Leavin' for Leuven: April 2011

Monday, April 25, 2011

Isaac's First Easter

Isaac had a great first Easter! As you can see by his casual attire, we didn't actually make it to church. He had a rough night, so I slept in and we missed the 10:30 service. I was going to try, then, to go to the 4:00 service at a friend's church, but Isaac fell asleep at 3:15. The best-laid plans... I am learning flexibility. LOL

Isaac played on his rocking puppy for a while (a birthday gift from Aunt Kristin and Uncle Dave).

He got a bucket of Easter goodies from Grandma and Grandpa.

Jackson was also very curious about this...

Among other things in the bucket was a tasty, rubber, squishy toy with a ball that blinks different colors on the inside.

He got a new sippy cup.

Mom and Dad gave him some of the maracas he's loved at his music classes. They are just the right size for little hands!

The best part, however, may have been that the bucket was a *container*. We all know how much Isaac likes to put things into containers these days!

Nana also got Isaac a cute little lamb with a top hat. I was unsuccessful in getting a picture with it. He held it in front of his face for the first several attempts - here you can see its feet after Isaac threw it. :o) Sorry, Nana.

Spring Update

Isaac in his high chair. We spend a lot of time here now that he's eating more and more (and finger foods)! Here's looking at you, Kid.

Isaac has learned to climb the stairs. Here he is about a day or so after he first climbed to the top:

...and about a week later racing his friend, Henry, to the top of the stairs at Henry's house:

First trip to the pool. We went to my friend, Tori's, house. I took some of Isaac's bath toys along. He was fascinated by the little fountain you can see behind him. It was just the right height for him to stand by it and put his hands on top.

Baby storage solution?

"How does this latch work?"

Escape!!!

Hooray, beer! (Don't worry, he's still too small to reach the handles).

Exploring under the stairs. This little hole leads into the coat closet.

"Helping" dad with the wiring.

Finally, "dancing" with Dad:

Jackson and the Bubbles

Jackson loves to chase bubbles. Judy was having a good time blowing bubbles for Jackson to try to catch. He moves too fast to be caught well on camera, but I think you'll be able to sense the enthusiasm!

Tricycle Video

I had to create a YouTube account to be able to upload this. I thought it was worth the effort, though! I think Todd had even more fun than Isaac.

Since we shot this video, we've started crossing the shoulder straps on the trike so Isaac is a little more secure. He loves to go FAST!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Isaac's First Birthday

I didn't realize (until Mom told me) that I hadn't posted any photos from Isaac's actual birthday. I only posted pictures from the party. Sorry! Most of the excitement was actually at the party, rather than on the day itself.

Blue Bear is shrinking!

First, our friend Candy brought over a super-cute little dinosaur that she made for Isaac. The red fabric has little grey tools all over it and is perfect for Isaac. It even goes well with his bedroom decor!

Then, our very nice next door neighbor, Kathy, surprised us with a toy for Isaac. He LOVES this thing and the various (loud) noises it can make when Mom and Dad are trying to watch TV.

Then, Daddy came home from work and put together the gift from Mom & Dad. It's a cool tricycle thing. Isaac's friend Cash has one, too, and Isaac really likes this. It's how we go on walks now...

I have a great video of Todd playing with this, but I can't get it to upload...

Later, Isaac opened his present from Aunt Shannon, Uncle Scott, Kyle, and Katie. The tree frog passed the taste test.

He got this fun rocking puppy (as opposed to a rocking horse) from Aunt Krissy and Uncle Dave. This has been a fun toy for him so far. Sometimes he rocks on it; sometimes he kneels on it.

Finally, we gave him the Noah's Ark set and book that Nana sent. He plays with it every single day now. Last night, one of the giraffes jumped ship and went for a swim in my water glass while I wasn't looking...

The other big, fun gift Isaac got was given to him before the birthday party. It's a water/sand table from Grandma and Grandpa. He likes this toy - especially the various shovels and rakes that he carries all over the house while crawling.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Giggles

I have seen several videos of babies giggling lately - they seem to have all gone viral on the Internet at the same time. I think they are adorable. So, here are a couple of videos of my favorite baby laughing:

Bluebonnets

Texas tradition is to brave the oak pollen every spring to get pictures of your kids in the bluebonnets. We didn't succeed last year because Isaac was so young. This year, we delivered! Isaac did a taste test and then we took several shots.

Sweet, happy boy

Family photo

Four generations: Albert "Abe" Walter, Dave Walter, Todd Walter, and Isaac Walter

The Walter Men

Isaac and the girls

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Birthday Party!

Wow! Today was an amazingly fun time!!! Today, we celebrated Archer, Henry, Cash, and Isaac's first birthday. We had a huge party for all 4 boys and they had a blast.

Isaac had his first taste of sugar and I think it's safe to say he liked it. We got all 4 boys to sit at a little table in the yard so they could enjoy their cupcakes. We lit candles (and kept all fingers away from the flames) and then let the boys dig in. Isaac went FACE FIRST!!! It was absolutely hilarious! All of the kids played with the water/sand table and we got pictures of the birthday boys, their mommies, and the Baby Mamas. Here's a hint of the festivities from today:

The fun (messiness) is about to begin!