Florida - part deux

We had a WONDERFUL time in Florida. We are already planning our trip there for next March. We loved Anna Maria Island and highly recommend it to all of our friends. We were at the south end, in the town of Bradenton Beach. Here we are at the beach across from our condo. Edison loved dipping his feet in the waves.








Edison likes crawling on the sand. Everything was much better after we figured out to set him down on the hard pack sand and not the soft stuff. He just likes raking it in his fingers. Eben likes to call him his "mini me." It is hard to argue with that, given data like this...
























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I love this picture of Edison at lunch. You can see his upper teeth that are coming in. He is actually getting his third bottom tooth, too, for a total of seven teeth now.
We had a super time at Busch Gardens with our friends Tommy & Shannon. They had awesome roller coasters, beautiful landscapes, and awesome animals. We loved it, even though it was a little tricky managing Edison.

I guess Edison slammed on the brakes a little hard and sent Eben through the windshield.

This is a picture from a couple weeks ago. At the Children's Museum, they have an exhibit set up for a fish shop. Here Edison is showing that he inherited the Phillips' gene for loving lobster. Grrrr.

Anna Maria Island, Florida - Spring Break

How smug should I be, writing this update from beautiful Bradenton Beach, on Anna Maria Island, Florida? We are on a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, at the entrance to Tampa Bay (mid-way down Florida on the Gulf Side). We are enjoying perfect weather (80 every day with a light breeze). The beach, as you can see in the picture below, is gorgeous. So gorgeous in fact, that Edison has tried to devour it. (He's still learning...)






The condo that we are staying at is right on the Gulf, so we have a beautiful view of sunsets and the beach. But we also have a little pool. This is super because the water in the Gulf is only 62, a little chilly for my taste - but Eben did do quite a swim in it this afternoon. Here is Edison commanding his first watercraft. The sun canopy really sold us on this quality model!













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Heading south from our condo is a long public recreation area/beach. There is a jogging path that takes you down 1.2 miles to the southern tip of the island - and the playground. Edison is now big enough to enjoy the swings...
...and the pool.
The condo also borders the water on the other side (canal or bay I think they call it). There is a nice lawn, BBQ area, picnic tables and a boat dock. This is Edison's signature move of late - the hand wave. He's almost got "high five" down.

March 2009 - Snow Again?!

Well, I thought spring was finally on its way... but I was wrong. New England got hit with a nor'easter on Sunday/Monday. We got another foot of snow. Argh! Good thing we're leaving for Florida for Eben's spring break this weekend or we'd really be going crazy. We spent the weekend trying to entertain ourselves indoors (again). This is one last picture from my visit to Seattle - Edison with his Nana.
On Saturday we visited the Children's Museum in our town. Edison's favorite toy is the bubble tube. Later, Eben made sushi for us. He learned how to do this while I was in Seattle. I guess I should leave him alone at home more often...
We also went to visit Jamie, Danya, and their daughters Ashlynn & Kayla. They just brought home a new Shihtzu puppy, Marlin, who was just five weeks old.
Finally, something smaller than Edison! But Edison still had trouble keeping up with the puppy who was already able to run across the room.
We got these for Florida - I guess Edison's future is so bright, he's got to wear shades!

Lovely Lisa

One of the highlights of our trip to Seattle was getting to visit with my best friend, Lisa. It has been way too long! Lisa & I did a day trip to artsy LaConner, on the Swinomish Channel. It was a beautiful day (for Seattle in February...).
Blue skies at last...


Edison loves Lisa, too, as you can see from the photo below.


Matt watched Edison for us so that Lisa & I could go skiing at Steven's Pass. What a guy! He even helps in the kitchen...

My mom & I also got some nice exercise in. Here she is with Edison on the Lake Sammamish Trail that is just down the hill from her house. It was great for jogging.

Snowshoe Trip

My friend Sara & I took Edison on his first winter adventure. Her family has a rustic cabin at Lake Wenatchee, on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. We wanted to go snowshoeing at the lake, but as you can see, there hasn't been much snow there this winter. So we just went for a nice walk instead. We actually did get a little snowshoeing in the next day up at Stevens Pass.
I think Edison enjoys being a snowbunny.

Sara got the fire "nuclear hot" to warm up the cabin. Guess what - Edison loves fire (like father, like son). It was hard to keep him from crawling right into it.
Edison with his great-grandmother, Bestamor.
With his Nana in the lobby of the portrait studio. We finally got a formal four-generation photo.

Quick Update

Edison & I are in Seattle and enjoying beautiful, sunny, warm (for February) weather. We are getting to see a lot of our friends and family and it is wonderful to visit with everyone. Edison has now mastered it and is quite quick.



Here we are waiting for our plane in Hartford, CT. Great hair, cupie!





Edison loves to practice standing. This is at Bellevue Square Mall indoor playground. It is amazing - tons of these soft foam toys to climb on and all in a Pacific Northwest theme.










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Getting an early start with kayaking. Not quite seaworthy yet, though.
Bathing beauty...
Edison & Colin. I met Colin's mom Ashley in our birth class. Colin was born a couple days after Edison, but has since put him to shame - weighing in a full four pounds heavier. Here, Colin is telling Edison a very funny joke - "wait, stop me if you've heard this one before..."

The Best Baby

Last weekend we went to Boston to buy a big rug for our living room. We now have a super soft rug for Edison to crawl on - found it at a super deal at Building 19 - who knew?! We also took a few family portraits of the Phillips men.

Can you see a family resemblance?



Edison gets fussy right before bed. But when you take his clothes off before getting him into his pajamas, he comes alive for a few minutes as you can see.
He can now pull up to standing in his crib and stays there with some toys (and a mat underneath) for "naked baby time." One morning last week I came in to find him with a great grin on his face. When I walked over to him I stepped in a puddle. He had stood up in the crib and peed out onto the floor - how hilarious, his first stand up pee. I'm thinking about putting a training potty near the crib so he can aim for it.
We also had a fun visit with our friends Tano & Jen. They have two daughters, Olivia & Kaela. Kaela is a year old and walking. We're hoping she inspired Edison. Olivia showed him how to ride a two-wheel bicycle, but that might be a little advanced, even for him.