The Van Inwegens

2011-09-10T23:47:00.001-07:00

All good big brothers give their sisters kisses.

2011-09-10T23:46:00.001-07:00

This is the breakfast scene I walked into the other day. Just the family reading the newspaper.

2011-09-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

As the innings rolled on, Ian found fun ways to entertain himself with the baby bjorn and Nunu's water.

2011-09-10T23:40:00.001-07:00

Josie had fun at the game too, but her excitement was expressed through sleep.

2011-09-10T23:38:00.001-07:00

Nunu and Pops made a trip over to Seattle for an early birthday present with the Mariners. This was Ian's first trip to the ball park. Upon entering the stadium, he ran up to the railing to take in the view. It turned out to be a wonderful night.

2011-08-26T01:39:00.001-07:00

Welcome Josephine Paige to the Van Inwegen family! She was born at 10:21 pm, 7 lbs 5 oz, and 20 inches tall on August 25th.

2011-08-25T12:04:00.001-07:00

Jackie's water broke at 6 this morning, so we are hanging out in the hospital waiting for Josie to show up.

2011-07-30T11:44:00.001-07:00

Closets make for great jungle gyms.

Making His Mark

2011-07-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

Upon entering his room this afternoon, I found our little artist had taken it upon himself to put his water color set to good use. I snapped the below as he was putting on the finishing touches.

Baby Picasso poses proudly.

The overview of his masterpiece. Next, we'll let him paint the nursery.

2011-07-14T21:11:00.001-07:00

It was a balmy 58 degrees with a little drizzle. In spite of the irregular July weather, we had fun at the brief farmer's market this evening.

2011-07-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

As we get the nursery ready for Josie, Ian takes her bedding and crib for a test drive.

2011-07-06T23:40:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure who had more fun at the Snoqualmie 4th of July party.

2011-06-12T23:14:00.001-07:00

Mr. Cool and his mom unwind at the bar.

2011-06-12T23:11:00.001-07:00

The little dude is stoked for summer!

2011-06-04T13:41:00.001-07:00

Ian has graduated to a new bed and loves it! He is so tiny in it, but he's preparing for his sister's arrival. He has yet to come visit us in the middle of the night, but I'm sure it will happen before the summer ends. And when he does sneak in and wake me up, he is going to scare the begeezes out of me.

2011-05-29T19:51:00.001-07:00

Dillon, Ian, and Will hanging out in Manito's Lilac Garden.

2011-05-27T10:55:00.001-07:00

With his sister arriving in August, Ian is quite excited to get a new bedroom. He took the initiative and moved a lot of the stuff himself. Here's a picture of him loading stuff into the storage unit he rented.

2011-05-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Mom and her kids.

2011-05-25T17:44:00.001-07:00

The winds of change are blowing, and Ian got a nice upgrade. Will the 11 hour sleeping habits remain each night? We will soon see.

2011-05-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally arrived, and our little Zag is on the run.

Van Inwegen Dance Party

2011-04-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone seems to laugh like this when Andy pulls out his dance moves.

Her First Official Post

2011-04-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

We thought it was about time to post a few pictures about Baby Van 2.0. Her debut is scheduled for August 18th but if she is anything like her brother, it could be late August. And yes, it is a girl.

Outside (22 weeks)

Inside (20 weeks)

Random Pictures

2011-04-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures that we have taken over the last several months:

Supportive Parenting

2011-02-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

This is a true example of wonderful parenting...laugh at your child falling repeatedly:

All You Need Is a Box

2011-02-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

Ian enjoys a box and the packaging. It sure made a mess but provided more entertainment that you can imagine:

Brushing Teeth

2011-02-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

If only Ian enjoyed our brushing of his teeth as much as he enjoyed his attempt at brushing:

Fall and Winter Pictures

2011-02-02T21:38:00.001-08:00

Below is a combination of pictures from Halloween through January...yes, we are on top of it! Enjoy.

Some aliens landed at our house last night

2010-12-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

Latest Tricks

2010-11-16T21:26:00.000-08:00

After watching the seals perform at the aquarium, Ian decided to learn a few balancing tricks of his own. He has perfected this trick:

He has also decided to try out for Broadway to sing his rendition of Old McDonald...we think he has a pretty good shot:

Do Huskies and Broncos Get Along?

2010-10-17T15:44:00.001-07:00

October Vacation

2010-10-17T15:10:00.000-07:00

Hello! We just returned from 11 days on the east coast visiting the Crawfords in Greenville, SC and the Waters and Abells in Long Island, NY. All were wonderful hosts and we had an amazing time. Ian was an awesome little traveler and is still catching up on sleep several days later. There were so many great pictures that we wanted to share so we put the best into an album in addition to a other few pictures from the fall.

2010-10-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

We packed our bags, and flew 2,229 miles to Greenville, SC to visit our wonderful friends Adam, Rachel, and Sophia Crawford. We are having a great vacation thanks to our hosts. We may become permanent roommates.

Bath Time and Meal Time

2010-08-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

A couple cute videos of the little dude from the last couple days:

Aquarium Play Date

2010-07-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last month, Ian ventured to the Aquarium with some friends that snapped the below photos of the little dude. They have some pools where you can get your hands wet and explore the wildlife. Ian assumes it's bath time and splashes about accordingly.

This photo was snapped about 3 seconds before Ian illustrated that a starfish can indeed fly. And, coincidentally, they stick to people's faces. (No starfish or faces were harmed in the shooting of this photo.)

With the aquarium under their belts, they made their way to Red Robin for lunch.

Now that's the sign of a great day!

Outdoor Adventures

2010-07-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our house seems to be getting smaller and smaller. The drink you thought was safe on the end table is now within reach of grabby little hands. Below we read Ian's favorite book, "Busy Little Train" for the 792 time.

When it's time to let the animals out, they tend to let you know.

So, we packed up the little dude and hit the zoo on Saturday. He walked nearly the entire loop moving as fast as his little feet could carry him. Towards the end, he enjoyed some goat time in the petting zoo.

On Sunday, we ventured out on a hike up to Denny Creek on Snoqualmie Pass. Thanks to the kid-carrying backpack courtesy of Pat and Victoria, Ian enjoyed a nice ride perched atop Dad's shoulders. Ian hasn't giggled and laughed that much since he sat on the Watson's cat. Clearly we need to go hiking more often.

From the bridge crossing the creek, look at the top of the picture looming above the trees. That rectangular shaped behemoth is the underside of westbound I-90.

Another little cutie made the trip as well.

What are they looking at?

I-90 looms at the edge of the wilderness area. We've driven over it at least 100 times, so it was fun to see it from a completely different angle. We had no idea the bridge was that high.

After a good hike, we arrived at our destination. This is the spot where Denny Creek flattens out over some granite slabs. For those not afraid of the 35 degree water, you can slide down the creek on a natural granite water slide. We opted for snacks and rock throwing instead.

We had our hands full keeping the happy runner from getting into trouble.

Dad and son admiring an upstream waterfall.

The view from our rock.

Nature's beauty.

On our way out you can see a few groups of kids sliding down the granite falls below us. Ian has also been practicing his camera posing. Well done son!

Heading home.

A view of some of the peaks at Snoqualmie Pass. Maybe when Ian is older, we'll make it up to the summit.

July

2010-07-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

Summer finally arrived for Ian. We met the Hoeger's, Drobesh's, and Watson's at a park in Bellevue where Ian enjoyed playing with his friends. Below, Ian enjoyed some alone time climbing through the play structures.

Although he seems to move at a thousand miles per hour, occasionally he reverts back to our cuddly little guy.

Ian showed his sympathy for Nunu after she ran into some painful dental issues. He then promptly ate his note.

To celebrate my father's retirement and the 4th of July, we ventured to McCall, ID. Below was Ian's first experience in a swimming pool. The little splasher loved every minute of it.

Though it was a little chilly in McCall, grandma ensured he was nice and warm after his swim.

The little guy absolutely loved his time with grandma and grandpa. He also loves cheese.

Ian decided to pose in his 4th of July outfit.

The grandkids have to get a picture with Mr. Bear. He's a great measuring stick for quickly growing toddlers.

The family portrait.

Ian heading off into the woods.

Ian loves story time, so Ella relished in the opportunity to read to her buddy, "Baby Ian."

Alex held the book, and Ella held Ian. Of course.

Ian enjoyed his first sandy beach. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the sand, but eventually got the hang of what to do. Luckily he had a couple of cousins to show him the ropes.

Ian met his new cousin Emery. He first thought she was the perfect toy. Emery wasn't too sure about that.

Given that we were finally all in town together, we gathered for some family pictures. Emery set a perfect example for Ian, but he let his short fuse dictate his behavior as we kept him up past his bed time. Let's hope he settled down just long enough for a few pictures to turn out ok.

Grandpa and Ian enjoy some down time among the portraits.

The grandkids all together. Don't drop the baby! Don't drop the baby!

The siblings and spouses.

Ian settled in with Grandpa just long enough to snap a quick picture. Then the, "I'm not tired!" instinct kicked in, and he ran off.

Two cuties.

A little guy in a big world. So much to explore, so little time.

Ian enjoyed some good rough-housing with cousins Brendan and Alex.

During Dad's retirement party, Ian thought he'd enjoy a stroll through the bushes.

Ella is in her happy place.

Ian told some great knock-knock jokes and had Alex and Ella rolling.

When it's 90 degrees outside and the sprinkler is on, it's time to strip down to your diaper and have some fun.

Ian found an ant. And then it crawled between his legs.

A woodland elf was caught romping through the back flower bed before he could escape out of sight.

Bed time!

Summer in Snoqualmie

2010-06-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

With the summer bearing down on Snoqualmie with sweltering 50 degree weather and rain, Ian's been spending a lot of time inside. He quickly learned that we had a drawer just for him. Unfortunately, he hasn't learned to clean up after himself.

Ian is also exploring the world of silverware. Sometimes he actually gets food in his mouth.

He's sure to celebrate each successful bite.

Our bike rides tend to really tire out the little guy.

Ian had a couple of his friends over while Jackie babysat for the Waggoners. What's the best way to impress twin girls? That's right, tell them you're a pilot and show off your plane.

As Ian is well practiced in feeding himself, he thought he'd show off his skills to Pops. First, you stick the cantaloupe on the fork.

Next, open wide!

Bingo!

As Ian continues to discover all the wonders of the world, occasionally he needs to rest. What better place to rest your tired bones than in the dishwasher.

One fish, two fish. Nunu fish, Ian fish.

Ian's latest hobby is to sit on things. The cat at the Watson's, Jackie's head, or the closest toy. Everything is fair game. Today, he thought he'd climb up on his table and take a seat.

As he is always willing to jump in an help out, Ian thought it would be good to help with the dishes. Safety first in this house! (And yes, that is a knife on the floor below him.)

Here Dad, let me get you a mug for your coffee.

Straws. Oh my how Ian loves straws. Here he inspects his latest stash.

Ian's getting into his riding toys now that he's big enough to climb on and off unassisted. Pushing himself around is a bit of a challenge, but he'll get the hang of it soon enough.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. As we begin our descent, please ensure you fill your diaper and spit out whatever that was you just picked up off the floor. Thanks for flying the stinky skies.

Spring Time

2010-05-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

We are far behind on posting pictures and had many that we wanted to share so we just created an album. If you double click on the picture, it will open them in a larger window. Happy viewing.

Biking to North Bend

2010-05-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Out for a bike ride. Mt. Si in the backgound, cutie patootie in the foregrond.

Spring Photo Mish Mash

2010-04-25T12:15:00.001-07:00

With the warmer weather, Ian has really enjoyed venturing outside. A side effect of the occasional rainstorm is that it's now pointless to clean the bottom two feet of our windows.

Ian expresses his more serious side in his playground also known as our kitchen.

Grandma sent Ian some Easter cheer, and he loved his giraffe basket! At first, he would crawl up to it, and gently kiss its nose.

Then his affection became a little more aggressive.

We ventured over to Spokane to celebrate Easter, and Ian enjoyed his first Easter egg hunt at Manito Country Club.

He eyed the eggs and prepared himself mentally for the challenge ahead.

As you can see, the competition was fierce. However, Ian's cousin Savannah played very nice.

And they're off! Sadly, 5 seconds later before any eggs could be reached, his shoe fell off, he fell down, and started crying for Da Da. And so ended his first Easter egg hunt.

The dowel for locking our screen door sometimes makes its way out for a good demonstration in mixed martial arts. The sippy cup makes a deadly combination. Robbers beware.

Another favorite pass time is to grab anything in each hand, walk around the house, and wave them wildly in the air. Today, it happened to be diaper wipes.

Never a dull moment.

Rick and Lisa came up for the weekend, so we spent some time touring the zoo and Whidbey Island. The below is from the grass fields at Fort Casey. With our regular wide-angle lens broken, I was relegated to the zoom lens. I had to stand about 6 miles away to get some shots, but Ian helped out by being extra cute.

Though just a bit chilly with the ocean air blowing in from Admiralty Inlet, it was nice to get some time in the sun.

Ian and Rick horsing around.

Laura, these two pictures are for you. There's a great lighthouse there with a nice museum regarding the history of Fort Casey. Next time you visit, we'll add it to our itinerary.

Before we headed back to the car, Ian though it would be fun to sample some of the local vegetables before Mom could swoop in to stop him.

Keep Your Camera Out of Reach

2010-04-19T12:32:00.000-07:00

We apologize for a lack of picture posting recently. Grabby little fingers grabbed the camera strap dangling down from the kitchen table. Like a kitten with a ball of yarn, chaos ensued, and now we are waiting for a new lens to be delivered before we can resume posting pictures on the site. Please stay tuned as UPS is set to deliver the new lens shortly. In the mean time, here are some pictures fortuitously snapped before the camera carnage.

We recently ventured out to a local park in Snoqualmie overlooking the valley and Mt. Si in the background.

Ian, before wrestling with the camera, looked for the perfect spot to take his pictures.

Mom helped provide some support in Ian's first attempt at walking on gravel. Naturally, he quickly advanced to eating gravel.

He found the best place for the tripod, but wasn't quite sure about the lighting. He kept looking back to the oncoming weather to decipher when the perfect shot would be available.

He snapped this one, and it turned out rather well.

As all great adventures tend to end with a meal, this one was no different. However, the meal seemed to end without a significant mess. Not sure how we lucked out on that one.

Baby Frankenstein

2010-03-24T20:50:00.001-07:00

Ian likes impressions. Here, he impersonates baby Frankenstein on his way to storm the villiage.

Bye Bye Flip

2010-03-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

This is generally the last thing a video camera sees.

Nearly Walking

2010-03-19T23:40:00.000-07:00

Our little man is already over a year old. His Uncle Mike and Aunt Kassio were gracious enough to host the party in Spokane so that both sides of the family could help him celebrate.

Below is mom presenting the ceremonial cupcake. He didn't quite know what to do with it, especially since he'd never been served food with a flame on top of it.

With everyone crowded around, Ian took the opportunity to regale us with an impassioned speech about the life lessons he'd like to impart on his family from his vast 12 months of life.

Towards the end of the speech, he pounded his fist in demanding social justice for those oppressed with cold wipes during diaper changes.

With the speech out of the way, the party was afoot. And you can't have a party without a silly hat. Ian donned his and quickly declared, "It's good to be the king."

He then enjoyed the most delicious paper plate ever.

Ian was flying from the top of the sugar high, but we forgot to warn him about the crash that quickly follows.

Within three minutes Grandma had him sound asleep, so all is well that ends well.

Once we returned to Snoqualmie, we were able to complete Ian's final photo shoot. And I think he was a little excited about it.

Ian and Dad enjoyed Gonzaga's victory over Florida St. together. And by "enjoyed," we mean having a heart attack while yelling at the TV as an 18 point lead nearly slips away.

"Ha ha. Daddy's loud."

Finally, the below captures why you don't drink milk and drive your wagon. When not hopped up on organic whole milk, Ian is nearly walking. He can take up to about 10 steps before he's back to crawling. As he stumbles along, our life as we know it is very close to taking a giant leap forward. Pretty sure we're not ready for a walking toddler yet.

A Year In Review

2010-03-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Walking Along

2010-02-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

After riding in and playing with our radio flyer for months, Ian has learned to push it himself. This video is for Aunt Joey and Aunt Elisa...the toy has gotten endless use, thank you!

Ian's first GU game

2010-02-13T22:28:00.001-08:00

Ian loved his first GU game. He hopped from lap to lap and did great. He wanted to strip down to his diaper and streak the court, but I wouldn't let him.

11 Months and Ian's First McCall Ski Vacation

2010-02-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

Always the happy little guy, Ian shows off his impression of BoBo the unicycling clown. Unfortunately, his unicycle was just out of the frame of this picture. He later dazzled us with his juggling skills and tied off some balloon animals for Jackie.

The little man hit the 11 month mark already. My how the time flies by!

After each month's photo shoot, Ian likes to place his sign somewhere in his room. First, he eyed the ottoman.

Allow me to translate his baby-talk: "That looks like a pretty good place for my sign, but I wouldn't want it to get smooshed under some one's feet."

"Hmmm. How about the book shelf?"

"Wait, I've got the perfect place! Here, I'll put it on my toy box."

A couple days after the photo shoot, we packed up our bags and headed to McCall for a week of skiing, snow shoeing, and most importantly - grandparent time! After a long day of traveling, the little guy enjoyed unwinding in a warm bath with his favorite kitchen bath-friendly utensils.

Ian decided the mohawk was a good look for McCall.

Grandma made a friend of the local wildlife. This is the well fed fox coming down the three feet of snow off the back porch.

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, Jackie and I were able to get in three days of skiing at Brundage. The first two days were mostly sunny and great for groomed run skiing. The third day came off a night where they received six inches, so it was a great powder day in spite of the tired legs.

During the week we were there, McCall also hosted its annual Winter Carnival. We missed the parade, but enjoyed touring the snow sculptures scattered throughout the town. Ian was snug as a bug in his snow suit and ergo-carrier, so I think he had the most fun of all of us thanks to Jackie playing Sherpa.

Below is the view of Brundage Mountain taken from the McCall golf course near my parent's place. Jackie and I are expecting to win the lottery soon so we can retire to McCall.

On a day off from skiing while my Mom had to run back to Boise, my Dad, Jackie, Ian, and I enjoyed a stroll on snowshoes through Ponderosa State Park.

Ian again, snug as a bug. He couldn't resist it any longer, and eventually let the cadence of my walking and the warmth of his snow outfit lull him to sleep. What a great way to experience the great outdoors.

We made our way through the park and down the lake. In spite of an easy $20, Jackie declined my offer to take a polar bear dip in the cool comforts of Payette Lake.

Generally, this was how Ian spent his week: in grandma's loving care. Thank you both for having us and watching Ian!

Below is a photo I snapped of the trees from my parent's patio. It snowed nearly every night we were there and then was mostly sunny throughout the day. McCall in February tends to be the perfect home for winter activities.

After all of his travels, the little guy couldn't make it through his first dinner home. Now that's the sign of a great vacation!

Post-Christmas Play Time

2010-01-19T22:04:00.000-08:00

Ian enjoys taking his new wheels for a spin.

Yeah baby!!!

After climbing under the chair, he quickly discovered that he couldn't get out. Before the panic set in, he was able to ham it up for the camera.

2 Teeth

2010-01-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

After mom has been sure Ian has been teething for months...finally 2 teeth popped out right after Christmas. They are little but they are there on the bottom if you look close.

Happy Holidays!

2010-01-06T22:40:00.001-08:00

Ian and I got a little relaxation in before our trip over to Sandpoint for the holidays. Below is the calm before the storm.

Did someone say "presents?"

Ian's cousin, Will, is wishing his dad a happy birthday on Christmas Eve in the below picture. Happy birthday Uncle Mike!

Ian and his cousin were too tuckered out after arriving to the lake late on Christmas Eve. As we set them near the fireplace while we unloaded the cars, it appeared they were waiting for Santa.

Ian enjoying the spoils of Christmas...

Given the family was all together and there had been some new additions (Ian and myself included) since the last family photos, we took another round to pick up the newbies.

Nine and Ten

2010-01-06T22:27:00.001-08:00

The little man has hit a couple of milestones that his neglectful parents are just now posting. It's getting harder and harder for our little squirmer to sit still for pictures. Jackie's quick work managed to capture the below for his 9 month sitting. He was in the chair for about a second and a half before he demolished his sign.

As we were in Sandpoint for Christmas, that meant we also weren't able to snap the usual shot of Ian in the chair in his bedroom. Opting for a rounded couch had a similar effect, so it will have to do.

Sunshine at Schweitzer Mountain

2009-12-27T16:38:00.001-08:00

It was a great day of skiing for Jackie and I. Thanks NuNu and Pops for watching the little guy and letting us sneak out for the day!

Little Elf

2009-12-25T14:02:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

IMG00079.jpg

2009-12-25T13:15:00.001-08:00

Good fun at the Holbert farm. Can't celebrate the birth of Jesus without some skeet shooting. Even Jackie gave it a whirl. Ian was very proud of mama.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

2009-12-12T23:53:00.000-08:00

As we did some Christmas shopping, we introduced Ian to Snowflake Lane. It's Bellevue's way of keeping shoppers in the holiday spirit. It was a chilly 20 degrees, so Ian was bundled up nicely.

The warm glow of capitalism and the aroma of gingerbread lattes kept us warm.

As part of the festivities, they play Christmas music throughout the street every night at 7 PM. In addition to the lights and music, as Bellevue rarely sees snow, they've set up snow machines across the top of the buildings. They've also got a collection of drummers dressed as toy soldiers that march around the crowd. Ian may be deaf as a result, but he liked the loud drumming, lights, and music. He did not like the dude in the Rudolf suit. Note to self, never EVER dress up as Rudolf.

Cold weather and loud music is fun for the whole family.

Happy Baby

2009-12-12T22:51:00.000-08:00

Ian and Jackie had a good laugh in those few minutes just before Ian gets ready for bed. The tired giggles are always welcome at the dinner table.

Camera Shy? No Way!

2009-12-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

Our little guy is certainly not camera shy.

Little Walker

2009-12-12T22:22:00.000-08:00

Ian is starting to walk a bit with some assistance. He's pulling himself up on whatever is within reach. The below video is Ian stretching his legs thanks to a big diaper box.

November

2009-12-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

This is a few of Ian's favorite toys and activities and our trip to Boise for Thanksgiving. We have been way behind on posts so we will get more out soon including his 9 months shots.

Pops-Hopefully this helps you get your Ian fix in.

8 Months and an Astronaut

2009-11-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Over the past month, we've been fortunate enough to head over to Spokane for a few weekends. Below, the Van Inwegen's made it out to lunch, and Victoria snapped this photo of the boys.

Alex and Ella enjoyed their time with Ian. That is, until they got close enough for Ian to pull their hair.

Ian's all smiles these days. It sure is a fun age when he laughs and giggles at just about everything. And obviously with this crowd, hair pulling wasn't an option.

With an unscheduled trip over to Spokane for the arrival of Will Schrock, we had to cancel our trip to the pumpkin patch with the Watsons and Hoegers in Redmond. Luckily we had a free afternoon where we could take Ian out and get him excited for Fall. Below are some shots from Greenbluff in Spokane.

Ian managed to stay sitting for about 30 seconds. Just long enough to snap a shot before he began attacking the pumpkins.

A family portrait in the pumpkin patch.

It was FREEZING out at the patch, and we forgot a hat for Ian. So, I folded mine in half and it fit fairly well on his little head. Ian was baby talking with a Russian accent for the rest of the day.

Since it was the week before Halloween, Ian decided to have a preview of his astronaut costume with his cousins. He was very excited until he learned that he wouldn't get any candy until the following weekend.

Ian enjoying some quality time with the Yochums.

Upon our return from Spokane, Ian hit the 8th month mark. Below are some of the pictures from his photo shoot in his favorite monkey outfit.

Our little astronaut before getting buckled in for lift off to a Halloween party with Jackie's moms group that she attends once a week.

Below are most of the babies from the group. Lining up 9 babies between 8 and 10 months old that are all dressed in uncomfortable costumes went a lot better than expected.

Ian ditched the hat, but as you can see, girls are clearly crazy for a man in uniform.

The play mat was a big hit for all of the kids. Of course, Ian spit up on it. And yes, that is a bunny, lion, pirate, and astronaut. Naturally.

Ian also enjoyed eating the letters. Astronauts need to eat their I's before blasting off. And you never know, a lion could come along at any moment and eat them.

New Cousins

2009-10-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ian woke up on October 9th as the baby of both families, by the time he went to bed he was no longer the baby in either family. Andy's sister, Meridith and Brent welcomed Emery. A few hours later Jackie's brother and his wife, Garth and Lisa, welcomed Camryn. Camryn had a short 2 week reign as baby of the Shea family before Will Schrock joined Kassio (Jackie's sister) and Mike's family. We are so happy that all the babies are healthy! Below are a few pictures of Camryn and Will.

Savannah and Camryn in their matching Halloween outfits

William about 5 hours old

Dillon checking out his new brother

7 Months

2009-09-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Seven months seems a bit odd. It feels like just yesterday when we were in the hospital anxiously awaiting for Jackie's induction to take effect. And yet it seems like Ian has been with us for years. His little personality has really begun to show through lately, and he has the sweetest disposition. We are very lucky to have such a happy little guy.

Jackie and I were going to head to the new Braevern shopping district in downtown Bellevue. Instead, we opted for a walk around our neighborhood. A stroll through nature was much better than some time in Neiman Marcus.

Jackie and Ian on the trail near our house.

And with the seven month mark, so comes seven months in review...

More seven month pictures...

Mobile Munchkin

2009-09-23T21:29:00.001-07:00

Ian has become very mobile over the last week and has found lots of new ways to amuse us all. We created a slide show to capture all his new adventures.

Like Mother Like Son

2009-09-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent picture of the little guy.

Compare that to this picture of Jackie when she was about the same age.

Labor Day

2009-09-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

Ian loves spending time in his mobile playground.

Dad giving Ian a gentle push.

For Labor Day, we joined the rest of the Shea clan over in Sandpoint. Below was our spirited bartender dishing out the spirits.

The evening's entertainment moved outside and included an aerial dog display. Red loves jumping off the dock for her tennis ball.

The crowd gathered around to enjoy a nice evening without any rain.

Ian acted out a scene from "Oklahoma!" with his impression of Curly McLain. Go west young man, go west.

The beautiful mom's to be. Ian and the rest of us can't wait for the new additions!

Ian got in some good time with Uncle Tony and Aunt Lindsey.

A happy mom with her happy child. He's happily enjoying a view of the concrete below.

The crew was sacked out by the end of the day. Lots of tired bodies.

Every night before bed, Ian enjoys reading his favorite books.

This one was a real page turner. The lion next to the Christmas tree. I never saw that one coming! Ian enjoys a good plot twist now and again.

A Giggle and a Spoon

2009-09-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

Ian the happy baby.

Ian the not-so-happy baby.

6 Months

2009-08-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ian hit the six month mark this past week. Below are the pictures from his usual monthly photo-shoot.

It's funny when we ask other people who they think Ian looks like. Some claim that he is a clone of me. Others say, without hessitation, that he looks exactly like Jackie. We've decided he has a good mix of both of our featurers. Below is a shot my mom snapped of me in 1977.

Compare that to this photo of Ian snapped yesterday.

Regardless of who looks like who, it's fun to lay around naked.

Mobile Playground

2009-08-30T17:43:00.001-07:00

Ian's buddy Sid gave him this great wagon designed to help him learn how to walk. For now, however, Ian likes hanging out in it with a few key toys. We've dubbed it his mobile playground.

Sweet Sassie Sweet Potato Malassie

2009-08-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Do you think Ian is enjoying solid foods?

Mimi Time

2009-08-21T08:09:00.001-07:00

We had dinner last night with Jackie's grandma. Ian's generation calls her Mimi, and he clearly enjoyed his Mimi time.

Mobile Upload

2009-08-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

Here's one of my favorite pictures lately. I'm also using this as a test run for a mobile upload, so hopefully it works.

Adventures in Sweet Potato

2009-08-17T20:17:00.001-07:00

Well, 4 days into the sweet potatoes, Ian has learned a few tricks to make the meal a little more entertaining and messy. He likes to involve the hands in each bite, first by helping dad guide the spoon into the mouth, and second by spitting most of the bite back into the hands to spread it around everything in reach. As a result, we have meals that look like this:

Dad, is there something on the end of my nose?

It's Been a Long Blogging Time

2009-08-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Please accept my apologies for not posting more timely updates. Much has happened in the past month. First of all, we had a nice heat wave with temperatures in the 100’s. That’s very rare for this area. As few of the houses here have air conditioning, our house was hovering in the mid-90’s by bed time. Jackie and Ian escaped early to enjoy the air conditioning over in Spokane around Brittany and James’ wedding. I passed the exceptionally warm nights by working late in my air conditioned office, and heading to the movies.

The week after the wedding, we hosted Jackie’s college roommate Joey, her wife Elisa, and their son Sidney. We had a wonderful time hiking around Snoqualmie in addition to hitting the major Seattle attractions including the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Flight, Pacific Science Center, and a cruise around Eliot Bay. We packed in a ton of activities every day, and the two young kids did AMAZING! We couldn’t have been happier with how well a 14 month old and 5 month old did with all of the traveling, crowds, and crazy schedules. We love our yearly visits with Joey and Elisa, so plans are already in the works for our trip back east next summer.

As Ian hit the 5 month mark on July 26, Jackie began introducing solid foods. He seemed to enjoy his rice cereal by about the second week of trying it. Originally, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with this strange substance that mom was cramming into his mouth. Today, however, he graduated to pureed sweet potatoes. The picture of his first taste in the below slide show says it all, but he ended up really enjoying the meal. Nice work Jackie for steaming, mashing, and pureeing his first meal. I think we’ll be making our own baby food from here on out.

July and Life Changes

2009-07-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here are a mix of photos from the last month. You will notice lots of smiles in most of them now that Jackie is a stay at home mom, we are all very excited. We decided this little guy was just too important to us so Jackie will be staying home with him for the time being.

4 Months Already

2009-06-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

This week, Ian hit the 4 month mark. He checks in at 13 1/2 lbs and 25 in. tall. He's at the 50th percentile for height, but only the 25th for weight. Clearly he takes after his mother. Ian's two favorite things in life are (no, not Mom and Dad) his fore finger and thumb. That seems to be what Ian enjoys most. An odd combination, but he loves it.

We captured a woodland elf wandering around our house. Luckily a camera was close to snap a photo before he ran away.

Ian's latest craze is watching that funny looking baby in the mirror. Below is a picture of some tummy time with the mirror just outside of the picture.

Mom puts together the new toy while Ian looks on. What makes the picture truly amazing is that she is actually looking at the instructions.

Notice the bib in his hand and the spit-up on his outfit. Nice Ian.

Our house has become an infant's playground. In spite of 4 broken toes and 2 sprained ankles as we painfully learn to walk through the obstacle course, Ian really enjoys moving from activity to activity.

Ian received this bouncer from Aunt Sue and Nunu. Ian is still a little small for it, but with the help of some blankets we can pack him in.

I'm pretty sure we've got a momma's boy on our hands. Just like his dad.

Father's Day breakfast. Ian wanted to join us at the table. I'm not sure what he enjoyed more, the casserole or the mimosa.

As he hit the 4 month mark, it's time for our monthly picture update. I wonder how Ian feels about all of these pictures? If only he could express his feelings on the matter (and no, Mom didn't place his hand that way).

Now that his rebellion is out of the way, it's back to our normal sweet little boy.

Also, Ian has learned how to read.

The monthly medley:

For NuNu

2009-06-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

NuNu requested to see the giggling video without the music so she can hear Ian better so here it is...

Tummy Time

2009-06-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

We recently pulled out a new toy for tummy time for Ian. He lays on a little platform that can spin around and he can play with mirrors, rattles, etc on the mat below. When he gets tired with one toy he kicks and throws his arms and that spins him enough to get to the next toy on the mat. Its a big hit in the Van Inwegen household! Thanks for letting us borrow it Dillon.

p.s. Incase you can't tell, Mom has learned to download videos, edit, and upload them onto Blogspot so watch out...more videos soon.

I Can Giggle!

2009-06-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

Ian spent the afternoon giggling away at just about anything except anytime we tried to catch it on video. We did catch a bit of it...

2009-06-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Some pictures over the last month from Memorial Day weekend, visit with Grandma and Grandpa, and other random pitcures.

3 Months of Happiness

2009-05-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

Three months have flown by. Ian is now 12 lbs. 4 oz. and 4 feet tall give or take a couple feet. He's discovered his hands. Apparently they are covered in sugar because they are delicious.

Wait, I'm how old?

Ian was practicing for his part in Baby Frankenstein.

Outside of Frankenstein mode, he's a happy little guy. He sleeps 6 to 8 hours a night, mows the lawn for us, and showed me how to use the TV remote. Kids.

Just chill'n like a little guy in my room. I've got a blue chair, green cars on my shirt, and polka-dots on my rug. Life is good.

Memorial Day

2009-05-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Jackie's Director at T-Mobile was nice enough to host a dinner for the new moms in her group. Gabriel was born on 12/31/2008 (just in time for a nice tax break), and Vivienne and Ian were both born on 2/26/2009.

Jackie's Director, Peg, and Ian had a good chat. Ian told some dirty jokes and Peg told Ian about this wonderful place called "Sidelines."

Uncle Mike, Aunt Kassio, and Belle made their way through Seattle for their first visit since moving to Spokane. Ian got in some exercises with Uncle Mike. He fell asleep after the cartwheel session.

Mom and son hanging out after a good meal. Ian is working on his left handed curve ball technique.

The little guy's big feet. All property of Mom.

For Memorial Day, we visited the Shea family in Sandpoint, ID. Ian had some smiles for Aunt Lisa after reading his morning paper.

Smiles were quickly replaced with hands. If only they both fit in the mouth.

Ian's cousin, Savannah, is sooooo close to walking. Ian was pretty amazed at how she could stand on her own and play with the Lego set. Dillon was amazed at how she stole the spot-light from Nunu, so he kept pushing her down. And then would say, "No no no." At least he knew he was doing something wrong.

Madeline and Dillon enjoy a good read by Donald Duck.

The girls and their smores.

More smores.

There are several captions for this, including:

- These are not the droids you're looking for.

- Mom. Quiet down.

- I once saw a dog this tall.

- Go west young man, go west.

Making Friends

2009-05-18T23:30:00.001-07:00

At Ian and Jackie's PEPS meeting, a weekly meeting for new mothers, they shot the below photo of the babies in a circle. Guess which one is Ian...

A slightly closer look...

There's Ian! Did you guess right?

Ian and his buddy Jay.

Earlier tonight, the Drobesh's were kind enough to have us all over for the resurrected house dinner. With the twins a little under the weather, Becky and the boys didn't make it in. You better get well so we can see you soon!

Ian, Jami, Andy, David, and Cory. This is titled, "Hands in the pockets."

Jami and Ian.

JD and Kari cooking up some happiness in the kitchen.

Hard at work.

Happiness is a root beer float.

A dapper Drobesh...

Kari. Great picture, but why only sideways blogspot? Sorry Kari.

Give two boys a camera and a large mirror, and you'll get this after about 10 attempts.

Ok, I think Ian is ready to go.

Like my pants?

Hey, is that a Cannon?

Brownies Go Great With Milk

2009-05-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

Pops has a soft spot for desserts especially when he gets to share them with his children or grandchildren. Many of us have spent time as a little one on Pops' lap sharing dessert. Ian was trying to convince Pops that he can eat solids:

Moving On Up

2009-05-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from the last week and the Schrock move.

Pushing off during tummy time:

Guys working their packing skills. Mike made a pretty good estimate on space, everything fit but not an inch of spare room anywhere.

Dillon tuckered out after a long day of packing and playing (and a good face plant on the sidewalk).

We will miss our Belle stays:

10 Weeks

2009-05-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

Ian is doing great, but will on occasion cry like he wants the neighbor's attention for no real reason. I can tell when those days hit as Jackie tends to ask repeatedly when I will be coming home from work. However, for the most part, the little guy is quite content. And of course, when he is content we are content.

Below are some new pictures from around the house and pictures of Grandpa Rick's visit this past weekend.

2 Months Already

2009-04-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's already been two months??? Here's the latest photos of a recent trip to Spokane. My folks drove up from Boise, so it was good to get some grandparent time in. We had a great time visiting, enjoying Alex's soccer game, and Pat's triathlon. Well done boys!

I'm Content to Just Look

2009-04-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ian is just beginning to discover that his arms and hands are connected, but not yet fully under his control. He likes to swat at things that he sees. Usually this includes your face, so be on your toes when holding him.

When sleeping, he still loves to keep his hands up just in case ninjas attack mid-nap.

Throw your hands in the air and sleep like you just don't care.

Given the crazy winter and spring that we've had over here, the better part of Ian's life has been spent inside looking out at the snow. Finally, temperatures jumped into the 70's, so Dad and Ian got to spend some time on the patio relaxing.

Ian is beginning to focus on things and enjoys his toys.

Oooooh, a cow.

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

For Easter, Nunu and Pops drove over to spend the weekend with us. And by us, I mean Ian. Pops and Ian got in some good time together. Thanks to Nunu and Mike for babysitting, and giving Jackie, Dave, Kassio, and I the chance to get a round in at the Rainier Country Club.

On Easter Sunday, Ian got to spend some time with his great grandmother that the great grandkids affectionately call Mimi.

Aunt Cris, a soon-to-be grandmother herself, got in some good practice time.

Dillon, at first petrified of the giant bunny coming towards him, quickly sang a different tune when the bunny started dancing with him. And Pops decided to get some whistling in apparently.

Staring contest before heading out to Costco...

...and the winner is Ian.

Ian is beginning to learn to crawl backwards during tummy time. About halfway in his reverse cycle, the head hit the pillow, and in 2 seconds he was asleep.

We had another visitor over the weekend. The shrubs had been looking a bit thin lately.

Excuse me guys. Can you pass the salad dressing?

More Pictures

2009-04-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a variety of pictures taken over the last few days:

Boppy Sleeping

2009-04-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Andy and Ian have found the Boppy very useful for activities other than feeding. Like father like son.

Lots of Updates

2009-04-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks, it's been awhile since we've had some time to make a new post. A lot has happened over the past week. We all made a trip over to Spokane so Ian could meet some more family and, along the way, he also hit the one month milestone.

JoAnn stopped by before heading off to South Carolina. Thanks for the homemade lasagna! It was delicious. And the cookies didn't last too long either.

The drive over to Spokane actually went very well. Ian travels nicely and slept the whole way. We had to wake him up for a feeding a few hours into the ride, and he didn't fuss a bit. Let's hope that trend continues. Forever.

First up on the Spokane agenda was the Yochums. We were sad that GU lost, but everyone had a good time regardless. Below is a good shot of Bailey and Ian enjoying the company of cousins.

Ian then met Uncle Garth, Aunt Lisa, and Savannah. Savannah was very happy to have a new cousin.

Next up was the Van Inwegen's. Ian enjoyed holding hands with Alex and Ella.

Ella was very gentle with her new cousin.

Aunt Victoria and Ella getting in on the action too.

Alex was very relaxed with Ian.

We also had the 1 month pictures. He was happier in some more than others.

Someone Get Me Off This Ride!

2009-03-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ian was relaxing in his crib so nicely, that Dad decided some footage was necessary. Aparently Ian was so excited for the GU game later today, he couldn't contain it.

Bulldog Madness

2009-03-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

As our entire family is a fan of Gonzaga, I had to include the clip of the day on our blog. Go Zags!!!

Tummy Time and the Hoegers

2009-03-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

Jackie and Ian took advantage of some more tummy time. No one rolled over though. Like Dillon, Ian enjoys looking at the shapes on the blanket. It put Jackie to sleep.

The recently married Hoegers stopped by to check in on the little one. With Ian's arrival, we had to miss their wedding. We got the down low from the happy couple on everything and have seen the pictures. It sounds like everyone had a great time, but Ian thanks us for sticking close to the hospital.

Jackie and Ian enjoy a late night snooze.

Ian Waking Up In Swing

2009-03-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick video of Ian waking up in his swing, and then falling right back to sleep.

Ian Video

2009-03-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

When you have 10 fingers to chose from, it's often hard to pick just one to go in the mouth. When the hands fail, there's always Mom's arm.

Picture Slideshow

2009-03-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of the little one and some of his visitors over the past two weeks.

Two Weeks

2009-03-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ian passed his two-week checkup with flying colors. He's already grown 3/4 of an inch and put on 12 ounces. During some tummy time yesterday, he decided he had enough and flipped himself over. We thought this was an important milestone, but then he got up and walked into the kitchen.

Enough chatter, here are some pictures.

Looks great for not sleeping in two weeks!

Yeah, he looks like he hasn't slept in two weeks.

It's been snowing a lot since Ian was born. Clearly he will be a skier.

Whoa! Did you see that?

Thank You Grandparents

2009-03-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

"A child needs a grandparent, anybody's grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world." - Charles and Ann Morse

We are so thankful for our parents that helped with Ian over the last 10 days. Ian has had a chance to meet all four grandparents, but more importantly, they helped ease all three of us into that unfamiliar world.

Our Moms have both been able to spend several days with us and were a world of help. Your support, advice, and helping hands were truly a blessing. We can't begin to thank you enough!!!

And so with grandparents comes the proper identification. Ian will follow the Shea tradition of calling Jackie's parents, Linda and Dave, Nunu and Pops. Andy's parents, Gloria and Kiel, will be Grandma and Grandpa.

Ian checking out NuNu.

Ian snoozing with Grandma.

Our fathers were also great even though their stays were a little shorter, we are thankful for everything you did as well Dads.

A proud father, Pops, and Ian.

Grandpa had a very long drive, but enjoyed some quality time with the little guy. Ian shows his enthusiasm with sleep.