Lincoln finds his voice

Lincoln video

Santa

First, let me say, I am so behind.  Tayler's 14th bday...it happened.  I have pictures.  I'll post about it before she turns 15.

But, for now.

Santa Happened with the two young'ins:

6 Months

Likes:  Playing in your pod.  Trying to eat avocado.   Chewing on your toes.  Watchind Dad, Calder and Tayler. 
Dislikes:  Getting Teeth!  Trying to eat avocado.  Calder mauling you while trying to give you a hug.  Too much time in your carseat.

Noteable Achievements:   Your first tooth broke through on October 31st!!  Perfect Halloween present! 

I debated not even putting this up becuase it is so late.  But, the picture was taken on his 6 month birthday and I want to have a record of this so I put it up anyway.

Halloween

Calder was a little nervous about Tayler's costume.  He kept saying she was a "scary person" but seemed to get over it.  Lincoln went with the flow.  A lot of trick or treating happend.  One place for 2 year olds.  Another location for middle schoolers.  Funny because Calder doesn't get to eat candy yet so all that candy will go to T.  Big time score for her.

Showing grandma karene calder's costume

Curious Orlando George

Helping Dad

Calder loves to help his Dad do anything.  But if helping involves being outside, water and Dad?  Well, that is like Christmas, Happy Birthday, Unicorns walking down the street and a freakin' Ticker Tape Parade all wrapped into one.  We get our unicorns out a lot these days...

 Tayler stayed inside during the car washing.  She was supposed to be helping...but...well, she's a teenager and somehow managed to teenage herself right out of that job.  Lincoln gave me his usual, "you have got to be kidding me" look when I plopped him in the stroller to take some pictures.

This Happened...

First day of school.  One more year until high school!  Excuse us while Shane hyperventilates...
She is liking most of her classes.  Taking a photography class and I think that is her favorite so far.  Her science teacher is making them do moon observations which is dumb because we live in western Washington and it is almost always cloudy.  I cannot count the number of times T and Shane have seen clear sky and jumped in the jeep to drive to a high point or to the beach to try and find that stinkin' moon and come home shaking their heads in frustration.  It has become funny and kind of a running joke.  Here we come 8th grade!

5 Months

 

 

 Likes:  Daddy, Tayler, Calder.  You stare and stare at your older brother.  He is constantly trying to steal your toys/play with your stuff and you just think it is the best thing ever.  Getting your changed.  Your play and "pod" you love to hit the bells and chew on everything you can.

Dislikes: Sleeping.  You have had a couple of rough nights.  You have always been the best sleeper ever so we can't complain about a couple of rough nights...but geesh.  The problem, I think, is that you are both getting your teeth and learning how to roll over.  The other night you woke us up screaming bloody murder because you had rolled onto your stomach and couldn't get back.  You. Were. Pissed.  Luckily you are still the sweetest, easiest baby even when you are having sleeping issues.

Notable Achievements:  You rolled from back to front on September 19th! The next day you learned how to barrel roll.  We have a mover and we are doomed!

More Summer Fun

 

Grandpa George Hat

 Love this...Tayler is on the left spraying the hose

 Naked Baby.  We had to catch him before he ended up in the middle of the rose bushes....ouch!

 Love this!

We are so sorry we are your family Lincoln...

This is pretty much the look Lincoln gives us every second of the day: 

 "Seriously you guys?"

 "Really?  Are you really my family? This can't be right."

 Once in a while he throws a smile in!

Summer Fun

 

So late...we went to the zoo this summer.  The highlights were watching an elephant play with a giant red ball, watching a big tiger go after a cow femur bone,  watching Lincoln's hacked off expression (we annoy him so much!),  Calder still talks about riding on a polar bear and Tayler riding a horse (carousel).  We let Tayler and Calder pick out something from the gift shop since we didn't do any vacation trips this year.  Calder picked a neon blue tropical fish.  Tayler picked a very earthy brown T-shirt.  That pretty much sums up their personalities. 

Lincoln 4 Months

Likes: Still loves to be swaddled especially at nap time.  You LOVE changing your clothes.  You laugh and laugh and laugh.  I think it tickles you.  Being held.  Laughing at your Dad when he bobs his head up and down and talks gibberish to you.  Tayler holding you.  T is the baby whisperer.  She can hold you when you are just a tiny bit fussy and you go to sleep instantly.

Dislikes: Being ignored for too long.  Being set down in your rock n' play when you want some attention.

Notable Achievements:   You are huge.  I mean it. Look at those thighs!  You laugh a lot now.  Full on belly laughs.  We love it! You are pretty great at holding your head up on your own now too.  However, you seem to have regressed in the rolling over skill set.  We believe you are now too chubby to roll!  You wear a size 2 diaper but really should be in a size 3.  I have refused to buy you a size 3 because that just means you are growing even faster.  Calder is in size 4 and having you in just one size smaller freaks me out a little bit.  You are just growing up too fast littlest one.

I have come to realize I didn't really get it when people say, "babies grow up so fast!"  Calder was a baby forever.  I did think he grew up fast but it was nothing compared to Lincoln.  He is practically a little boy already!

Camping (kind of)

Tayler camped. Shane, the boys and I just went up during the day.  There were huge thunderstorms and I just wasn't in the mood to try to tent camp with huge thunderstorms and a 3 month old.  I wasn't worried about the rain but more about the temperature.  However, now that I have seen Uncle Gary and Aunt Ludie's deluxe accommodations...next time I may just crash their pad.

The days were super fun!  Beach combing, playing in the dirt, veggie dog eating, cousins, a bag of switches for Calder (Grandpa Westby brought Calder a bag of light switches and all sorts of other switches and bolts on screws that he could examine and play with-he LOVED it), Aunt Ludie walking and rocking Lincoln to sleep (practicing for her newest grandbaby!), coloring in the trailer, finding weird white flowers, banana bread, Dad hitting golf balls with Uncle Steve, playing catch...fun!

 You can tell Calder did not nap during the day much and played HARD.  Look at those dark circles!

 Eyes Closed-Typical!

 I'm afraid this picture is an example of the best family photo we will be able to get for a while.

 A boy and his Grandpa.  There is nothing better as far as Calder is concerned.

 Uncle Gary and T

3 months

Again, taken on time.  Posted late.  

Likes: The play mat, Dad holding you and walking outside (you fall asleep instantly). Smiling at everyone! Still loving the swaddle.

Dislikes: Again, your brother stuffing your chew chew in your mouth

Notable Achievements:  For real eye contact smiling. 

And just for fun I was trying to get a picture of the brothers together...it didn't go so well.

This baby boy of ours...

He is just so sweet and cute.  He fits right into our family and we can't imagine life without him.  Someone asked us if we could believe he was already 3 months old and really we can't.  He is growing up so fast and it feels like he has been her forever.

Some recent pictures

Two Months

Lincoln at Two Months
The post is late but the picture was taken on his Two Month birthday. I can't believe how much he has already changed.  Where did our squishy baby go?

Likes: Being Swaddled! Anyone talking to you.  Smiling. 
Dislikes: Loud startling noises.  That is about it...you are a pretty laid back little guy.
Notable Achievements:  You rolled over on May 16th!  Ability to sleep 5 hours at a time!
Weight: 14.7lb
Height: 24inches

Track and Field

 Hurdles

 I love this Javelin Sequence.  I would say Javelin was T's best event.

 Discuss

Tayler decided to try out for track this year.  We are very proud of her bravery this year!  She tried so many new things.  She loves some of them and was not so crazy about some of them...we're not sure where track falls yet but we are proud of all of her hard work and her commitment to the team.   The events she tried were, Hurdles, 100meters, Javelin and Discus.

 And finally, I call this picture:

 "Trying hard to be a parent and not a coach" 

(I had the wrong lens on so it is fuzzy but I had to take it because I thought it really depicted Shane's internal struggle at the moment)

We were mostly successful.  Shane and I both LOVE track and field so we had to work at being totally blase about T doing track.  We want her to find what she loves and do it.  Not just do stuff because she knows we like it.

From Two Pounds to over Twenty in TWO years!

I can honestly say these past two years have flown by.  If I'm really being honest the past 6 years have flown by too.    I guess that is how it is with little ones (Calder and Lincoln) and big ones who used to be little (Tayler).

Calder is kind of amazing.  I'm his mom so, of course, I think he is amazing! This weekend we will celebrate.  This will be Calder's first birthday party even though he is turning two as last year he was too sick.  So, we are going big. 

The day of Calder's birth wasn't really a happy day.  It was scary and stressful.  I am slowly getting over it but thinking  back I still don't have a lot of happy thoughts.  They had to resuscitate him for 3 minutes after he was born.  Again a few days later.   But he is here!    And he is TWO!  So, I try to focus on that.

 

Dear Calder,
I am so lucky that you are here and you get to live with us for a while while you grow into an adult.  I hope that I can help you grow into a thoughtful man.  I hope you have enthusiasm for life.  I hope you have empathy and compassion and that you will stick up for someone that needs sticking up for. I hope you find something that you love and that you do it...even if it doesn't get you a lot of money or a lot of admirers.  I hope you love yourself and have people in your life that love you equally.  I hope you feel our love.  Always.

A little about you at two years (21 months gestation):

First, Dad says I have to stop counting by gestational months and give you credit for two years.  I'm starting to think he is right. However, you are right on track for meeting all of the 21 month milestones.  This is awesome.

You have so many words!  It seems you learn 5 new words a day.  Dad and I often look at each other with puzzled expressions and ask each other, "did you teach him that?" The answer is always nope.  We have no idea where you get this stuff!  Some of your favorite things to say are:  Nope, Let Go (wheet go!), Why you...!

Cracker?  Bar?  Cookie? Cheese? You ask for these all the time and the answer is almost always, no.  Sometimes you even answer yourself:  "Cracker!?" Then you look down at the floor with a sad expression before I can say anything and answer, "nope."

You say, "bye bye" to everyone and everything before you go to bed.

You love to play "Boo MaMa" "Boo Dada" and "Boo T"  For a long time we didn't know what Boo T meant and thought you were saying booty (we were not happy and totally perplexed where you leaned that word).  "Boo" consists of a game where mom, dad or T hide behind a chair, wall, our hands and then we jump out and say BOO.  It is the best game ever.  You laugh so hard.

You squeal with delight when your Dad gets home.  Really, you squeal!  And run crazily towards the door.  I always hold my breath thinking you are going to bite it but you usually make it.

Your favorite person on the planet is Tayler.  You and Tayler can sit and talk to each other forever.  I have no idea what you talk about but you will sit in her lap and listen and talk and just chat with each other.  It is amazing and so cute because you really aren't much of a cuddler.  You go 100% twenty-four hours of the day.

You are not an inside baby.  You are an outside baby.  And you would prefer to be outside "hide" all hours of the day.  Even in the rain that is here too frequently. 

You exhaust us and we wouldn't have it any other way.

We are yours little man.  Always.
Love, Mama and Daddy

Student of the Month!

Tayler was honored as the student of the month for April!  This is a big deal as they only have one boy and one girl each month and you can only be honored one time the entire time you are at Woodward.  Each student is honored at a special breakfast by the Kiwanis and the students family gets to go too.  Lincoln and I went and watched the ceremony and ate a yummie breakfast with Tayler. 

"Baby Rhys"

Calder calls all babies, "Baby Rhys!"  Except for the actual Baby Rhys who he sort of refuses to acknowledge...although, today we did get him to give Rhys a sweet kiss on the toe!  Here are some pictures I took awhile ago of Baby Rhys and his sweet Mama when they came for a visit shortly after Lincoln was born.

P.S Nothing phases the Wynn's (which come to think of it can be said about ALL of our friends who visit the peninsula):

Ferry?  No Problem! 
Calder climbing on all the furniture and practically standing on the table?  It's what kids do! 
Lincoln screaming because I can't remember the last time I feed him?  You're doing fine! 
Cat climbing up the window screen while all of this is happening?  It's funny!

Our life is not normally THAT crazy...we just hand an intense moment. :)