Merrick Paul

We went to a birthday party which gave me a reason to dress up Merrick. He is so funny; his laugh is contagious. And he's very into his own voice these days. I hope you get to snuggle him before he realizes it's not cool to snuggle... hopefully that day never comes.

A special playmate!

It only took a few minutes for Merrick to absolutely love playing with Grandpa. Once he checked him out and realized he was full of hugs and kisses, he snuggled right in to Grandpa.

Weston is majorly into Rescue Heroes. He starts shaking when they come on television in the evening. It's his 'special privilege' to watch with his dad. Well, this weekend Grandpa was in on the excitement and Weston loved him here. He talked his ear off and tired him out. Grandpa was an amazing playmate... not to mention chef! Thanks Grandpa, we love you.

Who's that baby?

He kept himself entertained with this mirror...

Kissing his reflection.

Merrick is full of new moves this week at 9 months. He's not 'crawling' but moves as quick as can be with his arms and every once in a while, a leg. He's pulling himself up on the bathtub, sofa, and taking quite the initiative when he wants something. He's pretty big, 25lbs, 32 inches... and loves food.

Rhododendron Garden

We had some amazingly sunny and warm days this week! Which means lots of outdoor adventures, happy kiddos, yielding happy moms...

This garden is only a few minutes from our house but it feels like you're in a different world. It's beautiful, even when the rhododendrons aren't in full bloom. Weston likes the trails so much we brought his girlfriend Kaitlyn back after we'd been twice this week.

Although it's still a bit muddy... hence the pulling of the dirty pants (he tried to take them off numerous times). He's a quirky one!

These days...

These days are so much fun... and challenging, transforming, frustrating, tiring, joyful, hilarious... you get my point. Merrick is starting to hold his own with his brother; not quite the 'easy' baby he once was, but incredibly wonderful. They both admire their dad a ton. From the second they hear the door open in the evening, they both start freaking out to spend time with dad. I don't blame them...

The best day with Dad

It is the greatest feeling to know your son loves something just as much as his dad. It makes me especially excited for Ryan. To know he and Weston both love to 'Shred the mountain' together is definitely special. But what's even cooler is how confident Weston is becoming, watch these little videos...

In this case (and many others), like father like son!

A beautiful 'break'

Who scored on this trip? I think it's fair to say all of us... Ryan and I started our weekend with a refreshing plane ride where we actually finished sentences, thoughts and conversations, without interruption. We even closed our eyes. Now those of you without children probably wouldn't think much of this, but fellow parents, you totally understand.

After a few days of catching up with many friends whom we miss so much in our old stomping ground, we headed out by ourselves for a couple of days. My husband definitely made me proud. South Coast Winery in Temecula was perfect. Breathtaking views, cozy villas, and quality time together was exactly what we'd been craving.

Now as far as the boys... I know Weston was on cloud 9 with Grammy's attention days on end. Merrick wouldn't leave her arms when we returned. And Grammy you ask? I'm sure she's been sleeping since we dropped her off at Amtrak this afternoon. She's our hero. xoxo