1,825 Days / 43,800 Hours / 2,628,000 Minutes / 157,680,000 Seconds

Five Years, One Immense Blessing! Happy Anniversary to us!

Saturday was our anniversary, and we spent the weekend at The Sanctuary in Scottsdale. Thanks to our friend Alex, an assistant manager at the resort, we got the friends and family rate and got to enjoy this beautiful resort!

We took Isaac along for a family staycation, and although we didn't get to do quite everything we wanted to, we still had a wonderful time together relaxing and enjoying each other away from the daily routine. We had a 1,000 square foot casita all to ourselves, complete with a kitchenette, living and dining room, master bedroom and beautiful bathroom - which had a deep bathtub that I enjoyed very much.

Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Our lovely casita

This chair was really comfy... if it was winter it would be a perfect place to sit by the fire and read a good book with a hot cup of coffee.... and a brownie (or two).

I love this picture. Isaac was about as excited to check things out as we were!

Okay, Isaac... show us around! (This is the most common view we get of him these days. He's always busy going somewhere...)

The kitchen looks good... where's my snack?

Ooooh, nice bed! It was oh-so-comfy. Too bad it didn't fit in our suitcase, we were tempted to smuggle it home...

Isaac thought it was comfy too...

... but that didn't last for long before he got in a tickle match with Daddy.

So much fun!

I love this place!

The next day, we spent the day relaxing around the resort before going to the Scottsdale Fashion Center for an outing.

Our view from the patio... too bad it was too hot to sit outside. Pretty nonetheless!

Complimentary flip flops!

We waited until the sun was low in the sky before heading to the pool. It worked out great because we had the pool all to ourselves while everyone else was out to dinner.

... and saved us from sunburns.

This is the view from the luxurious casas higher up.

(Paradise Valley below)

We didn't get to go out for a nice dinner or get the traditional "anniversary portrait" but that's okay. We're planning a night out soon (just the two of us) ... As far as anniversary weekends go, we really enjoyed our undivided family time together at The Sanctuary.

Multiplication

I think we’ve figured out one of the reasons why Isaac has been so crabby lately… ALL FOUR of his top teeth are coming in at the same time! They have all broken through the gums, and now it's just a race to the finish line. Is it just me, or do their teeth always look this big in their little mouths? Either I am unaccustomed to the idea of his little mouth full of teeth, or perhaps he got the Bianchi gene!

And I thought the bottom two at once were tough… This multiplication is killer.

I Turned Around For One Second...

Forget the light sockets... the cat food is where it's at!

And I Shall Call You "Na-Na-Na-Na!!!!"

Medium used: Crayon.

Name of the Piece: "Na-Na-Na-Na!!!"

It's Isaac's first piece of artwork - with only a tiny bit of help from his assistant, Mommy. I got the crayons out just for fun to see what he would do. And he actually caught on to the idea pretty quick. I was impressed! I picked one color out at a time, telling him what the color was each time. He grasped the crayon like a pro, as if he had been doing this all his life. Then he either banged it on the tablet or waved his arm sporadically, leaving long strokes on the paper. When he was done with a color, he would throw the crayon (just like a boy - or a moody artist). And I'd pull out another color for him. We did this until he picked up the tablet and yelled, "Na-na-na-na-na!!!!" And just like that, he was on to the next thing......

He's so cute. That was fun!

10 and 11 Months

June was a busy month for us with family in town and then our trip up to Oregon and Washington. So although we observed Isaac's 10 month mark, I didn't get around to posting it. Here's a little flashback...



At 10 Months we were breaking into the new world of fingerfoods. This was the first time I could actually shared my snack with Isaac. It was too cute - I had a couple of Sun chips and an apple as Isaac looked on with great interest. So I got his Graduates puffs out and gave him a couple. He slowly chomped on his puffs while I enjoyed my chips. And then I got to my apple and gave him a wedge. There we sat, side by side with our snacks, having a mommy-son moment. That's a simple but really special memory for me...

At ten months, Isaac was honing his skills in crawling and exploring, which was fun to watch. Once he realized this newfound freedom, he was unstoppable! Also soon after he discovered crawling, Isaac started to practice pulling himself up. He was getting really comfortable with it by the time we were up in Washington, and was cruising along the furniture with some effort.

It was at ten months that Isaac really spoke his first word - DADDY. We knew it was his first word when we noticed that he understood the meaning and only used it for Kevin. Anytime we mentioned Daddy, he would turn to Kevin and either point at him or grab him if Kevin was close enough. It culminated one evening when Isaac and I were playing together in the living room. Kevin was in our bedroom when Isaac stopped what he was doing, looked around, and suddenly yelled "DAAA - DEEEE!!!" at the top of his lungs. Kevin came around the corner asking, "Did someone call me?" Oh Isaac's face lit up like a candle, he was so thrilled that he was able to call Daddy to his side. And now he does it all the time. If Kevin doesn't come right away, Isaac will keep calling until he does! So... the word Daddy definitely became very different from da-da or da. And there you have it... now we're working on MOMMY. :)

Now at 11 months... Does he look older to you? Good, then it's not just us....

Isaac is definitely exerting his personality and testing his independence. His determination and sometimes strong willed persistence are in the forefront, while his sense of humor and happy-go-lucky nature is always just under the surface. He loves to laugh and chase us through the house. His favorite game is our variation of hide-and-go-seek / peek-a-boo. It's so much fun - for all of us! Our favorite sound is his deep-belly laugh. Once he gets going, he'll laugh at just about anything! Makes our hearts melt every time.

Speaking of chasing, Isaac is getting around very quickly these day! The pitter-patter of our little speedracer through the house is another one of our favorite sounds. He's getting very skilled at cruising along on his feet as well and loves walking back and forth through the house with our help or with the help of his toys. We suspect he may very well be walking by his first birthday! But we'll see. :)

Gone are the days when my little guy will sit still and cuddle in my lap - unless it's bedtime and he's spent. Although one perk is that he hits the hay with little to no effort now that he's using so much energy getting around. He's actually taken to putting himself to bed! We don't have to rock him all the way to sleep anymore! Just another way he's showing his independence... and growing up.

The countdown begins.... to being one year old!

Happy 4th of July!!

We want to take a moment to recognize all of the men, women, and families who have sacrificed so much to protect the freedom that we celebrate today. THANK YOU.

The Fitton's had their annual 4th of July BBQ, and it was a blast (as usual)! Many of the regulars couldn't make it this year, but no worries! We enjoyed a more low-key party. Besides, it's hard not to have a good time with these folks ....

Danielle and baby Seth

Colleen and Mindy

Addison - being so coy

Jake, Todd, Kevin, and Roger being goofy....

Zach & Michelle

Jaimie and me

Playin' the Wii... Go Michelle!!

Jake and Isaac playing together; Jake's a fun playmate.

Corrie and Leslie

Jake thought Isaac's float looked like fun and we didn't have the heart to tell him that he was too old for it... poor guy found out on his own. Sorry, you're just a little too big, Jake!

The perfect day for a dip in the pool (the secret to surviving Arizona summers).

Todd says, "Whaazzzzzzuuuuuuup?"

Isaac wasn't feeling up to going in the big pool, so he and Trenton had a fun time chillin' in the kiddie pool together. They are only three weeks apart, so Marian and I are both marvelling over the fact that our boys are both so close to turning one - so soon!!

My little surfer dude, playin' it cool.

There's a smile! You're so adorable, Seth!

Addie spied the camera and shot over a pretty smile for us.

The end of the day, right on cue our evening monsoon looms in the distance. I wish I could have fit the whole wall into the frame. This is one of my favorite views during monsoon season. A perfectly clear sky, hedged by an enormous thunderhead wall slowly making its way toward us. The wind will pick up as it nears, and then all of a sudden the thunder and lightning will unleash the downpour. It's so beautiful and amazing to watch!

A long day of fun... this was Isaac's THIRD nap of the day, which pretty much reflects how we all felt by the end of the day.

Thanks again, Mindy and Todd! It was another fun party!

Back Home

Just some fun pics from the past week....

Isaac is eating a variety of food now, but his favorites are fruit. He LOVES strawberries, for one.

apples are great too... I think gnawing on the cold wedges makes his sore gums feel a little better. Cucumber works great too!

He enjoys a good vegetable medley as well.

The characteristic we're becoming more familiar with in Isaac is his determination. He is shaping up to be the type of boy that cannot be deterred when he sets his mind on something. He is headstrong and stubborn to the end once he's made up his mind! For example, just in the last couple of weeks, Isaac has decided that he's no longer a baby and is done with the bottle. He'll still have his morning bottle, but good luck trying to sit him down for any more throughout the day! The more we try, the more mad he gets! No, he's determined that he's now only interested in finger foods; he's a big boy after all!

This actually reminds me of his mother... I see a bit of myself in him, namely our impatience and determination. It makes me think of a couple of occasions when I was little when I determined that I wanted to learn something, and I insisted that someone teach me. Like the time I decided I didn't want to wear the velcro sneakers anymore. I wanted to learn how to tie shoelaces, so I grabbed one of my dad's huge shoes (huge to me as a kid), and I took it to my mom. I told her I wanted to learn, and I asked her to teach me. Isaac seems to be the same.

There are few words that can really describe the joy that we get from watching Isaac grow and develop his personality. It's incredible! And we think these are great characteristics as long as we can shape them and steer him in the right direction. With God's help and wisdom, we just hope we can do it well. I already know that God is going to use Isaac and our similar personalities to teach me patience. We've already experienced some power struggles, and it gives me just a glimpse of what I have ahead of me! Hahaha... I laugh about it now, but.... Okay, Lord! Teach me patience! I need it anyway!

Chloe and Isaac are forming a respectable relationship. Isaac is learning very well how to be gentle, and our moody Chloe is much more tolerant than we ever thought she would be. She does look generally annoyed most of the time Isaac is around, but she also loves the attention. So perhaps she views him as a necessary evil that she'll have to get used to?

Now that we let Isaac roam the house freely, Chloe seems to have taken it upon herself to keep an eye on him... which works until he starts chasing her!

I can't be sure how much Queen Chloe will tolerate Isaac eating her food... But I think Isaac is the stubborn type that is going to have to learn on his own. No matter how many times we've told him that their food is off limits, he still returns to it in curiosity. In one instance, I came around the corner just in time to see him nearly have a taste. Well, perhaps he'll need to sample some to trust me that it really doesn't taste very good!

Hey, Lisa, maybe I should look into your friend's website for some ToweLocs! hahaha....

... since Isaac discovered a new entertaining trick. We did this a few times until Mommy got tired of the game and got Isaac interested in another activity. :)

This kid is fast! And I'm not just saying that! And he has the energy to match... he races here and there and everywhere. His favorite new game is a blend of hide-and-seek and peek-a-boo. He'll chase me through the house as I hide behind corners and jump out to say "boo!" The way he erupts into laughter just thrills my heart. That game is so fun!

Hooray! Daddy's home!!! Isaac absolutely adores his Daddy. Sometimes I get a little jealous... but mostly it warms my heart to see their deep bond forming. Kevin is such an amazing dad.

Exploration....

... hunting down the balls from his toy.

It was fun until he got stuck... "Help me!" he cried.

Now that he's on the go at incredible speeds, it doesn't take too much effort to get him to sleep. He'll konk out in all sorts of funny positions...