2009 In Pictures

Once again we bring you the year in blog pictures. You can find last year's entry here. This year we ended up with 222 photos, spanning a period that started when Eli had only been walking for a week or two and we had just found out Jessa was pregnant again, up to now, when we have a new member of the family and a full-blown 2 year old.

Grab a cup of coffee, we're going to be here a while.

One of the fun things to watch through these photos is Eli's hair. This is before he had ever had a haircut, believe it or not.
One of Jessa's first attempts at sewing quilts.
After last Christmas, Jessa's Washington family came to visit. Here, Eli plays with Grifinn.
Shaggy curly vesty boy.
January saw the tree still up.
Eli was really into helicopters for a while.
Eli and his friend Miles.
Hanging out at Dad's office.
Snow out on the deck.
The first photos of what turned out to be Amos. This was probably at 6 weeks gestation.
Dino boy.
Hanging out in the back yard at the mountain house.
Watching Obama's inauguration.
Hey conductor!
This was the book of the month for January. Once he learned what all the pictures were, he moved on.
These were chocolate almonds before Eli got hold of them.
Reading with Dad.
Naked boy!
Snoozing in the Target cart.
Exploring the pine needles.
Amos, again.
This was before we instituted "paci-free time."
For a week or so, Eli loved putting on all the outerwear he could find.
Go Heels!
Friday swimming, now a casualty of school on Fridays.
It's funny how few of these toys he even acknowledges anymore.
He still loves this book, though.
After swimming.
His hair has un-curled considerably. This is post-pool.
You!
What ever happened to the snack trap?
Even into the early spring, Eli still crawled quite a bit.
"Red car" was his favorite pastime for a long time. This is his "I know I'm not supposed to stand up in this, but I'm about to anyway" face.
Who wouldn't want to see this coming at them?
Frat boy Easter outfit.
Hanging out with Mom at Red Rocks.
Rocking the outdoorsy attire.
He loved loading the dishwasher. We don't have one anymore, unfortunately.
Wow.
Shoulder rides!
In March we took an impromptu trip to NC for Eli's great-grandmother's funeral. Here, he's playing in his Gram's driveway.
Eating some good Southern food at the funeral reception.
Looking dapper.
Playing on the yellow Jeep at the playground at Gram's house.
Stuck on a stump, and unsure of how to get down.
More shoulder rides.
More Southern food, at the Early Girl Eatery in downtown Asheville. He ate some eggs!
Plane ride snack.
Wow. Shaggy.
This was a pretty decent spring snow.
Eli really didn't warm up to snow until the fall of 09.
Amos makes his appearance as "tummy baby."
Bathtime!
I'm not sure what this snowman just did to Eli, but it was serious.
The bear is modeling Amos' outfit. Robot symmetry!
Eli stole the Easter Bunny's carrot.
Looking for eggs.
Easter family photo.
The ubiquitous cup of milk.
Looking at something from YaYa's deck in Seattle.
YaYa's house.
Playing on a Washington beach.
Tulips.
Smelling tulips.
Sitting with tulips.
This is a fountain in Seattle.
Beach driftwood fort.
This is the ultrasound photo from the 20 week appointment, when we found out Amos was a boy.
Eli loved the trampoline at the mountain house.
Eli and Miles again.
This was Eli's first otter pop, but by no means his last.
Riding on the blue tricycle.
I love this shot.
First haircut. An unmitigated disaster. Now we do it at home.
Grinning.
Grinning again, in yellow Jeep.
Grinning again, at the Butterfly Pavilion.
This was looking at some butterflies, I think.
Walking through the rain (a rarity) to check the mail.
Take me out to the ballgame!
Belly shot, probably from April/May ish.
Conductor hat.
This is Eli talking to Dad on Dad's way to NC to drop the cats off with Gram and Moo. He didn't say much, but loved listening.
Flying to NC to join Dad.
His first experience with the beach, right before being taken out by a wave.
He loved it.
Look! A beach!
Eli is a very photogenic beach baby.
By the end of the week, he just sat in tidal pools.
Sandy face.
Exquisite beachy attire on our last night there.
This was at the Vassy family reunion in upstate South Carolina.
Playing pine cones with Poppie (great-grandfather).
After a tragic fall at his great-great-grandparents' old home.
All better.
Walking with his great-great aunts.
I love this picture.
Playing in yellow Jeep while dad fixes something.
One of the last shots with Obadiah before the kitties departed. This one's out of order, but I'm not moving it.
Harry!
Zzzzzzz.
Brushing his teeth at church camp in July.
Snacking on Mom's bed at camp.
Watching bottle rocket launches.
Hanging out on the back porch of the big event building.
Running through the meadow.
Sticks.
An art lesson at the Children's Museum.
After our move to Denver, we had lots of access to the stuff on campus, like these fish ponds.
Be super!

This playground is nearby, too. He loves it. Can't wait for the weather to get a little warmer, so we can go back.

He got very impressed with himself for his hanging ability.
Here's a rocker if there ever was one.
Chocolate bunnies on the porch.
In his hospital gown, after CT Scan #3.
This was after picking up his new backpack at REI.
Mowing.
Sawing.
Brushing.
Posing.
Back to the playground.
First day of school!
A family portrait on Eli's first day of school, a few days before Amos was born.
Perhaps not too enthused.
I love this.
AFTER his first day of school, looking a little bit in shock.
We gave him ice cream, and he was over it.

This was from sometime between 3 and 5 a.m. on the day Amos was born. Jessa woke with contractions and we walked laps around the building, moving labor along. It was awesome.
Her last day being pregnant in August!
In the hospital room.
All systems go.
Amos Gray Decker-Smith.
Mom was very glad to see him.
Amos was unsure.
Getting to know one another.
Our first attempt at a family photo. The whole visit was very cute.
I love this shot.
Wait, he's coming home with us?
Amos was a pretty newborn.
This was the afternoon we got home, I think.
Burrito baby.
Resting.
Wonder where the kids get their blue eyes?
Eli looks like his uncle Jeff here.
Out at Mellow Mushroom on Amos' 2nd day.
Yogi Amos.
The famous monkey toes.
Amos was a fantastic sleeper at first. Now...eh.
Eli took a new interest in the baby swing that he hated as a baby.
An otter pop turns out to be the secret to haircuts.
Thinking about something.
Poop stance!
We went to the corn maze a few days after Amos was born. We all ended up exhausted. But it was fun.
The fish pond again.
Yogi again.
Sleeping again.
Wearing his snow boots and super Eli cape...and that's it.
Stomping puddles after a rare rain storm.
The double trunk diaper change!
Jessa loves this shot.
Mom and son.
Squash blossom!
Watching the garbage man, a Tuesday ritual.
Amos started to perk up around late September.
At a picnic with our building-mates.
This should be Amos' mugshot. He does this 25 or 30 times a day. At least.
Naked in Boulder, but unwilling to take the plunge into the public fountain.
Wearing mama's glasses.
Amos taking a sink bath. He's way outgrown this now.
Wanna play ball?
Amos is now a thumbsucker.
Brothers.
This was Eli's expression as his buddies all sang to him at his 2nd birthday party. He was sheepish and cute.
Wheeeeeee!
At Eli's 2nd birthday party.
Mom and sons.
The robot outfits, revisited.
Eli got a big boy bed! And he sleeps in it! It was almost too easy....
This is what a sick Eli looks like. Also, probably what a homeless Eli looks like.
Amos can sleep pretty much wherever.
At the pumpkin patch.
An attempt at a family photo.
Carving pumpkins.
Bundled up for the first big snow of the year, in late October.
This year, Eli likes snow a lot more, if only to eat it.
Amos continues to perk up.
He fell asleep like this.
The trick-or-treating crew.
Eli LOVED it.

Amos is quite the smiler now.
Toes.

Eli now takes gymnastic classes at DU. This is some sort of foam pit.
Eli and Miles, part 3.
Jumping raptor baby at the bouncy castle at the Christmas tree lot.
The Eli Ornament Technique.
We miss our tree.
Brother photo.
These photos were from September, but didn't make it onto the blog until November.
They're from the fall Iliff picnic.
Eli apparently is taking up croquet.
Amos looking at the porch festivity.
Rolling around on campus.
Back in NC for a December trip, and showing off the skills he learned in gymnastics class.
Amos in NC.
Cap'n Eli.
Eli would throw rocks into creeks all day if you let him.
Eli liked the first brother bath better than Amos did.
Amos discovers his feet.
Amos and Abby meet.
Looking grown-up and festive in downtown Denver.
Visiting Santa!
Another sink bath, this one less successful.
Merry Christmas!
Eli trying to crack a nut.
Festive.
Amos got a bear from Moo.
Eli got a basketball goal from Santa.
One of the better family photos of the year.
By the end of the year, Amos was discovering old-school hip-hop.

We're sure 2010 holds still more surpises, changes, and excitement! And of course, blog entries.