Memorial Day Weekend

I had a great Memorial Day weekend. I got to meet Lucy, mommy's good friend Jinny's daughter. She is 2 and she was lots of fun. She wanted to play with me the whole time, it was great! 

This is Jinny, I smiled at her a lot, she's so pretty!

I think mommy and Jinny had a lot of fun together. 

I'm real close to crawling! I'm just not sure if I want to do that or just go straight to walking. Standing up right now is way more fun than working on crawling.

We went down to the park to swing. That's Jason, Lucy's dad. We love our daddies, we are so lucky!

It was such a fun weekend. I especially loved how I got to spend 3 days in a row with my daddy. But soon enough I'll see him all the time because it's almost summer! School will be out and he'll be home to play! 

8 months!

Wow, can you believe it? I'm 8 months old! I eat normal foods now, well smashed up foods, but at least it's a start. My favorite is banana but I also like avocado, pears, apples and sweet potatoes. I'm trying to like peas and carrots. I stand up all the time, well with the help of some hands or a chair. I sleep better at night. I love peakaboo, I chew on anything possible because my gums are sore from something poking them. I love to feed the seagulls at the beach, go to daddy's track meets and ride on his shoulders. I like to nap in my stroller while mommy goes on her runs. I LOVE to swing at the park. I laugh all the time, love to be read to and picture books, I love my kitties and love to take baths in my own personal hot tub, the kitchen sink. 

Yeahh! I can't wait to see what 9 months is like!

Note from mom-a bit about your grandpa

Price, today was a special day for you and I. I got to take you to Mariner High School where they were having an honorary lunch for your Grandpa because he was inducted into the WA state track and field hall of fame. The lunch consisted of the current principal, current teachers and coaches who worked with him and old coaches and teachers who worked with him or coached against him for many years. It was a great group of people and most got to meet you for the first time. They all thought your name was very special. 

Even though you won't remember this lunch or know your grandpa in person, I hope through stories and memories you'll know your grandpa well and I'm confident you will. I wanted your dad to come to the lunch today but he was teaching. Even your dad was cut short in developing a strong relationship with your grandpa. He knew him but not long enough. 

Many stories were told about your grandpa. The underlying theme was how dedicated, passionate and intense he was about coaching and kids. He was tough, his teaching and coaching styles somewhat eccentric, but always effective. Another coach in his district stated it well, "the coaches who didn't know Howard, didn't like him, thought he was too emotional & intense but the many who got to know him idolized him and wanted to strive to be the coach and teacher he was." 

One thing that stood out the most to me, now as a mom, is how much time and effort he put into his job, his passion, yet he was so dedicated to his family. I brought that up and many said, "but you and Howie were with him every second." That's true. We lived at the track, spent weekends at Mariner, I got to know his students and athletes, and their families, personally. It was his life but it was ours too and we loved it. He was such a good dad but he was equally a great mentor to so many other kids. The current track coach at Mariner was one of my dad's prized runners. He stated that "Mr. Price was exactly the type of coach I needed at that time in my life. He helped shape who I am today." 

It's bitter sweet because as soon as I got married to your dad Grandpa was excited to have a grandchild. I know you won't be able to do the many things he looked forward doing with you but your dad and I will pick up the slack. We will take you fishing, take you to the zoo, dig for clams at the beach and put you on our backs when swimming. His spirit will always be with you Price and he will always be proud of you. He loved you before you were even born and loves you to this day. 

Swinging!

My new favorite thing....to Swing! Mom and Auntie Karis took me to the park at the beach today and I got to swing. I love it sooo much. I smile the entire time. 

I sure love my Auntie Karis. We have so much fun together! The only reason I'm not smiling in these next couple pictures is because I'm not so sure about my new sun hat. Mom told me I had to wear it but I'm not sure I like it all that much. 

I'm getting more hair and mom cuts hers off!

Always kissing my cheeks!

Standing

I am getting to be such a big boy. I'm almost 8 months and I think it's pretty cool to hold onto things and stand up. It's way more exciting than sitting down. Here I am standing in my crib! 

This standing thing is just way too exciting! I can't wait to walk! Mom and dad think I may just skip crawling and go right into walking. Crawling looks like it's for babies and I'm NOT a baby (well even though my shirt says I am)

Days like this...

Make me HAPPY!!! I love the sun and I love being outside. Mom and Dad took me to a park to feed the ducks and to have a picnic lunch. I had a blast. I want to do it again real soon. 

This is my duck backpack where I stashed my bread for the ducks

Mom and me having fun

Dad was tickling me!!

Time to play ball!

I love standing up!

This picture was taken that night. I think it's funny because Daddy was acting like I was his baby kangaroo. He zipped me up in his coat to keep me warm.

Boo!!

Note from mom-I pretty much have it made

It hits me sometimes how lucky I have it. I know how important it is to show gratitude and thanks. For me, to write it down, or in this case, type it out, it really makes me think about and realize how much I have to be grateful for. Besides being thankful for Price, I'd like to dedicate this gratitude journal entry to Price's grandparents. 

When I was teaching my class this morning I was telling someone about who watches Price when I am working. Not only am I lucky enough to have 1 grandparent of Price's to watch him during the week but I have a rotation of 4! Four grandparents, on a weekly basis. Monday mornings I have my mom, Tuesday nights and Wed mornings I have Kadin's mom and Fridays I have Kadin's dad. Betty, Kadin's step mom comes on Fridays as well with Andy when she isn't working full time as a nurse. She even comes up to see Price on her days off! This rotation is so great and so important for so many different reasons. Price gets to really spend time and get to know closely, his grandparents. His grandparents get to spend time with him and shower him with endless amount of love. I get to go to work and not have to worry about child care. I don't have to worry about a day care, or how to pay for a day care. I don't worry at all when I leave for 2 hours to teach my class 3 mornings a week. I get a break, a much needed break away from a baby. I miss him always and always hard to walk out the door but a necessary break for both of us. 

I just know how lucky I am, especially when I say out loud to someone who doesn't know my arrangement and they look at me like, "do you really have it THAT good?" 

Yup, I sure do....but most importantly, Price is the lucky one. He is so surrounded by so much love!!!