Our Home, the first year.

We have now been homeowners for just over a year. Here is what the house looked like when we bought it.Here is what the house looks like today.Lets take a look at how we got there.

The first major project we took on was painting the house, which we actually did last summer. The paint was in really bad shape and it required a lot of scraping. Seth did everything pretty much by himself. Last summer, as soon as Seth got home he was outside scraping the flaking paint.Our wonderful neighbors let us borrow their paint sprayer and Seth did the painting himself. Here is the house with all the windows taped off and the first coat of paint.Then finally the finished project.This summer we replaced the roof. When we bought the house we knew that the roof would need to be replaced in the next 2 or 3 years. Our insurance company however, decided that our roof needed to be replaced right away. They initially gave us 3 months before they canceled our insurance. We fought with them a bit and they agreed to extend our insurance coverage to the end of the year. At that point we either had to have a new roof or a new insurance company. Luckily, we qualified for the big new-homeowner tax credit and we earmarked that money to go straight to the roof. They completed the job a few weeks ago (it only took 3 days) and we are very pleased with the result.
There is some landscaping work that needs to be done before we are "finished" but it still makes a pretty good before and after.

Hot Day + Water Hose + Neighbor Kids

This is what summer is all about.

Grant Talking and Laughing

We filmed this the day we got back from Disneyland. (June 19, 2010)

Family Reunion - Disneyland Etc.

In June we had the Hutchings Family Reunion in Southern California. I was a little nervous before the trip because Grant was only 6-weeks old. Going to visit family is one thing, but we were going to travel on an airplane, visit Disneyland and the beach. That's a lot for a 6-week-old! But he really did great and we were able to enjoy a wonderful trip.

The Seattle-Tacoma airport has huge windows that look over the tarmac where you can watch the planes coming and going. It was a dream come true for a curious 2 1/2 year-old. The first day we went to Disneyland. Disney did a promotion where you give a day of service and get a free ticket to one of the Disney parks. Seth and I both spent a day bagging frozen carrots at a food bank cannery, so we both got free tickets to Disneyland. And our kids are young enough that they get in free. So we got the whole family in for a day at Disneyland, absolutely free! You can't beat that!

I wanted Kayla to appreciate her day at Disneyland so we looked up which movies had corresponding rides and checked them out from our local library. We did most of this movie watching in the first few weeks after we brought the baby home from the hospital. It helped with that initial adjustment period.

The first ride of the day was Peter PanThe whole family on the Storybook Land Canal Boats. (There are certain rides that I normally would consider a waste of precious Disney time, but then you go to Disneyland with a 2 year old and they are the best rides in the park!)

Kayla on Jungle Cruise
One of Kayla's favorites, Dumbo Fly

And Kayla's very favorite, Small WorldKayla was most excited to meet the different characters. The one she was most excited to meet was Tinkerbell. We waited in line for half an hour to meet her, but it was well worth it.Kayla and cousins meet Winnie the Pooh.Kayla was very excited to tell Tigger that she had a Tigger toothbrush. Tigger gave her the thumbs up.Despite her facial expressions, Kayla was very excited to meet Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.After we put the kiddos to bed, Grandma and Grandpa stayed at the hotel to watch them while the Aunts and Uncles went back to ride some of the big rides.

It was a pretty awesome day. Grant did amazingly well, happy to hang out in the sling and snooze most of the day. What a trooper.

A day at the beach.

Playing in the sandBurying Uncle Devin

Grant mostly hung out in his strollerThe rest of the week was spent bonding with family
The Family PortraitsGrandpa with the girl cousinsGrandpa with the boy cousins
It was a wonderful trip. A special thank you to two wonderful people who made it all possible. Thank you for everything Maga and Paki. I have the best in-laws a girl could ever ask for.

One Month Old and Other Happenings

Grant had his one month check up this week. Here are his stats:

Weight: 10lb 15.5 oz (75%)
Height: 22.5" (78%)
Head Circumference: 15.6" (76%)

He is healthy and developing well. He is doing a good job of "tracking" which is following objects with his eyes. He even turns his head back and forth while tracking which is really good for a five week old (we're so proud). He has a pretty easy temperment, only fussing when he is hungry, needs a diaper change or needs a cuddle. He has even let us get a 4 hour block of sleep a few times. In the last week or so Dad has gotten the first real smiles out of him!

I made sure to film Grant's "newborn cry" before it disappears.
(2 1/2 weeks old)

Cuddle time with DaddyJust a photo of an outfit I like. He looks like a little Seth.

Kayla has been an excellent big sister. Here is a video of the first time she held Grant in the hospital:

(Grant wasn't actually "nakey." He was wearing a diaper. But just a diaper is "nakey" to Kayla.)

She sings to him...


..and reads to him.


When she wakes up in the morning she wants to cuddle with him.

Here is Kayla just being herself.

Lunch at the playground with neighborhood kids

And finally, Kayla sings the ABCs with some fabulous dance moves: