Oops, I lost the camera...

I just bought a new, compact camera to take with us to Maui so the nice Nikon wouldn't get sandy and ruined. I managed to get the Maui photos uploaded but now the camera has disappeared, which seems like a difficult feat considering it a bright, bronzy-orange color which I specifically chose so I could find it easily at the bottom of a purse or in the back of a drawer. I have my suspicions as to which toddler might have found and kicked it under the bed or deposited into the trash can or dropped it into a laundry bin (although, to be fair I checked all those unusual places and still can't find it...). The search will continue this weekend. In the meantime, I had uploaded some photos in mid April that were kind of random and I never got around to posting them. Enjoy!

 

On a trike at day care; can't pedal but still loved it!

Playing/climbing/falling into a random box

Grilling outside with dad while waving at mom in the kitchen

A walkabout/safari type hat and a penguin fleece sweat suit. Why not?

Thirsty in the bath tub

Rudolph Boo Boo

The week before we left for Maui, we had stolled down to the market at the Town Center, grabbed some croissants and sat outside at a Starbucks to enjoy the fine weather. As we were getting ready to leave, I put Harrison down on the ground but did not realize he was just steps from Winston's leash. Winston stood up to leave, the leash drew taught and Harrison promptly took a step and face planted into the cement. He actually did a good job of catching himself but his nose certainly took the brunt of the impact with a big abrasion, scraping just enough skin to cause quite a bit of bleeding. Poor baby. I had to run back into the market to buy neosporin and band aids.

The pictures were taken later that afternoon so the boo boo was a distant memory by then, not nearly as red. I remembered that we would return from Maui on Mother's Day and I therefore needed to work on Mom's Day gifts for the grandmas now. While Harrison was napping, I ran down the street to the Town Center and started painting some mugs to place his hand print on. When he woke, Michael walked him down to meet me. Turns out it is not very easy to convince a 14 month old to let you paint and place his hand perfectly onto a ceramic mug. We made 4 and only 1 turned out near perfect... alas, I should have made one for myself. For my Mother's Day gift, Michael joked "I am flying you to Seattle!" (from Maui)

15 Month Stats

Harrison had his 15 month check up today! Here are the results:

• Length: 31 5/8" (70th percentile)
• Weight: 24 lbs, 1 oz (40th percentile)
• Head Circumference: 18 3/8" (35th percentile)

Team Fein Goes to Maui!

Ah, Maui. Who has a bad time in Maui? Certainly not Team Fein. Let's be clear that we were way past due for some rest and relaxation (let's also be clear that vacationing with a toddler isn't exactly restful or totally relaxing); Michael and I haven't vacationed (not visited family) since Harrison was about the size of a prawn in his mamma's tummy and referred to as "Barry," almost two years ago. We owe this amazing opportunity to our friends Aaron and Irene for inviting us to crash their vacation and sharing their family's house and car - you guys were totally cool and lots of fun to hang out with!

Maui with a toddler means two things to a Seattle-ite parent... a 6 hour flight and a 3 hour time zone change. I was confident Harrison would do well in both categories and I am happy to report he did not disappoint (although we were very nervous beforehand!). There was a lot of walking up and down the airplane aisles and many a new toy pulled out of the carry on bag as a surprise to keep him entertained, but all in all he was a good little traveler. Even though he woke up at 4:30am the first two mornings, he quickly adjusted, especially with long days at the beach to tucker him out. 

Of the 8-9 days in Maui, 5 of those days were primarily spent at one of three beaches. when he was 4-12 months old, Harrison never liked taking naps at day care and I think it was because he does not like to miss out on the action. The beach had a similar effect on him. We stayed as long as 5 hours at a time, once arriving when he should have started a nap and that kid stayed awake, happy and engaged the entire time (promptly falling asleep the minute we put him back into the car!). The sand was a constant source of entertainment (and a constant presence in his diaper) and he enjoyed playing in the waves with daddy. He nearly fell asleep in the baby floaty as the gentle waves lulled him to sleep until mom pulled him out of the water for fear of sunburn. Harrison now sports a cute, light tan line at his elbows, despite the SPF 50 slathered on every 2 hours!

Makena Beach  earned three visits!

Aaron and Michael built a sand castle and eagerly awaited Harrison's destruction of it!

Irene, Aaron and Michael dug a huge whole Harrison would slide into and climb out of. Eventually it got too deep to climb out of and he had to beg to be rescued! This is his sign for "pick me up."

"Hi dada!" A few weeks ago Michael heartily applauded and encouraged him to say this... now he thinks "hi dada" means hello and he says it to everyone he meets.

We enjoyed a variety of activities on the days we did not go to the beach. This included a "plantation" (which is more for visitors than actually growing crops), including a tram ride, demonstration on how to open a coconut and a pond with ducks and frogs. Harrison wondered over to a local family and they shared some duck food with us. Harrison jumped and pulled his hands back when the duck pecked at his hands for the food.

Lahaina has shops and a nice beach front walk that we strolled at sunset before touring Front Street, visiting the very old and large banyan tree and eating at Kimo's out on the deck.

Iao State Park was beautiful, full of greenery, plants and a nice walking path that was stroller accessible.  

The aquarium turned out to be an awesome stop with Harrison. It was the first time we exposed him to a lot of fish up close and he loved watching them, especially the big, colorful ones. Michael used his phone to look up the sign language sign for fish and Harrison readily learned it in his excitement!

There is a glass tube that cuts through a giant tank - this sting ray happened to glide right over them when I snapped the photo. I love how Harrison looks awed, although in reality he didn't see the ray since it swam behind him.

Kihei also offered some great food and beach walks...

Nakalele Blowhole is a cove with lava formations which, when hit by rough surf, will shoot water through an opening like a geyser many feet into the air. Unfortunately it did not perform the day we arrived despite crazy high winds that nearly blew me over, literally. Check out Michael's hair:

We call him "Adventurer Harry" when he wears his cool hat and scouts out new terrain!

Our trip concluded with a lovely meal at a restaurant built on an old sugar cane plantation. This was one of our best vacations ever, I'm just sorry Harrison will not remember. Clearly, I took enough pictures to implant into his memory when he is older.

First Hair Cut

Mom and Dad really struggled with the decision to go through with Harrison's first hair cut. He doesn't have a lot of hair but what is there was getting long but a bit scraggly. That said, we were pretty concerned that he just wouldn't look like a baby anymore and were not sure if we were ready for this right of passage. I scheduled an appointment at a children's boutique store with a "salon" in the back and we seriously considered canceling at all weekend but in the end we marched right in and did it. 

The first thing the woman said was, "So, what were you thinking. A military style buzz cut?" I resisted the urge to grab my child and run for the hills and in the end we agreed to just a trim to clean up the overall look. She saved most to the hair for us and put it into a plastic bag about 1 inch by 2 inches and the cuttings in no way filled it up. The little that did come off really did clean up his look and he still looks young, sweet and adorable. The "chairs" are made to be cars on a stand, which sit in front of a tv. Harrison doesn't really watch tv but whenever you put him into a new situation, he basically stands still and just observes what is going on so I told the woman she had 10 minutes until he would start to squirm. 

 

The boutique is in a neat shopping center modeled after a country village so we walked around, checked out the ducks and chickens and visited a few of the shops. A man talked us into visiting his shop stocked with Mexican imports and while we were not really interested we went in our of courtesy. After chatting with him and his wife while browsing, we came across some chimineas, which are kind of like a Mexican version of a fire pit and we instantly thought it would be super cool for our deck. It is hand made and one of a kind, made of clay and radiates heat from wood you burn inside while the outer surface gets warm but will not burn little hands if they accidentally touches it. The little hat on top is a spark diffuser which can be taken off; we also got ours made with an iron stand... this thing weighs about 75 ponds and won't be tipped over be little hands or a bulldozer of a dog.

This last picture is just for fun with Harrison in a bath at the end of the day. Yes, his name is spelled wrong but the foam bath letters only have one of each letter!

Raina's Birthday

My 31st birthday happened to fall on "administrative professionals day" so the entire day I received cards and gifts from my coworkers and managers for both occasions. After working a 1/2 day, I treated myself to a mani/pedi and then went to the dentist (mainly because it was the only day that would work); I figured that I need to take good care of the ole body! Harrison and I arrived home to find Michael busily preparing my birthday meal - an absolutely amazing seafood risotto, grilled asparagus, nice wine and "upside down double dutch chocolate pudding cake," a recipe from his mom that he has made me a handful of times and I love. Additionally, dad played with and bathed baby while mom took a nap (!). Talk about extravagance! A big thank you again to my wonderful husband who knows just what his girl wants.

Resume

Harrison J. Fein

Objective: Seeking a position as the CET (Chief Executive Toddler) within a fast growing family

Professional Accomplishments:
 *Achieved walking at 10 months of age, ahead of peers. Attained proficiency and am currently working on my Masters in Running
*Accomplished eating solid foods with fingers. Preferred nourishment includes quesadillas, mac & cheese, toast with jam, peaches and mandarin oranges.
*Expert at drinking from a sippy cup; milk or apple juice ideal
*Decreased nap frequency to once a day for 2-3 hours
*Proficient at putting things into containers, especially after dumping them all out
*Follows simple commands, such as go get a book, pick up your blankie, etc

Language Skills:
*Basic knowledge of Toddler Sign Language. Signs include more, drink/thirsty, all done and please
*Basic knowledge of American English. Words include mama, dada, ball, woof woof (for a dog noise) and mmmmm (for a cow noise)
*Comprehension of simple conversations, questions and commands (however often exercises right to ignore requests)
*Commanding use of whining and crying to display displeasure

Education:
*Attending a Kids Academy with an emphasis in play time, song time, story time and art

Extracurricular Activities:
*Enjoys dancing whenever good tunes are playing, utilizing such dance moves as rocking, turning circles and “jazz hands”
*Snuggling with mom or dad, especially in the early morning and late evening
*Wrestling with dad on the weekends
*Bonding with Winston including playing fetch, climbing over him, smiling and waiving when he enters the room and hand feeding him food while sitting in the high chair
*Recreational activities such as parks, slides, riding in the red wagon and exploring the deck

References:
*Available Upon Request

Our Dapper Little Man!

Doesn't he look dapper? I expect Brooks Brothers to start calling us any moment. Harrison is such a good sport, he never complains regardless of what mommy dresses him in. For Easter Sunday, he escaped the beloved sweater vest and instead sported a seersucker jacket, a white oxford style button down shirt with yellow tie and khaki pants. We attended church with Michael's family and he easily out dressed us all! Unfortunately, church was early enough that we did not have extra time to stand around and take photos beforehand so the photos I do have are around dinner time and he refused to stand still and smile at me. 

Remember this Easter basket picture from last year? He could hardly sit up without falling over... ah, he is growing up fast!

The family gathered at Michael's Aunt Shivonne/Uncle John's house for Easter. The weather was windy and a bit chilly, so rather than dragging the entire family outside to hunt eggs in the lawn, we elected to do it in the living room. It was fun to watch Cousin Gillian, Aunt Rae Ann and Uncle Stephan help dad to hide the eggs... it wasn't so long ago that we were hiding eggs from them! Thinking about this moment ahead of time, on Saturday we had a practice session in our living room to ensure Harrison knew what to do. Sure enough, he immediately took hold of the basket, walked straight towards the plastic eggs, picked them up and dropped them in his basket - I couldn't believe it! So when the big moment came on Sunday, he did not fail to please... the family of about15 all watched intently and gave him hearty cheers each time he dropped the egg in the basket.

Lastly, a few photos with mom and dad... rest assured he tried to wiggle out of our laps the entire time.

Shower Power

I have permission to share this photo (thanks dad!). In February, when Harrison was on antibiotics for almost 4 weeks, he had severe diaper rash and it burned if he sat in the bath tub. Dad discovered that if he held him in the shower, the pain was not so bad. Behold:

Canuck Gangster, eh?

Dad recently went to the Vancouver Cunucks vs. Detroit Red Wings game in B.C. with his buddy and came back with a cool Cunucks hat which Harrison took a shine to. We would put it on his head, the heavy brim would pull the hat down over his eyes, he would flip it off his head onto the floor, bend down and pick it up, try to put it on his head again but 9 times out of 10 it wouldn't get on his head right and fall back on the floor and the whole process would start over again.

Since you have been a bit photo deprived lately, here are a couple freebies for good measure:

He has six teeth now; you can see the two top and two bottom here but he also has two more top teeth, each flanking the middle two.