Checking things out. Skin is still clear!
The first time Ella consented to have Dominic on her lap.
She is exceptionally proud of this construct -- not because it was hard, but because she resisted the temptation to knock it down.
A smile-like expression!
Couchloafers
The Attack of the Stocking Presents
Obligatory Christmas Photo
At play with Ella's new stamp set. The stamps are what account for her every-so-rosy cheeks.
Ella and Dominic assist us in fighting back Chthulu.
"Don't look. I am . . . monstrous!"
Dominic and Papa
The very first bottle. He took to it like a fish to water.
Ella got a classic Radio Flyer tricycle for Christmas from dear friends of ours. She's super-geeked. Her legs are a hair too short to give her enough traction on a small incline, but by summer it'll be perfect.
With Nana, helping out with the skeksis.
This is the very first picture on the Swank New Camera, a Canon EOS 30D.
His expression says it all.
Eye contact with Mama.
Ella really really really likes helping when Dominic has a bottle. My job is to keep her from ramming it down his throat, such is her enthusiasm.
When certain people get up early in the morning, we make it through any way we can.
Fight the power!
We're leaving for MI tomorrow and Ella's excitement knows no bounds. She insisted on sleeping with her Nana Car for yesterday's nap.
To say that Ella has been enjoying spending time with her cousins would be the height of understatement.
Papa and Dominic
Dominic with Aunt Kate
Yet another in the Holding Dominic series, this time Aunt Becky, who apparently needs deodorant.
You know you're tired when you can't even finish your chicken nuggets.
Drama Queens
Dominic's head has been touched so many times in the past week it's a wonder it's still round.
Bathtime with Nana: the aftermath
The traditional Field Goal sleeping pose
I'm not sure why Papa is reading to Ella at the top of the stairs, but I suspect it has something to do with her strategy of isolating adults to come play with her in secluded spots.
There should be a word for the moment when your head explodes because you realize that some of your friends' kids are old enough to read to your kids.
Ella's "wa-huh?" expression, rarely captured on film.
Being 6 months apart is kind of a big deal when you're 0, but Dominic is thinking ahead, acting all nonchalant about the way Eliza is touching him. That's my man.
"Daddy, when will I be able to play boardgames with you?" "As soon as humanly possibly, son, as soon as humanly possible."
With Marmar and the cousins. I love Dominic's expression.
We can't seem to get Ella interested in the potty . . . maybe just maybe her cousin can pull it off.
Contemplating cousin Lydia's birthday cake.
Dominic and Aunt Becky
The grocery store area is by far Ella's favorite part of the Grand Rapids Childrens' Museum
Strangely, she did not appreciate our experiments in polyrhythm.
Cute pictures of Ella and Lydia are not in short supply.
Nana and Dominic, chilling out at the museum.
D-man in the hood.
Kiddos on the couch
Dominic does a little better with tummy-time than Ella did.
Tummy-time II
The reward is so sweet.
Ella shows off her new do.
The smiling duo.
Uncle Joe reading books to Ella.
Aunt Rebecca meets Dominic while in town for a business trip.
Ella in her blue dress from Nana.
Dominic wearing his first pair of overalls. There will be many more in your future!
Ella playing with snow in the backyard.
Dominic taking his first bath in the big tub. He's already outgrown the kitchen sink.
Dominic the Strongman
Ella sports her googoo goggles. It's the one time she refused to be a naked baby -- probably because she knew I wanted to pose her for a picture with her naked baby brother.
Dominic plays with his book.
Dominic alongside William, who was born the day before him.
Nana, Papa, the kids, & bamboo
Smiles for Nana
"Where Is Ella?", a classic game
Hanging out at the playground
For some reason, Ella decided this time that climbing up the spirally thing was no big deal.
The TEM, or Tongue Extrusion Maneuver, assists greatly in concentration.
Winding down at the end of the day.
A bit of pre-bedtime reading.
It's a long way to the Olympics, but Dominic is already showing proficiency with the Rings.
After about a month of stonewalling, Ella cheerfully agreed to try on her Peter Pan costume. She hasn't taken it off since.
Standing with hands on hips, like Peter.
90% rollover! So close!
Attempting rollover is not as fun as putting things in his mouth, but it'll do in a pinch.
Tired Eyes
Entertained by Ella
A favorite game, called "Dominic! Don't tip Ella OVER!"
When everyone else is sitting at the table, Dominic likes to be there too.
The sky is full of things that go in your mouth but are just out of reach . . .
Running at the Kite Festival
The kites were cool but the bubble machine was way cooler.
Catching bubbles
Ella chooses each day to have a nap or Quiet Time. Often, the latter turns into the former, and not always on the bed.
Unassisted rollover on a noninclined surface isn't very far away.
Dominic has inherited Ella's old exersaucer. He can't hold his head up long enough to stay in it for very long yet, but he seems to like it -- it's full of all sorts of new, wonderful things to slobber on.
Ella constructed this house out of letter blocks, but wanted to take a picture of me by it instead of the other way around.
The D-man's trademark cockeyed smile.
This picture of Dominic with Marmar and Gumpa is special because it is the only picture of him in his baptism outfit in which he is not squirming and/or crying.
Courderoy and a Cool Cat
Even more stylish in her Peter Pan hat.
Lego construction with Papa.
Ella feeding the ducks in Old Town with Aunt Sarah and Aunt Kate. By the time we got there the ducks were so full they had no interest in bread whatsoever.
Contemplative, in baptism finery, with grandmothers.
When, exactly, did she get so big?
A more typical baptism-day picture, with Nana and Papa.
Two aunts showering him with attention, and a finger to suck on. Life is good.
The D-man's trademark "what the heck is THAT" expression. Usually directed at Ella.
Ella finally got to ride on the carousel at the Mall a couple weekends ago, but didn't quite feel up to going on one of the horses.
After a long day of adventures with Eric and Rebecca, here we are settling down to watch Peep and the Big Wide World.
There are plenty of people that Ella likes and sees all the time that she would NEVER let hold her hand. But Eric and Rebecca are special.
Reaching her end point at the Air and Space Museum.
Daily Photo, Day One
Daily Photo, Day Two
Daily Photo, Day Three
Daily Photo, Day Four I
Daily Photo, Day Four II
At the cabins, Dominic made some new friends. Here he's flaunting his size -- Levi is a year older, but hardly a bit bigger.
Big D grabs Pooh whenever he can, especially by the tag.
D and D by Lake Anne-Louise.
Ella was quiet for a few moments at Nana and Papa's house and emerged with a red face -- which she claimed was decorated for the parade (existing only in her mind).
Ella's bravery on the swings has grown. She loves leaning back as far as she can and also getting underdog pushes.
Nana and her girl on the hammock.
Papa and Big D on the hammock.
If not for the red marker, it'd be a perfect shot. Now it's just a good blackmail shot.
Dominic puts up with so much from his big sister.
Big D in near-crawling pose is quite pleased with himself.
A side view of near-crawling pose.
NAKED BABIES ON THE BED!!
Dominic seems to love it more, the more Ella throws him around.
The fun continues.
Nate claims that Big D's counterbalance is the secret to his bocce ball success.
Dominic with Jacob and his daddy, Dan. This is before his pink eye spread to the other side, but it looks scary, nonetheless.
Big D and Mama
Ella playing in the sand at Lake Michigan. For a girl who once despised grass, she was all about rolling in the sand.
Dominic had a hard time sleeping in MI, but the swing at the park turned out to be magic, especially when operated by Lydia.
Ella and Lydia's "wedding" picture. Their hug was their wedding ceremony, and they were so excited about the special day. Lydia has no idea how special it is to invade Ella's personal space so drastically.
Gumpa shoved MarMar out of the picture to pose with his grandkids.
Ella and Gumpa on the wagon ride.
Uncle Cory helping Dominic with his piano lessons.
Aunt Becky and Uncle Adrian make Big D laugh.
Smiles all around
Big D and Gumpa at a different kind of keyboard.
The perfect place to be on a summer evening.
Papa and Ella playing under the coffee table.
Big D and Uncle Colin
A scholar before his time ... at least if he doesn't put the book in his mouth.
The forward stretch.
Step 2 - Bring the right hand forward.
Somehow it always ends in reverse, but the determination is still there.
Big D in his jaunty Vietnamese hat - thanks to his godparents.
Without my prompting, Ella gave Dominic a lovely hug.
Big D standing by the futon.
Nana has their rapt attention while reading Ella's magazine.
Happy in his chair
Bundled after bath time.
Ella took this picture of Mama and Big D.
Heading out for the first day of preschool! Eagerness on the face and a bit of nervousness in the twirling of the hair.
Digging right into it.
Standing outside the preschool entrance.
Big D trying out the backpack for the first time.
Big D wants to eat the camera.
Ella excited about her new raincoat.
Dominic's favorite activity - playing with the dishwasher.
Second favorite activity - playing in the drawers near Ella.
Taking a tour of the fire station.
Ella and Big D at the apple orchard.
Portrait among pumpkins.
Big D and M couldn't get enough of E's cell phone toy.
Ella is proud of her gallery.
Ella and Dev entranced by the TV.
Dominic found a pacifier on his trip to Canada and liked it.
Big D hanging out with Theressa.
Big D loves the finger walk.
Ella and Mama in the maze.
A long day at the pumpkin patch tired everyone out.
Big D loved being around someone his own size.
THE TEETH!!!
Daredevil Ella
Ella and Big D finally heading home.
Big D loves his medicine.
Drinks in the wagon for the very first time.
Watch out, Ella. You're about to get your hair cleaned!
Big D and Mama at the zoo.
Ella and Mama by the turtle pond.
Two boys born a day apart.
Ella queen of the jungle.
Ella and Big D playing on a sculpture.
Big D enjoying blueberries for the first time.
Ella and Her Expert Pumpkin-Carver
The D-Man, shiner and all
Ella in full puddle-splashing gear
Suanna will be happy to know that she's probably not going to miss Dominic's first step while in Denver. But it's gonna be close.
With Nana and Papa at the museum.
Behold the wagon! This is its second voyage.
The resemblance is striking, and not just because they're both green.
A posing Peter Pan
Peter Pan and Mater - ready to go for the candy!
The night ended with shoulder rides home.
Hayride at the Pumpkin Patch!
The Traditional Big Yellow Chair shot, now with two kids.
He liked the slides a lot.
Finally big enough to wear the spiffy Korean dress/vest combo from Uncle Matt and Aunt Sarah.
Hackin' with Aunt Sarah
In Vermont with Aunt Becky, Ella demonstrates that she's not picky about whose hair she grabs . . .
. . . and neither is her brother.
Atop Mount Philo. It was damn cold.
Proudly sporting her Ben and Jerry's factory tour ticket.
Thanksgiving Dinner in Burlington.
Ella, burning through her maze book.
An early birthday celebration for the two of them.
He digs the letter train.
The co-op kid rings the bell at preschool.
Suanna was the parent helper for Ella's special birthday day at preschool.
Doing mazes amidst the birthday swag.
Getting ready to blow out the candles!
This is Dominic's birthday present. You may notice that Ella seems more interested in it than he is. This is a pattern we have noticed.
It may be Big D's open house, but that didn't stop Ella from busting out her solar system puzzle.
He's been walking all over the place ... we just don't have very many pictures of it. Here's one.
Dominic's life in a nutshell.
He was very, very tired . . .
. .. though somewhat buoyed by his sister's enthusiasm . . .
. . . and it all worked out fine in the end.
"Dude, you're, like, chomping on my present, man!"
Ella was excited to receive the cards from her cousins.
Ella has a hard time remembering that the ferris wheel is Big D's present.
Playing in the tub with birthday bathtub crayons. Ella wanted to take a bath the minute she opened them.
FOUR TEETH!!!
Ella's very first Christmas gift for Mama and Daddy.
Here's the masterpiece -- best picture in the house!
Mazes are serious business.
This was Big D's favorite book, but we had to take it out of the rotation for repair work.
Between our bed and game shelf has become the storage grounds for board books because of Big D's bedtime reading. Ella joined him there one morning.
Last Saturday was the Grand Weeding of Ella's room. We sent 4 bags of toys to the thrift store and rediscovered some old friends in the process. The shelf in the back is the new storage system that makes Nate weepy he's so happy with it.
We moved the train to the backyard because it's big. I'm sure he'll love rediscovering it in the spring.
Making a train during a friend's birthday party at the Children's Museum.
Outdoors at the Building Museum.
Game night with Aunt Julia.
Dominic was determined to get his hands on the little parts.
He was very happy when we let him press the button.
Ella playing with the motor home
A favorite passtime, browsing the DVD library.
A tense moment while watching TV.
Brushing his hair
Looking in the mirror. In the background, Ella is upset because she doesn't want me to take a picture.
Last step of the after-bath hair process, wearing the Peter Pan hat.
Ella and Big D transfixed by PBSkids.org
Reading during a diaper change. Yes, that's a huge bruise on his forehead.
Ella changed her baby at the same time.
Cheesy self-portrait by Ella.
Close-up, half-smile self-portrait
The little business man.
Jumping on the bed
Playing with the pots and pans
The closest thing to wooden shoes in Alexandria.
The kitchen cabinet -- hours of fun for Big D. Don't worry, he can't reach the top shelf.
Easter kids
Watch the bunny jump.
Ella and Dominic at Chipotle
Nate reading to the kids.
Ella with a natural smile -- a rare thing.
Dominic in a cherry tree.
D and D
Mama, Dominic, and Ella
Ella and Mama
Ella and Dominic at the FDR Memorial
Wearing sun visors from MarMar
Classic Big D smile
Playing on Thomas in the backyard
Symon, Franklyn and Ella build the bird feeder we gave to Symon for a big brother gift.
Ella and Big D collaborate on a song.
Lest you think Big D smiles all the time.
Ella plans her strategy for the maracas.
Big D loved making noise.
Classic Ella - taking it all in. Dominic decided to join the parade.
Ella makes a painted butterfly.
Dominic loved riding the pony. Suprisingly, he sat perfectly still and held Nate's hand the entire time.
Dominic inspecting the playset on Ella's playground.
Ella paiting a flower pot at her school spring fair.
Which One Is It?
Outer Banks - Fun at the Beach
Outer Banks - On the Balcony
Suanna shows off her mad Xbox skillz. D is not impressed.
D and Aunt Sarah in South Carolina
Swimming with Nana
Sprinkler fun at home
It's never too early to start appreciating Crokinole.
On the Mall with Uncle Matt
Sandboxing at Meijer Gardens
GR Children's Museum: The Builder and . . .
. . . the Architect
In Holland with the cousins
Dominic's default state of mind
Suanna and Ella
At the Ren Fair, Eric helps Ella with a crossbow. Can you think of anything scarier?
Daddy and D
Silly faces
Enough fun!
Horsey Action Shot
The kids are fascinated with the colorful assortment of boardgames on the bookshelf in the basement. Zooloretto is a favorite.
"ACtually, you only score for each TYPE of vendor stand, not each individual tile. You lose."
The King of All Lawn Toys surveys his domain.
Dominic painting his first picture.
Ella trudging through the orchard.
Ella had fun climbing the tree.
The prize apple
Oh, you caught me trying to climb in here?
I'll just look cute, then.
Everyone having fun playing and watching Ella and Nate play Lego Star Wars.
Playing Legos with Nana
Dominic loves pretending to be a puppy, even without the costume, so this was especially fun for him. He was devoted to wearing the hood, even though he lost all peripheral vision.
Heading to the Halloween parade
Peter Pan makes a run for it.
Ella takes a swing.
Marching in the parade.
Nothing beats playing in the dirt after a parade.
A puppy poser.
The results of Dominic's first haircut.
Ella and Dominic loved playing with Aunt Becky at Thanksgiving.
Ella and Marmar glues the feathers on Ella's centerpiece.
Nothing like kisses from Marmar
Ella makes cupcakes to bring to school for her birthday.
After cupcakes, it was on to the gingerbread house.
Everyone got into the act.
Ella and Dominic at the Botanic Gardens holiday display.
The effect of $5 to a 5 year-old is magical.
Ella does her first assembly work - a snow speeder.
Ella glues the stars on her birthday crown at school.
The crown sat on the chair because Ella refused to wear it.
She was okay with wearing it at home, however.
The power associated with a dragon tattoo is amazing.
Ella was excited about the paints she got from her cousins.
Ella's birthday party - The kids went outside to help the Great Wizard Intaglio.
Dominic was eager to participate in the activities.
Ella was both excited about the cake and filled with anxiety about all the attention. Here she is covering her ears because everyone is singing Happy Birthday to her.
Ella was so excited about her Wall E and Lightning McQueen shirts that she hugged them.
Dominic's typical pose these days
Ella with blue frosting teeth. She warmed up by the end of the party.
A typical scene - Ella looking at Dominic's book and Dominic looking at Ella's legos.
Dominic inspecting his gift from the cousins.
Dominic opens his gift from the cousins.
Dominic opens his gift from Daddy, Mama, and Ella.
Ella's Christmas present to us this year!
