Arizona

11 months!

Yes, Colin likes toothbrushes!  One of his many loves at this age.  A few of his other interests include mushing his face into soft things, giving love bites to us or stuffed animals, walking with holding onto our fingers, and trying to get into just about everything that Evan has.  He usually only gets angry when he can't put something in his mouth or when we are trying to prepare dinner and he knows its coming and is impatient.  He has preferences for story time and will squirm until you pick up the book he wants and then he relaxes in your lap and listens.  His favorite book is DOG.  And he is showing off some fangs right now because the two upper front teeth are slower to come in.

camping night

scrunched face

Sometimes Colin does this smile where he scrunches his nose.  Cutest face ever!

little kid in a big window

About a year ago, Evan and I started waving and blowing kisses to each other as I drove away from his school.  This is always so sweet and innocent and I am reminded of how little he still is as I look up at him in the big windows on the second floor.  A few times I have even had a few tears.  During the average day, it can be hard to really LOOK at him.  We are always busy running around the house, or I am trying to get him to do wash his hands or brush his teeth, or I am trying to keep him safe from cars as we cruises in his jeep, or I am trying to convince him to eat some veggies for dinner.  Waving to him up there and seeing that sweet smile allows me to see the smallness of him and his life, and how special our time is together.

surprisingly brave

A few days ago Evan had 4 immunizations, 4 pokes!  We talked about it for about a month before.  And would sometimes remind how brave Sister Bear was.  I still expected this event to not go well.  So, I surprised when he sat on my child and let me know hold his legs in mine and give him a tight hug and he had the shots without a flinch or tear.  I even told him a minute or two after that it was ok to cry if he wanted to.  But, he didn't.  He did almost have a little meltdown when trying to chose between 3 stickers.  In order to avoid tears at this point, I told him to take them all and we left.  The rest of the weekend he was proud to tell everyone how brave he was!

chilly and wet in the U.P.

We went on a weekend trip to the U.P.  where the weather was in the 50s and rainy.  Not what we hoped for at the end of July.  Of course, we made some fun memories though.

Evan went fishing for the first time.  He was a trooper in the 3-4 hours in the rain and caught some Gobi fish!  

Evan has been fascinated with shipwrecks for a few months after we talked and read books about the Titanic.  So when he found there was a shipwreck glass bottom boat tour he was so excited.  He was into it and even asked the tour guide "what happened to the sails of the Bermuda?"  And he got to drive for a few minutes.  

Of course we love getting pictures with this smiley baby!  Love his gummy grin and way his face lights up.