Just Can’t Get Enough of This Grandparenting Thing!

 

Last weekend Joe and I had the privilege of taking care of Isla while her mom and dad took a 4-day trip to Santa Barbara. I’m sure it was hard for Kelsie and Graham to leave their precious little girl, but it was so much fun for us!! So, thank-you, Kelsie and Graham!!

Our time with Isla started early on Friday morning. We met her and her parents at their house in Kirkland. Then, after dropping Kelsie and Graham off at SeaTac, we went to Auntie Lani’s to pay her and one-month-old cousin Gideon a visit.

Isla spent most of her time throughout the weekend practicing her walking skills, rarely sitting still. Unfortunately, while trying to capture that at Lani’s I had my camera on the wrong setting and the resulting photos are too blurry to post. Oh, well. We got some good ones of Gideon. And Joe got some walking photos at our house later in the weekend.

Gideon is so cute and cuddly!

Such a sweetie! And almost smiling!

Well, I guess we did manage to capture Isla, after all! In her monkey pajamas. She was using the high chair either to stop herself or else to get started on another lap around Lani’s kitchen.

Check this out: Isla is guiding Joe’s hand, using it to pat the baby!

We left Lani’s house early enough in the afternoon to catch Uncle Ben before he left for his football game.Of course, you have to be clean for an event as important as a game, so here’s Isla, taking a bath.

Here’s one of her later on, watching the game. Ben had a great night: 5 receptions, one which he ran 25 yards for a touchdown! I wish we had pictures!

It was cold that evening, so we all bundled up. It was Isla’s first time watching Ben play football, so she was pretty excited about it. But she sat very politely on Grandma’s lap for the entire first quarter. (Or maybe it was her new oversized coat that prevented her from moving?) Regardless, she was a very good girl. During the second quarter, she moved around a bit more, from Grandma to Grandpa to Uncle Josh (Yes, he’d come up to see the game, too!) and back to Grandma again. By the 3rd quarter, she was asleep.

Josh spent the night at our house but had to leave early the next morning for a wedding in Kelso.

Getting ready to remove Josh’s hat…

Later that day the sun came out unexpectedly, and it looked like a good time for a walk around Lake Padden. Not so. It rained. But since the path is mostly in the trees, we did okay.

Here’s a shot of Isla walking

Isla was very happy to help with the chores, especially filling and emptying the dishwasher. She also helped with the laundry.

After church on Sunday:

Hanging out with Uncle Ben. For some reason Isla loves putting herself in her car seat. Maybe she wanted to go somewhere?

Kelsie and Graham were scheduled to arrive back at SeaTac around dinnertime on Monday. Isla and I went down a bit early to visit Lani and Gideon again. Isla loves to “talk” on cell phones, so Lani let her play with hers. Maybe not such a good idea? We’re not sure how many numbers she dialed, but we do know she called Michael once, a medical clinic twice, and she texted me once. Oops!

Just a cute shot of Isla

Just can’t seem to get enough cuddle time with Gideon!

Gideon is now 5 weeks old!

 

So precious!

Calling someone else, Isla?

I can’t wait until next time!!

My Friday

 

Friday was special because I got to see my husband, all four of my kids, and both of my grandchildren! Only two things could have made it better: spending more time with each of them, and seeing my sons-in-law, as well.

On babysitting days, like it was on Friday, I meet Kelsie and Isla in Everett. Otherwise, I’d have to leave my house at 4:30 AM in order for Kelsie to get to work on time. Even as it is, we meet at the hospital at 6:30. Isla is in her pajamas and not quite ready to start the day yet.

She generally falls asleep before we reach her Kirkland townhouse. But on Friday, she didn’t. I like to think it was because she was excited to see me. After all, she’d been on vacation and hadn’t seen me for several weeks. But at any rate, she seemed happy to show me her newest trick soon after we arrived. What’s her latest trick? She can walk now! I tried to get pictures, but it wasn’t until later in the day that I was able to get a good one.

 

Breakfast time! I think this was actually taken during Isla’s second breakfast, as she got sleepy during the first one and had to go back to bed!  It seems she’s not only sleeping through the night now, but actually sleeping in! And 6 AM is just a little too early to get up to go meet Grandma!

  

Later on…dressed for the day and ready to play.

Just before lunchtime, Lani and Gideon came over for a visit. I’d had to cancel a visit with them the week before, and 2 weeks is way too long to go without seeing my new grandson! I was more than ready for some cuddle time! Isla was taking her morning nap when they arrived, so I had a few uninterrupted minutes. And time to get some pictures of Gideon and his mom, too.

  

Gideon was just one day short of being 4 weeks old.

Ah….so sweet!

After Isla woke up, the three of us enjoyed a wonderful lunch of Kelsie’s gourmet leftovers: French onion soup for the grown-ups and pasta for Isla.

Isla loves Gideon, but she has to be watched carefully!

After lunch, we packed up the kids and headed a few miles south to Josh’s new rental house. He and Joe had just arrived from Soda Springs, Idaho an hour earlier with a U-Haul full of Josh’s belongings (half of them being speakers of various sizes and shapes...). We are all excited about Josh’s move to the Seattle area for his new job, and Lani and I were eager to see him!

This is the house Josh and a co-worker and former engineering classmate have rented in Kirkland. It’s 3000 square feet! It was fun listening to Josh and Keegan decide what they’d do with each of the rooms. Besides the living room and dining area, there will be a theater room. A pool room. Two extra bedrooms…

Josh and Keegan organizing their kitchen

 

I love this picture of Lani and Gideon. Look how totally relaxed he is!

Joe took a break from moving to enjoy a few minutes with Gideon. Because he had come down with a bad, lingering cold shortly after the baby was born, he’d not had a chance to hold Gideon since he was two days old. So, this was extra special for Joe!

Proud Grandpa!

Because Joe had been on the road for a few days with Josh, he hadn’t yet heard that Isla was walking. Here he is, getting a demonstration!

Isla walks with her arms held high in the air. (Holding onto imaginary hands, most likely!)

At the end of her work day, Kelsie came to Josh’s to pick up Isla, so she got a tour of the new house, too. Josh will practically be her neighbor!

Soon after Kelsie arrived, Joe and I headed back to Bellingham, arriving just in time for Ben’s football game. We didn’t take pictures that night, so I don’t have photos to document his great reception or his awesome job on defense. But here’s a picture of him from a previous game. Unfortunately, it’s not an action shot.

Hooray! Hooray! It’s Cleaning Day!

 

That does NOT sound like me. Generally, I like to do things that are more creative, things that are lasting, things that once done, don’t have to be done again. But after a long, tiring week of doing and re-doing various projects, I’m enjoying my cleaning day. Because generally, I get that right the FIRST time!

Birthday Parties!

 

Joe and I both come from large families. There are 6 kids in his family and 5 in mine. Add in spouses, kids, and grandkids, and the family just keeps getting bigger all of the time! As a consequence, each page on our calendar has about 5 extended family members’ birthdays highlighted. So many that it’s no longer possible for us to celebrate them all. So it was a treat to be able to celebrate 2 of them last weekend!

But first, we had a half birthday to celebrate! Now, celebrating half birthdays has been a tradition in the Joe Wilson family since the beginning of our marriage. It started with my sympathy for the timing of Joe’s real birthday. (Because, really, who can take an April Fool’s Day birthday seriously?) But what began as a day dedicated to making up for such nasty things done to Joe on his birthdays during his growing up years as cakes frosted with shaving cream and gifts of sardines, evolved into a fun tradition for all 6 of us. Each half birthday celebration includes a cake, a special dinner chosen by the person whose special day it is, and one gift.

 

Joe, the original “half birthday” boy, was the guest of honor this time. Lani, Michael, and Gideon came up to help Ben and Joe and me celebrate.

 

No, Gideon did not get his first taste of cake and ice cream that night. Although, I think Lani was a bit worried for a moment!

Being newer to the family, Michael just doesn’t seem to take half birthdays quite serious enough yet.

So, on to the real, but not necessarily more important, birthday parties of the weekend. The Young family has always been big on birthday celebrations. Years ago, we tried to celebrate them all. But it didn’t take long for us to realize that some birthdays had to be grouped together. Like Bob’s, George’s, and Mom’s, for example. (Oct. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd)
This combined celebration used to be a tradition, and it was fun to revive it again for Bob and George. It was also the event at which 2 new members of the family were introduced: Our grandson, Gideon Michael Hertzog and his 2nd cousin, Katelyn Marie Myron.

  

The birthday boys, Bob and George

Shauna and Lani with their new babies

 

Katelyn and Gideon. Katelyn was born 4 days after Gideon

A few other favorite shots:

 

Jill holding Katelyn and Donna with Gideon

Hailey                                             Gideon

First cousins, Brian and Ben

All of us siblings together: Jill, Bob, Dave, Donna, and me

A fun day!!