We finally made it to Alcatraz!

Jon, Sheree, Joanna, Katelynn, Carson, Paul and Nate at the end of a long day touring Alcatraz and San Francisco.

Katelynn enjoying the boatride back to the city, letting the wind blow through her hair.

Carson showing us that we have arrived.

For those of you who have ever gone to San Francisco on vacation and were unable to visit Alcatraz...we understand. Paul and I have made several trips to San Francisco over the years of our relationship, but due to timing constraints or sell-outs, we were never able to make it to "The Rock." My loving husband was always willing to hand me a quarter so that I could check out the island from the viewfinder. Thanks a lot. So, when our friends Jon & Sheree were coming to town, we planned ahead, started researching our trip and bought our tickets several days in advance. Of course the trip would have been a bit easier a few years ago before we had to carry a diaper bag and two kids on a boat, and up the hills of this previous penitentary. We would have been able to listen to the headphone guided tour, if we were not tending to a toddler and hungry, tired baby. At least most of the tourists were wearing headphones and did not seem to mind the echoed screams of Katelynn as she fought falling asleep. Finally, Katelynn fell asleep and Carson got tired of running though the cell blocks,so I was able to hear a bit of the tour and history of the island. It was a beautiful and clear day (somewhat rare for SF) and we enjoyed the city views of San Francisco from Alcatraz. It was tiring, but a lot of fun to spend the day in the city with our friends.

Froggy flop & caterpillar crawl.

Katelynn has started movin'! She can make her way around the room, which means we have to keep the floor free of small pieces, shoes and dog toys. Of course, we can put a perimeter of baby-safe toys around her and she will make her way over them, and head straight for Carson's shoe to suck on...gross! She has not mastered the "conventional crawl". Sometimes she gets up on all fours, rocks back and forth for a bit and then lunges with her arms toward the item she wants (The Froggy Flop). She does this move in combination with the Caterpillar Crawl, in which she reaches and stretches with her arms and drags her body behind her. Basically, she looks like a bad actor in a war movie that has been shot in the leg and has to use all of her strength and endure the pain , just to drag herself to safety.

Road Trip

We drove back from San Diego last Sunday. Reggie and the kids were snuggled in the backseat and slept for most of the 7 hour drive. We stopped for a short break for dinner and diaper changes about half way through the trip. Carson was happy to have his dog close to him in the car, except when Reggie put his head on the DVD player and blocked the movie. We were very luck that everyone did a great job and was in a good mood during the long trip home.

Katelynn's 1st USC Football Game

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fight On!

First of all, I have to apologize for the video at the top facing the wrong way...I am new at this blogging thing and not very good with computers, so I couldn't figure out how to rotate it! So, here are a couple of videos of Carson at the end of the USC football game. He tried to put up the "victory sign" like Daddy. He had a great time doing a victory dance with the band at the end of the game. Go SC!

Legoland Fun!

Carson, Katelynn and Mommy went to Legoland with Gran while we were in San Diego. Carson has such a great time walking around an checking out all the legos. His favorite part this trip was the Lego Farm. He danced to the blue grass band and had fun pushing the buttons to make the animals sing along with their sounds.

Carson's Playhouse.

Carson was so excited to see his new playhouse in Nana and Grandpa Tom's backyard. It is in a perfect spot, just under the shade of their big pepper tree (the same pepper tree that Mommy and Uncle Jason had a tree house in when they were little). Carson had a lot of fun playing with his cousins in the house and of course, his dog after everyone went home.

Gardening with Grandpa Mitch

Carson's favorite activity when we go to Grandpa Mitch and Grandma Gretchen's house is yardwork. He can't wait to run in the backyard and help Grandpa water the plants, pick up the leaves and dig in the mud. Carson was a little confused and disappointed this time when the orange tree was bare. He loved to pick as many oranges as his little arms could carry. He would bring them inside the house and then go back for more. This visit he watered not only the lawn, but the patio furniture, the windows and a little bit of Grandpa too!

Wild Adventures.

Carson, Katelynn and Mommy went to the Wild Animal Park last week while we were visiting family in San Diego. We invited Nana, Grandpa Tom, Gran and Grandpa Bill to join us in celebration of grandparent's day. We all had a great time, even though it was over 90 degrees! Carson had fun looking at the animals and called most of them "Cow....Moo" (Ever since we went to The Little Farm and fed the cows, every large animal with four legs is a cow) We even got to see a baby rhino and baby giraffes. What a great day!

Sitting Pretty.

Katelynn was sitting in the front yard a couple of weeks ago with Mommy, watching brother and Daddy ride bikes. She decided she was ready to sit up all by herself! So, here she is on her first night of sitting up like a big girl. Doesn't she look proud of herself?!?

The Sweet Taste of Summer.

Carson loves watermelon! He also makes a big, drippy mess when he eats it and refuses to eat it as little, cut up pieces. So, we have found the best way to enjoy his wedge of watermelon is outside, with only a diaper on. Afterwards he also enjoys playing with the hose to wash off his sticky snack.

Yummy food! Katelynn's first meals.

Katelynn turned 6 months old this week, so, now that she's such a big girl, she gets to start eating food. She has tried eating oatmeal cereal, but she would rather eat the spoon. Feeding Katelynn is a big production in our house, requiring a bib, a washlcoth, papertowels, a bowl and three spoons (one spoon for Katelynn to chew on, one spoon for big brother Carson to help with, and one spoon for Mommy to use to actually feed her.)

Katelynn tried sweet potatoes for her first vegetable. Here's her first bite. She chewed a bit and then looked over at her Daddy, probably wondering what Mommy was doing to her.

Oh, the joy of a boy!

I was doing laundry over the weekend and finished a load of Carson's clothes. I started to take everything out of the washer, when I noticed little brown squishy things...Raisins! Yep, I washed a pair of Carson's shorts that had an entire box of raisins in it. Not only were there gross, wet raisins in the washer, but the box had been washed and turned into little wet flakes. Gross! I guess he is officially a toddler boy, stuffing things in his pockets and I guess I better check ALL pockets from now on!

Little Farm Adventures

Last Saturday we decided to beat the heat and head to Berkeley. (It has been almost 100 degrees for the past week) Carson had fun showing Daddy all of the animals. Carson fed celery to the cows, chickens, ram, and sheep.

A Toddler and A Baby's Best Friend.

For thoses of you who have met our dog, Reggie, you must think we had him stuffed or drugged for this photo. Actually, he has gotten a lot calmer and he loves to hang out with the kids. He gets so close to Katelynn that she can touch him and pet his fur. Sometimes I find Reggie lying on the floor of her room in the middle of the night. Of course, he remains Carson's best friend and is always willing to be his climbing structure, chair, or snuggle buddy.

Poo-poo Patrol

Carson wants so much to be a big boy and help around the house. He is also a big tattle-tale. So, now when Reggie goes potty in the yard, Carson runs into the house to get a bag. No, we do not let/make our toddler pick up doggie doo. He just gets the bag for us, and then points out the target. After we pick it up, he runs ahead of us to the side of the house and waits at the trash can. What a great helper!

Naptime Twilight Zone....

First of all, I shouldn't complain. Katelynn is a great sleeper and Carson is finally taking regular naps. My problem with all the sleeping is the timing that they have chosen. Katelynn usually takes a late morning/early afternoon nap that ends around 1:30 or 2pm. Carson goes down for his nap at around 1:45pm. Are you noticing the dilemma?!? I literally go in to check and make sure Carson is asleep when I hear Katelynn stirring. So, depending on his activity level, he will rest for 1-3 hours. That means, Mommy House Arrest on most days. (No, Carson doesn't always crash out on the floor like the photo, but I thought it was a funny pic)

Warning: May cause motion sickness.

Katelynn has found the joy of "hand-me-downs". She has a great time in Carson's old jumperoo. Sometimes she seems as if she will jump right out of it!

Bathtime buddies.

Katelynn is such big girl, she can sit in her tub seat for bathtime! So, that means that Carson and Katelynn can have fun in the tub together. He shares his tub toys with her and she kicks back and watches him splash and play. He usually smacks her in the face with suds once, and we have to remind him that sister is a baby and we have to be gentle. Good thing she is such a "tough cookie". Even when he pops her in the face with bubbles, she just stares at him in awe of his every move.

Katelynn's favorite fingers.

Katelynn (who wouldn't take a bottle or a binky in the beginning) has decided that she loves to suck on her fingers. It is usually the index and the middle one on her right hand, but she has been known to "switch it up" sometimes letting in a thumb slip in, or using the left hand. When she goes to bed, I put her up on my shoulder and pat her back and those fingers pop in her mouth automatically. What can I say?, She loves them!

Our new backyard.

We are so happy to be in a great neighborhood and the kids LOVE their new backyard. We found out the second day that we needed some rules before we go outside.
Rule #1 You must eat breakfast first.
Rule #2 You must change out of pajamas and put on shoes.
And finally, Rule #3 You need a hat and sunscreen.
He constantly tried to run outside with the golf clubs or the ball from the moment he woke up. It was impossible to get him back inside, so now we accomplish those things and go out for the day.
Katelynn is enjoying the backyard as well. She likes to sit in the shade in her exersaucer and watch Carson and Daddy play basketball. She also likes to watch Carson play ball with Reggie. Sometimes we put down a blanket and she lies back, checking out the leaves blowing in the trees.

Moving day...again!

Well, after two months in corporate housing, and with all of our belongings in storage, we finally moved into our house! Carson loves to run around in the backyard and to play with all of his toys again. Reggie's vacation in San Diego ended with road trip up to the Bay Area with Paul's parents. The Mitchell Family is happy to be back together again.

Katelynn's Baptism

Katelynn was baptised on June 29th, at Grace Episcopal Church in San Marcos. The entire family was there to stand and support her on her special day. Jon and Sheree Rodgers flew down from Seattle to be named as her Godparents. Katelynn looked beautiful in her baptismal gown and reminded us of Carson. He was baptised in the same gown, less than two years ago. Paul and I purchased it Ireland (on our honeymoon) for our children to wear someday.

Carson's 2nd Birthday!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

A day at the beach

We packed up the family on Sunday and went for a drive down to Half Moon Bay. The heat wave had not quite made it out to the coast and it was pretty chilly. Carson enjoyed watching the surfers in the waves with Daddy. Katelynn enjoyed being bundled up warm with Mommy.

Zoo sounds

Carson has been practicing his animal noises. He is so silly and loves to make people laugh, so he enjoys making his noises. The elephant is his favorite (probably because it makes the biggest mess.)

What a weekend!

First of all, I am happy to say that Katelynn is happy and healthy and back at home with us. Last friday she started spitting up, I thought she just had an air bubble or something and continued to try and "burp her". She took a nap and woke up w/ spit up around her. I picked her up and she started to vomit bile. I was pretty worried, but tried to feed her a little while later, but she threw that up too. I called Paul to come home from work and called our new MD. Since we had not been to the MD in Oakland yet, they could not tell us anything but the nurse said it wouldn't be a bad idea to take her to Children's Oakland ER. We headed in about 6pm and they said she was dehydrated and they would probably need to admit her overnight. By this time she had vomited bile about 5-7 times. They tested her upper and lower intestine by xray and both came back negative for twisted intestine or flipped stomach. The tested her urine and drew blood and started an IV to give her fluids. Katelynn and I stayed in the hospital overnight and she still continued to throw up (although not as frequent). Paul's mom and my mom (otherwise now known as Thelma & Louise) drove up from San Diego on Saturday afternoon. The doctors said that it was just a virus and we had to wait it out. She started to get better on Saturday afternoon, but they wanted to be safe and kept her in the hospital until Sunday night. She is home now and still a bit tired. We went for her follow up visit yesterday and she is doing well. This horrible stomach virus has now hit all of us. Carson started it last week and was only sick through one night, I got it on Sunday am, Paul on Sunday pm, and the visiting Grandma Nannies got sick on Tuesday night! I am tired of this sickness, but SO thankful it is only a yucky virus that everyone will recover from. I thank God for our beautiful healthy children!

Rockin' and Rollin'

Katelynn has been practicing for a couple of weeks and yesterday all of her hard work paid off....she rolled over! She's not quite sure what to do when she gets to her tummy, but she keeps flipping over!

Living next to the tracks...

Finally, afer 3 weeks apart, the Mitchell family is back under one roof together. We are in a 2 bedroom apartment, corporate housing, in Emeryville, CA. We can see the SF Bay off to the left, but the main attraction for Carson is that we live less than a block from the train tracks! I am not sure who would rent an apartment this close to the noisy trains, other than a toddler. Everytime he hears a trian, he runs over to the window and climbs up in the chair to watch it go by, saying "Choo-choo!"

I have a confession

I love baby girl swimsuits! Katelynn has never been in any water but the bathtub or sink, yet she owns at least 3 swimsuits. The silly part is, I have to stop myself from buying more, because they are always so cute!

Crazy kiddo

Carson is a firecracker! He is always full of energy and loves an audience that he can entertain. He loves to laugh and make others laugh too. He plays hard and stays up as late as his little body can handle, then he crashes hard too into a deep sleep.

Happy baby

We have been blessed with such a sweet baby girl. She wants to go to sleep at night and lie down in a quiet, dark room at about 7:30pm. The best part is, not only does she sleep through the night, she wakes up with a beautiful, happy smile on her face.

Fun with the fridge

Carson found the water dispenser on Nana & Grandpa Tom's refrigerator. It was 45 minutes of cold, wet, messy fun!

First trip to Disneyland

We went to Disneyland on friday the 16th. Carson loved meeting Mickey Mouse and Katelynn slept through meeting Minnie Mouse. Carson enjoyed the Teacups and tried to help Daddy spin the cup around. Katelynn was not very excited about the 100 degree heat and spent her time in the shade with Grandma Nan while Mommy, Daddy and Carson went on Dumbo. We all enjoyed the dark, cool surroundings of the Pirates of the Carribean ride. It was a long, exciting and fun day!

Traveling to San Diego

We stayed with Jon & Sheree our last night in Seattle and littered their home with our luggage. We flew to San Diego on Thursday the 15th and checked in with 11 pieces of luggage, including
2 carseats, 2 strollers, a couple of duffle bags, 4 suitcases and a bunch of carry-on. Katelynn did a great job on her first flight. Carson is a great traveler with lots of flying experience for his age. He watched an Elmo movie and took a nap. We arrived in sunny San Diego, ready to thaw out from our chilly Seattle spring.