February 26, 2009

A momentous thing happened in our household tonight. Right before his bath tonight, Abe used the potty for the first time!! It was probably a fluke. I'm not saying we're potty training or anything crazy like that, but it was still exciting!

Posted by jodi at 7:30 PM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2009

At day care on Wednesday Abe got quite a nasty fat lip. He was trying to scoot himself on a flat-4-wheeled scooter when it tipped up and he face planted. This was the best picture we could get of it. Take note that Abe is playing in the car in the garage. This is his new favorite obsession. We fought it for about half a day, and then figured, why not? We all jump when he accidentally honks the horn (man that's loud!) and he comes running inside, "Uh oh! Uh oh! Uh oh!" It is also exciting when we start the car to drive somewhere. The heat is usually blasting, the wipers going and the signal turned on. Keeps us on our toes.

In the last month Abe's vocabulary has exploded. Below is a list of all the words he currently says. Next to it in quotes is how he actually pronounces it, or at least my best attempt at that:

1. please - "peas"
2. all done - "ah dun"
3. again - "ahgun" (#2 and #3 sound almost identical, which is unfortunate since they mean almost the exact opposite.)
4. dad - "da"
5. mom - "mum"
6. uh oh - "uh oh"
7. yes - "yeah"
8. no - "no"
9. water - "wa wa"
10. sock - "sck"
11. shoe - "shoo"
12. bye - "bye!"
13. train - "choo choo"
14. cheese - "cheeeeese"
15. Amen - "ammeenn" (This is often said preemptively; evidently he thinks our prayers are sometimes too long. He'll also fold his hands sweetly when we pray and two nights ago he excitedly said "Yay!" when I thanked God for loving us. Melts my heart.)
16. sorry - "sowwy"
17. outside - "ouside"

Words we have heard him say in the past, but he won't do now:

1. car - "caa"
2. ball - "bol"
3. Dexter - "dter"

He's also started putting words together and is saying phrase/sentences:

1. all right - "all riiiigh"
2. ah man - "ahh maann"
3. I want some - "i wan som"
4. I want down - "i wan dow"
5. Where's Dad? - "where da?" (with both palms raised upward; super cute)
6. What's that? - "wha tha"

In terms of knowing animal sounds, he only knows what a cow (MOOOO), a cat (reoow), and a dog (rof) say. We need to work a little more on that. Posted by jodi at 9:15 PM | Comments (0)

February 20, 2009

We joined up with family friends Kurt, Susan, Joshua and Tobin to make Welch's most memorable family moment! Susan is the mastermind behind all of it, from finding the contest, writing the script and editing the video. She did a fantastic job! Maybe she missed her calling to go into movies...

Up for grabs is a trip to NYC, some moola and more. They only judge the top ten rate videos/pictures, so we need your vote!! Don't delay: voting ends this Sunday, February 22nd.

To vote, click here. This should bring you straight to our video. Watch it (of course!). Click "Rate This" under the jelly jars and give us a 5 (of course!). We'd love your comments as well. The title is "The Welch's Wonderboys" (of course!).

** 3/1/2008 Update: The contest is done. If you missed the video or just can't stop watching it, here it is for your viewing pleasure. We'll keep you updated on any contest results.**

Posted by jodi at 9:00 PM | Comments (3)

February 13, 2009

You have watched him grow before your very eyes. When he joined our family he was just a tiny, 7 pound ball full of life. His cuteness was our undoing and, in his first year, his only saving grace. You supported us as we did our best to raise him in a peaceful, loving and structured home. We trained and rewarded and disciplined, and you were there to cheer us on. He grew into a sweetness we all knew was hiding behind those rebellious eyes.

But from the day we brought him home, there has been one nagging question that has gone unanswered. A question still asked by virtually every stranger he meets. A question we've wondered and pondered and guessed at, but with no real answers. This is a question of more than curiosity. It is a question of identity, of history, of knowing who you are.

What breed(s) is Dexter?
Well now, technology is on our side!! With just a simple swab in his mouth, that question can be answered! And the best part is, YOU, yes, YOU, can help answer it!! How you ask? By donating to Dexter's "Who's My Daddy" fund!! It costs $75 for a home testing kit; from there the swab is sent off to the lab where an identification database recognizes 92% of the mixed breed population. That might seem a little pricey, but think, just $5 from people like you and in no time at all, we will have raised enough money to help heal the emotional trauma that being a bastard pup brings. YOU can make the difference!

Note: Donations made to Dexter's "Who's My Daddy" fund are not tax deductible.

Posted by jodi at 9:43 PM | Comments (3)