

Well we're back in Ann Arbor! We were in Utah/Idaho this summer for an internship Phil had with IHC in Ogden. For the first part of the summer we were house sitting for Phil's sister-in-law's sister in Layton. They took an extended trip to Europe and needed someone to look after their house and we happily obliged! Then for the second half of our summer Felix and I stayed in Rexburg with my mom and dad and Phil would drive/rides a bus up on the weekends. We were sad to say goodbye to family, but we're so happy to back in Ann Arbor with all our stuff and good friends. 

As you've probably noticed, I haven't blogged at all this summer, so there are a lot of posts coming soon. This will post #1 of ? (haven't decided yet)

When we got to Utah, we stayed a night with Andrew and Rebekah and we got to see a lot of family that day. My mom, dad, Julia and Jonathan were all in town and they all celebrated Felix's birthday. Below is part of a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday. Sadly, by the time we started dinner and cake Felix was already in bed. 

The house we stayed in in Layton was really nice and we are so glad we got to stay there. Phil mowed the lawn, I watered plants. It gave us a good peek into what it will be like to own our own home and we loved it! 

There was a large play room for Felix to play in, which he loved! About a week after we got out there Felix started walking, so we had tons of room to practice his skills. They even had a little tykes car that he rode around in. 

We also had a few deer sitings. Growing up the most exciting things I ever saw in my backyard were wild turkeys, so I love spotting deer.

Rita (Phil's mom) came out for the birth of Dan and Wendy's baby, but got to spend a few days with us! Felix loved having Grandma around. It took him a little while to warm up to her, but pretty quickly they were fast friends. 

The rest of May and June were filled up with lots of playing at the park. 

There's lots more to come from our summer out west!

Photo Book

I made this photo book for Felix to remember his first year!

Click here to view this photo book larger

photo books

One Year Older and Larger Too!

Felix turned one on Saturday!! I can't believe one year ago this sweet boy came into the world. This year has been an eventful year for us in many respects, but it has been the best year. Felix brings so much joy and energy into our home.

We're in full packing mode (leaving this Thursday), so we had a small celebration at home with just the three of us. And then after Felix went to bed Phil and I went out to dinner and celebrated our successful year! Here are some pics of the festivities. 

The morning of his birthday, grinning gleefully. 

Showing off his balancing skills. "Look, no hands ma!" 

He's actually taking a handful of steps at a time, but still need to gain some confidence with his balance. 

"Are these for me?"

Opening his present from Matt, Cara and the kids. 

It's a car carrier!

Grandpa and Grandma Singer sent him Zig the Big Rig. Just look at that smile, he loves it! 

I attempted orange frosting, but it turned out a bit like coral pink. Oh well! (oh and I went a little crazy with the piping.) 

By the end, the cupcake (like most of his food) landed on the floor. 

While I was getting the bath ready, Phil caught this awesome moment. Notice, his toes are pointed. Good form. 

Post-bath. 

We took Felix in for his one year appointment today. He weighed in at 25 lbs 4 oz (80th percentile) and measured 32.5" long (98th percentile). He's getting so big so fast. It seems everyday he's learning and doing new things. Here are some of the things Felix does...

- walking (only a few steps at a time)

- he says mama, dada, baba, nana (though we're not sure if he actually knows what they mean)

- he growls like a lion, which is actually pretty cute

- he "talks" to himself

- he laughs to himself

- he knows how to open the wipes case and pull out the wipes

- he's figured out how to turn on the TV (we leave it unplugged most of the time)

- he climbs inside the kitchen cupboards

- he love, love, loves to play with shoes

- he hates grass still and shivers when he touches it 

- he likes to put his toys up on a higher surface to play with them while standing up, like a chair, the couch, coffee table, the bottom stairs (but won't climb them)

- he like to wrestle with Dad

- he likes to jump, especially in his bed

- he's very curious and likes to explore

- he claps and loves it when we cheer for him

Felix is a very active little boy. A friend of mine said to me one day that Felix is a very "busy" baby. I think that's such a good word! He's very busy, always has something he's doing or wants to see. He sure does keep us on our toes, but we love every but of it. 

Happy Birthday Felix. 

Draft from the Past: Announcement and an Update

I wrote the following post the DAY my water broke and the day before Felix arrived, but I never did hit post. I guess, better late than never!


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April 27, 2011


ANNOUNCEMENT:

Well, after three years in the "real world" Phillip is headed back to academia in the fall! He will start the MHSA (Master of Health Services Administration) program at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. We're going to be Wolverines!

This was a really though decision for Phillip and I. He was accepted into 11 different programs (Purdue, Columbia, UC Berkley, UCLA, University of Washington, Boston University, University of Minnesota, UNC, Johns Hopkins, Harvard and University of Michigan) and we narrowed it down to Harvard and Michigan. From there the hard part started. Each program/school/city had its plusses and minuses for us, but it ultimately came down to what program would be a better fit for Phillip and what he wants to do with his career. Of course I was secretly angling for Harvard. The thought of moving with a brand new baby to a new place where I don't know anyone did not appeal to me, and much to Phillip's chagrin I shed many a tear about it. So initially, a week before we had to declare, we decided to see how we would feel about Harvard. We prayed, talked, debated, prayed some more. I felt great but I could tell Phillip didn't feel confident about that decision. So about three days before the deadline I suggested we pray and think about Michigan and see if that felt any better. I swear, within in hour (maybe minutes) of that conversation I could physically see the difference in Phillip. That was my answer. I knew Phillip would do great at either school, but if he felt better about Michigan, then Ann Arbor here we come! After that I think I only cried about it twice...when I told my sister Erin and when I told my boss we were moving in August. But other than those two occasions it's continued to feel like the right decision for our family. So Michigan here we come!

I'm so proud of Phil. He's worked so hard these past three years working and taking the GRE and it's paid off! He's going to the #1 ranked school for his discipline!

UPDATE:

Well today I am 35 weeks and 2 days. Just a little under 5 weeks until this baby's due date and he may get here sooner than that! About 3 weeks ago my dr. put me on partial bed rest. My blood pressure was steadily rising and she thinks that eventually I will develop preeclampsia. The only thing you really can do to keep it at bay is bed rest to try and keep the blood pressure down. So I've been working from home, resting with my feet up and only going into the office once or twice a week for a few hours if I need to. On top of that I don't leave the house and can't be on my feet for too long. I only leave the house for dr. appointments and to go into the office. Luckily my Mom is here this week watching Erin's kids, so she's offered to help clean our place a bit! THANKS MOM! I spent yesterday evening in Labor & Delivery being monitored because I've had a prolonged and painful headache that won't go away. Everything's fine and normal, so we're thinking it may be seasonal allergies.

Phil is still traveling to Chicago weekly for work. He's been working really hard for this client and I think making some real progress with their project. He will take a few weeks off when the baby boy comes and then he will be done at the end of July! We will both be very grateful when this weekly traveling is done. It's been a great job for Phil and has given him great experience for his future career, but the traveling is hard!

So that in a nut shell is what's happening with our growing family. We're preparing for our baby boy to get here and preparing to move to Michigan!