Damon's Photo Shoot

I really love the brand-new, tiny baby phase and and wanted to document it before it passed. Damon is 3 weeks old in these photos. I had similar portraits taken at Kiddie Candid of Bex when he was 2 weeks old. I really wanted a photo of his tiny new little body all curled up and cozy but ended up paying a small fortune for a package that I didn't really want. The worst part was that I didn't even get the shots that I really wanted and I don't have any digital copies of the photos they did take. I decided to do it myself this time so that I could have full control of the poses and pictures. I borrowed a fancy camera from a friend of mine and set up my own little studio in the living room. I think they turned out pretty well. What do you think?

This is the shot that I really wanted. It wasn't too hard to get him to curl up on the snuggly blanket. He seemed pretty happy there.

Damon John Wulff

I was very nervous about labor with this pregnancy. My last (and only) experience with Bex was pretty tough. Sometimes the knowledge that comes with experience is not a good thing. I shouldn't have worried. Damon was born on October 19th after only 10 minutes of pushing. I was actually making jokes in between contractions. I should have known then that he was going the be the easiest baby on earth to raise.

He has the sweetest, most serene nature. He is content to be held or to be left alone. The only time he even makes a peep is when he is hungry and even then its not much more than a whine. He is a good eater and has a healthy appetite. We have had absolutely no trouble nursing and he's been putting on weight quickly. He sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps when he is not eating. I have to remind myself to pay attention to him because he never demands it.

He has giant hands and feet for a little baby, something I attribute to my Dad (and his dad too, Grandpa Bill). I'm pretty sure that he is going to outgrow his big brother in no time at all. That is probably a good thing because Bex seems to have a fair amount of animosity towards his little brother. He's had a tough time adjusting to our new family dynamic which isn't totally focused on him. I'm trying everything I can think of to get the two of them to be friends and if you have any good advice for me, I'd love to hear it.

I see a lot of similarities between Damon and his big brother, but they definitely have their own distinct looks too. I see a lot more of the Allen/McCloy side in Damon. Bex is all Wulff. Another big difference between the two boys is that Damon doesn't spit up half of his milk each time he nurses. That little characteristic is inherited from the Allen side and Bex definitely got it. He was a little fountain for a good 6 months. I would carry towels around with me everywhere in an attempt to mop up the flow. It was mostly useless and eventually I just got used to smelling like sour milk. It's a huge relief to have a baby that keeps his milk in his tummy.

He is not even 3 weeks old yet and I already feel like he is growing up too fast. He is such a wonderful baby boy and I am enjoying every moment I have with him. So far I'd describe his personality as calm, serious, and curious. I'm excited to get to know him better and better as he grows up.
Damon John Wulff

October 19, 2010

8lbs 2oz, 21 inches

Pumpkin Patch

We went with some friends to visit a pumpkin patch out in Virginia. Friends thought I was abit crazy to make the 2 hour drive at 39 weeks pregnant, but it was so nice to get out of the city. I'd forgotten how good it feels to have so much open space around you.

Beckett was so intrigued by everything we came across. He literally ran from one thing to the next. They had a pile of dried corn that he had fun playing in. Mostly he wanted to throw handfuls of corn out the window.

They had a little "cow-train" that was pulled by a tractor (He LOVES tractors!). We thought he would freak out when strapped him in there and the train pulled him away, but he was totally excited about it and just chilled in his cow, while Ry and I watched him, ready to run to his rescue is he decided to bail.

Here are Bex and Daddu posing with the pumpkins. I didn't realize that a bunch of pumpkins could be so much fun to a toddler. We'll have to take another trip out to the pumpkin patch before the season is over.

This is Beckett with his little friend Jordyn. We spend a lot of time playing with her. They get along famously and totally get each other's humor. They usually greet each other with a high-pitched squeal and then giggle endlessly. Its so much fun to see them play together.

Beckett's first thought when he saw the big round pumpkins lined up on the bench...

Monkey Love

Beckett aquired this lemur-monkey at a dinner party we were invited to recently. He was the only kid there and he found the monkey in corner and carried it around all night. Our hosts were kind enough to give it to him when we left, insisting that they had been looking for the right home for this stuffed animal for years. Well, Beckett continues to carry it around, snuggle with it, wear it around his neck, sit on it, and take it for drives (see video below). It's about the same size as he is and makes a great pal. Thanks Bill & Fran!

Summer in Silver Spring

Despite the super-hot and humid temperatures we've had, we've managed to get out and play quite a bit this summer. We discovered this awesome park (thanks to a tip from one of our neighbors) that has a mini-train and a merry-go-round, plus lots of fun hills, playgrounds and shade. We've gone back several times in the past couple of weeks.Beckett and Ry in front of the Mini-Train or "Toot" as Bex says. He loves trains and gets so excited to ride this each and every time we go to the park. It's really fun. It meanders through the forest, over bridges and through tunnels. We even saw a family of deer the first time we went. Such a great activity for our little family.

Bex loves to get on the merry-go-round and is always pretty chill as the music plays and the horse goes up and down. Getting him OFF the thing is more of a trick. I think he'd stay on all day if we'd let him.

We've spent many hot afternoons playing in this water fountain. It's only a short walk from our house and he loves to splash with the other kids. On this particular occasion we had gone out to dinner and were listening to one of the bands that play there each weekend. We hadn't anticipated swimming, so we just stripped him down to his diaper and let him have at it. He had a ball.

Our pool has been a total life-saver in this heat. Bex and I go a LOT. He loves the water and is very good at kicking and blowing bubbles. I dunk him each time we go and even though he doesn't seem to love it, he always closes his mouth and holds his breath and shakes off the water as soon as he comes up. I think he'll be a water guy like his mom and dad.

We tried to go to a water park for the 4th of July. Everyone else had the same idea as us and the park was overflowing with people. We ended up sitting by a lake and playing on the hills waiting for them to allow us in. It was a fun day despite the fact that we never actually got to swim.

This video shows Beckett enjoying his first ice cream cone. He LOVED it! Big surprise. :)

We've had a great summer!

San Diego Fun

We had a great time with the Wulffs in San Diego. We went to the Comic Con (pics to be added soon). Played at Mission Bay and visited the sea creatures at Sea World.Here is the Wulff Gang getting ready to watch the whales do their thing. Notice how dry we are.

Our seats were at the very top of the Splash Zone, but that didn't seem to make a difference. We got totally soaked. Beckett didn't enjoy it at all. For the rest of us, once we got past the initial shock of being drenched by cold water, it felt pretty good. It was a hot, hot day!

I have to admit that is is very awe inspiring to see the whales up close and personal. I know, I know- they should be out in the wild but it's hard to underestimate the impact that these whales and dolphins have on people who don't have the opportunity to see them in nature. (Not that I would ever endorse capturing wild animals and putting them in aquariums.)

There was a speaker playing music and Bex started dancing. There is nothing like a dancing one-year-old to get all the adults around to stop what they are doing and join in . He really likes to shake his groove thang!

Beckett watching the dolphins with Pops and Mimi. Looks like Bex has found a pretty comfy traveling chair in Pop's arms. We had such a fun time at San Diego. I can't wait to get back to California again.

Baby Boy #2

We did a 3D sonogram when we were in California and got some decent shots of the little guy in the belly. It's hard to know exactly what he's going to look like from these, but it does give us a general idea. Chubby and cute!

Morocco

Getting to Morocco from Barcelona was quite the trip. We had a late flight out of Spain (our only option) that connected to Agadir via Casablanca. Our plane ended up leaving Spain late for some reason (we never figured out why) and we barely missed our connection. We were stuck in Casablanca Airport at 2am trying to find small office that dealt with hotel accommodations without speaking a word of Arabic and almost no French (the two languages used there). We didn't have our strollers to wheel the babies around in because "gate check" there means that you can pick it up with your luggage at your final destination. Trying to keep track of two free-roaming toddlers as you go through customs and immigration and then wander through a closed down airport while you're tired and frustrated and feeling very pregnant is NOT fun. Not fun at all. By the time we found the little office I was ready to be done and the man at the desk could see it on my face. They gave us two hotel rooms, pointed us towards the shuttle and with that we were able to finally get some rest.We woke up a few hours later, ate some breakfast and headed out to meet the shuttle only to find that we had just missed it. It was fine, we had gotten up early to be sure we had time, so we settled into some comfy chairs in the lobby and let the kids run around a bit before heading off to the airport again. Twenty minutes later I see Bex with his "concentration face" and I know that he's doing his morning business. I figured I'd have time to go and change him before we left, but as I was picking him up the shuttle came and, since we didn't want to miss it, I decide to wait out the 5 minute drive and change him at the airport. Big mistake. Big brown-gross-wet-leaking-on-my-white-pants mistake. We got to the airport and I dug through my bag to find a new diaper and something clean to put Bex in. I did have a diaper, but didn't have an extra outfit. Luckily Robyn had a spare for Elle which just happened to be bright pink. It did the trick and neither Bex nor I minded that he was romping around the airport in a hot pink onezie!

We arrived at the Atlantic Palace (ahhhhhhhh...) where were greeted by Ryan (ahhhhhhh...) and a clean room and a clean bed and fresh food and water and a giant beautiful pool (ahhhhhhhh...). I had never been so happy to arrive somewhere in my whole life. It literally felt like walking into a dreamy mirage in the middle of the dessert.

Beckett had a whole lot of fun in the pool with his Daddy. He loves the water and thinks that everything that his Dad does is the funniest thing in the whole wide world. I love watching them play together!

Here we all are at the beach in Agadir. There was a nice boardwalk to stroll along. It's such an interesting blend of cultures. There are lots of Europeans that visit the beaches in Agadir as well as the locals. The contrast in swimwear says it all: European women in bikinis and Moroccan women in long dresses and head scarves.

We rode camels, of course. Beckett hated it at first and screamed when we got on our super-sized camel, but after a few seconds of the back-forward rocking he decided it was fun and started to laugh. I wasn't sure I was going to like it either, but a taking a family ride on a camel in the desert is actually a pretty good time.

We took a day trip out to visit Taroudant, an old walled city with a bustling market. It was interesting to see how people live there. In some ways it feels like you've stepped back into Biblical times and then you see someone on a cell phone selling DVD players. Odd. And interesting.

The tree goats were a definite highlight. Our guide was telling us about them as we drove and sure enough if you looked on one side of the street or the other you could see herds of goats here and there, some laying on the ground in the shade and others up in the tops of the trees. Apparently the goats like to eat the nuts that are high up in the branches and figured out how to climb up and get them. We pulled off the road to take a few pictures of the goats and the herder was quick to bring some tiny baby goats over for us to hold.

These ladies are pressing the nuts that the goats "pass". They make a fine oil that is used in cosmetics (all around the world). It was interesting to see the process from goats in a tree to hand lotion.

Our last night we saw the strangest sunset. The sun had a "spotlight" that was going strait up into the sky. I kept thinking that it was going to be a fleeting moment, but it stayed through the whole sunset. I've never seen anything like it before in my life. It was a good way to end our visit in Morocco.

Barcelona Baby

We thought it would be fun to take an international trip with our babies and planned a trip to Morocco via Barcelona, Spain. I had visited the city a couple of years ago and really liked it. We spent several days there on our way to and from Morocco and had a great time (minus the missed connections and major tantrums). Bex had a tough time adjusting to the time zone change and (maybe) the different cultures and started throwing tantrums--real, live scream-your-head-off tantrums. I was hoping that he was just adjusting to all of the changes and luckily that's all it seemed to be. He was back to his happy self by the end of the trip. Schwew! We saw many of the major sites in our little time there. We visited Parc Guell which was designed by Gaudi. Here are Bex and I in front of some of the crazy-cool buildings that he designed. This park is one of my favorite places in Barcelona.

Robs, Bri and little E at Parc Guell overlooking the city. It was really fun and easy to travel with them and they were a great help to me and Bex.

Bex and E loved to play together (most of the time). When one of the would wake up from a nap they would look for their little buddy and smile so big when they found each other. In the picture above they are playing on our little balcony in Barcelona. We found a great place near La Rambla on Craig's List and had our own little apartment.

This is at the fort/castle atop Mountjuic. We got a lot of miles out of those little strollers.

The picture below was taken in front of Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's most famous, unfinished work.

This video was taken at Park Guell under the mosaic benches where there are lots of cool pillars and pigeons to play with. E and Bex had a great time running after the birds.

All in all it was a great trip but I won't be repeating it again any time soon.

Spring Time in Utah

We went to Utah to visit the family and were greeted by a giant snow storm. That's Utah in the spring time--one day it's sunny and hot and the next you're bundled in your warmest clothes building a snow man! We spent the weekend in Park City with all of my aunts and cousins for our annual Girls Weekend. Beckett was the only boy there, and was more than content entertaining the room full of women. Park City knows how to have fun, even when it's cold. They had a nice heated pool at the condo and Beckett had a hey-day spashing and playing in the water. I have a great video of Bex and his cousin Elle in the pool that I'll post in another blog. It was fun to soak in the warm water while the snow fell down around us.

Grandma CoCo has a couple of plastic chairs that Bex LOVED. He couldn't figure out how to get into the chairs at first, so he would just walk backwards towards the chair and then wait for someone to pick him up and put him in the chair. We starting singing the "Back it Up, Back it Up" song to him each time he'd walk backwards, which just encouraged him to keep doing it. It wasn't until he saw his cousin Elle climb up into the chair that he figured out how to do it too. They both thought the blue chairs were just the coolest toys in the world.

We went to the zoo with all the little cousins. I've been going to this zoo since I was Beckett's age and it's so fun to go back and see the familiar places. Hogle Zoo has made some huge improvements since I was a kid. Their enclosures are all much larger and nicer. They have a kids park with fun toys to play on and even a Merry-Go-Round. We went on everything, even the train, which was there when I was a kid, but I had never been on it before. My sisters and I were commenting on how exciting it was to ride the train for the very first time. I guess waiting 30+ years to do something silly like that does make it more fun.

Here are some of Bex's cousins posing on a spider at the zoo park. It's really tough work to get that many wiggly kids to sit still long enough to take a picture. We made several attempts to get ALL the kids to sit up and smile, but finally gave up and just took the picture. It still turned out cute.

We went to a little park near my parents house. It was fun to get out and do some walking with the kids and dogs and strollers. I always forget how many of us there are until we go out somewhere in a group. This is only a fragment of my whole family. Three sisters, one husband, five grandkids and a grandma and grandpa, that makes ten. There are still seventeen of us missing! We had a great time visiting the family and can't wait to see everyone again sometime soon!