The McLaughlin Family

#3

2011-12-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010 Fun

2011-02-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Lots of family, lots of fun!

2

2011-01-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late...Toby turned 2 last month! He had a great time celebrating (multiple times).

Christmas Tree!

2010-11-28T20:24:00.000-08:00

U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm.

Toby size tree.

Getting a lift from Papa.

The hunter and his kill!

Willy Bear

2010-11-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

Toby decided that his Willy Bear needed to wear a diaper and that he needed to go to bed. Watch the video.

Zoo

2010-11-17T22:08:00.000-08:00

Toby's first visit to the Zoo on Veteran's Day.

I love Legos!

2010-11-17T22:06:00.000-08:00

Cassette tapes are still fun to listen to!

2010-11-17T22:05:00.000-08:00

Especially with these cool headphones!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

A very happy Dinosaur!

Dinosaur and and little Angel.

Giraffe, Dinosaur, Ballerina, and Monkey!

Dinosaur visiting Great Grandma for Candy!

Trick or Treat!

Trip to the beach

2010-10-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I went to the beach for his 31st birthday. It was a wonderful stormy weekend!

Pumpkin Patch!

2010-10-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Patch fun with all the family!

Aunt Christina, Uncle Steven, and Cousin Bee.

Hayride!

Front row seat with Poppy on the Hayride.

Papa, Yaya, Cousin Taylor, and Toby.

Aunt Amy, Uncle Brett, and Cousin Taylor.

Daddy and Toby shifting the gears on the tractor!

Cute pun'kins!

Poppy, Grandma, Cousin Bee, and Toby.

Can I please take this home!

Just another pic of Toby enjoying the beach...

2010-09-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Moose

2010-08-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Toby decided that Moose had to wear his socks on his hands and take a ride on the cow.

Summer 2010 Recap

2010-08-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here's some fun we've had this summer.

Summer PJ's

4th of July Parade and Fireworks.

Lounging around...

Sprinkler!

Swim Lessons!

Bike riding!

Visit to Great Grandpa & Grandma in Seattle

Cannon Beach Trip!

I love yard work!

2010-07-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

We did a bunch of yard work this last weekend, and Toby joined in on the fun. he actually cried when there were no more weeds to pick up (I know that won't last long). He was a tad dirty at the end of the day. :-)

gotta protect the ears when mowing the lawn!

2010-07-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

a new hobby.....maybe?

2010-07-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Andrew's grandma gave me her sewing machine years ago, but I just learned how to use it a couple weeks ago. Mishal came to visit, we made a stop at the fabric store, and whipped up some place mats! Don't look too close...they're not perfect, but it's a start. I've been into birds lately, so I fell in love with this fabric.

A Treat at IKEA

2010-05-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

"cow" boy

2010-04-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Taking a ride on the cow.

Slide & Sand Box

2010-04-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors have been so kind to hand us down toys their kids have out grown - like slides and sand boxes! Toby is thrilled. :-)

This little slide is the perfect "Toby-size."

Daddy having some fun on the slide. :-)

This was Toby's first time playing with sand. He was concentrating so much I could not get him to look up at the camera. He was hooked!

Chair

2010-04-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, this doesn't look like an ordinary chair, but Toby decided that his green ball, with the cute frog face, would be a perfect seat while he played a little music. Hey, whatever works!

Trips

2010-04-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

We've taken a couple trips this year. First, in early March, Toby and I went with Aunt Christina and Bethany to visit Aunt Mishal and their cousins. We all had a good time together--cousin Jack especially liked spending time with the little kiddos. :-)

Second, we went to Southern California to visit Andrew's Grandma and extended family. Too bad the weather was only in the mid-high 60's - and the last day we were there it was raining! Oh well, it was still fun to visit with everyone! :-)

Lawn Mower & Tools

2010-03-06T21:54:00.000-08:00

Come on Toby, the lawn mower won't start and I need help fixing it!

Let's put our heads together and figure this out.

Oh, thank you! That's just the tool I need!

Ah yes, this is called a socket wrench.

Why don't you sit down and make sure it's working properly.

I love helping daddy!

Daddy's Shoes and Stuffed Animals

2010-02-28T21:25:00.000-08:00

Toby wanted to try them on, so I helped him into them. Once on, he began to cry because he realized he couldn't move...

I still got a smile out of him though. :)

Toby loves stuffed animals, especially the one he's holding below, who we simply call "puppy." He decided to get into his stuffed animal box and hang out for a while.

Boots

2010-02-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Vacuuming

2010-02-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

Next month we'll have him mowing the lawn!

Visit from Bee

2010-01-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

We got to watch Bee for a little bit yesterday while her mom had to run errands. We only got to watch her for about an hour though - I owe you more babysitting time!

Toby got to show her some of his toys.

Telling Bee how to pull the monkey's tail.

Toby trying to sneak up on Bee.

Toby walking away and crying - It's not easy trying to explain sharing to a 13 month old.

Bee wondering what's the problem? I just want to chew on this giraffe's feet!

Jig

2010-01-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

About a week ago Toby started doing this little "jig" as we like to call it. It looks like a cross between the Cha-Cha and the Lord of the Dance. Pay attention to his right hand and feet. I don't know where he picked this up, but it's fun to watch!

Soccer Ball...Pillow?

2010-01-20T22:11:00.000-08:00

Toby has a plush soccer ball, which he likes to roll around, and lately use as a pillow!

No more long hair!

2010-01-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

As you can see, Toby's hair was getting a tad long. In fact, a couple days before we cut it, we were in a restaurant, and someone asked us how old our daughter was. :-) Toby was wearing all blue! Andrew got his hair clippers out and went to work on new years day. Toby did a great job and didn't make a peep! I of course saved a little piece for his baby book.

Christmas Fun

2010-01-05T22:34:00.001-08:00

This year was Toby's second Christmas. Here's some of the fun we had.

Christmas Eve started out with Toby dragging all the toilet paper from the hall bathroom into the living room!

Papa and Yaya (Andrew's parent's) came over and Toby got to open some presents, including this fun green ball!

Christmas morning he got to open another gift!

Christmas morning family picture!

Christmas Day evening we went to Grandma and Poppy's (Amanda's parent's) house, and Toby got to hang out with all his cousins! What a crowd!

Daddy helping Toby open presents. Ohh...a flashlight!

Andrew made Toby a really cool gift. It was a box with switches that turned little lights off and on. Toby loved it!

2009-12-18T14:09:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Scarf

2009-12-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

This little scarf actually belongs to a teddy bear, but it fits Toby perfectly. He found it yesterday and put it around his neck by himself, he keeps wearing it around the house. Cute stuff!

Happy 1st Toby!

2009-12-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

It finally happened--Toby turned one!! We actually survived (all three of us) the first 365 days of parenthood! We had a small family party and had fun celebrating our little guy.

daddy and mommy made the cakes.

Why are you making me wear this hat??

I like my little cow on wheels and my cowboy vest!

ohhh....sugar!!!

Countdown

2009-11-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

Well, we can begin the countdown to Toby's first birthday--which is unbelievable to me! That's right, he'll be turning one in less than a month. I remember the first few weeks of being a new mom, feeling quite overwhelmed, and thinking it's going to take forever to get to his first birthday. But once the shock subsides, and you get into the groove of the whole parenting thing, time starts flying by!

Toby is on the move, and is walking very well. He walks all day long around the house, and seems to only rest for meals and nap times. Here's some recent pics of our little guy. We just love him to pieces!

Toby taking driving lessons--he was thrilled to be in the driver's seat.

Toby looking at his books. He actually brings us books to read to him now--very fun.

Helping mommy unload the grocery bags.

Wearing one of daddy's outfits from 1980. Andrew actually wore this outfit on his 1st b-day.

Visiting Bee

2009-11-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

My mom, Toby, and I went to Phoenix last week to visit Toby's Aunt Christina and Cousin Bethany (Bee). It was pretty weird to experience Halloween in 85 degree weather, but that's Phoenix! It was good to finally meet little bee in person - she was so little compared to Toby, and so adorable. I'm happy to announce that Christina, Stephen and Bethany are moving back to Portland next month! Now we won't miss out on little Bee growing up! :-)

New Shoes and First Steps!

2009-10-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was the new shoes we bought him yesterday, maybe it was the bite of sweedish meatball last night at Ikea....who knows, but he took his first steps today!!!

Soon after Andrew got home tonight, he stood Toby up in the living room and Toby took one step towards him! I was in the kitchen working on dinner, so I quickly grabbed my camera to try to get something on tape. The first video is technically of his second steps, and I went a little crazy (you might want to turn the volume down on your computer), as you'll see, Toby got a little scared from all our excitement.

I believe our world is about to change...

Fun at the Park

2009-10-16T22:38:00.000-07:00

Toby is getting big enough to try out some of the playground equipment (with help from dad of course). I think he liked the swing best of all, but he sure looked cute on the little rocking whale.

Can you clap?

2009-10-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Couple of Goofballs!

2009-10-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Looks like they were a little bored on a Saturday morning.

Our Pumpkin

2009-10-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

We found this little guy in the middle of the pumpkin patch and decided to take him home. :-) What a beautiful Fall weekend to take Toby on his first Pumpkin Patch outing. There were lots of farm animals to see, including the goat below, who jumped up to say hello to Toby. It'll be a lot of fun next year when he can walk around and pick out his own pumpkin.

Walker Toby Ranger

2009-10-08T23:20:00.000-07:00

You don't need to be 88 to use this handy gadget! Here's Toby borrowing his Great-Grandma's walker, to practice, you know...walking!

Thanks for the video dad and mom--hilarious!

Squeaky Door

2009-09-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

Who knew a squeaky door could be so entertaining! This went on for about five minutes straight. Where's the WD-40?

(sorry it's sideways)

Circa 1979

2009-09-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Toby took a trip back to the 70's today, and wore his dad's outfit from 1979. So cute...and it fits perfect! Also, if you can't tell, he's standing up by himself--for a few seconds--with no support. He just started doing this the last couple days.

T.P.

2009-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today while doing odds and ends around the house, I realized that it was suddenly quiet. That means I should probably go find Toby. I found him in the bathroom (someone forgot to shut the door) where he discovered, for the first time, toilet paper. Being a first time mom I happen to find these moments adorable, so of course I had to grab the camera. It was all cute until he decided to eat it!

On another note, Toby is now 9 months old and had his 9 month check up yesterday. He weighed in at 19# 3oz and is 28 inches long. I actually thought he was closer to 25#! He's in the 25th-30th percentile for weight and the 40th percentile for height.

I am so happy it's September, that means Fall is right around the corner! Pumpkins and Apple Cider are coming soon!

Standing and Bruises

2009-09-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

Toby is standing and discovering new things everyday. This has resulted in a lot of fun for him, but also some bumps and bruises. He's a little fearless, and will let go too soon, or try to grab something a little too far out of reach, and then there he goes....smack! Of course, baby's heads are heavy, so that's the first thing to hit the ground. He kept falling in the same spot, and got a lovely bruise on his forehead. I'm sure this is the first of many bruises to come his way.

Toby recently discovered the front door, which has a large glass window. He enjoys pulling himself up and looking out at the front yard. I often find him there just talking and laughing to himself. He also likes when daddy comes up and says hello.

A few days ago he found the washer machine. I had just put a load of laundry in and he stood up and watched it go round and round.

Another favorite spot is the fireplace. We don't use the fireplace, but hope to someday add a gas insert.

I didn't get a picture, but this morning he was standing up at the toilet playing with the handle. Oh joy. :-)

Homemade Pizza

2009-08-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Last week my parents gave us some fresh veggies from their garden--which included, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. I've been wanting to try a pizza crust recipe I found on this blog, so I decided to put the two together and make a homemade veggie pizza. The crust was actually very easy to make, and the fresh veggie toppings were delicious! Andrew said this was a winner! :-)

Cousins

2009-08-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

We visited Cousin Taylor recently and got a picture of them together. Toby is 6 months older and 10+ lbs. bigger! What a couple of cuties.

Eight Months...and Standing!!

2009-08-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today Toby is eight months old and having more fun than ever. Toby is crawling everywhere and enjoys exploring the house...I on the other hand am constantly on the lookout for disasters. Why is it that he immediately found the outlet plugs and tried to pull them out?

Why is he attracted to any and all power cords? Why does he navigate towards our shoes and want to suck on them?? I can't turn my head for too long. He hasn't noticed drawers or cupboards yet...but I'd better get ready. His third tooth is popping in through his top gums, and he's babbling and laughing all the time. We are hearing mama and dada a lot more which is so sweet. :-)

He graduated out of the baby bathtub into the regular tub. He was trying to flip himself out of the baby tub and was really just too big for it. The newest milestone is that Toby is learning to pull himself up into the standing position!! Last weekend he crawled over to his toy box and pulled himself up, and yesterday I found him standing in his crib after nap time! Time to lower the matress! So many changes, so much fun, and so much joy!!

Toby taking a bath in the big tub.

Crawled right under the exersaucer. He got himself in, but didn't know how to get out!

This is how I found him after his nap yesterday. He stayed standing while I ran to get the camera. As you can see he was pretty proud of himself.

Standing to see what's in his toy box.

Trip to SoCal

2009-08-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Last week we took a trip to Southern California to visit Toby's Great Grandma (Mommy Mae), Aunt Karen, Uncle Dale, and Cousins Beth and Sam. We had a fantastic time and it was so good to see everyone. The three of us stayed at Beth and Sam's house and they were such wonderful hosts! They took very good care of us. :-)

This was Toby's first airplane trip and overall he did great. I think it was hard for him to have to stay in one place and play with the same toys over and over. But as is often the case, the toy that found his favor the most was an unassuming...plastic cup.

We took Toby to the pool for his first swim. He was okay as long as mom or dad were holding him. He looked adorable in his hat and swim trunks.

We went to Grauman's Chinese Theater with Beth and Sam to see Harry Potter in the D-Box. Our seats moved with the action in the movie--it was a lot of fun!

Toby and his Great Grandma-Mommy Mae.

Group Photo!

Toby fell asleep on the way home about 10 minutes before we landed. How precious.

Heat Wave

2009-07-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

We're on the tail end of a yucky & sticky heat wave in Portland. The last three days have been in the triple digits!! TOO HOT!! I get grumpy once we reach 80, thus the reason Summer is my least favorite season.

The other night, Andrew and I were talking how we couldn't believe that only 7 1/2 months ago we brought our newborn son, Toby, home during one of the worst snow storms in nearly 50 years! The pics below say it all--the view from our front door, Andrew's truck in our drive way, and of us coming home from the hospital. We had to move out of our house twice during this storm. The first time b/c we had a sewer line back up, which took about four days to fix. The second time because the power went out in our neighborhood, and with a newborn, I needed to have heat! To sum it up, Toby was born on 12/12/08, we came home from the hospital on 12/14, the sewer backed up on 12/16, we moved back into our home on 12/20, our power went out on 12/22 (which was out for 3 days), and finally we moved back in on 12/26.

Needless to say, the first two weeks of Toby's life were pretty crazy! Throughout this craziness, we were blessed to have the help of our families. Andrew's dad was our personal driver--he picked us up and drove us wherever we needed to go, and we lived with my parents, who took great care of us.

Though the weather can be extreme at times, I do love our part of the country and the change in seasons.

Seven Months...Movin' & Groovin'

2009-07-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Toby is seven months old and there have been so many changes this past month. He is eating solids, loves oat meal, and slowly experimenting with other foods. No matter the flavor, bland or sweet, he tends to scrunch up his nose and grimace--it's really quite cute. Toby is so precious to us...we are enjoying everyday with him.

Here he is during meal time. To soothe his gums, he enjoys chewing on the spoon after a taking a bite.

Speaking of gums...Toby has two teeth with another on the way! Oh, and did I mention he loves carrots! Just kidding...I recently gave Toby a peeled carrot for him to teethe on. What's up Doc??

He is also learning to use a sippy cup. He really enjoys holding and chewing on the cup...and occasionally taking a sip.

Lastly...our little guy is movin'!! He's scooting and inch-worming all over the place, and although not yet fully crawling, he can manage to make his way across the room. This means it's probably time to start baby-proofing the place. Here he is in action!

Tuckered out

2009-07-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

Toby has two teeth coming in and was having a rough day. I set him in the living room to play while I made dinner, and he was fussing pretty bad, when all of a sudden it was quiet...this is how I found him. Poor little guy was tuckered out and took a 20 minute cat nap. He looked so precious I had to snap a picture.

Red, White, & Blue

2009-07-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!! We celebrated Independence Day at my sister's house on Whidbey Island, WA. Here's Toby enjoying the Oak Harbor 4th of July Parade and representing the Red, White, & Blue! I tried keeping Toby up for the fireworks, but he was asleep by 9:30p and slept through the entire show! Maybe next year...

Six Months

2009-06-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

Toby is now six months old and is changing so much! He has mastered the art of rolling over in any direction he wants, and is working on sitting up by himself. About a week ago we set him on a blanket in the living room and a couple minutes later discovered him in the dining room! We gotta keep an eye on this boy! Toby is such a joy--we are having too much fun!

Cousin Taylor

2009-06-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Toby got to meet his newest cousin yesterday! Andrew's sister, Amy, and her husband, Brett, welcomed their first baby and daughter, Taylor Mae on June 4th. We went to visit them in the hospital yesterday. She is so adorable and little!! It's hard to remember Toby as a newborn--he has grown so fast--he looks like a giant next to her! In the video, Toby gives Taylor a little poke...he's 6 months old...so he's into touching and grabbing everything. Taylor, before you know it you can poke him back! :-)

Binky Snatcher

2009-06-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Babies everywhere....beware of Toby, the binky snatcher.

Daddy's Sun Hat

2009-05-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

Toby wore his daddy's sun hat today from when he was a little boy. He looks as cute as a button and it shaded his eyes nicely during our walk. As you can see in the picture Toby's favorite built-in-toy is his feet. He really noticed them a couple weeks ago and can't keep his hands off of them. He's even gotten his big toe in his mouth on more than one occasion.

Five Months and Jumping!

2009-05-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Our latest baby purchase was this rain forest Jumparoo. For those of you who have had the pleasure of holding Toby, you know that he doesn't sit still--he stands and jumps! We joke around that he's spring loaded, because whenever we try to get him to sit--he immediately pops himself up into the standing position.
Toby is five months old now and is a happy and healthy baby boy. He tried his first baby rice cereal about a week ago--he wasn't really thrilled. I think I'll wait another week or two and try again. I've been back at work (two days a week), for about a month, and we all seem to be adjusting well. I know the Grandma's love their time with Mr. T.

Here's a video of Toby doing his favorite thing...you guessed it...jumping. :-)

Shades

2009-05-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Toby received his first set of shades courtesy of Aunt Karen from California. I admit he probably enjoyed chewing on them the most. They're just in time for summer!

Doctor Appt.

2009-04-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

Today was Toby's 4 month check up. He continues to grow--he weighed in at 14 lbs. 2 oz. and was 25 inches long. Here he is waiting patiently in the waiting room for his name to be called. Then it was to the scale to be weighed. Lastly he decided to pass the time, while waiting for the doctor, by jumping and doing a happy feet dance. Overall he's a healthy baby boy!

Easter & 4 Months!

2009-04-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

It was Easter on Sunday, and also Toby's 4 months birthday. We started the day off at church and bumped into our friend's Kelsey and Iyla. Iyla looked so cute in her Easter dress. Then it was off to the parents for lunch and dinner. We got to see Andrew's cousin Peter, his wife Marjie, and baby cousin Landon. This was the first time that Landon and Toby got to hang out since Toby was born. They are five weeks apart and Landon was about a pound heavier than Toby. It was a great day with friends and family.

Overalls

2009-04-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Every boy needs his pair of overalls. :-)

Spring Stroller

2009-04-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Spring day we had today! It was the perfect day to test out our stroller. This was Toby's first stroller ride--at first we got him all bundled with hat and blanket, but when we realized how warm it was (mid-70's) we took the hat and blanket off and he seemed pretty happy. We walked to the park right down our street and snapped a few pics. Overall the stroller worked great and we're looking forward to many more walks to the park.

For Brior

2009-04-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

This post is for our biggest fan--our friend Brior. According to his mom he likes to look at our blog everyday and watch the videos. Today Toby and I visited Brior, Iyla, and Jada for lunch and playtime, so we snapped a few shots. Iyla and Toby were born 11 days apart and I can't believe how big they're getting--what a couple of cuties. Thanks for the fun visit! :-)

Jinxed

2009-03-31T09:02:00.001-07:00

Maybe by posting on the blog yesterday that Toby slept through the night jinxed it for me! Last night I went to bed hoping for another restful night, but nope, little Toby wanted a visit from his mama at 12:30am and 3:30am. So, I will treasure the night of March 29th until it happens again, and I won't blog about Toby's sleeping anymore. ha ha. :-)

9 Hours!

2009-03-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well it finally happened - Toby slept through the night!! Yep, that's right--9 hours straight, and I got nearly 8 hours myself! I thought I heard him crying in the monitor at 12:30a, but when I got to his room he was fast asleep. Then at around 3:30a, something woke Andrew up, so he decided to check on Toby, and he was still fast asleep. Toby went to bed at 9:15pm Sunday night and didn't wake up until 6:21am Monday morning. Now, let's see if he'll do that again tonight...I won't hold my breath. :-)

Road Trip

2009-03-26T22:31:00.001-07:00

This week Toby and I traveled to beautiful Whidbey Island, with my mom and grandma, to visit Toby's Auntie Mishal and cousins Lauren, Jack, and Reed. This was Toby's first road trip and he was a trooper! It's a five hour drive to Whidbey Island, so I was a little worried how he would do. He didn't sleep much, but I was happy to entertain him with toys and singing in the backseat. Needless to say, he was thrilled to be out of that car seat once we arrived! He did a great job of sleeping and napping during the visit too. Everyone was happy to see him and take turns holding him. Thanks for the great visit!

Kiss me, I'm Irish!

2009-03-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Toby's Great, Great, Great Grandfather was 100% Irish. A little leprechaun stopped by and let Toby borrow his hat. :) My folks had us over to celebrate St. Patrick's day. We had an Irish feast--Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes, and Irish Soda Bread--yummy!

Playing

2009-03-14T12:21:00.001-07:00

Sorry folks, I've gone a little crazy with the videos, but I can't help myself - I'm addicted to this little guy! Here are a couple videos of Toby playing in his bouncy seat and on his floor gym. The baby floor gym is our most recent purchase from craigslist. I'm so glad we got it - Toby really enjoys batting the little toys around, and wiggling his arms and legs. He enjoys his bouncy seat when I'm getting ready in the morning or making dinner. I think it's really cute how he grabs and holds onto the little frog for a couple seconds. With both his bouncy seat and gym he tends to hit and grab with his left hand--so I wonder if we have a lefty?? Time will tell.

just because

2009-03-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my loving husband who brought home flowers to me "just because." Thank you hun, they're beautiful. I'll enjoy watching them bloom. Love you.

Watch out folks, we've got a rollover!

2009-03-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at the dining room table this afternoon while Toby was having some tummy/nap time. I looked up and saw that he was doing a little rocking motion, so I quickly grabbed my camera....watch to see what happened!

Bumbo

2009-03-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's Bumbo time! I've been waiting for Toby to be able to use his Bumbo and the time has arrived. He doesn't like to sit in it for more than 5-10 minutes at a time, but it's a start.

Three Months

2009-03-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

Today Toby is three months old. Can someone please tell me where the time is going??!! I went through some clothes of his today and took out the newborn outfits that are too small now. I got pretty sentimental as I went through them, and kept thinking, "he was so small, why didn't I have him wear this more, and why didn't I get a picture of him in this outfit?"

We are having so much fun with him and he is such a happy baby boy. I start back at work in early April, but just two days a week--I miss him already! He'll spend those two days with his Grandma's, so he'll be in good hands. He has recently started playing copycat--where I'll giggle at him and he'll giggle back. Here's a video of us playing.

Lions and Tigers and ELEPHANTS!Oh my!

2009-03-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

I have forced my elephant collection upon my son, but he doesn't seem to mind.

I'm Growing!

2009-02-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

Toby is growing! At his two month appt. he weighed in at 12 lbs. 8 oz. and was 23 inches long! He also recently was able to hold onto his little hair brush. He can hold it for about 30 seconds.

Fresh Air

2009-02-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was a beautiful day and we spent some time in our friend's backyard. I put Toby in the bjorn and he actually fell asleep and missed the whole experience! This was the longest Toby has ever spent outside - the only fresh air he gets is on his way from our front door to the car. I hope he soaked up some Vitamin D!

Two Months

2009-02-12T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today is Toby's two month birthday! I can't believe two months have already gone by - where did it go?? We are enjoying his precious smiles, laughs, and baby talk every day. We think he is approximately 11 pounds. He still gets up once a night to eat, but people tell me that's very good for this age. Fortunately, he goes right back to sleep, and so do I!
Happy Birthday Toby! We love you!

Bath Time

2009-02-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

Toby loves bath time.

Back Time

2009-02-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

Here's Toby during his "back time" as I call it. He likes to look around the room, giggle, smile, and kick his legs.

GREAT Grandma & Grandpa

2009-02-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

This weekend Toby met his Great Grandma & Grandpa McLaughlin. We had a great time - thanks for the visit!!

Great Grandma and Toby cuddling.

Four generations. Grandpa, Dad, Toby, Great Grandpa (left to right).

Toby and Iyla

2009-01-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Toby and I met some friends for lunch and we got to see baby Iyla. Iyla is my friend Kelsey's baby and she was born 11 days before Toby. Here's the two of them hanging out on the couch. How cute!

Visit to the Mik's

2009-01-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

Today Toby and I visited our friend's Bethany and Caleb. Caleb wanted to hold baby Toby as soon as I walked in the door - so I had to take a picture. When he was finished he wanted to have Toby play with his toys - what a sweet boy! Thanks for the visit - we had a great time!

Pockets

2009-01-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

Errands

2009-01-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

Well today Toby and I made our first official errand outing! We went to the bank, the post office, and the grocery store. And of course, I said yes to the check out lady when she asked, "would you like help out with this today" (I've never said yes before). A couple weeks ago I thought running errands, or even leaving the house, would be impossible, but as my sister told me, it's all about the timing. Toby did great! It was also fun to talk to people who noticed I was carrying a newborn--particularly the little old ladies, they loved him. :-)

Happy One Month Birthday Toby

2009-01-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today is Toby's one month birthday - where did a month go?? He was having a bit of a sleepy morning. He's so precious!

First Family Photo

2009-01-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the McLaughlin Family Blog! This is our first "family photo" taken after the birth of our son, Toby Andrew, on December 12, 2008 at 11:30pm. Toby weighed in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20 inches long. Stay tuned for more...