Queen Esther

Teddy Bear Picnic Party

2011-09-17T11:53:00.001-07:00

We had a little birthday party this past weekend with some of our closest friends and family. I have one very special, very loved teddy bear so Mom thought it would be perfect to have a Teddy Bear Picnic themed party for my second birthday. It was a ton of fun planning the details around this theme!

Mom found the idea for a beehive pinata in an issue of Country Living magazine. It was definitely a hit! ;)

My friends also got to take home a furry friend and bear sucker. :-)

We had a story time where my Nana read the Teddy Bear Picnic Story.

And then it was time for me to open my gifts. I loved all the attention and special gifts from my friends and family. :-)

Terrific Two's!

2011-09-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

Today is my birthday! Mom took a few photos of me at home this morning. Here are a few favorites.

Here's one she took at Jamison Square the other day.

I had a wonderful evening celebrating with family. :-)

I blew out the candles all by myself this year!

My Favorite Things

2011-03-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm a big eighteen month old, I have formed quite a personality. I have no problem letting people know what I like and don't like. Here are just a few of my favorite things...

I love my little bear. I have to have him with me when I sleep so Mom is a little worried about losing him. He pretty much always stays in my crib for this reason.

I LOVE bathtime. Especially when it involves bubbles. :-)

I love water in general, so I can often be found playing at the sink.

I adore our cat, Allie, but I am still learning to play nice. When I am not pulling her tail, trying to pick her up, or hugging her a little too tight, we get along just fine.

I love to read books and, of course, I love "Jo Jo" too. Now that my brother is learning to read, hopefully he'll be able to read to me soon! I would love that!

I love my Dada very much. When he gets home from work, I can't wait for him to eat dinner so we can play!

Tea Party Fun

2011-02-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

It's been pretty cold and yucky, so Mom set up a little tea party for us inside the other day. I got dressed up in a very pretty dress and Mom was able to put my hair (all of it!) in pigtails. So fun! Here are a few photos of my first tea party. I loved it!

My brother, Jonah, was kind enough to stop by for a cup of tea!

Allie stopped by for a cup too!

I had to invite my very favorite stuffed bear to the party!

Can't wait for my next tea party!

One Year Already??

2010-11-12T17:50:00.001-08:00

Okay, technically I am fourteen months, but who's counting (besides Mom)? Here are a couple of cute photos Mom was able to get of me recently.

I am a girl on the go!

Some fun facts about me:

1. I am a walker! I took my first steps just before I turned one, but really got moving at 13 months.
2. I am a climber. I will climb the stairs, up onto chairs (and sometimes tables) and into any basket, box, etc. I can get my little body into.
3. I am a dancer. Sometimes I just twist my body to the music, but other times I get my hips going too!
4. I can say "thank you," "hi," "bye, bye," "uh-oh," "dada," "mama," "baby," "yeah" and "cheese" whenever Mom has the camera out. I also sign "done" when I'm finished eating or just want out of my high chair.
5. I LOVE to look at books, especially touch and feel books. I would spend all day making my mommy read me books, if she'd let me. :)
6. I love to cuddle and give kisses. I will give kisses to pretty much anyone who asks for one!
7. My family LOVES me to pieces!

My ten and eleven month photos

2010-09-13T23:57:00.000-07:00

I realize these are long overdue, but here they are nontheless... a favorite at ten months

And from month eleven...

My First Birthday Bash

2010-09-13T23:14:00.000-07:00

My family threw me a pretty sweet birthday party this year. While it's true I've got none to compare it to, I did thoroughly enjoy myself and hope my future birthdays are just as nice!

Mom had fun with a vintage theme, using lots of pink because, well, girls like pink. She made these pom pom flowers from tissue paper and hung them from the ceiling above the buffet which showcased some favorite pictures Mom has taken of me this past year.

Here's a close-up picture of the pom pom flowers.

Mom and her mother, my Nana, also made this banner made of vintage fabrics.

There was enough fabric to make matching flags. Mom and Nana also made a couple banners out of paper doilies to go with the vintage theme. Easy and cute!

For food we had several salads, munchies in the pretty white footed bowls, and sandwiches. The kids had cheese or PBJ sandwiches and the adults got to make their own, just the way they liked it.

For dessert we had lemon cupcakes with lemon buttercream frosting. Yum! For the recipe, visit Your Homebased Mom.

I had a great time opening presents...

Reading cards...

Taking a closer look at my gifts...

and playing with friends.

Thanks to everyone who helped make my first birthday so special!

Favorites from Month Nine

2010-06-29T23:17:00.001-07:00

I am almost ten months old... jeesh, I am almost a year old for that matter! Mom is having a hard time believing how fast I am growing and indeed this month has been full of growing up on my part. I am crawling all over the place, pulling myself up on everything, climbing the stairs, etc. I am a baby on the move! I even got my first tooth this month, on Father's day.

Here are some favorites Mom took this past month. Summer is here and we can finally take photos outside!

Here is one we took at Powell Butte.

Mom took this next bunch at McMenamins Edgefield.

I absolutely adore my big brother!

A few photos and a quick update

2010-06-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

I realize I will be nine months old tomorrow, but I thought you all might want to see what I looked like at seven and eight months. Here are a few photos Mom took at seven months.

And a few at eight months.

I was bouncing up and down and talking when Mom took this last picture. It's a good thing I enjoy these photo shoots because they seem to happen a lot!

In other news, I started crawling just a few days ago. I never really got into the scooting thing, just waited until I was ready to get up on all fours. I also have started to enjoy solid foods. I really like bananas (it was Jonah's favorite too), carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and prunes. I also love to feed myself those baby puffs. Yum!

Here's a video of me crawling. Enjoy!

Spring is Here!

2010-04-18T14:45:00.001-07:00

Sure, we've had a lot of rain this past month but we've also seen some sun too. Here are a few photos of us enjoying these moments in the outdoors.

We went to the zoo as a family yesterday and were lucky enough to see most all the animals out. We all think the new lion exhibit is pretty neat!

Mom took this photo of me while we were waiting for Dad and Jonah to ride the zoo train.

Jonah loves to go out and ride his tricycle and new bicycle so lots of times Mom brings a blanket for us to sit on while we watch him ride. Jonah decided to come over and say hello and Mom snapped a quick photo of us.

Here are some pictures at the park.

Mom thought I matched the flowers at Nana's one day so she plopped me down for a quick photo op.

And here's one last one of me in pigtails for the first time. :)

I'm loving life as a 7 month old. I can sit for long periods of time, roll all over, and have even started talking. I say "dada," "baba," "mama," "wawa," and "hiya." Of course I have no idea what I'm talking about, but it sure sounds cute to everyone listening. I love to grab everything in my reach and stare at my hands. I also have gotten pretty good at getting up on my hands and knees and will rock back and forth. I have even scooted backward and forwards a few times while up off my tummy. I have not found any foods I am super fond of, but my doctor says I just have a really strong gag reflex and that I should figure out this eating thing by the time I am a year old. At least I am a fan of milk. :)

Almost 7 months but here I am at 6 months wink, wink

2010-03-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

Mom took these weeks ago, but just never got around to posting them. We've been keeping busy and so someday maybe I'll post about all our fun too.

Month of Firsts

2010-02-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

I've been keeping my parents on their toes this month. Lots of firsts for me!

I tried eating a few different kinds of solid foods (i.e. sweet potatoes and bananas) but haven't found I like any yet. We'll keep trying though. No rush, right? It's not like I'm starving!

I also learned to roll over. I rolled over a few times from my tummy to back, but haven't really gotten the hang of it like I have from my back to tummy. I have even started to prefer sleeping on my tummy. Mom always puts me down on my back but I usually end up on my tummy by the time she comes in to get me in the morning or after naps.

I have even slept through the night a few times! Mom defines "sleeping through the night" as not getting up to eat at all from the time she puts me to sleep and when it's time to get up for the day. I usually sleep 12 hours at night. I have gradually been night weaning myself over the past month (bet you all wish you had babies like me, huh?). Really it started when Mom and Dad put me in my own room. Maybe it was all that snoring that kept waking me up?? Anyway, I found I really like my sleep. :)

I also went on my first hike in the gorge. We went up to Bridal Veil Falls. I loved being outside, Jonah got to ride his tricycle and we even stopped off in Hood River for a bit afterward. It was a great day!

5 month photos

2010-02-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

Mom got a new floor prop and decided to use it out today to take my 5 month photos. We both really liked it!

I'm not just a model

2010-01-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

I promised in my last blog I would post more than just some photos Mom took. It's been rough but I managed to dig up a few photos that prove I do have a life beyond modeling.

My brother and I were invited to Bodhi's birthday party last week. The big kids had a great time playing in the gym, eating cake, and going swimming. While I didn't get to do those things, I did get to hang out with my good friend, Jameson. We love to stare at each other and smile. It's pretty amusing for a baby to see another baby just about the same age and size as yourself.

I also have a lot of fun with my family. Jonah and I love to play together and I also love it when other family visits. Here's a photo of me with Papa.

4 month photos

2010-01-08T15:53:00.001-08:00

I think I need to add some blogs that aren't just photos. I will work on that this month. But for now, here are some photos Mom took of me today.

Here is one of me and my brother. He really wanted to be in the pictures!

3 months already!

2009-12-13T20:22:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe I've been around for 3 months! My family sure is glad to have me and why wouldn't they? I am super mellow and a happy baby. I sleep great too, only waking Mom up once at night. Life is good!

Here are a few photos Mom took of me last week.

Here are a few with my brother, Jonah.

And here's one Mom's friend, Sara, took the other day after she finished a shoot of her and her baby.

2 Months Old and Lookin' Good

2009-11-09T14:52:00.001-08:00

I recently had my two month check-up with the doctor. Things are looking great for me. I am still in the 95th percentile for height and weight. I weighed in at 13 lbs. 5 oz and am 24" long. I didn't like those vaccines much, but it was actually Jonah who cried the most at my appt. I think it freaked him out even more to see me get them and he doesn't like to see me cry much either. Next time we may have to leave the poor kid with a sitter. :)

Friends and Family

2009-11-09T14:27:00.001-08:00

Even though Jonah's blog gets a lot more action since most of our activities revolve around him, I do have some great friends already and lots of family members who love me. Just this past weekend my great Grammy and Grandpa Moore came to visit from the LA area. My family loves spending time with Grammy and Grandpa, so I was super excited to finally meet them. Jonah gets along great with them so of course I did too.

I also have had a few play dates in recent weeks with some kids my age. Jonah and his friends are great; don't get me wrong. However, I'd like to have friends of my own and so here are a few photos of my closest pals as of now.

Here I am with Jameson (Kate's little brother). We both attended a baby shower celebrating the upcoming arrival of my soon-to-be friend, Atticus.

Here I am with Payton (Jonah is friends with his big brother, Camden).

And I do have one girlfriend too, Sofi. Jonah wanted to be in this picture too. :)

Two Month Photos

2009-11-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

Mom also had to take some naked baby photos with my new sheepskin rug.

Me and the Girls

2009-10-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

Most of my time is spent being carted around to places that are mainly for my brother's benefit, but this past weekend Mom took me out to spend time with the girls. I got to meet some of Mom's good girlfriends from high school, namely Summer who lives in L.A. and has been one of Mom's closest friends for 16 years. I was super smiley that afternoon and really enjoyed the girl time.

Me with Summer

Summer's mom and another of Mom's h.s. friends, Becca

Aunt Mary's mom, Pam.

Mom thought I was dressed extra cute that day so here is a better photo of my cute outfit. :)

Here I am with my brother. He's pretty fun too. :)

One Month Photos

2009-10-08T16:21:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos Mom took this week. Don't you think I'm pretty photogenic?

I was pretty tired by the end of our photo shoot.

The Simple Life

2009-10-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

I am now four weeks old. Can you believe it? I don't know where the time has gone, but I know I've had a good first month. I've had lots of visitors and have been out doing some fun things, but since I sleep through most of it (and Mom is often sleepy and hardly ever remembers her camera), I don't have a lot of photos to document these occasions. However, we do have a few photos for you. Mostly there are of me with my family.

Jonah likes holding me and I like him pretty well too.

We like to lounge around quite a bit when at home.

Jonah also helps me get through tummy-time. Sometimes I even fall asleep.

My great grandma Dyk came to visit this week. She lives in Turlock, CA and decided to come up for a funeral and stopped off to visit me and the rest of the fam.

Here I am with my friend, Jameson. His sister, Kate, and my brother, Jonah, are best friends. I suspect Jameson and I may become good friends too.

Can you see a smile on my face in this last photo? Mom's seen it a few times now. :)

Everyone thinks I'm a good baby. I was a good eater right from the start and only get Mom up twice a night. I even give her a good 4-5 hour stretch at the beginning of the night. Jonah and I are getting along well, though I think he wishes I was old enough to play trains with him. Someday... For now I will keep doing what I do best, eating, sleeping and lounging around.

A Few More Photos

2009-09-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

Mom took a few more photos today and so we thought we'd share them with you.

Dad took this last one. Didn't he do a great job?

Newborn Photos

2009-09-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

Mom finally got around to shooting and editing some photos of me. Thanks to everyone (Aunt Mary, Grandma Jill, and Saray) for the cute photo props she was able to use!

My Birthday

2009-09-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Loyal Blog Readers:

Yesterday, September 2, I decided that it was such a beautiful day in Portland that I would make it my birthday! And, no use in waiting! I woke my mom up early, at 4:15AM, and quickly let her know that she should get ready for my arrival. I was enjoying the sun at Kaiser's Sunnyside Hospital in Clackamas by 6:49AM!

My parents were a little surprised by how big I am... 10 Lbs and 21 1/2" in length. That is quite a bit bigger than my 'big' brother Jonah, but I think it may be a little while before we catch up.

We had a great day celebrating my birthday, visiting with family and friends, and enjoying the day. We got through the night, and today we decided to go home. My big brother Jonah stopped by to stay hello, but he is staying another day with our grandparents Nana and Papa and playing with trains. So now, we are just relaxing at home, enjoying some Thai food (milk for me) that our friend Sara brought over, and getting ready for bed.

Until another day,
--Esther Dyk

Final Days

2009-08-28T10:01:00.001-07:00

Mom's really hoping these are the final days (or hours) before I arrive. She wasn't sure we'd make it to my due date (the 24th), but here we are, almost a week later.

Last weekend Mom and Dad had the weekend to themselves. Nana and Papa wanted to take my brother, Jonah, huckleberry picking up at Mt. Adams and asked if he could stay the night on Friday so they could leave early on Saturday. Mom and Dad said, "Sure!" and had a great time going out to a nice dinner on Friday and then went kayaking on Saturday morning. They were also able to walk through the Street of Dreams condos in the Pearl District downtown. Nana and Papa even asked if Jonah could stay one more night as they were having so much fun together. Someday maybe I'll stay at Nana and Papa's place for a weekend!

Mom kayaking at 9 months pregnant!

Mom also had time to finish crocheting a blanket she had been working on for me. Now there's really not a lot left to do, except keep the house clean. Mom's also having fun spending time alone with Jonah, something that I'll soon keep from happening for at least a little while.

My blanket

Mom saw her midwife, Sharon, on Wednesday and found out she was 3 cm dilated and 80% effaced. Sharon also said Mom's cervix looks great (now that's not a compliment you hear ever day!). She suspects we won't have to come back for an appt. next Wednesday. :) On Monday, which will put us at 41 weeks, Mom goes in for a nontress test to make sure everything is looking alright with me. I think everyone is hoping she doesn't make it a week past the expected due date, but we will see! I like keeping everyone on their toes!

My Finished Room

2009-08-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Mom finally took some photos of my finished room. She found a pottery barn bumper and crib skirt on ebay that matches perfectly with my room and it was super cheap. Yay!

Nana had a collection of tea cups that she wanted to get rid of and so Mom took them to use as a decoration on the wall. She also kept a few of her and Nana's old dolls and we put them on the tea cup shelf as well. Mom found the side table at an antique store and painted it white and added a cute knob that matches the light switch.

Here's a photo that shows the curtains (which Nana made when it was just a guest room) and the bookshelf with stuffed animals and porcelain dolls Nana and Mom made together in a class when Mom was just in middle school.

It's definitely a room fit for a girl. Mom has even worried about what she'd do if I were a boy instead. She could at least keep the walls yellow!

Full Term

2009-08-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

As of today I am a full-term baby. This means that if Mom were to go into labor today, there would be no stopping her. Last week Mom had an appointment with her midwife, Sharon, and found out I am in the same position my brother, Jonah, was when Mom went into labor. I am facing out which means Mom will have to deal with back labor again if I don't choose to move within the next few weeks. Even though this is not ideal, it's better than the position I was in a month ago, which was transverse, meaning I was sideways. Mom's midwife told her to spend some time each day on her hands and knees in hopes I turn a bit to one side. I am perfectly happy where I am, but Mom says back labor is no fun and would prefer if I found another position.

Mom and Dad went to a friends wedding this past weekend and although it was hot (the church was not air-conditioned and it was 100 degrees out that day), it was nice for them to go out for the night just the two of them. They hope to do it again at least one more time before my arrival.

My First Tea Party

2009-08-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Mom and Nana's friend, Jenny, wanted to have a tea party in honor of Mom and me. It was a very special tea party with wonderful food and decorations, but mostly it was wonderful because of the people who attended. Nana's closest friends, Jenny and her daughter Katie, Marcia, and Bonnie were there as well as Mom's closest friends, Sara and Mary. Jonah, Kate and Cassie and Gabby were also there at their own cute little table. The temperature got to be over 100, but we were in shade with fans blowing on us, there were cool drinks to sip on, and even ice cold washcloths to keep everyones faces and neck cool. It was well worth it!

Below is a photo of most all of the yummy food. There were 2 different kinds of scones with lemon curd and apricot brandy jelly to go on them, 2 different kinds of stuffed mushrooms, cucumber sandwiches and chicken basil sandwiches, potatoes stuffed with sour cream, blue cheese filled apricots, chocolate dipped strawberries, cream puffs, and a gorgeous cake! What a spread!

Check out these amazing cream puffs Jenny made in the shape of swans!

The group of women

The kids invited to tea

There were even popsicles to cool us all down! Yummy!

Mom felt so spoiled by all the wonderful homemade gifts and cute baby girl items given to her for me.

Thank you Jenny and Nana for all your hard work! It was all so wonderful!

Pregnancy Photos

2009-07-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Mom's good friend, Melanie, agreed to take some pregnancy photos of Mom and we think they turned out pretty great! They were taken on Melanie's parents property and Mom and Melanie had a lot of fun finding different places to take them. Thanks Aunt Melanie! I can't wait to meet you!

Almost Ready

2009-07-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

I guess my room is pretty nearly ready for me and my family (especially Mom) is ready for me to come too. I know I still have a good month before I will be ready, but it is good to know things are in place so that I will be as comfortable as possible in my new home. Mom has a few simple things she wants to do (i.e. replace a knob on a bedside table she found at an antique store and then re-painted) before posting a final picture of my room, but it will happen soon.

My family went up to the Seattle area for the 4th and Dad took this photo of Mom relaxing in the grass while my brother, Jonah, danced along to some music that was playing in downtown Bainbridge Island.

Esther's baby shower photos taken by Marisa

2009-07-01T11:32:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

A Baby Shower

2009-07-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Mom's friends, Mary and Sara, threw her a baby shower this past weekend. It was a fun time for everyone with lots of yummy food (all Greek!). I wish we would've gotten a group picture, but I think there were a total of 14 women there (not including me). Mom feels so lucky to have so many wonderful girlfriends in her life. I got totally spoiled by everyone and will be wearing the cutest clothes. It's a good thing Mom and I love pink 'cause we've got a ton of it now! Here are some photos from the shower.

Here is all the yummy Greek food Mary and Sara made. It was so delicious!

Here's a close-up. You can also see Mary decorated the table with different pieces of fabric. Mary and her mom are making dresses for me out of the fabric as a gift. What a creative idea! The fabrics are all so adorable.

Here's a photo of Mary and Mom. It's hard to believe Mom and Mary have known each other for almost 15 years now, but we can hardly imagine our life without Aunt Mary.

Thanks for throwing such a wonderful shower, girls!

Meeting Midwife Sharon

2009-06-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

My dad recently took a job with Umpqua Bank, which is great because he works regular hours (just 8:30-5:30) and the job requires no travel. The not so great part about the switch was having to change health care providers. Mom and Dad decided to go with Kaiser. It is familiar and the best deal for good health coverage. Although we loved our Providence doctor, Dr. Kocher (who was also Jonah's doctor), we were excited to meet our new midwife at Kaiser, named Sharon. She was great! She was totally on board with a low-intervention birth plan and said everything in the pregnancy was looking great so far. She even works in the same clinic as the midwife that delivered Jonah at Sunnyside. We feel great about the switch and look forward to our last couple prenatal visits with Midwife Sharon. :)

My Room

2009-06-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got a crib and dresser in my room as well as a quilt and my name on the wall. So, I felt it was time to post a photo. Nana made the beautiful curtains when it was a guest room and we decided to go with the color scheme when Mom and Dad found out I was a girl. Nana also made my quilt and Grandma Jill (Kate and Baby Kiperman's grandma) did the quilting and binding. Don't you love the bright and cheerful colors?!

Here's a close-up of the quilt. Mom and Nana went with a fruit/polka dot/butterfly/flower theme on the quilt. Basically, whatever was cute and went together. :)

6 down, 3 to go

2009-06-01T16:05:00.001-07:00

Mom is now six months pregnant so in just three short months I should be making my debut. As you can see, she finally got around to taking a belly shot, but hopes to get some more flattering ones taken soon (where you can see more than just her belly).

My brother, Jonah, wanted in on the photo taking fun so I'll throw one in of him too.

Also in the news, Jonah had a birthday party this past weekend and will be three years old tomorrow. It's kind of fun because he has several friends born right around the same time as him and I will have a little network of friends right from the get-go too. Here's a photo of Mom and her two friends, Sara and Jocelyn, who are all due right around the same time. This photo was taken at Jonah's party on Saturday.

I have been very active lately and sometimes Mom wonders if I am doing jumping jacks. You can see me moving (just ask my Dad and Aunt Mary) right now when I really get going, but it won't be long before there isn't enough room for me to really move around.

Not quite here but not forgotten either

2009-05-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am due to arrive sometime around the end of August. I will probably choose to arrive on the 28th because I'm sure my Aunt Mary would love to spend her birthday in the hospital with my laboring mother. Although my mom has yet to journal or even take a real pregnancy photo with me, I am confident she has not forgotten me. In fact, I have heard lots of talk recently regarding my new room. Truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot to do in there (the walls are already painted a nice yellow, curtains are made, etc.) but she has been doing a little cleaning in there as well as crafting to make it even more homey. I now have room in my closet to hang clothes and keep other baby essentials and there is even a crib and mattress waiting for me. She and Nana recently finished cutting out all the fabric for my quilt, which will match the curtains already hanging on my two windows. Mom also just finished making wooden letters with leftover fabric from my quilt and they are ready to hang on the wall above my crib. She figures she better wait until my dresser arrives (should be here in just about two weeks) to know exactly where she wants them. So, yes my room is just about ready. :)

I have also been noticing my brother, Jonah, has taken quite a liking to me in recent weeks. I guess it may have to do with the fact that I am making my presence known more and more as the days go on. Mom definitely looks pregnant now. My movements are much more noticeable and Jonah has even felt me move. I think he still thinks he is growing a baby brother in his tummy, but I wonder if he's noticed Mom's tummy is growing much faster than his own.

Here's a cute picture of Jonah giving me kisses.

Maybe next time I'll have a pregnancy picture of Mom and me for you.