Red Sox & Jayhawks

Three Months!

2012-02-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

You lookin' at me?

Our little Sam turned three months old on the 3rd and we are just falling more and more in love with him. He has started giggling, which is about the most wonderful music to this mama's ears. He is just such a love. He smiles at everyone and especially Joe, Charlie and me. It's like he knows we're the special ones. He LOVES gnawing on his hands and is working on rolling over. He's also starting to sleep longer stretches at night, though he still sleeps in our room and likes to cuddle with me after night time feedings. As my pediatrician had told me when Charlie turned three months, it is a huge milestone for everyone. And I feel very much the same this time. We are starting to get the hang of having two (and having a baby again!).

At his three month appointment, he was 23 inches and 12 pounds, 13 ounces. He has nearly doubled in weight since he was born and has grown four inches.

And we have FANTASTIC art

2012-02-01T13:35:00.001-08:00

So Joe has been responsible for the artwork (which ultimately set the tone) for each of our boys rooms. Charlie's has the fun rock concert prints and while we didn't want to necessarily copy that same look we knew we wanted something special for Sam's. Fortunately, Joe did not disappoint. As it turns out, he has been putting together a kids board book about the Fantastic Four and hired an awesome illustrator to help bring his vision to life. Even though the illustrations are intended for the book, it didn't hurt that they were absolutely PERFECT for Sam's room. There are 18 pages in all so it was a little overwhelming to figure out framing and layout, but I think Joe did a (dare I say...) FANTASTIC job!

Visitors, visitors and MORE visitors.

2012-01-26T13:39:00.001-08:00

We've had a pretty busy month since Christmas with a consistent stream of visitors at our new place. It has been great having so many family members come see us and meet baby Sam! Everyone brought their A-game in terms of helping us out, whether by cooking us meals or holding Sam so I could shower, or playing with Charlie so we could take a break. It was heavenly and I have to admit the house feels pretty quiet these days.

Here is a quick look at who was here (in order of appearance...)

Grandpa Mike and Sam staring intently at each other!

Mike came here with the sole purpose of helping us with house projects!! OMG, right? He changed light bulbs and painted Charlie's play house (it had gotten really faded in the sun) and put up towel hooks and pretty much took care of about 10 little projects we hadn't gotten to since we moved in. On top of that he cooked us an AMAZING dinner and lunch AND gave Joe a guitar lesson. All of that in just 36 hours. Thank you grandpa Mike!

Jordan took the train up from San Diego for a short 5 hour visit and I was so happy she did. We got to have lunch and catch up. Short and sweet, but so special.

Auntie Jen came out next and helped us out so much with meals and the kids. We even had a dance party one night and Charlie kept jumping on her from the couch. It was hilarious. I always love having Joe's sisters here because we can gab for hours and we never run out of stuff to talk about.

Auntie Joanne was next (driving back with Joe from a family wedding in Vegas) and she brought some fun gifts and immediately had Charlie on the floor playing. Sam was a huge fan, too! We even got some time to go shopping and have lunch, which was a big treat for me. I was happy to have helped Joanne pick out some sassy new jeans.

My sister Lana was next - visiting over Martin Luther King Day weekend with my nephew Declan. They were here for a long weekend and we had SO MUCH FUN! We hung with the boys (missing her little Wy Wy the entire time) and played and played. We had a fun afternoon of "Treat Yo Self" shopping, coffee and lunch, which was truly special and needed. Oh, how I wish we lived closer so we could do it all the time.

I adore this picture of the older boys in the bath. They had so much fun and it's hard to believe that Wyatt and Sam are the exact same age difference (11 months) and will be taking baths together soon. B-Fam is taking shape...

While Lana was in town, our cousins, Hannah & Sam (yes, my cousin is also named Sam) and his wife Rachel, also came over one night for dinner and a visit. It was fun for the Sams to meet each other. We didn't even plan that they would be coordinating in their blue striped shirts!

Hannah was cracking us up calling Sam her "sometimes baby" because she gets to come over and hold our kids "sometimes" and get her baby fix without having to deal with everything else that goes with having babies. Hannah, hope we see more of each other in 2012!

*My mom's twin, Danette "Auntie Didi" came to visit the day after Christmas on her way home from LA (she is Hannah and Sam's mom). She was a wonderful houseguest and held Sam a ton so I could get a bunch of post-Christmas things done. I wish I had gotten a pic of her with the kids because I had so many opportunities to. If you're reading this, Didi, we are sorry! But thank you SOOOOO much. Please come visit anytime!!!

If it works for your family...

2012-01-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

So this is what my bed looked like first thing yesterday morning. And to paint an even better picture, Sam's chin was actually resting on my boob when I woke up. Yes, that is how we slept for a majority of the night. All three of us. A family bed. Except it's not exactly a family bed because smarty-pants Joe hightailed it out of there for the guest room.

I know what you might be thinking. And it's okay. I might have thought that of you a few months ago. I never imagined I would be a co-sleeper. When Charlie was a newborn I obsessed and obsessed over how to get him out of our room. When he was 10 weeks we pulled the trigger and put him in his crib. And that's when the real work began for me at night. Up until then I slept. Charlie, like Sam now, would snuggle up to me and sleep all night. But in his crib, away from me, he struggled and cried almost every two hours. It was hell. But eventually, with solid food and some ferberizing, Charlie became an awesome sleeper and even a sleeper-in-er (he has been known to sleep until 10 AM on a Saturday morning or two...).

But this time around I'm struggling. I definitely want my room and my bed back (and my husband back, for that matter) but it is just all going so well right now. We are all sleeping and for the most part, happy. I don't know how I would function right now on minimal sleep. I feel like these good nights are what are getting me through the days sometimes. We are gearing up to move Sam into his room and I'm scared about what's going to happen. And we have told Charlie he will be permanently back in his bed as soon as Sam moves out. But he's stealthy and I often don't even realize he's come in our room until it's morning. Sigh. I'll keep you posted (or maybe my lack of posting will tell you how it's going)...

All of this had me thinking about how moms judge each other all of the time for our choices that have absolutely nothing to do with anyone else but our own families. I try so hard to talk to myself about judging other moms for things I might do differently. I do it every day and I hate it. I am trying to work on it with myself. As my friend Sandra told me when Charlie was a baby and we put him in two days of daycare (I was obviously having a lot of concern over what people were thinking since I was a stay at home mom) "hey, who cares what you're doing, as long as it works for your family." I have held that mantra in my mind so many times over the past nearly 5 years.

This article has been circulating around Facebook and I think it really drives home this point. And I love this quote:

"What I don't understand is why some ladies insist on making everything worse by kicking each other's asses."

We all have such a hard job. Whether we stay home or work outside of the home. Whether we have family support nearby or not, it's a huge job to raise children right and I think we need to do a better job of supporting each other, even when we have differences of opinion on exactly how to do it.

It's not too late for resolutions

2012-01-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

I know it's already past the middle of January, but I have been a little busy over here. And so I have also decided not put too much pressure on myself to have any big resolutions this year. I simply just want to "be" in 2012. This past year was pretty insane. Our 2011 started off with Charlie's tonsillectomy in January and pretty much each month from then on had some big event with my pregnancy, Sam's birth, Joe's new job on CSI and moving (oh yeah, moving) as the highlights. Sprinkled in there were trips to Kansas and San Diego, Joe's surgery in June, and Charlie starting his new school. Phew! It actually makes me tired to write that all out. So for me, 2012 is going to be a year of just enjoying all of this newness and being so grateful that we made it through 2011 with our health and happiness in tact and for our amazing new, perfect family member.

I suppose if I absolutely had to put forth a resolution, it would be something like this:

THIS YEAR I won't be a slave to the "to do" list. I will enjoy my life, especially the quiet time with my family. It's okay to be less than productive sometimes. I will enjoy my baby and soak in his sweet teeny-tiny body and baby smells. I will enjoy Charlie and his incredible little personality. I will try to remind myself how quickly this time goes by and that there will be more than enough hours in the day, someday, to run around like a chicken with my head cut off. I will have more days where I leave the bed unmade so I can spend those moments making Sam smile, or calling my sister or one of my friends for a catch up chat. I will leave dishes in the sink so I can work on a puzzle with Charlie. I will just try to "be" and be okay with it.

Two Months!

2012-01-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Our darling Sam turned two months last week and he is just the light of our lives. At around 6 weeks he started smiling and cooing to us and he just hasn't stopped. As our pediatrician says, he is one little charmer, like his brother. At his 6 week appt. he weighed 10 pounds 4 ounces and was 22 inches. He is starting to try to roll over and has great head support already. Charlie continues to be a wonderful, amazing big brother and we are starting to get the hang of juggling two.

Dear Danielle

2012-01-04T11:16:00.000-08:00

We have only known each other for a little more than three years. But it isn't every day that I make friends with someone I feel as comfortable with and who I share so many of the same values and opinions on life. We have similar families, similar parenting styles and even though you seriously kick my ass at the Rose Bowl, I feel like we could talk for hours (if only I could keep up!). When I got your email this morning that Patrick was gone, I felt like the wind was knocked out of me. No. This can't be. It must be a mistake. He was a fighter and had an amazing family around him. A wonderful wife and two beautiful boys and his parents and siblings all keeping him strong. I don't know how to put in words how truly sorry I am that your life's plan is now completely different. That as a young mom in her early thirties, you have to figure out how to go from here and that today and in the next weeks you will be making decisions that you shouldn't have had to make for another 50 years. I know you have amazing friends and family here to help you through this time. And that you are solid and poised and full of amazing grace and strength. But I also know there will be times that you will just need an ear and a shoulder, or a place to drop your kids off so you can go let of some steam. I hope you know that I am here for you for all of those things and that I love you.

Almost exactly three years ago to the day the world lost another bright light too soon. Beautiful, talented wife, sister, friend Megan McBride Franz. What is it with this horrible thing called Cancer that takes some of the best people too soon? As Megan told us all, it just really really sucks.

California Christmas Recap

2012-01-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

It all started with a little snow at the Americana and ended with two happy little kids (and tired parents!) Our Christmas this year was very chill and mellow with little Sam and an excited four year old Charlie. He was very into counting down the days and helping prepare for Santa. He was a good boy this year, especially with becoming a new big brother, and he got a lot of great new things, including a new Tee Pee from his Nana and Grandpa. Sam got a new play mat and is already practicing his new grabbing and kicking skills. The best gifts for us this year: Sammy's adorable smile and Charlie's joy over being a new big brother.

Santa Baby

2011-12-24T12:33:00.000-08:00

What a year we've had! We are so blessed and grateful.

We'll leave you with this little nugget of sweetness until after the craziness of the holidays....

PS: Sam is already so much bigger than he was in these pics. I wish I could make time stand still...

This Year's Pic with the Big Guy

2011-12-19T17:32:00.001-08:00

One thing I can always count on is that nothing will ever be exactly the way I originally hope and plan it to be. I was really intent on having the boys get a Santa picture together this year, with Sam being so tiny and newborn and Charlie at such a cute age too. One thing I wasn't planning on was being in the picture too, six weeks postpartum and all. But Charlie had other plans and decided that he would absolutely not take the picture unless I was in it too. Sigh. On the bright side, as was so nicely pointed out to my by the "Santa's Helper" there, we looked very coordinated with our outfits!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-12-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

I am such a sucker for personalized things. There's something about seeing your new baby's name and/or monogram on something that is especially fun, especially in the very beginning. We received some really amazing gifts for Sam (who ever said the second baby gets the shaft? Definitely not true in our case!) and I have also picked up a few cute things with his name on it. Here's a look (and let me know if you need any info about where to buy any of this stuff - I know I will be going "personalized" on the next baby gifts I need to buy)....

PBKs jammies. I got Charlie a pair (in red) as well so they can be "matching together"

The most ADORABLE knitted hat with Sam's monogram (thanks Al!)

"My Very Own Book" from the Blackburns! Sam is going to love it!

Everyone (even a 6 week old) needs personalized stationery...

Varsity wall letters from Land of Nod

(Charlie has his name up in his room in these as well) from the Pokaski/Healey/Paone crowd!

Liza picked up this adorable duffel bag from Land's End! Sam will be traveling in style!

And another perfect gift from the Taylors - bib and burp cloth with Sam's monogram. It doesn't get any cuter...

Sam newborn pics

2011-12-09T13:10:00.001-08:00

We had Monkeys and Peas photography come out when Sam was just two weeks old and these are a few of my favorite photos from the shoot. It was a cold and rainy day so we couldn't do any outside shots (which was a bummer at the time but I was so happy with how everything turned out in the end that it didn't matter) and though I would have liked more of Charlie and Sam (Charlie just wasn't havin' it) I am so happy with what we got. How can you not just want to snuggle this baby, he is sooooo delicious!

This first picture really caught me off guard emotionally (in a good way). For some reason it makes me think about being pregnant and how Sam must have felt inside all curled up. It's one of my favorite pictures ever.

And my sweet boys...

More of Sam...

Just when you start getting all smug...

2011-12-07T13:06:00.001-08:00

If there's anything I've learned in the past couple of years, it's that the minute you start getting smug about something you get a good little kick in the ass. I was reminded of that lesson last week during the "wind-pocolypse" that hit Pasadena. Just a few days before the big storm, I had posted this picture on Facebook (caption: "California in November, can't complain!"):

Three days later all hell broke loose and Pasadena suffered a tremendous amount of damage due to severely strong Santa Ana winds (reported 100 mile per hour winds on a night when many people lost their cars and had substantial damage to their homes). When the winds picked up it was really scary. We have been in our new house just barely two months and we have a lot of big windows and and a lot of trees in our yard. We lost power around 10 PM and pulled Charlie and Sam into our bed and cuddled up for a long, sleepless night. Having grown up in Tornado Alley I can tell you it was nearly as scary as hearing those sirens go off - except that it lasted ALL NIGHT. I worried about Sam all night, changed diapers by flashlight and didn't sleep a wink.

Luckily, we didn't have a ton of damage. We lost a big branch from the big Oak in our front yard and a bunch of smaller branches and leaves in the back. Our sun room took a beating, but really considering what so many people lost in our neighborhood, we were very very lucky.

The pool is a huge mess with dirt and leaves:

Branch from the Oak. But really we were lucky - if this tree had fallen down it would have smashed through our entire house:

My little "helper" thwarting my clean-up efforts:

Making lemonade (and a leaf collage)...

One Month!

2011-12-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

So it feels like we blinked and a month went by. Our little baby Sam is getting bigger and more alert every day and we are just so happy to have him as part of our family. No one is more in love with Sam than Charlie and he continues to be the best, most helpful big brother ever. We are thrilled and grateful. While I don't have any real "stats" on Sam (his next appt. isn't until 6 weeks) he is definitely changing every day. We are starting to get little smiles out of him and he watches us intently with much more focus. I wish I could say he was sleeping long stretches, but he's pretty much on an every 2 1/2 to 3 hour schedule with feeding and sleeping at this point. Needless to say, coffee and I have become reacquainted. But we are all beyond smitten. Happy one month birthday little man. We can't imagine our lives without you!

Happy

2011-11-29T12:32:00.001-08:00

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Two beautiful boys, a wonderful new house, our health, family who visits, emails and calls and our many friends who have brought us meals and sent gorgeous gifts and well wishes for Sam.

This year has been one of my favorite Thanksgivings. Charlie was really into it and enjoyed the fun of preparing to eat turkey and pumpkin pie. Sam slept through the entire dinner so we could enjoy it, and Joe's parents came to visit so it was festive and fun and we had lots of help. Joe cooked a wonderful turkey (yay to our 1956 kitchen for allowing us to pull off a big holiday meal) and I couldn't have been filled with more gratitude for the many blessings in our life.

Our two little turkeys (thanks Heather for the adorable matching outfits!)

Sleepy Sam slept through dinner so we could all enjoy! (That was Charlie's bib on his first thanksgiving

when we were also with the Pokaskis back in Boston).

Thanks Nana and Grandpa for making the trip and helping us celebrate our first big holiday at our

new house with our new babe!

It's kind of a love fest around here lately

2011-11-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

So it's officially been two weeks that we've had Sam in our lives! I am in total disbelief that I gave birth just two weeks ago and that we were just meeting our newest family member for the first time. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago that he was born, and I simply can't believe two weeks have gone by. They have flown. Don't get me wrong - the days (and nights, oh yes the nights) are very long sometimes. But Sam is a dream baby and we are all thrilled to have him here. And I am so happy to have been given the chance to discover the wonder of a new baby all over again. And this time I am WAY less of a mess. The nursing is going well and I am just trying to take all of the newness in stride, especially navigating he new chaos of our routine. And Charlie LOVES him. I keep waiting for the meltdown. The "send him back". But really Charlie loves "his baby" and likes to give him hugs and kisses and help me as much as he can. I can't tell you how much it warms my heart to see that. It all just feels so right. My two little boys. I can't imagine it any other way.

What's in a name?

2011-11-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

As soon as we found out we were having our second boy it seemed like everyone wanted to know what his name was going to be. Like the first time, Joe and I wanted to keep the name to ourselves until he was born. Like the first time, we also wanted to find the perfect balance of something simple to work with our un-simple last name, while still honoring our family in some way.

The name Sam just kept coming back into the mix of names we bounced around. It seemed in many ways like Charlie, just an all-around happy-go-lucky kind of name. Sam's the guy who buys you a beer. It's also a name that sustains from childhood through adulthood and who doesn't love an old guy named Sam? That criteria that we came up with when naming Charlie stood up with Sam so we decided it was a go. Charlie and Sam also sound really cute together (icing on the cake).

I was so happy we picked Spencer as his middle name after my grandfather who played a huge role in my life while I was growing up. He taught me to ride a bike and throw a ball and bought me my first car. He was quiet and thoughtful and read the bible every night. He loved watching Hee Haw and the Tonight Show. He loved going to the "boat" (riverboat casino in Kansas City) to gamble and he would always give me money to gamble and then let me keep my winnings. He took care of me when I was growing up and it was because of him that I had a constant male presence in my life from a young age. He died almost exactly 10 years ago to this day and I still miss him very much. I'm so glad we could honor him this way.

Here are a few more pics of SAM from the hospital (3 days old):

Thank you, Gigi!

2011-11-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

My mom with grandson #4

YOU:

Came all the way here to help us!
Took care of Charlie for three whole days
Made lunches and drove to school
Played, played, played
Cleaned our kitchen
Did laundry
Grocery shopped
Baked pies and cookies
Held Sam so I could nap
Brought many, (too) many presents for all of us!
And much more...

We love you and appreciate all that you did last week to help us bring Sam home! We are lucky to have you in our lives!

Welcome Sweet Sam!

2011-11-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

Last thursday our lives changed forever with the arrival of our darling new son. After a relatively easy and short labor, Sam Spencer was born on November 3, 2011 @ 5:43 PM. Our little nugget weighed in at 6 pounds, 9 ounces and 2o inches (half a pound less than his brother but an inch longer)! We are totally smitten, including big brother Charlie who loves to say "he's so cute!" and has been very helpful so far.

Waiting nervously to get the show on the road...

Here he is!!! He LOVES his hands. I think they must have been that way inside...

6 pounds, 9 ounces.

Our first family shot (missing one important boy, of course!)

In the elephant hat Meghan got him. His head is so tiny, though, it looked huge!

They meet!

Checking him out....

What's up, Sam?

The first time I cried.

Sweet little Sam.

Heading home...

Walk down memory lane

2011-11-02T11:06:00.001-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Charlie from Halloween four years ago when he was just six months old. We have it framed in our hallway. He was such a squishy, cuddly and happy little guy. By that point we had gotten through the harried, anxiety ridden, sleepless nights with a newborn and we were on to the fun of an interactive, curious baby. We were all good. When I see this picture I am so excited about what's going to happen in our lives so soon. Another little munchkin to make our worlds make sense and to fill us up with so much love and happiness. And we can't wait for Charlie to learn what the love of a sibling feels like (though that might take a little time, we know...). Wish us luck tomorrow and stay tuned...

We made it through Halloween!

2011-11-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

Joe had predicted that I would have this baby on Halloween and ruin it for Charlie. Halloween happens to be one of the most exciting times of year for him and we spend many afternoons admiring decorations, discussing costumes and just getting excited for the big day. Charlie finally settled on a costume - an astronaut! And he was such a cute astronaut!!! I was nervous and worried that I may have a Halloween baby this year, but thankfully I did not! We went back to our old neighborhood and caught up with our friends (we now have a great tradition that goes back to when the kids were babies, so it was exciting to be with the the gang again!). Here are the highlights:

Our little space man (I really don't understand why he has his eyes closed in all of his pictures!)

Just shy of 39 weeks - I was "The Stars in the Sky" (which was super lame but the best attempt I could come up with...and Charlie was happy with it...)

Daddy was able to make it even though he is finishing up his CSI shoot. Charlie was thrilled to have him there.

The Gang!

Leading the pack (he was also super cute all night because he kept making sure to say "thank you" to the people giving out candy and he wouldn't leave until they acknowledged him with a "you're welcome" - kind of a hold up, but really sweet...)

All that amazing candy and all he wanted a Tootsie Pop (I don't really like tootsie rolls anyway, so I was a little dismayed at that choice). I stole a few of my faves for the hospital bag. About 20 minutes after this picture he was crashed in bed. Halloween definitely wiped us all out! But at least we didn't have a baby...

Happy Weekend!

2011-10-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

There's a little bit of self-induced pressure to spend this last weekend as a family of three the "perfect" way. Sure, there are still plenty of small "to dos" and we have yet to go the pumpkin patch as a family. Oh and I still need to make my halloween "costume" - but what I'm really hoping to do is a little bit of this:

This was taken last weekend when Joe and Charlie went out on a few errands. Yes, it is still in the 80s here in Pasadena. And yes, my toenails are blue. We have a big, I mean HUGE week ahead of us so I hope we can all get a little R&R in this weekend. And a little tan would be nice too...

Check this out!

2011-10-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from the daily dose of baby news to share something fantastic I came across last week at my visit to Paper Source. I had gone in with the goal of getting a new planner (mad nesting, remember!) and some thank you notes. But then I came across these:

You may recall that we have a huge chalkboard in our kitchen! We found a great spot for it in the new house too and I love it but I had always struggled with the chalk. It seemed like I could never get enough traction to get a good solid line and it made writing or drawing pictures kind of a drag. BUT.....you can use these Bistro Chalk Markers in place of regular chalk and they are A.MAZING. I was definitely skeptical because I thought I might ruin our chalkboard by not being able to get it clean (I was thinking paint pen) but boy was I wrong! It wipes right off, just like regular chalk but it works so much better:

Here's the new set up...

And just the chalkboard. Don't judge my artwork here, this was really just to test out the orange color!

(Oh, and I just used the pink one for the first time and LOVE it! )

There are lots and lots and lots of chalkboard products on the market lately and I honestly love them all. I had fantasized about painting a whole wall of our new house in chalkboard paint (thank you, Pinterest) but figured I may regret that later. And there are tons of stickers and decals and labels and I might have bought them all that day if I didn't have to pee so bad (Paper Source is really kinda bitchy about letting people use their bathroom, by the way...). But I did walk away with these little chalkboard tags, which I just couldn't resist.

At first I thought I might use them in the baby's room to label some of the bins but now I'm not sure. I think they would just be so darned cute on a gift. So for now they are just sitting on my desk looking adorable until I figure out the best way to use them.

Happy Half Birthday Sweet Charlie!

2011-10-24T11:57:00.001-07:00

You're 4 1/2 and such a big boy! We couldn't love you more if we tried and we can't wait to see what an awesome big brother you're going to be!

I can't believe I even let him eat this ice cream (it's "cotton candy" flavored) but even with the blue oozing from his mouth I though this was a pretty cute pic...

Field Trip!

2011-10-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Charlie's class had a field trip this week to a cute farm and pumpkin patch and like any dutiful mother who's 37 weeks pregnant, of course I signed right up to go! I did okay until about three hours in when it hit about 96 degrees and the wind picked up and we were essentially in a dust bowl. The odd thing was that it was foggy and overcast in Pasadena and felt wonderful that morning. An hour away and we were in an inferno. But I enjoyed spending the day with Charlie and his cute little class and getting to know some of the other moms. I was happy to be able to attend one of his field trips since I probably won't be going on many more this year...

He seems to like to make this face...

Pick a good one, Charlie!

Charlie's little "best friend" Roman...

It wasn't easy getting them all up there...

Because I am such a freak about thank you notes

2011-10-20T20:27:00.001-07:00

We got a sweet gift today from amazon.com - a Burts Bees "Baby Bee" get started kit. But there was no paperwork to say who it's from. If this happens to be from YOU, please let me know so I can thank you properly sometime in the next two weeks...

**UPDATE*** Mystery solved! Thank you Jill Martini Smith for the softest, most cuddly towel that arrived today as the second part to your sweet gift!

Nesting, Nesting, 123

2011-10-18T21:39:00.001-07:00

Why yes, that is my 4 1/2 year old inside a humongous nest...

We are now officially two weeks and two days away from meeting this little guy (no 11/11/11 baby for me - we will be going in on November 3rd to be induced unless he decides to make an early appearance!) and I have decided that the term "nesting" - at least for me - really means "going freaking crazy" on a daily basis. If one more person tells me that I should be taking it easy or that I should really slow down, I actually might freak out on them. It's not that I don't know that (thank you very much), it's just that I also happen to know what happens after you have a baby. You don't get sh*% done for months. And I have soooo much sh$& to do. For example, I ordered two really important things from amazon.com today 1) Gardening gloves (because you know, I am really getting all Martha Stewart in our new yard...) and 2) Business Card Holder for Joe (because all of a sudden all of the random business cards he brings home from meetings are driving me up a wall). And I still don't have a Halloween costume. Yes, you heard me - I am going to try to dress up. FOUR. DAYS. BEFORE. I. HAVE. A. BABY. Crazy, yes, I am. going. So, please don't tell me to slow down or take it easy. Just put up with me for the next 16 days. I'm sure I won't be any crazier after I have the baby....

In the meantime, here are a few shots of the baby's room. Which is 97% done thanks so much to the most generous gift from Joe's parents of the beautiful rug we got this past weekend! We still need to put the artwork on the walls but I am not really going to stress about that until it's time to move him in (so I figure I've got at least two months...)

Thank YOU, label maker...

I wasn't going to do this...(but it was free)

2011-10-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

I've kind of always had a thing about pregnancy pictures being kinda weird. I guess I just didn't see the point in dressing up in lingerie (seriously, I have a few friends who've dressed up in "outfits" they probably would have never worn in real life while hugely pregnant? I don't get it.) There are also some really bizarre things that people do. If you want to laugh out loud and possibly pee your pants a little bit, check THIS out.

When I was pregnant with Charlie I was content to have Joe (master photog) take my monthly belly shot and that was it. I was planning on doing the same this time around except that the photographer who is doing our newborn photos asked if I would participate in a test shoot for FREE to help her train her assistant. Free photo session and free pictures. How could I pass that up? And I have to say, I am SO glad I did it. While I definitely didn't love a majority of the pics, I picked a few favorites that captured this pregnancy and the joy that being pregnant has brought me both times. While this pregnancy hasn't exactly been the cakewalk that my first one was, I really do savor these special weeks knowing that it will be over soon.

This is actually my swimsuit top, I SWEAR!

THAT's our boy...

2011-10-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

We've had a great run of good school pictures for Charlie....until....

I don't know if it was the new school or the new photographer or what, but we got a package of pictures that pretty much look like this one. Hmmm...what parent do you think he's taking after here? Enter said parent. He's almost too talented for me to take sometimes. It's almost annoying. Like, in taking pictures, for example. He always seems to capture the exact perfect moment of Charlie being his absolute sweet, adorable self. He gets the perfect light and makes us all look good. I am always amazed/jealous and think it's kind of unfair that God couldn't have bestowed this particular skill to me, who actually attempts to take 50 million pictures of our family (when they will let me.)

There are these two amazing fig trees in our new backyard. Since I will neither have the time or inclination to be making fig compote (as was so thoughtfully suggested to me somewhat recently) I am glad that Charlie has determined that they are his special "climbing" trees. He loves them and they are not too high off the ground for him to really climb. Joe captured this perfect moment the other day and we decided that this will be our "school" picture for Charlie this fall. So if you ask, this is what you're going to get. Because, THAT's our boy.

Did you know it's October?!

2011-10-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

As in, November is next month. As in, I'm having this baby in a month. OMG!!! I swear with the move and everything, this due date has completely snuck up on me! But I am feeling more and more ready for his arrival. The past two weekends I've had lovely "sprinkles" (love this term for a second baby shower!) and it has been so much fun to get lots of baby care items and many special handmade things from my girlfriends. Here are some pics from a tea my play group moms had for me this weekend.

Getting some practice with my friend Lisa's baby girl Clara (isn't she precious?!)

My friend Jian who is due the week after me

In other news, the boys got the nursery put together this weekend. Charlie had been very excited to help Joe build the crib and I have to say it was a very special moment watching him help Joe (especially when I look back at pics of Joe building the crib for the first time). I wish I'd gotten better pictures, but you get the idea. I will post some nursery pictures in another week or so. We still need to get the rug and put the art on the walls, but mostly it's ready.

Taking a break...

I am now officially 34 1/2 weeks and feeling every second of it. I swear, the insomnia is absolutely the worst. I wake up a lot at about 4 in the morning and just can't get back to sleep. Thank goodness for pinterest and etsy and all of my friends who blog. But it's a killer by about 3 in the afternoon (coincidentally right when I get Charlie from school!) but I'm making it through.

34 weeks (taken in our new backyard)

We are getting excited and anxious to meet this little man soon! Charlie especially can't wait and keeps asking when he's coming out (and how he's coming out, which is a little bit tricky...). I'll try to update as much as I can over the next few weeks...

Because he would never tell you...

2011-09-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my talented husband! Tonight his very first CSI is airing and you can catch a sneak peak here. Don't forget to tune in to CBS tonight at 10 (9 for our early to bed midwesterners) to watch!

This is how I'm feeling these days...

2011-09-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

The baby's due date is fast approaching and I am feeling really overwhelmed by this monumental task of "getting settled" into our new place. I have held it together really well the past few weeks. No big meltdowns, no tears. But I feel as the days go on that my emotional strength is starting to wane a bit. Part of it is all of the newness. Part of it is the sadness of saying goodbye in such haste to our wonderful little house in LA and the sweetness of our little family unit of Joe, Charlie and me. Charlie is doing amazingly well. I could have never asked for him to have adjusted quite so well to a new house and new school all in one fell swoop. He's probably made this the easiest on us that any four year old can. But I feel myself starting to overflow with anxiety and fear about what's going to go down in 5 short weeks. I want to meet this baby and yet and I scared to go back to absolute insanity of having a newborn and learning about a new little person all over again. I am loving our house, but it doesn't yet quite feel like home just yet. We have done a lot (A LOT!) in just a short week, but I don't know if I can keep this pace up for another 5...

BUT thank goodness for best friends!!!! This past weekend Meghan came to town with the sole purpose of helping us get settled. She said so many people would be coming to see the baby but that probably no one would be able to get here to help us now. She's pretty Type A as it is and we have always known her to get down to business whenever business needs attending to. But I honestly don't know how I could ever thank her for what she did. She unpacked box after box, decorated two of our bathrooms, cleaned, organized and washed and folded literally every single item of baby clothing we will need for this guy. On top of that we had fun getting our nails done, going to a jewelry party and at my little "sprinkle" with some of my close LA girlfriends. I truly did not want her to leave on Sunday. She is such an angel in so many ways and I can't wait until the day I can repay her for all of her help! Meg, if you are reading this - WE LOVE YOU!

"Mommy, socks are not a toy."

2011-09-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

"What????!!!" was the response I got from my sister-in-law Jen when I told her last week that we were moving (as in, that weekend). I know, we are not the best about keeping everyone up to the minute on our happenings, but hopefully you know by now at least that we moved to Pasadena last weekend! We are so excited about our new place and still up to our eyeballs in boxes and organizing. I think I would be super thrilled about it if it wasn't so darned hard to move around and bend over. But we are all enjoying our new space so much and I am just praying that baby boy stays put for at least the next 6 weeks to I can whip this place into shape. I promise (PROMISE!) to post pictures soon but that would require me finding all of my cords in order to download pictures from my camera and well, that just hasn't happened yet. But I did want to share a little story which illuminates how crazy things are.

So Charlie also started his adorable new school a couple of weeks ago. We are love, love, LOVING it and one of the fun things is that he brings a "show and tell" each week on Monday. Since school started on a tuesday he didn't have to bring his item until the following Monday. We hadn't started packing yet that Monday so it was easy enough to figure out that he wanted to take his Spidey Mighty Mug. Done. First "show and tell" a hit. So then moving weekend rolled around. Charlie was assigned to decorate a big "B" and bring it in that monday (I don't think his teacher got the memo that we were moving that weekend) because they spend each week focused on a particular letter of the alphabet. So we unearthed enough craft supplies to make the "B" at about 8:30 on Sunday night after an exhausting weekend of moving and we were all thrilled with ourselves for pulling it together enough to keep our kid on track at school (not to mention the lunch I made him was pretty hysterical given that I didn't know where any containers were and our food options were not great). So the next day I go pick Charlie up from school and the first thing he asks me is "Mommy, why did you put socks in my backpack for show and tell? Socks are not fun. They are not toys. " Oh, holy crap, we completely forgot about S&T and poor Charlie had to improvise with a pair of socks that I had left in there from taking extra clothes to school. No fun Thomas trains or books or anything to share, but a pair of white socks. Oh his second week. Ugh!!! I know it's really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but I guess I was just hoping to limit the chaos for Charlie as much as humanly possible. It really got me thinking about how in the world I'm going to remember all of this stuff when we have the baby!? Thank goodness for sweet husbands and iphones with reminder alarms...

How do you keep it all straight? Drop me an email or comment here - I am going to need all the help I can get in a few weeks.

Update on the Nugget: 32 weeks!

2011-09-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, this picture has nothing to do with the nugget but I hadn't had a chance to post it since Charlie's art and music camp at the end of last month. He really had fun with the "choo choo" themed week and he is proudly holding his very own train he made. This is a big deal because Charlie has not been one to produce a ton of artwork at preschool and he was so excited about what he made. They also had an adorable performance of two songs and Charlie stood with his group and sang and did all of the movements and I couldn't have been a prouder mama.

And now on to the NUGGET: We had our 32 week appointment today and the ultrasound was great. Baby boy is measuring right on target and approximately 4 pounds already! He is head down (yay) and everything looks great. We could actually see his face on the ultrasound and his eyes were open (which I thought was a little strange, but what do I know?). I am just now starting to get my head around the fact that he's coming soon. Like, so soon....

Paying if Forward

2011-09-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't think I have quite done it yet. I haven't really "repaid" Mike Loguidice, they guy who helped me when my car broke down on my drive back from Buffalo to Boston two days after my plane was grounded 9/11. He stepped out of his comfort zone, after stopping to get a frozen yogurt, and helped me when I was stranded. I was a mess of anxiety and fear and I was lost. I was stuck about 8 hours away from Boston in a rental car that wouldn't work and it was getting dark. And I didn't have a cell phone. I had left it at home that morning because I was in a hurry. Mike insisted that he give me a ride to Syracuse where his friend managed a hotel and he would get me a room for that night and take me to get a new rental car. But in today's world (or then, 10 years ago), can you really trust a stranger? But what choice did I have really? He talked to Joe and he let me talk to his son and we knew he was a good and kind person. I think he even talked to my mom. As a parent I can now understand how he couldn't just leave me there. So I got in the car and we talked for the hour ride, the entire time me thinking...could this be it for me? Is he going to hurt me? Did I escape the horrors of 9/11 only to be murdered two days later? But no, Mike was a good person and drove me straight to the Alamo rental at Syracuse airport where he berated the rental car staff for letting someone drive off with a broken car. He got me a new car and then I followed him to the Holiday Inn where his friend, indeed, did get me a room for the night. I didn't sleep, but watched 9/11 footage all night until it was finally time to get in my new car to drive back to Boston. Luckily I was able to get back that day and my little part of the nightmare was over.

I was in touch with Mike not long after and asked him how in the world I could ever repay him? He said, "please just pay it forward". He had recently seen that movie and had been moved by that theme. I promised him I would. But I wonder, have I? The last 10 years have been so full for us. Joe and I got engaged shortly after 9/11, we moved to LA later that same year, we planned and threw our wedding, we launched careers, we bought our first home, got pregnant, had Charlie and were then consumed with our new life that we had created in LA. And I know that I try to be a good person as much as I can. I try to be kind and compassionate and giving as much as I can be. But I also know there is so much more to do and I hope to be able to "pay it forward" in more meaning ways as my life continues. I want to find the balance of keeping up with life and helping others find the beauty in it. If 9/11 taught us anything, it's how very lucky we are to be here.

First Day of Pre-K!

2011-09-06T11:26:00.001-07:00

I can't believe this is my tiny little baby boy! He is SO big now (and I can't believe how much he looks like Joe in this pic!). We are thrilled about his new school and know he is really going to really enjoy his "Young Kindergarten" year! (He practically pushed me out of the door this morning so he was definitely ready...).

The Baby List

2011-09-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I bought Soothies (for nursing), A+D ointment and some pacifiers while I was on my Target run. I don't know why it just felt good to get a few things in preparation for this baby. In so many ways I feel completely unprepared for our lives to be turned upside down in just two months. In other ways I feel so much more prepared. After all, we've done it all once right? And as with last time, no matter how much you get everything ready, you are never quite totally prepared.

Over the past months as I was making my mental list of things we might need for this baby I kept jotting things down in little notebooks or post-it notes and that was getting very disorganized (and I get stressed when things feel disorganized (do you know me?)). THEN I came across this fantastic website called "The Baby List" and thought it was truly brilliant. What you do is pick items that you want/need, very similar to a traditional registry. However, you can pick things from ANY store (including Etsy and non-traditional registry stores) and post a link and add a special note with the item like "this is great but I would be happy with it from xyz store or in similar colors, etc." so that you are basically giving anyone who wants to know ideas about what might be helpful. I find this extremely useful for the second baby when you already have most of the big stuff but could use a restock of baby care items or if there are new, fun things that have come out since the first time around.

I originally set up our babylist to have a central place to keep track of all of those things I was jotting down each day so I wouldn't forget. And now that a couple of my girlfriends out here have insisted on having "sprinkles" for me, I'm glad I have at least a few things that I can direct anyone to if they are not feeling creative. Regardless, I am excited for anything new for this baby because pretty much most of the "stuff" we have is hand me downs! Such is the life of a second child (but I wouldn't know because I am the oldest)...

*Disclaimer: please note that this is not a solicitation for gifts!!! We have so many gorgeous things for this baby from everyone's amazing generosity last time around. And as you saw in my previous posting, we have already gotten some truly darling things for this little guy. I am just really a fan of this website and wanted to share how it has helped me stay organized his time around! Any of my friends reading this who are going for a second or THIRD baby, keep this in mind!

Beach Day!

2011-08-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I want to do with Charlie in the next two months before baby boy arrives and hitting the beach has been high on my list! I was so happy that we made plans with our friends Lisa and James to go visit them at their fabulous new house in Mailbu. Another of Charlie's friends Sawyer and his mom drove with us and we all had a wonderful afternoon.

My little water baby

The boys lovin' the surf

Sand in our toes

Our little models...

My other little water baby...

Update on the Nuggety Nugget: 29 weeks!

2011-08-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

So here I am in all of my third trimester glory! Things are going absolutely great with the baby and he is kicking me all the time so I know he's doing well. But I do feel HUGE. And judging by everyone else I encounter these days, I am. If you're on Facebook you know that a checker at Trader Joe's asked me the other day if I was sure I wasn't having twins. She kept on going after that by saying "were you like this with your first?" And I said "Like what?" and she said "SO BIG?". I think I was, actually, but it feels harder this time. It's probably harder because Charlie hasn't exactly gotten the memo that mommy needs to slow down a bit. I am still having to pick up toys all the time and make lunches at night and keep up with him (did you see the swimming video?). I am trying to really soak in my time with him, though, because he is at such a sweet and precious stage and I know all hell is going to break loose soon. 12 weeks left, people. If I'm lucky!

If you're on FB you also know that I suffered mightily through my 3 hour glucose test last week. Oh it just sucks so bad to be pregnant and be told you can't eat breakfast and then you have to go drink this nasty sugary flat orange soda and th

en get FOUR blood tests over a span of three hours. This entire pregnancy I've been a bit on the gaggy side so it was much harder to get through this test than it was when I was pregnant with Charlie. Luckily I "passed" last time around so keep your fingers crossed that I don't have gestational diabetes again this time. Otherwise, all is going well and the OB assured me that I am "right on track" with my size and weight gain. Take that, Trader Joes.

Oh, and here are a few things that are making me VERY excited!!!

First, we are totally behind in getting this little guy's nurs

ery together. Part of it is that I haven't been inspired by anything like I was the first time around. BUT - I decided to get these red star crib sheets from Serena and Lily a couple of months ago when they went on sale and I'm so glad I did because they don't have them anymore. I loved the stars because we had gotten the brown star twin set for Charlie's big boy bed and I thought it would be cute to tie in the boys rooms in a fun way. Then S&L had a huge end of summer sale and my mom got us the chambray nursery basics bumper and crib skirt (seen here!) and so I am starting to figure this room out a little bit. I think we are going to hang a rock poster (another shout out to Charlie's room) with a rocket ship on it and possibly lean into that theme a little bit. As you might recall from Charlie's nursery I'm not so into "themey" b

aby rooms, but I do think this will be pretty cute. Stay tuned for pics as we pull it all together!

Guess what else we got for 70 % off at the S&L sale???

Their Saulsalito Moses basket! Yay - we are so excited! When Charlie was a newborn we borrowed a friend's moses basket and it was one of the most useful items we had the entire first few months. When these were on sale for such a great deal I just couldn't resist and I'm excited that we will be able to use it in the Nugget's room later on for holding toys or whatever. Did I mention it was 70% off? It's like they were practically giving it to me.

Here are a few gifts we've gotten for him. I have to admit that it is really fun getting new little tiny outfits even though we have SO. MANY. CLOTHES from Charlie and all of our nephews.

I mean, what could be cuter than this?

Or this? You know I just can't wait to get the boys all matchy-matchy!

Oh, I think I know...sweet boy Charlie who is very excited to meet his baby brother soon.

A Special Birthday Message for Nana!

2011-08-21T17:30:00.001-07:00

We hope you had a wonderful day and we can't wait to spend Thanksgiving with you!

Little Fish

2011-08-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

Remember when I mentioned that Charlie was starting swimming lessons this summer?

Our week in Kansas (last post): B. FAM.

2011-08-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

My sister and I decided that come November we will have enough cuteness and raw talent to start ourselves a boy band in a few years. We even came up with the perfect name - B. FAM (pronounced, Be-Fam) which stands for "Brothers From Another Mother" (don't even think about stealing it, we've already gotten the copy write).

Well, Dec and Charlie got off to a great start with their practice session in Kansas and even little Wy got into the groove. We are thinking their signature move will be the synchronized summersault...

I have a much longer (hilarious) version of this that just wouldn't post to the blog (probably too big of a file). But you get the idea....

A special birthday shout out to BIG JOE!

2011-08-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

We wanted to send a happy 65th birthday message to Joe's dad (Big) Joe! We hope you are having a wonderful day and we wish we could be there to celebrate with you! Thank you for being such a wonderful father/father-in-law/Grandpa. We couldn't ask for anything more except to live closer so that we could all spend more time with you. Thank you for always taking such great care of us and for taking time out of your busy schedule to come see us. Charlie loves how hard you play and how much fun you have with him. We are excited for baby boy Pokaski to meet you very soon (and we hope he also has your blonde hair and blue eyes)! We love you!

Our Week in Kansas: BIG BROTHER IN THE MAKING

2011-08-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of our trip to Kansas was seeing Charlie interact with baby Wyatt. He was genuinely interested in helping out with Wyatt and loved to make him laugh and smile. If Charlie's affection toward Wyatt is any kind of glimpse into my future, I am so excited to watch him transition from only child to big brother in just three short months!

Our Week in Kansas: A DATE WITH THE TAYLORS

2011-08-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of our visit was spending an afternoon with the Taylors! Charlie and Luke have known each other since they were babies (and technically before since we were pregnant at the same time...) and of course Al and I (and Matt too) have known each other for about 17 years. We always try to make an effort to get together with them when we're in town and the boys enjoy each other's company and it's so fun for Al and I to have a chance to catch up in person (and if I'm lucky, Matt will make an appearance and entertain us all!) I have to think if we lived in KC that we'd have play dates with the Taylors every chance we got.

*Not pictured: Adorable, sweet, tiny little Grace who is just the best little baby girl. I can't believe she is almost ONE but I am so glad I've gotten to see her a couple of times in her first year.

I love how a Woody doll made it into this picture...

Our Week in Kansas: FUN AT GIGI'S

2011-08-05T10:34:00.001-07:00

A few years ago my mom built a special little place out in the country on the outskirts of Lawrence. She had been wanting a place with horses and animals and the simple country lifestyle. It has been great for the boys, who can't get enough of the horses, Ella and Billy, my mom's dog Teddy and the two new kitties, Henry and Co-Pilot. During our visit, Charlie had several fun afternoons over there and then all of us got together with the entire family for a great BBQ toward the end of our visit.

Charlie absolutely loves feeding the horses their treats. He goes straight for the fridge when we get to my mom's looking for the carrots...

He got a chance to ride on Ella a few times

The boys also love swimming in her tank and it definitely helped cool them off

after running around in that heat.

Charlie loves petting Teddy and he is such a great dog.

The big Michaels Family (see if you can find my mom's sisters)

- it was so great to see everyone!

I just had to post this picture of Declan with my cousin Matt's little twin boys,

Cash and Cole. By the end of the painting extravaganza they were all

completely covered. It was cute and very messy!

Our Week in Kansas: BEATING THE HEAT

2011-08-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

When our flight was landing in LA on tuesday, you would have thought everyone on the plane had won the lottery when the captain announced that it was 70 degrees in LA. That's because we had all gotten ON the plane in Kansas City, which was hovering right around 105 degrees at noon. Yes, it was hella hot. I'm not one to usually complain a whole bunch about the weather but this summer in particular, with my delicate condition, I found it particularly difficult. What was nice about it, though, was that it kept us indoors a lot and that usually meant that I could be at least lying down or resting.

When we did venture outside, it usually involved some sort of water activity. One of our favorite places from both this and last summer is Splash Cove in Shawnee. If I lived anywhere near there I think Charlie and I might go every day. It's the perfect utopia for little ones (and preggy moms) as the entire place is no deeper than 2 -3 feet of water and there are lifeguards about every 10 feet. WE LOVE IT THERE. I think we'll try to go back every summer we visit Lawrence.

The boys and Gigi waiting for Spash Cove to open (they nicely let us go in about 10 minutes early to put our stuff down and get the boys ready)

Venturing in...

Down the slide!

Another day we went out to Grandpa Mike's house on Lake Dabinawa and though I couldn't enjoy the water, Charlie had a blast with Mike and Gigi. His favorite part was getting Mike to throw him way up high and he wanted to do it over and over (and over and over) again.

Charlie really wanted to try tubing but obviously he's not quite big enough. But Mike would let the tube float out a little bit and then pull it back really fast and Charlie would usually fall in the lake. Luckily he loved it and was cracking up the entire time.

Our week in Kansas: COUSINS

2011-08-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

We just got home from a great visit to Kansas. Sadly, it will be our last for a while - at least until baby boy #2 is big enough to handle a trip (and I am confident enough to handle traveling with two!). We had such a great time. 4 is really a great age for traveling. Charlie LOVED the flights and was such a dream child on each leg of the trip. While we were in Kansas he had an absolute blast playing with his cousins and seeing some of our other family members and friends, despite the truly miserable heat. I really don't know why I can't figure out better weeks to travel home (either it's the blizzard of the century or a 110 degree inferno...).

Since I took nearly 150 pictures during our week, I am going to blog each day for a week (the length of our visit) with a highlight of our trip. I'm hoping I will be able to capture the special parts of our trip a little better than just throwing all the pictures up at once. So, today's "theme" is COUSINS! Charlie is so lucky to have so many wonderful cousins and he just loves spending time with Declan (Decky) and Wyatt (Baby Wy Wy). They all had so much fun together and one of the sweetest things was Lana and I overhearing their conversations about some truly random things.

Happiest baby EVER!

This morning when we were getting ready for school, Charlie asked "Mama, can we go back on the airplane and go visit Decky again next week"? I don't think I could take more of that heat, but it would be wonderful to get the kids together again so soon. It's those moments when I truly wish we all lived in the same city so we could be together all the time.

And sometimes THIS happens...

2011-07-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Charlie has been swimming his little heart out at the pool. We have been doing swimming lessons twice a week and we can really see the results. Just last week Charlie almost swam across the pool by himself!!!! In addition to our Saturday morning lesson, we now go Tuesdays after school and by the time he finishes his lesson he is POOPED! It has been ages since Charlie has napped, but he just gets soooo tired that I can't deny him a little siesta by the pool. It's great for me as well because I rarely get a chance to swim by myself and that is feeling so great these days.

This little piggy

2011-07-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today I treated myself to a pedicure. It was only my second one during this entire pregnancy (as in, only my second one in 6 months...). I really wish I could have posted a "before" picture because it was not pretty. I'm usually a little more consistent with my trips to the nail salon, but I have just not felt like going since the smells and fumes really gross me out. When I got my last one in April I actually had to leave the salon because I was gagging. Nice. Plus, I am just not thrilled with the gallons of acetone they use (doesn't it seem like they wipe your nails off about five different times with remover or alcohol?).

Now you are probably going to want to make fun of me for this, but I wanted to share this special nail polish and remover that I bought at Whole Foods that I took with me and asked them to use. Actually, I used the remover when I was pregnant with Charlie too. Its by a company called "No Miss" and they make almost natural polish and remover, taking out the formaldehyde and other not-so-conducive-for-healthy-baby-growing ingredients. I know it seems silly, but using them does make me feel just a little bit better. Plus, they have really cute colors, like the fun pink I got on my toes.

You might notice I'm rocking the Rainbow sandals that I posted about a few weeks ago. I still LOVE them and I'm probably wearing them inappropriately too much. Like with outfits that clearly call for black sandals and even with cute sundresses (as if I'm some hardcore surfer chick on the North Shore that rolled out to dinner straight from the beach or something). It's just that they ARE. SO. COMFY. I'm definitely feeling the effects of the heat on my feet and though I'm not swelling too much yet I do feel like wearing super comfy shoes is becoming more and more of a necessity.

It was nice to get a little pampering this afternoon despite the fact that the gal doing my nails said she could tell I was having a boy because my face was fat. Either that or that it was happy. I'm not really sure exactly what she said but either way, she was right.

Char-Mageddon

2011-07-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

There was so much talk about the so-called "carmageddon" in LA this past week. I'm so happy it was pretty much a non-event. It's so annoying how the news gets wrapped up in certain things and makes them bigger than what they are and it's nice to know LA isn't as crazy of a place as everyone tries to make it out to be. Anyway, isn't there always 50 straight miles of bumper to bumper traffic? But enough about that...

This weekend Joe and Charlie set out to have a backyard camp out. I had dinner plans with some friends so Joe took Charlie to ihop (you know, the international house of pancakes...) and then they stopped by Target for a lantern and voila, they were ready.

Charlie being super helpful with set-up.

...and then, not so much.

All that pretend helping made me sooooo tired....

Look at my fly pajamas and the lantern we just got.

Tired from a big day of swimming, pancakes and camping

But wait - this is just too much fun

Flashlight time...

Freaky/artsy blair witch picture Joe took that I thought was kinda cool

*For the record, when I got home at 9:45 pm they were both still awake, rocking out to the party that our neighbors were having. I joined them in the tent and when Charlie was finally passed out at about 10:30 we brought him inside. Charlie was slightly bewildered in the morning to find himself in his own bed but then got excited about going camping again soon. I am looking forward to a year or so from now when we can actually go camping as a family because there are many awesome places to do it around here.

An update on the nugget

2011-07-15T11:33:00.001-07:00

I had an unexpected surprise at my OB appt. this week when I got to have another very thorough ultrasound. I thought they had already done that at 17 weeks but they scheduled another one and I wasn't about to complain because it's always fun to see the bambino! In short, he's doing fabulous! He looks great and is measuring just a tiny bit ahead (about 1/2 week ahead) and he weighs a little over a pound. So now I'm just kinda wondering where the rest of the 17 pounds I've gained so far is from!?

We are so lucky!

2011-07-11T12:19:00.001-07:00

This is a long overdue post to say THANK YOU to Charlie's Nana and Grandpa, who came out in early June to spend some time with us. It was great to have them here as always and they made special plans to take Charlie to Disneyland while I had a day to rest (and another afternoon they took him to the zoo! I could really get used to having grandparents around....). Charlie had a blast with them and we were so glad he could have some one on one time with them, which is a rare and special treat.

One of the most special things Joe's parents do after almost every visit is create a special memory book on Snapfish of pictures from their time together. Charlie absolutely LOVES these books and they have become a big part of our nightly book routine. He tells me all about the different things they did together and I know it helps him to feel close to his family members that are far away. If I had my act together I would make these books of our other family visits and for Charlie's cousins and special friends. What a wonderful and special idea.

We hope you will come back soon, Nana and Grandpa! We all miss you and baby #2 can't wait to meet you in a few months!

Conversations with a Four Year Old

2011-07-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

This is how my conversation with Charlie went this morning at the breakfast table:

C: "Mama, can I have some chocolate applesauce that's in the fridge?"

Me: "Char, I'm not sure I understand what you're saying - we don't have Chocolate applesauce"

A few minutes later...

C: "Why did you say you didn't understand what I was saying when I asked about chocolate applesauce?"

Me: "Well, because I wasn't sure I knew what you meant about that."

C: "But it's the chocolate applesauce I had when I was in the hospital after I had my tonsils out."

Me: "Oh, are you talking about chocolate pudding?"

C: "Yes. Maybe next time we go to the store we can get some?"

Me: "Okay, let's try to remember."

A few minutes later...

C: "Why do cats like to eat birds?"

Me: "Um, I think they just like to play with them because they're fun."

C: "Do you think cats want to fly and that's why they play with them?"

Me: "Yes, I definitely think so."

C: "Maybe cats should get a bird costume so they can fly."

Me: "I think that's a really great idea, buddy."

A very happy (and hot) 4th!

2011-07-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th once again this year at lovely Lacy Park. We all had a blast except that it was soooooo hot! Thankfully there were snow cones to be had and once the sun went down it was perfect for the show. Charlie had a blast all day and especially watching the fireworks! The baby must have enjoyed (or at least heard) the fireworks too because he was kicking me like crazy during the display!

I finished my own Snow Cone and then Charlies...

I loved this shot of the palm trees above the boys

(The Boy Scouts sell these light sticks every year and Charlie loves them so we

always get a few to play with when it gets dark)

My little red, white and blue boy having so much fun!

A girl and her boys

2011-06-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

This morning Charlie and I got off to a late start for preschool and I took him in at lunchtime. It was really nice because we got a little bit of extra sleep and I actually had a chance to get dressed and put on a tiny bit of makeup. When I walked into the room to get us ready to leave Charlie looked up and said "Mama, you look SO cute!". I almost died.

I remember when I was pregnant with Charlie I really hoped I would have a girl. I had always imagined myself with two little girls. Both Joe and I had grown up with sisters and it just seemed like that made sense. When I had the ultrasound and she said "it's a boy" I have to admit I had a wave of disappointment. When I think about that now it almost makes me cry to think that I could have ever been anything but overjoyed to hear that I was having a healthy baby and that he would end up being the second love of my life, Charlie. Not long after I found out we were having a boy, my friend Meredith (who has two boys) pulled me aside at a work party for our husbands and told me how lucky I was to be having a little boy. She said "little boys just love their moms and it's an amazing bond". She truly couldn't have been more right. Charlie and I have a closeness that I could have never imagined. And I've had so much fun with him, even his little boy clothes have been fun! I mean, little tiny polo shirts, come on!

When I got pregnant this time after a long fight for baby #2, I was ecstatic. I prayed and prayed that this baby would stick and that he or she would be healthy. I never gave it a second thought "what" I was having beyond that it be healthy. It's funny the baggage other people can put on you, though. I can't tell you how many times I heard "Oh, wouldn't it be amazing if you were having a little girl?" or "Girls are so much fun. this time you will get your girl and have a blast shopping for her and putting a pink room together!" I almost started to feel like I would disappoint other people if I didn't have a girl. But I can honestly say that I really didn't care at all about pink and dresses and all of that. I had been praying for so many months to see those two lines and then to hear those words "You are having a healthy baby..."

Of course, I am not going to lie and say that I wouldn't enjoy shopping in the girl section of baby GAP maybe just a little bit more than in the boy section or having a daughter to do fun stuff with later on, like shopping and getting our nails done. But I am truly blessed with some amazing women in my life: my mom and mother-in-law, a wonderful sister, two step-sisters, THREE sisters-in-law, three nieces and many incredible girlfriends across this great country.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy these loving, crazy and adorable boys, one who reminds me so much of his amazing dad. Having them is a blessing beyond all blessings and I will never forget how lucky I am.

1/2 way there!

2011-06-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that we are half way through this pregnancy! 20 weeks today! I almost still can't believe that I'm pregnant, while at the same time I am SO. BIG. ALREADY! It's crazy how quickly everything is happening this time around. Part of the problem is that I don't remember anything from my pregnancy with Charlie, except that is was easy. It was a breeze to get pregnant (2 months of "trying" versus 18 months this time), I was NEVER sick (versus the puke fest of this pregnancy - btw I am STILL gagging at 20 weeks - how unfair is that?) and the general ease of everything. While this pregnancy truly hasn't been easy, I feel incredibly blessed to have this little kicking machine in my tummy. And there have been some things that have been better so far (such as feeling him move from much earlier on, around 16 weeks compared to about 22 with Charlie). I have also enjoyed shopping for maternity clothes this time since A) I had to do it MUCH sooner, B) I am in a completely different season than with Charlie and C) I am not working so I can wear more casual clothes on a daily basis, which is so nice. It is also nice to share this time with my family and especially with Charlie who is getting used to the idea of a little brother. But oh man, I've still got 5 months to go. Please tell me where this baby is going to go? I don't know how much bigger I can get!

For reference, this is my "5 month" pic from my pregnancy with Charlie. Just a wee bit smaller, wouldn't you say?

It's true, it's true!

2011-06-20T11:46:00.001-07:00

We are over the moon to announce that we are expecting another baby boy in November! Charlie is super excited and has been giving us lots of name suggestions (mostly names of his little friends' baby brothers, which is hilarious!).

"When I get to be a daddy..."

2011-06-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Charlie circa 2009

Charlie has been saying this a lot lately to ask questions about what he will be able to do when he's all grown up. But instead of saying "When I'm all grown up..." he says "When I get to be a daddy..." - it is so freaking cute. He has understood for a while now that he is a boy (like daddy) but every once in a while he will test me and ask if he will get to be a mommy. It's a really funny conversation when it happens as you can imagine the explanation I inevitably have to give. Anyway, he likes to ask us if when he's a daddy he will be able to wear Joe's shoes, sleep in the big bed (our bed) and go to work, etc. Joe teases me that it's some kind of Oedipus complex, but I think he's just fascinated with being all grown up. I love it - but oh my gosh, the thought of him actually being a parent really makes me panic that the time is going to go by so fast. It's probably how our parents feel watching us have kids. Regardless, Charlie will have some major shoes to fill. He is one lucky boy to have Joe for a dad and we just wanted to give a huge shout out and wish Joe a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! You are truly the best Charlie and I (and baby!) could have ever hoped for. We love you!

PS: We also want to wish a Happy Father's Day to Grandpa Joe and Grandpa Mike who are just the best ever and we wish we got to see more often. We hope you had a great day!

A (tiny) little pat on the back

2011-06-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

I feel like this is very monumental and worth noting on our blog: I finished Charlie's baby book today. Ta dah! I mean, I really finished it. No papers or pictures falling out and post-its with notes about what I need to get to finish it up - I really did it. I am feeling very satisfied with myself. When he was born I told myself I would do it before he turned one and then it became two and so on and now my baby is FOUR and I am already trying to figure out what to do with all of his preschool art and paperwork*. One of the great motivators to finally get it finished was that Charlie absolutely LOVES looking at his baby pictures and especially the ones of him at the hospital. It's so much fun to look with him and we usually do that in place of books at bedtime. I was going to take a picture of it and include it with this post but I just didn't get around to it today with all my other crazy crossing things off of my list...

*If you need (or can share) any ideas about organizing school papers/pictures/artwork, please let me know!

Happy Birthday to Joe (a.k.a the best sport in town!)

2011-06-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

Bet you can't guess what Charlie wanted to get Joe for his birthday!?

Things I'm loving right now

2011-06-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Besides the iPhone, our Keurig coffee maker, and USPS.com, one of my favorite things of all time is the tide "on the go" pen. I know, I am such a nerd about this but it REALLY works and is such a lifesaver (now if only it could fix a bleach stain that I accidentally got on Joe's brand new Banana shirt)!

Bossypants by Tina Fey. Have you read it yet? If not, go out RIGHT NOW and order it and read it. It's hilarious and insightful and fun. Perfect for the beach or pool this summer.

Another MUST HAVE this summer are these fab Rainbow Sandals. I just got these (they are actually selling them at J.Crew right now). They are super comfy and cute (they go with everything) and I am love love loving them. Charlie asks me every day "Mama, why do you only wear flip flops all the time?" Because, Choo Choo, I can and I love them.

Staycation

2011-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

Joe and I recently "won" a one night stay at a local hotel at a silent auction we attended. We got it thinking it would be a fun getaway for the two of us or that we might send some of our out of town guests there for a night. However, when I called to check on available dates and the expiration I found out we only had one weekend left - memorial day weekend! Soooooo....we decided it would be fun for the three of us to go and have a little STAY-cation. And it was great! We lounged in our hotel room, swam at the pool and went out to eat at a local hibachi restaurant. We had a blast!

Charlie and Plex taking a peek at the view from our room (Charlie calls is the "show and tell" room)

Gearing up for the pool. It was a little chilly...

Mom, you know I hate posing for the camera...will this do?

My boys and their ipads (to be fair, Charlie was playing games on MY ipad)

At Tokyo Wako. Charlie was a little scared of the fire and smoke.

Learning how to use chop sticks.

And a little ice cream to end our super fun day

Making Lemonade

2011-05-30T21:05:00.001-07:00

I had the chance to observe at Charlie's school a couple of weeks ago and was so proud while watching my boy make lemonade (get your mind out of the gutter! I am talking about lemon juice!). That day I realized that we have a little lemon squeezer exactly like the one they use at school and an amazing lemon tree and kumquat tree in our yards (two of our favorite things about our house!) and I suggested that he try to make some "juice" at home. Of course he was ALL OVER IT! What a great little activity for us and though it was a little messy, and not exactly tasty (since he wouldn't let me add any sugar or water to it), it was so much fun seeing his concentrated little face and how proud he was when he was done.

Picking out some kumquats in the front yard (note the change in hat - we are now sporting our fire chief hat...)

Lemons and kumquats from our yard

Concentration face

I Love This

2011-05-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

It's such a gentle reminder to those of us with little ones to slow it down a notch and enjoy the precious, fleeting moments we have with them. And yes, sometimes the laundry really CAN wait....

IF I HAD MY CHILD TO RAISE ALL OVER AGAIN....

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.
I'd fingerpaint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I'd model less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

By Diane Loomis

They Done Good

2011-05-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Joe purposely "let" me get up this morning with Charlie* so I could find their fun little basket of treats they put out last night. I was very impressed with the selection of yummy sodas, sour patch kids, gummy worms, a little journal and season two of "Drop Dead Diva" (totally LOVE this show and so should YOU!). There was also a little "coupon book" from Charlie that he made at school that totally cracked me up. One of the coupons was "to help you dust the house" (I haven't dusted our house in about four years...) and also to "help wash the car" (which everyone knows NO ONE washes their own cars here). But I translated that into keeping me company at the car wash, which he does wonderfully. Finally, they took off for a long afternoon of play at Charlie's fave spot, Jumpin' Jamin, while I got to do a little shopping and napping. All of it topped off with a lovely dinner that the boys brought home. It really was the perfect Mother's Day.

*To be fair, Charlie slept in until 9 a.m. today, a rare and fabulous treat for all of us...

FOUR!

2011-04-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Dear sweet Charlie barley, we can't believe you are FOUR! You are the light of our lives and such a joy.

Here are the things we want to remember about you at FOUR:

1) Your magic hat and how you love to wear it everywhere

2) How if you see Daddy and me hugging you like to get in between us for a "Charlie sandwich"

3) You love to eat waffles, eggs and fruit EVERY morning for breakfast like clockwork

4) You still love your balance bike but you are getting the hang of your "big boy" bike

5) You love to cuddle in the mornings and that is such a special time for us

6) My favorite things you say are: "Kiss You" (instead of tissue), "Cup Folder" (for cup holder"), "Coconut Blanket" (instead of polkadot blanket) "Show and Tell Room" (for Hotel Room), "Remote Control Tower" (for the airport control tower)

7) You want a dog, but you want a baby more

8) You and daddy have your special "Coffee and Apple Juice" outing every saturday morning

9) You love your Paul Frank "monkey" jammies so much that mommy and daddy got some too

10) Nose kisses. Especially the ones where you squish our faces together really hard

Here's a little walk down memory lane of your last four years:

Tiny baby Charlie at two weeks old. You were such a magical and sweet little baby.

Our little one year old munchkin. We thought you were SO BIG!

Little sweetie pie at TWO!

Growing so fast at THREE!

Our big boy at FOUR! Where does the time go????

How to throw the most fantastic Fantastic Four birthday party ever

2011-04-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

It all starts with the invitation - hand made and sent via snail mail, of course! And yes, I made the envelopes out of comic books (Joe's idea, my execution!)

Cupcake cake from Polkatots in Pasadena (yummy!!!)

A bouncing birthday boy all ready to go

Balloons

Fabulous food from Four Cafe in Eagle Rock

A "Make your own cape" craft

An abundance of adorable little superheroes...

The Mighty Muggs even make an appearance...

The "Money" shot (notice Charlie's wearing his magic hat...)

Presents galore

One imported Gigi and a happy little superhero

Magic Hat Obsession

2011-04-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

A few years ago if Joe and I had heard the term "magic hat" we would have immediately thought of our favorite beer from Boston, Magic Hat #9. However, times they have a changed. Lately the only "Magic Hat" in our life belongs to Charlie who insists on wearing it wherever we go (and he even wears it to bed). Luckily he doesn't try to wear it to school and we have stopped having to watch Frosty the Snowman twice a day (in March, seriously!)....

I couldn't love this kid more if I tried...

2011-03-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

American Idol & and a fabulous weekend with Meg!

2011-03-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

Meghan came to town last week on business and we were on the receiving end of some serious VIP pampering as we headed to the American Idol finalists after-party. Meg has an amazing job with Coca-Cola and since they are the sponsors of Idol, we were treated like we were stars. Not joking - see if you can find us in the picture of the Idol cast! :-) Sadly, I have not watched a single show this season so I have NO idea who anyone is. However, I was excited to see J.Lo and Coast Beast from Glee. Meg was fearless and asked everyone from the coach to Marc Anthony for a picture. It was truly a special night out with my special BFF. I was psyched to get my hair and makeup done (thanks for the fun treat, Meg!) and now I think I will do that whenever I have a special event. It makes you feel amazing!!! The rest of the weekend was not quite as glamorous as we had a lot more downtime and playing with Charlie, but we did get to have a spa morning and a bit of shopping and lunch like the old days. I had such a blast and already miss you so much, Meg! So do Joe and Charlie. Come back and see us again soon!

More cousin time (and a WARM visit to San Diego!)

2011-02-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes!!! Actually, make that two days! Upon returning from Kansas, Charlie, Joe and I immediately headed down south to San Diego to spend three glorious days with his sister Jill and her family (Armin, Soraya and Adileh). We were fortunate to also get to see my step-sister Jessie and meet her new baby, Solie Jo (who is every bit as precious as her brother Ostend). Charlie had SO MUCH FUN with all of his cousins, starting with Ossie at Legoland and then spending tons of quality time with Soraya and Adileh at the Wild Animal Park, a fun day at the beach, and several lunches and dinners out. Here are some highlights of our much-needed respite to SD. BTW - if you are ever looking for a family friendly place to stay in SD, you have to check out Paradise Point. This is our second time staying there and it did not disappoint. It is gorgeous and perfect for families.

Charlie's favorite ride, which he called the "couch ride" - I guess because it resembles a couch...I love the kid's face whose sitting next to us...

So many fun things made out of legos!

Charlie and Oz-man going to town.

Daddy and Charlie on the helicopter ride

Charlie got to drive this car all by himself. He even got a "license" afterward! He was very proud of himself!

Wild Animal Park!

Soraya and Charlie checking out the ducks

Feeding some very eager birds. Charlie actually got bitten (though nothing serious) because he reached out to pet one of them

I just thought they were SO cute holding hands and walking with Joe...

Baby Adileh! Having so much fun on our tram ride!

Such a climber!

Check out my new shades! Last week I was wearing snow pants...look at me now!

Soraya and Charlie were feeding ducks that were in the lagoon directly behind our hotel rooms.

Then they got bored and just started running across the lawn. So. Much. Energy!

The grownups enjoying some Mexican in Old Town

Our little Mariachi

Taking a dip in the (cold!) ocean!

Soraya had the right idea with her wetsuit! They were so adorable playing in the water...

Our little water baby.

Joe and Charlie taking a swim at the hotel pool so I could have a massage. Thanks boys!

The kids playing in the sand at Station - the burger bar with an awesome kids play area (you may recall from my post about Ossie's birthday party last fall)

Joe horsing around with the boys

See ya next time!

Meeting Wyatt and a COLD visit to Kansas!

2011-02-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a fun visit to Kansas. Despite the frigid temps and snow, it was wonderful to meet Charlie's newest cousin, sweet little Wyatt. Charlie was SO sweet with him and loved making him smile (and watching aunt Lana change his diapers!). When we got home he informed us that "we need to get a baby, because we don't have one...". We are working on it, little buddy. I have to say I don't plan on visiting Kansas in February again anytime soon. My hat is off to all of my friends and family who live in winter weather and bundle their kids up every time they leave the house. I am pretty spoiled living in the 70 degree loveliness called California. That said, we had fun snuggling inside and had plenty of picnics on the living room rug. Declan was a joy as always and the cousins had so much fun playing legos and puzzles. Lana and I also got lots of sister bonding time. Charlie and I even had a chance to go up to Kansas City for day and see our friends, Allison, Matt, Luke and their new baby Grace. Though I don't have any pictures, Meghan also came to town for the night and we had a chance to hang out for a quick visit. It's amazing how the cold deters you from taking pictures. For some reason my camera was no where to be found when we all went out to dinner! Oh well, here are some other highlights:

All bundled up!

First time sledding! Loved it but it didn't last long...

Our little lion cubs

Wyatt was really cute for these pics and was totally smiling and being such a great sport!

Luke and Charlie

Picnic during the Superbowl

The boys enjoying some ice cream at Mad Greek

Snuggling with Gigi

Charlie and Wyatt

Saying Goodbye. Wyatt, you are going to be so much bigger next time we see you! Thanks for all the smiles and cuddles. We love you!

A Little Funny!

2011-01-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, before you go calling Child Protective Services, I do not make a habit of laughing when Charlie gets hurt. However, this video is so hilarious that even Charlie wants to watch it again and again (for the record, he was totally fine!!!). He is LOVING his little "motorcycle" and we've started a daily routine of riding around our neighborhood, which is so much fun. He also loves to go to the top of our driveway and speed down (which he's doing on the video). He has got some serious balancing skills already, it's crazy.

Up

2011-01-17T22:30:00.001-08:00

So we all watched a lot of the movie "Up" last week. It happens to be Charlie's current fave and since we were couch bound for several days it seems like we watched the first half at least once a day (maybe twice). This week, in particular, Joe and I both found it really tough to get through the first sequence (where they explain the reason why Mr. Frederickson is so attached to his home - if you haven't seen it - it is where he and his childhood sweetheart build their life together and plan their adventures until one day his wife is sick and then she passes away.) This week it really hit home for us because Joe's aunt Yola died after an 11 year battle with cancer. Joe's uncle Paul lost the love of his life, the person he had planned to grow old with. She was only 54 and had so many more adventures ahead of her. Yola was an amazing person and mother and though I only got to know her over the past 12 years, I always loved talking to her and laughing about our small little "Mrs. Pokaski" club (there aren't many of us, Joe's mom included, who actually married into this crazy family!). So in the midst of taking care of our uncomfortable little boy, we had time to just be quiet and remember her and pray that Paul will find a way to continue life's adventures for the two of them. Yola, we will really miss you.

This was one of the tougher weeks

2011-01-15T21:49:00.001-08:00

So this past monday we had Charlie's tonsillectomy. I have been dreading this for months since our doctor told us in the fall that he would need to take them out. Poor Charlie. I had mine out when I was about six and I remember how much it hurt. But we knew it would help him sleep and eat and hopefully get rid of those nasty ear infections. But nothing, nothing can ever prepare you to hand your baby over to a surgery nurse. Charlie was pretty aware of what was happening and we talked it over with him quite a bit beforehand. That morning he even told us that he was ready to go get his tonsils out. And he did great. The surgery went really well and he was a trooper. The first day home was pretty much all sleeping and not much else. With a little encouragement, he has been great with eating and drinking and even though our nights have not been much fun (let's just say it takes me back to the early days...) we are getting through it. Today he even had a play date with his little gal pal Sidda and we are hoping for a reentry into preschool sometime next week.

I wanted to also mention how wonderful some people can be in a time of "mini" crisis! A friend (who is an incredible cook) brought us dinner and popsicles on Monday and we were able to eat a healthy and tasty meal two nights in a row without worrying about cooking - thanks Bridgid!) and Charlie got a sweet care package from is Nana and Grandpa and cousins in Boston. He has really enjoyed the legos and the dot art! Here are a few pics from this week:

Charlie and toodee awaiting surgery

The nurses gave Toodee a little "outfit" that we thought was really cute

Poor, sweet Charlie

Yes, they are letting me eat Ice Cream for lunch.

Day 5 playing dress-up with Daddy (definitely on the mend...)

How Time Flies

2011-01-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Joe came across this picture today of Charlie's first Christmas (at 8 months old) and we both just can't believe how quickly our little baby boy has grown. This might go down as one of my most favorite baby pictures of our little man ever. I mean, how precious?!

Happy New Year from Pasadena!

2011-01-02T15:48:00.001-08:00

We had the opportunity to go to the Rose Parade with some friends and thought Charlie would really enjoy it. Besides getting up SUPER early and having to be all bundled up, he seemed to have a lot of fun.

My favorite, of course!

All bundled up in the early morning cold (but at least it wasn't raining!)

Some floats we thought were especially fun

Charlie and Daddy making up their own floats later that day...so cute!

A Very Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

You can't tell from this picture, but he burst through the door saying "Ho Ho Ho" - so cute!

His "big" present from us

Still loves an empty box...

It's puzzle time. He got two big, new puzzles from santa (who knows how much he loves them!)

Yay - it's CHRISTMAS!

Loved this video of him opening one of his favorite toys! Truly captured the excitement of Christmas morning!

Little Drummer Boy

2010-12-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

We weren't quite brave enough to put these under the tree this year...

Mom Brain

2010-12-19T21:24:00.001-08:00

This was just one of those days...Pouring rain outside...Hungover from dinner and holiday drinks out with friends...rushed, rushed, rushed to get out the door...arrived at 4 years old's birthday party an hour and a half early...

Luckily we were close to a great local coffee joint that has a train table and kids area so Charlie could be entertained until it was actually time for the party. We shared a bagel and hot chocolate. I like to think of it as our little pre-party. But man I really gotta read those evites a little bit closer...