Pool Slashers, Big Boy Sandwiches, & Toddler Addictions

We are heading for Eagle Crest for a family vacation tomorrow, so I thought I'd leave you with a few summer pictures before we go! I'm sure we'll have plenty of new ones when we get back. :)

Heading out to play in our awesome new pool from Ellie and Blake's Aunt Melissa and Uncle Ivan!

Only to find that somebody broke into the back yard and slashed holes in it. :(

Not so fun anymore...

That's okay, daddy's the ultimate "jerry-rigger", so with a little duct tape and some good help, it will be up and running in no time!

"Hmmm...maybe I'll just supervise...and fine-tune my snacking skills a little."

Ta-da! Good as new, with a little added "White Trash Flare"!

Eating a PBJ sandwich at the table like the big boy that I am.
"I think I can, I think I can..."

Halfway done!

"Mmmmmm..."

I decided to go ahead and go on out to the pool by myself - those parents, always thinking I need them around to help me out...!

Oops, I knew I was forgetting something...

"Note to self: next time take off pants and brand new leather shoes first..."
Mommy said, "See Kai Ruined"...

All of Charlie's favorite things...er...addictions together in one spot.

"Heaven, I'm in Heaven...hmmm...fun to play with, but I really wish I could get these open...mmmmm...Tylenol!"
Is there rehab for toddlers?



Sporting my new Superman PJ's...complete with cape!

"Wanna roll in my sweet ride?"
Laundry-basket rides = hours of cheap entertainment.



Another day, another bike ride.
(One has shorts & no shirt...the other has a shirt & no shorts...between the 2 of them, they've got a whole outfit!)

"Okay, Uncle Shawn, you go through the sprinkler FIRST!"



"COLD!!!"

"Let's do it again!!!"

Scare me some more!

Okay, so this is from a few months back, but it still cracks me up!

Charlie will turn on the vacuum, but then runs away to the safety of the couch to complain. However, when the vacuum cleaner is turned off, we hear, "More, more?!"

(On the first trip to the couch he notices I've got the camera and stops for a quick smile...)

History...Part 2

Okay, I'm finally finishing up our little "history" intro! Basically, it's just a bunch of pictures of Charlie from 10 months until now (he's 20 months old right now)...since he's pretty much what we spend our time and energy on these days. Oh, you already knew that? How could you tell? :)

10 months old:

11 months old:

1 year old:

What's going on in our lives other than our little "main attraction"...?

Quick summary:

In June, Shawn finished up his teaching career at Four Corners School in the Reynolds School District. He will start his new job as a Behavior Specialist for the Clackamas ESD at the end of August. Shawn will basically be traveling around to schools in the Clackamas area, leading trainings, helping teachers figure out how to deal with students who have behavior issues, and helping to build & direct the Positive Behavior Support program in the Clackamas schools. PBS was Shawn's focus area when he worked on his Master's at PSU. Anyways, YAY for Shawn! We are very excited about this next chapter of our lives and of his career.

I (Marlene) am still working part-time at Wilkes Elementary School, also in the Reynolds School District. I love the kids and the people I work with, but I do miss Charlie while I'm there. I feel so lucky that he is in the capable and loving hands of my mom and Christine while I'm at work. After either this December or next June, I plan on staying home full-time with him. I'm looking forward to that - even though I know in some regards it will be twice the work! :)

Charlie will be 21 months old in a couple of weeks. He is truly sweet-spirited, loves to share, and loves people, animals (especially "kee-kees" - kitties), kids, babies. Although he's very "busy" all the time, constantly wiggling and moving, he loves to get his cuddles in, too. That said, we are finally starting to see the toddler side come out. Right now, he is going through the "independence" stage - he wants to do everything himself. And I mean EVERYTHING! He wants to put his own shoes on (hasn't mastered that one yet), climb into the car himself (almost has that one down), buckle his own seat belt (nope, can't do that yet), eat his own food with a spoon or fork (very messy, but it can be done), wipe his own bottom during diaper changes (never ends well - literally) and pour his own water into his cup (usually ends in a big mop-up). So, I can imagine his life feels pretty frustrating most of the time right now - wanting to do everything on his own, but then not having the skills to do it and needing help all the time. But, I guess that's part of growing up, huh? He also wants to dictate his own schedule now...and gets quite angry when mommy & daddy try to make him go somewhere he doesn't feel like going or do something he doesn't feel like doing. However, he truly has a sweet spirit deep down and never really puts up TOO big of a fight. And he's always ready with an "I-yoo" ("I love you") at the end of the day. Oh, yeah, and he also loves to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" - it goes a little something like, "Inkle, inkle, ar ar, owi wanna wanna ar" and the rest is pretty much jibberish, but he's got the tune down pretty good.

As for his size, he is still an absolute beast! He was 36 pounds a few months ago at a doctor appointment - but we're thinking he may be somewhere around 37 now, judging from the aching soreness in our backs. I'm now buying size 4T clothing for him. He wears a size 9, sometimes 10, shoe - his 3 1/2 year old cousin wears a size 8, if that tells you anything!

Well, I guess that brings you up to date. From now on, I promise no more 10 paragraph/30 picture blog entries - just the day-to-day stuff.

- Marlene -

Testing...

Thanks to Andrea and Debbie - I might have this whole photo thingy figured out. We'll see!!!

Did you click it?
Did it open in a new window???!!!
YES!

Thanks, guys. :)

More to come...

Help!

I need help! I want to post "part 2" of our little family history, but there are 2 things about this whole "blogger" experience that are driving me nuts!

A PRIZE* for the first person to answer the following 2 questions:

1. Why don't my pictures enlarge when you click on them? You get the little "pointy-hand" thing when you scroll over them, but when you click on them there is no link that opens up a bigger picture in a new screen...

2. How in the world do you format a blog with lots of pictures without having to constantly re-space, re-size and re-format the whole thing every time you add a picture?!

* PRIZE = The joy in your heart of knowing that you helped a friend in need!

A Little History...

I figured before I started the actual "blogging" of this blog, I should give some history on our little family...don't worry, I'll "try" to make it short...(ha ha) :)

Shawn and I met at Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon, in late 1997. In October of 1998, Shawn presented me with the most awesome, amazing marriage proposal, and of course I said YES!

On March 13, 1999, we were married,

took off for our honeymoon in Arizona,

and immediately after returning from our honeymoon, Shawn got a call from a pastor down in Phoenix, offering him a job as a youth pastor. We flew down for the interview process in May. He got the job, and we moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in July, 1999.


We spent 2 years down in Phoenix at a church called Horizon Presbyterian Church.
Shawn was the youth pastor there, and I was the worship leader.
I also worked as a secretary at Mountain Park Community Church, which was just a mile down the road from Horizon Presbyterian.


In February of 2000, we had our first pregnancy and miscarriage.
It was the start of a long and very painful journey that would eventually lead us to our most awesome blessing, Charlie.

In July of 2001, we moved back home to Oregon. Over the next few years, we lost 3 more pregnancies to miscarriage. On Thursday, November 18, 2004, we were all set to attend the Harvest Banquet for Warner Pacific College, where I worked in the Admissions Office. But, I was having such bad abdominal pains that we ended up in the emergency room that evening, instead of at the Harvest Banquet! They sent us home with medication for the pain and nausea I was experiencing. Two days later, on November 20 (Shawn's birthday), I had emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy that was nearly missed, ruptured my left ovary completely, and almost killed me. In the weeks that followed, we were completely devastated and ready to give up hope of ever having a precious little baby of our own...

...BUT...only 3 months after the ectopic pregnancy, in February of 2005, we were shocked to find out that we were pregnant AGAIN! Needless to say, we were worried, and, to be honest, not real hopeful that this pregnancy would work out, either. Those first few weeks were pretty much consumed with blood tests, ultrasounds, doctor visits, lots of worry, and, oh yeah, puking. Lots and LOTS of puking was going on!!! But, as the days turned into months and I was still pregnant, we S L O W L Y began to allow ourselves to think it actually might work out this time.

On May 23, 2005, we found out we were expecting a BOY! We were very excited - Shawn was beside himself - he knew it was a boy all along! :) And we knew right away that we would be naming him "Charles" after my dad, Shawn's dad, and Shawn's grandfather. And "Michael", after Shawn's brother, our brother-in-law, and one of Shawn's best buddies. So, Charlie is named after SIX very-much-loved people! This ultrasound pic was taken the same day we found out he was a boy:

One of the coolest things was that Shawn's sister, Christine, found out she was pregnant, too, right about the same time. At this time, my sister, Melissa, and my other sister-in-law, Maryann, were both pregnant, as well. And we were all 4 having BOYS! We never did get a shot of all 4 bellies, but here's one of Christine and me, our due dates were just 3 weeks apart:


Some more pregnancy pics:

One of Charlie's showers:

This next one was taken on the day we were admitted to the hospital to start inducing...all I can say is, "woah, mama!":

I was admitted to the hospital to be induced on Thursday, October 27, 2005. The induction went on for three INCREDIBLY LONG, PAINFUL days of contractions and failed epidurals and they finally had to just go in and cut our chubby boy out on Sunday, October 30, at 3:25 am.

And there he was, 10 pounds, 8 ounces of pink, screaming, fat, but incredibly adorable baby!

Needless to say, we love him to pieces!

From birth on, Charlie has grown and grown and GROWN! Today, at 20 months old, over 36 pounds, and wearing a size 4T, he still has yet to drop under the 95th percentile for both height and weight! He is so far off the charts that all our doctor can tell us is that he is "Over the 99th percentile, that is for sure".

1 month old, 14 pounds:

2 months old, 18 pounds:


3 months old, 22 pounds:

4 months old:

5 months old: 6 months old, 26 pounds:

7 months old:



8 months old:

9 months old:

TO BE CONTINUED...