Oct 31 - Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Cadel the Dragon, Senja the Puppy, and Crowder the Dog!

 Thank you Auntie Marissa and Uncle Niall for the fantastic costumes!

Oct 24-30 (Senja 10 wks)

We started off the week with Justin's first "real" Pacific Northwest cyclocross race...until now the skies have been blue and the course dry.  Today was a different story.  Stacey, Cadel, and Senja were hearty fans and cheered on the riders at a particularly entertaining and muddy section of uphill barriers.  Stacey is not sure who impressed her more: the racer who tripped over the barrier and went face-first into the mud or the photographer who dove across the wet grass and mud to get the shot.

Senja is adding more and more sounds to her coo-ing repertoire.  She is starting to figure out her hands and feet, kicking and wiggling with abandon.

Oct 17-23 (Senja 9 wks)

Senja had her 2 month appointment this week.  She weighed in at 13 lbs and is a nice even 2 feet tall, putting her at the top of the curve in both height and weight.  In this photo it appears as if most of her weight is in her cheeks!  She is holding her head up very well and enjoys being on her belly at long as we are on our belly's too, keeping her entertained. 
Cadel (at 2 years , 4 months old) weighed in at 33 lbs and is 35 inches tall.  He is in the middle of the curve for height and just above average for weight (he is holding onto his chubby cheeks, hands, and feet as long as possible!).  He may now surpass his three year old cousin Andreas, and is making progress towards catching 5 1/2 year old cousin Zach.

The infamous Augusta (aka "Gus") causing trouble, and always eliciting grins from Cadel.

We put an offer in on a house is SE Portland this week!  We are excited to have a place to call our own but it also makes this crazy move out west seem a little more real!  We'll keep you posted on whether the offer goes through.

Small challenge of the week was that our washing machine broke, overflowing with water and leaving us without a washer, and with clothes and diapers piling up.  (Crowder was unaffected by this incident.)

Oct 10-16 (Senja 8 wks)

Senja's main accomplishment for the week was figuring out that she can maximize the attention she gets from Stacey if she naps in the morning when Cadel is awake, and then is wide awake and ready for playtime during Cadel's nap.  This does not bode so well for giving Stacey a much needed afternoon nap...

Senja's second accomplishment for the week was holding her head up.  Here is a shot early in the week.  By the end of the week she was a pro.

Cadel and Justin enjoy some music time.  Cadel is becoming more and more interested in music, shouting out lyrics of his favorite song (not quite in tune yet...actually, not quite any tune yet, but all in good time).

Ah, Portland.  We packed up the gang to cheer on the runners in the Portland Marathon.  Not exactly the inspiration Stacey was hoping for to encourage her to race next year!  (Yes, Senja is with us, tucked nicely inside Justin's rain poncho.)

Oct 3-9 (Senja 7 wks)

Justin raced in his first cyclocross race of the season and his first race ever in the Pacific Northwest.  If you have a keen eye you can pick him out in the crowd..

 Stacey, Cadel and Senja cheer on the racers.

 Cadel helps Justin with his gear after the race.

Senja demonstrates her current favorite sleeping position.

Sept 26-Oct 2 (Senja 6 wks)

Phew.  I think we are starting to get the hang of this parenting thing.  Senja has switched from two feedings each night to one feeding, which allows for much more sleep for us (hurray!).

We started out the week with Stacey and Crowder going for a run (Stacey's first post-pregnancy run).  In Portland style, it was a nice drizzly morning.  Justin played Mr. Mom taking care of the kids AND baking blueberry muffins!

Cadel spends his week watching over Senja and researching the latest wind turbine technology.

Brother and sister playtime.