Milestones

Each milestone we see with Conor is bittersweet. There's the sense of accomplishment that our little boy is growing up and meeting the markers little people are supposed to meet. The first real smile, turning over, crawling and the first steps. In the moment we experience them they are amazing and unparalleled. Then we begin to look forward to that next big event. And before we know it, (if we aren't careful), our little boy won't be so little, won't be so dependent on us, and won't be providing us with as many "firsts" to look forward to.

Having said all that, there is one particular milestone I'm looking forward to being past, and that is potty training. Conor will be a year and 4 months on May 13. According to the pros it is a good time to get started on this. We have a new potty chair and we've even placed him in it to practice sitting a few times, with and without a diaper.

I know that consistency is the key to most things with kids. So here is to the next few months, with rations of patience, steady nerves, and a sense of humor for everyone.

Practicing with a spoon -

just one of the ways Conor

shows us he's growing up

International Traveler

The family was off to Victoria, B.C. on the 9th of April, passports in hand (a passport at 15 months? Wow that kid gets around).

We knew we wanted to have the car with us so we only really considered getting to Victoria by going through Port Angeles and the M.V. Coho. On a rough sailing day, the Coho can be an adventure. Even on a smooth day, about mid-point, the ferry gets a certain rhythm and rocking going so that walking through the aisles or even just standing in place requires concentrating on one's balance. We were lucky with a smooth sailing day and just a little side to side rocking. I wasn't anxious to see if Conor is the type to get seasick. Save that for some other trip.

Daddy and Conor on the Coho

I think Victoria will become a favorite place for us in years to come. It already is for me from years past visiting my grandmother. Steve and I spent 3 days there after we married, and we already have plans to go back this summer.

On our first day we coerced Madison and Ian (Mr. Conor doesn't have a say) into going to the Butchart Gardens, and we all enjoyed it. It was a beautiful day except for a few minutes of hail. Later in the day we made a quick stop by Craigdarroch Castle for some quick outside photos. Later was dinner at the Greek restaurant Millos which is just a block up from the harbor.

Going for a stroll at Butchart Gardens


With Big Bro and Big Sis at the Gardens

Conor was still teething this weekend. He got to sleep ok but he was getting us up at 5:30 both mornings we were there. I got dressed and bundled him (still in jammies) into his jacket and went for a walk down Douglas St. Not much going on at that time but we found the downtown McDonalds was open 24 hours. The first morning (Saturday) we stopped in so I could get a coffee and fill Conor's tummy with some scrambled eggs. The ladies were so nice. They offered to make the eggs from scratch instead of using the egg mix. We swapped baby stories and then Conor and I headed back to the hotel to see if anyone else was awake.

Our second day was mostly spent in Sydney, a little north of Victoria. We visited an aquarium, strolled along the sidewalks and stopped in for some lunch at a Greek restaurant. Conor and I stopped in at a thrift store and scored a $3 stroller which we'd forgotten to pack with us. Yay for thrift stores!

Later in the day mommy and daddy packed Conor off to Beacon Hill park which is a 154 acre park in the heart of the city. I used to love walks in the park here with my grandmother and remember the open air concerts we used to go to. It was wonderful to share with Conor and I hope he'll grow to love it as much as I do.

Conor going after the ducks in Beacon Hill Park

Sunday morning was another early rise with Conor and a walk down Douglas street again. We scoped out Smitty's Pancake House to see what their hours were, so we could go with the rest of the family before we had to load onto the Coho by 10:30. On our way back to the hotel we stopped in at McDonalds to see if they had apple slices for Conor's teeth. They were happy to see him again but sorry to hear we were heading home and that they wouldn't be seeing him on Monday. The graveyard shift at McDonalds must be rough. Conor's smiling face at 6:30 a.m. seemed to lighten their last hour of work.

The sail home was smooth and we took a detour through old Hwy 101 to get back to Tacoma. We packed a lot of walking, shopping, snapping photos and snacking into a few days. Can't wait to head back!

Conor checks out the hotel sink.

First post of Conor's blog

Here it is, a Tuesday evening and we're embarking on a new adventure, a blog to track Conor's development. I wish we had thought of doing this sooner to share with family and friends. But there is still so much new and exciting that our little guy is discovering each day, and so much to share with friends and family who aren't near.

Conor will turn 15 months (hard to believe), on the 13th of April, just one more week. What's occupying him most these days is a mouthful of hurt. He has molars bursting through the surface. It's rare for him to let us have a look inside his mouth, but every once in awhile we get a glimpse of what is going on in there. The four front top and bottom are well established by now. Now the first molars and incisors seem to be coming in top and bottom. The kid can't catch a break. We let him take a bottle of water to bed tonight. The cool water must have felt good against his gums. During the day he takes comfort in gnawing on apple slices and spoonfuls of cold yogurt.

We're heading to Victoria, B.C. for a 2 night stay this weekend. I'm hoping the worst of this round of teething will be over by then.