Ryan came over yesterday to babysit so Pat and I could enjoy a nice brunch at Sky City, the restaurant at the top of the space needle. Before Ryan arrived I was telling Quinn that his Uncle Ryan would be coming over to play with him, and Quinn jumped off my lap, ran to the front door (while signing "please") saying "Iian, Iian, Iian"! He was so excited to spend the day with his uncle, and Ryan did great! Not only did he feed Quinn and keep him entertained, but he was able to get Quinn to take a two hour nap (which is better than I can do most days). Way to go Ryan, and thanks for babysitting!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Go Zags!
Ryan came over yesterday to babysit so Pat and I could enjoy a nice brunch at Sky City, the restaurant at the top of the space needle. Before Ryan arrived I was telling Quinn that his Uncle Ryan would be coming over to play with him, and Quinn jumped off my lap, ran to the front door (while signing "please") saying "Iian, Iian, Iian"! He was so excited to spend the day with his uncle, and Ryan did great! Not only did he feed Quinn and keep him entertained, but he was able to get Quinn to take a two hour nap (which is better than I can do most days). Way to go Ryan, and thanks for babysitting!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Couple More...
These videos are an homage to Quinn's love for animals.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
A Glimpse...
A little dancing:
A little ball throwing:
There are more, but they take forever to upload. Therefore, that's it for now! :)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Vancouver, BC
Friday, October 22, 2010
For Grandma Cathy
Chloe teaching Quinn to jump at the beach this summer. (late July)
And we wonder why Quinn thinks it's okay to hit people?? (early September) :)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
Grandma and Grandpa Fleming came to visit last weekend to celebrate Grandma's birthday. They arrived late Thursday evening so that Grandma could sleep in and not have a long drive ahead of her on her birthday. Well, little Quinn didn't exactly allow the sleeping in part, but at least they didn't have to drive! Mom and Dad played with Quinn in the morning, and then when Quinn and I took off for daycare/work, they got a little shopping in. Uncle Ryan came over that night for pumpkin spice birthday cake and presents. We figured it was probably the first time we've all been together on an actual birthday since Ryan and I were in high school. Crazy!
The next day we ventured off to the Museum of Flight (Ryan's choice). I think it's required for someone in Ryan's field to visit this museum, and we were all happy to join him. Museums with a toddler are a little different than going with only adults; but frankly, I wasn't too interested in reading up on all of the details anyway, so Quinn, Grandma, and I had fun looking around and playing in the kids' area. Quinn loved playing in the planes, pressing the buttons, and in typical Quinn fashion, he tried to befriend any other child around him. He will consistently wave and say "Hiiiii" to just about anyone he sees now, it's so adorable (in my abundantly biased opinion). Anyhow, it was a nice day at the museum and we enjoyed a nice Seattle dinner on the water afterwards. Oh, and it was a GORGEOUS day! Fall has been stunningly beautiful this year.
It was so nice to have the family together to celebrate mom's birthday this year! Happy birthday, Mom!!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
15 Months
After Quinn turned one, I decided to do away with the monthly updates, and update once every three months instead. As I sit down to reflect on the changes that have occurred since Quinn turned one, I don't even know where to start!
First of all, he went to the doctor for a well-child visit two weeks before his 15 month birthday; here are his most recent stats from that visit:
Height: 32 1/2 inches (90th percentile)
Weight: 26 lbs (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 49 cm (90th percentile)
*In other words, we've still got a mighty large boy on our hands!
Since Quinn's first birthday, Pat and I have have found that our role as parents is developing and becoming more overwhelming. We are comfortable showering our little boy with love and admiration, but when it comes to discipline, we have our work cut out for us (and a lot of learning to do)! Quinn has been throwing tantrums with regularity, and is experimenting with how to get what he wants immediately. He loves to drum, and will do so with the most convenient tools around (kitchen utensils, sticks, etc...). The drumming wasn't much of an issue until he decided that drumming on mommy or other people's furniture was acceptable, and even funny. Trying to teach him that it's okay to hit some things (i.e. a drum) but not others (i.e. mom) does not seem to make much sense to him yet. When it comes to running errands, he loves to pull things from shelves, play tag, and run up and down the aisles of stores, thus making these chores more of a hassle than they're worth. I take comfort in knowing that most parents of toddlers are experiencing similar behaviors.
Although the challenges of parenting have been a bit overwhelming at times, the sheer joy that Quinn exhibits towards life is inspirational. He is acquiring so many hobbies, and truly seems to have fun in just about any environment. He loves drumming, music, dancing, balls, water, play dough, the sound of his own voice, and being outdoors. It is such a joy to see the world through Quinn's fascinated eyes.
Quinn's vocabulary is still quite small. He says nana (which is his universal word to date, meaning anything from food, to more, to give me that RIGHT NOW), dada, dog, and mama (on occasion). He loves to wave at other kids his age and say "hiiii", but if they show him any attention back he will immediately stop. He is also mimicking a few animal sounds, the cutest being his little "meow" which sounds more like "eow". He'll woof, pound his chest like a gorilla, and moo as well. He signs "more" with regularity (while saying nana), and "milk" and "eat" on occasion. We are really working on "please" right now, which he seems to be getting the hang of. We haven't been very consistent at teaching him new signs, oh well! In recent weeks Quinn has been attempting to speak more words like "hot", "up", and "out", but only Pat and I can understand him at this point. I am anxious for his vocabulary to continue to develop. I am so curious to talk to him and learn what's going on in that fascinating brain of his. :)
Another huge change in the Gillette household since Quinn turned one has been my going back to work. I had a part-time piano accompanying job at a private elementary school this summer, and that opportunity caused me to realize how much I missed having a classroom of my own. That same week (in late July) I finished my online application for the Lake Washington School District that I had begun in February, and long-story short, a few weeks later I was offered a PM Kindergarten teaching job. I was not ready to go back to work full-time, and so this opportunity couldn't have been more perfect (well, I would have preferred an AM offer, but have come to realize that working in the PM has some major benefits). Learning to balance work and home has not been easy, but I am learning. This change has allowed Quinn to attend daycare a few hours each day, and he is doing wonderfully. He is never thrilled to say goodbye, but tears at drop-off have dissipated, and Quinn is always having a great time when I pick him up. I am happy that Quinn has time to play with a few kids his age each day now. This is something that he wasn't getting enough of being at home with me.
It's been a busy few months, and Quinn is changing faster than we can keep up with. He continues to be the greatest joy in our lives. Every evening as Pat and I just sit and play with Quinn, we marvel at the infinite love that we have for our precious Quinn Zachary.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Mommy Fail
Almost two months ago, Quinn experienced a new milestone. A milestone that I was hoping he would never experience, in fact. After suffering a pretty extreme fall, I had to rush him to urgent care. Or, at least I thought I did.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Plum Picking
I am finally getting around to downloading pictures from our camera from the summer, and this series of photos made me smile. Quinn loves his time at Grandma Cathy's house, especially when the weather's nice and he can play outside in the dirt and eat fruit!
Iron Girl 2010
Beach Babe
*BTW: Pat is not a huge fan of this next series of photos, but I was happy to have caught this little (unplanned) "dip" on film! If we're going to document Quinn's life, we have to document it all, right? (or, as much as possible)