Budding Gymnast

We had our first day of drop in "stay and play" gymnastics (you have to love Groupon for things like this!).  This was right up Little Guy's ally- tumbling mats, balls, obstacles to scale over...it was a crawling baby's dream!  What made it even better??? Our friends Noah, Jackson, Emmeline, and Caden, and their mommies were there with us.  We can't wait until next Monday, foam pit anyone?

Jackson and Little Guy in the miniature foam pit

Little Guy doing one of his many dropping stunts of the day

Marine World Africa U.S.A

Ahhh, memories!  Marine World Africa U.S.A., now known as Six Flags Magic Kingdom, was a hot ticket when I was younger.  We would race to the whale show to ensure front row seats and a soaking wet time, then head over to the jumping fountains and the water ski show.  Well, the whale show is still happening, but the jumping fountains and water ski show have been replaced with LooneyToon Town, Medusa, Thomas the Train town, and MUCH more.  When we pulled into the jam packed parking lot, the hubby was SHOCKED at the amount of people there!  He was envisioning a repeat of our low key zoo trip, but instead he got AWESOMENESS with the Santopadres and a few thousand other people.  Little Guy loved the train ride and could not get enough of the butterfly house (Mommy was a little over the 90 degree heat plus humidity in the greenhouse!).  We planned on getting season passes, but thought twice about it after we saw the two-hour plus line!  Next year, we're all over it!

All ready for our first ride- The Train!

Lovin' Life in Butterfly World, hanging out in the Ergo.

True Blood

Today we hit two milestones...Little Guy climbed the stairs and sustained his first band-aid requiring injury...and the injury was NOT a result of the stair climbing!  We couldn't believe it when Little Guy climbed the first step, but then he kept climbing and we were shocked.  Daddy stood behind him the whole way and I attempted to video (surprise surprise) the feat.  He was quite proud of himself.  After it was all said and done, maybe it wasn't our best idea to teach our eight month old son how to climb stairs.  We followed up stair climbing with a princess birthday bash.  All of Daddy's high school friends have little ones running around, so it was fun to play with everyone.  Little Guy cut his finger on a can and after covering me in blood, we found the source and patched everything up with a pirate band-aid.  After all this excitement, Little Guy was wiped out!

Pears and Kisses

Sound the bells...Little Guy WILLINGLY ate pears tonight.  He actually opened his mouth for more, AND  after minimal gagging, swallowed his food!!  

Daddy was in a golf tournament all day (more about this in a minute) so Little Guy had to settle for his second favorite bedtime story reader, me!  We read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See" and what happened at the end just about melted my mommy heart.  When we got to "I see a teacher looking at me", Little Guy bend down to the book and kissed the teacher...I thought it was a coincidence, but we looked through the book again, and again when we got to her picture, he puckered up.  It just amazes me how quickly they pick up on things- I love that giving kisses is one of his first "tricks".

A special shout out to Daddy for taking FIRST PLACE in his golf tournament today!  We are so proud of him and his winner's plate- it is prominently displayed for all to admire.

Baby Legs

Somebody stop me...another Pinterest project DONE (I think I may be up to five now!).  Today we had a little sewing play date that ended with darling baby leg warmers and tuckered out babies.  Jessica found a little tutorial and after some trial and error elastic sewing, we had some precious cuteness just in time for warmer weather.

Spring Family Photos

Our photos are here and I LOVE them.  I specified a few shots I wanted to get, including one of Little Guy standing holding our hands, and I got them all.  Thanks to Jessica Kay Photography, I can't wait to do Little Guy's first birthday cake smash in a few months!  Here are a few favs that are definitely making it into those empty frames.

30 years in the making

Little Guy had an extra special guest at play group today...his daddy!!  Today was my THIRTIETH birthday and my amazing husband granted my one wish, to join us at play group.  My mommy friends had a spread of homemade cupcakes, chocolate dipped strawberries, CHAMPAGNE, flowers and other goodies.  I was so excited for Daddy to see Little Guy play with his friends and see what 10 babies "playing" together looks like.  After a wonderful morning with our friends, I was pampered with a pedicure and girl time with my bestie Heather (who spoiled me with homemade sweets and a darling balloon wreath!) before I came home to a SURPRISE family dinner.  My family and in-laws all joined us for a celebratory birthday dinner.  My husband put it all together himself and never slipped up on the surprise.  I can't believe I am no longer twenty-something...but if my thirtieth birthday is any indication to the next decade, I am in for the best ten years yet.  Thanks to my dear friends and AMAZING husband and baby for making me feel pretty gosh darn special today!

MIrror Mirror on the wall

Little Guy got his hair slicked up for the first time today and boy did he look stylin'.  Don't just take my word for it, here's his reaction to his fresh new do:

 

  He just loves to give out kisses now, and who better to lay one on than your handsome bad self?

 

No use crying over spilled wine

I am beginning to think I should have a page dedicated to my spilling of staining liquids on white porous surfaces...be it red wine or hot chocolate, neither makes for easy clean up. 

My World Series Collector's Edition of Duckhorn wine will be missed.  If the smell was any indication, we missed out on a GREAT bottle of vino.

LIttle Guy's First Tooth

Little Guy's bottom left center tooth (I am sure that's the scientific name for this tooth) has finally cut through.  After what seems like forever, (actually since December) waiting for something to pop up, we are now just a few teeth shy of a pearly white grin. 

 It's hard enough to see the tooth in person.  Getting a picture of it... next to impossible! 

Hot Family Fun

In honor of my birthday week (yes, I am that person that LOVES the idea of the birthday week), we spent the day together as a family (the best gift I could EVER ask for!).  It is still hot hot hot here, so we started the day bright and early with some pool filter cleaning and backyard set-up.  Our lawn chairs are out, the umbrellas are set, and the water is heating up.

It's not quite warm enough for Mommy, but Daddy is such a trooper, he braved the chill for Little Guy.

It was just too hot to wear clothes, so Little Guy played in his fluff and little else.  He loves his push toys, I think it is just a matter of time before he's walking with them.

We did finally have to put some clothes on to meet the Santopadres at Fenton's.  Little Guy had his first taste of the quarter rides, and he loved it.

Phew!  What a day and a great way to spend the third to last day of my 20s!

Great Cloth Diaper Change

Today we got to participate in the Great Cloth Diaper Change.  We had a great time with our friends down at Eco Chic Baby.  It was pretty fun to see all these cute babes in their cloth diapers and to also have a chance to set a Guinness World Record (we have to wait for the total count to see if we were successful).  Here are some before, during and after pictures!

Before in our Bum Genius Free Time in Albert

During with our friends Holly, Evan, and Ryan (plus their mommies and daddy!)

After in our Bum Genius 4.0 in Moonbeam

Beat the Heat

What's the best way to beat this April heat wave?  Sunscreen, a shady hat, and one cool muscle tee of course!

 

Little Guy took his first dip in our home pool this afternoon and despite the 70 degree water temperature (BRRR!), he LOVED it!  This taste of warm weather gets us all excited for summer, but I know it's also just a hint of the real heat to come.  

Playdating

We had a fun play date today in this BEAUTIFUL spring weather!  Our brisk walk really helped us work up a sweat, especially for our mommy friend who was wearing BOTH her twin baby boys (she's a total studette!).  It was fun hosting some friends at our house, we can't wait for the summer months when we can cool off with a dip in the pool!

This was the best picture I could get and we're missing little Maddie.  Evan and Ryan were willing still subjects, but Little Guy had other plans...

Eight Months Old

We can't believe our baby is growing up so fast...Little Guy is EIGHT months old today!  So, in honor of your monumental day Little Guy, here are eight fun facts about you right now:
1.  You now gives kisses- this entails you lifting your lips in the general direction of Mommy or Daddy's face and and then leaning in for some lovin'...sometimes, if we're lucky, they're extra slobbery!
2.  You have aged out of free swim lessons :(  Today was our last day with Miss Rose, but we start next month with Miss Chris and we're very excited!
3.  You started clapping this week.  It's a closed fist clap, but it's a clap nonetheless, and you applaud at all the appropriate times (with some coaxing from mom and dad).
4.   Your favorite bedtime story is Good Night Gorilla read by Daddy.

5.  The coffee table has been relinquished to the garage, the garbage cans have been replaced, and the dog food has been relocated outside...You are anywhere and everywhere with your crawling and climbing...we're taking bets on when you'll start walking.  I say before the 4th of July.  Auntie Katie says before the end of May...let's hope I win!
6.  Daddy is pretty POSITIVE you've said your first word, and naturally it's "Da-da".  I'll let him think that, but it's not going to stop us from our daily "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" practice.
7.  I know the sleep gods will curse me as soon as I type these next few words, but...you've kind of got a nap schedule down and you're a big fan of your 7:00 bedtime!  Now if only we could kick the 5:45 AM wake-up habit...
8.  You keep a very packed social calendar.  We fill our days with playgroups, swim lessons, stroller dates, play dates, and soon gymnastics time! 

Eight Months Old and in pre-naptime meltdown mode

And one extra fun fact for your eight month...we love you Little Guy, more than anything.

A First

Today Little Guy got to participate in an Infant Cognition Lab hosted by the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain.  It was a fun time for him (they had an awesome play room) and the researchers were able to collect data for two studies on attention and visual short-term memory and cognitive development in infancy.  I found it to be pretty interesting and Little Guy got a thank you toy and his first certificate of participation.  I'd like to think his participation will have a monumental effect on infancy development research, but I may be a little bias.

We are also all baby proofed thanks to our cousin at Baby Safe.  Little Guy will not be able to scale the stairs without my help, no choking on door stoppers, and he is free to play with sharp metal objects again as all the outlets have been covered...because that's the only reason we wouldn't let him play with sharp metal objects...And according to Little Guy, the best part about this whole project was there were boxes left over to climb and scale.

 

Family of three

I love family photos!  I love the way the light glistens through the mom's golden hair and the children all effortlessly match without actually matching.  I love the naturally posed meant to look un-posed pose, usually involving someone laughing...And so on my constant quest for one of these amazing family photo sessions to be MY family photo session, we met with the talented Jessica of JessicaKay Photography this morning (she was a trooper with us at 7:30 AM!).   Even though my ideally envisioned outfit involving a white eyelet country frock and my rockin' boots did not pan out, I am feeling pretty good that we may have captured something special.  Let's hope so, because the empty frames I have hanging on my walls are starting to be conversation starters at get-togethers.  As soon as I have a preview photo, I'll be sure to post it.
Along with capturing the family love, we started our journey to a bigger car.  I love my Jetta, but now that we're a family of three the car seat makes it a death trap for any poor soul riding in the front seat...So we are looking for something a little bigger...hello spacious seating, good bye gas mileage!

Update!!!   

Here's a sneak peek at the family photo session!  

We can't wait to see more!!

Big Boy Bath Time

Little Guy took a big boy bath tonight!  No baby bath tub, no rubber ducky insert- just a boy with his bath toys and he loved it.  He splashed around and practiced pulling himself up on the edge of the tub.  I can't believe my baby is big enough for the bath tub!

Hide and Seek

When I went on the hunt to find Little Guy, this is where I found him.

Since he's discovered that he can climb in the shower, this is his new favorite place to hang out...even if there's someone showering.

A Journey

We finally made it!  The infamous crafter's heaven, mentioned on every DIY blog, a place I wish was closer to home (but know that would be a disaster)...yes, it's HOBBY LOBBY!

Little Guy was PSYCHED to be at Hobby Lobby, evident by his shrieking and bouncing in the cart.  We were on a tight schedule so we didn't even get to investigate the whole store, but I did pick up some embellishments for Little Guy's swim lesson cloth.

I had to include the precious tiny swim diaper in the photo!

I am feeling an urge to crank out some pinterest projects- tonight we're trying a corn bacon potato chowder and I am hoping to get to a photo board this weekend.  We'll see if Little Guy feels the same way!

Happy Birthday

27 years ago I was blessed with the gift of a little sister. 

I have been fortunate enough to have someone by my side through the best times, the tough times, and all the times in between.  From neighborhood play dates to prom dates, from first day jitters to college graduations, from playing bride and groom to my own fairy-tale wedding, my sister has been standing next to me every step of the way, and I don't know what I would have done without her. 

She can finish my sentences, knows my thoughts, and does an amazing job "aunting" Little Guy.  She is a constant- someone I know I can depend on for ideas, resources, and advice, no matter what the topic.  Though she may forget her watch all the time on occasion, when she arrives she makes every day brighter and even the mundane seems novel when she's around.  Today we wish my little sister the happiest of birthdays; may your 27th year be as spunky, creative, and vibrant as you.  We love you Katie Bug!

Easter Bellies

I woke up this morning to a Facebook message from my sister...she was reflecting on the fact that one year ago today we were having way too much fun transforming my baby belly into a festive Easter egg!  Has is really been a year already?!?  I can't believe that in the one year since painting my belly I have been blessed with an amazing baby and the incredible chance to watch him grow and explore everyday. Motherhood continues to leave me awe struck on a daily basis.

My pregnant Easter egg belly at roughly 24 weeks...and I thought I was SO BIG...I had no idea how big I could get!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

Today we went to the Sacramento Zoo with our friend Noah and his mommy and daddy.  It was perfect zoo weather!  Little Guy went to the zoo in December, but he was so much more aware of everything this time; it was fun to see him so engaged with the animals and all his surroundings.

Little Guy with me and Daddy by the giraffe exhibit

Both boys loved the big birds and the anteater, but I think the first taste of ice cream was the highlight of the day!

He won't eat anything, but he was all over the chocolate soft serve! 

The rest of our day falls under the disgusting category, so I'll keep it short (such is life as a mommy).  After an exhausting day of fun, we decided to take a relaxing bubble bath.  The bath ended abruptly with me cleaning poop off myself and the tub while Daddy read Little Guy his bedtime story...I'll spare you all the photo. 

Happy Easter!

It was Little Guy's first Easter and he had such a great day!  The Easter bunny brought him a new sippy cup, a few bath toys, and some yummy baby food (no, he's still not eating solid food, but we can try...).  We had a fun time getting ready for our Easter brunch (we had a waffle bar!) and then our guests arrived and Little Guy was showered with Easter gifts- what a lucky little boy.  It was a great day of brunching, chatting, and watching golf...there was a little egg hunting, but it was really just me and Uncle Sam participating.  Here's a shot of our family decked out in our Easter attire:

It's an Eggstravaganza!

We really got into the Easter spirit today with Easter eggs hunts, the Easter Bunny, and wonderful spring weather!  We started the day off with an Easter egg hunt with the Santopadres and the Schroeders.

After the Easter egg hunt (and a much needed nap), we headed over to the Nut Tree.  We met up with Noah and his mommy and daddy, rode the train and merry-go-round, and met the Easter bunny...phew!

Noah and Little Guy playing around.

 Our family riding on the train...All aboard little children!

  

Our family with the Easter bunny and Little Guy riding the carousel horse ALL BY HIMSELF!  Crazy how big he's getting!

And even all of this fun doesn't wear out Little Guy...we came home and he promptly got to work destroying exploring the family room, including pulling himself up on his block bucket...what a busy bee!

Four Years in the Making

Today we had a dinner date at the Metcho Maison.  It has been in the works for the last four years, yes FOUR YEARS, and it was well worth the wait!  We had a delicious meal, including Pinterest Potatoes, and wonderful company (the best part of the night!).  Every time we're with the Metchos, we reflect that we hope we raise children to be as totally awesome as Madison and Jack.  Little Guy loved it over there, playing with all the toys and munching on Sunset Magazine.

Thanks for the great time Metchos, let's hope it's not another FOUR YEARS before our next date!

Photo Thursday

Apparently I counted my lucky stars too soon...the dishwasher is still broken, and it won't be fixed before our Easter brunch.  We're toying with the idea of washing all the dishes with the hose, seriously.  And even though I am still stuck hand-washing, we had a pretty great day.  We had a great walk with some of our little friends and a fun time crawling all over and exploring things like the fireplace...If Little Guy wasn't in the mood to terrorize crawl around, he wanted to be held.  So he helped me whip up a new pasta dish and some delish veggies.

I love this bath photo- notice all the water has been drained out and he is still kickin' back relaxing.  He loves bath time.

There's no better way to wrap up a day then in your gorilla pjs with Daddy reading "Good Night Gorilla".  

My two loves