Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very very Merry Christmas. Hope the day is full of laughter, love, gratitude, and a whole ton of cookies. Hugs, D, H and J

Pictures with Santa

I have to admit...I got myself looking picture presentable JUST in case J was afraid of Jolly ol St. Nick and I had to jump up on his lap too. But, surprisingly...or maybe not so surprisingly considering his very social personality, the monkey did great! Waiting in line was a little not so fun, but once it was our turn J walked right up to Santa and let me put him on his lap. He wouldn't smile, but I did snap a few cute pictures of him "babbling" to Santa. The apparently clueless guy behind the camera decided to snap these....the one where he's fussing is my favorite because it's that classic "get me off this guy's lap!" face. He wasn't crying though because he was afraid...he just wanted to touch the raindeer that he was woofing at! Also, do you love the arm placement in the second one? He looks like he's elbowing Santa! This age is SO MUCH FUN. I can not WAIT for Christmas morning!

Naughty or Nice?

I just love the expression on J's face in this picture....he's contemplating, slightly suspicious, and very mischievous! I'd love to know what goes on inside his noggin. J is growing up so fast and we barely have time to catch our breath! It's amazing to witness him learn new things every day. He is RUNNING around the house these days and has a fascination with all electronics - especially the cell phones and the computer. If I had to guess, his Christmas list would surely include ham, balloons, pears, blueberries, frozen peas, a kitty cat or dog, balls, Bert, guacamole, forks (the big people kind), running naked before baths, and anything that has lights and plays music (preferably at the same time). He would also like it if he were allowed to bang on the computer keyboard for as long as he'd like and if we'd let him stick his finger in the electrical sockets. We are so incredibly blessed...hope your holidays are full of blessings as well.

Happy Happy FIRST Birthday!!!

We love you so much!!!

First Halloween!!!

No big surprises here...J-man was a monkey for Halloween. He LOVED his costume! D and I actually bought it last year, before he was born with hopes he'd be able to fit into it this year. We lucked out, it fit like a glove. As soon as we put him in it, he walked around with a big smile patting the stuffed belly - it was sooooo cute. Halloween festivities started on Oct 28th - Grammy's birthday - when we carved pumpkins with Grammy and Auntie Lindsay. Then on Halloween, Grandpa and Grandma Nikki came over and we went trick-or-treating in downtown Ann Arbor in the afternoon, then around the Old West Side in the evening. J got his birthday present from Mama and Daddy early - a radio flyer wagon - and loved riding around and collecting candy. He'd run up to the house, climb stairs if need be, then pick out a candy (or four) and then would turn and run back to the wagon ("Waa Waa"). He'd hold onto the candy tight in his little fist until we'd pry it out at the next house. He had a grip on a snickers bar for so long that it melted. It was a fabulous first Halloween - can't wait till next year!

First Tailgate!

Our good friends, Kirsty and Bill, came into town this past weekend. It was also Michigan/Michigan State game weekend so tailgating was a must. Tailgating out here is a "different animal." Growing up on the west coast does not yield the same type of experience you get at the pre-game festivities out here. Especially for this game. It was a cold autumn day but not too cold. We were expecting rain but did not get any which was great. I was impressed by the effort and expertise of the overall group. There was a row of giant Madden style cruisers set up at the high school across from the stadium. Each one flying a flag for their team. They show up on Friday afternoon after school is out. That's commitment. Most people had grills and some type of backyard game going. The real pros had giant generators running any type of appliance that could be needed. We were at the golf course across from Michigan Stadium and there were more people that I expected. The stadium holds 105,000 or so and not everyone goes into the game. So this is a LARGE event. And everyone is friendly. Really friendly. I guess when you break open the coolers that early, most people are especially friendly by 2pm. Either way, it was an awesome atmosphere. Young or old, big or small, maize and blue or green and white, everyone was having a great time just being out for gameday in Ann Arbor. We got to see four F-18's gear up for the flyover of the stadium.

Jackson was a hit with everyone around us. The ladies love him and the guys think he's pretty studly. He desperately wanted to play football with the older kids nearby but he had to watch from a distance. Some day kiddo, some day. At least he was out on the grass running around, not afraid of anyone or anything. He is getting faster each day and was showing his moves. He has learned to kick really well so anything on the ground was getting the boot. Cans, footballs, wadded up napkins. The kid loves being outside and playing. This was definitely his scene.

As you can see, J had a fabulous time. He was definitely up for a nap that afternoon!

Sleep

I don't think I've ever appreciated sleep more than I do now. It's been almost a year and Jackson has slept through the night (meaning 10 hrs) a maximum of 50 times... and that's being generous. He doesn't wake up multiple times every night, but with teething and learning how to put himself back to sleep, I can easily say that it's been our greatest challenge so far as parents. We aren't complaining though because he does take naps and is such a great kid. So you'd think we would take naps when he does or go to sleep as soon as he does so we can get our sleep in right? Nope. As soon as he's down, we are eating dinner, catching up on tv, talking on the phone, emailing, exercising...the list goes on and on. So in honor of sleep - here's the sweetest picture...taken just the other morning when I walked into Jackson's room - they were still tired I guess :)

High Five Daddy!

As the picture illustrates, we have successfully taught J to "high five" - it's so fun. This past week we've heard a few words too - "blue", "bug", and "moo." But the most exciting news we have to share is that Daddy got a job!!!! High Five!!!! It's amazing that he was offered a job so quickly - we haven't even been on the ground for a month. We were a bit worried considering the state of the economy...especially here in Michigan. But, I knew as he got an interview he'd knock their socks off. Congratulations D!!!

We're walking, we're walking, we're walking...STOP.

Here's a quick video of the monkey showing off his new found skills. At just prior to ten months (lucky us) the little man decided to scrap the crawling...it's for babies. As you can see he is still mastering his form but he's up and moving. These were literally his first few steps. Every day gets a little smoother and faster. It's so much fun watching him wobble around though. It's kind of like watching somebody get up on water skis for the first time - you're always just one second away from the off-balance crash.

Whew...

I think this picture sums up how all three of us are feeling right now - exhausted! But the great news is that we made it. We're here in Ann Arbor getting settled in after much traveling. The monkey and I got here last Monday after a pretty long day. I'm sure most would think I got the easy option - flying vs. driving. But I would challenge that a bit. Maybe if J wasn't mobile, or screaming, and was a little bundle that slept like he used to be...yes...it would have been pretty easy. BUT that was not the case at all. At one point the flight attendent actually offered to re-seat the person sitting next to me because J was screaming so loud. He was banging on the plane, throwing up all over me, trying to grab the man's hair in front of us, throwing his toys at the lady behind us and just being loud. He didn't want to sit, play, eat or sleep. Just scream. We had a layover in Chicago and they didn't bring the stroller up for 25 minutes - that was fun. I had a roller carry-on, the breast pump, a backpack, the car seat, and oh yeah...an 18lb squirmy baby. Good thing he's so cute!!! In all honestly, it could have been waaaaaaay worse, but it was a pretty long day. D and my Dad had a pretty good drive...no drama to report - just a long drive through Nevada, the beautiful Salt Flats in Utah, a LoooooooooG drive through Wyoming and Nebraska, then the final leg through the Midwest to Michigan. A HUGE thank you goes out to Drew, Mike and my Dad for helping us move out of the apartment in CA and another HUGE thank you to Steve and my Dad, Mom, Linz and Jason for helping us move into the condo in MI. We really couldn't have done it without you guys.
So we are getting back into a schedule of sorts here. The first week the monkey had a little jet lag but it wasn't bad. He just stayed up an hour or so later than the usual 8pm bedtime - and took a few really long naps. Other than that he's been doing great. We've been walking/exploring every morning and trying not to get bogged down by the huge task of unpacking. We've had a great time this first week here and are anxious to get out and explore some more.
The big news is...the monkey is walking!!!!!!!!!! He took a few little steps yesterday but we thought it was just luck. Today though there was no mistaking. He took 8 or 9 steps in a row in the middle of the room chasing after a balloon from Trader Joes. I took some video and hope to get it online in the next couple of days - still need to unpack the cables.
Sending love and hugs to all...D, H and J

On the move...

Hi! We are busy packing and enjoying our last few days in good ol California. We are in that bittersweet stage...our hearts are aching as we say goodbye to so many wonderful parts of our life here, but we are also excited to get the move behind us and explore Ann Arbor. We leave on Monday - I am flying with the monkey, and D is driving the semi with my Dad. Our internet access is going away today though so this will be the last post until next week. Send us all your good moving prayers and keep in touch via phone. Hugs from all of us!

Laughs

The monkey's favorite bedtime story is 1,2,3 Count with Elmo and Me. Ernie and Elmo are throughout the book introducing various animals - the favorite in our house being the Six Golden Lions. J loves those lions. When we pulled the Ernie and Elmo stuffed toys out of storage he recognized them immediately and absolutely loves them. Here's a great video - lots of J's signature addictive laugh. He's so much fun!!

Names

Really? Nimrod?

Me and my two front teeth

Greetings - Here's the adorable J, showing off his cute teeth! Man those puppies were worth the pain and suffering! Now he can eat all types of fun stuff....graham crackers being the overall favorite.

I sincerely hope you all are enjoying some free time and relaxation while we are not. It is absolute chaos here. Every time we move I swear it's going to be the last for awhile. Five moves in five years is no fun! Last year pregnant was really tough, but it's even harder to pack with a the monkey around. It seems like as soon as you get in the packing groove (meaning he's entertaining himself and you are done washing dishes, eating, etc.) he needs to eat, or take a nap, or just play with whatever you are trying to pack. So we've been trying to get work done in the evening after bedtime but the darn Olympics are on!!! It's way more fun to cheer Michael Phelps and the rest of the USA athletes on...and even more fun complaining about how young the Chinese 16 yr old (yeah right) gymnasts look! Our move is planned for the 25th of this month so postings will likely be scarce. I'll try to get a video on here though so you can see the little guy in action. Sending love - please send us some sanity back! xoxo

Surprise!

We are still alive!! It's been a hectic couple of weeks...but hey, what else is new? The monkey is doing great after a little rough patch last week. He had a few tough nights learning how to put himself back to sleep on his own, then Mommy had to play nurse and fix up some fat lips and a bloody tongue, then there was the 24hr bottle strike. But things are getting better and we are busy packing for our move to Michigan. Here are a couple of pictures from D's cell phone - one with Uncle Drew's red sunglasses and then the classic bike sleeper shot. Sending love and hugs to all....

Splish Splash!

Bathtime is one of J's favorite things to do. He gets so excited when he hears the water turn on and crawls as fast as he can to the side of the tub. He pulls himself up to see his big rubber duck tub being filled and squeals with excitement. Too bad the excitement doesn't last too long. If we are lucky we'll get him to sit and play with toys for a few minutes while we get his hair and body washed. But usually he's trying to stand up almost immediately. His favorite bathtime toys are his animal washcloths which are like puppets - he grins from ear to ear, and he also just loves this little starfish toy that squirts water at him out of one of the arms. He likes when you keep squeezing after the water is gone and it's just air. Here are a few fun bath pictures...

The many faces of teething...

It's funny, the most popular teething toy in our house is the teething gel itself. Must be a texture thing or maybe he's already associating it with some relief. J has been teething since early May. The bottom two teeth came in mid-May and his top right came in just about a week ago. We're still working on that top left...it's so close! Hopefully we'll have some fun toothy grins for you all in the near future. For now, you'll have to settle for the cute bottom tooth shot (above right). Now off to bed...the chances that the tooth will make its grand entrance tonight...i'd say 50/50. Sooooo much for sleeping through the night!

Fourth of July

We spent the 4th in LA at the beach! Here's some adorable pictures of J and cousin, Gmae. J just loves G and like a typical boy, chases her all around. Last time we visited neither of the kids were crawling. Now they are tearing around the apartment and pulling themselves up everywhere!

Michigan!

After adjusting to the humidity and jetlag, we had a wonderful trip! Jackson got to spend time with his maternal grandparents and Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Jason as well. We took a trip to Ann Arbor to see Amanda and Steve where J got to play with Ruben his favorite dog friend. We also got to see a lot of my (H) friends and their kids - it was so fun to see the kids interact. D had a great Father's Day and received a money clip from Tiffany with "DAD" engraved on it. I'll keep the writing short as I know you just want to see pictures anyway :)

And we're back!

I'm embarrassed to say that my suitcase still isn't unpacked. My goal is tonight as tomorrow we will have been home for a week. Here's a picture of J and cousin LBug - they're so cute! I'll be posting more pictures from the trip and Father's Day soon. Love and hugs to all...

Happy Birthday Uncle Drew!

The Monkey is Mobile!

Watch out - this kid is on the move! J has been crawling since the week of May 19th but mostly only to get something he really wanted...like a cell phone. Just this past week he's perfected his form and is out and about exploring the apartment. Favorite places to investigate include the bathroom, shoes, the front door when open, the dirty kitchen floor and every kid's favorite...under the coffee table. Here are some pictures and a video - hope you enjoy!

Notes from the poolside

Even though it's no longer warm here in California (don't get me started), I thought this was a cute picture. This was how we beat the heat a couple weeks ago! The monkey loves the water...although I think he was a little scared at first when I plopped him in the floatie. The water was cold, blah blah blah. All is well here. We are enjoying one of the many "calm before the storm" times. As soon as we have him sleeping/napping well and happy, it seems like another big developmental milestone hits and we are back at square one. J is crawling and has two little teeth on the bottom so needless to say, it's been a bit crazy in these parts. We'll post video of the crawling soon...hopefully before our big adventure to Michigan next week. Hope you all have a great weekend - I'll try to post a few more times before we leave. Hugs to all!

Food for Thought

Happy Birthday Uncle Jason!

Yoga with Mommy

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

D and I's first anniversary was on Monday, the 12th. We decided to head up to Napa to celebrate. J took his naps on the way to and from so it worked out perfect! We did some shopping in St. Helena, some tasting at Heitz then headed to the Oakville Grocery to pick up some lunch for our picnic. After a quick stop at Auberge (where we were married) and a glass of champagne we headed to Pine Ridge for our picnic. On the way home we picked up our anniversary cake from Sweetie Pies...yum! After J went to sleep we had a wonderful dinner from Piati and enjoyed an amazing Malbec that we got at Pine Ridge. It was the perfect anniversary! Here are some pictures from the day. We tried to recreate some of our wedding photos - it was so much fun!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was great! After yoga with Kevin we had a family bbq over at Nana Sue's. Jackson got mama a beautiful "little bean" necklace from Tiffany and was a good boy all day! The only bummer was that he cut his first tooth the night before. D and I were up all night with him - poor little monkey man.

Six Months!!!!

A picture of J on his half birthday. He now weighs in at 15lbs and 8oz. There was a lot of crying at the appointment - he knew shots were on the way the second we walked in. Poor guy. On a happier note, the Pistons are going to the Eastern Conference Finals! Go Pistons!!