Wulff Gang

Kamas Camping

2011-10-17T09:00:00.003-04:00

Kamas Camping with Cousins

2011

Potty Time

2011-10-02T19:45:00.004-04:00

We've been working on toilet training for a few weeks. He mastered the "pee-pees" pretty quickly. We gave him a jelly belly each time he went and the boy loves sweets. Talking him into doing his "ka-ka's" in the toilet was a little tougher, even when we offered to give him 3 jelly bellies. Tonight we finally made a break through. He ran to the toilet announcing that his ka-kas were coming. And sure enough after a few moments he was taking care of business. After a particularly loud "popper" (also known as a fart). He laughed out loud and said, "That was disgusting!!" When he finished he naturally wanted to look into the toilet to see his accomplishment. He peered into the toilet and said: "Hey, there's snakes in there, and nuts. Yucky snakes and nuts."

Good job Bex!

Boo!

2011-08-09T09:53:00.001-04:00

I love that DJ is finally getting big enough to really play with Bex. The back to back pregnancies were tough on me but were totally worth it. Brothers are the best!

WuDoCo Napa

2011-08-08T20:10:00.002-04:00

I'm going to go ahead and piggy back on my sister's blog about our trip to Napa with some good friends (and family) from Maui. Why reinvent the wheel right?

http://ellestales.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-finally-turned-two.html

Buffalo Fun

2011-07-31T14:39:00.006-04:00

Here are the promised photos from our trip up to Buffalo:Bex at the science museum trying on the fur pelts.

Bronson experimenting with the goo that Jayme made for him.

Mama CoCo and baby Damon. Ahh, so cute!

We met up with another old friend from Maui and her family. We went to the Museum of Play with them and the kids had a blast together. So fun!

Jayme took us out to a gorgeous nature preserve.

I think baby Damon is going to be a fisherman one day. The hat really suits him.

Mama and her boys at the nature preserve.

We did a photo shoot with the two babies. This is my favorite shot. That's Jayme back there trying to hold up DJ who can't quite sit on his own at this point.

Ahhh...cute babies at 6 months old.

It was a long road trip, but so much fun! Thanks Buffalo!!

Niagra Falls & Easter

2011-06-30T20:36:00.005-04:00

Visiting Niagara Falls has been on the "List of Things to Do While Living on the East Coast" since we moved here. I've always wanted to see it and this spring we finally managed to put things together for a road trip to up state New York. We wanted to go while the spring run-off was in full force and decided Easter weekend would be perfect. It was still pretty chilly in New York in April, but we lucked out and got gorgeous weather the day we went out to see the falls.

I called my brother Billy who is living in Michigan to see if he and his family would be interested in joining us there. When CoCo & Papa Dan heard about the party brewing they hopped on a plane and came out to join in. It was so much fun to get together with the family. I only wish the other 5 siblings could have come too.

We stayed with my very good friend (and former roomie from Maui) Jayme and her husband and sweet baby boy in their spacious house. They were such gracious and fun hosts. They welcomed us with open arms and actually managed to make us feel like we were doing them a favor by staying there. Thanks so much guys. You're the best!!!

Ry with his boys at the falls. I like this picture. :)

We did cross over to Canada while we were there. Billy's son "B" had had enough of the USA and was ready to move north, even if he had to climb the fence to get there. Bex thought it was a good idea and cheered him on.

I love this photo! Billy's two boys with Bex. It was so cute to see them together. Bex followed his big cousin "B" around copying anything that he did.

We rented a house for a couple of days and had an Easter Egg Hunt in the back yard on Easter morning. The boys had a hey-day running from egg to egg. It's so much fun to have a child that's old enough to enjoy the holidays.

CoCo is helping little Fisch find some eggs on Easter morning. Thanks guys for putting in the time and money to make this little vacation happen. We had such a great time!

A Little Catching Up

2011-06-20T07:59:00.002-04:00

Pops came to visit and we went to the Building Museum where they let you play with millions of Legos

Baby Damon making faces as we enjoy some early spring sunshine

They boys bundled up in our super awesome double stroller for a not-so-sunny springtime walk.

DJ looking dapper in his newspaper boy hat.

Damon got his first passport. We're ready for our adventure next month to Europe.

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T11:09:00.002-04:00

Another free digital ecard by Smilebox

Cherry Blossom Cruise

2011-05-14T20:21:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share some photos from the Cherry Blossom Cruise we took a little while back. They run these every year during the festival and I've always wanted to go. This is the boat we took out of Georgetown harbor.

One of the best things about being a full time mommy is that we get to go on week day adventures. There are a few other full time mom's that live in our building whose kids are the same age as mine. We've started doing "Friday Field Trips" and it's been a great way to get out and take advantage of all the fun things to do in the area.

This is one of Bex's best friends, Jordyn. We play with her and her mom all the time and the kids have so much fun together. One of their favorite games is to take turns screaming "cake" out loud. That's what they were doing here. It must sound even better with the wind in their hair.

I'm pretty sure they didn't pay too much attention to the cherry blossoms, but they were in full bloom and really pretty. The cruise took us up and down the Potomac from Georgetown to the back of the tidal basin.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and the air was crisp and clean. We ate lunch by the water before heading back home. It was a good day!

(Photo Credits: Kelly :)

Bex's 2nd Birthday

2011-04-05T16:57:00.002-04:00

We're a little slow on blogs lately. Here are some photos from Bex's birthday a couple of months ago. We were going to go with a construction site theme, but the party store didn't have any back hoes or dump trucks so we settled on his second favorite wheeled machine: trains.

Can you tell I decorated the cake myself? That's what happens when you wait till the last minute to order the cake. Turns out the need 24 hours notice (not 18) to make a Thomas the Train Cake. We ended up buying a premade one. It had orange and blue flowers around the edges so I just smashed them all down and built a track. Not my best work. I was also going to write his full name, but ran out of frosting towards the end. Thus the "Happy Birthday Bex". Next time I'll order the cake well in advance.
He had good birthday, I think. :)
Bex is a ham...just like his daddy! This is his "show me your teeth" face.
He didn't really care what the cake looked like. He totally enjoyed defrosting the train after he blew out the candle.
Happy Birthday Buddy!

The Addition

2011-03-17T22:05:00.001-04:00

Anyone who has spoken to me at all in the past two years has heard about our storage room conversion. We were lucky enough to purchase a large storage space right next to our condo and (after hearing about a neighbor's plan to expand) decided that we could use a little more space. The one bedroom condo we purchased in 2007 seemed like more than enough space when we were newlyweds, but had quickly shrunk as we acquired more stuff, a dog and then two kids. I was determined to find a way for us to expand.

It seemed like it would be easy enough. We owned the storage space and all we had to do was tear down the back of a closet, build a new wall, put in a light and some carpet and we'd have access to another 100 sf of space! It was NOT so easy. It turned into a year-long process of red tape. First it was our condo association board (this was by far the most tedious and ridiculous part). There were emails, discussions, and eventually lawyers but we FINALLY got their approval. Finding a contractor (Kris from KD Homes) was easy, and he was great! He expected it to be a 3-4 day job, but underestimated the difficulty he'd encounter obtaining the permits needed from the county. Because condos are considered to be "commercial" buildings it ended up taking six weeks (instead of 3 hours) and costing three times as much as it would have if we were doing the same thing in a single family home. I didn't care I had a toddler sleeping in my closet and was very pregnant with baby boy No. 2 when we found out how much more difficult it was going to be. I needed, wanted, couldn't-live-without the space. They started work over Thanksgiving, after DJ was born and while we had visitors (Mimi & Pops) and after about a week, we had a NEW ROOM!!!!!!!!

This is while the room was under construction. The tile is where the original closet was. The room goes back and then to the right. KD Homes was very professional and did excellent work. If anyone need a good contractor I'd be happy to pass his info along to you.

Beckett in his new room. There is plenty of space for a crib, dresser, drawers, toy chest, laundry basket, diaper genie, and a very tall, very full, bookshelf. That's my favorite part. His favorite part seems to be the toy chest. Go figure.

He had no trouble transitioning from his pack-n-play in the closet to his (relatively) spacious new crib in his very own (for now) room. DJ is still sleeping in our room, but soon he will be joining his big brother and mommy and daddy will (finally) get their room back!

See, he likes it!

This is the new entry way to the room. We went with a monkey/frog theme. I couldn't decide and in the end, I really just liked the green and brown combination. I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this new space. It makes our house feel so much bigger. It was a hassle to get it finished, but we are now the proud owners of a 1bedroom+DEN (a.k.a. nursery). Oh, happy day!

2011-02-23T15:05:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas with the Wulffs in Stockton. Bex has a little cousin who is only a month younger than he is and they had the best time playing together. They were running up and down the patio stairs and then out to the "mountain" (golf course mound) in the back yard. It was so much fun to see them having such a great time together.

Here are three generations of Wulff men. From big brother John all the way down to baby DJ.

Bex having some quality story time with Pops on Christmas morning.

I love this picture of Chase. Her big brown eyes are just gorgeous! We had so much fun this Christmas. Thanks John & Sandy for hosting and to everyone else for making the effort to be together. I'm already looking forward to our next party!

Family Time in Napa

2011-01-24T16:34:00.003-05:00

We had a great time with the Wulffs in California. It rained a lot while we were there but the grass was green and there were leaves on the trees. The sun even came shining through a couple of times. Bex and I took advantage of one of those moments and went for a dip in the hot tub. He loved playing in the water (as always) and could have jumped off the side into my arms a million times if I would have been up for it. Baby DJ is growing fast (16lbs at last weigh-in). He is calm and sweet and I am really enjoying this time with him.
Bex is almost completely the opposite. He's energetic and silly. He loves to run, jump, throw rocks and wrestle. He's growing up so fast. He's talking in sentences now and usually speaks in the third person. "Beckett running fast," or "Pancakes for Beckett?" It's funny.
He loves to play with his Dadu, who happens to be a whole lot like him. It's really cute to watch them play together.
I can see Bex and Ry posing for a picture just like this. Like fater, like son. And so it goes and so it goes. I'm feel lucky to have married into such a great family!

Winter's Thaw

2011-01-17T16:10:00.004-05:00

I've been total slacker on blogging. We've been too busy playing with family but I promise to return soon with lots of awesome photos. (I got a new camera for my birthday. :)

In the mean time, here is a video from our walk today.

Damon's Photo Shoot

2010-11-12T15:31:00.005-05:00

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

2010-11-06T17:44:00.005-04:00

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

2010-10-17T12:10:00.003-04:00

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

2010-09-24T21:33:00.005-04:00

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

2010-08-24T19:46:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-21T11:15:00.005-04:00

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

2010-08-06T11:38:00.003-04:00

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

2010-07-08T16:07:00.007-04:00

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

2010-06-19T11:15:00.004-04:00

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

2010-05-22T14:54:00.003-04:00

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!

DC Cherry Blossoms and Earth Day

2010-04-28T20:12:00.004-04:00

Me and my dad at the tidal basin across from Jefferson Memorial with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. I can see why people travel from around the world to visit DC in the spring.
I've got some very important calls to make. The "Future President" is one busy guy. I soaked my shirt (see photo below) and so my mom got me this tourist T-shirt from one of the street vendors.
This fountain was the perfect size for me to splash and play. I had so much fun I ended up soaked from head to toe.
NASA was at the earth day celebration so I got to see what it was like to be an astronaut.
In a few more years, I think I'll be as tall as the Washington Monument.
My mom took this pretty shot of spring time in DC. :)

Splashy Bathtime

2010-04-15T14:53:00.003-04:00

Beckett loves bath time. We bath him every night and it's a great way to get him nice and tired AND get rid of all the grime and slime that little boys manage to attract in a day. It's an opportunity to splash and kick and spill and blow bubbles. He really loves the water and is even experimenting with putting his face underwater and blowing bubbles. He doesn't mind me pouring a cup of water over his head and even seems to think it's funny. I'm determined to get him into swimming lessons this summer or try to teach him myself. I think he would love it and I'd be so much more comfortable if I knew he could at least hold his breath and float a bit. We have lots of water adventures ahead of us and the wee one will definitely need to know how to swim in order to keep up in this family. The fancy hair do is courtesy of Dad who always gives me a mohawk when it's his turn to bath me.
Happy Splashing!

It's MINE!

2010-04-01T13:59:00.002-04:00

This is one of my very favorites! We took this while we were in Hawaii visiting cousin Elle. The two babies usually played well together, but those videos just aren't as funny this one. Elle is three months younger and wasn't quite walking yet when this was taken, which should have given Bex an advantage, but in the end they are pretty fairly matched. As you can see Bex resorted to biting his cousin (or at least trying to). Luckily he's outgrown that defense strategy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I laugh out loud every time I watch it.

The Joy of Dance - continued

2010-03-28T19:50:00.003-04:00

I call this one "The Routine." You get to see Bex's favorite move, "the leg bounce," plus the special additions of "the arm flap" and (my personal favorite multi-move) "the face plant into the blowfish."

The Joy of Dance

2010-03-28T19:28:00.003-04:00

The first in a series of video posts to show Bex's affinity for Manheim Steamroller and his sweet new dance moves.

Christmas Music in Springtime

2010-03-20T10:32:00.005-04:00

Bex has gotten really into dancing lately. It is so funny to watch him groove. He starts out slowly swaying and then moves onto the shoulder dance and- if he's really feeling it-the full spin. He definitely enjoys dancing to music, but he will also do a happy jig if he's eating something that he likes or finds a toy that amuses him. I love it!

**video coming soon (hopefully)**

Beckett's Birthday Luau

2010-03-04T19:37:00.005-05:00

I can't believe how fast the last year has gone by. We celebrated Beckett's first birthday on February 19th. I decided to have a big luau in honor of his "keiki first birthday". Grandma and Grandpa Wulff came out to help us celebrate and they brought some really fun toys! He got his first sports car. It has a radio and blinkers and a horn and he LOVED cruising up and down the hall way.
Could a one year old get a cooler present? You can see by the look on his face that he feels pretty special when he's riding in his car.
We had a fun group of people come out to help us celebrate his birthday. Here he is "blowing" out his first birthday candle. I think he really just wanted to eat it. He played and played with everyone at the party and by the time the cake came he was pretty tuckered out.

We gave him a big slice of cake which he totally enjoyed eating. I was a little hesitant to let him have that much sugar, but it was his birthday so I went with it. I was amazed at how quickly that sugar went into his system. He perked right up after he finished eating it. (see video below)

Happy Birthday to our little Beckett! We are so happy to have you in our family!!!

The Incredible Hulk

2010-02-23T15:00:00.002-05:00

This is another one of Beckett's "faces". We only get to see the "Hulk" when he's really wired and going a bit crazy. It's one of my favorites!

A Whale of a Time

2010-02-11T19:24:00.002-05:00

We got up early and went out whale watching one morning. Robyn and I packed snacks and diapers and jackets and bottles and -of course- the kids and headed out on the first whale watch of the morning. Brian met us at the dock to send us off and then we boarded the boat.

As it turns out, it's actually pretty hard to watch whales when you're watching a toddler. The boat that we were on didn't have low railings at the bottom so we had to hold on to the kids the whole time. We took over a small section at the back of the boat where the kids could stand and look off the back. Each time the whales would pop up the captain would position the boat so that the front of the boat could see them. We didn't mind, but were joking that the whales would have to come up right underneath us for us to be able to see them. Luckily they did just that. Three whales came up right under us and we got to see them up close and personal. It was a great trip!

Beckett had more fun watching the wake than the whales.

Maui Ocean Center

2010-02-08T23:00:00.002-05:00

One of the many fun activities we've done out here is visit the Maui Ocean Center. Robyn and I got up early (we do every day anyway) to make the 8am whale watch (blog to come) and then headed over the the aquarium to show the kids the fish. They had so much fun watching the fish swim around in the tank. Bex and I have visited a few aquariums and he always has a great time. It's the perfect entertainment for a small child. Lots of vibrant, moving colors to entertain them...and when they get tired they can fall asleep to soothing music in a dimly lit building. Perfect!
Sister and I are very excited to see the shark....the kids don't seem to recognize the impending danger.
Beckett and Elle were talking and squealing with glee and drawing a big crowd. It was all good and we were enjoying ourselves until Beckett came over to me and I saw that he was wearing his "concentration" face. He is such a loud grunter when he does his "business" that there is no mistaking what is happening. The crowd cleared pretty quickly once the stank started to spread.
Beckett having a moment with a sand shark.

Ahhh....

Beach Baby in Waikiki

2010-02-08T01:32:00.002-05:00

We had a lot of fun playing at the beach while we were in Waikiki last week. Each day we would wake up eat some breakfast and then take a long stroll along the ocean. Once we were both tuckered out we'd head back to the hotel for a little nap and then spend the afternoon at the beach. It was a great routine and I wish I could do it every day!

Happy Flappy Waving Walker

2010-02-01T18:36:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Beckett took his first couple of steps. It was only a few steps in a row and he was careful to stay close to the couch-just in case he lost his balance. Since then he has proceeded to improve each day, going a little further, getting a little braver. When we arrived in Hawaii he started to make quantum leaps, going from a couple of steps at a time one day to walking across the room the next day. Its been so fun to watch him master this new trick. He is so proud of himself! You can see him beaming with pride as he walks up hist first little hill in the first video and he's completely beside himself with enthusiasm when he discovers that he can flap his hands WHILE walking (second video)!

Pigeon Key

2010-01-17T22:01:00.004-05:00

I had a work trip in Florida and my sister Nickole came with me to help out with Beckett. She has a little son who's about 6 months older than Bex. We stayed on a little tiny island off the old keys highway. It's a great place to visit if anyone ever wanted a fun family vacation. We went to the beach in Miami and let the kids frolic in the sand. Both Bex and M had a great time!
We have firmly established that Bex loves the water. We did some swimming off the little pier at the island.
Me and my sister Nic with our babes at the beach in Miami.
These are my work peeps. This picture was taken after the retreat before we left the island.
We saw a couple of very curious manatees in the little harbor down in the keys. This is the first time I've ever seen manatees in the wild and I was so excited. I took a million photos. They were very cooperative and came right up to the camera. Yay!!

Puppy Pop Ups

2010-01-07T20:38:00.001-05:00

2009-12-22T15:17:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Crusin' The Halls

2009-12-22T00:13:00.002-05:00

"Thanksmas" Cruise

2009-12-15T20:24:00.008-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving with the Wulff family this year and they really know how to celebrate the holidays! First of all, we combined Christmas with Thanksgiving and dubbed it "Thanksmas." Second, we selected a location that was beautiful and tropical, the Southern Caribbean. Third, we brought together Wulffs from around the globe. Then we put it all together on a cruise with lots of good food and drink. We had a FABULOUS time! Here are a few pictures from the trip...Bex and Grandma sharing a good laugh.
Bex in paradise (Half Moon Cay) with grandma and grandpa.

One of the cool towel sculptures they put in our room each night.

A bunch of Wulffs....and a couple of Crutchfields in Martinique.

Bex meets Uncle Jerry (or Grunkle, in his words) for the first time. Looks like they are easy friends.
Uncle Matt and B. Chillin.

We saw turtles on Barbados...lots of them. BTY I have wanted to go to Barbados since I was about 13 years old. Someone showed me a picture of a beach with a palm tree and told me it was Barbados. I decided then and there that I was going to move to Barbados!
Beckett taking in the scene...
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Daddy is soooooooooooooo funny!

Here we are on Martinique. I got this stroller for the trip and I LOVE it! CityMini

Beckett was a hit with the 9 year old girls!

Bex n Grandpa Wulff. I love this picture!

Building Buddies

2009-12-12T13:58:00.004-05:00

There were two babies that were born within two weeks of Beckett and the three of them have become good buddies. We met their parents while we were all still expecting. Two of us had the same due date and were both expecting boys. The little girl was due a couple of weeks earlier. This is Sweet E. She has been a quick learner and was standing well before either of the boys. She loves to be with her mom and watch the boys from a safe distance.
This is C-Dude with Beckett. He was the first to crawl and is super speedy! He was born the same day as Sweet E, even though his due date was the same as Beckett's. I was VERY envious when his mom was holding her sweet baby in her arms and I was still sooooooo pregnant!
We get together with the babies every week or so and go to the building's Play Room. there are lots of fun things to crawl on (and in) there. Bex is having a super time with his building buddies!

Sharky Haloween

2009-12-06T13:47:00.003-05:00

Beckett was a shark for Halloween this year. He looked super cute in his ocean blue costume. We had a little party in our building. I was surprised to meet about 12 babies that are within a year of Bex. Seems that everyone here is in the same phase of life that we are. Condo. Dog. Baby. We started a play group on Fridays. Suddenly Bex has lots of little buddies around. :)

Clap Clap and Kiss

2009-11-15T17:58:00.002-05:00

Baby Bear in the Woods

2009-11-10T20:13:00.003-05:00

Everyone talks about how beautiful the fall is on the East coast and I must admit that even though it means winter is looming around the corner, it is really quite spectacular to see the leaves turn from a vibrant green to vivid reds and oranges.A friend of our was celebrating her birthday at a cabin in the Shenandoah mountains and invited us to come. We loaded the baby and the dog into the car and set out on the two hour drive up to the mountains. It was a really pretty drive and the leaves were just starting to change. We go there quickly and were welcomed with open arms and a warm meal. We ate good food and soaked in the hot tub on the back deck while the rain poured down. Inside was a cozy fire place and lots of fun games to play.

The next morning we got up, ate a hearty breakfast and went for a walk down to the river. Both Miles and Beckett love playing outside and they were thrilled be out in the woods taking in the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Miles went about his business of "claiming" trees, always careful to spread the love to as many trees as possible.

Beckett got to wear his cool winter coat that Uncle M and Aunt E got for him (thanks guys!). He looks so cute dressed up as a little bear. I couldn't stop taking pictures.

We both had fun playing on the swing out front. It was a super fun weekend and I'm so glad we got to spend a little time in the woods playing with good friends.

Beckett "Talking"

2009-11-01T18:56:00.002-05:00

Comando Crawl

2009-10-25T21:40:00.002-04:00

This is Beckett's strategy for crawling:

Pull with bent right arm.

Reach with outstretched left arm.

Push continuously with feet.

Mission accomplished.

New York Weekend

2009-10-15T18:02:00.005-04:00

Ryan had a work trip in New York and we decided it would be fun to tag along. I've been to New York a few times before, but never in the summer and never with a baby. It was an entirely new experience and I had a great time.

We rode the train from DC to NYC, a first for both Beckett and I. We had a lot of space to spread out and enjoy the ride although the scenery was not as picturesque as I imagined it might be. Beckett had a lot of fun smiling at all the people sitting around us. He is a very social little boy.

Ryan had to work for most of the first day so Beck and I went out on our own. We strolled all around the town and through Central Park. I was impressed with all of the fun activities there were on a Saturday afternoon in the park. We stopped to listen to a swing band play, watched people canoe on the little lake and played games on the lawn while people around us picnicked and flew kites. The weather was beautiful and I enjoyed every second of our time there. I can totally understand why people love New York so much now.

The next day Ryan was available to play so we decided to go out to Ellis Island. Neither of us had ever been there before so we hopped in a cab (after walking about 20 blocks) and made our way out to the port. The sun was shining as we boarded a boat full of tourists wearing foam Statue of Liberty crowns. It was perfect! We had great views of the city from the water. It's crazy to see of of those buildings smashed onto such a tiny island! It really give you a different perspective of the city.

The Statue of Liberty was really quite impressive. We walked all the way around her and took pictures from every angle.
I'd never seen a picture of the back of the Statue of Liberty....

Ain't she beautiful!

Three Babies

2009-09-29T21:54:00.000-04:00

Sweetwater

2009-09-29T21:49:00.001-04:00

I've been looking forward to this trip for months! Sweetwater, Bear Lake!!!! We used to go there with my cousins every year over Labor Day weekend. We'd swim till we were water logged and then run wild on the lawn chasing after water balloons. Every evening we'd get together and eat something delicious and beg to sleep over at each other's condos. It was the BEST! We hadn't been back to Bear Lake in 15 years and I'm happy to say that the place was mostly the same....although they call it Ideal Beach now. We're all a lot more grown up that we used to be. The last time I went to Bear lake was 15 years ago...I was in middle school and I remember hunting for boys with my cousin J. Now both J and I have kids and our experience was totally different but somehow just as fun. It was cool to see our kids playing the same games that we used to play.

I was surprised at how much Bex enjoyed the water. The lake is a bit chilly, but he didn't seem to mind. He loved slapping his little hands at every wave that lapped up on his feet.

Auntie M and cousin Bren even took Bex for a "ride" on the wave runner. That thing was WAY fun. I couldn't stop myself from screaming with glee as we zipped across the water.

Cool boys with their shades. I don't know how to make it strait on this thing....help??

Here are Dan and Meg looking hot at the pool. It was so fun to play with the whole family!

Playing at the beach. I've found that it is much easier to carry a 20+ lb baby on your shoulders!

Here we are with baby L, one of Bex's little cousins.

Johnny Saucer

2009-09-17T20:20:00.005-04:00

These are a couple of Beckett's favorite toy..... We actually got them from a random stranger we met at Target. (I'm still getting used to the impromptu conversations we seem to attract...especially when traveling with a baby AND a dog). I was looking at jumpable toys and asked the mom next to me what her recommendations were. She suggested the "Exersaucer" and the "Johnny Jumper". After chatting for a bit she mentioned that she had a couple of extras that her kids had grown out of and asked if I wanted them. Score! This is the Exer-saucer. He really gets a kick out of the butterfly for some reason. I love this toy because it contains & entertains him so that I can get a few minutes to do chores around the house.
I have a vague memory of the neighbor girl jumping in one of these contraptions when I was a kid. I remember thinking that it looked really fun and I wished that I was small enough to use it. It's basically a baby seat attached to a bungee cord that hooks to a door frame. Simple and yet so awesome. It's his FAVORITE hobby!

This is Bex very first time in the jumper. He's a natural.....

Funny Daddy

2009-08-28T11:25:00.002-04:00

Stink Face

2009-08-20T21:07:00.000-04:00

Beckett discovered a new expression this month. We call it his "stink face". He does it when he gets frustrated which is usually associated with him getting tired. He doesn't actually cry or anything. He just huffs and puffs and makes this face. We laugh so hard each time he does it that he's now starting to pull the face just to get a reaction out of us. It works every time!

Beckett Discovers Miles

2009-08-04T12:00:00.002-04:00

Pretty Fish

2009-07-25T12:32:00.003-04:00

We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium when we were in California. I wasn't sure if Beckett would be old enough to appreciate it but as it turned out, he was rather captivated by the floating fish.
Beckett with Grandpa Wulff taking in all the sights at the kelp tank. This was the first tank that we visited and he was mesmerized.

Father and son contemplating the meaning of life....

They had a very cool jelly fish exhibit. We were all enthralled by the rhythmic movements of the sea jellies. I would like to have a giant jelly fish tank in my house.

Beckett with Grandmpa Wulff at the kelp tank. There was a guy in the tank feeding the fish, but Beckett was more interested in the swaying kelp.

Ryan and his dad. Two peas in a pod.

Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey

2009-07-20T21:07:00.003-04:00

Jump Up, Jump Up and Get Down

2009-07-14T14:29:00.002-04:00

Swimming in the Sea

2009-07-08T21:18:00.002-04:00

I recently took a trip to Guam and was accompanied by my travel pal Beckett. He was a great little traveler and seemed to enjoy all the new sights, sounds and people. A chunky, white baby seemed to be somewhat of a novelty there and we had lots of Japanese tourists come up to us and comment on the super kabai (cute) baby. One couple even asked if they could take pictures of him. It was fun to travel with him.

One of our adventures was a hike to a beautiful little bay known as Cetti Bay in the South of Guam. Beckett made it through a pretty grueling hike through the "bad lands"(places that have been repeatedly burned and therefore don't have much vegetation) and then down through the jungle without a peep of protest. He actually seemed to enjoy it quite a bit.
I carried him in the Bjorn. He loves that thing and would ride around in in all day if I let him. He was totally alert on the way down to the bay, looking at the trees and the landscape but by the time we started hiking up the hill he was completely tuckered out and slept the whole way!

This was the first time that Beckett got into the ocean. (He did dip a toe into the Pacific on Maui when he was 6 weeks old-but that doesn't really count.) He totally loved it! He sat happily there looking around and waving his feet back and forth in the water. Beckett is getting to be a big boy, weighing in at ~18lbs. at 4 1/2 months.

After our swim, Beckett was pretty tired. He took a nice nap on the towel at the beach. Ahh, doesn't he look peaceful?

Here we (Megan, Beckett and Marci) are enjoying a completely deserted tropical beach. It was definitely one of those "postcard" moments. We were all happy to get into the water after the hike. It was a warm day and the ocean was perfect: calm, shallow and refreshing. We sat in the water with an umbrella for shade for about an hour.

Beckett & Sassy (a.k.a Elle Cecilia Dobruck)

2009-07-01T11:39:00.003-04:00

Beckett met his newest little cousin on our last trip to Maui....
This is little Elle when she's four weeks old. Robyn dressed her up all cute with a bow in her hair. Brian- who doesn't want her to be a "girly-girl"- quickly removed the bow when he got home. He's a very cute daddy with her.

This picture was taken when Elle was only two weeks old. She is a cute little girl who loves to sleep and eat.

We thought it would be really fun to put them in the swing to gether and take a picture. Elle looks happy enough, but Beck looks a little wary....

Turns out it wasn't such a good idea! They screamed!

They got along perfectly well as long as they each had their own space. Beckett is almost 4 months old in this photo and Elle is about 2.5 weeks old.

Beckett 15 Weeks Old

2009-06-06T22:15:00.000-04:00

A Walk in the Woods

2009-06-04T21:37:00.000-04:00

There is a little strip of forest that runs from Marland through D.C. and into Virginia. It's call Rock Creek Park and it's one of my favorite things about this area. We're less than a mile from the park and once you step into it you forget about the traffic and the concrete of the city and are suddenly surrounded by trees and ferns and a rippling river. The greenery is so lush that you can easily imagine that you're deep in the forest. Miles loves walking in the woods. There are endless trees for him to mark and he just LOVES to leave his mark!Now that Beckett is a bit older and can go on outside adventures we've reintroduced the Walk in the Woods and we're finding that Beckett is almost as enthusiastic about them as Miles is. We had him in the carrier and even though it was his nap time and he usually falls asleep when he is carried, he stayed awake the whole time. He was so enthralled with the trees and the leaves that he couldn't stop staring. It was really cute to watch him.

He's got very good control of his head now and can look all around. He was totally enjoying himself. He is starting to squeal when he laughs now. It's so cute, I'll have to try to record it so you can all hear. He's a big boy now...15.4lbs and 25 inches at our last visit (Tuesday).
Baby boy Beckett and his mama out in the woods. :)

Standing Man

2009-05-29T09:38:00.000-04:00

Notice how he uses his eyebrows to lift up his entire body. It's very cute! He loves to stand up and is very strong. The only problem is that all the excitement of standing usually brings on the hiccups...and the spit-up (not shown in video)! :)

Cuzes

2009-05-21T21:25:00.000-04:00

Beckett has the good fortune of being surrounded by cousins. On the Allen side he already has eleven cousins, two of which are within three months of him. But on the Wulff side babies are a little harder to come by. Ryan and his brother have only one Wulff cousin so we were thrilled to find out that they were expecting a little baby within a month of us. Beckett got to meet his adorable new cousin Chase during our last trip to California.

The happy mommas: Cousin Laurie with little Chase and Marci with Beckett.

"The Cuzes" with their new babies in tow: Chris & Laurie w/Chase and Marci & Ryan w/Beckett

They're going to be great friends!!!

*Photo Credit: Chris C. (Thanks!)

Cooling Down in St. George.

2009-05-12T04:17:00.000-04:00

We took a little road trip down to St. George while we were in Utah. There was a new cousin to meet and the added bonus of escaping the cold of Salt Lake City. Mom, Dad, Danny, Megan and Heidi all joined in the fun. Here are a few pics from the trip.

Danny and Megan enjoying the fine fare from Iceburg. They have some delicious burgers and shakes!

My mom and I split this mountain of deliciousness.....mint chocolate chip with marshmellows!

Becky, Bronson & Billy squeesed into the frame.

Introducing little Fischer (on the right). He is 4 weeks younger than Beckett and seeing him made me realize that my wee little baby is not so little anymore. :) :(

Here is Beckett and his big cousin Bronson. He's quite interested in the babies and has been a good big brother to Fischer.

An Arranged Marriage

2009-05-04T16:48:00.000-04:00

During our visit to Utah, Beckett got to meet his betrothed. She's a pretty little thing with a very unique name who was born about a month before Beckett. Her mommy is my good friend "Beef-Cakes." We have been talking about our big plans for the babies since we found out we were pregnant a year ago. Introducing Sonnet and Beckett.....wouldn't those names look good printed on wedding napkins?
Beckett was a little shy at first, but he came around.
After a little while they were very happy to hang out with each other. We even caught them holding hands once.
The proud mommies. Maybe we'll be related to each other some day....

A Shower for Sassy

2009-05-03T21:00:00.000-04:00

As many of you know my sister Robyn is expecting a little girl at the end of this month. This baby is a mover and a shaker and we've given her the nick name Sassy Blastoff. Sassy will be joining a big family of aunties, uncles and cousins...mostly boy cousins, but there is one lonely little girl anxiously awaiting her arrival. We had a shower for her while I was on Maui. I was so glad to be there. It was fun to see Robyn with her cute tummy. We had the shower at the Lavender Farm up in Kula where they serve you tea and scones. Perfect. It was beautiful and there were lots of fun friends there. Chrissy flew over from Oahu and took a bunch of great photos that day. Here are a few...
Chrissy, me, Robyn, Alison and Erica at the Lavender Farm overlooking the valley.
The whole party.
The very pretty mom-to-be.

Ahh Wailea...

2009-04-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

One of the perks of a sluggish economy is a hotel industry that is willing to offer fantastic prices. The Grand Wailea is one of the most luxurious hotels on Maui. Folks like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton stay there. (I know, impressive huh) ;) Not usually folks like me. In fact, my only contact with this resort has been sneaking into their hot tubs. There is one at the top of the "volcano," which is cool because of the ocean view, but is more vulnerable to security guards. I've been kicked out several times. The better hot tub to sneak into is the one in the "cave." The security guard would actually have to swim through a pool to kick you out-something they are highly unlikely to do. (A little tip for anyone planning a trip to Maui)

Anyway, to get back to the story. Ryan's Marine Mammal conference was being held at the Grand Wailea, so for the first time in my life I was able to swim and play in any and all of the pools (including the water slide) that I wanted to and nobody even gave me a suspicious glance--go figure! (How do they know?)
Here is a self shot taken at the beach in front of the hotel. Beckett and I would take a walk each morning while Ry went of to work. One of my favorite pass times would have to be strolling along on the sand listening to the waves crash down early in the morning. It is so very peaceful and beautiful. Beckett slept soundly in his sling the whole time.

The sunsets are just as remarkable as the mornings. This photo was taken from the pool which was directly outside our room. We had a ground floor unit which led right out to the pools.

This photos is titled, "Lounging Ladies with Babies." Robyn and Alison came down to keep us company at the pool. We've all got our babies in tow. Robyn's was the easiest to take care of. Her baby didn't make a peep and even went swimming with Robyn. Beck and Travis were much more reluctant to get in the pool.

Beckett did however enjoy napping on the beach. He was so content outside there. In the evenings when he was fussy all we had to do was walk outside with him and he would stop crying and stare at the torches that lit up the pathways and listen to the ocean.

Proud Papa with Beckett at the beach for the first time. I think it was actually his first Hawaiian sunset too. Although, he actually might have slept through it. He fell asleep shortly after this picture was taken.

First Whale Watch

2009-04-22T09:30:00.000-04:00

Ryan had a work trip to Maui last month and I figured I'd join him since Beckett was old enough to fly and I was still on maternity leave. Plus, Beckett needed to meet his auntie and uncle and get to know his "roots". Ryan and I met on Maui while we were working together at Pacific Whale Foundation way back in 1998. We worked on a LOT of whale watches together over the years so it seemed appropriate to have a whale watch be our first activity on Maui with Beckett.
Ahh, the fascinating whales of Maui......
Here is Alison with their little cutie Travis in tow. You can see that Ryan and Brian are captivated by the whales. :)
Our friends on Maui are still the same, but our activities are a little different. Here is Robyn (with Sassy in her belly), Alison & Travis, and me with Mr. Beckett. You can see that he is thoroughly enjoying his first whale watch. (He slept the whole time.)

He didn't seem to get too excited about the whales, but he loved sitting with Auntie Robyn!

Hangin' with the Wulff Clan

2009-04-20T06:47:00.000-04:00

We had a full house of Wulffs in March. Grandma and Papa Wulff came to play with baby Beckett along with Uncle & Auntie Wulff. We spent lots of time staring at the baby and talking and laughing with each other. They made us lots of delicious meals and were even willing to watch the baby to give each of us some time away from the house. We were so happy to have them come out and stay for a while. We need to live closer to our families!

Rock n Roll

2009-04-19T10:02:00.000-04:00

Beckett is a pretty strong little guy. He's wiry and likes to move a lot. I decided to start doing "tummy time" when he was about 5 weeks old and was very surprised when I put him on his tummy for the first time....he rolled over right away!

The Best Big Brother

2009-03-15T14:18:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows us know that our first child was really Mr. Miles Von Wigglesworth III. We adopted him a little over a year ago when we were in Maui. He has been the perfect little pup. He is sweet and tries so hard to be obedient and likable. We both love him to pieces and were wondering how he would react to having to compete with a new baby brother. We were especially concerned when he started to have "accidents" about a month before I was due to deliver little Beckett. After ruling out any medical reason for his sudden relapse in potty training with the vet (which required collecting a urine sample...quite a feat in and of itself), we decided that he was "acting out" in response to the pregnancy and pending changes. So, we were especially curious to see how he'd react to the baby.

Ryan prepped him by bringing home a baby blanket to smell. He was very curious about the blanket and even more curious about the baby when we finally came home. He wanted to sniff him up and down and gave him a few tentative licks on the back of his head but was always very cautious and gentle with Beckett. Now that he's had a few weeks to get used to having a baby in the house, he seems to feel a sense of responsibility for the baby. When Becks sits in his bouncer chair he has a buddy sitting right next to him the whole time. If Beckett starts to cry, Miles immediately stares at him and then at me as if he's waiting for me to fix it. If it takes me more than a few seconds to take care of the baby, Miles will come over to me and jump up on me to get me moving faster. When Beckett is sleeping in his crib and Miles and I are in the living room, Miles is always the first one to respond to any noises that Beckett makes.

That's not to say that there isn't a little jealousy. Miles does try to be in the middle of everything that is happening. He becomes very animated when visitors come to see the baby and likes to sit between Ryan and I, with or without the baby near by. If I lay out a blanket to wrap Beckett in Miles wants to sit on it and you can see that Miles thinks that the Boppy was made exclusively for him.

Daily Dose of Beckett

2009-03-09T16:04:00.000-04:00

Beckett is now two and a half weeks old. I've been taking pictures of him every day with my iPhone. I want to document how much he changes from day to day. He has already lost a lot of the chubbiness that he was born with and his features are more defined. He makes so many funny faces that I'm always grabbing for the camera when we hang out (which is all day every day). :)

This picture was taken today after we got back from the doctors appointment.

I love this shot! He was just sitting like that, deep in thought. I see a bit of mischief in those eyes. That must be from Ryan. You can see that Miles has given up on being the center of attention. (We still LOVE our dog)

Here he is smiling again. I just love the way his eyes crinkle when he smiles and you can almost see the dimple he has on his right cheek. Sooo cute!

This is his contemplative look. He does this a lot as he checks out his environment. He spends quite a bit of time just laying in his chair with his eyes wide open watching the world around him. He seems to be a very curious boy.

I have no idea what he's thinking, but I thought it was cute.

He's all strapped up in his car seat ready to go for a ride. We took him for a drive when my mom was here to visit. He's already seen the Washington Monument, the Capital and the White House.

Every new mom love to take pictures of her baby sleeping peacefully!

What he looks like when he wakes up from that peaceful nap.

I took this one early in the morning. He was snuggled up next to me and looked so sweet and peaceful. I absolutely love this picture!

And here we are on day one. If you look back though these pictures you can see how much he's growing and changing already. I just love having a newborn and am trying to savor every moment (even those at 3am) because I know he is going to grow up so fast.

Beckett's First Bath

2009-03-03T11:49:00.000-05:00

My mom and I gave Beckett his first bath. We got a cute little frog tub at a shower (thanks Nicole) and thought we'd put it to the test. My mom prepped the bath while I prepped Beckett. He was a little wary at first, but didn't seem too bothered. That all changed once I put him down on the froggy sponge. He screamed like crazy and didn't stop until he was cuddled again in his towel. I'm hoping that he will enjoy his next bath a little better...

Life With a Newborn

2009-02-26T07:04:00.000-05:00

Beckett seems to be adjusting well to life on the outside. He's a calm, curious little guy and spends a lot of time just looking around and listening to the voices that constantly coo at him. He makes all kinds of funny faces and I know they say that newborns don't really smile, but I swear he smiling at us (check out the video). He likes to be wrapped up tight in his blankets and is sleeping really well. I think he'd sleep through the night if we'd let him (that might be a bit of an exaggeration...but we did have to wake him up after 4 hours last night). I must say that I am extremely happy to have a baby boy that is so very easy to love and care for.

Mr. Wigglesworth has shown an equal amount of curiosity towards his new baby brother. He follows Beckett around and just likes to watch him. He jumps up every time Beck makes a peep to see what's happening and wants to be as close as possible to him at all times. He loves to sniff the baby, but he always keeps a respectful distance. I think they are going to be great friends once Beckett is big enough to throw a squeaky toy.

Ryan and I are adjusting to our new life as parents. We're a little short on sleep and have been pretty much living in our PJs this week, but we're both enjoying this focused time with our new son. My mom has been a huge help and has kept us well fed and entertained. (Thanks Mom!) I wish I could keep her longer, but I know that her other ten grand children would miss her if we did.

Announcement of Beckett Allen Wulff

2009-02-25T08:13:00.001-05:00

Dearest Family and Friends,

It has been a long few days but last night (2/19/09) at 9:38pm eastern standard time, Beckett Allen Wulff, was born. He was 7 lbs, 14oz and 21 inches in length. It was a long, tough process (yes, even for dad) but this little bundle of joy was truly worth every minute of it!

Plenty more pics to come but wanted to send out a quick few to all of you. I know I am missing a few folks who should be on this email distribution list, so please feel free to forward this to those I have accidentally left out. Marci and Beckett are both healthy and sleeping right now. He is the calmest little guy I have ever met, which must mean he is going to take after his mother!

Keep a look out for more on the Wulff Gang blog (http://wulffgang.blogspot.com/) which will be updated in a few days.

Sleepless in Silver Spring,
Ryan (aka Dad)

Starting the Wulff Gang

2009-02-17T08:10:00.000-05:00

Us then and now...

We're going to give blogging another go. The Mr. & Ms. Adventure blog was fun, but lost steam as our adventures turned from traveling around the world to working 9 to 5 in an office. The Wulff Pack blog will pick up our story where we left off. Well, actually two years after we left off. We're hoping to use this blog to keep our family and friends who live near and far updated on our life with the new little "Lobito" who is due to arrive in two days...