Alec

A Quick Thought

2011-06-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

I just love this age. Almost 4 and a half...not quite a big boy, but not a toddler anymore. Every day Alec exhibits more and more qualities of a "big boy", but I still get glimpses of my sweet little boy. Like the other day when he gave me a stuffed brown bunny, and told me I could "play with it today". Just the thought of me sitting there in my spare time (as if there is any of that!) pretend playing with bunny cracks me up. Today he noticed that the bunny was sitting on the kitchen counter, and he asked me why I wasn't playing with it anymore. I assured him that I was enjoying having the bunny quite a bit, but that it was taking a little nap while I unloaded the dishwasher. Five minutes after our charming interaction, he informed me that a dinosaur I called "cute", "is not CUTE...it's COOL". He had a bit of annoyed sigh as he said it, and I caught a glimpse of what he might be like when he is a teenager. I am going to hold on tight to the sweet little boy he is, and enjoy every minute of him while he still believes his mama plays with stuffed animals in my free time.

Official bike rider!

2011-06-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

Alec learned how to ride a bike without training wheels last week! He was so incredibly determined to master it, and it took him a little less than an hour. His sense of pride and independence just shines through.

Here's a video from the first day he learned how to bike...

And another one from a week later...

I think I know what he will be doing all summer!

4 Years Old

2011-05-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

Alec turned four in February, and has changed from a chubby-cheeked toddler to a full-fledged boy. He officially gave up his nap after Christmas and retires much earlier in the evening now. No more pleading with him at 10pm to PLEASE go to sleep! He is out cold by 7:30pm every night. While we miss his sweet cheeks and toddler-ness, we are really enjoying seeing his personality continue to emerge. He is such an extroverted, inquisitive, persistent, mischievous, and sweet boy.

I (Lindsay) have obviously not been terrific at keeping up this blog. I get overwhelmed at the prospect of creating a post that covers everything that I want to say. I read my friends' blogs and wish I had the motivation to keep up as often, and with as much creativity as they have (especially Natalie!). I thought I might just not put so much pressure on myself, and "borrow" a format that others have used: lists. If I can just list things about Alec, and elaborate on some then that's a start, right? It seems a lot less daunting to just jot down a list, since I am a list-maker at heart anyways. So here it goes:

Things Alec Loves

Worms: Digging for worms and finding bugs is one of his favorite outside activities. He gets his hoe out and heaves it over his head and hoes the dirt until he finds worms. The worms get put in buckets, bins, anything Alec can find. He likes to create "homes" for them with grass, rocks, sticks and anything else he thinks will make them happy. We have about 7 different containers around the yard and in the house with various worms in them. We also found an inchworm, and we are waiting for him to make his cocoon and come out a gypsy moth. Alec has become somewhat impatient with that process, though. :)

Outdoors: He is fidgety and restless inside, but perfectly content being outdoors. This is why Nature Kids is the perfect preschool for him. At least an hour of hiking/exploring every time he has class-what could be better? He also adores helping Rob with projects in the yard, and climbing anything that can be climbed.

Biking: His favorite outdoor activity. He has been a fantastic bike rider since he was two, and is a very fearless rider. Rob was a competitive BMX rider, so I see where he gets the genes. We just got him a new 16" bike that he loves. He thinks it's very cool to have a big boy bike with a hand brake. Those training wheels will probably come off late in the summer, after our annual trip to Bend.

Being Persistent and Curious: We are going on 2+ years of "why????" and "why not???". If he doesn't like the answer to something, he will keep prodding. If he really wants something, he will find creative solutions that come out into his favor. At the zoo today, our friend Claudia bought their son Joshua a dinosaur grabber that Alec loved. I already bought Alec some dinosaur goodies a few days ago at the zoo, and explained to him that we wouldn't be buying anything more today. He talked about the grabber the entire two hours we were at the zoo, continually asked me if he could have one, suggested that we buy one next time we are at the zoo, hit up Claudia to see if he could have it if Joshua didn't like it, said that Joshua didn't seem interested in it so we should just take it home, etc. etc. I am sure tonight when I put him to bed, he will mention it again. Not only is he persistent, but he has an amazing memory!

Boxes/Bins: Unlike Rob and I, he is a pack rat and loves to store things in any kind of receptacle he can. He pilfers through the trash sometimes and "saves" things we have thrown away. He now knows that we toss things out relentlessly, and he is learning to tell us (particularly Rob) that certain things are NOT to be thrown away.

Curious George, Thomas the Train, Bob the Builder: (still happy to watch harmless preschool shows-yay!)

Yogurt: thinks it's better than candy
Salmon: He won't eat veggies, so yay that he at least likes salmon!
Rock Music: "Loud rock!" He loves to break dance to it.
Audiobooks: He would listen to them all the time if he could. We pick up new ones at the library every week to keep in the car, and they especially come in handy on road trips.

Getting haircuts: He loves having his hair touched, and it is one of the only times I can count on him sitting STILL. He practically goes into a trance, until he gets his sugar high from the lollipop after. :)

Animals: We visit the zoo almost every week, and he has quite the collection of stuffed animals. Lots of questions about animals all the time: "Do clams have testicles?", "How do worms poop?", "Do turtles have teeth?" "Why do scorpions look so much like lobsters?" His special real animal friends are our friendly cat, Tikka and his grandparents' dog Izzy. He'd really like to get a dog, but we suggested a fish instead.

Wrapping "Gifts": Alec likes using paper and tape...A LOT. He wraps up little "gifts" (could be a broken crayon, an old toy he is willing to part with, or just balled up paper) for his friends and family, and wraps paper around them. He embellishes these gifts with lots of taped on stickers and fluttery ribbons. See picture below - that particular gift was a crayon going to his friend Joshua Fatzinger. :)

Anything RED
Things Alec Does NOT Love
Veggies
When questions aren't answered to his satisfaction
Being interrupted
Being alone
Going to sleep by himself

I also copied Krista Kennedy's "questionnaire" from her blog, and asked Alec a series of questions today. Here are his answers:

Favorite fruit: orange, apple and banana
Favorite animal: baby chicks, big chickens, bears, foxes, monkeys
Favorite person: Dad and Mama, and Garrett
Favorite restaurant: Chinooks
Favorite place: camping
Favorite smell: flowers
Favorite thing to do outside: biking

Some random pictures from the last few months:

Climbing at the penguin exhibit at the zoo

Our lovable kitty, Tikka.

Eating cookies at his cousin, Charlotte's 1st birthday party

Playing with cousins Jack and Grant from San Diego

Almost Christmas!

2010-11-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

We have one excited little boy! He can hardly wait for Dec. 25. We went and visited Santa last weekend, and he told Santa that he wants a "motorized Duncan and motorized Stanley". That evening, we presented him "The Elf on the Shelf", which is all the rage this season. The elf sits on a shelf and "watches" Alec all day, then flies back to Santa every night to report if he's been naughty or nice. Also, he can send messages to Santa. Alec asked the Elf to tell Santa to bring batteries with his trains, and also that he would additionally like a marble run. The Elf returns to our house every morning, and lands on a different shelf. Alec enjoys waking up and trying to find The Elf.

Over Thanksgiving week, we uncharacteristically got dumped up with a huge snowfall. Alec loved every minute spent outside in the freezing weather, and took playing in the snow to a new level with his Jeep and balance bike. He just never seems to care if he is cold or covered with snow!

We let Alec decorate much of the Christmas tree. He told me that "decorating the tree, is the BEST part of Christmas". I love that he hung multiple ornaments on branches, and has them all clumped together. Initially he hung them all facing the fireplace because he wanted Santa to see them when he came down the chimney.

As always, lots of funny things have come out of his mouth lately:

The other morning Tikka was being quieter than normal. She is usually meowing up a storm for several hours before and after we get up. Alec asked me with a sly grin if Tikka needed new batteries.

A few times over the last few weeks, he has told me about the "movies behind his eyes" when he wakes up. He has very vivid dreams, and he remembers a lot of detail from them. This is how he described the dream he had two nights ago: "It was about Clifford and some bad guys. It was G-rated, but it had some dark parts."

The comment that cracked me up today was about anatomy. He was examining his chest, and asking me all kinds of questions about nipples ("what are they?", "why do I have them?" "why are they so small?"). He pronounces them "nibbles", which makes me smile. He then asked me if Santa's elves have "nibbles". I tried to keep a straight face and simply told him I didn't know. Funny little boy!

I think he is starting to give up his afternoon nap (oh no!). Night time has been a bit of a struggle to get him to sleep before 10pm. He has mastered every trick in the book to procrastinate bedtime/sleeping. I am so accustomed to that quiet time in the afternoon, that it will be a bit of an adjustment for me when it happens. I will likely still require him to have "quiet play" in his room for an hour, just so he has some down time and so I can get a few things done around the house. The upsides to him not napping will be that he will hopefully go to bed earlier, and maybe Rob and I can actually watch a TV show together! Also, it will open up days for play dates with good friends/family like Evan Ling and Roman, since they no longer nap and are on opposite preschool schedules from us. Speaking of naps, today's short nap is over and Alec would like me to come see the band he is assembling in his room.

Happy Holidays!
-Lindsay

Photos by Alec

2010-06-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so, Alec has really enjoyed taking pictures with my iPhone. Here is a small collection of recent photos.

The Gap

Taken on our Argosy Harbor Cruise

Car transporter in Portland.

Fred Meyer as seen from the shopping cart

Dad sitting and relaxing?? Better snap a pic quick-doesn't happen often.

Tour de Parks

2010-05-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today when we woke up, Alec informed me that he was pretending to be a "clever chicken". I asked the clever chicken if he would like to explore some new parks, and he clucked emphatically (which I interpreted as "yes"). I printed out a map of all the parks in the Queen Anne neighborhood and we hit the road.

The first park we went to was wedged into a little dead end, with woods and a ravine surrounding it. Alec went down an extremely steep slide, like I've never seen at another playground. Then he wanted to go down the 100+ stairs to the bottom of the ravine "on an adventure". The kid just loves to climb, both up and down. He did not mind a bit when we got the bottom and had to climb our way back up. He beat me to the top, in fact.

Next stop was completely by accident - a park we stumbled across that wasn't even on our map. Alec insisted on pushing me on the carousel, and then jumping on to join me. The little daredevil!

Our last stop was a wonderful little park that is terraced into a hillside with views towards Magnolia. This was by far our favorite park, and we will most certainly return. The well-thought out equipment, the views, the foliage and the gorgeous homes surrounding it make it hands-down our favorite of the day. Alec pointed out that there were plenty of bushes at this park, in case I needed to use the bathroom. I explained to him that although I appreciated him looking out for me, it's not really appropriate for me to be using the park as a restroom. :) You can see his red boots in the picture below. He walking on all fours, pretending to go "lippity lippity" like Peter Rabbit (between the second and third park, he decided he was no longer a clever chicken).

Weekend

2010-05-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my previous post, we got GERBILS this weekend. Alec's sheer joy and excitement before and after we went to buy them was caught on video (must have Rob show me how to upload a video to the blog). When he woke up from his nap Friday afternoon, I quietly asked him "Would you like to go pick out your gerbils at Petco?" He shrieked and proceeded to dance and bounce off the walls until Rob got home. He could hardly contain his excitement. It was an easy choice at the pet store, since they only had two gerbils. We brought them home and set up their cage while Mr. Excited and one of our curious cats watched. The gerbils will be sequestered for about 5 days to make sure they are all acclimated to their new home, before we move them into Alec's room. Alec really, really wants to hold them and pet them but we've only allowed a couple of pets over the weekend. The store recommended we let them be for a while before we start handling them. No names for the little guys yet - Alec suggested James and Thomas, and then retracted it. He says he doesn't want them to have names. They may end up being Brown Gerbil and Gray Gerbil.

We got to spend Saturday at the Madison Park playground with Uncle Keith, Aunt Natalie, Roman and Baby Charlotte. Alec loved the "zipline" trolley, and had a huge smile from ear to ear while he sailed through the air.

Saturday evening we got to have one last playdate with Saylor, the little 3-year old from across the street. They had their belongings all packed up and ready to leave Sunday morning to move back to San Diego. Alec and Saylor have been playmates for a year now, and it's been so fun and convenient having them live across the street. We are crossing our fingers that some nice folks rent the house next. So far we've been really lucky with the two rentals on our street, and have made some very good friends. Thankfully our other good friends who lived across the street, The Kennedys, only moved about 7 blocks away when they bought a home. We were so glad that they stayed in the 'hood. :)

We finished off the weekend with a long soak in our next door neighbor's hot tub. Alec and another little 3-year old girl dominated the hot tub. They only wanted to get out to eat mac 'n cheese, and then it was back into the hot tub. Thankfully our neighbor Merrilee cools the temp of the hot tub down so it's kid-appropriate. I can only handle about 30 minutes in a hot tub, so I ended up being the wine server, kid food chef and towel-getter.

Two posts in one week - what is going on? I am feeling motived for whatever reason - maybe it's because Keith/Natalie and Krista Kennedy do such a great job of keeping theirs up. I really want to have Alec's life documented better, and certainly haven't been diligent about writing things down ever. I am going to try to keep it up, but I can't guarantee I won't fall off the blogging wagon at any time. It just seems to happen...

Animals

2010-05-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

Animals continue to be a HUGE part of Alec's life. As far back as we can remember, he has always been intrigued by them and the obsession continues. When he turned 2 over a year ago, he started pretending he was all different sorts of animals. Right now he loves pretending he is a: baby skunk, baby deer, baby mice and baby bear. You have to really remember when he is 'in character', because he won't respond to you unless you address him correctly: Me- "Please pick up your toys, Alec" Alec- "I'm not Alec, I'm Baby Skunk", Me- "Please pick up your toys, Baby Skunk", Alec-"Ok".

Yesterday I (Lindsay) bought him a mama bear and three bear cubs at the toy store. He has been taking them everywhere, making sure they are cozy/safe/warm/"fed", etc. He declared today their birthdays, and threw them an ice cream and cookie party on top of the washer/dryer this morning.

In the car

At the zoo

Ice cream and cookies for everyone!

His nurturing side really comes out with his stuffed animals. The beauty of them is that they are stuffed and won't bite or scratch him, the way the real cats in our house do. Tikka, our large black cat, is extremely patient and sweet with him but Frisky hisses and scratches him if he comes near. Alec is still learning to be gentle and quiet with them-he really does love the cats, he just doesn't understand that they don't want toys placed on top of their heads, don't like to be shouted at (although he gets really good laughs out of startling them with loud noises) and like to have their space. We'll keep working on that....

Vet visit

Making Tikka talk - part of Alec's morning routine

Tonight we are adding another animal (make that two) to our household. As a reward for getting potty trained, Alec is going to get two gerbils this evening. We are fairly uncertain about this, but can't back out of the plan now. We promised Alec a long, long time ago that when he was potty trained he could get a mouse, a gerbil or some fish. We were crossing our fingers that he'd go for the fish option, but alas....he wants a rodent. The animal adventures continue!

Preschool

2010-02-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

Alec is 3! Hard to believe just three years ago we brought home this little person who is now the largest personality in our home. He has endless curiosity and wants to know about everything!

Thanks to Lindsay's persistence Alec is enrolled in Nature Kids Preschool in Discovery Park! He will attend for three days a week starting in September. They are focused on interaction with the outdoors with hour long daily hikes. I don't believe there is a better fit for our little boy!

Slippers

2009-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Alec sporting his new slippers this morning. They are a bit big, but that doesn't stop him from running around in them. He also loves his new "Big James" that he got last night for going in the potty 20 times, and his new "Stomper" type of truck.
Lindsay

Another 2009 post

2009-09-11T00:29:00.000-07:00

As you can see, we haven't updated the blog in a while. We are using Facebook primarily as our means of communicating news/info/pictures to family and friends. Here's a couple of recent pictures, just to keep things current. Big news recently is that Keith and Natalie are having another baby. We are thrilled for them and can't wait to be an auntie/uncle again next April!

Cheers,
Lindsay (my first blog post ever!)

Boy

2009-05-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Alec is a boy now. Our baby is a distant memory. He talks to us in full sentences that make sense. He reasons and negotiates. He asks questions about the world. We answer the "why?" question many times a day. We've been making efforts to always give him an answer that does not equate to "because I said so". That is not always easy though. He is constantly in motion. If he is awake he is in motion and at this point outdoor activities are ideal. He loves his backyard and will play out there for hours. We recently finished some landscaping and many of the previous fun dirt play areas are now off limits. I'll have to create an area for him to dig and search for worms.

We recently returned from a trip to San Diego. Alec got to spend close to a week with his cousins, Jack & Grant. They all got along really well and it was fun to see them get to know each other. We also got to visit Legoland! I loved Legos as a child so I was happy to visit under the guise of visiting for Alec. He's still a bit young to be really interested in Legos so I don't think he got as much out of it as I did. He did get ride some rides though and that he did appreciate.

Summer Memories

2008-11-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

After finishing some major house projects I finally have time to go through some of the photos and videos from this summer. I put together this short video tonight of Alec and his cousins Jack and Grant. We spent a great week in Bend, OR at Lindsay's Dad and stepmother's home. This video is of the boys playing on a Slip 'n Slide.

Carving Party

2008-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

We held our Fifth Annual Pumpkin Carving Party last Saturday. We had nearly fourty guests! Luckily the weather was great and everyone seemed to have a good time. Leigh took the photo on this post.

Scared?

2008-09-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

"Red" the bird is scary to toddlers, or at least our toddler. We took Alec to the Woodinville Red Robin last week. There was a larger than life Red Robin mascot, "Red" standing outside as we walked toward the entrance. Being the parents that we have now evolved to Lindsay and I both thought "Wow! How exciting!". Alec did not share our sentiments. That thing is big, unnatural and scary! Lindsay asked him if he was scared, not really expecting a response. Alec replied "Scaured!" with saucer eyes and shaking his head side to side. He did it with so much emotion and understanding that he caught us off guard. The freaky bird was wandering through the restaurant during our dinner and every time Alec saw him he did the same thing. Now he tells us he's scared whenever he's uncomfortable. He's even started telling us when he thinks the cats are scared - which is often in our house.

Where is the moon?

2008-09-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last night our little boy expressed great concern for the whereabouts of the moon. We've been talking about the moon lately and pointing it out when it's been visible. Before going to bed last night he said "Where is the moon?" I'll admit that the beginning of the sentence could only be deciphered by a parent but it was a clear question. Then he clearly said "Up in the sky?". He was curious enough that we thought we should take him outside and see if we could find it. We searched in the early evening sky for an elusive moon but it was not to be found. "Where did it go?", he said, "Oh no!", "Moon, in the sky?". We assured him that it would be back. We took him back to his room and got him ready for bed. Maybe tonight the moon will visit him again.

Fun

2008-08-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

All I can say is that having a toddler is FUN!

Catch Me!

2008-08-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

This photo my brother took of Alec really captures our happy little boy's spirit.
I wish I were with him today but unfortunetly I'm at work. The weekend is near though!

Bend

2008-08-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

We just finished a really great vacation in Bend, Oregon. We spent a week at Lindsay's dad and step mom's home on the Deschutes River. Lindsay's sister, Daniele, and her family were there visiting from San Diego too so Alec was able to spend some time with his California cousins. The drive to Bend from Seattle is scenic but long. Add an impatient toddler and it's doubly long. Lindsay wisely planned an overnight stop at her mom's near Portland on the trip there and back. I'm certain that saved us loads of frustration, plus we were able to fit in a couple of nice visits with Lindsay's mom.

While in Bend we visited the High Desert Museum. A really interesting museum despite it's name. Who would have thought that the high desert had so much to offer? They had many art and history exhibits, most of which we skipped to keep up the entertainment value for Alec. The animals were the big hit with us. Alec recently has been interested in turtles and the museum delivered. The had two swimming turtles in a toddler eye level tank. They also had some beautiful birds. There was a recently added golden eagle (gegle) in addition to two bald eagles as well as owls and osprey. We also sat in a real tipi and Alec played in the museum's unique play areas.

We took Alec on his first river float too. The three of us crammed ourselves into a raft and pushed off from Lindsay's dad's river bank. This was not the highlight of the trip. Alec found the life jacket way too constraining and Lindsay and I found the "four man" raft way too constraining. We were all happy to see Lindsay's dad patiently waiting for us after 20 minutes of floating. I think next year will be better.

We went on a really great short hike at Fall River Campground. We first went there 4 years ago when I joined Lindsay as a "friend" on a trip to visit her father and step mother with the Dowdens. Fall River is crystal clear and ice cold. This time we had a picnic near the river and then set out for a nice little hike. Alec rode along on my back in his hiking backpack and took in the scenery. The boy loves to be outside!

In between the outings we enjoyed time with our family. Daniele and her family had a house in Sun River which is just minutes from her dad's place. We met them for a bike ride and picnic one day. Alec rode along in a trailer behind me. Thursday was Daniele's birthday. We had a little birthday party for her. Lindsay's dad spent half the day making barbecued ribs and her step mom made a phenomenal chocolate cake. Alec had one last evening to play with his cousins.

We headed towards Portland on Friday. We spend one final night from home with Lindsay's mom and a family friend, Phil. Lindsay's mom made us a great dinner and then we were up early the next day to head home.

After a week of strange beds and surroundings it was great to be home!

Photos

Camping

2008-07-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went on our first 2008 camping trip. We went to Grayland State Park on the Washington coast. Alec loves being outside so camping fit in well with his prefered lifestyle. The park is on a huge sandy beach and he could have played for hours. We took lots of photos which are on our photo site.

Evan's Birthday

2008-07-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Evan had his first birthday today. We celebrated yesterday at the Kristoferson Farm on Camino Island. It was a great first birthday. There was a huge tractor, cupcakes and a hay ride. What could be better? Happy Birthday Evan! Photos are on our July photo page.

Sun!

2008-06-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

We had our first really great summer weekend of the year. Being the planners that we are Lindsay and I have had plans in place for weeks that depended on nice weather for the weekend (that really just means no rain when you live in Seattle). It was some the best June weather I can remember and we enjoyed every minute of it!
On Saturday had some friends over for a mid-day BBQ. They have a little boy who is just about the same age as Alec so they were happy running around the back yard keeping their parents on their toes.
Lindsay's birthday was yesterday so we celebrated with our friends on Saturday evening. We left Alec with is first non-family, non-friend babysitter for 7 hours! We met everyone at Kells and then went on a funPike Place Market ghost tour . After that we had sangria at The Tasting Room and then walked down to Cafe Campagna for dinner. It was a great evening with great friends!
Yesterday we went to my parents to celebrate my mom and Lindsay's birthdays. Alec and his cousin, Roman, played for hours in my parent's yard while their paparazzi parents followed them around with cameras.
Photos from this weekend can be found on our "June 2008" photo web page. There are more Sunday Birthday party photos on Alec's Uncle Keith's site.

Stacking

2008-06-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Alec figured out how to stack his wooden stackable rings today. He's spent the whole afternoon stacking and un-stacking. He is quite proud of his new skills.

Mexico

2008-05-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

Alec just took his first big vacation. We went to a city named Los Barriles, Mexico which is North of Cabo San Lucas and South of La Paz. Lindsay's family has been going to a hotel there for years to vacation and fish in the Sea of Cortez. Alec skipped the fishing in favor of the pool which was a huge hit. He took to the local cuisine with gusto and fell into a nice vacation routine. Here is a link to a bunch of photos!

My Car

2008-04-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

He loves keys or "dees" and he tells us "Hi" numerous times an hour. His favorite book is "My Car" which he has retitled "Beep Beep". He seems to love being outside. I let him play in the backyard yesterday and he got grass stains on his pants. That seems like some sort of milestone. His vocabulary is growing by the day. Some of the words we understand are: Hi!, more, Dad, Bottle, down, car, keys, mom, Tikka, Frisky, banana, apple, cheese and outside. Most cats are Tikka, down and Dad are easily confused (by us), anything with a wheel is a car. most fruit is a banana and keys without a remote are not acceptable.

March Video

2008-04-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

Walking Video

2008-03-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Cousins

2008-02-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

Climbing the stairs

2007-12-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

We spent a really nice weekend with Dotty and Phil and Alec got to open his first Christmas presents. He has some really fun new toys and great books thanks to his Grandma Dotty.
This evening he decided to climb up our stairs. It caught us a bit off guard since we really didn't expect that until he was walking.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

This is Alec's first Christmas and I know he won't remember anything. That won't prevent us from exposing him to all the Christmas traditions we hope to establish over the coming years. Christmas Eve after we return home from our Walbrun family party I'll have him help me lay out cookies and milk for Santa and maybe a carrot for Rudolph. We'll check the fireplace to make certain Santa can get in. We don't want a pesky closed flue to serve as an excuse for no presents. If he is good he will get a small gift to open before goes to bed. Christmas morning we will give him some warm formula and check out the status of the cookies and carrot. Bite marks will be a clear indication of Santa's presence. We'll sit down in front of a cozy fire and our Christmas tree and give him the gifts that miraculously appeared overnight. He'll be facinated by the bows and shiny paper and attempt to eat the corners of the boxes. He'll pull off the bows and wave them in the air and rip the paper into tiny chunks that will find his mouth much faster than we can take them from him. When we finally get beyond the paper to the gifts he'll be more interested in the boxes than any of the contents. All of this we will do because having a child reminds us of the excitement and magic of Christmas and we know that in coming years Alec will come to love this time of year but this year we will love it for him.

Happy Holidays to all of our family and friends!

San Diego Visit

2007-12-13T20:55:00.000-08:00

Cookies

2007-12-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

Alec helped his grandma make Christmas cookies today.

Flu

2007-12-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

It's been quite the week in the Walbrun household. Alec picked up the flu bug or rotovirus or both and became really ill starting last Tuesday (Dec 4th). The poor little guy was wiped out. It's really tough to see such an active little boy so miserable and weak. By Wednesday evening Lindsay had the flu and then my mom (Alec's Grandma-nanny) got it that same evening. We all spent the Thursday waiting for me to get it but fortunately it never came. Lindsay recovered from the flu and was better by Saturday but Alec was not. We took him to Children's hospital Saturday morning because he was so listless and seemed to be in pain. They gave him a really good check-up and said that it was probably the rotovirus. We took him home and continued our regiment of hydration and constant holding. He started to perk up by Sunday afternoon and we finally were able to put him in his crib for a good nights sleep last night. He woke up in a good mood this morning talking in his crib. Unfortunately now Lindsay and I have an awful cold. Neither of us has slept a full night for over a week and we can't wait for this to be over! Oh, and my dad caught the flu on Monday! Hopefully we will all be better by the weekend so we can spend some time with our friends!

Laughter

2007-11-23T21:00:00.001-08:00

Splash!

2007-11-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

Nine Months

2007-11-07T10:08:00.000-08:00

Alec is nine months old today! The little guy is full of personality. He is kind of crawling. He does a version of the army crawl but mostly uses his hands to pull himself forward. He loves to roll the ball back and forth and we try to play ball with him every day. Instead of waving his hand and arm to say goodbye or hello he stiffly sticks his arm in the air. He's also started sharing things, he will chew on a toy and then hold it up for us to have a taste. It's tough to deny a slobbery toy offered from our generous boy.

He will be going for his first multi-night stay with his grandparents this weekend. Lindsay and I are going to Edgefield with Leigh and Claudia. We are excited to have a little vacation but it will be hard to be away from the little guy for that long!

Pumpkin Carving Party - Late Post

2007-11-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

We had our annual Pumpkin Carving Party last Saturday. It was a great success! We had about 30 people and some really great entries to the carving contest. This year our neighbor Merrilee won for "Best Overall" and Hilary won for "Scariest". Hilary took some great photos - Click Here to see them. I added some to our website too.

Tikka

2007-10-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Hilary's birthday with her and some friends tonight at Tutta Bella pizzeria. When we got home Alec was in a great mood. He was a little punchy and playful. We were in his room getting him ready for bed and our obese black cat wandered in. He looked at her and said a very clear "Tikka". I think this will go down as his official first word. There was no mistaking what he said, in fact Lindsay and I immediately looked at each other to confirm what we heard.

Pumpkin Hunting

2007-10-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

We took Alec to Snohomish to go pumpkin hunting with his cousin Roman, Uncle Keith, Auntie Natalie, Grandpa Randy and Grandma Kathy. He found the perfect pumpkin to enter in our upcoming annual Pumpkin Carving Party. This year he has delegated carving responsibility to me.

playing ball

2007-10-21T08:23:00.001-07:00

Driving a John Deere

2007-09-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

Alec "drove" a tractor last weekend.

On the move

2007-09-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot! Alec has figured out how to use his ExerSaucer to move around the room. He jumps and leans in the direction he wants to go. I was hilarious last evening. I was in the kitchen at the sink and I heard him jumping. I look down and he is inches away from me staring up with a big smile. I'd push him back and soon he was by my side pulling on my shorts. He seemed pretty happy with himself. I have a feeling we will be chasing him around the house in no time.

Sleep!

2007-09-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

The little boy has a cold. He was up many times last night. He seemed good this morning but his mom and I could use some sleep. My mom came to the rescue and said she will take him tonight. While we hate to give him up for a night we will really appreciate the sleep!

Tomorrow Alec and I start music classes at Chickadee Music of Seattle. Classes are close to home at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.

I added another friends blog to our page. On the right you will find the new addition of Hilary's Blogoramadingong.

Sixth Tooth

2007-09-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

Alec has been acting a bit lathargic and fussy over the last couple of days. A pattern we are now very familiar with. He is a really happy guy except when those pesky teeth burst through. Based on his recent behavior we suspected he had yet another tooth working its way to the surface. Risking the intense pain of razor sharp new baby teeth I inspected his gums and found number six, a lateral insisor in his lower jaw. I escaped unscathed. Poor Alec has to endure more achy, sore gums.
I took this photo yesterday with my camera phone.

Blanket

2007-09-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

Alec's Auntie Hilary made him this wonderful blanket. We know she spent many caring hours on it and Alec loves it!

2007-09-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Our friend Leigh took some great photos at our Labor Day BBQ.

Cousins

2007-09-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Alec and his little cousin Roman. We visited last Sunday after our camping trip to Bay View State Park. Keith and Natalie have links to a bunch of photos as well as a really cute video on Roman's blog. I've also updated our photo site and added a September page.

Is today the day?

2007-09-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

Natalie is in labor! Little Roman Walbrun should be here soon! We can't wait! Here are some other notable people that celebrate their birthday on September 5th:

Johann Christian Bach
Jesse James
Bob Newhart
Raquel Welch
Freddie Mercury
Buddy Miles
Dweezil Zappa
Rose McGowan

Bathtime

2007-09-01T19:28:00.001-07:00

Boeing 777 Wing Ultimate Load Test

2007-08-27T12:18:00.001-07:00

This has nothing to do with Alec. It is just a really cool test that Boeing does on their new airplanes. If you have any fears of flying this might help.

2007-08-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Weekend

2007-08-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend. We started off Friday evening at the Sabin's for pizza. Saturday morning Alec and I bottled 24 bottles of Red Zinfandel wine while Lindsay got a pedicure. In the early afternoon we went to Garrett Dowden's 3rd birthday party on a boat that took us on a tour of Lake Union. We had cupcakes and ice cream and enjoyed the Seattle scenery. Alec even tried some frosting. At first he had a confused expression but soon he was pulling my hand toward his mouth wanting more.

After that party we headed over to West Seattle to attend an open house at Lindsay's senior manager's house. They had recently remodeled a beautiful home with a view of the Puget Sound. The house was built in the early 30s and was decorated in a style that matched the period and our taste. I certainly had quite a bit of appreciation for the level of effort and detail that went into the remodel.

We ended the day at a BBQ at Lindsay's manager's home. We had a great time in their backyard sitting around the fire. It was nice to get to know some of Lindsay's co-workers a bit better.

We spent Sunday at home. I've been wanting to build a woodshed onto the back of the garage so I spent a few hours working on that and them my parents came over for a visit in the afternoon.

Alec has been experimenting with his voice quite a bit lately. Lindsay and I watch and listen certain we hear him say "Dada" or "Mama". We find ourselves more entertained by him than anything else these days.

Roman Joseph Walbrun

2007-08-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

My little nephew is due anytime! We can't wait! Lindsay and I anticipate the call - even though Mr. Roman has yet to show any signs he is ready to enter the world. I'm sure he will arrive when he is good and ready, or when the Dr. decides he is good and ready. Keith has created a blog for Roman which I am certain will be extremely creative and interesting given the excess of creative talent in that household. Check out the custom alphabet cards Keith created for Roman's room!

House

2007-08-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks we've been discussing how well our house is going to suit our future. The house is great and we love our neighborhood but we have concerns about Seattle schools and we could use just a little more space. We consulted a Realtor to get an idea of how much we could sell our home for and it was ultimately not enough to justify leaving. We've decided to stay and re-evaluate the situation when Alec is closer to attending school. In the mean time we are looking at making some more home improvements. We don't want to dump a bunch more money into the house and we are trying to be smart about what we think we could recover in a future sale. We are considering turning the basement space into a master bedroom and 3/4 bath. That would free up our bedroom to be a guest room/office.

Bing bong bang...

2007-08-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I remember wathching a show called Boomerang. It was a local kids television program hosted by Marnie Nixion. I've had the theme song

stuck in my head all day!

Eyes

2007-08-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Alec seems to be feeling better today. He almost slept through the night, only waking once. I think he's just testing the dedication of his parents. I'm certain I'll catch him with a stopwatch one night "33 seconds, not bad! That's a 2 second improvement over last night." I transferred him from his crib to his swing he turned his head and went right back to sleep. I walked into his room this morning to check on him before I left for work fully expecting he would be sound asleep. It was as if he was waiting for me. Two BIG blue eyes and a ready smile. Not a bad way to start the day. After changing his diaper I took him in to cuddle with his mom until she got up to get ready for work and feed him.

Peas

2007-08-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

The poor little guy has a cold. He was up several times last night because he could not breathe through his nose. Lindsay said he seems better today. Interesting how he can be perfectly fine and happy after a long sleepless night while mom and dad are haggard and incoherent. We fed him peas last night. I was his first time eating something that was not mushy. I read that it is good for his hand-eye coordination to pick up peas. He was mostly interested in smashing them but he did manage to get a couple in his mouth. By the grimace on his face and the wrinkling of his brow we determined they are not his favorite solid food. I think chopped bananas will be next. No big plans for the weekend. Sunday we get to see Keith and Natalie. Just a little over a week until Roman's due date. I can't wait!!!

Marching Ants

2007-08-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Alec continues to be mesmerized by "The Ants Go Marching" song. Whenever he gets a bit fussy if we sing the song he stops and listens. No other song we've found works as well.

3.5 Month Update

2007-05-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

He is growing up so fast! I really can't believe how much can happen in less than 4 months. Alec is now talking up a storm. He is very interactive and responds to our goofy new parent goading. He seems to have a little quirky personality. He often puts his thumb between his first and second finger like when an adult pretends to steal a child's nose. He makes lots of interesting sounds as he experiments with his voice and seems to enjoy having "conversations" with us. This last week his Grandma Kathy (my mom) stated caring for him during the day. Lindsay is working 4 day weeks with Fridays off. He will receive much love and care from my mom but it is still hard to leave him.

Alec at 3 Months

2007-05-10T00:42:00.001-07:00

Alec in Lake Oswego

Alec in his Activity Gym

2007-04-22T09:47:00.001-07:00

A short video of Alec playing in his Activity Gym

Two Months old!

2007-04-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

It's been over two months since I posted to this blog. Everything people tell you about having a child is true. The first weeks are tough and draining but one smile from the little guy makes it worth every difficult minute. We were very fortunate to have friends and family who visited with food and meals. Especially appreciated were the sanity saving overnight stays. There could not have been a better gift than a full night's sleep at that point. Alec is now two months old and doing really well! Yesterday we took him to his 8 week checkup. His weight was 10 pounds 14 ounces and I can't remember his length - maybe 22". He is in the 40Th percentile for weight and 10Th percentile for length. His pediatrician said not to worry about the percentiles. He has grown well within expectations and is very healthy. He also received his two month immunizations; DTaP, Hib, Hep B and Prevnar. They gave him a total of three shots in his thighs. He was a trooper and just cried at the initial poke and calmed really quickly. It was much more traumatic for Lindsay and I.
He's starting to become really alert. He knows Lindsay's voice and often responds with a big smile and coo. As all babies his age he is really interested in light and distinct contrasts of color. He's addicted to his rocker he likes to raise up like he's in a roller coaster ride (whee!). He also sleeps there quite often which is a habit his pediatrician suggested we break. He still has occasional fussy times between feedings but they have been diminishing. His eyes are more blue every day and his hair lighter. He loves watching his mobile and we usually lay him in his crib after a changing for some "mobile time" He stares, coos and "talks" to the spinning cars. Over the last week he has started to sleep longer at night. He's had multiple nights of 4 to 7 hours of sleep. We've taken him for walks in his stroller and Bjorn. He likes the motion of the stroller and the closeness of the Bjorn. Today is a beautiful day in Seattle and Lindsay is going to take him for a walk in Greenwood. This weekend should be really nice too and I am hoping to get him outside quite a bit. Maybe he can help me do some weeding. Sunday is Easter and we are going to my parents in Snohomish. Alec will wear his special Easter outfit from Leigh and Claudia and is certain to be a hit with his grandparents and Keith and Natalie.

1

2007-02-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

Lindsay in her final week

2007-02-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

Date

2007-02-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

We had our last evening out together as non-parents tonight. We had a nice dinner at Ray's Cafe courtesy of Lindsay's mom. She sent us a Ray's gift card for our anniversary. It was an early night though. We were home by 8!

Lindsay's Cards

2007-02-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

Lindsay made some "Alec" cards. They turned out really great! Here are a couple of our favorites.

2

2007-02-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

three

2007-02-02T11:39:00.000-08:00

4

2007-02-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

5 more days

2007-01-31T10:19:00.000-08:00

Only a few days left! We had an appointment yesterday. Lindsay's cervix is softer an slightly effaced and the Dr. could feel his head. It sounds like everything is progressing nicely. We are scheduled to go to the hospital on Monday morning at 7 to check in and start the process. Our Dr. said it was likely he will not be born until the early hours of the 6th. Here is a link to directions for those family members who plan to be there: Northwest Hospital

Cousin!

2007-01-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

My brother and Sister in Law are expecting! Alec's little cousin is due at the end of August. Lindsay and I are really excited for them! The picture is one of Natalie's cards.

Cats

2007-01-17T21:58:00.000-08:00

Tikka and Frisky have yet to make Alec's blog so here is their big debut!

Snow!

2007-01-17T21:55:00.000-08:00

We had snow again this week. Lindsay took this great photo!

Full Term!

2007-01-17T21:08:00.000-08:00

Today is 37 weeks and Lindsay's pregnancy is considered full term! I think we are as ready as we can be. The nursery is ready, the bags are packed and the infant seat is in the car.

We had a Dr. appointment yesterday and everything looks great. There is no indication that Lindsay will go into labor soon. Our next appointment is next Wednesday.

Alec is developmentally ready to handle life outside the womb. (Babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 weeks are post-term.) He probably weighs a little over 7 pounds at this point and measures between 19 and 20 inches, head to heel.

36 Week Ultrasound

2007-01-12T21:11:00.000-08:00

We had an ultrasound on Tuesday. Everything looks great! He is a bit on the big side... he is already 7 pounds!!!

Alec is still putting on the pounds — about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 7 pounds and is a little less than 19 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the creamy substance that covered and protected his skin during its submersion in amniotic fluid. He swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, which will stay in his bowels until birth. This blackish mixture, called meconium, will become his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, he will be considered full-term. (Babies between 37 and 42 weeks are considered full-term; a baby born before 37 weeks is pre-term and after 42 is post-term.) He is in a head-down position by now, which is optimal for a smooth delivery.

35 Weeks

2007-01-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Only five more weeks until his due date! It seems like such a short amount of time but I think Lindsay might disagree. She is doing great but I know this is the most uncomfortable she's been during her pregnancy. We have his room almost ready. I spent much of my holiday break getting it prepared. It looks great and it's really fun to see all this baby stuff we've been collecting find a home. Lindsay packed her hospital bag this evening. There seems like so much we still need to do!! The photo was taken this evening.

Here is the update on Alec:
Alec is getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds and is just over 18 inches long. Because it's so snug he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

33 Weeks

2006-12-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

We had our final Childbirth Class last evening. We both really appreciated our instructor's (Carol) experience and humor. She gave us some great practical advice which I am certain we will really appreciate in the coming months. We also met some really great people and have a reunion planned for April 4th so we can get together and see each others babies.
Only seven more weeks until Lindsay's due date. It's coming up so fast! I've still not started on Alec's bedroom. I have the next week off of work so I plan to finish it by the end of the week. Next Tuesday we have an appointment for another ultrasound. They will be able to tell his position. He won't be to flip from here on out so hopefully he is head down. After our appointment we plan to take a tour of Northwest Hospital's Childbirth Center.

A couple of weeks ago I was able to capture Alec kicking on video. I uploaded it to our website (click here). You may have to download Quicktime to view it.

Alec now weighs about 4 lbs 10 ozs and measures about 17.75 inches. He is now fully formed physically and has a firm grasp reflex. During the last 6 weeks, his main task is to gain weight and grow a little larger, as well as build up his immune system, which is obtained from Lindsay as antibodies are passed through the placenta.

We hope he has assumed a 'head down' position and he will stay this way until he is born. his movements may change in character (to be more 'stretches' and 'squirms') as he grows larger and there is comparatively less room for him to move.

Alec can now determine the difference between sweet and sour tastes. Premature babies as early as 33 weeks have been observed to suck harder on a teat dipped in glucose! However, unborn babies can also detect subtle changes in the 'flavor' of the amniotic fluid surrounding them. It is believed the fluid acts as a type of "flavor bridge" to their mother's breast milk, which also carries different food flavors from the mother's diet.

Babies born between 33 weeks and 35 weeks normally do quite well and have more than a 95% survival rate. However, they are still regarded as being 'mildly preterm' and will usually require some time in the intensive care nursery.

32 Weeks

2006-12-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

Lindsay has been studying hard over the last few weeks for her PHR (Professional in Human Resources) exam. She finally took and passed the exam last Friday! Saturday we went to Sultan to get our Christmas Tree and visit my Grandmother. Sunday we went to my parents house for our annual Christmas cookie decorating party.

Here is an update on Alec:
Alec baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in Lindsay's belly. He has tiny toenails now, and his fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.

Thirty Weeks in - Ten weeks left!!!

2006-11-29T11:27:00.000-08:00

Lindsay is 30 weeks into her pregnancy today. At this point it seems better to count forward than back. Only 10 weeks left! She is healthy and happy and continues to amaze me with her tolerance for everything that pregnancy has been doing to her body.

We've been busy over the last couple of weeks. Lindsay's baby shower was on the 18th. Thanks to all our friends and family for their generosity! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my parents and Keith and Natalie. My mom managed to cook the perfect Thanksgiving dinner once again. Friday we headed to Edgefield to celebrate our one year anniversary. Friday evening we were able to have dinner at the Black Rabbit Restaurant with some of Lindsay's family. We spent Saturday morning in shopping in Portland. We bought a great light for our entry way at Schoolhouse Electric and walked around Portland's Pearl District. We headed back to Edgefield after lunch and Lindsay enjoyed a massage while I enjoyed a couple of beers. Sunday we hit Troutdale's Outlet Mall and added to Alec's wardrobe and then drove home to snow! Not much, but enough to make it feel like the holidays. By yesterday morning Lindsay and I were "stuck" at home. I have photos posted here.

Now for Alec's progress:
Alec is a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and fills out the uterus. His eyes open and close, he's able to distinguish between light and dark, and he can even follow a light source back and forth. Once he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have a visual acuity of only 20/400 — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face

Third Trimester

2006-11-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

Lindsay is officially in her third trimester. She took the grueling three hour gestational diabetes test last week. The test results were negative. Alec is still really active and we can see him move through Lindsay's clothes. We just got back from our childbirth class. Tonight we learned about medications and how they affect the mother and the baby. Great class!

At 28 weeks, Alec weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can open his eyes Â which now sport lashes Â and he'll turn his head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. His fat layers are beginning to form, too, as he gets ready for life outside the womb.

26 Weeks

2006-11-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Lindsay took her gestational diabetes test on Tuesday (Halloween). She tested slightly high - maybe having something to do with the Halloween candy. She'll have a follow up test next week to find out for certain.

Alec now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his ears are developing, which means his response to sounds is growing more consistent. His lungs are developing now, too, as he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when he's born and takes that first breath of air. His testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

We can feel and see him move now! He's an active little guy. He seems to like it when Tikka, our oversized black cat, sits purring on Lindsay's stomach. He almost always seems to start moving.

twenty-five weeks and pumpkins

2006-10-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I start our Childbirth Prep Class tonight. Every Wednesday evening until the middle of December. I look forward to it. It should be fun to meet new people and to get a better idea what to expect in the coming months.

We also have our annual Pumpkin Carving party this Saturday. We've invited all our friends and close family over to carve pumpkins, win prizes and eat spaghetti.

Now for the twenty-five week update on Alec:
Head to heels, your Alec now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.

Mom & Dad

2006-10-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

twentyfour weeks

2006-10-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

Alec's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when he was just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon put on more baby fat. Alecs's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, his brain is growing rapidly, and his taste buds are developing. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. Lindsay's uterus is about the size of a small soccer ball.

23 Weeks

2006-10-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

At 23 weeks Alec is now the size of a small baby doll you might purchase for a little girl. That's pretty impressive considering he could fit in the palm of your hand just a few short weeks ago. He is between 8 and 11 inches long by pregnancy week 23!
His skin is still quite red and heavily wrinkled and he can often hear loud noises in the womb so is is possible that Lindsay will feel him move around a bit when he hears loud noises. The bones located in his middle ear are starting to form and he is continuing to fill out and look more and more proportional.

Lindsay and I are headed to San Diego today to visit Alec's aunt, uncle and cousins. I can't wait to see them!

Under Construction

2006-10-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

Second Try

2006-10-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

We have our ultrsound appointment today to catch the items they missed last time. I posted some pictures from our last ultrasound on robwalbrun.com. I'm sorry for the delay in getting them posted. I've been quite busy with the house!

Big?

2006-09-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Alec should now weigh about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And Lindsay can certainly feel him move.
The ultrasound results from last week put Alec in the 99th percentile for weight at a full pound! Our Dr questions the results and suggested we schedule another ultrasound, They also did not have a clear view of his spinal cord. We have another ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday.

Twenty Weeks - Halfway there!!

2006-09-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Alec weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to his bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against his torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats his entire body to protect his skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)

Alec is swallowing more, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in his bowels, and we'll see it in his first messy diaper.

We have an ultrasound tomorrow. The needs for ultrasound exam are:

To check the baby's growth and size
To determine the age of the baby
To identify multiple pregnancy (twins or more)
To identify (or in this case confirm) the baby’s gender
To look for major birth defects
To check the amniotic fluid (is there too much or too little?)
To check the baby's well-being and movement
To determine the baby’s delivery date

Alec is in there!

2006-09-14T21:23:00.001-07:00

Lindsay's first pregnancy photo. At almost half way through her pregnancy she looks amazing!

19 Weeks= a small zucchini

2006-09-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

Alec weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. Alec's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

Cap

2006-09-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

One more thing for tonight. Grandma and Grandpa Walbrun brought Alec this really cool knit cap from the Evergreen State Fair

Grandma Painting

2006-09-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin

2006-09-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mom and dad came over yesterday to help with the house painting. They were a HUGE help!! Dad brought Alec this mini pumpkin.

Eighteen Weeks

2006-09-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Alec is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that Lindsay can feel as I type this entry. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin and his ears are now in position and stand out from his head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born.

17 Weeks

2006-08-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Alec weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a grapefruit. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

2006-08-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Lindsay has been feeling little flutters of movement. You can see him move in this video of his second ultrasound. The next ultrasound is scheduled for September 21st.

Sixteen Weeks

2006-08-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

This week Alec is about the size of a peach. In the next three weeks, He'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling his weight and adding inches to his length. His lower limbs are much more developed now. His head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved toward the front of his head. Alec's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of his more advanced body systems are working, including his circulatory system and urinary tract. His heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating his total blood volume through his body many times. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, his eyes are moving (slowly), and he's even started growing toenails. Lindsay is starting her "pregnancy glow".

February 7th

2006-08-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Alec's predicted due date is February 7th. Here are some interesting events in history and birthdays that take place on Februrary 7th.
History:
1900: Labour Party forms in England
1984: US astronaut Bruce McCandless is the first person to 'Spacewalk' untethered to a spacecraft
1990: The Soviet Communist Party leadership agrees to surrender its 70-year monopoly on power, paving the way for a multi-party democracy
1992: European Community ministers formally sign the Maastricht Treaty, paving the way for the creation of the European Union.

Birthdays:
1812 - Charles Dickens, English novelist (d. 1870)
1842 - Alexandre Ribot, French statesman (d. 1923)
1867 - Laura Ingalls Wilder, American author (d. 1957)
1870 - Alfred Adler, Austrian psychologist (d. 1937)
1877 - Godfrey Harold Hardy, English mathematician (d. 1947)
1883 - Eubie Blake, American musician and composer (d. 1983)
1885 - Sinclair Lewis, American writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1951)
1885 - Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (d. 1953)
1889 - Harry Nyquist, important contributor to information theory (d. 1976)
1895 - Anita Stewart, American film actress (d. 1961)
1898 - Dock Boggs, American musician (d. 1971)
1905 - Ulf von Euler, Swedish physiologist, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1983)
1905 - Paul Nizan, French author (d. 1940)
1906 - Oleg Antonov, Soviet aircraft designer (d. 1984)
1906 - Puyi, Emperor of China (d. 1967)
1907 - Yevgeniy Abalakov, famous Soviet mountaineer (d. 1948)
1908 - Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (d. 1983)
1914 - Ramón Mercader, Spanish assassin of Leon Trotsky (d. 1978)
1915 - Eddie Bracken, American actor (d. 2002)
1918 - Markey Robinson, Northern Irish painter (d. 1999)
1920 - An Wang, Chinese-born computer pioneer (d. 1990)
1922 - Hattie Jacques, English actress (d. 1980)
1926 - Konstantin Feoktistov, cosmonaut
1927 - Juliette Greco, French singer and actor
1927 - Vladimir Kuts, Russian runner
1932 - Gay Talese, American author
1932 - Al Worden, American astronaut
1933 - John Anderton, English footballer
1934 - Earl King, American musician (d. 2003)
1934 - Eddie Fenech Adami, President of Malta
1938 - S. Ramachandran Pillai, Indian communist leader
1943 - Gareth Hunt, English actor
1945 - Gerald Davies, Welsh rugby player
1945 - Pete Postlethwaite, English actor
1949 - Paulo César Carpegiani, Brazilian footballer and coach
1951 - Benny Ayala, Baseball player
1953 - Dan Quisenberry, baseball player (d. 1998)
1954 - Dieter Bohlen German composer
1955 - Rolf Benirschke, American football player
1955 - Mario Coutinho Brazilian physician
1955 - Miguel Ferrer, American actor
1956 - Emo Philips, American comedian
1957 - Carney Lansford, American baseball player
1960 - James Spader, American actor
1962 - Garth Brooks, American singer
1962 - David Bryan, American musician (Bon Jovi)
1965 - Jason Gedrick, American actor
1965 - Chris Rock, American comedian and actor
1968 - Peter Bondra, Ukrainian-born hockey player
1968 - Sully Erna, American singer (Godsmack)
1972 - Alex Bassi, American Race Car Driver
1974- Steve Nash, Canadian basketball player
1974 - J Dilla, also known as Jay-Dee, American hip-hop producer (d. 2006)
1975 - Wes Borland, American guitarist (Limp Bizkit)
1978 - Ashton Kutcher, American actor
1978 - Daniel Van Buyten, Belgian international footballer
1978 - Endy Chávez, Baseball player
1983 - Christian Klien, Austrian formula driver
1985 - Tina Majorino, American actress
1985 - Clara Bryant, American actress
1988 - Ai Kago, Japanese singer (W (Double You), Morning Musume, and MiniMoni)

15 Weeks

2006-08-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

This week Alec is about 4 inches from head to rump, roughly the size of an avocado. His legs are growing longer than his arms now and he can move all of his joints and limbs. And although his eyelids are still fused shut, he can sense light. If Lindsay were to shine a flashlight at her tummy, for instance, he's likely to move away from the beam. At least that what it says at babycenter.com. Lindsay has given in and started to wear maternity clothes and they finally have won out in the competition for valuable closet space.