Big Boy Bed

Lincoln is adjusting to his bed quite nicely. This was his nap time today:
He was also a champ today while I painted his room. He sat on the top bunk and read his books while I finished the second coat.
And to close out today's post, a Gretel portrait:

A Room & A Name

The fun never stops at the Gates Home! First on tap this weekend was to get Lincoln's "new" room underway. He's keeping his room, we're just shifting the furniture to the new baby's room (more on this below). A while back we bought a bunk bed set, and it's been sitting around apparently waiting for this weekend! Jenn picked out some great bedding for Lincoln's new furniture and also for the baby's new room.

It didn't take long to put the bed together, and Lincoln wanted to be a part of that, so we all had fun as a family setting up the new "big boy bed."

Climbing In

Climbing Out

Then we picked a blue to go with his bedding, and I started the painting process (I can't say I really missed it, but this was a different kind of painting. Norton painting was: "Get this looking nice so someone will hopefully buy it." Forest Edge painting is: "I really like this color, let's make this room look nice for ourselves.") We'll post a finished photo soon (hopefully!).
Drumroll, please.

And now the moment that many of you have been waiting for. There were two names that Jenn and I were volleying back and forth in our minds. They were both relatively uncommon names today (there were three Jenns in the waiting room at the OB's office on Wednesday... Jenn doesn't want that for our daughter!) and they both sat well with us. So we put it to Lincoln, and one of the names he pronounced not-so-perfectly while the other he said very articulately.

And her name shall be: Lydia Gray

We will now be referring to the arrival of our daugther as Lydia's arrival. Lincoln is already calling her by name, and we will be doing the same. This has been a bit of a different pregnancy for Jenn (not better or worse, just different), and judging by Lydia's activity level, she's developing a personality already. It remains to be seen if Lydia will be more of a schedule keeper than Lincoln... we're hoping to meet her in mid, not late, October.

Thomas, Live and In Person!

It's been a big week for us here at the Gates Home. If you're connected with us much at all, you've probably now heard that we're expecting a little girl in October. While we've not yet chosen a name, we will be choosing and announcing one soon, as we want everyone, especially Lincoln, to refer to her by name. Stay tuned.

Then on Friday, Jenn, Grandma Paulette & Lincoln went to the Boston Mills Depot of the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad line for a day with... wait for it... THOMAS THE TRAIN!!! What a day!The view from the train is very pretty through the National Park.
Another fun thing lately has been Lincoln's new Pirate Ship Sandbox that Grandma Laura and Grandpa Dave gave him for his birthday. I haven't yet put the sand in it, but he's having fun with in anyway!
Dad and I have been busy at work lately, the weather's been nice, so we've been busy outside with work & play, Gretel's growing up and starting to be less naughty... we've just got a lot going on!

The Ultrasound

New Clothes

The blogging has been thin lately. I've actually been doing lots of reading lately. I'm trying to get through the NT in 2 months, I started a McCoullough Book (you know how long those are!), we're finishing our Small Group book tonight (It's Not About Me), and I'm gearing up for my Sixth Grade Sleepover on June 4 (going to introduce material from Raising a Modern Day Knight). I don't think I've ever been engaged in this many books at once.

Anyway, Lincoln is as fun as ever. Yesterday while Jenn was at a Ladies' Brunch, Lincolnand I went to Sears Hardware. He had as much fun as he would have had at a toy store. As we walked down the aisle with the lawnmowers he pointed at each one and said, "That one not John Deere. That one not John Deere. That one not John Deere. etc. etc." He checked out the cordless drills, the hammers, the tape measures. He had a great time. Then we came home and he helped me fix a toilet.

He's been wearing lots of the clothes he got for his birthday. Here's are two of the outfits:

We learn whether we're having a boy or a girl this Wednesday. We'll keep you posted!

Lincoln Logs

With Jenn at work making up for the day off she took on Lincoln's Birthday, Lincoln and I enjoyed a Daddy Day at home. It was a fun morning.

One of the most amazing things to see lately is how I can start reading any Farmyard Tale (his favorite Usborn book) and stop reading at any point in mid-sentence and he can finish the sentence. Considering that there are about 20 short stories, I'm quite impressed.

We played with his new Lincoln Logs. It's debatable who is enjoying his Lincoln Logs more at the moment. I build 'em up, and he usually likes to knock 'em down!

This morning we incorporated the cameras into our playtime:

Lincoln gets out on the town

Jenn and Lincoln went to the Akron Zoo on Friday with friends Carla & Alexandra and Jenn C. & Elise. Alexandra and Elise are within a few months of each other in age. They seemed to have a good time with each other.

Today while Jenn was at work, Lincoln and I went to a Tae Kwon Do tournament to see one of my Edge guys, Brandon C. Lincoln did great, and he really enjoyed watching the kids do their thing, especially the board-breaking!

Also, Jenn and I got a new (to us) car. The brake lines on the Honda were on borrowed time, and after Dad had a scare with the brake lines on his otherwise a-okay truck, we decided not to gamble anymore. So we traded in Jenn's Honda that was a great car for us for a very, very long time. We found an '09 Hyundai Sonata with 10,800 miles and a 10 year B to B warantee. Jenn loves it (she'll be the primary driver of the car) and we both felt a peace about the car and the buying process. It gives us both peace of mind for years to come. The first rule: Betty doesn't ride in our new ride.

First Family Bike Ride of 2010

We all went for a bike ride today. You may recall our last bike ride in Ohio.

June '09

June of last year gave us an unpleasant morning on our bikes and Lincoln was not into riding. This afternoon was different and Lincoln was greatly anticipating the ride. He wanted to help put the bikes on the car, put the bikes together when we got to the trail, and wanted to hold the wheels while Jenn and I actually put them together. Surprisingly, he didn't fuss about his helmet. With only one exception recently, he hasn't been too into wearing hats. But he knew that Daddy and Mommy also had to wear helmets, so he was okay with it.We rode on the Towpath and passed Szlay's cornfields. Lincoln (and Daddy) were excited to see the big John Deere tractors out plowing the field. Lincoln pointed out that Szlay's (he says that name pretty well) big John Deere tractors plow the fields and Daddy's little John Deeres mow lawns. Insightful little guy.And we also saw the Grey Goose. For those of you reading this who like to walk over the beaver dam know about the resident Grey Goose. He was quiet today, and quite tolerant of the Canadian Geese around him.Another good family day had by the Gateses.

On another note, check out what Emily has to say about the Nashville Flood.

Tape Measure

Two Years Old hit with a bang! Lincoln's been doing very well, but a few obsessions are starting to form. For the longest time the only obsession was Bear. Okay. Fine. Now there are some more that are starting to emerge. I guess time well tell which ones actually stick, but right now, he's into his tape meaures! He's always enjoyed them, but now he likes to carry it with him on walks.