Happy Easter

We had a fun Easter this year. A lady in our apartment complex hosted an egg hunt for little toddlers that Paige loved. She really liked picking up eggs and bringing them to her basket.

We also had an impromptu Easter dinner with our friends. We basically decided to have dinner together that day, so all of brought what we had on hand. It turned out to be a really great meal!

Paige all dressed up for church:

Impromptu BBQ at the Park

While the boys were working away on finals this year, we had a little impromptu bbq at the park.

Eve, Christen, Heidi, Michelle

All the boys were there too, I just don't have any pictures of them.

Gabbi and Henry

Paige loved running through the open fields and kept trying to chase the soccer ball from a nearby game.

National Museum of Natural History

We took a trip down to the National Museum of Natural History to see the new Hall of Human Origins. It was a pretty cool exhibit.

Paige and I posing in front of the elephant in the center of the museum:

Paige in the Hall of Human Origins sharing a camp fire with this bronzed ancestor:
I set her down for that picture right as a group of girls were walking by. The girls oohed and aahed over Paige and asked to take her picture. What can I say? She is pretty darn cute.

Paige checking out skulls with Daddy:

After we went through the Hall of Human Origins we spent a couple of minutes looking at dinosaurs.

As you can see in this (really dark, sideways) video, Paige was more interested in the floor than she was in the dinosaurs.

Oh well. She'll get more into museums as she gets older.

Museum with the Meldrums

In January, our friend Jaren came out to Washington, DC for some medical school interviews. We went on a trip to the National Portrait gallery with Jaren and his brother Eric who lives out here (but who we don't see nearly enough). We wandered around a couple floors of the Portrait Gallery, but didn't stay for very long. The museums out here are just way to big to do in one shot.

Jaren's contemplation look:

Here is Jaren educating Paige on popular culture; specifically, LL Cool J:

Paige trying to taste Eric's gloves:

Paige riding around on Daddy's shoulders:

Paige riding in her stroller looking at all the pictures:

At one point I took Paige out of the stroller and let her walk around on multi-colored tile ground. She loved it. She let out an excited little squeal and took of running. She loves walking through wide open spaces.

Thanks for the fun trip, Jaren and Eric. Let's do it more!

Birthday Party

Paige and I celebrated our birthdays together with a party. We had some friends over, ate tacos, cake, and ice cream.

Here is Paige all dressed up for her party:

Lots of friends came to party with us:

Josh and Christen (Henry was running around somewhere):

Eve and Baby Girl Fowles (Adam and Alex were there too):

Hugh and Tammy:

Chelsey, Tristen, and Harrison (Clay and Hyrum were there too):

Cohen:

We had two separate cakes. Christen made me a delightful pineapple/pudding cake, and I made Paige's cake from scratch. It looked funny, but it tasted ok. Paige had a 1 shaped candle, and I had delightful sparkler candles (that I couldn't blow out by myself).


After we blew out our candles we gave Paige her first piece of cake. She was unsure of it and didn't grab at it (which is weird because she usually grabs at everything).

"Why are all of these people staring at me?!"
We took her out of the highchair and I sat on the floor with her and the cake. She got right into it and then loved it.

She kept grabbing pieces of cake and running off with them.

We had such a fun party. Thanks for celebrating with us everyone!

Paige Walks

It's amazing how quickly babies learn things.

Here is Paige toward the beginning of December:
(sorry these videos are so dark)




Paige in the middle of December, already improved:




Paige on January 13:



Our baby walks!

Christmas in Colorado

We spent Christmas these year in Colorado. We were there for about 6 days, and got to see both of our families. Everybody loved seeing Paige. Most of the families had never met Paige before, so they were excited to meet her.

Paige "helping" me pack. She was not in the way at all when she was playing in the suitcases, but she definitely did start to get in the way when she pulled folded clothes out of the suitcases and threw them.

Here we are at the airport, watching the suitcases get loaded onto the airplane.

Waiting to take off on Paige's first airplane ride:

Paige did pretty well on the trip to Colorado. For the most part she played happily (even though she got a little bit bored toward the end), and then fell asleep at the start of the second flight (we had a layover in Chicago).

I didn't get pictures of everyone we saw during the week, but we got a bunch.

Here is Paige and her cousin Rylee. Rylee was really excited to see Paige. When Paige was napping Rylee would ask me if Paige was awake yet, because she wanted to play with her.

Playing the piano with Grandma Brison:

Playing the guitar with Grandpa Brison: (grandpa had lots of fun instruments he let Paige help him play)

Playing with Grandma Kartchner:
Posing for a picture with Justine and Hazel:


Paige and Uncle Jeffy:
Paige and Uncle Erik:
Playing with a slinky while Grandpa Brison watches:
Playing on our suitcase:

We spent Christmas morning at the Brison's house, the afternoon at the Kartchner's, then went back to the Brison's for a little bit, then back to the Kartchner's for bedtime. It was a busy day, but lots of fun!

Christmas morning with Grandma Brison:

Squirming on Uncle Erik:

Sitting at the kids table with your cousins Jaron, Brinley, and Jace. You LOVED this little chair.


Posing next to cousin Rylee:
You got so many presents for Christmas. We handed you your first present at the Brison's and you were a little bit confused until I ripped a little piece of it to show you how to do it. From there you got SO excited and started ripping the paper and were excited to find a new toy inside. I don't have any pictures of you opening presents at the Brison's, but it was really cute. She got more presents at the Kartchner's. All of the grandkids got cute little stools with their names on them:

Paige was really excited by all the present opening. She especially loved playing with all of the wrapping paper.
We had such a fun time in Colorado!

Here is Paige at the airport waiting to get on the airplane to fly home:

She did not do well on the flight home. The flight took off right at her bedtime, so we thought she would just fall asleep and sleep for the flight. But no, she didn't. She was awake, cranky, and crying for most of the flight. Our apologies to to all the other passengers on that flight for the screaming child.

We were so lucky to be able to spend Christmas in Colorado and we can't wait to go back again!











Playing with a slinky while Grandpa Brison watches:
Playing on our suitcase:

We spent Christmas morning at the Brison's house, the afternoon at the Kartchner's, then went back to the Brison's for a little bit, then back to the Kartchner's for bedtime. It was a busy day, but lots of fun!

Christmas morning with Grandma Brison:

Squirming on Uncle Erik:

The kids table at the Kartchner's. Jaron, Brinley, Jace, and Paige (1/2 of the Kartchner grandchildren).


Paige and Rylee: (Paige LOVED this chair)

Paige got so many presents for Christmas. We handed her the first present at the Brison's and she was a little bit confused until I ripped a little piece of it to show her how to do it. From there she got SO excited and started ripping the paper and was excited to find a new toy inside. I don't have any pictures of her opening presents at the Brison's, but it was really cute.

She got more presents at the Kartchner's. All of the grandkids got cute little stools with your names on them:

You also got a puppy that makes different noises and sings different songs when you touch its hands and feet. You've loved it since you opened it (well, since I opened it while you watched):

We had such a fun time in Colorado!

Here you are at the airport waiting to get on the airplane to fly home:

You did not do well on the flight home. The flight took off right at your bedtime, so we thought you would just fall asleep and sleep for the flight. But no, you didn't. You were awake, cranky, and crying for most of the flight. We felt so sad that you were having such a rough time.

You were also a little cranky when we got home and kept looking at me as if to say "where are all the people who play with me!?"

We were so lucky to be able to spend Christmas in Colorado and we can't wait to go back again!