Friday, December 29, 2006

Christmas at the Beach...

Wow! I just got back from Southern California, and it was a blast! Rather tha posting photos here in the blog, I decided to post the entire album. Cllick here for a link to the entire album.

We met up with my Aunt Carrie, Grandma & Grandpa Dyk, Great Grandma Dyk, and Great Grammy and Grandpa Moore. We had a rented condo at Port Hueneme, not too far from Camarillo where the Moores live. I had my first airplane ride on the way there, which was a piece of cake, and then met my Great Grandma Dyk at the airport.

We had really great weather. Check out the photos of the sunsets from our back porch. Aunt Carrie made really great gourmet meals for us, so we spent most of our time enjoying the sunshine, reading books, eating, and just hanging out with family.

I spent some quality time at the beach on the trip too, which was a lot of fun. I walked around in the sand, and enjoyed the pier.

Then, on Christmas night, I put on some Huggies "Swimmers" and went swimming in the heated pool. My dad said it wasn't too cold, but when I got in, I begged to differ... "Brrr," I said! But my Grandpa Dyk wrapped me up in a nice dry towel while the rest of the fam warmed up in the hot tub.

My parents say that I'm a little spoiled now because I've basically been held and pampered for 4 days straight, but I like to think of it as a nice little vacation. Perhaps we should do it more often!
Remember, click here to take a look at the full photo index!

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

It's Christmas Time!

Hello! It's been a while since my last Blog. I've just been getting so into the Holidays that there has hardly been any time for a blog!

Thanksgiving was great. Instead of going to Grandma & Grandpa Anderson's house, we decided to have them over to our house. Uncle Bill came, and took some really great photos of me (I know... I'm so photogenic). The food looked good... turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, jello salad, sweet potatos, cranberry sauce, pickles, olives, and pie. YUM! Actually, I had a little Gerber's Sweet Potato myself. Not too bad.





The next day, my parents decided they wanted to get out of the house, so they took me down to Lloyd Center for a walk. Wow was it busy! It was fun, though. My mom loves Christmas, so the day after Thanksgiving she put up the Christmas tree and other decorations. I like all the lights. Of course, Mom got some photos of me under the tree.



We decided to order holiday cards with photos on them (I saw my parents' from last year, and it was OK. But it will be better this year with me in it!). Our friend Marisa, who is pregnant with my soon-to-be friend Bodhi, took her super-sweet camera down to a little waterfall near her house and took some good family photos of us. I was a little scared because of the rushing water, but we managed to get a few good photos anyway, like this one here:



Mom wanted me to meet "Santa" so she took me downtown Camas and had my picture taken with the guy. I wasn't so sure of him... he had a fake beard and stuffing in his belly. Mom, Grandma, Sara, Kate and Kate's Grandma Jill, and I went to the big Christmas bazaar here in Portland this past week too. There were lots of cool things to look at, so Kate and I had a blast.




Well that is enough for now... I have to get back to my busy life. I hope that everything is well with you.

Love,
--Jonah

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

I've got 5 months on my belt!

Can you believe I’m already five months old?! Life as a pre-adult is great, however, and I’m not looking forward to joining you all in the responsibilities that come with growing up (i.e. school, work, etc.). I like my life of playdates, naps, and eating six meals a day. I’ve also been rolling over a lot since I first figured out how to do it. Because everyone gets so excited whenever I do, I try to do it as often as possible. The first picture below is of me in mid-roll.




Dad went to Belgium just before starting his new job with Moss Adams. He had a lot of fun, but missed Mom and me quite a bit. We sure like having him home more now too. While Dad was way, Mom and I did some fun stuff too. We visited the yarn store and then went to lunch with a couple of her friends (below is a picture of me with our friend, Nancy). I tried to learn by watching some of the ladies knit, but it looks too complicated for me right now. I might try it again after I master some other skills like crawling, walking, reading, writing… okay, so it may be awhile.





That picture up above is of us at the doctor's office. It turns out I’m slimming down just a bit. Dr. Vaughn said I was in the 35th percentile for weight and still in the 50th percentile for height. So, as of now I weigh a whole 15 lbs. The doc also said I looked “solid,” so no need to worry that I've gone on some sort of diet. I still like a good helping of Mom's milk. Oh and I got some more vaccines this time, which weren’t so bad for me, but Mom made Dad come along so she could wait in the other room while the nurse poked me. Poor Mom. She just couldn't pull it together to be there. Give her some time...

I finally decided to give Mom a break and started going eight hours between my last feeding before bed and my first one in the morning. I’ve still been getting Mom up around 12:30-1:00 a.m. just to say “Hi” but, I have a feeling she doesn’t enjoy these moments as much as I do...

Oh yeah, and my new friend, Isaac, was born just a couple weeks ago. He seems like a lot of fun already. I heard Mom telling someone how many hours he made his mom and dad wait to see him once labor started (I think it was 47) and I thought that was pretty gutsy of the guy. I know my mom would flip out on me if I did something like that! Some other friends of ours, Matt and Amy, just found out they will be expecting a boy in the next year too. Kate's going to have to learn how to politely turn down dates with those other boys who will be joining our playdates now...

Well, I hope you all had a more exciting Halloween than I did. Because I had an ear infection, Mom and Dad wouldn’t let me go door to door begging for candy. Phooey on them. Maybe next year… But I did get to dress up in this outfit that my Great Grandma Dyk sent... :>



That’s it for now. Hope to hear from you all soon!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Potluck picnic in the park and meeting new friends



My mom and dad sure keep me busy. We regularly get together with our closest friends here in Portland. Just a few weeks ago we all got together at a local park and did a potluck picnic. The food looked great and there was a good chance I'd get to see Kate there, so of course I tagged along! Above is a picture of us at the park.


Mom's got several friends who are expecting in the next few months so I've been patiently waiting to meet my new friends as well. Strangely enough, all of my new friends will be boys. I will soon be meeting an Isaac, Bodhi, Hunter, Luke, and Andrew (though his mom, Kristel, is not sure of his name yet). I better watch out because I may have some competition for Kate's hand in marriage someday! The picture above is from a shower Mom threw for her friend Mindy (who is having Hunter). Tara and Kristel are in the photo too and as you can see, they are all about to have their boys!



In the last few weeks I've been learning to roll over. I first rolled over from my back to front when Mom wasn't looking! Since then I've also rolled over from my front to back and I've even let her see me doing it both ways a time or two. I've also gotten really interested in what other people are eating and drinking. I wouldn't say I'm getting sick of Mom's milk, but I sure am curious about the other foods out there. Mom says I have to wait another couple months though...

Well, I better get going. It's time for another nap!

Monday, September 25, 2006

The President says that we don't torture...

...but I disagree, and I have proof! Just look at this video that was captured of my parents, clearly tickling me while I have no choice but to laugh uncontrollably! I denounce it!




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Thursday, September 14, 2006

Zoo Trip!

Hi Friends & Family!

I have been having some pretty busy days lately!

I've riden the light-rail line, the MAX, with my parents several times lately. First we went downtown and had dinner at the Macaroni Grill and then went to Alotto Gelato for dessert, and then this last weekend we went to to zoo with Aunt Carrie and Kate and Sara. It was my first real 'date' with Kate! We had a good time hanging out with Aunt Carrie and I got to see lots of cool animals. Here are some photos from our MAX ride (I was sucking my thumb...) and Zoo trip:





Lately I've been laughing quite a bit more. I've got this new giggle, and when someone leans over me and makes funny faces, I just can't help but giggle at them for quite a while! Here are some photos of me smiling and giggling (oh yeah, one was with Kate!):



I got a new toy to play in too and I love it! It's called a "doorway jumper". It hangs in the doorway between my parents bedroom and the living room, and I can bounce up and down in it. Of course, I still like my floor gym a lot too. They are both lots of fun. Here are pictures of me on both of them:




My mom has a friend at the yarn / knitting-supply store that she goes to who made me this sweater. Looks great, huh!? I am definitely ready for fall to start.



Thanks for checking in. I hope to see all of you soon!

Sunday, August 27, 2006

An Update, and Some Photos!


I apologize for not writing more often in my blog, but you must understand that in my life there is never a dull moment. I can hardly believe the summer is almost over… Dad is still out of town a lot for work, so Mom and I have spent a lot of time with Grandma and Grandpa Anderson as well as with other family members and friends. I went to my first happy hour at the Parkerhouse Restaurant with Mom, Grandma Anderson, and my friends Mary and Charla (That's me with Mary up above, with the Columbia River in the background). The food was good, the view couldn’t be better, and I got to enjoy some good company. I hope I get to go again!


When Dad is home, however, we make sure to do lots of cool stuff with him too. I got to go to my first Oregon state fair with Mom and Dad, Chris and Katie, Fred, Sara and Kate. I saw some cool crafts, a few live farm animals, and even tried my first old fashioned soda fountain drink (well, I don't know if I was actually able to try any, but this photo sure looks like I did!).

At home, I’ve been playing a lot on my new floor gym. I got it used from craigslist and I could laugh at those funny toys hanging above me for hours! I have also been sleeping for longer stretches at night because of all the activities going on during the day. Mom still looks pretty tired when I wake her up though, so maybe I’ll start sleeping through the night here pretty soon…



Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention my last doctor’s appointment. It was going well at first….they weighed me, measured me and gave me a thorough checking over and just when I thought we were about to leave, they gave me a couple sticks in the legs! I only cried a little while though, so Mom didn’t get too upset over it either. The doctor told me I was still in the 50th percentile for weight and length, so things are looking good.




Here I am with my floor gym



Here I am with my Grandma Anderson



Here I am wearing a shirt that my Great-Grandma Dyk sent me

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

My Thoughts on Arranged Marriages, Pictures from Prom, and Life in the City



Hi Everyone. Sorry that it has been a while since my first blog. Life has been busy! Friends, family, food, the social scene… it all adds up for a young man in the city.

Recently I have been pondering the merits of arranged marriages. It is not a subject that just naturally comes to ones’ mind, but like the subject-matter itself, is thrust upon one by family. Actually, though, I’ve been thinking that, in my case, it might be a really great solution. After all, my parents have already found the love of my life. Kate… oh, how beautiful. The very first time we met, I remember looking at my mom, then over at Kate, and thinking “wow mom, you pick great friends!”.

I’ve also heard that it’s a good idea to stay on the good side of a date’s parents. Luckily for me, I’ve got Sara, Kate’s mom, wrapped around my finger. I asked Sara and Fred if I could go to the 2022 prom with Kate, and they were thrilled… Sarah even sent me this picture of Kate and I that our friend Marissa took!

My dad has had to travel on weekdays for work lately, which is a bummer, but I sure enjoy seeing him on weekends. Mom is hanging in there, and she has great friends helping out and spending time with her. I’m looking forward to Thursday, so I can see my dad. My usual bedtime is 8:00, but I usually wake up to see dad when he gets home late.

The other day, my parents brought home a new swing (that's me in it on the right). It rocks…it’s an Eddie Bauer brand, and is super-cool. When Kate comes over, she rides in it too, and she agrees that it totally rocks. She likes to sleep in it… sometimes I do, but usually I’m more interested in being held.

Well, that’s all for now. Thanks for checking in, and I look forward to chatting with you soon.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

My life at 1 month

My parents wanted me to send out an eCard, but I told them that newsletters were so 2005. Then they suggested myspace, but I was like... "what do you think I am, 14?". I showed them what all the cool kids are doing these days... and setup a blog (they needed a little help). Here's a short update on my life so far. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

I entered the outside world 5 weeks ago and in that time I've been livin' it up. My mom and dad do all the work while I mostly just eat and sleep. I have two kitties that are also in my family (that's Allie with me up above). We play together and occasionally the all black one, named Ethel, will take a swipe at me when I'm sleeping. Someday when I'm big enough I plan to get her back!

I have met tons of people in recent weeks. Last week I met my grandparents who now live in Texas, and my great grandparents from California as well as my other great grandparents who live in Yakima. Mom and Dad took me on a road trip to Yakima so I could meet them and see where Dad spent most of his childhood. After seeing Yakima, I can tell you that I'm sure glad I'm living in Portland! I also met my Aunt Carrie who lives in Seattle and Mom's extended family from Boise. So many names and faces to remember...

I recently began smiling and you would think that I've done something earth shattering, like found a cure for AIDS, by the reactions I've gotten. My only complaint so far is this thing called "bath-time." A couple times a week Mom gets me completely undressed, puts me in the kithcen sink, and takes a wet rag to me. Let's just say I've had finer moments. Other than that, like I said, I can't complain much. My mom and dad and everyone else I've met have been really great. I get lots of kisses and holding and nobody expects too much of me in return. Mom and Dad are just happy with me eating and sleeping all day. :)