Visiting Santa

We decided to take Wyatt to see Santa this year! We started out by going to Macy's to see the train and then headed over to see Santa. We thought that it would be a struggle to get a non screaming picture of Wyatt with Santa and we were almost right. We got about 30 seconds before the tears came! Next year we'll let him choose if he wants to sit on Santa's lap!

Making Cookies

The week before Christmas Wyatt and I went over to my parents house and helped Grandma and Auntie Erin make Christmas cookies. He had a blast cutting out Christmas shapes, putting on the sprinkles and watching the cookies bake in the oven! This may become a new annual tradition!

Wyatt's 1st Birthday

For Wyatt's actual birthday we decided to spend it as a family! Wyatt hasn't really seen snow, so we decided to take a drive up to Mt. Hood. It was a Monday, luckily Gretchen had the day off, so we knew it wouldn't be too busy up there. When we got to the mountain it was cold, so we bundled Wyatt up in his warm coat, hat and mittens. We went to one of the snow parks up there where we knew there would be some flat space for him to walk around. About 30 seconds after getting out of the car he did a face plant, which he was not too pleased about. However, he recovered quickly and really loved the snow! I think his favorite part was watching his feet move in the snow. We look forward to taking Wyatt to the mountain more in the future and hopefully even teach him to ski or board!

Zoo Lights

For those of you not from Portland, The Oregon Zoo douses the entire zoo with Christmas Lights, mostly animal displays, complete with motion! It is really very cool! I, Gretchen, have never been in all the 32 years I have lived here. With Andy's Parents in town for Wyatt's birthday, we thought it would be a great thing to do. We lucked out and found a place to park almost immediately. It was a cold night, but we bundled up Wyatt and made sure we all had something warm to drink! We had lots of fun walking around and looking at all the lights. Some of our favorites were the giraffe putting the heart on the tree, the elephants in the amphitheater, and penguins!

Tree Hunting

The same weekend as Wyatt's party we went to the tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree. Even though this is not Wyatt's first Christmas, this is our first experience as a family cutting down a tree. Last year Andy had to make the executive decision alone while Wyatt and I stayed cozy in our apartment. So, with the entire family in tow, we headed up to the tree farm to find the perfect tree. Wyatt had lots of fun romping through the Christmas trees and did a great job helping Mommy and Daddy pick out the perfect tree! I think Wyatt is really going to like helping pick out our future Christmas trees!

It's My Party

2 days before Wyatt's actual 1st birthday we celebrated by having family and a few close friends over. Wyatt wasn't too sure why everyone was there and only realized later, when everyone was staring at him in his high chair, with this "weird" thing everyone calls cake, in front of him. Wyatt was spoiled with lots of fun toys and clothes and even a special toy box made by his Grandpa Erlandsen. Some of Wyatt's favorites include the set of spiky balls from Auntie Darcie, his helicopter from his friend Mason, and his Christmas outfit from Auntie Erin. Wyatt was none too interested in his personalized cupcake. As Mommy guessed, he didn't care too much for getting his hands messy in the frosting and chocolate. However, he had lots of fun "using" a fork to feed his Papa! Mommy also made Wyatt a Birthday crown to wear, which only stayed on long enough to snap a few pictures. Along with not enjoying getting his hands sticky, Wyatt also doesn't enjoy wearing things on his head! All in all, it was a great first birthday party with family and friends and there are lots of wonderful pictures from the day (big thanks to auntie D) to show Wyatt when he gets older. Here are just a few!

Gobble Gobble

Next up, Thanksgiving! This was a special day for Wyatt and Mommy! One year ago on this day Wyatt was due to arrive into this world, which we all know didn't happen:) Instead Mommy was VERY pregnant still and had minimal room for all the yummy food! So this year, she had plenty of room and was able to enjoy all the fixings! We had Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Cook's house. Some family came over to help celebrate and Wyatt even got his first taste of turkey! Wyatt is very thankful for all of the people he has in his life that help take care of him and love him very much!