June Update

While Liz is out playing Bunco (I think that's how you spell it) and Garrett is sleeping I thought I'd finally put in an update.

Garrett started swim lessons a few weeks back. I understand he's been doing very well (from Liz - Daddy works), but him enjoying it depends on how his mood is. Swim lessons can be around his nap time.

I was stunned the other night at the number of words he can say. Liz has been working with him a lot on words, and his book of "first 100 words" he can point to quite a lot of what you ask him to point at, and he was even saying the words as well. Clock, duck, apple, chair, cup, flower are some. He's been saying ball, banana ("nana"), car and some other that are in the book for quite awhile. He was sort of counting to 5 the other night, but I know for sure he can point out the numbers 1 and 2. Anyways, I'm shocked sometimes at how much he knows and am proud.

Garrett has graduated to a bed now. He was just about able to climb out of his crib. We basically just took one of the sides off the crib. He climbs up in it now on his own when it's time to go "nite nite," as he will sometimes say as he gets into bed and waits for his bottle. And since he's able to crawl into bed, he's also crawling out of it. One morning we woke up to the sqeak of his door opening and his feet walking on the hall floor into our room where he stood next to our bed and said "up?"

Garrett has also figured out how to open the front door. I will be adding additional locks to the front door this weekend. In the meantine, the baby gate in the hallway keeps him from getting out at night.

We headed to the Grand Canyon in May for a "stay-cation." Liz had never been to the Grand Canyon, so we'd planned a weekend trip. It was fantastic. The trip home was really good as we took our time and came back through the Meteor Crater and Winslow. Winslow reminded us so much of Radiator Springs from one of mine and Garrett's favorite movies, "Cars." We plan on more staycations from now on.

Might be heading to San Diego next month, but not sure. We'd like to get out of the heat once or twice this summer. Yesterday it was 115 with 2% humidity. I guess if I have to be somewhere hot, I'd rather it be somewhere with 2% humidity. They said on the radio it's highly unlikely that there is any place on the Earth that has gotten to 1% humidity. I rolled down the window on the way home from work and it was like opening the oven. Cracked me up.

Enjoy the photos...




Nite nite




One of the 8x10 photos I got for Father's Day




Playin' in the backyard with sprinklers




I wonder where this is?



The Grand Canyon





"Photostitched" panorama of Meteor Crater



Downtown Winslow, AZ



Downtown Winslow, AZ



Between the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff



Garrett hanging out by the pool



At the zoo...see the video


Papa, G'ma Carolyn, and Mommy watching Garrett in the backyard



Papa and G'ma Carolyn on their way back to Missouri from Alaska


Garrett loves talking on the phone

Mommy and Garrett at the Desert Ridge splash pad


At Chuck E. Cheese's




Sleepy Garrett's first regular season major league baseball game

April Update

Well since the last update we've been busy with a few things, but nothing really to exciting.

We drove up to Sedona on the spur of the moment a couple of weeks ago. It was a great day trip. We hit our wedding spot, Merry-Go-Round Rock, then went into town to have some ice cream. The road up to the wedding spot was just as rough as before and we couldn't believe that Garrett fell asleep in the car on the way down. His head was bobbing all over the place.

Us at our wedding spot in Sedona, AZ




Easter was great. Liz scattered some eggs around the back yard and "coaxed" Garrett in the direction of the eggs. He did a great job in finding them and picking them up and putting them in the basket. After he found all the eggs, he decided to take them out and throw them one by one.




Garrett cracked me up tonight. Around 8:30 or so, Liz was watching the ACM awards and waiting for Garrett to give the signal that he wants to go to bed. Well, he really never gave the signal as I finally took him thinking he'd fall asleep on me while I watched some of the awards. He kept acting like he was trying to get comfortable, and one of his ways of getting comfortable is to stick his arm or hand is crevices, like cushions or in his crib it would be between the crib and the mattress. He never could get settled down and occasionally would look up at me and smile. I finally took him to his room and began to rock him. After awhile he looked up at me, half asleep, then would rest his head on my shoulder again as if he's checking to make sure it's me. After a few minutes he did it again, and as soon as he rested his head on my shoulder, he immediately looked right back at me with a huge grin on his face. I couldn't help but laugh, and after awhile of laughing he did it again knowing that made me laugh the first time.

Now that he's older, it's so much easier getting him to bed. He never did fall asleep in the rocker, but I put him in the crib and he eventually fell asleep without a fuss.

Garrett loves cars. We'll be walking through a parking lot and he'll point and say "caw." Or he'll point at his toys and do the same. He's always been infatuated with wheels. He also says "nana" for banana, will use sign language for bath and when he wants more food, or to eat. Cat, ball, more, and up are some others.
He's also started to act like he's learning to run. Since he's been officially walking now for about 4 weeks, I'm sure he'll be running soon.

Garrett at G'ma's playing in the pool

We went to the botanical gardens a couple of weeks ago to check out the desert bloom. It was there I overheard someone say they rented a specific lens that they were using.

Some photos from the Botanical Gardens







I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of that before, so I rented two lenses over this past weekend - a 15mm f2.8 "fisheye" and an 17-35mm f2.8 L series lens. The L series Canon lenses are the best model lenses they make. So I played around with them as much as I could this weekend.

20 second time exposure using the fisheye lens attached to a tripod in the back seat of my truck and driving down the freeway


Saturday morning...Myron


Garrett watching the movie Cars. I took this using the fisheye and my infrared camera



Until next month...

Walking Garrett

So here is the proof that he's finally walking. I shot this video over the weekend.

03.21.10 Update

Nothing much to post except that GARRETT IS OFFICIALLY WALKING. He's been taking more than 5 steps for the last week or so. Now he walks all over and will even protest to be picked up. He does a very good job, but is still getting used to uneven surfaces.

He also got his first haircut last weekend. Liz loved it from the start, but I wasn't sure. I'm used to it now and looking at pictures of him before the haircut I'm not sure why we waited so long.

Last night while out eating, I took him outside to keep him occupied and I pointed him to the moon and told him what it was. Then a few minutes later, I asked "Where's the moon?" and he looked right at it. A couple of minutes later, I asked him again. He once again looked right at it. I was surprised, but Liz tells me he's been doing stuff like that for awhile now. I guess I never see it enough.

Liz and I started our own little "shop" at www.etsy.com. The url to our specific page is http://www.etsy.com/shop/wheelsonthebus. I need to tak some more photos of Liz's work, plus I need to still go through all my other photos to see which ones I can post. Some road trips are in order too, as I need to go out and try to take some more photos. Something I haven't done much of in about 3 years. So check back every so often to see what else we've posted.

We've also been planting a few bushes, etc. around the house, putting up lattice with bogainvillas and rose bushes. One of these days, I'll finally rent that grader and regrade the yard and put some gravel down. It will have a to wait a few more months. I'm anxious to get this all finished. Before and after pictures will be posted for sure.

Getting some sun in the back yard.




In our living room


At Railroad Park 03.06.10.


At Railroad Park 03.06.10.


Garrett and Savannah 03.06.10.


Checking out a pine needle at Railroad Park in Scottsdale 03.06.10.


On the kitchen floor 03.13.10.


"I can't wait to get big enough to climb this thing." 03.19.10.


Garrett LOVED the belly dancer! At an Indian Restaurant 03.20.10.


Us at an Indian Restaurant 03.20.10. Garrett still with his eyes on the belly dancer

Update 02.28.10

I haven't been keeping the blog up to date very well lately. We've been busy working on the house, getting ready for Garrett's 1st b-day, visitors, and traveling a little.

We had a small party at Chuck E. Cheese for Garrett. A very small group of friends and Garrett's G'ma Vicki (Liz's mom) and G'ma Toby (my mom) were there.

While G'ma Toby was here to visit, we took her out to Hieroglyphic Canyon. Obviously, this is one of our favorite hikes. G'ma Toby somehow survived. Garrett fell asleep in the backpack once again. He is a very good hiker. Rarely a complaint and still manages to fall asleep on his own.

Liz and G'ma Toby on the trail


One of the views from the trail


Garrett at Chuck E. Cheese on his first birthday


Garrett's 1st Birthday cake...or cupcake


Garrett and Chucky


Garrett and Bob the Builder


G'ma Toby and Garrett at the airport


We flew to Dallas last weekend, using our Thanksgiving tickets. We had a good time, except that Liz was sick on Saturday and my cousin's daughter was sick on Sunday. Garrett was also throwing up at times, at least once a day, for no apparent reason. One of these days we'll make it back to do the things we wanted that weekend.

Garrett and his great Aunt Nancy


My family in Dallas gave Garrett a little birthday party. Cake was made by Aunt Nancy


Garrett and my cousin Kelly



Garrett still isn't walking, despite the video from an earlier post. Liz has been walking him around a lot letting Garrett hold onto her hand. We wonder if he likes scooting cars along the floor to much for him to see the advantage in walking. He has been standing up on his own a lot without the aid of a couch or table and acts like he's going to walk, but seems worried he's going to fall and then puts himself on the floor again and crawls to where he wants to go. We're not trying to rush him though.

He hasn't thrown up since Dallas. The doctor gave us suggestions on what to give him to help stop it and it sees to have worked, however he's been sick the last couple of days with a fever (off and on), lots of congestion, and a cough and has thrown up from that. Evidently, he's gone from one thing to another. Poor guy can't seem to get a decent night's sleep in.