Monkey Around

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2009-11-09T06:42:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J !!!!

Happy Birthday Jackson. Today you are 2! We are so proud of you and the wonderful person you are. You continue to amaze us every day. In 2 years you have accomplished so many things and overcome so many challenges.

In no short order you have:
Learned to hold your head up.
Learned to sit up.
Learned to crawl.
Learned to walk.
Learned to run.
Learned how to use a spoon, fork and knife.
Learned to talk. Loudly. Like Uncle Drew loud.
Learned how to climb stairs.
Learned to flush a toilet.
Learned to give a high five, fist bump, and do the bash.
Learned to say "please" and "thank you" and "Oh my gosshhhhhhh!"
Learned how to throw a ball (righty).
Learned to swing a bat and a golf club (lefty).
Learned to jump on the bed.
Learned to ride a tricycle.
Learned how to use an iPhone (no joke, he's a master with the pics and videos).
Learned to, dare I say it, SLEEP.
Learned to count to 10 and say your ABC's.
Learned about going to preschool.
Learned about music and the Michigan Marching Band.
Learned how to wash your hands, albeit against your will usually.
Learned how to put a quarter into a cd player and make it short out and then smoke....no kidding.
You have learned to laugh and cry.
Most importantly, I hope you have learned what love is. Your Momma and I try to show you every day what that is. We love you more than anything in this world.

Happy Birthday Jackson. We love you.

Still Terrible. Loving Life

2009-11-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

I just can't seem to find a free minute to make a post these days. Sorry everyone. I am guessing that 3 months without a post has pretty much destroyed any hope of people reading this. Oh well. I guess that's what I get.

Anyways, we are still very busy. Moving furniture around the house regularly. Keeping Jackson busy with school, music classes, play groups and the Michigan Marching Band practices. He knows the fight song and the march now.
He also knows the Arizona Statefight song too (we are a Rose Bowl household, Big Ten and Pac 10!).

We just finished a remodel of the downstairs bath/laundry room. We had a birthday party for Jackson even though his actual b-day is Nov. 9. We went to the farm complete with aniamls, a hay ride, a hot cider/donuts.

Heather is doing well with her pregnancy. I fear she as just entered the last stage of this adventure. The back pain is becoming more of a daily thing. Climbing the stairs at home is getting tiresome. She's baking cookies again. Last time, cookies we're made at least 3 times a week. We've reached 2 times this week. I think we had a Costco cake last week to pinch hit for the baking. So I feel like it's official.

The new baby's room is coming together. We have a changing table, a rug, a dresser, a not-yet assembled crib and some clothes. I am really digging the little girl clothes and I have a feeling that I will be spoiling my daughter in record fashion. Is it over-the-top to want to put a chandelier in your daughter's room? Is it too much to think that she needs to have a $70 pink pettiskirt? Of course we should get her the Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt endorsed Kingsley onesie. It was in People magazine. (Okay, that last sentence is further proof that females, no matter the age, will always dictate the male agenda). I have come to terms with this despite kicking and screaming the entire way.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our daughter as well as new additons across the country as a lot of our friends are expecting. We have babies coming to the Jackson family (10 days), the Russell family (December), the Schroeder family (May, finally!).

All that being said. There is so much to be thankful for. So much to be excited about. So much to love about life. Jackson's face can surely attest to that.

Horrible Bloggers - Renewed Spirit

2009-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

No posts since March!?!?! What the hell...

I know......this was going to be a truly awesome Blog with constant updates. Like CNN for our family. Unfortunately, we have been offline for a while. Such is life. However, it is with a new sense of urgency that I make this post. I am a believer in the Blog and want to get is back to it's proper status. Normally the usual "We've been busy" excuse would fit here, however, I have decided that OUR busy is normally much more than the busy of every other couple in the world. Reasonable excuses to the lack of posts include:

1. Purchasing our first home. That's right. Heather and I bought a house. We are homeowners. And we bought an old house to boot. Built in 1916. That's old. Constant visits to ThisOldHouse.com have taken up a substantial amount of my time at home and at work. And we had a long, long process of actually buying the place. We closed on the house in April. We love it.

2. We moved. After the purchase mentioned above, we moved into the house keeping our streak of moving at least once per year alive. Combined total of moves for Heather and Derek since college (1995 - present) 18. Maybe more. All I know is that since Heather and I started dating we have lived in the following places (Alamo, Antioch, San Francisco, Hayward, Alamo, San Francisco, Alamo, and Ann Arbor). Keep in mind we lived separately until the second Alamo residence. Either way, packing boxes and moving them precluded either of us from logging on and posting pics and updates to the Blog. Moving with a toddler, not recommended.

3. We're Pregnant. J is going to be a big brother. He loves babies and being around kids. This is in addition to long walks on the beach, his mow-mow, airplanes, cats and baseball. So we figured why not give the kid what he wants. It's not like you can say no to this face.

I dare anyone to look at him and say no. Really, it cannot be done. Especially when he says "please". It's just not happening. So, Baby #2 is on the way. Heather is convinced it's another boy, I am still thinking girl. We should know in about a month.

4. Maintenance of New House. With the new home comes a lot of work. We bought some items that help. I have a lawn mower. First one ever. First time I ever had to use one. Growing up, I was very lucky. I never had to mow a lawn. Now that I get to, it's kind of cool. It's a very zen chore. And if I'm lucky, Heather brings me a cold beverage at some point to help cool me off in the summer heat. Mowing the lawn is just the start though. We have a huge yard with a massive garden. We are very close to cutting the whole thing and putting in a basketball court and a pool. It's nice to look at, but the work is a killer. Some parts are downright Amazon back there. Is this a weed? Is this a flower? I don't know, but it's 4 feet tall and there's more growing over there, and there, and there....

5. Play Time. Jack said it best, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Jackson is a firm believer in play time. So we do a lot of playing. At the park, in the yard, in the house, at the neighbors', at our friends house, etc... Personally, I would rather play with Jackson than blog. But I am going to try to keep the blog on my list of weekly items. See how much fun it is to play!

Until next time. Love to all and we hope to see you soon!

D, H, J, and Baby on the way.

Amazing Trip

2009-03-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick pic from the recent family trip to LA/Orange County/Las Vegas/San Francisco. The first leg to LA was amazing and Jax actually slept the entire flight out. Lucky for Momma and Dada. Unlce Kyle picked us up at LAX and we went back to the beach to await the kids getting up. Of course, they picked up right where they left off and we're playing and laughing together. We hoped they would watch Little Einsteins together but they got bored with it. Of course this did not stop the Dad's from tuning in, right Styles? This is a picture I took with my cell phone while we were taking our AM walk down to the water in Redondo Beach. Grace looks right at home while her cousin "Acksi" looks like he is seriously confused.

Jackson - "?!What?! Wait, it was snowing just a few hours ago...it was cold...I know it was. What is this? Is this real? Am I dreaming? Where's my wa-wa...oh! Ocean! Seaweed! DOLPHINS!"

Grace - Relax dude, you're at the beach.

Thanks again to Uncle Kyle and Auntie Jen for making room for us in their wonderful beach home. It is always so great to be there with you 3. More to come soon...I promise.

Derek

Mardi Gras Time

2009-02-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

Fat Tuesday!!!! Ash Wednesday!!!!

Time for Mardi Gras!!!!

As you can see....Jackson is geared up for the annual festivities. He's got his beads on and he's is looking for some good times. He loves playing with the beads. Heather and I have a shopping bag full of beads from our trips to NOLA and contributions from Dave, Keri, Lexi & newcomer Lily! He got really excited taking them out of a giant bowl and then putting them back into it. Hopefully we will be able to take a trip down next year to see some parades, catch some beads and EAT EAT EAT!

Below you can see a picture of the GUMBO Heather made last week along with the famous Edna's rum cake. Of course I added my touch to the feast by bringing in some Abita Turbodog beer, brewed in New Orleans. I can't cook too well but I helped stir the roux. Thank you Aunt Bec and Mae Mae for helping us with our first go round. In case you were wondering HEATHER NAILED IT. Not that I ever doubted her, but it's a HUGE deal that she can make gumbo.

Love to you all. In case you want a taste of New Orleans, go get some Rebirth Brass Band songs on iTunes. Nothing better to get you in the spirit then Rebirth.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-12-05T19:38:00.001-08:00

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!!!

2008-11-09T19:10:00.001-08:00

We love you so much!!!

First Halloween!!!

2008-11-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-10-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-25T21:04:00.001-07:00

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.

2008-09-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-08-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

Really? Nimrod?

Me and my two front teeth

2008-08-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-08-04T22:19:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-07-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-07-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

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

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

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!

2008-07-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-06-05T08:55:00.001-07:00

The Monkey is Mobile!

2008-06-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-28T09:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Uncle Jason!

2008-05-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yoga with Mommy

2008-05-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

2008-05-14T08:39:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-14T08:33:00.001-07:00

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!!!!

2008-05-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

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!!

Happy Half Birthday Monkey!!!

2008-05-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

So more Friday laughs for you all...
Here's a video of the monkey playing ball with Daddy - so much fun!!!

Baseball

2008-05-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

We decided to take the monkey to his first baseball game last weekend. Rookie parents. Big place with tons of people and lots of loud noises...probably not the best place to bring a baby to at this age. Maybe when he was still a mush ball, but not now. I guess our brains really are fried. He's been such an easy-going guy that I thought he'd just hang out. He loves when we make loud noises at home - he laughs. Maybe he was just having a bad day. We can blame teething...that's what we blame everything on! He did okay in the parking lot until he hit his head. Crying. Then calmed down and fell asleep on the way into the game so Mama got to circle the stadium with him in the front-loader for the first four innings. Woke up pissed. Went to the seats and had about a half hour of him tolerating the game then it was the full meltdown. So, we left. Here are a couple of pictures during the "happy" time...the dirty look is because he's really a Tigers fan!

Ahhh...the ocean

2008-04-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

The monkey and his cousin at the beach :)

In So-Cal

2008-04-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hey anyone who actually checks this. Just thought I'd let you know that we are at the beach this week so there won't be new pictures until next Wednesday. The weather is great...wish you were here. Love, monkey

Friday laughs

2008-04-10T22:03:00.001-07:00

This is a great video taken a couple of weeks ago when my Dad was in town visiting. I had never heard the monkey laugh this hard, and haven't heard him laugh as hard since. Love it.

Don't be fooled...

2008-04-05T20:25:00.001-07:00

...this kid hasn't pooped since Tuesday! It's been a strange week. Lots of snot, gnawing on hands, waking up in the middle of the night, and prunes...but no poop. Still trying to get settled back in the routine since getting home from AZ. Will post more pictures and updates soon!

A Long Week - Daddy's First Rant

2008-03-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at "blogging" so please bear with me. Combining my computer weenie skills and my writing skills might turn out disasaterous, but I'll try anything once. And besides, H has me hooked on reading parent blogs now and I may have picked up a trick or two.

I am sitting here at the computer waiting for a call from H to make sure that she and J have made it to the airport safely and will in fact be making their flight back to CA. For the last week I have been home alone. That's right, a week long hall pass. You'd think that this was the equivalent of having an early Christmas or another one of the infamous week long bachelor parties my college roommates and I like to organize for one another. No waking up in the middle of the night to the soothing sounds of Baby J. No diapers, no wipes. No tears, no lower lip sticking out. No bottles to warm up. No spit up on my shirt, pants, arms, neck, back, in my hair, in my ear, in my shoes, or directly into an open mouth (Mommy got that one...classic). This was an opportunity to revisit the past. A chance to remember what it was like before the baby. Surely this would be a good thing. I could listen to music, watch TV or even an entire movie without interruption. I could sleep in. I COULD SLEEP PERIOD.

Note: Sleeping is way underrated. Most mornings I wake up and realize that there isn't enough coffee in the world to help me. I would have slept more in 2007 had I realized the effect sleep deprivation has on a human being. It's unreal. You know how teenagers always think they know everything? Well they got this one right. As I teenager I slept a lot therefore I was brilliant. Now I don't sleep much and I have CRS like never before.

I had the enitre world at my feet. Anything was fair game. SO...What do you think I did? I watched TV? Not really. I watched a movie? I attempted but fell asleep all three times. I'm not joking about sleep. WAY UNDERRATED. Lavish dinners? Not unless you count chunky soup during Top Chef as fine dining. Bars? Yes actually, one bar with Uncles Drew and Mike to see the Bob Schneider show. Which was amazing and we got the recording of the show on CD.

Here we are during the show...

And here's a really crappy picture from my cell phone of Bob Schneider when we met him after the show. But this was THE only fun I had in the last week. Even March Madness felt a little lacking.

I spent my time working around the house. I think I was nesting. I'm not kidding. I nested. I am ok with officially being a parent. I'm not ok with officially becoming old. I went to Lowe's. In Dublin. I went to Smith & Hawken. Since when is it okay for someone to sell garden crap for those prices?!?! Pots should not cost as much as my iPod. I missed the trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond but I'll be damned if it didn't cross my mind while sifting through the 236 catalogs, coupons, inserts and mailers they sent in the last week. I cleaned. I ironed. I did dishes. I hung pictures. I vacuumed. But mostly I waited. I waited every day to hear from my wife and my son. It was quiet around the house without them. And I hated it. I hated that eerie, deafening quiet. There were no baby noises, Mommy noises. No family noises. I will also tell you that playing with infant toys in order to try to get a fix.....it didn't work. Baby Einstein sucks without the baby. I was disconnected. The only thing that worked was hearing them on the phone. Hearing the little voice and his Mom interacting with him and trying to talk to me over spotty cell phone reception. Note: Thank you AT&T. Apparently you work "all around the world" except for in my house. Keep up the good work. As good as Bob was, and he was AWESOME, he can't hold a candle to J and his Mom. That is music to my ears.

So I waited then as I am waiting now, to hear their voices. To know that they are safe. To know that they are coming home. Maybe then I can get some sleep.

Good Friday Giggles

2008-03-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun video of the monkey and daddy. The baby and I are off to AZ for a week so unless D gets the itch to do a "daddy rant" there will be no posts until we are back. Happy Easter everyone!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all the luck o' the irish today! Have a Guiness for me!!

Back in the saddle again

2008-03-14T09:59:00.001-07:00

The monkey is sleeping a little better these days. We had a pretty hectic week though. My grandfather passed away over the weekend. We are so thankful that we were able to see him just over a month ago. Grandpa was the best and will be missed dearly.

Here's a sweet picture:

The little man had his 4 month shots on Monday and we have some great pictures and videos to post once I have a few moments to get them off the camera. It was also Uncle Johnny's birthday on the 12th - here's a picture of him, D and MaeMae:

Thanks for your patience while we forge our way through the challenging times. Hugs to all :)

In case you are wondering...

2008-03-08T16:53:00.001-08:00

There will be no more posts to this blog until the monkey is allowing his parents more than a couple of hours of sleep a night. Yes folks, our sweet child that was sleeping like a champ has decided to no longer sleep at night....and naps are apparently history too! Is it too late to trade him in? Kidding :) Kind of.

Zoolander?

2008-03-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

This is currently my favorite face that J makes. He started doing it about two weeks ago but it's frequency has hit an all time high the past couple of days. He does it when he's concentrating really hard on a toy or is in his lame ocean wonders vibrating chair. That chair is like a 30 minute babysitter that we only bring out when it's time for dinner or we're about to lose it. D says that the face is like the equivalent of Michael Jordan sticking his tongue out before he does something awesome. If awesome = major poop than I'd say it's a good comparison. I'm kidding, there's no poop correlation with this face - we still have yet to catch that one on camera. I think this face is more of a Zoolander Blue Steel impression (see picture of D and J together - it's dead on). Either way, I just want to eat him up.

Okay - here's a video...the pictures just don't do it justice - plus you can see the babysitter chair and hear my awesome "mom-entary."

The Monkey Rolls!

2008-03-02T23:29:00.001-08:00

J-man rolled over from his front to his back on February 1st while we were in Florida but we knew that was the "easy" roll. Rolling from his back to his front takes a bit more skill, not just luck :) I was totally shocked when we were playing on Saturday (ironically March 1st) and he rolled over from front to back! He's been practicing ever since and is pretty good at it now. Here's a video from this morning. It looks like he is getting a head start because he's already on his side, but I promise that he got to his side on his own as well. Please pardon the "new parent" applause and goofy noises and sounds...we are dorks.

Ribbit!

2008-02-29T08:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Leap Year Everyone! In honor of the day, here's J-man wearing his froggy outfit lounging in his little chair. Something about February 29th always makes me excited. I hope everyone has a great day and a wonderful weekend. I'm going to try to post another video soon so stay tuned!

Situational Data?

2008-02-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hi - Here's a video for you - I hope it works! I have no clue what made me say "situational data" - I blame the leftover pregnancy hormones and/or the fact that my main social interaction these days is with someone who laughs at fart noises. No, not my husband. Other interesting news - I have a hickey. I've never had a hickey before. Yes, you can have a hickey too if you let your 3 1/2 month old suck on your chin to check and see if he's ready to eat. I went to wash my face last night and noticed some dark spots on my chin and figured I was just getting old but then had the "aha!" moment and realized that my son has already mastered the art of sucking face. We'll have to keep an eye on him. Hugs to all....

Still laughing...

2008-02-25T11:27:00.001-08:00

Here's the best spit-up picture ever. We put J down to sleep and he started whimpering a few minutes later. I went in to calm him and he just wouldn't fall back asleep - kept thrashing his head back and forth. It was dark, I picked him up and immediately smelled something and felt the wetness. I took him to the changing table, turned on the light and found this looking up at me. These are the moments that make sleepless nights bearable. D and I are still laughing...

Love to Aunty Lindsay

2008-02-24T16:47:00.000-08:00

A special message from cupid...

2008-02-14T07:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day everyone! Hope your day is full of love...we are certainly sending ours your way. And now a special message from our resident cupid:

To the ladies...

All my monkey love to you. I'm sending lots of smiles, coos and kisses your way. Hope you don't mind the poopy diapers.

To the gentleman...

Watch out boys...those ladies love me. I may be young but I've got this flirting thing down!

Ahhh...the beach

2008-02-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

We were in Florida last week and I'm still trying to get things back to normal over here so pardon the lack of pictures and posts. I promise more soon...check back on Valentine's Day for a message from our little cupid!

A sweet changing table picture

2008-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

The little man loves to babble these days, but especially on the changing table. It actually mimics a conversation with one of us making a noise, then J responding with his input. Some of D and I's best talks are now with the monkey over dirty diapers instead of a nice glass of Pinot (oh how life has changed!). He's pretty good with the long and short "o" sounds, we get a few loud "ahhhoooo" (short "a", long "o"), and even some "l" and "g" sounds. He really gets going if we start laughing. J really likes the "Uh Oh" too and he can almost do it. We've started playing peek-a-boo with him and the smiles we get are awesome! He has this look of confusion when our hands are over our face, then flashes a HUGE smile when we take them away. Being a parent has always been great but it's so much more fun now that we know he recognizes us. If we could just get rid of the smelly spit-up (Derek's been through three t-shirts in the past 12 hours) we'd be all good :)

Boys...

2008-01-30T06:49:00.001-08:00

Derek is very blessed to have many close friends so although the monkey only has three real uncles (Hi Drew, Jason and Zak!), he will have many honorary "uncles". Here's a great picture with uncles Drew, Mark, and Michael.

Hands, beach and birthday wishes

2008-01-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

The monkey found his hands yesterday - it's pretty fun to see the wonder in his eyes as he stares so intently at them. We took the baby to the beach for the first time while we were down south this past weekend. It was cloudy and cold but the little man's face just lit up when we stepped out of the car - he was all smiles the whole time. It's D's dad's birthday today - he would have been 59. Happy Birthday to PawPaw - we love you and miss you dearly.

How can you not love

2008-01-22T21:53:00.001-08:00

this adorable face???

Milk Milk!

2008-01-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

We introduced a bottle a few weeks back and the little guy did quite well. D gives him a bottle about once a week just so we have that option if need be. Here's a cute picture of the two boys. He just LOVES his daddy :)

TGIF

2008-01-11T09:58:00.001-08:00

So happy it's Friday! Yes, I'm home everyday but on the weekends so is D so that makes it something to look forward to. The smiles didn't really last too long last night. He never got cranky but just couldn't get comfortable and his little leg hurt him pretty bad. Every time I've changed him though he's all smiles. The past two months have been absolutely wonderful, but now it's even better because I know he recognizes me and those smiles....he's a heartbreaker. Here's a picture from NYE - the monkey and his cousins were partying it up.

Shots

2008-01-10T17:19:00.001-08:00

Believe it or not, this is the monkey not even an hour after getting his first round of shots. What a champ!

Wow

2008-01-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

Time flies...guess who's two months? Here's a pretty recent picture from my cell phone. I'll post more later once I have a spare two hours to put the pictures on my memory card on the computer. Why does it have to take so long!?! Happy Two Months little man...your Dad and I love you to pieces!

2007

2007-12-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

So here I sit on December 31st, 2007 reflecting on a year that brought the highest of highs amongst many a sleepless night. A heard a quote once that has stuck with me - "Some years ask the questions and others answer." This year doesn't really fit that mold. So many prayers have been answered, but so many questions have been asked. I'd live it all over again in a heartbeat. January was full of parties - Merrill's Holiday bash with the fateful trip to R Bar for Fernet shots, then Vegas...oh Vegas. In February the love of my life asked me to marry him and I was at the top of the world. In March we had so much fun planning a classic San Francisco wedding. Then in April we found out that we had been blessed with a child. We were married on a beautiful day in May up in Napa, then I bid farewell to my twenties in June. July brought Grace Mae into our lives and a move to the East Bay. In August came Ivy Nicole and trips to Michigan and LA. The baby and I were showered with love in August and then again in September. October was a month of anticipation and belly painting. Then on November 9th we welcomed our little monkey into our lives. December was a month of ups and downs. Bonding as a family and getting to know our little boy has been wonderful, but saying goodbye to my Grama was not easy.

I'm so thankful for all that we have been blessed with this year and for the loving and supportive family and friends that were there with us along the way. Most of all, I want to thank my husband for the countless gifts that he's gives me on a daily basis...I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Cheers to 2007 - what a year!

He's going to hate this picture...

2007-12-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

...but I HAD to do it! I've collected snowmen since I was a little girl and this little outfit was just too perfect to pass by. He's wearing it in one of the pictures on the announcement but I wanted to give you all a better look! I think this might be the cutest snowman in my collection :)

Santa!

2007-12-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

This morning we took a trip to the North Pole to meet with Santa. The little man looked so sweet and cozy that Santa decided to close down the workshop for the day and take a little nap with his new buddy. Hopefully this means that baby J is on the "good boys and girls" list for years to come!

Melting our hearts...

2007-12-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

Our Monkey has arrived!

2007-12-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

D and I are so happy to finally have the little monkey here with us. He was born on November 9th, just before 3am. Here's a picture just minutes after he was born. I look forward to updating this as much as possible (caring for a newborn is time consuming!) so please check back often for pictures of our little guy and fun stories.

Halloween Jack-o-lantern!

2007-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

I always said if I was pregnant on Halloween that I'd paint my tummy to look like a carved pumpkin - our very own Jack-o-lantern. These were the last pictures I took before he was born...

3D Ultrasound Pictures

2007-11-30T17:38:00.000-08:00

Here are a few images from the second 3D ultrasound we had done. The first time we went, September 22nd, the little guy didn't cooperate and all we got was a picture of his ear! The next weekend we went back though on September 29th and got some great shots even though he had his hands and feet in his face a lot. Look at those chubby cheeks!

The Monkey

2007-09-29T21:48:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of the early ultrasound pictures. The first is on Friday, April 13th, which is the first time we saw the little monkey (and confirmed the pregnancy!). The second ones are from May 3rd when I was almost 14 weeks along. We didn't know if there was a little boy or girl in there either time.

The Wedding

2007-09-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Derek and I began planning right away for our big day. After tossing around Monterey and Napa, we ultimately decided on San Francisco. Things quickly fell into place and we had JoePhoto, Grace Cathedral and a reception at The Sir Francis Drake Hotel lined up in no time...the perfect "trifecta." My Mom came into town, helped me pick out my wedding gown, and it was smooth sailing.

In early April a little wrench or shall we say, monkey, was thrown into the plan. We found out I was pregnant on Good Friday and already almost 11 weeks along. Needless to say, we were very surprised. After the initial shock and disbelief wore off the excitement set in and we realized that our plans for a October 27th wedding were not going to be feasible. The little monkey's due date turned out to be November 7th, so we cancelled all exisiting plans and made new ones :) Plan B.

Derek and I were married by Father Steven Strane at 11am on Saturday, May 12th 2007 at Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, CA (Napa Valley). It was a beautiful day that makes me smile everytime I think back. JoePhoto was there capturing the moments that we will cherish for a lifetime. Here are some of his images which truly speak for themselves....

The Engagement

2007-07-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, seems like it was so long ago, but really it was just back in February...

Derek asked if I could skip my exercise class next Saturday so he could take me on a day trip. I hesitated for a few different reasons, but eventually (thankfully) agreed. We went down to get coffee and a muffin that morning at our favorite local coffee shop and started heading south. We ended up at Monterey Aquarium, a place I've been wanting to go, and Derek's been wanting to take me, since we started dating. We took our time walking through and I took a bazillion pictures of jellyfish and such. He must have been sweating bullets. After that, we went to lunch in Carmel and I will say, he seemed a bit distracted...but I blamed it on the great dane sitting at the table next to us. We had dinner reservations later so had some time on our hands. Derek suggested driving up to Pebble Beach so he could say "HI" to his dad. Michael is Derek's dad and he passed away almost 10 years ago. His ashes are scattered off the 18th green at Pebble. I never got to meet him but have heard so many wonderful stories. We arrived at the golf course, get out of the car, and Derek goes into the backseat to "grab his beanie in case it gets cold." Derek never gets cold. But, clueless me just heads for the pro shop to get some souvenirs. After 20 or so minutes of hemming and hawing over golf shirts...and a call to my Dad (who knew it was "the" day but managed to keep it under wraps), I made the purchases and we headed out to the course. We walked out to the 18th, they were setting up the grandstands for the Pro-Am the next week, and stood there looking out at Monterey Bay. It's such a magical place. Derek asked me to put my bags down, which I of course questioned (what a pain I am!), told me how much he loved me and then...

D - "Tell me you love me."

H - "I love you." (with a big smile)

D - "Tell me you'll spend the rest of your life with me."

H - "Of course..." (now suspicious)

D - "Prove it."

Derek then dropped to his knee and produced the most beautiful engagement ring and asked for my hand in marriage. I, of course, said yes. The rest of the evening involved making phone calls, checking in at Spanish Bay, cocktails (namely dirty martini's) while listening to the bagpiper, dinner at Roy's, champagne and lots of love. I have to give it to Derek - he really surprised me and planned the perfect day. It was so meaningful and fitting to be asked to be a part of the Berry family off the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. Derek wanted his Dad to be a part of us and now that spot is something that I feel a very special bond with along with the rest of his family. I may have never met Michael, but I feel connected. I love that. I love Derek.

Let's Monkey Around!

2007-06-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well this is my first crack at something like this but I've been wanting to keep better documentation of all the exciting things that 2007 has brought to our lives. So bear with me while I'll begin this journey and hope you enjoy the ride!
I'm going to try to go back and post about the first half of the year but will probably be posting about daily events and such as well. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for pictures and ramblings.