Matt and Becky had their two little boys this morning at 7:00/7:30. They came a few weeks early, but both boys and mommy are doing well. Congratulations you guys!! We are so excited to meet them! Quin has two more cousins...Yeah!
Merry Christmas everyone! We hope that you have all had a wonderful Christmas; ours was perfect. We spent the day at home and kept it pretty quiet. My mom came over in the afternoon and we enjoyed a fabulous dinner on paper plates. Nothing says Christmas quite like paper plates and plastic cups! What can you do when everything is packed.
Quin has been walking like crazy lately; I guess it finally clicked! For all of you distant relatives and friends who are anxious to see him walk, here you go (Merry Christmas from Quin):
We made it to the Trail Of Lights again this year, figuring this would probably be our last chance, at least for a while. We thought that Quin would be completely ecstatic about it, considering he loves looking at Christmas lights on houses and goes totally nuts when he sees them, but I think he was actually a bit overwhelmed. Perhaps there were just too many lights, or maybe there were too many people, or all of the music and sounds were just too much. Regardless of the reason, he wasn't quite sure what to think, although by end he did end up having fun. Once we hit the last few displays, he realized that all of the lights were pretty cool and he was laughing and bouncing around in his stroller.
Maybe in a few years we can make the trip back to Austin around Christmas time and Quin will get to see them again. Who knows, maybe there is something cool like this around Fort Collins. Besides, looking at lights in Colorado will be a better Christmas package, complete with snow and cold weather. Doesn't it seem a bit wrong to be looking at Christmas lights in short sleeves?
Quin's great-grandma Emma has been sick for a few weeks now, so we decided that it was time we pay her a visit. So, Monday afternoon I packed up the car and headed up to Dallas (along with my mom). The three hour drive also served as a test run for our big move to Colorado (albeit 5 times shorter!), which should prove to be an interesting adventure.
Spending time with grandma was really nice. She is actually doing a bit better than I expected, which was a great surprise. She loved spending time with Quin, amazed by how much he has grown and how smart he is. She was really fascinated by all of the sign language Quin knows and how well he can communicate. Quin was a bit of a handful, especially since there wasn't much to hold his attention, but he did enjoy climbing all over grandma, patting her tummy (it made a nice drum, even making a hollow sound), and giving her kisses.
All in all, it was a great visit and I am really glad that we were able to see her again, even if it was short.
So it is now official...we are moving to Fort Collins Colorado in less than two weeks! Our house is now on the market, Tim has put his notice in at work, and Quin has snow boots (pictures to come)! We couldn't be more excited about the move. Sure, it is hard to move during the holidays, but at least Quin is still little. The best part is that we will still get to enjoy a real winter! Quin is going to get to play in the snow for the first time this year. I am sure he is excited about that. Until we find a house to buy, our plan is to live with Carl and Gwen. They closed on their new house in November and we will get to try it out for them. Wouldn't you be super excited about living in the Lincoln Log Cabin??
So I mentioned previously that Quin is walking. You can now see it for yourself (at least a few baby steps). If you're reading this in your email, click to the site to see the video.
(You might also note that he enjoys playing with the dishwasher)
Quin has gotten very comfortable walking between Tim and I. He is now starting to feel more confident and is walking short distances instead of crawling! It is so exciting to see him walking around. It really makes him seem like less of a baby and more of a big boy.
I know that I have been a little behind on the blog lately (sorry Gwen...now that you are retired I guess I better update this thing more often), but there have been so many things going on! So, for those of you that have been wondering what our boy is up to... here are a few of the many things:
Quin is close to officially walking. I say close because he hasn't built up the confidence to walk everywhere. He does, however, get immense pleasure out of walking between Tim and I, usually only taking a handful of steps before falling into one of us. He then gets back up and does it again, always signing for more and laughing the entire time. I will post more on this when I either get some pictures/ video or when he is full on walking.
Quin has tooth #10 working its way through. It is the top right tooth and seems to be coming in a bit crooked. It actually hasn't caused him as much discomfort as I expected it to, then again I suppose it is a tiny tooth in comparison to the four molars he got all at once!
Quin has gotten really good at signing. At this point, he has pretty much gotten down all of the signs I have taught him: more, eat/hungry, water, milk, cat, dance, bath, cookie, cracker, no more, all finished, and up. We are still working on pain/hurt, please, thank you, mom, dad, and bird. I am just not sure what signs to introduce from here. This signing stuff really is great!
Quin loves music. I think perhaps this is his favorite thing right now. A few weeks ago I would have said eating was the favorite, but lately he has gotten too picky with food and tends to get upset while eating. The only thing about music that he views as upsetting is the absence of it. When he feels like listening, he points to the receiver for me to turn it on (or if the remote is within reach he will try to do it himself) and then signs that he would like to dance. Once the music starts, he dances! It is the cutest thing to watch.
Quin has been doing so much lately that I could continue this all day, but I will put another post in a few days when I have some new pictures.
Every year we have a lot to be thankful for, however the past two years have been extra special having Quin. This year, my dad and his wife came down from Dallas to spend the holiday with us. Our tradition of smoked turkey continued this year and Quin was actually able to take part in it; he had his very own plate filled with everything we were having. 
I know this plate of food looks massive, but don't worry...he didn't eat it all (he did come pretty close though). I think our boy officially likes Thanksgiving and all that goes with it. Perhaps this year he was thankful for the opportunity to eat solid food with us, especially the cranberries!
Quin seems to love hats. He has always had a hat, ever since he was little, although it has only been recently that he really seems to LOVE them. I first noticed it when I took Quin out and bought him a winter hat; he cried whenever I took it off. Logically, I let him wear it whenever he wanted to. Not only does it keep him warm, but he looks so cute in it! 
The next hat that he fell in love with was Tim's gardening hat. He found it on the couch, picked it up, and raced off! Now, every time he sees it, he has to wear it. 
In fact, Quin loves to put just about anything he can on his head. He pulled this paper bag off of the table and instantly pulled it over his head. Next thing I knew, he was blindly crawling around with it on!
What a goof ball! He will put any object on his head just to see what happens. This includes buckets, toys, clothes, etc. You name it, he will try to put it on his head.
For those of you who don't know, Quin is teething worse than I thought possible! At the moment, he has one little front tooth and four big molars all trying to make their way through. This makes for one cranky little boy. Poor guy. The teething, coupled with the fact that he is discovering negative emotions (anger, yelling, hitting), means that our days are a little more stressful than they once were. In reality, Quin being cranky is not all that bad. When Tim and I mention that Quin is in a foul mood, our friends and family think we are nuts; we evidently don't know what a misbehaving toddler is really like. Well, if we don't know what bad really is, then I guess I don't really want to know!
Over the past weekend, Tim's dad and step mom came to visit. We were so happy that they were able to come considering the fires by their house in California. It was a great visit, but too short. By the time they left Monday afternoon, Quin had finally gotten used to them and was sad to see them go (as were we). Quin's fear of strangers is definitely improving, however he still has his issues. There are, however, a handful of activities that will bring Quin out of his shell regardless of his audience:
Bath Time- This is oh so much fun and Quin loves to splash the water as fast and as hard as he can, getting as many people wet as possible.
Speedy Sombrero- Quin thinks that it is hilarious to crawl around at top speed with Tim's yard hat on; it is especially silly when he pulls it down over his eyes and peeks out through the holes above the brim.
Entering The Play Area- Quin loves it when people play with him, even if he doesn't like the people (yet). Entering his play area brings out the silly boy that Tim and I love so much.
Once a certain level of comfort has been reached, snuggling with a sleepy Quin is about as good as it gets.
I am sure in a few more months he will be less clingy, but for now he still needs a little time to warm up to people he is unfamiliar with. I guess that means that house guests will just have to stay a few days!
Happy Halloween to all who check Quin's blog! Last year, Quin got to dress up as a cute little kangaroo. This year, he got to be a lion. In just a year, it is amazing to see the changes...
He has transformed from a cute little baby into an adorable toddler. I can't believe that Quin is already celebrating his second Halloween. Before we know it, he is going to be too old to go trick or treating!
Even though we were still feeling a little sick, Quin and I ventured out to the annual Round Rock Fall Fun Festival for Halloween fun. It turns out that there isn't much at a festival such as this one for the non-walker, but Quin still had a lot of fun looking at all of the kids in costume. It was also another chance for him to wear his lion outfit. We were supposed to have gone to a number of Halloween parties (at which he would have gotten to wear his cute lion outfit), but since we have all been sick we figured we should keep the spread of our disease to a minimum and stay home. Consequently, he only got to wear his costume for a short time. I am sure he was fine with this, seeing as he wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of keeping the hood on his head.
Maybe next year he will be a bunny. He sure seemed to like wearing my bunny ears. Every time they fell off, he wanted them back on (until he figured out that they pinched his head a little bit).
If he is a bunny, perhaps we will get him some ears without sequins. Just a thought.
Who would quess from looking at this happy face that Quin is sick. It appears that he has some sort of virus at the moment. As a result of feeling icky, he hasn't felt like eating much since Sunday afternoon. Our poor boy, who once would devour a scrambled egg in under a minute, wants nothing to do with them, or any other food for that matter. What is a mom to do? I have had to get creative with my offerings of food. Sometimes it is a matter of pretending that I will eat his food (this often will get him to take one or two bites), or else I offer lots of snacks throughout the day (still getting him to take only a bite or two). Regardless of the tricks I use, he hasn't been eating much. In the end, if he doesn't want to eat, that is okay, as long as he gets fluids.
Whenever Quin gets sick, he becomes extremely snuggly. I am sure that he will be back to his normal self in a few days, but in the mean time I am enjoying how cuddly he has been. I love it! (Not that I want my child to be sick, but I will never turn down cuddles.)
So a few weeks ago, we thought tooth number five was coming in. We are still waiting. I should know better than to assume that teething = teeth coming in, because those teeth move around a lot in there before they finally make an appearance. I have no doubt that he will eventually get a fifth tooth, however it hasn't happened yet. In reality, I am not in a big hurry for him to have more teeth. As it is now, it hurts a lot when he gets a hold of your finger and bites before you think about removing it from his mouth. I can only guess that the more teeth he has, the more it will hurt when he bites. Also, more teeth means we have to brush more teeth. I don't mind brushing his teeth, however four teeth and empty gums are quick to brush. The quicker we get them brushed, the less time he has to put up a fight. I guess my favorite thing about him having only four teeth is how cute he looks (even when he cries)!
Tuesday evening we had a bit of an adventure... Our oven caught on fire! I was making Quiche (which I have decided I will never make again) for dinner. They got a little over filled, the crust broke, causing egg to fall into the bottom of the oven. No big deal, right? Well, that is what I thought. I never realized that egg was so flammable! I am so glad that Tim was home; he was able to grab the fire extinguisher and put the fire out while I took Quin outside to get him out of all of the smoke. Who knew that a little bit of egg could cause such a big mess. There was so much smoke that you couldn't see across our house. What as mess. The house smelled so bad and was so dirty that we had to spend the night in a hotel. 
The idea of staying in a hotel seemed like a good one, however by the time we checked in and got everything set up, it was 11:00 (3 hours past bedtime). Quin has a habit of rocking in his crib before going to sleep. Evidently, rocking in a pack and play is so much fun that it can keep a 14 month old occupied for an entire night.
After a night of not sleeping, the daunting task of clean-up awaited us. I have to admit that we aren't completely done yet. The majority of Quin's toys are still covered in fire extinguisher stuff (and reside in the garage), but at least all of the surfaces that he can reach are nice and clean. I guess finishing the clean-up is what we have in store for the weekend. Yeah.
Looking on the bright side, at least we are all safe. We are left with a bit of a mess and odor, but nothing more. We really are lucky.
We're off to Colorado on vacation tomorrow, and we have a little something to keep you company while we're gone.
Tonight we went to Target to get Quin a new cheapo toy to keep him occupied on the plane. Something new he hasn't seen before will keep him happy and quiet. In the toy isle we saw this little rooster toy that we let him play with. He liked it. A lot.
I won't spoil it, you'll have to watch this video to find out what happened.
If you're reading this in your email, you'll have to go to the main site to see it. I promise you'll laugh.
Quin already has a passion for books. I suppose it developed in part due to the nightly recital of Goodnight Moon, starting well before he was born. Maybe it is a result of an almost limitless supply of books, many of them from my childhood. Regardless of the cause, Quin loves books. He seems to love everything about them, from their glossy pictures to their indestructible pages. He loves to look at the pictures, turn the pages, and of course to be read to. We make it a point to read at least one book each night. Right now, his favorites seem to be Goodnight Moon (of course) and The Very Quiet Cricket, although just about any will do.
I know that I have been bad about updating this blog lately (sorry Gwen!), but here is a quick update on our teething situation:
Tooth number FIVE is on its way in right now! Consequently, Quin loves his teething rings again. We have six of them, and yet it never seems to be enough. He likes each of them for different reasons, although these two are by far his favorite. He loves to crawl around with them clenched between his gums; he doesn't even need his hands!
I am guessing that this tooth will come through in the next week or so, since we can already feel its point. Poor Quin has been very unhappy about getting another tooth, although I can't really blame him. Tylenol seems to help a little, but we try to limit how much we give him. I am really hoping that this tooth decides to make a speedy entrance, especially since we leave for Colorado in four days. I will be sure to pack all six of our teething rings for the trip, just in case. More than likely, tooth number six will be on the move soon as well. This teething business never ends!
Quin absolutely loves bath time. I think this could, possibly, be one of his favorite things in the entire world! What's not to like?! He gets to splash around in the water, splash me and then laugh about it (like he did this morning after breakfast), play with his toys, spend time snuggling with me while wrapped in a towel, and then play the "where's Quin" game (Quin hides his face under the towel, we ask "where's Quin?", and he pulls the towel away from his face and laughs hysterically!). He also loves to play with the fire duck (faucet cover). The thinks that it is fascinating that his hat flips up. 
Another new, fun, and exciting object that he has discovered in the bathtub is the drain plug. It looks so alluring beneath the water that he can't help but be drawn to it. Even when his toys are floating around, just asking to be played with, he goes for the drain plug. 
Our boy definitely is a fan of the water, just like his mom and dad. He is even warming up to the idea of going out in the rain. I think next summer is going to be a lot of fun; we will have to find plenty time to spend in the pool!
The three of us headed up to Dallas for the long Labor Day weekend. Quin was hamming it up as usual, making faces and odd noises at everyone, grunting at them like an ape, and generally making complete strangers crack up. That's my boy.
Quin was also lucky enough to have his first trip to a playground this weekend. While many of the features of the playground were still a bit too old for him, he still had fun. He crawled around like mad, peering over the edges where he could fall to his death (but dad was on him like white on rice).
He also got to take a ride down some slides. He even went down all by himself on a few occasions. He loved it!
The next day we took him to another playground where they had some swings. We weren't sure if he liked it or not. Sometimes he smiled and frantically waved his arms. Other times he seemed like he was going to go to sleep. We think it reminded him of his little swing at home that used to be his daytime bed.
Quin's got a new 12-18 month photo album on Picasa. It's already got 57 pictures in it you haven't seen!
We took Quin to a nearby water park on Saturday that is designed for families. This was our second time going, and both times he has loved it! What's not to love?! They have really shallow water in areas, which is perfect for Quin to crawl around in. This boy really is fearless. He seems to love the water, even when he has crawled a little too deep and has a sip or two. He does make me a little nervous when he speeds off towards the deeper water, but that is why we are there! As long as he has fun, I am happy.
Quin seems to have morphed into a clingy baby when other people are around, especially if those other people dare to try and pick him up. Last week Matt and Becky came out to Austin for a visit with hopes of getting to hold their nephew. No such luck. Quin was content interacting with them if Tim or I held him, but the moment we tried to pass him off the tears started to flow and he held on to us as if his life depended upon it.
For part of an afternoon, Quin was actually okay with Becky. By the next day, however, he had forgotten that she was not Satan and screamed bloody murder every time she tried to hold him. He never seemed to give Matt much of a chance; it was a bit like when they were visiting when he was a newborn:
I hoped to have some pictures of Quin with his Aunt and Uncle, but I never got the chance to take any. Maybe when we go out to Colorado to visit?
Since there are no pictures of them, I figured a picture of Quin being silly would suffice.
Quin has been a bit naughty the past two days and has actually been placed in time-out twice! You are probably wondering what good it does to put a one year old in time-out, but we decided that it is as good of time as any to start working on issues with behavior.
Yesterday, Quin was repeatedly pulling silverware out of the dishwasher and we were afraid that he would poke himself; he was placed facing the couch on the floor for 10 seconds or so. Today, however, Quin was pinching me. I am still on doctors orders not to pick Quin up for fear of pulling the incision on my back, but I instinctively picked him up after he pinched my neck. He spent the next 15 seconds or so sobbing while facing his dresser.
So you may wonder, did it teach him anything? Probably not. But it will as time goes on. I am sure the he will figure out that bad behavior leads to boring time-outs and a mommy and daddy who aren't smiling.
