Matthew’s gf Ella came over to play and it was fun as always to watch them together.

They are the cutest and really love to be around one another.

They shared snacks.

Shared a cuddle.
   
And there were lots of loves when it was time to say goodbye.

If you want to see more of these two – check it out here. http://picasaweb.google.com/matthewpowter/EllaMatthew# 
Here is a super cute pic of Katie too:

Matthew is into so many things right now, sports (all), race cars, space ships, trucks and diggers and trains aka chugga-chugga woo-woos – shortly after Ella left he was having a snack when I came upon this. He’ll make a train out of anything!


He has been so great lately at entertaining himself (which he has had to when Mommy is feeding or taking care of baby)

 
However he is doing such a great job of entertaining himself and he’s all but given up on naping! NO! sad but true. He only managed one nap last week and we are paying for it in the evenings! The one positive is I no longer feel like we are slaves to the afternoon nap which allows more freedom to get out and do things as I know it will only be a short amount of time before we’ll have to keep on Katie’s schedule of naps.

 

He keeps himself very busy during nap time (I can hear him in there right now, at least it is a still a break for me and the only reason I am actually getting around to writing a blog entry!) the downside is his room is destroyed by the end of “nap time” and he’s cranky in the evening.

poor baby sister… Katie has her first cold and is pretty miserable and I feel so helpless as to how to help her. I got her a super cute Hello Kitty humidifier which I’m sure she’ll appreciate the cuteness of later, but for now I am just hoping it helps the congestion a little bit. Here she is hanging out with Daddy with her humidfier.

Tony is very much enjoying his ‘roookie of the year’ award which was a new ipad
 

  
Our little sweet pie – I actually got this shirt after leaving the utlrasound where we found out we were having a girl – (and before the day went horribly wrong) I went in thinking I was going to pick out something pink and came out with this shirt. It has been hanging in her closet for months now and it is so exciting it finally fits – how how time flies! She is 9.5 weeks now and we’re finally getting into a rhythm! She is sleeping better and I am able to figure out her signals now too – ie. I’m tired  – she is getting really good at putting herself to sleep too! the nights are getting more managable as well – right in time for her big brother to give up naps!


she is ‘talking’ lots more now and makes the happiest squeals ever – she is a joy to have around – she has really been enjoying interacting and loves to make eye contact and give lots and lots of smiles. She has also been tracking Matthew around the room and likes to see what he’s up to. Speaking on which – there was a loud thud in his room in the middle of the night and he got up this morning with a cut in his eyebrow and a swollen eye (will be black in a few days) his explanation "me do monkey bars" so who knows! he’s always into something!


she loves her tummy time (matthew hated it) and likes to look around. we can’t belive how strong she is!

 
w Katie is now 2 months old and continues to thrive and change daily! She is smiling all the time and although she is ver opinionated and demanding she is also a total sweetheart.

She went for her two month appt and checked out great. Here are the stats:
Height 23.5" – 88%
Weight 12lbs11.5oz – 92%!!!

other than going on a pooping hiatus everything checked out fantastic. Even her absense of #2 was attributed to nature’s wonder food and that breastmilk being perfect nutrition means some babies absorb it almost 100% and thus create no waste. cool.

Tony was gone ALL last week in sunny florida (his second week long florida trip since she’s been born) so Papa and Nana helped me out a lot and we all survived. Katie even gave me a 2 month bday surpirse by sleeping 6 hours!! and she then slept 6 staight hours the two nights after that too! I attributed the awesome sleep to her super cuddly pink fuzzy snow suit from Uncle Mike & Aunite Laura.
more pics to share – so fun to have a photo subject the stays in one place

I am still trying to get in a rhythm and attempting not to be too intimidated by two – but it is hard. We have made a few outtings but me and the kids but many things still seen to daunting.

Katie joined me for girls night last night were we chatted, had some wine watched the golden globes and talked – it was really nice to spend time with my girls but I am trying to prepare Tony for maybe flying solo next time! I have yet to be apart from baby at all and it is driving me a bit crazy! so hopefully soon mommy with get some time away

matthew imitating nana who was trying to read something – so he had to ‘read’ it too – he is so full of it and taking everything in – my mom and I joke that we are no longer safe to talk freely in his presence bc not only does he repeat things but now he really ‘gets it’ too! watch out


playing around with editing programs – i just love this

more matty – he is getting to be such a big boy! next month he’ll be 2.5 – he’s really growing up
 
tonight – our fearless daredevil –
he loves anything physical and loves to leap from the ottoman to the couch –
hands full and loving life

more pics to share
frozen pond – it was so beautiful

going for a frozen winter walk

such a sweet smily baby
 
she loves her tummy time – matthew however gets quite bent out of shape when she’s on the ottoman and that is his fav jumping platform (see the above jumping picture)
 
she loves sitting in the bumbo chair (with supervision) but she already is so strong

 
waking up the other morning with a bed full of treasures – including half a pack of baby wipes and a tonka truck – he is such a pack rate – the more in bed the merrier – i don’t know how he sleep comfortably but he seems to do fine. lately we’ve been on a later schedule – he sleeps in and stays up later but he’s also been skipping naps some days which is not cool at all!

sweet baby

practing riding his skuut bike – a gift from uncle mike and auntie laura for christmas – it is very cool and teaches balnce and eliminates the need for training wheels. they saw how great all the kids were on them in australia and knew matty would love it too!
 
my ham who asks about 100 times a day "what mommy doing?" "where mommy go?" or any other person who is around or not around – he talks all the time from the second he gets up and then talks and sings for at least an hour after he’s been put to bed too

he loves most all food (and eats so much and all the time) but he really likes flavor and doesn’t mind spicy things  at all. tonight daddy picked up thai food and matty "ate it all up"

sorry i’ve been slacking, i’ve been a bit busy and most of the time it is just easier to share via FB – so if you don’t see those posts here’s a little sampling:
Sunday before the Seahawks playoff game: ‎"bow down wash-in-tin" says Matthew – well that’s close enough – "go Sea Chalks"
1/4/11: "we needa fix dis toy mommy, need a woo-driver and two double-egg batt-ries" – Matthew
12/30/10: ‎"It’s nap time, time to go to sleep" I say, "I can’t, I can’t" whines the 2 year old as he uses his fav new word over and over….
12/19/10: Matthew helped me make cookies today and each time the dough was sticky he’d say "Mommy, need more flowers"
12/13/10: Me: "Matty what do you want ho-ho to bring you for Christmas?"
Matty: "Tia!" 
"where tia go?, where my tia go?, where tia kitty cat go?"
12/6/10: Happy "ha-ka-ka-kah" as Matthew would say.
11/23/10: Matty has moved past counting to ten… Eleven, twelve, thirteen, eleven-teen, eleven-teen,eleven-teen

Lately we’ve been finding all sort of things in bed with Matthew when he gets up. We tell him to stay in bed, but he still manages to acquire lots of fun things to sleep with… books, cars, stuffed animals, his soft chair and of course his metal ‘bull-digger’

 

a bit of naughty (see the look above) must mostly nice… just waiting for Santa to come and bring all those ‘big pressents" –

I have had my hands full as Tony has been out of town A LOT with work

thankfully Nana and Papa have been helping me out!


we attended Kelsey’s wedding last weekend and the kids were PERFECT. we couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day. It was so great to see Kelsey so happy and we couldn’t be more thrilled for her and John.

and we got all dressed up too… pretty good looking family!

oh yeah and ‘baby kate’ as matthew calls her is smiling now!
 
wishing you a very merry christmas. i’ll try to update more later. here are more pictures from december

 

we spent a fantastic and restful 4 days up at Snoqualmie Pass or as it should be called – SNOWqualmie! We couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather! We just hoped there would be snow and was there ever! It actually snowed down in the lowlands on Monday and there was still snow on the ground as we headed up to the pass on Wed. It was snowing lightly up there but did not impede our driving at all. Papa was a good sport and sat in the middle seat with both kiddos in their carseats and then Tony and Nicole carpooled up later in the day.
 
The cabin was wonderful and was about a block away from the ski area which opened on Thanksgiving!
 
the views were amazing and the hot tub was pretty fantastic too, or so I was told (no hot tubs after the c-section  
 
We were able to borrow some ski equipement for Matty from some good friends and so that was a fun adventure on thanksgiving morning – after we all enjoyed watching the parade of course.
  
I was bumped I could tromp around in the snow too, but everyone was great about capturing the moments on video and with pictures so I didn’t feel too left out of the fun.

Nicole, Mom and Tony all headed to the slopes on Friday as it dumped snow all day! We watched a few movie including Griswolds Christmas and the Hangover and some great early 90′s warren miller films too and played a few games.

Most of the entertainment was provided by Matthew though who is so much fun!
Katie enjoyed snuggle time with all as well and continues to be an absolute delight!
 

The elves visiting after our Thanksgiving meal and brought the kids their Christmas PJs which of course meant more cute pictures! 
 
oh yeah and thanksgiving itself was delicious as usual and Tony took on most of the cooking duties and as always did a fantastic job. Mom the amazing planner pulled off another stellar getaway and we all left with full tummies, smiles on our faces and tons of wonderful memories!

 

having some mixed emotions about Tia leaving today. Excited for her and her trip and can’t wait to hear about more adentures but we’re going to miss her so much too. Especially Matty who can’t stop asking "where tia go?" and just how much Katie will change while she’s gone…


 

http://picasaweb.google.com/amypowter/KatherineElizabeth#

 
 
 
 
   

 
 

we took Matthew to Build-A-Bear tonight and he picked out a special bear for his baby sister. He picked out a special heart that makes sounds like Mommy’s heartbeat and helped place it inside and he helped stuff the bear, give it a bath and pick out its name too. It’s a boy and his name is Pokey (Jake Locker was a close second choice). He was very happy to help "make it" and it will be fun for him to give it to his sister. She is coming soooo very soon! stay tuned!

for more pics and the whole trick-or-treating thing… check out this link
http://picasaweb.google.com/amypowter/Halloween2010#
 
 


 
s

sometimes the lighting is just so perfect… I couldn’t resist but do a mini photo session. Enjoy.


 
he melts me – and frustrates me so much at the same time!

how can you say no to that??

sweet

I really like this one. He is such a big boy but his shadow still looks like a baby. He has been having so much fun with shadows lately.

‘tackle monkey’ has thankfully taken the place of Mommy being tackled. Daddy is still fair game though.

Current Favorites:
Pinecones = Pumpkins
"Get outta da way"
"me helper" – oldie but a goodie
"I need that" which can also be "Jake Locker needs that" when it came ot the football he found at Target last night
"I made that" – so proud of the moose outlet cover he made at the museum. Everynight before bed he’ll point to it and say "see that? I made that" so proud
"a baby sister or baby sister’s room"
"fun big brother"
anything to do with his friends. He’ll name them all and ask if we are please going to their house or Nana & Papa’s House.
 
 
sports stuff:
"two hands" when directing someone how to perform a sports related task correctly
someone else "washington" matthew "bow down"
uncle mike "who’s house?" matthew "dogs house!"
when watching an interview with Sark on Huskies All Access he comments "Jake Locker’s Dad"
"Go Ichiro"
"more Cal Ripken please" referring to the Cal Ripken instructional video he has watched countless times
"nice try" or "try again" mostly used when watching basketball
"13, hike, go long, touchdown"
 
 
Retired Sayings:
"Big, Heavy" or "Big Heavy Tight"