Max Ride Train!

Max loves trains. I hear many toddler boys go throught this but I did not understand how strong the pull was till Max caught the train bug.

A few weeks before Thanksgiving Max was running around my parents house saying, "Max ride train!" Poppi picked up the idea and booked a Santa Train Ride for us. (Max, Poppi, Yzma, Gwen and I)

When the train started moving he could hardly believe it was real.

Us on the train

Poppi, Gwen and Max (Pretty much as cute as it gets!)

Max and I walking to our train car.

Max was good about seeing Santa and even talked to him.

Just as we were leaving the train began to pull put for the next group and I took a short video of it. Max wanted to watch this over and over after we were home.
Good times had by all!

Day of Halloween

I know it seems a little late for this but I wanted to put up pictures of the Kings and Queens at the Ficrest Trivia Night.



The White Set




The Black Set



Princess Buttercup and Wesley
(Sorry did not have a better picture but you get the idea.
They were freakin' cute.)




The team who was tied for first and the end of the fifth round.
(There are 6 rounds)




The team who came in second thanks to a lot of questions about Ghost Busters
(which I knew nothing about)


I will have pictures of Gwen the ladybug as soon as I can figure out how to get the ones off my phone on to the computer.

Of Kings and Queens

It all started when my Mom heard there was a costumes competition at Fircrest Golf Club Trivia Night on Halloween. She came up with chess pieces; white king, black king, white queen and black queen. My Mom and I almost had to give up knitting altogether to get them done in time! But here they are.


Wish the grass was a giant chess board, wouldn't that be cool.



My mom crochet and knit the masks. Many people at the club did not recognize us at all -- were quite surprised when they found out who we were.

Props to my dad who did all the wood working with the staffs. Also for great moral support and baby wrangling while we were engrossed in the costumes!




Next post: The Big Day - Halloween (Pictures of Gwen will be shown!)

The day Max wore his wolf suit........

Since there are a good three blog posts out of Halloween (and I am a blogging slacker and need some strong material) I am going to spread the festivities over a few posts.

The first Halloween outing for Max was the Halloween party at school on Friday. I have been waiting for the perfect moment to make a wolf suit for Max, my family has been talking about it since he was born. Max knows the book "Where the Wild Things Are" very well as his Uncle Jordan has a reading of it on Max's ipod. We bought the book in September and I have read it to Max (by popular demand) everyday since then.

This is Max's favorite picture from the book. He points to it and says "Yzma make Max wolf suit!"
My Mom has lots of technical sewing experience so the two of us make a great team. I do more of the costume designer things ie. "Should we make the suit have four fingers or five" and "The crown changes height, some times you can see his ears and sometimes not". My mother lives a little more in the practical world ie. "Pipe cleaners are going to be to sharp we should starch yarn for the whiskers instead!"
At 1:30 am the crown was done and the wolf suit was ready for its first outing!


Almost every child had a parent there and it was nuts! It was all well organized but herding cats can only get so good and herding preschoolers is harder. Max was a little over whelmed by the insanity so I am really glad I was there with him. I love seeing all the other little ones in costume too.
First each class went around to all the other classes in a costume parade. Here is Max's classroom and classmates. (I particularly like the fairy and the witch)




They had pony rides which thrilled Max. I hear Auntie Sasha is jealous and would like to go to Max's school.



Of course the traditional drawing on a pumpkin with markers. (White suits and paint markers makes the costumer very nervous)

Overall a good time had by all. I recived many compliments on the wolf suit. Someone even asked if I do costumes professionally and that I should make costumes to sell for Halloween. I pointed out that for materials and time I would have to charge $200 at least. She did not seem to think there would be much of a market and I agree.
Max will have to be in a class by himself with a costume designer mother and Yzma who has the skills to realize the renderings!

September Around Here

Max's First Day of School
Yes he does love school but it has taken him the entire month to let me leave without him holding on to my leg and whimpering when I drop him off. (It is early in the morning and I am usually holding Gwen so my sympathy level is low). Today he hardly gave a backward glance as I left. I am so proud.

Gwen had her 4 month doctor appt today and she is perfect. 75% in height, weight and head circumference, extremely proportional. She is doing great pushing herself up but is not to interested in rolling over. Not a major problem but the doctor did recommend we give her more tummy time. Mostly when on her stomach she gets excited about how still her hands are and immediatly sucks on both of them!

Max loves the Mariner's games. I have not really broken it to him that the season is ending, some how I don't think football will have the same attraction. Anyway her he is on the couch at Grandma and Grandpa's house. He loves playing and snuggling with their dogs Maggi and Kiota.

T-Ball (A little late but worth the wait)

So this was all last month but hey the pictures are cute!

Max loves baseball. He watches the games and yells "Go Mariners" no matter who is batting.
He really like when they throw, catch and hit the ball. He watches so carefully that he now has the entire set up and throw of a major league pitcher down to a tee. (Get it t-ball)

Anyway here is Max pitching.

Max setting up for the swing


And yes he can even hit the ball!

The Beach 2009

Here are some pictures form the big OC (Otter Crest) this year.

The whole OC crew
Gwen chilling in the room, in her new knit kimono

Auntie Sasha and Max and Sasha exploring the rocks and ocean


Max at the playground

Spray Park = Good Times

I had never even heard of a spray park until a few weeks ago when Sonja said "There is a spray park at Franklin Park near my house, we should take Max."



I have been missing out! It is a 20 by 30ft area with all sort of water squirting things and all the kids in it were have a great time.

Max being the careful person that he is insisted on having Sonja or Yzma hold his hand. He did enjoy it but he was just not to sure about going in all by himself.


Good times had by all and a great way to pass the time on a 90 degree day in Tacoma. Gwen slept the whole time.

Pictures from the Hospital

Sonja and Jeff all scrubbed up (they were so excited about this part)


Gwen (slightly slimy yet already cute!)


Gwen and Daddy


Gwen and Auntie Sonja

This picture is from later on her first day out in the world, makes me laugh. I would love to know what she was thinking.

Blueberry Transformed!

It finally happened! (Actually she was early so I am not complaining)

Sarah, Jeff and Sonja drove to the hospital at 3am Mother's Day morning. Shortly after we got there the Midwife discovered Blueberry was breech and a cesarean was the only option.

After a short (about 30 min) and extremely successful surgery....

Gwenneth Marie Bridges


was born at 5:25 am weighing 9 lbs and 3 oz and 20 inches long.

Here are a few more pictures!

Eleven Days to Go....Give or Take

Eleven days seems like an eternity till I stop to think the baby could be late!

Nothing much to do but wait. Just wanted to let everyone know nothing has happened yet.
Here is a cute picture of Max to tide you over.

Rounding Down

I have decided that rounding down is the only way to declare how long it is till one is due.
For example I am officially due in 2 weeks and 5 days but when someone asks how long till I am due I get to say 2 weeks.

Since due dates are not exact anyway how much can it really matter and it make me feel like the end is near.
That is how I feel about that.

Blueberry Update:
Everything is normal and on schedule. Blueberry wiggles and dances all the time.
Due Date still May 15th ....... I can't wait!

THIS IS MAX, Not Blueberry
Just thought I would put up a picture of tiny baby Max for those who never saw him this small.(about 3 days old)

Maxwell's Easter in Picture Book Form

Max went to church in his lovely knit outfit. His favorite part was the music; full choir, brass, piano and organ.

Max, Mama and Daddy went to a birthday party where there were new toys he had never played with and the sweetest 9 month old in a puff of a yellow dress.

Max slept through the Easter Egg hunt at Popi and Yzma's but it was for the best as it the family seemed to take the word hunt seriously.

The Easter Bunny brought Max a chocolate bunny, a box of cookies, two construction trucks, a shoes lace book and a basketball hoop. The Aunties also shared their Peeps with him.

The chocolate Easter bunny was the second to be annihilated right after a cookie.

It was a good day!