This Boelter Family

Louis is Two Years Old! Vivienne is Three Months Old!

Okay, so it's been a couple-few weeks since Louis's actual birthday, but Vivienne turned 3 months old today! Here are a couple of pix from Lou's birthday (which stretched out over a week or more as gifts kept coming in from St. Louis and elsewhere), followed by a few of Vivi today, then a few of the kids just hangin' out, and culminating in the latest from Sears Portrait Studio. 

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday to Louis!


Birthday Cupcakes!


Have you tried these? They're awesome!


A slide?! In the house?! Score!!! (Don't worry, it folds up...)


Vivienne in mid-roll (yes, she just started rolling onto her tummy)


Chillin' on Monkey Island


Gettin' good at head-liftin'


Buddha Baby


Louis in his cultist days...


ROFL


Dinosaur Puzzle!


OMG


L + V + Baby Bruno (photo courtesy of Bruno's Daddy)


Big-Eyed Boo


Ready for Action!


Tummy Time (before it gets frustrating, anyway)

And now for the studio shots:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

(...and don't forget Happy Birthday to Mommy!)

Whew! I can't believe the holidays (and all of 2010, for that matter) came and went so fast! We had a nice Christmas holiday, visiting with local friends and video chatting with long-distance family.

Thanks to everybody for the sweet cards and thoughtful gifts! You all really overdid it, but it did make us feel loved and we really do appreciate it. Louis in particular, who opened every package and present ("Rip it—the presinent") had a lot of fun!

And now for the photos! (in roughly chronological order):

Happy New Year!

We're looking forward to seeing what the new year brings to us!

Vivienne is 3 Weeks Old!

I can't believe it's been three weeks since Vivienne was born (okay, three weeks and one day)!

We're slowly but surely figuring out how to be a family of four (plus two brat cats); thanks to everyone for the gifts, cards, and especially the food! We've had a lot of visitors, too, from Grandma Martha to Aunt Margy and Uncle Dan to Moms Club moms to coworkers and friends to nosy TV reporters (Vivienne is a star!), and even St. Nicholas!

Here's the last couple of weeks in pictures (in no particular order):

Thanks again to everybody; wish us luck in the coming months!

Oh, and happy 4 weeks old birthday to Saoirse Ruth Boelter-Dimock!

The Kids Are Alright

We're still here, and we're all doing well. Thanks again to Grandma Nancy and Aunt Rebecca for EVERYTHING (not least for the multiple feasts they prepared!). It was so nice to have them here this first week; we really could not have done it without them! I don't think it's really sunk in for Louis yet that they aren't here anymore (although he keeps telling Daddy that they got on an airplane and went to Saint LOUIS!). After this crazy week, though, nothing phases him; we could put him to bed in the bathtub and get a pet dinosaur and he would be like, "okay, I guess this is how it is now."

Now for the photos!

Vivienne in her cute cap (knitted by Mommy!) and straightjacket swaddle.

Nothin' like snuggling up to Mommy...

First doctor visit. All good, and 90th percentile for weight! What a chub!

Strapped in.

Tweepin'.

Louis steals a kiss while Aunt Rebecca holds a sleeping Vivienne.

The first real wipe-down was not particularly appreciated.

Back in the swaddle, again.

That lump in the middle is the new bundle of joy, in case you were wondering...

Grandma soothes a less-than-happy Vivi.

The first-non-family-non-medical-professional-non-delivery-person-visitor award goes to Emily Shultz! (Of course, she did deliver bagels and cream cheese. Thanks, Emily!)

Grandma and Vivienne.

TREAT!!!

Louis and Vivienne play peek-a-boo.

Louis picks out diapers for Vivi to change into. Definitely Baby Cookie Monster this time.

 

Big Brothersaurus is doing well. The routine is starting to get back on track, and he's getting used to Vivienne. He's less shy around her, too, as you can see above. It's pretty amazing how having a new little baby affects our perception of Louis. He's a giant, for one thing: so big, strong, and healthy. We have not always thought of him in those terms, and it's amazing to realize how far he's come, how much he's been through, and what an awesome little dude he has become. And now he's a big brother! We think that role will suit him well, and we can't wait to see him take it on with all of his silly enthusiasm. It's impossible not to sympathize with the confusion and stress he must be feeling during this crazy time, but we are proud of how well he's adapting (so far, anyway).

Our hearts are bursting with love for both of our little ones! 

Vivienne Marie, Welcome to This Boelter Family!

So by now you've heard that Vivienne Marie Boelter was born on Monday, November 22, but you may not have heard the crazy story of how!

Monday morning Amy was three days overdue, but there was really no change in her condition, so I went to work. It was snowing, but it didn't seem too bad, and I planned to come home early in case traffic was bad (little did I know it would be so bad that some of my coworkers spent 6 or even 9 hours on the bus on the way home that day!). Amy emailed at around 3pm to tell me that she was pretty sure she had had her second contraction. I finished up what I was working on and ran out the door. I jumped in a cab in front of my office building so I jumped in. He tried to dump me before we got out of downtown for a more convenient fare, but I convinced him (with my wallet) to get me home ASAP.

When I got home a mere 40 minutes later, Amy was deep in the throes of labor in our bedroom. She had called our midwife, Traci, but she was stuck in the snow traffic (her ETA was an hour away). Amy had almost no time between contractions at all, and they were really intense; she was trying not to start pushing until the midwife could get there. Grandma Nancy and Aunt Rebecca were hanging out with Louis in the front room. I kept trying to get Traci on the phone, but I didn't get through to her right after Amy's water broke. She told me to call 911, so I kept her on the line on my phone and called 911 with Amy's phone (one on each ear).

Once they told me an ambulance was on the way, I hung up and put Traci on speakerphone. She told us it was okay to start pushing; I was going to have to deliver this kid myself. Within a few pushes, the baby's head was out, but wasn't coming out more. Traci asked me to try to feel if the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, and sure enough, it was. She told me to try to get a finger under it and loop it over the baby's head. I tried, but it was tight, and it broke almost immediately. I caught the baby as she came shooting out. Traci told me to try to pinch both ends of the cord closed to minimize blood loss.

I did, and almost seconds later, the EMTs (firefighters, actually, I think) came rushing into the room. They helped clamp the cord, get the baby into a blanket, and clear her mouth and nose. She was pretty blue in the face, but she writhed and let out a holler. We got her onto Mommy's chest as the second team (the actual medics) came in. They got an oxygen mask on the baby and said they needed to take the baby to the hospital. Traci was still on the phone, and they agreed to wait until she got there so we could all decide the best plan of action.

Traci got there and congratulated us on our new arrival. She agreed that it would be good to take Vivienne in for observation. I rode with Vivienne in the ambulance while Traci stayed with Amy until she was able to join us at the hospital. The EMTs kept Vivienne on oxygen for the ride over to the hospital, but the docs at Seattle Children's ER checked her out and said she didn't need it; she was doing fine on her own (and her face was less and less blue). All her tests showed normal, and Amy and Traci showed up soon. Traci bid us goodnight, and we stayed overnight in the hospital, the staff checking in on her regularly throughout the night. In the morning they pronounced her healthy and the three of us went home to a joyful reunion with Louis, Grandma, and Rebecca.

We are so happy that everything turned out as well as it did; it could have been a lot worse. We thank everyone involved from the bottom of our hearts; without any one of the links in this chain—from the cabbie to Traci to Grandma and Rebecca to the paramedics to the hospital staff—it could have been a disaster. Thank you thank you thank you!

Vivienne was weighed at least three times by different people in the hospital, with widely varying results we're gonna go with a birth weight of 8lbs 10oz., and 20.5 inches long. Everyone is doing well; stay tuned for more!

Happy Halloween!

Cookie Monster, Mommy, and Daddy had a great time this Halloween!

Grandma Martha sent a really cute pumpkin hat that Louis has gotten a lot of use out of (no, he doesn't really sleep in it; this was a posed shot for Grandma).

This is how he rolls.

Mom's Club "Trunk or Treat" was Louis's first trick or treat experience, and after he scoped out the scene, he took to it right away!

He didn't really know much about candy, but he has a lot of experience grabbing things from places he can barely reach.

Louis asked (and still asks) to put his costume on at least once a day. He wears it for about 30 seconds before it gets too hot!

Then we turned pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns!

Makin' calls...

This is how we trick or treat in the Emerald City...

Despite the rain, we trick-or-treated up and down Greenwood Avenue. It was a lot of fun, and Louis loved all the nice people and the other kids in costume. He especially liked it when the the other kids would pass him and say "Hi Cookie Monster!"

The finished product.

In the dark!

A rare pensive (still) moment.

Halloween night!

Louis's first taste of Halloween candy... 

...and the rest is history!

Oh, and we also posted a boatload of photos over on flickr!

Seattle Center!

On Saturday, This Boelter Family decided to do some real-live Seattle site seeing! We went to Seattle Center, which includes such notables as the Space Needle, The Experience Music Project, The Science Center, The Children's Museum, The Science Fiction Museum, and lots of other cool stuff!

That's the Space Needle, as seen from below (and behind one of the crazy sculptures on the grounds)—our number one destination on this trip.

Louis was excited about all the talk of elevators; it's a word he has recently enjoyed saying (although without most of the consonants, so it sounds sort of like "eh-yeh-yay-toe"). Here's Daddy and Louis in line for the ehyehyaytoe.

Once we got into the "moving room" (as defined in Louis's Sesame Street book The Furry Arms Hotel), however, he wasn't so sure he liked it. The elevator, which looks out over Queene Anne Hill, zooms up the 520 or so feet to the observation deck in a matter of seconds.

The city planners did a smart thing by not putting the Space Needle smack dab in the middle of downtown. Not only does it make for a really nice view of downtown's skyscrapers from the Needle, but it doesn't get lost in the jumble of buildings when you're admiring it from afar.

This is a patented Daddy-holding-the-camera-self-portrait shot, taken on the observation platform. The challenge level of this technique has increased with the addition of a certain camera-grabbing member of This Boelter Family.

Here's a corner of Puget Sound, and maybe the Magnolia neighborhood over there top right? I dunno, I can't keep all those non-North Seattle neighborhoods straight.

Mommy and Louis after we finished all the bunny crackers and apple snacks.

Louis points out the landmarks.

Mommy and Louis clownin' around.

Louis had the best view of all!

Back on terra firma, after walking around the park for a bit, Louis and Mommy wait for a fountain to start up.

There it is!

Whoa! Did you see that!?

Some cool structures near the Science Center.

We stopped in at the food court for lunch, which, as you can see, was Louis's favorite part. There was some kind of Tibetan fair going on, and Daddy was impressed that Louis identified the Tibetan monks' chanting as "museekah!"

More cool sculpture!

Here's just a chunk of the crazy architecture of the Experience Music Project (the Sci-Fi Museum may be in there, too), and the monorail leading up to (into? through?) it. We didn't check out these other attractions or any of the indoor stuff, really, on this trip; we'll save those for a rainy day.

We don't expect any shortage of those...

18 Months!

Ok, Louis is closer to 19 months old now, but you get the idea. We decided to check out the local department store portrait studio to document the occasion! What do you think?

...and We're Back!

Whew! I can't believe it's been four and a half months since we've blogged ANYTHING! Once you see this list, though, maybe you'll forgive us a little. Here are some things that have been happening with This Boelter Family recently:

• We found out we're going to have another baby! A little girl, due November 19. Everyone is healthy and happy, although Louis is good at tiring Mommy out (and Daddy, for that matter). Yes, we've started to think about names, but no, we aren't going to spill the beans until she's born.
• We settled into our new home and life in St. Louis, only to find that Josh's company, (Woot.com) was to be acquired by Amazon.com, and This Boelter Family would be relocating to Seattle, WA. Very sad to leave our recently repatriated home, friends, and family, but we decided to take on the challenge in the spirit of adventure!
• We visited Seattle twice: once with the whole family just to check out the scene, then Josh went back to tour the new office and find a place to live. Success on all counts! We scored a nice apartment in the excellent Greenwood/Phinney Ridge area of North Seattle.
• Josh went to Dallas for the announcement of the big acquisition; Woot's monkey mascot made a music video about it, and that—and a humorous (and largely fictional) letter from the CEO— generated some serious internet buzz.
• We blinked, and Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and many family birthdays had passed!
• The company arranged all the relocation services. The movers packed up just about all of our belongings and loaded them onto a truck in just over 4 hours! They even shipped our car to Seattle! Aunt Rachel, Ryan, and his sister Kelly moved into the Southampton house soon after. Gotta keep it in This Boelter Family, y'know?
• We had to couch-surf for a week or so while we waited for our stuff to arrive at the new apartment, then Josh and Macchiato went ahead to start work while Amy, Louis, and Sylvie stayed in St. Louis to play with the Grandmas, Aunt Rebecca, Aunt Rachel, Beckham, Sammie, and Rosy a little longer.
• Louis turned 18 months old! He is like an albino Tasmanian Devil with an insatiable appetite for Goldfish crackers, milk, Sesame Street, School House Rock, swings, books, music, kisses, and full-contact peek-a-boo ("I SEE YOU!"), especially when it involves hiding in one of our recently unpacked boxes.
• After a quick trip back to St. Louis and a quicker visit with Aunt Katy and Aunt Beth, This Boelter Family was reunited, cats and all, in Seattle (Josh's fourth trip from STL to SEA in 2 months!). The car and our stuff arrived, and we've managed to get it just about unpacked.
• People got married! Congratulations to Jessie and Theron, Angie and Andy, and Brian and Gabby! We love you all and we're sorry that some or all of us couldn't make it to your Big Day(s) because of all of our craziness.
• We're settling into a nice routine, and getting to know the neighborhood and surrounding area: the parks, the streets, the shops and restaurants, and the numerous bodies of water in the metropolitan area. This has been a great time of year to be here, with mild temperatures (for the most part) and lots of activities: neighborhood street fairs, company picnics, mom's club gatherings, and we're just getting started!

We've taken about 500 photos just on our phones in the last two months; we can't fit them all here, but below are some of our favorites (look for more on flickr soon).

Love to everyone who helped us get through this whirlwind transition, and to everyone we didn't get to give goodbye hugs to. We'll get back to St. Louis when we can, but pretty soon we'll have our hands even fuller than they are now! You'll just have to come visit us (we bought a new sofa bed just for you!), and for those who can't, we'll really try harder to update this blog more often!

Happy Easter!

A good time was had by all! After a nice visit with Grandpa and some grilled bratwurst with Grandma Martha on Saturday, This Boelter Family had a delicious brunch and Easter egg hunt at Great Uncle Jim and Great Aunt Leslie's house, followed by yummy Easter dinner with Grandma Nancy, Aunt Rebecca, Aunt Rachel, Ryan, and Jerry! Thanks everybody for a great Easter weekend!

Check out more TBF Easter pix on Flickr!



Louis woke up to some really cool stuff left by the Easter Bunny.
 



"Whoa! This egg has Cheerios in it!"

    


Jet and Lucia hangin' on the front porch.
 
   


Whoa! This egg has Cheerios in it, too!

    


Louis shows off his prize to Aunt Rachel.

    


Jackpot!

    


Mmmyes? May I help you?

    


It turns out the Easter Bunny left some good stuff for Louis at Grandma Nancy's house, too!

We also participated in the Easter Egg hunt at Ursuline Academy (Mommy's high school alma mater) the week before. Here are some highlights: 

    


Hangin' out in the parking lot, waiting for the hunt to begin! (Seconds before a pretty bad faceplant: took all week for the bruise/scab to go away, but it didn't seem to put a dent in Louis's egg-hunt fun.)

    


Mommy and Louis head out into the brush.

    


Why is everybody so excited about these eggs? They don't taste THAT good...




Sean is pretty content with his haul, but Louis is not convinced these Hershey's eggs aren't counterfeit.

    


Louis wasn't nearly as disturbed by the appearance of the Easter Bunny as Daddy was.

Happy Easter, everybody! Thanks again!