I will let the photos speak for themselves…
I believe the one taken of my father was sometime around 1960. The one of Eli was taken this evening… Marissa thought the similarity was a bit uncanny.
After my last post, I think a little cute is in order …That and the fact that my dear friend Nicole Adams specifically asked for a baby Eli update, and I can’t disappoint her. Eli’s been doing a lot of traveling around the state. Over Memorial Day weekend, we all went to the cabin in Eastern Washington. We went again last weekend for Uncle Clayton’s graduation from Central Washington University.
In a couple of weekends, Eli’s looking forward to spending some time with his cousin, Hazel. They’ve practiced playing together at the cabin and it’s pretty cute, if I do say so myself.
Eli doesn’t mind the car ride. He especially likes it when there’s sun coming through the windows. Eastern Washington is good for that.
A happy kid in his carseat
Where's Uncle Clayton among all those robes?
Congratulations, Graduate! (Eli is asleep in the pack)
Enjoy the cuteness. I sure am.
Nathan and I have been pretty melancholy as of late. We’ve said good-bye to too many friends and relatives throughout April and May, and, no matter how much we celebrate their lives, their passings are really, really sad. Throughout all of this, Eli’s been amazing, and his presence shines over these moments of mourning, bringing overwhelming joy. So there’s been a lot of ups but also a lot of downs.
10-month old Eli is starting to feed himself!
Ups
I can sum this up in one word: Eli. The fact that he’s the light of our lives is pretty obvious, but please indulge me as I elaborate with a few stats. Eli is 10-months old now, and he crawls like a maniac. The kid is FAST. And he really loves being mobile. It affords him an element of independence–he can pretty much go where he wants, when he wants–and he’s having fun trying to get there. We’re on higher alert these days, but even if Eli crawls out of our sight, we can hear the ‘smack-smack’ of his hands on the hardwoods and his heavy breathing–he gets a little breathless when he crawls because he’s so excited about it! It’s hilarious! Just trust me.
Eli figured out how to crawl in earnest way back in March, but he’s just now figuring out how to pull himself up to a standing position. We’re really glad he’s not yet ‘furniture walking,’ but I’m sure that will come soon!
He’s also eating more variety of foods–pretty much whatever we’re eating but in a blended up, mushy format. His favorite foods right now are apples, pears, pancakes, and his long-time staple: sweet potato. He’s still evaluating fried rice and tofu stir-fry, but he enjoyed the chow mein. The other day, he insisted on holding his own spoon. It was a little messy, but so worth it. He’s getting his 7th tooth, and we figure we’d better save up now for orthodontics!
Other ups
After two-and-a-half months abroad, Ailey returned home for a couple of weeks before heading back to Liberia. Yeah, it’s dizzying. My sister-in-law has seen more countries and more rural parts of countries that most of us can imagine. She’s doing field work research and advancing land rights in the developing world. I’m so proud of her! So I’m looking forward to kickin’ it with her tomorrow. We’ve got a happy hour and a girls night planned. Fruity alcoholic drinks and a chick flick are in my near future. This is definitely an up!
And we’re headed to Portland this weekend to kick it with our niece. We’ll get to see Nate’s other sister and her hubby briefly, but mostly we’re chillin’ with the kids in P-town. Another up!
One more awesome thing that I can’t believe I forgot to mention before: I got Lasik!!! After more than a decade of not being able to see without my glasses or contacts, I wake up in the morning and open my eyes to… clarity! My old alarm clock used to be hitting Nate and asking for the time. Today, I just lift my head and look for myself! They corrected my vision from a -9, which is a massive correction of near-sightedness. Now I’m a +2! I [heart] Clearly Lasik in Renton. Even if they have had some drama in that office.
Downs
I’ll go in rough chronological order, since it’s easier to list. Throughout this 2011, we’ve lost a number of friends and family members.
November 2010: Uncle Carl (89) and Eli (4 mos)
Most recently and most poignantly for me, my grandmother went on to heaven on May 9. She passed, surrounded by her eight kids and many of her grandkids. I gave a eulogy on Saturday, but I think it’s still sinking in… She was such an awesome woman. I’ll post the eulogy in a separate message. And this is why I’m especially sad these days. It’s a bit cumulative, but I really miss my PoPo.
Eli and his "Tai Po," Christmas 2010
Last weekend, we packed up the truck and the kid, dropped the dog off at a friend’s, and headed to Packwood. Ailey had organized a Kaiser-kids ski weekend (sans Clayton, who had some prior commitments), and we all piled into adjoining cabins at the Mountain View Lodge, conveniently located 20 minutes away from White Pass Ski Resort.
Hazel's pretty pink ski boots
Since our small Kaiser clan is still getting the hang of packing up for a ski weekend, we were a few hours off our desired arrival time and completely missed the pizza dinner. Miraculously, Hazel was still awake to greet us at 10 p.m., and stayed awake staring and sometimes crying as Unc Nate, Aunt Ailey, Uncle Ritchie, and her dad drank beers into the late evening. Eryn managed to sleep thanks to earplugs and an eye mask, and I never really woke up from the car ride thanks to some powerful muscle relaxers. (Just my luck, the very morning we planned to leave for White Pass Ski Weekend, my back went into spasms. This is the first re-occurrence of back pain since before I was pregnant… Sigh. I REALLY didn’t miss it.)
We all managed to wake up in the morning somewhat rested (despite the fact that Eli woke up and cried several times throughout the night), and we hit the ground running with a hearty breakfast and a lot of ski and baby gear… and some baby ski gear.
Hazel and the stickers
Eli and the stickers
I learned what being a “lodge mom” is all about, and I even managed to get a little work done. The conditions were meh, so I didn’t miss much except for maybe a beer in the ski yurt. What I got to enjoy instead was some really precious time with Eli and Hazel, and I don’t regret not skiing. Eli is enamored with his big cousin Hazel, and Hazel shared her toys, her books, and her stickers with Eli.
Hazel also had a big milestone that day: she skied for the first time without anyone holding her. Brian said he almost shed a tear, right there on the magic carpet. We were all very proud.
But the most precious moment of the weekend had to have been that evening. We were all back at the lodge chilling, relaxing and getting dinner ready, while the kids played around. We decided to set Eli next to his aunt and his cousin and this cuteness ensued. I LOVE this video!
Oh, and in case you haven’t had enough, here’s some more:
"Baby E-ii, I love you!"
Eli thinks his cousin is SO cool
Happiest kids ever
It’s been a FULL 6 months. Heck, just this past one month has been crazy… But FUN. How can you not have fun with this kid?
Eli's first Christmas
In the month of December, we went to Hawaii, Eli tried solid foods and made a sometimes-transition to formula, we celebrated Christmas with the Kaisers (a week before real Christmas), we celebrated Christmas Eve at Auntie Terry and Uncle Benson’s house, we hosted Christmas Day at our house, and then we snuck off to the Kaiser cabin to be antisocial for New Years Eve.
Eli's Hawaii outfit
Waikiki Beach is awesome
Our cowboy got a horsey for Christmas
... and a Chariot!
Ready for the snow!
Happy New Year's Eve!
It’s now January, and according to Eli’s 6-month check up (about a week ago), he’s in the 98th percentile for height, the 50th percentile for weight, and the 50th percentile for head circumference. We have a tall kid!
He’s enjoying the new, neat adventure of eating solid foods and drinking from a sippy cup.
And he’s started sitting up (almost) on his own. We didn’t know it, but Eli was days away from cutting his first tooth during the filming of this video. Now looking back, it makes perfect sense.
This is late… Way late. As in almost a month late…
We visited Hawaii at the beginning of December.
Here’s a picture of Eli on the way over:
When does this flight end?
Regardless, we had a great time. Saw friends and family and enjoyed the sun and the waves. I really enjoyed hearing the newscasters telling everyone to bundle up as it was going to be in the low 70′s during the morning. The ended the broadcast by looking at one-another and saying “Brrrrrrr”
70 degrees? This place is P A R A D I S E
Eli Likey
Eli enjoyed pool time!
A Hawaiian Christmas:
Meeting Chris and Tanya’s newborn, Zack:
BFFs Forever.
Can’t Beat an Island Sunset
Heading over the Pali Highway
Not a bad view from the top of the world!
Surrounded by Beaches
When do we head back?
We returned from Texas the Monday before Thanksgiving, which as many may recall was the #snOMG “apocalypse.” That was the storm that shut down Seattle and left us stranded on the plane on the tarmac for over four excitement-filled hours. It was an interesting ending to an amazing trip through the heartland of Texas.
Boots and Hat at the Ready: Texas Bound
We saw family, had dinner with friends, went two-stepping (poorly) and enjoyed a lot of what makes the Lone Star State what it is. Once we landed in Texas we were off and running on what would become a 1,007 mile odyssey from Houston to Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Blanco, Seguine, Yoakum, Victoria and back to Houston. Eli was fortunate to meet cousins (some once removed, others twice, and a few that were even more than that), friends, aunts, uncles, great aunts and his great grandfather.
My parents had invited us to join them on this trip to see everyone under the auspices of making the “Night at Old Pearl City: dance at Turner Hall.” We were promised lots of Polka and Texas two-stepping, and we were not let down! Marissa and I had a great time and enjoyed every minute of the dance, though our feet are a bit worse for wear… (I simply can’t dance).
For a run down of the itinerary:
Tuesday, Nov 16th: Fly into Houston. We were looking forward to seeing Jap and Louise Lott and we ended up staying with their daughter Cindy and her husband Mark. It was 80-degrees in Houston and beautiful clear skies.
In good hands!
At some point I will share stories about Jap and Louise. A few years ago they celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary and are simply an amazing and inspirational couple. He was a fighter pilot in WWII in the Pacific and generally quite the hell raiser. They are kin through my Grandpa who grew up in Yoakum, Texas (my parents are both from the same small town).
Wednesday: We are off to Kerrville to see my Aunt Sharon. She is my mother’s sister and was amazing with Eli. Simply put, it is the highlight of my trip to spend time with Aunt Sharon.
Eli meets Aunt Sharon
Thursday: Off to Fredericksburg, which was the “vacation” of this vacation. It is a beautiful town that was originally settled by Germans and retains a lot of the history and offers delicious German food. It is quite the tourist area now. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to go into the Nimitz Museum. We will definitely take Eli in the near future.
Friday: Fredericksburg to Yoakum by way of Blanco and Seguin… The joke during the trip was that if we had 7 minutes of free time my mother was certain to call some distant relative and let them know we would be visit’n (correct spelling).
We stopped by to see my second-cousin-once-removed Carl in Blanco and his 46 cats. Carl was part of the initial wave of US soldiers to land on the beaches at Normandy. After the war, he was an executive with the Red Cross and worked all over the world. Side note, their daughter was born in Korea and they actually had Texas soil underneath the birthing table so that she could be born a Texan. Marissa and I did the same thing with Eli, but didn’t know that we were following in other’s footsteps.
I have met Carl before and thoroughly enjoyed seeing him again. While his health is failing, he was gracious, funny and whip smart and seemed to take quite a liking to Eli. Eli also took quite a liking to Carl and his cats.
Then it was off to dinner in Seguin at a huge colosseum built to the mastery and worship of the almighty catfish! (Sadly, catfish is the only thing I am allergic to so I didn’t have any.) The onion rings were great and the beer was cold and delicious. We were also able to introduce Eli to my cousin Benji, his wife Phoebe and their daughter Bentley who is a week and half older than Eli.
Cold and refreshing: Shiner Bock: D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s
Then we were off to Yoakum.
Saturday: Trip into Victoria to see my Mom’s side of the family:
Aunt Linda, cousins Meredith, Wendy, Jake and their respective kids and friends for amazing BBQ. Marissa and I went for the sampler plate which included ~4 lbs of meat and a pickle (as I recall).
Saturday Night: DANCE TIME
The whole family started to arrive, my sister and brother-in-law Ailey and Ritchie Hughes, Aunt Kay, Uncle Mike, cousins Rachel, Jen, Josh, Courtney, Tommy, Aunt Corliss and Uncle Owen. The list goes on and on and on. It is simply too much fun seeing everyone.
Eli knows his Aunt Ailey!
We drank, we danced, we caught up, we admired Eli. Eli actually got to go to the dance, though he ended up sleeping under the table… (is that in the parenting books?)
Cousins Jen and Josh: Pearl Beer: $0.50 / can: Just the right price.
Sunday: We had an early Thanksgiving at my Cousin Courtney’s place and Eli got to meet their six horses, five or so dogs, and ~20 cattle. Needless to say he was thrilled!
They prepared an amazing spread and it was fantastic getting to sit down and enjoy the time with everyone.
Monday: Back to Seattle (via Houston)
The flight was interesting to say the least.
2 hour mechanical delay in Houston
4 hour flight – no problems
1.5 hour delay as the jetway was broken and they couldn’t move it to the plane
1.5 hour delay as the tow comes to get us, which then gets stuck in the snow
45 minute delay as no one made it to work and there wasn’t anyone to operate the working jetway
45 minute delay waiting for luggage
A patient and easy going kid… PRICELESS
The happiest people on the plane!
—————–
It was an amazing trip and we had a great time. However, it wouldn’t have been possible without my folks. They were great, watched Eli, put together the trip, and just made sure it happened. It was awesome. Thanks Mom and Dad!
Great onesie and an even better hat!
The good
Today, this gorgeous spring Friday, is the fifth anniversary of our engagement, which we usually try to celebrate with a festive dinner at the Wing Dome.
The bad with the good
Today I woke up with stomach cramps that escalated into intense abdominal pains as soon as I stepped out of bed. As I stood, keeled over the bathroom counter, I realized that this day may not go as planned. I made my way back to bed and asked Nate to call the doctor. We were booked for a 9 a.m. appointment soon thereafter. Let me tell you, the time between the 7 a.m. initial pains and our appointment felt like ages.
The good news is that Dim Sum is fine. The baby’s heart rate is strong, my body is giving no indication that I’m going into any sort of early labor, and the kid is still moving like crazy–kicking and punching me every couple of minutes. But I’m not doing so great. The pains were concentrated on my right side, and until mid-morning, they were acute and intense. Even now at 11 p.m., there’s still a constant, dull pain that is sapping my energy.
I didn’t make it into work, I wasn’t allowed to eat anything until after my 3 p.m. ultrasound, and I’ve been in a state of uncomfortable pain for the whole of it, but we salvaged the day with some fun and funny highlights, even if I didn’t get all that exuberant about any of it:
View from the Polyclinic OBGYN office
The view from my doctor’s office is gorgeous. And the day was amazing… it couldn’t have been a more beautiful day.
On our way home, we picked up my new skis from the shop, and they’re pretty awesome. I can’t wait to try them out, and I’ll have the perfect opportunity in Whistler next week.
New tele skis: K2 Gotbacks
When we got home, the cantaloupe that I had set on the counter prior to departure was nearly completely gone. Galt had jumped up on the counter, rolled the melon off of it, and had consumed a good 3/4 of it before we got home. When we arrived, he was so proud of his partially eaten melon.
Proud dog and his melon
I slept for a good part of the afternoon… something that I never do on a typical weekday. Sure, it was a coping mechanism for not being able to eat and being in pain, but a nap in the sun is still nice.
Finally, we did make it out to our engagement anniversary tradition. We went to the Wing Dome for dinner, and it was just as bad and good as it always is.
It’s March! This year is FLYING by. Admittedly, I haven’t kept up with my resolution to update this blog more regularly, but I hope you’ve found what has been posted somewhat interesting. March is typically a good month for the Kaisers:
We got engaged five years ago, March 19, in New York City. It was a gorgeous spring day–one of the first days of the year where you could feel the warmth of the sun–and Nate and I took the opportunity to walk through Central Park. He surprised me along the trail, one bend before the MET, with a ring and a proposal. We both cried. Of course, I accepted.
Six years ago, March 19, we found ourselves out late after honoring the victims of the Madrid subway bombings. Nate had emailed his contacts list, saying he had reserved Westlake Park and would be standing with a lit candle to show his solidarity to those in Madrid and to take a stand against terrorism. Over 400 people showed up, including the Canadian Vice-Consulate to Spain. It was covered by a number of the major T.V. stations, and we were both overwhelmed by the power of human fellowship and community. We ended up watching Nate’s interview on the news while eating buffalo chicken wings at the Wing Dome. And it’s become an annual tradition, especially because it now also marks the day of our engagement.
Our wedding took place on March 25, four years ago. After basking in the glow of Ailey and Ritchie’s wedding, we’re reminded of our special day and look upon it with incredible fondness. One of the best days of my life, hands down.
We’re establishing a tradition of spending our anniversary in Whistler, B.C. 2010 will be the third year in a row that we spend March 25 in Canada, and I’m really looking forward to it! This year, we’re taking our 1.5-year-old niece and her parents with us. We can’t wait to show the Barkers the Blackcomb Glacier, the Peak to Peak chair, and the expansive Whistler Village. It’s only 2.5 weeks away, and the last time I skied was at Ailey’s bachelorette party. I hope I’m in OK shape to ski three days in a row! Dim Sum loves to ski, by the way 
Here’s some pics of my last ski excursion, the mayhem that ensued when off the slopes, and the gorgeous wedding that took place joining Ailey and Ritchie as husband and wife:
Two years ago, today, Nate and I were married. We still have fond memories of our wedding celebration, and we’ve built so much together since then. Our wedding day holds so much significance, but in the grand scheme of things it’s just a reminder to spend some time together and do something we enjoy.
We’ve yet to develope a tradition for our anniversary. Granted, this is only our second, but we’ve managed to create some rather interesting other traditions in our short time together. For example, every year on March 19, we go to the Wing Dome and have wings and beer for dinner. That’s probably the only day of the year you’ll find us at the Wing Dome, but it’s an awfully fun tradition.
It all began four years ago, after the tragic bombings in the Madrid train station, March 11, 2004. Nathan had been in Madrid a few months prior to that day, and having been a New Yorker only blocks away from the twin towers on 9/11, Nate felt a strong emotional connection with those in Spain. He took it upon himself to reserve Westlake Park in Downtown Seattle for a memorial service on behalf of the victims of the bombing, and he invited his contact list to join him. (Nate has about 1500 names in his address book, so word got around pretty quickly.)
By the time the evening of March 19 rolled around, news crews had been alerted, print and t.v. reporters were on site, and the Canadian consulate of Spain had contacted Nate and asked to participate. Someone had created a PowerPoint presentation on their laptop, counting down the near-200 victims. In all, over 400 people joined together in Westlake Park to commemorate those who lost their lives due to terrorism in Madrid. Together we heard Madrid-natives speak of their fondness for their home-city; together we paid tribute to Spain; together we contemplated the awful effects of terrorism. We stood in the square, and in silence watched as the PowerPoint ticked down the 191 victims.
After that moving event, Nate and I were famished. The only place open and serving food near my house was the Wing Dome on Greenwood. We walked in, ordered some wings, some battered mushrooms, and some beer, and asked Wing Dome to turn on channel 5. We watched Nate on the 11 o’clock news and toasted to what would become an annual tradition.
–annual tradition except for the next year when we were in New York. Nate proposed in Central Park on a sunny, spring day, March 19, 2005.