Canada Fish Camp 2008

• Case of beer in Canada - $40
• 1100 mile round trip drive gas cost - $400
• 3 days of snow, 2 days of rain, 1 day of sleet - Rough
• Catching and eating big time walleye and pike for a week while camping on your own island in pristine wilderness - Priceless!

After a five year absence, Tim was finally able to rejoin John Wolff (above) and his Michigan crew for their yearly May fishing trip to Missinaibi Lake in Ontario, Canada. You never know what to expect in northern Canada in early spring...let's just say that both the fishing and the weather were unbelievable (until you check out the pictures below)!

http://picasaweb.google.com/TimCarlson1/CanadaFishingMay2008

May is a month for celebrations....

It's been quite a month already! We've remained steadily busy over the past few weeks celebrating mother's day,graduations, showers, christenings, welcome homes, and Memorial Day. Phew!

Aside from the rainy weather, Erika's first mothers day was just perfect! She sure received the royal treatment by getting a chance to sleep in (until 9am! Wow! So gone are those noon "mornings!") and waking up to fresh coffee and her favorite breakfast of eggs, bacon, and bagels. Life doesnt' get much better than that....well, actually, yes, it does. After abandoning our original plans to head to DC due to the weather, we instead did want only made sense: oysters and beer and Ella at McCormicks. Ella seemed to know that it was all about mom that day because she was just perfect at the restaurant; wonder if that had anything to do with this:

Seems like it's not just Tim and Erika who enjoy a nice frosty Guiness.....

Erika shows up her new mother's day shirt

The family

And, we're so proud of Grant, Erika's brother, who endured many challenges yet met such a great accomplishment! Erika and Ella joined the Buehrig's in Richmond for the VCU commencement ceremonies where Grant received his college degree. Erika fell in love with Richmond (again) and the whole family had a great time - we enjoyed some fabulous restaurants in honor of Grant and used some down time for some Carey Street shopping. Below are a few shots capturing the graduation weekend:

Grant with his proud parents

The Graduate!

Grant, Erika, and sleeping Ella

Well, the weekend didn't end in Richmond. Erika and Ella headed back to DC Saturday night to catch some zzz's and attend the baptism of Sara and Eric's little girl, Alli on Sunday in Washington, DC. It was a beautiful mass and Alli was good throughout it all! A delicious luncheon followed at Sara's sisters home where Erika enjoyed some girl time catching up with her friends and Ella enjoyed picking bows off Claire's head ;). Here are a few pictures of the party:

Sara and Eric and with their little baby Alli

Ella and Amy (expecting her first little one in September)

The little ones sporting their new bows from Sara....sitting from oldest to youngest: Ella, Claire, Alli, and Anna

4 mommies and 4 babies

Ella "sharing" her spoon with Claire who in turn just sucks on Ella's hand.

Phew! What a party! Nap time with Sandra.

Now, you're all probably wondering "boy, there sure is alot of talk about Ella and Erika. Where's Tim!??!" Well, that's a good question. Even with maps and the assistance of Google satellite pictures, Erika couldn't have tracked Tim down if she had to! Let's face it, how does one locate someone in the middle of nowhere Canada where not even cells phone work (yes, yes, it's hard to imagine life with no cell phone these days!)??!!!?! Tim was enjoying a fantastic week in Canada fishing with his buddies and roughing the great outdoors. With no electricity (clarification: no lights, no TV, no HEAT), no running water (clarification: no toilets, no showers), Tim was indeed roughing it but enjoying every minute of it - it was a man's paradise; stories (elobrated, so sure) over the campfire, catching the meals of the day (oh walleye!), guzzling Canadian beer (Kokanee); and just taking in Canadian nature (it was a winter wonderland full of snow)! For some amazing pictures of his adventure, click here. As much as he was missed back home, we know it was a trip he's been looking forward to for sooooo long; besides, Erika held down the fort with no problems....but with a little assistance from Mary Ann and Rick (and Stevie!)!

After a busy weekend and a busy first start to the week, it was so nice to have the Carlson's come down to visit and help out a bit. Plus, what a treat for Ella! She just laughed and smiled at her grandparents the entire time! And of course our Coopman loved having Uncle Stevie over for some sleep overs. Rick helped Erika groom Cooper and kept the dogs walked and happy while Mary Ann did what she does best....organize our "garden!" Well, more like our patio which had been invaded by endless pots of flowers that were planted.....evidence to the fact that we went a bit overboard at the nursery. Oops. But with a little help and a little cleaning, the patio has been transformed and is finally in working order!

Getting clean by Grandma

Car ride with Grandpop and the two doggies

And finally, Erika and Ella excitedly welcomed Tim home on Saturday by surprising him at the airport. Well, let's clarify that statement. Erika was excited but Ella wound up falling asleep while waiting for her daddy and took some coaxing and prodding to get her to wake up! But once the grogginess left her, she couldn't have been a more happy baby to have her daddy home again!

Hey daddy! Welcome "BACK!" I've missed you!

Tim's return home was planned perfectly so we could all enjoy the Memorial Day weekend together - an intended low-key weekend was like icing on the cake for us. The weather was on our side, too and we enjoyed some great outdoor activities like a hike at Turkey Run and the season's first visit to the pool. We know, we know, there's been all this talk about this trip and that party and this dog and that fish but what about ELLA!!?!? Yes, yes. It's true. There are things to blog about outside of that precious little baby of ours! Ha. But don't worry - she was along for all the adventures and or course always and will always remain the center of our attention. She is the love of our lives!

Hiking at Turkey Run

Ella's First Pool Day!

Little baby at the BIG table

We found this picture quite humorous from Sunday night dinner at the Mercantini's. Apparently setting the table includes setting up Ella, too. While we were all finding our drinks and getting ready to head to the table, little Ella just sat patiently waiting for everyone to join her. This sight gave everyone a good little chuckle but it will also remind us of the first time Ella really sat with US at the dinner table...how neat it was to look next to us to see our little daughter enjoying the dinner conversation. And did she ever! She was just perfect and was thoroughly entertained by her inclusion to the "adult" table.

Milk mustaches are so over-rated!

Peas. Does the body good.

She may still be in size 2 diapers, but our little Ella is changing and growing every day now and with that comes a lot of new discoveries, interests, and new-found abilities. It's certainly begun to keep her parents a little more aware of the environment....those chubby arms look little but boy can they reach! Everything seems to be in grasping range for Ella who puts any and everything in her mouth, particular items that are off limits....plastic bags, sharp items, and so forth. It's all fair game for her if she can get to it. Consequently, we are well aware that our little one has entered the world of object permanence which makes it more difficult for us to take those off limit (but oh so desirable!) items away from her without an accompanied whine, pout, or short-lived tantrum! She is her mother's daughter; she knows what she wants and will have her "moments" to let us know it. Also, interestingly enough, Ella is displaying object permanence with people, too. Erika might pass through the room and Ella will whine for her or she'll see Cooper or Daddy in one area of the house and look for them once they're out of sight. It's so interesting to watch all this unfold! If only we were all mind readers to know what was going on in that little brain of hers...

So here we are, the first day of May and thus time for an April recap:

• Selfishly, Erika gets to gloat.....she's finally finished with the spring semester of school! It's time to enjoy the spring and summer and not think once about school work, assignments, readings, papers, presentations, etc, etc......ah.......so nice
• Back to Ella (of course): She sits up!
  
• Cereal, sweet potatos, carrots, oh my! Ella wears, er, eat solids!
• Those ten little fingers have become so coordinated now. Batting at toys is like yesterdays news; her mastery of picking up objects has expanded so much along with her ability to pass an object back and forth from one hand to the other. Plus, she's starting to "pinch" at smaller items which suggests she's learning how to use that little thumb of hers.
• Snap n Go is for babies....with a little extra padding for her head, she's graduated to the jogging stroller now so Erika can start running with her little one.
  
• We got the beat. Well, Erika doesn't. Tim might. But Ella sure does! Play some music and she'll move and get jiggy with it! Sounds of music and instruments are true motivators and sources of inspiration for Ella to get into the groove.

Below are some pictures that highlight April.....

Ella and Erika headed to Charlotte to visit Shea and Brady.....here are the babies palling around...

Jackson just doesn't know what to make of Ella! Hanging out with Andrea and her little guy.

In Williamsburg enjoying the nice warm weather and her new sun hat. All pretty in pink.

First boat ride! The breeze sure is messing up my hair!

Pacifiers seem to be over-rated, too. I sucked on this thing for a good 3 minutes.

For some additional pictures from the month of April, click here.

Chillin' At Six Months

At Ella's 6 month appointment today, we (i.e. Erika) was reminded that Ella is no longer an infant but now a baby. Ouch. Those are sensitive words for a mommy who can't believe how quickly her little girl is growing! However, we were also reminded that plenty of fun times are ahead - we'll be introducing Ella to solids (rice cereal) over the next few days and are really excited to see how Ella takes to the new substance! Next on the list is pureed vegetables and fruits - guess we'll be wiping the dust off that blender we received in '04 and start putting it to major use now! Maybe blenders and food processors should be a baby registry gift instead of a wedding gift? Hmmm.
Not that we as parents like to brag about little E, but we will....another super clean bill of health for out little one. Not too many changes in height and weight from her 4 month appointment but this is natural since babies start slowing down on the growth spurts for a little bit now. So at 16.6 lbs (60%) and 27 inches (90%), we've got a nice looooong baby! Developmentally she's doing great, too - we know what you're thinking...."but didn't she JUST roll over like yesterday?" Well, yes, this is true. But Dr. Weinstein assured us that gross motor skills are not nearly as important as her FINE motor skills, of which she's right up to par with. Phew. We would like to point out that Ella has mastered sitting up seriously in just the past two days. On Monday she was still a bit unsteady and then as of yesterday the difference is her stability was amazing. She no longer needs our help to hold her up and she's coordinated enough to brace herself with her hands when she starts to teeter over. It's pretty remarkable and so fun to watch her realize that there are other positions besides her back and tummy....she's embracing a whole new perspective!
Can we tell we're so proud of her?!??!

Check it - I'm sitting up all by myself!

Hey, mom! Am I cute or what?

What strong arms I have!

At the doctor's office for my 6 month appointment.

With my mommy

I suck my thumb when I get sleepy

Getting dressed after the "weigh-in"

I'm happy now but only because I don't see the tray of shots behind me....

Ohh! This is a good one! Now daddy and I really do look alike! Doesn't he know not to get too close after I eat? Nice milk mustache, dad. Pass that burp cloth, mom; dad needs some help over here.

Better Late Than Never

Phew. And we thought it would never happen. Just too bad we missed seeing it in action! This morning Ella officially rolled over for the very first time. Yes, yes. Most babies roll over around 3 months and yes, Ella is just about 6 months but who's counting anyways? We suppose Ella just had so many things to "say" and do to enlighten us that she was just saving the best for last! Why give it all away if you don't have to?!!?! And so, what a tease since neither of us saw it......Tim was out walking Cooper and Erika stepped out of her room for seconds (literally to grab something off the chair right outside her room) and low and behold, one "second" she was on her back and the next second she on the tummy. Erika did a double take and then just gasped, not believing she had missed the moment we've been waiting for so long! Ah, the little Ella!

Now, in case any doubt remains that Ella is not her daddy's little girl, you'll have to view this video. It's one thing to look like her daddy, but it's another thing to act like her daddy....let's just say we'll have to start hiding the beer once she becomes mobile!

Also, we're so thrilled for our friend's Andrea and Greg who had their first little baby on April 1st! Jackson Wyatt made his way into the world and is quite the little cutie. Ella and Erika made a visit last week to meet the little guy and congratulate the new parents....Congrats!!!!

Andrea and Erika with their babies

Erika meets little Jackson

Ella is so big next to Jack!

The happy new family of three...!

Here are a few more pics from the weekend. We took a break and had oysters and wine with Sandra and Shaun at Old Ebbitt, one of the best places in DC for oysters and a real treat for us! It was an early evening for us though since Tim had to get back to Ella and Erika had to get to bed to get some rest for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler run on Sunday. It was Erika's first night away from Ella (!!! And Tim managed great!!!) while she stayed at Meredith's so they could get up bright and early on race day. Although it was rainy throughout the race, the girls faired better than they thought and crossed the finish line feeling great! We met Sandra and Shaun for brunch at Whitlows for a post race celebration (sausage and eggs never tasted so great!). Now we're ready for the GW Classic at the end of the month! Wahoo! Let's just hope it's dryer weather...!

Sandra and Ella

The runners

Shaun, Sandra, and the ham, er Ella