Little Surprises!

You know what is fun.. it's just plan awesome to see my friends and family enjoy Porter.  I love to see the look on their faces when they see Porter do something for the first time.  I just really enjoy watching people enjoy him.  It really makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.. kind of like a hot toddy.. (kidding).

No matter how many times I see him crawl I still feel like yelling.. "LOOK" my son is crawling.. it's so exciting.  Today, we got home from work and like always I try and make or give him a snack.  This normally consists of baby puffs.. but I had the brainy idea to make a cheese sandwich for him.. and (drum roll please) he actually ate it.  It always feels like such an accomplishment when I make something that he'll eat.  It felt like he wouldn't eat anything for so long.. and now.. something as simple as a cheese sandwich is a major victory.  (Rock Balboa arm pumps, and yelled hip-hip-hooray).

We've enrolled in baby swimming classes.  I feel like a complete rookie at these new mom things.  Thank goodness I have veteran Mom friends that can give me advice on if this is something that I should enroll in and what the heck a little swimmer is.  Also, after looking through all is clothes.. YES.. we had swim trunks.. I should have known.  One less thing that I need to worry about and buy.  Now I need to try on my bathing suits and decide if I need a plastic tarp or use one of my suits in my dresser.  (Hindsight, shouldn't have had that last beer, belch)  Not looking forward to getting bare.. but oh well.. guess we'll all be in the same boat, or pool together.  I know that Porter is going to have an awesome time, he loves water.  This starts next Monday, twice a week for four weeks. 

Here are a couple pictures from Christmas.. you'd think we would get a couple pics of Chris, Me, and Porter.. nope.. just Gram and P!  He's in his Christmas pajama's.. our first tradition.  Jammies on Christmas Eve. 

Touchdown.. never gets old.. look at the passion on his face!

Oh Boy..... Watch OUT.... Parents OUT ON THE TOWN!!

We had our first overnight trip without the boy last weekend.  Cannon Beach is almost my favorite place on earth.. it's a tie with a couple other destinations in Oregon.  I'd like to say it was like parents gone wild.. or what happens in Cannon Beach stays in Cannon Beach.. but there wasn't any naked sushi eating, or beer bonging streaking.. however.. we did have a fantastic time.  Basically we did a pub crawl in Cannon Beach.. The night flew by and we were home on Sunday before you knew it.  Here are some of the places we visited.

First To the Lumberyard

Then to Bill's, which is my new favorite place in CB.

Then to The Warren Pub, which is an affiliate of Bills, for a little darts and pool.

Then we had so much damn fun at Bill's that we decided to go back.  Bill is the third one to the right.  It was fun to meet "The Man".

Then to Fultano's Pizza for din din!

Then back to the Surfsand to enjoy the rest of our time away!

Milestone!

Tonight as Chris was sitting on the floor leaned against one couch and I sitting on the other loveseat... we watched our son crawl for the first time.  It was awesome.  I'm like.. do you see it.. can you see him.. he's doing it!!!  So much fun.  He was motivated by Carter Grace's rubber chicken.  Here's a pic of Carter Grace.. she had to make the blog sometime!  What a great night!

It Seemed Like a Simple Idea? .....

So.. every year I try to think of something fun and unique to give to my co-workers.  I'm not a huge Christmas fan.. but, I'm trying to be more into it.  This year it's been easier with Porter. 

My first thought was a new favorite of mine; Tennessee Teacakes.  Now yes, this sounds really lame.. but I guess they are AWESOME.. and you freak out when you eat them.  I sent them to my sister in law for her 40th.... and it was a hit.  They were also featured on Oprah, so you know they have to be crazy good.  (I love that I just mentioned Oprah on my blog; I'm a huge fan).

Anyway.. when I got into the logistics of the Tennessee Teacakes.. I worried they wouldn't get here on time and I was worried they would end up stale if I ordered too early.

So, to steal an idea I saw from my adoption buddy Joanna in Texas.. I thought I'll make sugar cookies in the shape of Africa.. how hard could it be?  Now, to give you some history on me and sugar cookies.  We got into a huge fight some years back.  I vowed to never make the dough again, cause I didn't know you had to chill it over night.  When I told my sister my little holiday project idea.. she actually reminded me of the fiasco I had several years ago.  I was like.. I know.. I know.. but, now I'm a veteran.. I got this down.

So, first off.. I needed see through goodie bags so you could see the cookie.  I ran EVERYWHERE looking for these things.. do you think I could find any NO!  So, I ordered 35, the smallest quantity I could find on ebay.  My Mom was like, why didn't you just use baggies.. I'm like DOH.. why hadn't I thought of that? 

Then I wanted to find little heart shaped red hots to put over Addis Ababa, where we travelled to.  Do you think I could find any of those NO.  The smallest quantity of those I could find was 5lbs.. and what the heck am I going to do with 5lbs of heart shaped red hots???  I was only making a dozen cookies.  This is insane people.. first I can't find the cellophane baggies and now NO candies.. what the heck?

I finally sent my Mom to the mall; she works near Washington Square and there is a candy store there.  The little gal at the counter fished through a jar to get me the correct color.  Not exactly red hots, but gummy red hearts.. this will work. 

So.. on to making the cookies.. of course the dough stuck to the counter, and then the rolling pin.  Then I put the first tray in the oven.. and they turn from perfect Africa shaped cookies into something that resembles a butt crack.  I'm like.. SERIOUSLY.. how hard could it be... people make sugar cookies all the time.  BUT WHY? 

The moral of the story is that I should have just stuck with the potentially stale Tennessee Teacakes.. but it made for a good story.  I think I will retire from making sugar cookies!  At least I can see humor in it. 

I had a tag on the bag that said "Dream It, and Watch It Come True"

Dimples and Pre-Holiday Fun.

The kid seriously gets attention.. and I LOVE IT.  Where ever we go we seem to have people approach us.  Porter is a people magnet.  I wonder how many doors those dimples will open?  Here's some pre-holiday pictures!  Enjoy. 

PS.. I wouldn't have wanted the Santa visit to go any other way.

Turkey & Football.

Here's a couple pictures from Thanksgiving.  When we yell touchdown he throws his hands up in the air.  Gram was having a blast with him.  He's still doing awesome.  Standing all the time.. eating more and more.  Loves, loves, loves to throw things.. WOW.. the kids got an arm. 

We took him to his first Oregon Football game the day after Thanksgiving.  He did awesome.  The more people around him the better.  It was so much fun to introduce him to our tailgating friends.  We learned he loves popcorn at the game!  Oh, and he chucked his bottle and threw it in the guys back that was sitting in front of us, classic.

Although the pictures make it look like he slept through the game.. he actually was up and at'em most of the time.  It was a blast.. It was a "do-over day"! 

Willy Porter.. a night out!

What a fantastic evening.. it was a "do over day."  We went to a casual dinner and then headed over to the Aladdin our favorite venue.  We arrived at the Aladdin early.  Although we didn't set out for front row seats.. sure enough there were two open seats.  There's not a bad seat in the house.

We always love Willy's opening acts.  He introduced us to Raining Jane, Natalia Zukerman, and Peter Mulvey to name a few.  This show we got acquainted with Meg Hutchinson, she did not disappoint.  

I wish I could remember all the songs Willy played.. but during the on core he sang Watercolor.  It's a beautiful slow song.. and I just got this huge lump in my throat thinking about how a year ago we sat in this theater not knowing that we would move forward with adoption or when, and come to find out, that's the day our son was being given up by his unselfish birth father.  I was in complete awe and the water works started and they just wouldn't quite.

After the show, Chris and I hung back to let the crowd thin out.  We wanted to be the last to meet with Willy so we wouldn't feel rushed by other fans.  I was still choked up about the odd coincidence about Willy and our son.  Maybe it's silly, but I just couldn't help it.  Willy remembered us from last year, COOL.  It was wonderful to talk with him and tell him about Porter and our journey.  We gave him some pictures and our blog info.

So, Willy.. if you're reading this.  Thank you a million times for your music.  Whenever, you come to town, it's a special treat for Chris and I to hit the town, try a new restaurant, and finish the evening with wonderful music and talking with you. 

See you next year, Willy!