Dylan & Co.

Childhood

2009-12-23T11:34:00.001-08:00

Me- "Dylan, are you enjoying your childhood? Is there anything you think is missing?"
Dylan- "well, I would like a blow up pumpkin in our yard"
Me- "Is that what you feel is missing?"
Dylan- "well, it would make it better."

Halloween Festivities

2009-11-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Dylan's preschool halloween/pumpkin day party... enjoying juice with his best school friend, Preston (pronounced pWeston by Dylan).
Make and Take Halloween Party at Serena's house, complete with backyard trick-or-treating stations, a pumpkin cartoon projected in the backyard, and an eyeball pinata. Pretty fun stuff.
Mama and her little munchkins all dressed up and ready for candy! (Dylan is a racecar driver this year and Addie wore Dylan's pumpkin costume from when he was 16 months old).
San Diego Halloween weekend with family. Pumpkins behind the kids are the ones that Dylan and Ryan did together.
Who's this cute little pumpkin?

Trick or Treating in Ryan's aunt and uncle's neighborhood!

P.S. Today is the 5 year anniversary of when we found out we were pregnant with Dylan. Happy Conceiveiversary. No announcements like that this year for us.
But one of my best friends had her baby girl (baby #3) today. Welcome to the world, Taelyn!

15 month checkup

2009-10-15T13:17:00.001-07:00

Addie had her 15 month checkup today. And because she is still on the recovery end of the flu from last week, we held off on one of her 2 scheduled immunizations. So she and Dylan both got their flu shots and Addie also got her Chicken Pox shot. We then headed over to Rite Aid for stickers and ice cream cones. Made it all better. For me too. ;)

Here are her 15 month stats:
Weight 21#, 6oz (20th percentile)
Height 31 inches (70th percentile)
Head Circumference 47 1/2 (75th percentile)

Not surprising that her weight is down slightly after all of last week with her upset tummy and fevers, not eating like she normally does.

We go back next month for her second flu shot and the MMR immunization. More ice cream? You betcha!

Junior Scientist

2009-10-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ryan had some work to do at lab. So the family went together and spent a few hours on campus. While Ryan worked, the kids and I went down to the turtle pond and got some samples of pond water. Then we met back up with Ryan and Dylan was able to do a little experiment with daddy to investigate the pond water we collected. Dylan pulled on some gloves and they got to work.

They spun it down to concentrate the gunk into a pellet.

Then sucked off the supernatant.

Next they resuspended the pellet and mounted a sample on a slide to see under the microscope.

Meanwhile, Addie napped in the stroller.

It feels good to be back at Caltech after the past few months.

New home

2009-10-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

We've moved. From Pasadena to north Glendale, so not far, but a move nonetheless. Lots of boxes. More stuff than we thought we had.
The highlights of the new place are this: it's a HOUSE and it has a YARD! We've already suppliied the patio with a new grill and patio furniture (happy birthday to Ryan). And this past week we've eaten more meals outside on the patio than inside in our diningroom, so it's clear we are enjoying being outside as a family.
I'm working hard to adjust as quickly as possible. As my mother in law has reminded me, "a family is as happy and content as the mom is". Very, very true.
The other fun detail about this new place is that despite being considered a three bedroom (because even a sliver of a closet makes a room a bedroom apparently), the kids are still going to share a room and we are using the extra room as a playroom/office. The windows look out to the backyard, so I can pay bills, catch up on emails, and even peek around the corner from the kitchen if the kids are playing outside in the yard (which is newly fenced-in). I'm enjoying this too because Dylan needs a LOT of outside time everyday and now I can continue to get things done in the house and keep track of him during Addie's naps. Win-win.
Pictures haven't gotten put up on the walls and there are a few nagging boxes of stuff that shouldn't be tossed into the garage but has no real place inside yet. We are still working on those, but overall it's beginning to feel more like home. And that is what is important.

Addie's Clothesline

2009-08-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

What a cute outfit, Addie!

Addie learns to walk

2009-08-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

Candyhouse Grandpa

2009-08-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

While up in Oregon, Dylan wanted to do whatever my dad was doing. He'd be getting in to his swimsuit and he'd ask "Is Grandpa getting into his swimsuit right now?"

We'd be getting ready for the day and he'd ask, "What kind of shoes is Grandpa going to wear today?"

Hiking stick time

On Grandpa's paddleboard. They took almost daily trips around on the lake together, Dylan perched on the front of my dad's board.

Making fires at night.

Swimming on the lake together.

Fishing.

Playing his guitar for the kids. (He's learning to play a metallica song that is just too cool).

We found them clowning around together at the Newport Aquarium.

Dylan loved spending time with his Candyhouse Grandpa.

Honeyman Park, Oregon

2009-08-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

The park across from my parent's house is called Honeyman. People from all over the country come there for vacations and camping and to enjoy the hills, lake, sand dunes, with popcorn and ice cream in the little store. We spent one afternoon there for Dylan and Grandpa to look for a special hiking stick to keep at the lakehouse. It was gorgeous.

Enjoying the pretty flowers at Honeyman Park while Dylan and Grandpa looked for hiking sticks

Dylan with his new hiking stick he and Grandpa found together and carved up.

Dylan and his Grandma with their hiking sticks.

Ice Cream!

After this, we went over to the sand dunes so Dylan could try some sandboarding/sleding. The saucer we brought with us didn't work, so Dylan decided instead to run down the dunes. You wouldn't have ever known THAT wasn't the plan. He was all giggles. I have a video of it. He was just too cute.

On the lake

2009-08-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Kathy and Addie on the dock

On the motor boat!

Driving the boat with Grandpa.
Too bad I didn't get a picture of Kathy that day on the boat. She hadn't ever been on a motor boat and it was fun to watch her with the wind in her hair and just laughing and having so much fun.

Loving just being on the lake together with my boy in the paddleboat

I even got brave and tried out my dad's paddleboard near the end of the trip.

And while I'm bragging, I'll mention that my mom and I swam out from the dock to the trampoline on our last day there. Both my mom and I NEVER go actually INTO the lake, being that it's pretty cold and we just prefer to watch everyone else in the water and stay dry. But that last day Dylan had done a lot of swimming and I had promised him that I would go with him if he practiced his swimming earlier in the day. I drug my mom with me. Misery (fear) loves company. Dylan swam out with us and we were all very, very brave!

Oregon

2009-08-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

This year because of Ryan's work, he was unable to come with us to Oregon. We missed him very much, wishing he could be a part of our adventures and there to enjoy relaxing on the dock as we love to do together. We took lots of pictures, however, and here are just a few.

The front garden at my parent's lake house.

On the airplane on the way from LA to Oregon...

Our friend Kathy came with us for the first half of the trip and it was really neat to share such a special place with her. And can I just say that flying with two kids is WAY easier with another adult? I really missed her on the way back to LA...

Newport Aquarium
In the glass walled tunnel where we sat and watched the sharks swim right over our heads.

Grandpa clowning around in the aquarium giftshop (where Dylan got a 'REAL sharktooth!')

Heceta Head Lighthouse
The view at the bottom of the hike up to see the lighthouse. It was just so beautiful.

Hiking up the hill with Addie happily in tow.

One of the few pictures Kathy let herself into. It was such fun to share the trip with her!

Gorgeous view when we got up to the top.

On our way back down the hill from seeing the lighthouse.

Mirror, Mirror

2009-08-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Dylan: "There is only one of everyone, right?"

Me: "Yes Dylan, there is only one Mommy, one Daddy, one Dylan, and one Addison."

Dylan: "Yeah. There is.... Unless you look in the mirror!"

Family Bowling

2009-07-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my mom was here for a visit and we all went Bowling.
Kathy came.
It was great fun.

The Good, Bad and Ugly

2009-07-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

The Good:
My son is amazing. He sat still (and I mean STILL) for about 10 minutes during a belt ceremony today at Taekwondo, earning himself a sticker from Master Johnny and some praise words to "look at Dylan - do you see how still he's sitting! He hasn't even moved!"
My jaw dropped. How could it be that MY son, the ever-moving, ever-active boy was the one who sat the most still in TKD sitting, earning the praise of his teacher. I'm so proud. I'm beaming. Beaming.
And now the cat is out of the bag; I KNOW what he's capable of.

The Bad and Ugly:
After class, on our way home, I got a call from Ryan asking me to come straight home. He said that our neighbor was hijacked at gunpoint right out of her garage just two doors down from our unit and the police had just arrived to take statements. Forensics arrived to collect a screwdriver that was found outside on our front porch which probably wasn't related, but collected just to be sure. The victim got home right after I left with the kids for Dylan's class. It was a woman. It could easily have been any of us.
Certainly it shook us up and now we are thinking a few things over...

Now for a little video showing Dylan's progress with his Taekwondo class to cheer us all up:

New Traditions

2009-07-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

I've heard of doing this and, to be honest, at first I thought it was a little strange.
But then I thought about how many years my dress has sat in our closet (lets see, uh... 8 years now), untouched, with no purpose but to take up space on that far back shelf.
And then I saw pictures of our friend's daughter in her dress last year and decided I'd start the same tradition with Addie.
So here it is: Each year on her birthday (or close to it, as the case may be this year) Addie gets to put on mommy's special wedding dress and take pictures.

Bonnie

2009-06-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

For the past nine months or so, our family has been blessed with a special young lady in our lives. When I went back to work after having Addison, we decided that we wanted to have her home at least for her first year, if possible. But who could we trust our baby girl with?!?

Enter Bonnie.

She's smart.
She's fun.
She does our laundry and unloads the dishwasher.
She starts dinner for us so we can eat as a family when we all get home.

She loves our kids.
And our kids love her.

She brings me Addie at lunchtime so I can nurse and see my baby halfway through the work day.
She sends us text messages and pictures during the day of Addie.

Here's another one of Kathy and I at lunch with Addie at work - a very special time, which was possible for these past months only because Bonnie was able to bring her to see me on my lunch break.

I'm so thankful for that time.

And now our time with Bonnie on a regular basis is ending.
Addie is starting daycare in another week.
I know Addie has benefitted from the past year with Bonnie on so many levels. She's had one-on-one attention and naps in her own bed.

When I think of the transition from one to two children, I can't imagine it without Bonnie in our lives. Her positive energy and encouragement when I got discouraged, meant so much, especially after a long day of work and missing my kids.
I never worry when my children are with her and I've been blessed to have that peace of mind when I'm at work.

Addie is very sad.

Dylan is very sad.

We are ALL very sad.

What are we going to do without our Bonnie?

Thankfully, it's not really goodbye beyond her being a regular part of our routine.
She's not moving away.
We aren't going anywhere.
Bonnie will still be a part of our lives.
And certainly Ryan and I need a date night once in a while, right? ;)

First and Fourth

2009-06-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

Just sitting here sipping a Sangria and reflecting on the kids' birthday party today.

First off, it was a success, but the morning started off with a bit of a snag. There are two gazebo pavilions you can rent at the park. I had reserved Gazebo A from 10-2. And apparently two other parties were double-booked for Gazebo B for the full day. A very crabby lady in gray-sweatpants (who will be referred to as Gray-Sweatpants from here on) approached me to ask for my paperwork, proving that I had the rights to Gazebo A.

Yeah, I had them... at home, on my desk.

So Ryan had to drive back home and get them. And meanwhile Gray-Sweatpants informed me she was calling the police to see how they wanted to divide up the 2 gazebos between all 3 groups...

Talk about stress just as our party was starting.

Later we noticed that her 'party' wasn't going to start till HOURS later. All she wanted that space for was to 'set up' - and Tinkerbell style for a toddler's party no-less. Come on people! 4 hours to setup a party?!)

Thankfully it turned out so we kept our original reserved spot and they duked out the details between themselves. I had a party to get started.

And partying we did. It was a patriotic-themed party (inspired by the fact that the 4th of July is exactly halfway between the kids' birthdays - with Addie's on the first and Dylan's on the 7th of July).
Dylan had a blast with his friends, running around with water guns decorated up with 'Cars' stickers (per his request), throwing water balloons (provided for the kids to toss at their daddys, courtesy of Kathy), drinking juice boxes, eating lots of fruit snacks and hotdogs.

Addie had fun... eating. She enjoyed strawberries, goldfish, and... her first chocolate cupcake! (Seperate post to follow with pictures of her first cake experience)

She also enjoyed the swings and watching her big brother run around with his buddies. Here she is with Christy, just after the water balloon fight.

At the end of the party, Addie was wiped out, shirtless and sticky from cupcake icing, and overdue for her afternoon nap.

Meanwhile, Dylan somehow had energy to spare. So when we got home, he unwrapped their gifts, took his bath, came along with Kathy and I to get my Saturday Flowers, the grocery store, Panera for dinner take-out (all while Addie napped), and continued to play non-stop until nearly 8pm!

That, my friends, is why this mama is drinking a Sangria at 11:05pm. ;)

First Cupcake

2009-06-27T22:25:00.001-07:00

Surrounded by her peers, she examines said cupcake and decides how best to tackle.

She decides the frosting looks promising and takes her maiden taste.
Not bad. I think I'll have some more of that.
Is this how you do it mama?

Meanwhile, Dylan decides he'll go for the frosting first on his birthday cupcake. After all, he's a pro now that he's FOUR.

Pause for a brief moment, then back to business.

When it is all said and done, sweet Addie is a... happy, sticky mess!

Conversation With My Preschooler

2009-06-25T20:44:00.001-07:00

Tonight after Dylan's Taekwondo class, on our way out the door, Dylan pushed his way past the adults to give his teacher a big hug. He then proceeded to invite his teacher to our house to 'see his stickers', which was pretty cute.
And on the drive home, he and I had the following conversation:

"Mommy, I want Master Johnny to come to our house."

"Dylan, that's fine, we can invite him and his family in another few weeks when we are all less busy, ok?"

"Ok, Mommy. But I want him to come not in his Taekwondo uniform. I want him to come with pants... and a shirt and... underwear."

Underwear? Dylan sure has a strict dress-code for guests at our house.

Taekwondo

2009-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Dylan started Taekwondo in an effort to help him build confidence, self-regulation, respect, and an outlet for all that massive preschool energy!

Ryan took him there last Friday and asked him if he wanted to try out a class. At first Dylan was hesitant, but then he saw a 5 year old boy sporting his green belt and Dylan quickly asked if he could do 'that' too. Explanations have been given about the ranking of belts and how it will take a lot of hard work. Dylan was on-board at least in theory.

It's been a week now and he's been to 4 classes and while he's still pretty shy, he's come out of his shell a bit more each class. The teacher (Master Johnny) is a great motivator and clearly loves the kids and his job, seeking to get to know each child and connect with them to help them open up and become both more confident and disciplined (a skill, no doubt). Dylan has become more motivated to 'earn stickers' and earn 'patches' for his uniform, even stating tonight before bed that he's going to say 'YES SIR!' nice and loud tomorrow so he can earn lots of stickers. He began asking to practice his 'tricks' before bed at night and trying out a nice loud 'yes sir' and 'hiya' in the car. He hasn't earned his first belt (white) yet, but if he gets through the first two weeks of trial classes, he'll get that and I think it will help him feel like he's accomplished something.

Last weekend there were a few behavioral issues that Dylan struggled through. It was a tough weekend. But after just a few of his classes, I think he's gaining a sense of control over himself and it's showing in his behavior at home too. With a lot of changes going on at home with Ryan's new job and figuring out how to carve out family-time while Ryan is working longer hours, I understand that some of his acting out is a part of Dylan processing all that and being a preschooler too. Yet, I think that having an outlet for his energy, learning new tools for self-regulation, developing a sense of accomplishment, learning about respect and discipline, and having rewards for hard work and effort outside of our home, is all going to be VERY good for Dylan this year.

Hi-Ya!

Here is a video of Dylan at his first class last weekend. Notice how he keeps looking back to us for direction and reassurance? Poor kid, just didn't know what to do, but wanted to stay in the class. He did a lot of standing there, taking it all in that first day. Another mom told me that her son burst into tears his first class because it was so overwhelming for him. I guess Dylan staying in the class and not running back towards us was a good sign.
He's done a bit more each time he's gone now. I'll post another video when I get more clips.

Aunt Mimi

2009-06-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Aunt Mimi (Ryan's sister) came to visit us when she was in California 2 weeks ago.

These days it's pretty hard to get a good picture of Dylan. This one of him and his Aunt Mimi turned out pretty nice. You can tell he loved having her here.

Gymnastics Boy

2009-06-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Splish Splash

2009-06-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

Last time we were down in San Diego, the kids got some nice pool-time in. It's no secret that Dylan loves his grandparent's pool - he asks nearly everyday when we are going back to Football Nama's house. But now the cats out of the bag... Addie loves it too!
I love her little bathing suits (she has two of them). She wasn't too keen on the matching hat, but I was able to keep it on long enough for a picture or two.
Dylan in ~~his own little heaven~~ Football Nama's pool!

You see a bear?

2009-06-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Dylan talked on the phone today with his cousins, Andrew and Dominick. Andrew is just 3 months older than Dylan and their conversation cracked me up. Dylan's comments seemed to be on repeat, because the conversation was circular like the skit 'Who's on First':
______________________

Dylan: "We are besiding if we are going to come to Candyhouse's house or not. We may come and we may not. But we are besiding right now."

PAUSE.

Dylan: "Ohhh! You see a bear?"

PAUSE.

Dylan: "No. I mean, Do you see a bear now there at Candyhouse's house? Do you see it?"
(I have NO IDEA what he was talking about).

PAUSE.

Dylan: "We are besiding right now if we are coming to see you up there. We might and we might not. We are besiding if we will."

PAUSE.
_____________________

All the while, I'm certain Andrew was confused with who this 'Candyhouse' lady is that Dylan kept referring to and what 'besiding' really meant. Poor Andrew. Dylan's new word is 'besiding' despite our correcting him that it is DEciding. And he calls my mom 'Candyhouse Nandma' whereas Andrew calls her Grandma. Too funny.

And during this conversation Ryan and I were searching for flights for the kids and I to visit my parents up in Oregon later on in August. We eventually got some and the trip is set. I'm excited about spending some time up there with the kids again this year. I hear that August is a beautiful time of year up on the lake.

I think that Dylan was pretty confused with our talking about flights and such, because he refused to take off his shoes later this evening, saying he wanted to keep them on for the plane trip to Oregon. And he got his backpack all emptied out so he could start packing up snacks for him and Addie. It took a long explanation with the calendar to convince him to finally take off his shoes before dinner tonight. Poor kid.

Kids. Gotta love them.

Chatty Addie

2009-06-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Addie is definitely a girl when it comes to language.
While Daddy was gone one night at his LSAT class, Addie practiced saying 'dada' before bed.
She was also working on her standing skills as a side act.
And I'm glad she thinks I'm as funny as I do.

Note: those pajamas are 3-6 month sized. At 10 months I am amazed she still fit into them.
With how much this girl eats, you would be amazed too!

Harnessing my inner 'white trash'

2009-05-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

Last night was Thursday Night Thunder at the Irwindale Speedway. The drag races went from 5-10pm and we were there for about 2 hours of it. At first I felt pretty embarrassed by the fact that my baby was barefoot and without a coat of her own (wearing an extra of her brother's and wrapped up in my coat). Then I thought a bit about the noise. Was I doing unrecoverable damage to my children's ears? Then I saw the kid with a mullet, the King Taco stand, the VW bug racing, the Uhaul truck racing, the funnel cakes... and I felt better.
The engines roared, the folks around us could care less if my kids were dressed properly, there were M&Ms, I had my diet Dr. Pepper, and the cars raced on!
By the end of the evening, Dylan and his buddy Joshua were running in the parking lot between our cars and the King Taco stand, pretending to be cars in the Piston Cup Championship. It was a good night. And we ALL had fun (Addie included!)

Tantrum

2009-05-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dylan still throws some pretty classic toddler tantrums. Of course he does. And over pretty much anything, but at least we are gaining a sense of humor about a lot of things. And when he does something he knows he isn't supposed to... like pull his sister's leg, block her from moving across the room to one of us, throw something in the house, or 'back talk', he gets a time out. FOUR whole minutes to start (because the recommendation is a minute for every year of age), but we add another minute if he fights us further. Sometimes those time-outs are all the quiet our house sees during the day and we sometimes secretly (ok, not so secretly anymore since I'm posting about it) enjoy when we can relish in some silence.
One day last week I got some nice quiet time for a whopping 10 minutes because of his behavior!

And let me add for the record that the tantrum/episode of 'self-expression' was only beginning with what you see here on the video. It got worse after the tape stopped rolling...

In the Buff

2009-05-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

Kathy posted something over on her blog with some pretty cute pictures of the kids on there. Go check it out here. I think the second to last picture is probably my favorite one. It just cracks me up!

And while Kathy has lost her hair, she certainly has not lost her great sense of humor and wit. I think the way she has handled Dylan's curiosity has been neat to watch.

In fact, something interesting is that the one time (on Easter Sunday) that he saw her with her wig on, he didn't even notice a difference between hair and no hair to comment on it. It's a testimony that he sees Kathy as KATHY and not her hair or what she wears or whatever.

Deep in Thought

2009-05-20T20:24:00.001-07:00

(Stealing this quote from a friend of mine's blog)

In the work force, there are many days when people oppose you all day long.

As a mommy, there are many days when little people oppose you all day long. . . And then they poop on you.

Splish Splash

2009-05-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

These kids love the water. Put them in a pool or spa and they are just about as happy as two kids can be. And get them down to San Diego with their grandparents in their pool... it's a recipe for pure happiness!

Frito Bandito

2009-05-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Addie have this little song they sing together. It's genesis was from the Frito Bandito song that Kathy sings sometimes to us.

When Ryan sings it to her, she sings it back with a hearty "aye yi yi yi" and we all laugh.

We really need to get it on video.

Now to be honest, I'm tempted to change the words to match Dylan and all his friend's love for cheetos. It'd work, don't you think?

Update: Got a video in the car of Addie singing her little song. Nevermind the turbulence. I was sitting in the FAR back of the car and it sure was a bumpy ride.

Our Little Girl

2009-05-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

Our little girl is growing up fast. Too fast.
Today she waved goodbye to her daddy after we meeting up for lunch. Last week she tried to climb the stairs (made it up 2 of them, with mama and Bonnie close behind).

She still loves the kitty cat. She makes a high-pitched squealing sound whenever she sees him.
She's been trying to say 'dylan' for days now. It's funny. She concentrates so hard, and all that comes out over and over is 'ddddtt' but you can tell that's what she is trying to say.
And man alive, this girl loves to eat. Give her any kind of vegetable (green beans, carrots, corn, peas, broccoli) and she'll gobble it up and want more. She loves vanilla yogurt, cheese, malt-o-meal, bananas, pasta, and pretty much anything else she can steal from your plate.
She squeals with delight when her brother clowns around, trying to make her laugh, or when she's tickled by her daddy.
She loves hair brushes, doorstops, and did I mention food?
And that smile? It can melt your heart in an instant.
She's a happy baby.

A Flower A Day...

2009-04-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

Everyday Dylan somehow picks me a flower. Sometimes he does it in our courtyard. Other times it's at the gardens, the zoo, preschool, church, grandma's house, or even at Disneyland. I've come to love that daily moment when he reaches out to hand it to me, with that proud, warm smile, saying "here mama!"
Some things you have to enjoy for the moment, because it's only a phase and your child will stop doing it almost as suddenly as they first started. But this flower picking routine has been going steady for a while now.
Perhaps it began when he and I started our weekly routine of going to the local flower shop together on Saturdays to buy flowers. Perhaps it started with our walks at the gardens, where I pointed out all the flowers I know the names of and like. Perhaps it stems from his own love of nature.
But whatever the genesis of this routine, I'm glad to be an integral part of it.

A special relationship

2009-04-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

There is a special relationship between Addie and our cat, Thaddeus. Everywhere that Addie seems to be, Thaddeus seems to follow and plop himself right beside her. She pets him with one hand sometimes while she nurses and he lays on the other side of her. She pulls his tail, yet he doesn't move away. She even tries to pull up into a partial standing position across his back, and he doesn't seem to care. I think they are the perfect size for eachother. And while he still puts up with her, I'm going to try to catch a few pictures of their little friendship.

All smiles for the camera. Miss Easy-going despite teething, allergic rash to antibiotics, ear infection, diarrhea, and thrush. I've truly been blessed.
(note: all of the above is cleared up now, thankfully.)

Snuggle time with mama before bed. I love that moment right before she goes to bed, when she lays her head on my chest as we walk into the kids' room.

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-16T10:21:00.001-07:00

Took the kids to the Americana to meet the Easter Bunny. Dylan was all smiles and Addie was terrified of the big.bad.bunny.
It was pretty funny actually.

Addie on Easter morning before church. She got a special purse from the bunny and she loved it. But I think she still wouldn't be too keen on the bunny if she saw him just yet. Maybe next year.

Disneyland Birthday

2009-04-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year, we went to Disneyland. Sure it's a fun place to visit, but the real treat was being together with my sister, her family, and my parents for a couple days. The kids LOVED being with their cousins and I soaked up the time with my family.

In Toontown, waiting for everyone on the rollercoaster behind us (see the red rollercoaster? It's made for kids and it's pretty sweet.)

In Mickey Mouse's House, with some balloons to mark Andrew's birthday. (My nephew and I have the same birthday. Happy 4th Birthday, Drew!)

On Small World. Somehow it's even more special when you go on it with your parents and sister, remembering the first time you went on it as a kid.

Pixar Parade. Waiting for Lightening McQueen!
I love that parade. So much in fact, that the day before I dreamt that I was trying out for a spot as a dancer in the parade.

Little Minnie Mouse, asleep after a long day... along with her brother.

Dylan asleep in my dad's arms on the tram back to my car.
I didn't get home that night until after midnight. Thankfully I had my new GPS (thanks Mom and Dad for the awesome birthday gift!) to help me home (otherwise with the poorly marked detour on the 5, I'd have gotten lost for certain. Not good with two sleeping kids alone in LA!)

Nearly Crawling

2009-03-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

At 8 months, Addie is nearly crawling. Tonight after getting her all ready for bed, she protested at the highest volume possible, making it impossible to put both kids to bed in the same room. So I brought her back to our room to nurse and snuggle until Ryan had Dylan settled. Addie had other plans for our mommy-daughter date. She was going to show me her new tricks. At first she cooed and tried her best to clap her hands (still a ways away on that skill). But then then her BIG tricks came out. She was rocking and rolling and showing off. See the video for a peek.

And yes, Dylan came back into our room to watch Addie's show and tell. It was a family event. Nevermind that everyone is tired and NOBODY was in bed yet.

My Valentines

2009-02-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to focus my energy on what is important, what is positive.

This Valentine's Day I focused on the small gestures towards my family to remind them that I love them. It was a good day. A simple day filled with smiles. Just what we needed as a family.

Prayerful Thoughts

2009-02-15T21:35:00.001-08:00

This picture was taken back in June, at Dylan's birthday party, the day before I went into labor with Addie. It's one of my favorite pictures because this was a really special day for our family and I loved that Kathy was a part of it with us. Our family was on the cusp of so much change and she was there for us. She always has been.

Tomorrow this dear friend of ours starts chemo treatment. The past couple weeks I haven't written here because I didn't know how to put into words what has been going on. She's such a special part of our lives. When I got the call that she was in the ER, in pain, I panicked. I couldn't fix it for her. And when she had surgery the next morning, I worried and agonized over the pending pathology reports till I felt sick. But I knew that my role was to be her friend, love her and pray for her. And then when the results finally came back, we learned that the cancer hadn't spread any further. And while I know she has a lot ahead of her, I want to remind myself daily that my role in this is to be her friend. To encourage her. To love her. To pray for her. And to trust.
And that is what I plan to do.

A Golfing We Will Go

2009-01-13T20:30:00.001-08:00

On Sunday evening, we went with some friends and took the kids miniature golfing (first golf experience for Dylan and his friend, Nolan). The dad's were about as excited as the kids. The course had 9 holes and the boys probably could have played longer.
Then we went to a tasty little local Mexican restaurant for dinner together and I think I had the best burrito of my life.
The kids were tired and a little squirrely, but it turned out to be a very fun evening.
I'm already itching to go again.

(Notice how much Dylan and Addie adore each other? I love how she studies him while he goofs around, snuggling and singing to her).

Prepare to Swoon

2009-01-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Addie is currently learning to sit up:

Along with busting out two teeth over the holiday break, she's been babbling up a storm (on her terms, so we have had a hard time catching it on video except this one):

Our Holidays at a Glance

2009-01-06T15:34:00.000-08:00

Dylan and Addie enjoyed the holidays this year.
They met Santa at the Americana Mall, which was pretty impressive.

We spent two days at Disneyland with Ryan's family, complete with the Pixar Parade that knocked Dylan's socks off!

Then we went down to San Diego up through Christmas Day.
Dylan had fun waking everyone up on Christmas morning, opening presents, and giving Addie a present he made and wrapped by himself:

On the day after Christmas, we headed up to Lompoc to spend a week up at Briana's sister's house, where Dylan soaked up some time with his cousins and Addie popped out her second tooth.

Here's some footage of the cousins helping bring the presents into the livingroom for opening:

5 months

2008-12-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

She's learned to splash in the tub just this past week. When she did, Ryan was there to take a few pictures and Dylan exclaimed, "let's blog it!"
Little mohawk. That front patch of hair is growing like a weed, while the rest of it has thinned, or rubbed off. I do think it's pretty cute though...
In the favored 'bumbo seat' that seems to be the only place she'll tolerate as much as being held. And that's only if she has her beloved 'measuring spoons' to play with.
Cute little smirk. Wonder what she's thinking there.
Exhausted from another day in the life of a 5 month old!

Sibling Love-ery

2008-12-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

Dylan loves his sister and she loves him right back. Part of the joy of being a parent is watching your children love eachother.
The other part is taking lots of pictures of them loving eachother!

crash!

2008-11-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

On Friday afternoon, the kids and I were in an accident. Driving along the 210 freeway, on our way to meet Ryan for lunch at noon, and I heard a crash of two cars to my left and the sound of screeching tires. I looked over my left shoulder to see two cars spinning out of control and one of them to crash into the side of our car. Luckily nobody was injured, but our *new* car was pretty crunched. My door wouldn't even open initially. At least a FIVE thousand dollar fix per the collision center's estimation of the repairs.
Dylan was really shaken up, crying and afraid (naturally). But Addie seemed unphased by the whole thing, sleeping and waking only to eat and because of the 90 degree weather outside as we waited for the highway patrol officer to arrive and take the report. Ryan actually arrived before the CHP, which says a lot both about how LONG it took the CHP officer to answer the call and how quickly Ryan managed to get to us!
We took the kids to see the pediatrician that evening, just to be sure they were ok, and all was fine.
I feel so blessed that we were in a safe car and no-one was hurt. It's amazing what damage was done to the outside of the car without one tiny scratch to any of us.
Also, I'm thankful for family and friends for their support through everything. My friend Anamara met us at the gas station as the officer wrote up the report and helped me with the kids, bringing cold drinks for all and showering us with positive energy and hugs. Then that night, my father-in-law met us halfway to San Diego to bring the kids and I down there for the weekend since Ryan was leaving for a conference the next morning and then loaned us their new car until Thanksgiving. Being down in San Diego with my in-laws this weekend made things feel seamless while Ryan was gone, helping me with the kids and making sure I got some rest after the accident. The distraction from Ryan being gone and the support of my in-laws was much appreciated. And with the LA fires blazing on, it was nice to be in fresh air with the kids.

Promises to a toddler gone wrong

2008-11-13T14:39:00.001-08:00

Kathy watched the kids so Ryan and I could go out on a date last Wednesday night. We had fun, but apparently Dylan got the wrong idea about the evening. Kathy writes it better than I can, so I'll send you here to see the play-by-play of how it went.
Plus there is a precious little video at the end with Addie chatting it up with the camera. So if reading a funny story about Dylan doesn't lure you over to her blog, then I'll tempt you with the promise of a cute video of Addie.

Potato Babies

2008-11-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I have long called those babies that sit quietly in church, at a restaurant, in the car... potato babies. When Dylan was little, we used to envy our friends with all their 'potato babies' and wonder what we were doing wrong to have such a fussy baby that just never really seemed content. We didn't go out to eat for about 6 months because we invariably had to walk out with a screaming baby. And when we went anywhere in the car we heard crying the entire time without a break. Don't even get me started about that car trip we did out in DC...

Dylan has always been high maintenance. And that's ok. It really is. But we were a little scared (to be honest) this time around, knowing what we may be in for... with two kids.

But now we have a potato of our own. And we love it.

As long as she has a clean diaper and is fed and not gassy, she's perfectly content to just be held. She coos and babbles at us and smiles.

Our very own potato baby!

4 Months

2008-11-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

Addie had her 4 month checkup yesterday. Let's forget that I forgot about the appointment until my phone alarm reminded me AT the time of the appointment. Oopsy.

Anyways, here are her latest measurements:
weight 12# (10th percentile)
height 24.5 inches (50th percentile)
head circumference 40cm (20th percentile)

The doctor said that she looks great and that her weight, while it could be a bit higher, isn't a concern since she's holding steady on her curve. (and for the grandmas out there, I'm still going to work on fattening her up.)

She had 4 vaccinations, which came in the form of 3 shots and an oral rotavirus vaccine. She was a superstar. Dylan held her hand (since I was alone and I couldn't really distract him during her shots anyhow) and told her to be brave. They were fabulous. Made me proud to be their mama.

We need to start giving her polyvisol, a vitamin supplement that they recommend for all 4 month olds, so we'll get that.

Dylan also had a little impromptu checkup because he was getting his flu mist and he has had a pesky cough for about 2 months now. Doctor said he's fine, no infection or bronchitis. Agreed with me that Dylan should drink whole milk since he's still pretty lean for his height. And she thought that a mulivitamin for Dylan would be a good idea too when I asked about that.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T21:52:00.001-07:00

Addie's first Halloween...
Had a costume all ready for her, but never put her into it. It was just too hot for a fleece bunting peapod costume this year.
So she donned her brother's old pumpkin hat and just was as cute as a... well, a pumpkin!

Addie's Clothesline

2008-10-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

note: emergence of super spiffy pink legwarmers.

Halloween Party

2008-10-27T22:52:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to a halloween birthday party for Rowan (3) and Lila (1). There were about 90 people there and we had a lot of fun! Even Ariel came (hired by Ana and Thom for their daughters... what a treat!)

Thom, Anamara, and the birthday girls all dressed up as mermaids. Thom made a pretty good King Tritan!

Dylan (dalmation puppy) brought his girlfriend, Rowan, some daisies for her birthday.

I went as a bunny. I searched high and low all over town for a pink grass hula skirt to complete my ensemble. But there were none to be found. Next year I'm going as 'hula bunny' - so watch out world!

Ryan went as 'Joe Sixpack' which was just hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing on our way to the party in the car. Dylan just thought Ryan was going as a 'hairy man' with the mullet wig, which cracked me up.

Keira and Jacob were just too cute for words.

And here is Addie's nanny, Bonnie. She's from Alaska. Went as Sarah Palin with her husband as her 'moose'.

unsolicited advice

2008-10-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today after church we went to Target for a few things.
While Ryan went to another part of the store, I took the kids towards the checkout area...
Granted the kids were tired and fussy and Addie was crying.
One woman came up to me and commented how sweet a baby's cry is and how I should enjoy even these moments cause they are gone before you know it, sharing that her 'baby' is now 18 and asking for gas money. It was encouraging and I plodded along with Dylan helping me push the cart and negotiate around the clothing racks enroute to the checkout area.
Then another woman approached us. She came up quickly and asked in a panic if everything was ok with my baby. Asked if I was SURE the baby was ok and told me she was 'very concerned with her crying' as if I was a 12 year old who had no clue what I was doing with a crying baby in a store. It's not like Addie had been crying for 30 minutes. It had been about 5 minutes and she was just tired.
I tried to be polite to that second woman, but my patience was clearly running low. I finally told her through clenched teeth that yes, my baby was fine. And when she pushed me on the issue, I nearly lost my cool. Nearly. But I was in Target and my baby was tired, and I was tired, and I really didn't have time to deal with that silly woman.
What is it with people and unsolicited advice? UGH!

3 months

2008-10-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Addie is 3 months old. She coos and smiles when she sees her mommy or daddy's faces, loves to be held (hello seperation anxiety!), and is gaining weight nicely now. She's right between the 10th and the 25th percentile for weight now, which means a lot. She still is primarily breastfed, but gets about 2 ounces of formula per day most days to add some calories.

Her eyes are still mostly blue, but changing ever so slightly now more to a greyish hue. She's got a sweet temperment, but really doesn't like being set down. It takes stealth-like skills to transfer her from my arms to the cradle some days for to get her to take a solid nap.

Dylan adores her, but is still learning about what she can and cannot do. The other night he spent about 5 minutes preparing her swing for her to sleep in. He laid out her blankets and pacifier and dolly on the swing in a very particular way, making sure it was 'just so'. He loves helping her calm down when she cries. He turns on her swing to play music (often to my dismay, but strangely it seems to help her when he does it and doesn't when I try). He gives her the pacifier. He sings her songs with me in the car. And he tells me to go to see the baby when she cries, saying 'she needs you mommy'. He rarely is jealous and when he is, we try to help him label his feelings and ask for attention in a positive way. I'm sure as she develops more of her personality and is awake more, we'll run into more of the 'jealousy' for our time, but for now I'm proud of him. He's a good big brother. And he loves his sister. What else can you ask for with a three year old?

Plus, Dylan is nearly all potty trained! GO DYLAN!!!

Ryan has stayed home with Addie a few times while I've gone back to work. It has been lovely to see how Ryan has 'risen to the occassion,' making up his mind to enjoy the day with his daughter instead of complaining about what he could be getting done at work. He's brought her to me at lunch so I could nurse her and see her halfway through the day. And he sends texts with sweet little pictures of her and notes updating me on what they are up to, which is just the reassurance I need (hello worry-wart mama!). He's a fabulous husband and father. And I'm thankful that they have had that time to bond together on their own.

facebook

2008-10-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I got hooked on facebook this past month. Needless to say, our blog posting has dwindled and I'm sorry. I've got a bunch of new Addie pictures to post and some sweet stories and such, so hang in there. Ryan is super busy with work and he's my 'photo uploader' so as soon as I can get those up here, I'll be my regular post-happy-self.

Addie's Clothesline

2008-10-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

This past week's wardrobe...

Bento Box

2008-10-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of a Bento Box? Well, I got one to try out with Dylan's lunches.
He heard me talking about 'bento boxes' with some friends and decided that his toy bin was a 'bento box' and has been practically living in that thing this past week!
Playful little boy, in his Bento Box.
Tonight I made his first round of treats for his box to take to preschool tomorrow. I figure if nothing else, I can try to fancy-up his meals and get him to try new things. This time I did carrots, salami and cheese in star shapes, butterfly crackers, and spinach-cheese pinwheels. I'm pretending that he'll actually try the spinach. A mom can hope, can't she?

What does Dylan think about the election??

2008-10-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

So, Kathy (who else??) got us these, and Dylan had some fun. What does the 3 year old think about the candidates? He seemed to like Obama ok,...
...but not enough to spare him.
McCain? Looks like an endorsement, but he actually ate some of him yet couldn't stomach finishing him. He's still in a plastic bag in the fridge (morbid?).
Palin? It doesn't look promising for her...
Then this. There's soo much symbolism here. What does this mean??!!
It can't be good based on how he finished up with her.

Biden? Based on the above, he should consider himself lucky we didn't have a cookie for him!

Weekend at Nama's

2008-09-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went down to San Diego to see Ryan's grandparents in town from Florida.
While we were there, we took Dylan to the zoo, as promised when he was 'potty trained'. Now I need to preface this and say he's not COMPLETELY potty trained, but Ryan and I are. We know when he needs to go and he's been wearing underwear pretty solidly for a few weeks. We promised he could go to the zoo with his 'Football Nandma' when he could wear underwear all day.
Dylan helping his grandma and great-grandma read the map at the zoo.
Ryan's grandma and grandpa.
Dylan as 'Aqua Boy' - spending record amounts of time in the pool, until his fingers were red, pruney, and raw from the concrete!
Swimming with daddy.
Ryan with his hair a bit grown out... I'm voting for him to keep it longer from now on.

Back to work

2008-09-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning I go back to work for my first full day since March. It's been a long time and I hope I remember everything I need to remember at work so I can do a good job. Ryan is staying home with Addie and is planning to bring her to me at my lunchtime so I can nurse her and see her halfway through the day. That'll be something to look forward to!
I spent the second half of today briefing Ryan on what Addie's routine is and what things I've figured out that she likes/dislikes and how to soothe her when she's gassy/fussy/hungry (obviously, feed her, but you know what I mean...) and he was very receptive, which made me feel much better. Knowing that he's in tune to what works for her and wants to spend this time with her makes ALL the difference to me.

On another note, Kathy suggested a new weekly post where I put up a bunch of pictures of Addie in all the cute clothes she has worn the previous week... like a "Picture Wednesday" or something like that. Any votes for what day and a name to call it? Knowing that some of her outfits in the closet will only get worn one time, it's probably a smart idea to take pictures of her in each of them. We've started already this weekend and what fun it is dressing her up and doing our little photo-shoot each morning!

it goes by so fast

2008-09-27T22:20:00.000-07:00

I was watching some old videos of Dylan on YouTube.com tonight and in an instant I found myself wishing I could go back and enjoy those moments again as Dylan's language was first emerging, his learning to walk, his discovering the world around him. I suppose he still is learning, always will be. But I miss that time, a year ago, when everything was a BIG deal. Remember when he went through his 'moon' phase? We went outside every night and looked for the moon in the sky together.
Now our family has grown and Addie is at the point where she's smiling and cooing and noticing familiar faces and showing excitement over that. It's fun to do it all over again and remind myself to enjoy each stage.
Because it just goes TOO fast.

This Little Piggy

2008-09-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

All Girl

2008-09-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

My Aunt sent Addie a package that we got today. This little tutu outfit came straight out of the box and onto her. It was too cute!
...and the bow on her head from the box? Well, I just couldn't resist. I'm a party animal.

I have to admit that it makes me giddy thinking about tutus, painted toenails, and hairbows. And seeing her in this little outfit, oh my, it just makes me giggle out loud!

p.s. I just realized that she fits into her 3-6 months clothes in length (but not weight - as she's just over 10 pounds now)... I guess I better throw some of the 'not worn' outfits in her closet on her this next week before they don't fit anymore. Gosh, where did the last 3 months go?!?

3 months

2008-09-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

Addie is just about 3 months old now. She's changed in the past week, I've noticed. She likes constant movement and went from dislike of the swing to total contentment in them. Thank goodness we now have one upstairs and one downstairs for her.

She found her hands and loves to suck on them.

She likes to hold my fingers while she falls asleep.

She loves being in the bathtub. Smiles, coos, and has learned how to kick her legs to push off the tub wall when I'm holding her so she can 'swim' across the tub while I hold onto her. She was proud of herself yesterday when she figured that trick out, practicing for at least 30 minutes at it!

She doesn't like a lot of noise. In fact, she prefers a quiet room with just one or two people around. If we are in the car, she seems to like the Dixie Chicks and her hanging turtle toy to look at.

She has had a lot of gassiness and constipation, which causes her great discomfort, but we are working on it and I think today I learned a few new tricks to help her out. If nothing else, she's always happy when I put her in a warm bath.

Picture of the Day

2008-09-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

Kathy requested a texted picture of the day while we were up in Oregon. Here are some of the ones I sent her. My favorite is the one of Addie snuggled into a plastic bin (we needed a cozy place to lay her down in the shade while we sat out in the sun on the boat dock - and this turned out pretty good)!

Last Day :-(

2008-09-10T23:21:00.001-07:00

We canoed out to a cool sandbar today with Dylan and realized we should have been using that spot all week because it was perfect for Dylan. He played on the sand and the water was only knee deep for him. A good idea for next year!

Heceta Head

2008-09-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent the day up the road at Heceta Head.
We hiked up to the lighthouse.

Taking pictures and picking wild blackberries along the way.
Then a picnic by the ocean.
This morning Ryan took the canoe out by himself for a bit while the lake was still quiet.

Swimming with Daddy in the lake.
And here's another one of Addie with a new hairbow debut...

More from Oregon

2008-09-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

Oregon Day 1

2008-09-03T23:30:00.001-07:00

We got to Florence, OR yesterday and had fun today playing on the lake.
Dylan's grandma and grandpa have a trampoline raft anchored out in the cove of the lake they live on, and Dylan and I (Ryan) swam out to it. Dylan had fun jumping till he had no energy, and I had fun watching him.

Dylan and I took the paddle boat out, then came back and picked up mommy for another ride. By this time Dylan actually was so tired he almost fell asleep in the boat.

Meanwhile, Addison enjoyed the cool breeze off the lake all day.

Neuron!

2008-09-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Awesome news:
Ryan's paper is being published in Neuron!!! It's really something to celebrate, as he will have had one paper published each year now for the past 5 years. This Neuron publication will be something that hallmarks his post-doc and hopefully will pave the way for an academic faculty position this next year. I'm so proud of him and all his hard work and diligence.
And while he has proved to be highly productive at work, it doesn't mean we don't see him at home as well, which is a blessing that I count each and every day. He is home every night for dinner and stays around each morning to help me with the kids, feeding Dylan breakfast and letting me get the baby settled with a feeding before he leaves for work. He makes time to spend with Dylan, like going with us for family walks on nice summer evenings and staying involved in Dylan's extra activities such as sports class.
I love this man. Not for his accomplishments (although I'm SUPER proud of him!), but for his heart, his soul, the love for both his family and his work.

A few of my favorite things

2008-08-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have discussed this a number of times, of how to describe the way that Addie seems 'easy' to us as a newborn. It's not like she doesn't come with her own challenges. But she just is so predictable. If she cries, it's because she truly is hungry or tired or needs a diaper change. She really doesn't fuss much for anything unpredictable.
Her tiny hands, tiny toes, tiny features. I just want to soak all that baby-girl-sweetness in.
And the outfits? Gosh, I'm a sucker. This one has been my most recent favorite.
I find myself dressing her in it a couple times a week. When I take it out of the laundry basket to hang back up in the closet, I can't resist. It's just TOO CUTE not to put back on her!

Buddy Boys

2008-08-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Dylan and his buddies enjoyed the summer weather at the Huntington Gardens. They ran through the big lawn sprinklers, barefoot and giggling with delight.
Here he is with some of his best buds, Nolan and Rocco, sharing some fruit snacks. Does life get any better than this?

Cry Baby

2008-08-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

When Addie cries, Dylan invariably either says "baby needs you, mama" or tries to help soothe her himself either with a pacifier or a snuggle.
And when he snuggles her, it truly warms my heart.

Update: 2 Months

2008-08-27T17:33:00.001-07:00

Addie had her 2 month checkup and shots today. First the stats:
Weight 8#, 6oz (5th percentile)
Height 22.25" (50th percentile)
Head circumference 37cm (5th percentile)

What does that all mean? Well, her weight is on the low end, especially since she's moving down from the curve she was following in previous visits.
The pediatrician suggested supplementing a little and see how that goes. We have a scale thankfully here at home, so we can monitor her progress and make adjustments as needed. The usual trend is to see about a 1/2 to a full ounce of weight gain a day for her age. So I'm going to shoot for that, if possible.

And the doctor mentioned slight concern for Addie's high tone, which she described as at the upper end of normal. So we need to keep an eye on that in the next few months. As an OT, of course now my radar is on high alert. Not good for the 'ol anxiety, to be honest. But I'm going to try to trust Ryan's gut instinct that she's fine, just on the 'high end of NORMAL' like he keeps reminding me.

Also, the doc took a quick peek at Dylan's scar on his nose and said it looks like it's healing nicely. So maybe that vitamin E did some good, eh?

We've been getting a few more smiles each day now from little Addie. I think we've seen a handful of them by now and Ryan and I still beam like we just won the lottery when we catch one. She's a sweetie, for certain.
But after those shots, I doubt we'll be getting too many more of those smiles tonight... Poor bug.

Silly Dilly

2008-08-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

At Karissa's house last week. He sported a dinosaur mask for most of the afternoon. Then he found the rain boots and added them to the ensemble. And finally, I added the fire hat at the last minute to cover what would have made this post a shade beyond our usual PG-rating.

Airplanes! (Part 2)

2008-08-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend Dylan and his daddy worked on another airplane project.
Ryan had a few moments of frustration when Dylan decided he HAD to fly his newly-assembled airplane around before the glue had dried. More than once, I felt obliged to kindly remind Ryan that the DOING of the project was more important than the RESULT.
The painting portion of the project went much better. However Dylan got so excited about each new color of paint that the airplane changed colors about 3 times. First it was black, then purple and white, then blue.
Again, it's all about having fun in the DOING. Right?

Right.

First Smiles!

2008-08-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I got my first smile out of Baby Addison. She just looked up at me and smiled. I think Ryan doubted my claims that she was smiling at me until he got one himself yesterday. And then we both saw some together that night.
So I busted out our baby calendar and slapped that "first smile" sticker for Thursday. And then I smiled.

Airplanes!

2008-08-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Kathy and I took the kids to "Color Me Mine" and worked on a few fun projects together with Dylan.

Dylan made this airplane, which turned out really neat. See the progression in photos here. We also worked on a few other Christmas presents, which we get to pick up tomorrow.
I was impressed with how long Dylan lasted, painting and being patient while I finished projects like one I did of Addie's footprints on a tile. He lasted for 2-3 hours each time we went. It really helped that Kathy was there to redirect him when he got bored or restless. And of course it helped that Addie slept nearly the entire time!

Afterwards, we went to eat lunch and get some ice cream, which was the perfect treat for tired artists.
Dylan wanted to play with his new airplane, but we quickly determined that a 3 year old probably shouldn't be playing with a ceramic airplane. So I promised if he agreed to put his new special airplane on the shelf, I'd get him another airplane he could play with.

After scouring the stores of South Pasadena on Thursday, I finally found one. He loves it.
In fact, Dylan loves his little die-cast stealth fighter plane so much that Ryan decided another fun project would be to make a model airplane together.
I'll post some pictures of that when they finish it up tomorrow.

Toddler Trauma

2008-08-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we went down to Anaheim to visit our friend who is staying down there for a conference.

We had a lovely lunch and dinner out together. And Julie and I had lots of time to catch up on things while Dylan and Ryan enjoyed the pool at her hotel for a couple hours (*story to follow).

Plus we had a lot of excitement...
For starters, after Dylan's nearly 2 hour play event in the pool and spa (while Julie and I held baby Addie and chatted), we returned to Julie's room to change for dinner. When Dylan peeled off his diaper, we discovered what Julie accurately called a gigantic "poo-splosion" (OH.MY.GOODNESS.) that had clearly occured much, much earlier, turning into a disintegrated dripping mess all over her bathroom when he pulled off his diaper! Ryan and Dylan took a shower and cleaned up. I called housekeeping and did damage control so Julie wouldn't gag for the next couple days. Thankfully this all happened with Julie, a fellow understanding mom and dear friend, who helped us see the humor in it all and laugh our way through!

We then decided to head out for a change in scenery (and smell) for dinner, so we headed out to our car in the hotel parking garage. Julie and Dylan ran ahead, giggling and playing (p.s. Dylan ADORED her!)...
and next thing we knew, Dylan had stuck his head through the railing and got his little head STUCK!
He panicked.
He cried.
Ryan pulled.
Dylan cried some more.
And FINALLY his head came lose.
Poor Dylan. He was traumatized, shaking, and scared.

And after dinner, walking back to the car, Julie and I commented that Dylan had one rough day and was being very good considering all that he'd been through on top of no nap... when suddenly (probably because he was so tired) he fell down outside the restaurant and skinned his knees.
More tears.

There was no shortage of excitement to our visit. There never is when we get together....

It was like not a day had passed since our last visit two years ago. And despite all the boo-boos, it truly was a great visit!

The day ended. We dropped Julie back off at her hotel, exchanged sorrowful hugs, and headed back home.
Dylan was asleep before we got to the freeway.

Update: 6 weeks

2008-08-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Today Addie is 6 weeks old. She's fabulous. She sleeps well at night (as long as she can eat 1-2 times between midnight and 8am, she's happy). And she puts up with her brother's sometimes more-than-gentle displays of affection like a champ. I love her awake time, staring into her eyes and thinking about what the next months will bring us in the way of smiles, coos, and socialization with our baby girl. She looks a lot like Dylan at this age, still with dark brown hair with a hint of red to it and bluish eyes. She has long fingers and toes. She is a snuggler, which I love. And she really is pretty easy to please at this point as long as she gets plenty to eat and keeps cozy near mama.

This afternoon Ryan and I met at JC Pennys for a portrait session with baby. She did pretty good, yielding us about 4 pictures we really liked and were able to order. I still haven't gotten around to making up my mind on birth announcements, so that's hanging over my head. But at least I'm on target with picture taking...

In the words of a toddler

2008-08-07T23:27:00.000-07:00

You know you are living in 2008 when...

Dylan: "Who you texting Daddy?"

Cousins

2008-08-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Dylan spent some time up at his "Candyhouse Nandma and Tapa's" house up in Lompoc a couple weeks ago.
He soaked up some quality time with his three cousins and even got to celebrate his youngest cousin's 2nd birthday (Dominick) at his party before coming home. Here's a picture of me with my sister, mom, and cousin Hayley during the party.
Trying to get a picture of the boys...
Dominick decided to turn around the opposite way just as Ryan shot the picture.
Gotta love trying to pin down three toddler boys for a picture, hoping and pleading that they'll look at the camera, not run away, and cooperate just a smidgen. Here is the best one we got of the three of them outside the bounce-house at the party.
The combination of no nap and hours playing with his cousins, led to a VERY tired toddler at the end of the day. Both of our kids were asleep already in the back seat as we rounded the corner to head back to LA and stayed asleep until we pulled into the garage 3 hours later!

New Car

2008-08-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

We got a new car. Long story, but in the end, we decided to trade in my car (2001 VW Passat) for this one.
Went with the magnetic gray metallic exterior and black leather interior.
It's lovely. We fight over who gets to drive. And a bonus, we all comfortably fit in the car together now!

Kid Update

2008-08-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last week both kids had their pediatrican appointments (incidently the same day we bought the new car). Dylan's was his 3-year checkup (no shots this time around). Addie's was a 1-month checkup.
Both kids did great!

Dylan's Stats:
33 pounds, 3 ounces (50-75th percentile)
39.5 inches tall (80-85th percentile)

Addison's Stats:
7 pounds, 11 ounces (10th percentile)
21.5 inches long (50-75th percentile)
35.75cm head circumference (10-25th percentile)

And another milestone to point out: Addie rolled over from her tummy to her back last night. I thought that was a bit advanced, and it is pretty early from what I read online...
Hope that doesn't mean she'll be crawling early. I need some more time to adjust to two kids before she takes off!

Our kid needs a yard!

2008-07-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

He loves playing outdoors.
He loves grass, water play, and running.
We can't deny it. This kid needs a yard!
So we promise ourselves (and Dylan) that the next place we live WILL have one.
He also asked once for a dog, but that's NOT happening anytime soon.

Family of Four

2008-07-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Nevermind that Baby Addie is crying in this picture. It just happened to be that this is the best one of the rest of us, where Dylan is actually looking AT the camera instead of squirming off of the couch. It seems that the older he gets, the harder it is to take pictures of him like this.

(Involuntary) First Smiles

2008-07-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

I remember during my pregnancy, while listening to music with the laptop perched on my belly, that the baby always seemed to kick more while I played this song. Remember?

Well, the other night I wanted to see if that kicking was a sign of her loving or hating the music. Turns out she liked it. So much that we got a string of (involuntary) smiles. A glimpse at what her little smile will be like in another few weeks, and my heart melted. COMPLETELY.

(Big) Fortune Cookie

2008-07-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

A package came in the mail the other day. With a note saying it was for Dylan, from Addie. Ok. So I began wondering who could have sent this clever little gift...
Kathy. Of course. She's always got the most clever gifts up her sleeves and this time was no exception. And she knows Dylan's favorite color (GREEN sprinkles!) - adorned with pictures of him and his sister, and complete with a big fortune inside...
He was in heaven!

Do you fancy them?

2008-07-23T05:03:00.000-07:00

A new blog is out in cyberspace. Check it out. I personally know one of the editors, Em (M), who is both witty and hilarious.
Per her description, the blog is a combination of personal insights, fashion, news, what they (Em and Elle) are loving for the week etc etc.
But enough of that. Go see for yourselves!

Siblings

2008-07-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Baby Addie, cozied up in her blankie.

Along comes her brother, wanting to snuggle and hold her... and she takes it.
He wants to know where she is, what she is doing, what I'm eating (that she'll get from me when I feed her again), if she needs a blanket, a pacifier, anything. He adores her. And I know that in the next few months, she's going to just adore him right back!

I Saw God Today

2008-07-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Have you heard this song yet? It's beautiful. The very end of the song made me cry.
Perhaps it is these post-partum hormones. But perhaps it's just a lovely song that touched my heart...

To Grandma's House He Goes!

2008-07-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

For the first 10 days after Addie was born, my parents came down and stayed with us, helping with Dylan and stocking up our freezer with meals. Having them here was a huge blessing and I definitely had some adjusting to do with both kids last week on my own (see previous blog for how that went!)
When they left the plan was for Dylan to go up for a visit sometime in the next couple weeks before they left for Oregon again.

So, tomorrow Dylan will be going up to stay with my parents for the rest of this week, and we'll go up to get him this weekend. I know he'll have a wonderful time with his grandparents and cousins (after all, somehow my parents can make a trip to Costco fun for a 3 year old), yet I'll certainly miss having him here. That's the selfish, worrying mommy in me, I know.
Imagine what a wreck I'll be when he goes off to camp oneday, or (GASP!) college!!!

Baby Addie will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. She's been tracking with both eyes since 2 weeks and she's grown to like her baths as long as I make sure she's been fed beforehand (big, big mistake that first bath). She's sleeping pretty well at night, waking up about 3 times (every 2 hours). And as long as I don't put her down in the bassinet, she seems to be happy.

First day out with TWO...

2008-07-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

Today was my first offical day with the kids on my own. I decided to venture out to the park to meet up with some friends, thinking to myself "I can do this, I can do this..."

And after an hour, it seemed I was going to survive, sitting on a blanket next to my friend, nursing our daughters while our older kids played in the playground sandbox under the direct supervision of two of our other friends. I commented to her that the morning was going pretty well so far for us and even though Baby Addie seemed a bit annoyed by being outside, Dylan was having a good time with his friends.

Then IT happened.

Dylan had been jumping off the little platforms in the sandbox with his buddy Nolan and somehow hit his nose on the platform. My heart leaped from my chest and I ran to scoop him into my arms. The blood running down his nose and his screams broke my heart and those post-partum hormones kicked in and I found myself crying along with him... asking my friends to call Ryan to come meet us at the hospital (where I had just delivered Addie two weeks ago) as soon as he could.

(I hate to say this, but it actually looks worse than this picture)

Ryan arrived just about the time we did. And if it weren't for my friends all pulling together alongside me, ensuring I didn't lose my mind, I don't know what I would have done...
After taking xrays and being examined by the ER doctor, the biggest cut at the bridge of his nose was durabonded (glued) together and thankfully there wasn't any break. We all came home and spent the rest of the afternoon piled up in our bed, watching tv and trying to ensure the rest of our day was uneventful. Let's just say that icing a toddlers painfully bruised nose per doctor's instructions took some skill.

Tomorrow I don't think I'll venture out far from home. Maybe we'll get the mail.

First Bath

2008-07-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Addie's cord fell off on Sunday, so last night she got her first official bath. I think she was hungry when we decided to do it, so she was quite upset with us as you can see.
But she smells terrific!
Now we just hope she's not one of those anti-bath kids. Dylan LOVES the tub and it'd be nice if she did as well...

Happy Birthday Dylan!

2008-07-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Today Dylan is THREE.

How do I put my feelings/thoughts into words? While Baby Addie sleeps, I'll do my best...

My baby boy is growing up. In a good way, but yet my heart aches. I know it's because of the changes that have occured this past week. It's a combination of my desire to have things as they were before, being the person who is teaching him, playing with him, and singing him to sleep at night - and feeling the changes all around us, transitioning our family from one of three to four now that our sweet baby girl has arrived.

He's growing up. He put on his clothes this morning nearly by himself as I sat and nursed his newborn sister, amazed how much he can do on his own when I can't help him. It seems he has discovered imaginative play overnight, building 'caves' with his toys and airports to Mexico in the kitchen. He sits in a regular chair now at the dinner table and we've put away his booster seat. He doesn't wear a bib anymore.

He's growing up. He's a great big brother, asking how 'baby Addie' is and wanting to help bathe her, dress her, change her, feed her. Loving her. Wanting to keep her 'cozy and safe' whenever he's around her.

But he's still my baby boy. Last night I went into his room after we was already asleep and uncovered his sweaty head from his covers, pulled him into my arms and rocked him. Tears came to my eyes as I thought about how fast he's growing up, how fast he's becoming more independent. I leaned in close and breathed in the sweet smell of shampoo in his hair and kissed his soft neck and face. I thought about how much his world has changed in the past 6 days, how much our family has changed. And at the same moment in time, I was happy and sad and scared and falling in love all over again with my son.

He's still my baby boy. He hugged me and kissed me at preschool as I dropped him off, looking at me from the back seat as we drove there, talking about which 'friends' he'd see today at school.

And tonight when we celebrate his third birthday with ice-cream-cake and pizza, I know my heart will be happy, knowing that he'll always be my son... regardless of his age. And for now I'm going to soak in this time, tantrums and all, because it's only for a season and I love this season of my life!

Getting to know you...

2008-07-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Dylan and his new sister: Baby Addie!
He loves her so much already.
Getting to know you...
Settling in as a family of four...
An intellectual, deep in thought?
One of my favorite quotes:
Life is short; Nap hard.
Soaking in these first few days with our precious little girl.

And if you want to see a little video, look here.

Welcome Baby Addison!

2008-07-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Addison Marie was born July 1st, 2008 at 7:19AM. She was 6lb 13oz and 19.5in.
Both sets of grandparents came to see her on her birthday, which was a great blessing. Here she is with Briana's mom.
With Ryan's mom.

The moment of birth.
Looking at mommy.
Can you guess who this is when she came home from the hospital? Kind of reminds us of a previous blog.
First time being held by Daddy
With Uncle Matt

Update: 38 weeks

2008-06-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Weight Gain: down by 1/2 pound (whoo-hoo! - maybe that cupcake yesterday was fat-free)
Dilated: 2 cm.
Effaced: 50%.
Estimated Delivery: around 39 weeks, which means another week.

Having more contractions, but we'll see if they progress. She said if I am on my feet a lot, things will go faster.
Ryan, of course with work being so busy, wants me to lay down and do nothing.
And I, on the other hand, want to nest and get everything in order for whenever this baby girls decides to come!
And Dylan just wants to play with his new toys from yesterday's birthday party!!!

Camera Love

2008-06-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

Because of Dylan's sister's impending arrival in the next couple of weeks (or less!), we are celebrating his birthday today complete with a Lightening McQueen birthday party at the park.

Last night he opened up his first present, which was a BIG HIT!

For months now Dylan has been watching his daddy with the camera, asking to see pictures he's taken and wanting to be part of taking the weekly belly pictures of his mama's growing tummy. And now he has a camera of his very own. Imagine what a 3 year old finds picture worthy: a lego, mommy sitting on the couch, a cat, the table, the wall, ANYTHING.

He loves his camera so much he slept with it last night and woke up telling us "I need to take a picture" at 6am!

I just keep finding myself shaking my head at how much agony it would have been for my parents back in the days when all we had was film cameras... and every pointless picture of a blurry cat running by yielded a bill to develop the film! Thank goodness for digital. And thank you Tagi, for the awesome birthday present. Dylan loves it!!!

Update: 37 weeks

2008-06-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Another OB appointment this morning. Ryan has only missed one appointment between both Dylan and this baby's prenatal visits. But we knew that this week would include another ultrasound. So despite being uber-busy at work right now, he rushed over and arrived just as the doctor came into my room. Perfect.

Ultrasound shows her measuring just about right at around 36 weeks. Heart looks good. And fluid surrounding baby looks good.
Oh, and STILL a girl, which was nice to hear now that the closet is filled with baby girl clothes...

The doctor says she weighs approx 6# at this point, so the estimation is that she'll be around 7.5# at birth depending on when I deliver.
I've had more contractions the past two days, but nothing painful.
She said I could do more walking if I want to progress things, but I think I'll just wait until after Dylan's 3rd birthday party this weekend before I do anything like that.
Plus I have a headcold that I wouldn't mind being rid of before labor and delivery. Who wants to blow their nose during a contraction?

And that pesky office scale says that I've gained 2 more pounds in this past week. Where in the world did that come from? I know it could be water-weight, but I doubt it, as my ankles and hands aren't super swollen. And I have been eating, but no more than I did a month ago.
At least I'm near the end. How much bigger can you get with only 3 weeks to go, I think ~~slyly~~ stupidly to myself.

Baby Shower #2

2008-06-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today my dear friend Kathy and some of my coworkers put together a baby shower at work to honor this little boxer-girl who has set up camp right under my ribs (yikes she's kicking a lot tonight, it seems!). They had about 5 different kinds of pizza and a full ice cream sundae station set up, lots of thoughtful gifts, and Kathy took lots of pictures. Since she already posted her pictures from the event, I'll send you there to see them. About 20+ people were there, which was a pretty awesome turnout for a baby shower. Maybe it was the pizza and ice cream luring them in, but I'd like to think they came at least in part to see me (and perhaps sneak a peek at how big I've gotten in the past 2 1/2 months)...

It was a fun afternoon and I feel blessed to have such sweet and supportive coworkers.

Thanks Kathy for all you did in making us feel special today (me and baby)!