They Grow Up So Fast...

Everyone says that, and now I see why. It's crazy to think that Gabe has only been with us for 14mos when I can't even remember what it was like B.G. (before Gabe). I imagine there was less Yo Gabba Gabba! and diapers.

However it is equally crazy that he has grown so big so fast; he is, indeed, a big boy now. He walks, runs, and climbs with the best of them. He is saying new words every day. Most recently he started saying "Pump-o" for pumpkin, "Taco," "No," and "Hah!" for hot. Each "Hah!" is accompanied by an emphatic pointing in the direction of the hot item. He has become a Parrot, which, at all the wrong times, is hilarious and adorable.

Gabe also enjoys...no DEMANDS to feed himself. There are all kinds of fits that are thrown when Mommy or Daddy try to feed him. This is becoming less of a problem since he is getting better at using eating utensils therefore more food is actually reaching his mouth and not just the front of his shirt. Although he still wears a disproportionate amount of his food.

On a Halloween note, Gabe was Darth Vader for Halloween. His move from the Light Side (he was Yoda last year) to the Dark has coincided with much more tantrum throwing; the costume proved appropriate. He loved having candy, although we were very good about how much we gave him (he only has had a few pieces).

Beth has jumped right in as a 1st grade teacher and is doing great. I am preparing for Graduate School Auditions in January, and staying busy teaching cello, band, orchestra, and trying to help our at-risk student population. On Sunday I taught cello for 6 straight hours then had to run to our Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra Concert! It was a long day.

Gabe isn't the only one growing up fast. It was weird to see how much Aaron has grown up since I moved from Washington. I taught him how to drive a stick...where did the time go. Here we are paddling for our lives together.

Secret Trip To Washington (Part 2)

We had every move planned out for our 10 days in Washington. In the middle of our 10 days we took a trip to Spokane to visit friends. Anthony, Dave & Alicia (and Alexander), and Kevin. Kevin was gracious enough to let us stay with him in his awesome house (I can't wait until its finished).

It was really great to see everyone. Alexander is a very good walker now. He knows where he wants to go and makes it happen. Dave and Alicia are doing a great job. Anthony took the day off and didn't complain about shopping for baby stuff all day. I even got to have a lesson with my favorite teacher and visit my Alma Mater.

Visiting Spokane made us a little home sick for the city we lived in for so long. It was a great trip...and we took some pictures.

Secret Trip To Washington

(These pictures are from the whole trip. Just click on the link and then hit the Slide Show button in the upper left hand corner.)

P.S. We ate at P.F. Chang's... Delicious!

I Heart Lists!

Things I never thought about until I became a parent:

1. How different the world will be when Gabe is an adult. The world has changed so much since we were kids. Technology, cartoons, movies, cars... I could go on forever. It's fun, and a little scary to imagine what is to come.
2. I'll never be able to repay my parents. Being a parent is an incredible amount of work and sacrifice (sometimes blood sacrifice). People can tell you that it's hard, but you truly have no idea what it's like until you have a little drool-bot of your own. Parenting is a 24 hour job, especially in the first few months, and it takes everything you have to try to be a good one. Thanks Mom & Dad, I now know it wasn't easy.
3. How much day to day life has changed. No trip is a "quick-trip" anymore. In order for us to go anywhere for over a couple of hours we have to first go down the check list.
   
• Clean and sterilized bottles?
  
• Is the formula container full?
  
• How many diapers do we have in the bag? 3? Not enough, get more.
• Refill portable wipes container.
• Do we have any toys for him in the bag?
• What about a change of clothes (Just in case a Poo Bomb goes off)?
• Baby food?
• Baby Spoon?
• Blanket?
  
• Alright, time to put on his snow suit. (He hates that thing and I don't blame him. He can hardly move in it)
• Once the snow suit is on, we have only a few minutes before he throws a rage-fit...so we go into hyper mode.
• Grocery bags (if we are headed to the store as well)?
• Purse/wallet?
• Keys?
• Abby + Leash + Sweater?
• Then we have to strap him into his car seat, which he really hates. But soon after we start driving he usually falls asleep and we can drive in an exasperated silence with the Postal Service playing in the background
4. How important it is for me to stay healthy and uninjured. Everything I do now affects my family. I was an avid skateboarder all through college which meant an assortment of injuries. If I was to break my wrist or arm, I wouldn't be able to give cello lessons. That would come straight out of my pocket. If I get sick, my ability to be an affective dad goes right out of the window. No one wants to do anything when they are sick, and there are soooo many things to do when you have a baby.
5. How much I love and appreciate my wife. Beth married me, so obviously she loves me. On a daily basis it's easy to take that for granted. When Beth became pregnant, especially when she began to show, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. Her belly was a constant reminder of our love. Here I was, with someone who loved me so much, that she would sacrifice her clothes, her comfort, her body to bring our child into the world. That concept blew my mind every time at looked her. She went through 9 months of the worst heartburn in the history of mankind and 28 hours of labor before Gabe arrived. Gabe is a direct product of our love for each other and it's nice to remember that every once in a while.