The Kerns Family

Feliz Cumpleanos de ME!!!

2011-06-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'm practicing my Spanish. Maybe one day I'll have a whole post in espanol....

Anyways....

This weekend we celebrated my 30th birthday! Nick did a wonderful job spoiling me and included some fabulous surprises. I started off on Friday by not working and waking up to a living room full of balloons! That was a fabulous gift in itself! Then Kristen, Julie & Giada brought me breakfast and presents! I got 2 tomato plants that I'm hoping to keep alive and actually get some fruit from! I'm told they're they easiest plants ever, we'll see...

Friday night we had dinner with our families at Casa Flores. It was delicious as always and followed by THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER. YUM!

Saturday Kristen & Jason went with us to the Giants game. It poured all the way there but thankfully the grounds keeper's forecast was correct and it stopped just in time for the game. It was also Cody Ross bobblehead day! I'm happy that my Giant's bobblehead collection has now grown to 2! The kids were great, we even got to watch most of the game from our seats. If only they had won, sigh.

What a wonderful thing to wake up to!!

Fun festive wear for the game!

Buddies

Before the game in the rain

Check out our hair flair!!! So many people asked if we sell them!

Awesome baby sitters

and then it was nap time....

Sometimes we all need a boost

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

2011-06-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

This Memorial Day weekend was packed with fun. We had a camp out in the rain at Lake Coldani and the Brummett family came out to celebrate Jerri's 30th birthday!

The weather forecast for the weekend was a little cold, but nothing to stop us from driving 3 miles up the 5 to camp at Lake Coldani. All was sunny and fine until clouds came out of nowhere and the skies opened up. We retreated back to the Coldani's house for dinner and to let the weather pass then headed back out to the lake for s'mores and camping. Hilder and the kids amused themselves in the puddles :)

Dylan & Giada on babysitting duty in the Nomad

The Brummetts visit! I love all of the different expressions in each shot.

All cuddled up watching Cars. Of course, neither of them fell asleep. I mean, come'on, it was only 10:30pm.

Random Catch-Up

2011-06-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

I'm busy, and lazy, and tired. But I have a lot of cute pictures and videos of the kids and I like to show them off so I'm throwing them all into one big post. My Mom calls it "efficient". I like that.

Story time

Aubrey's 1st mini-ponytail!!! It's fun to have a girl this time!

Mmm, carrots

We went to Matt & Steph Fuhrman's wedding. It was beautiful and nice to have a night out!

My new assistant

And she sits!!!!

...and falls!

Big helper

We went to a crazy hat brunch for Kristen & Julie's birthdays

Officially a stomach sleeper

And now for the videos...

Warning: Explicit lyrics! He loves this song and we've since found a clean version :)

Happy Mother's Day & Happy 80th Birthday Mampy!

2011-06-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day we headed down to Torrance to visit my family and surprise my grandpa for his 80th birthday. It was a great trip and so fun to watch all of the kids play.

We enjoyed time in the pool.

Aubrey's 1st dunk!

We went to the park one afternoon. The park now has batting cages, a great add since we've moved away!

We also went to dinner to celebrate. My Grandma surprised Mampy again and had some of their friends fly in!

Dylan's elbow got in the cake...

Don't worry, Mamaley took care of it.

FEET!!!

2011-06-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

Someone found her feet...

And they're SHARP!!!!

2011-04-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter 2011!

2011-04-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

A little delayed, but we celebrated Easter a while ago. It was fun.

Bubba dyed & colored Easter eggs

Aubrey helped too

The kids loved their baskets from the Easter Bunny. Dylan got a bouncy ball, some alligator Crocs, trains & Pez. Aubrey for a rattle, teething toy & elephant toy.We hosted brunch for both of our families.

And had an Easter egg hunt. It was so much fun with Dylan this year!!

My Big Girl

2011-04-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

This week has been full of milestones for my little Aubrey. Last night her two bottom teeth finally popped through! She's been teething for a while and last night was a really bad night, but at least she has something to show for it!

For the past couple of weeks Aubrey has been staring at us when we eat. She watches intently as you put food on your fork, then raise it to your mouth, then chew and put the fork back down. I got the hints and decided to start her on rice cereal. It was definitely the right idea! She's doing great. Dylan didn't want to be left out and wanted some of "Aubrey's cereal". I gave him a taste and he decided "I no like this, I like my rabioli's (ravioli's) better".

ROAR!, the Asparagus Festival & the Easter Bunny!!

2011-04-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I had my first "Mommy, I need this for school TOMORROW" project. It was Dylan's school Spring Carnival and they were requested to dress like something from the circus or carnival. My Mom and I came up with this easy costume I pieced it together relatively quickly.

This weekend was the annual Asparagus Festival. We like to go Friday afternoon and hang out in the kids area, eat some fair food (fried asparagus!!!) and people watch. Dylan wanted to wear his lion costume :)

Riding a neigh!

Sharing a funnel cake with Faffa

Paddle boats!

And it was time to replace the garden gadgets!!

On Sunday we went to Campbell's in Lincoln Center to meet the Easter Bunny. Dylan loved him and even told him "I like your ears!".

Then we headed over to Dad's Dog's for some lunch

Happy 5 Months Aubrey!

2011-04-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

My little lady is 5 months old today. She's amazing. Nick, Dylan & I love her more and more everyday. She is developing quite the personality. She laughs from all the way deep down in her belly and when she smiles her whole face smiles. Aubrey loves to be in her exersaucer and jumper, hates to sleep, is still doing well nursing and with the bottle, can recognize voices of the people she loves, is in awe of her brother and loves to watch him, is starting to stare at me while I eat, has an adorable spring/summer wardrobe, is finally unswaddled at night (!), still eating 1-2 times every night (argh), and is PERFECT!

Avila Beach 2011

2011-04-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took our 1st annual trip with Nick's college friends to Avila Beach. We rented condos that were right on Front Street. I headed down Thursday evening with the kids and the Busalacchi's & Coldani's. Nick went to Opening Day and joined us Friday night.

Aubrey not napping and enjoying the sun on our deck while Dylan napped.

Our view!

I wish Lexi lived with us! She's such a helper!!!!

Showing Dylan that you could see the water through the pier. Bad idea, he was then terrified and walked plank to plank down the whole pier.

Natalia & Giada
Pregnant Mommy's and their girls. Love this shot!

Flying a kite with Uncle Mike
This was funny. I thought this window would make an adorable photo but it's a huge undertaking to get three 2 year olds to sit together...

Giada tried to gather her friends

Then one got loose

And then there were two

Finally got'em all! Total framer!

The gang (minus the Roaches)

My Dad is talented

2011-04-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

His skills continue to amaze me. He just finished a fabulous chest of drawers for Aubrey. He took photos of her dresser/changer and matched it perfectly. He matched the color and all of the details. I had to go shopping today to fill up all of the new drawers :)

Birthday Party Junkies!

2011-04-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dylan's new favorite thing it to go to birthday parties. It doesn't matter who's party it is or where it is, he just loves them. He loves singing Happy Birthday, he loves watching presents get opened, he loves party favors and he loves cake. As long as the party as some of these things, he's in heaven. In the past month we've had 4 parties to celebrate!

Party #1 - Nico's 2nd birthday! We celebrated Nico's birthday at the aquarium in San Francisco. What a great place for a party. Wonderful food, great friends and an awesome location! Dylan loved the fish tunnels! I'm not sure if he liked the fish or the scuba divers in the tank better.

Party #2 - Jama's 93rd birthday! Dylan loves Jama and was very excited to celebrate her birthday. He had to sit right next to her to her so he could help blow out the candles. Then he plucked a candle out of the cake and started to eat the cake using the candle as a fork. I told him to stop and said we would get him a fork and his own piece of cake but Jama said he was fine and picked up her own candle and started to eat the cake like Dylan. Precious.

Party #3 - Kaia Stork's had an adorable Minnie Mouse themed 1st birthday party. And I didn't take a single photo. Just trust me, it was adorable.

Party #4 - We ended the party circuit at Francesca Avansino's 1st birthday party. John & Monika hosted a Peter Rabbit themed party at their house. It was a typical Avansino party with ton of yummy food and I gained 5lbs in a span of a few hours. They even had live bunnies!!!!!

Dylan and his buddy Primo

Aubrey is 4 months old!!

2011-03-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Already... I can't believe it!!! She had her 4 month appointment last week and weighs in at 13lbs 8oz and is 24" long!! All her parts are working and she got an A+ from Dr. B. It's so fun to watch her grow and I swear it's going by even faster this time around. Dylan is still in love with her and is very protective. If I bring her to school to pick him up, when we walk into the classroom all the kids swarm her. Dylan will push and shove through the crowd screaming "no, my baby sister". It's very cute. He constantly tells her he loves her and so far is great about sharing his toys. Fingers crossed it continues! I know my days of pulling Barbie doll heads off their body's and tea parties with GI Joe's are ahead of me so I'm banking these happy memories!

In other news, Aubrey is rolling!!! She rolled from back to belly for the first time yesterday!

March 2011... and I guess February too

2011-03-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hmm, what have we been up to... We've been everywhere! The kids are so active it's so much fun. They're both growing like weeds and the photos below tell our story for the past few months.

Daddy and his babies!

Dylan "washing the dishes" i.e. splashing water all over the kitchen. After washing this batch I told him he got water everywhere and he said "I made a hot mess?"

She's ready for a crackberry!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Aubrey is already in the exercauser and jumperoo! She loves being upright and has so much to look at. She'll seriously stay in this thing for up to 20 minutes. It's awesome!

Nana and Popa got Dylan a train table last year and we finally made room for it. It's a HIT! It's teaching him to have patience when the trains fall off the track too. Well, that and how to throw a tantrum.

While the boys were on their annual trip to Spring Training, Julie and I took the kids to the Sacramento Zoo. What a fun place! Perfect for their age. Auntie Lindsay met us there for an added bonus!

Giada and her grasshopper/praying mantis

Dylan and his giraffe

Aubrey enjoyed a feeding while the big kids rode the rides.

They had these great free art projects all around the zoo. Here are antelope (I really forgot the animal...) rings.

We headed to Danville for Emery's 3rd birthday! I seriously can't believe she's 3!!! The party was at a gym and Dylan had a blast! After we headed back to the Brummett's for some more visiting and a yummy meal.

Collin Parr and Aubrey (11 days apart!)

Dylan's winter school photos! What a change from his photos last year. I cant believe he's been at his school for a year now. It's been so good for him. We love to watch him learn and grow up!!

Bath time with Giada!

We took the kids to see Disney on Ice at the Stockton Arena. What a great show! Dylan loved every second of it. Whenever the scene would change he freaked out about where Mickey/Goofy/Pluto/Donald/Minnie went.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mickie Grove Zoo - my last outing as a stay at home Mom

Visiting Uncle Mike's "moo's" at the Coldani's ranch

The Next American Idol

2011-02-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

Photo Update

2011-01-31T19:06:00.000-08:00

Just some recent photos of what we've been up to lately.

Dylan with the Moby Baby Sara got him & Aubrey! Now he can wear his bear just like I wear Aubrey. And when she grows up she can carry around her dolls!

We had a play date with Jackie & Gianna, Sara & Collin and Camy & Maryn. Jeff brought over the bounce house and the kids had a blast!

Aubrey has started to sit-up in the Bumbo chair! She is happy for about 5 minutes at a time. Her neck muscles are getting so strong!!
And of course, the skinny minny still fits in it as well.

Playing with Nana's stethoscope.

Crazy straw! At least he was drinking his milk...

We went to Raley's one morning and he refused to take off his PJ's. I was tired of arguing...

We had a visit from my friend Jen Milne and her kids & Mom. Jen and I are friends from freshmen year at Cal Poly. It's so fun to watch our families grow!!!

Dylan & Aubrey

Rhett, Reese & Ellie

Here the boys are in November 2008

January 2011

Bob's new hangout

Vacuuming with his Dyson

Dylan showing Aubrey how to use the play gym

Tummy Time!

Disneyland!

2011-01-25T11:07:00.001-08:00

We are taking full advantage of my leave and decided to take a trip to Disneyland. It was our friend's daughter, Zoey's, 3rd birthday! We spent 2 days in the park and even got to see the Noriega's for a quick breakfast and surprise my Aunt & Uncle for a quick visit.

At the beach in Santa Monica. Such a gorgeous day!

Of course Dylan found the trash trucks & tractors

With the Rev. Chris

Then it was off to Disneyland! Our hotel room had bunk beds for Dylan. Of course he didn't sleep in them... thankfully we had a king bed.

Aubrey & Mia

We chased down every character we could find! We even had breakfast with Minnie on Zoey's birthday!

On the Disneyland "choo-choo". Yes, I nursed on the ride ;)

The boys were brave and took the kids on the roller coaster in toon town. Dylan was fine on the ride but when it was over he told Nick "I'm scared".

Dylan got to drive an Autopia car. He LOVED it!

Aubrey spent a good chunk of time riding around in the Moby Wrap.

Dylan was scared during the fireworks

He loved the Toy Story ride!

He loved his churro so much...

he fell asleep with it!

Happy 2 Months Aubrey!

2011-01-19T13:35:00.001-08:00

2 months already!!! WHOA!!!!! Aubrey is growing rapidly (literally). She is 11lbs 7oz and 22 3/4 inches long. That's 2lbs bigger than Dylan was as this point! She's already sleeping in her room. I'm OK with it, sorta. I miss having my baby next to me but we're all sleeping better. That girl is LOUD. She grunt and snorts all night long. It's actually kind of funny. Aubrey is smiling and cooing away. It's awesome! She's grasping our fingers and is more aware of her environment. Still nursing like a champ, which is obvious from her weight gain :)

New Years 2011

2011-01-15T21:14:00.000-08:00

We headed to Graeagle this year to celebrate New Years with a great group of friends, the Coldani's, Busalacchi's & the Avansino's. There was so much snow, it was beautiful!! We had a wonderful weekend playing in the snow, eating, drinking, more playing in the snow, more eating and more drinking.

Nico helped with Aubrey. I think he's ready for a sibling :)

Marc made his famous gin fizzes complete with virgin ones for the kids & Julie

We played in the snow a ton! We would bundle the kids up and go outside for a bit until they were freezing, come in warm up then go back out.

Why is my kid always the one crying?!?!

Julie brought food coloring and spray bottles so the kids could "paint" the snow. It was a big hit!

One afternoon I ran my own little day care in the bedroom. All 4 kids were behaving and actually playing nicely!

Happy New Year! Dylan went to bed normal time but woke up to celebrate at midnight.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!! We had a wonderful Christmas! Dylan was SO much fun this year. He helped with everything from making gifts, wrapping gifts, opening gifts (even one's that were not his). He even helped make tamales! Aubrey was wonderful as well. She ate and slept great and let everyone hold her. We were lucky enough to have Nick's parents, sister an brother, my parents and my grandparents here to celebrate with us.

Krissy sent me this link to create a video from Santa that was personalized for Dylan. He LOVED it! He watched it over and over for 20 minutes straight. He would answer when Santa asked questions, and he showed Santa our stockings and "baby Aubrey".

He helped Nana & Papa make tamales at Jama's on Christmas eve. He mixed masa and even made his own tamale! I'm pretty sure there was only masa in it though. Maybe he was making a vegetarian one for his Auntie Amy.

Christmas Eve night we went to Jama's to exchange gifts with Susan's family and feast on tamales.

When we got home Dylan was so excited to change into his PJ's and put cookies & milk out for Santa. It was adorable! Santa thoroughly enjoyed the cookies and milk :)

Dylan, Aubrey, Bob & Benito must've been good this year because Santa filled their stockings to the brim!

Then it was time for presents. Oh man did we have presents!!! And breakfast, LOTS of yummy breakfast!

Dylan made a special gift for his Daddy this year.

He even opened presents that weren't his. Thankfully that one was Nick's.

Thank you Auntie Julie for our pajamas!

Christmas night my mom & dad hosted all of us at their house. It was a wonderful night with yummy food!

"Ha Ha Ha, Merry Christmas"

2010-12-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is what Dylan will say if you ask him what Santa says. We took the kids to visit Santa today and as usual, Dylan loved the creepy mall Santa. Well, this dude wasn't so creepy. It was actually really nice so I can't complain. This Santa was also partially sponsored by a local pizza place so there was a dude in a pizza slice costume too. I'm not sure who Dylan liked more, Santa or the pizza slice. When Santa asked what he wanted for Christmas Dylan responded "candy". Guess he has my sweet tooth. Pretty funny for a kid that has had probably 5 pieces of candy total in his whole life.

We ate lunch at the pizza place after seeing Santa. While we were waiting for our food the pizza slice was wondering around. Dylan kept grabbing his finger and leading him around. It was pretty funny.

Reading the letter Santa gave him.

Aubrey is 1 month old!!!

2010-12-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it!!!!! This is going by twice as fast as it did with Dylan. Aubrey has brought such joy to our family this path month. She is still a decent sleeper (expect for the past 2 nights), a great eater and so much fun! Dylan loves her and is very concerned when she cries. He loves to help burp her and get wipes when we change her diaper. Every other word out of his mouth is "Aubrey Eva". The past few days Aubrey has started to smile and turn her head in the direction she hears our voices. She also has pretty good neck strength and loves to look around while she's on our shoulders.

'Tis the Season, smiles & the Children's Museum!

2010-12-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

The holiday's are here! I must say, it's nice to be off during this time of year. I've enjoyed having the time to bake cookies with Dylan, decorate our tree, holiday parties and shop. We also managed to squeeze in dinner with some friends. Grandma Bev was kind enough to watch Dylan so Nick & I (and Aubrey) enjoyed an "adult" evening out.

Running around the tree lot

Trimming the tree! Dylan got to hang the non-breakable ornaments. He did such a great job that I gave him a breakable one I didn't care about (a plain ball) and he broke it...

At the Middleton's 2nd annual Christmas party

Let's go Niners!

Aubrey's first smiles

Julie and I took the kids to the Stockton Children's Museum and had a great time! It's a great place for the kids to run around and explore. There was so much for them touch, buttons to push, things to climb on, etc.

Picking peaches

Recycling (Auntie KR will be proud)

Driving a bus. This may have been Dylan's favorite part.

Driving a police car like Buffa!

One pooped kid!!

The Haircut

2010-12-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Dylan had his 2nd non-Marisa haircut yesterday. We went back to Sport Clips and he loved it! He even sat by himself in the chair. Sorry for the photo quality, it was my cell phone.

The Before

The After

Aubrey's 2 week appointment!

2010-12-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

Aubrey had her first check-up at the doctor today and was given an A+! She weighed in at a whopping 7lbs 14oz!!!!! Apparently all of this nursing is doing her some good. Other than the cold she's battling (thanks for bringing that home Dylan) she's thriving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-12-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. As usual, lots to be thankful for!!!

My sister and Jorge (and Nigiri) came into town to celebrate Thanksgiving. We got to spend a lot of time together which was really nice. Dylan especially loved it. :)

As for our new little one, she is fitting into our lives very nicely. Aubrey is still such a good baby (knocking on wood). She eats, poops, sleeps and hangs out watching her big brother tear around the house. I'm LOVING being at home with my kids. Dylan keeps me entertained and on my toes for 2 hours straight then I get to take a little break and feed and snuggle my little one. I've learned to nurse on the go this time around too :) We've had our first few successful outings. Target was my first stop with 2 kids alone. Thankfully they were well behaved so this was also followed by a trip to Raley's.

Thanksgiving 2010

I'm not sure why this video plays like this, but it's still entertaining.

We are so lucky to have so many friends bring us meals during our first week home! Thank you Julie for organizing!!! Here are a few of our "caterers"

The Sawyer side of the family came down from Sacramento for the day to visit and meet Miss Aubrey. Dylan kept referring to them as "Grandma Bev and the people".

Dylan decided to get his own Otter Pop when we told him he couldn't have one until he ate dinner. Thankfully the freezer door won this battle.

Dylan likes to drag climb over to the pack & play to hang out with his "baby sister". Thankfully so far he's very nice to her.

Nick is teaching Dylan to save money (apparently he isn't leaving that task up to me. Hey, I think I have $25 in my savings account right now! :) ) So now anyone that comes into the house gets asked for $ to "feed the piggy". Please don't be offended when m son begs you for money.

Aubrey's 1st bath! Her belly button finally fell off so she could have her first bath! At first she was a little unsure but once she was in the warm water she loved it!

The Dylan & Nick Show. Yes, that is an ace bandage on his head. Why? I don't know.

Yes, he does windows too.

Other random acts of cuteness from the last 2 weeks.

Aubrey Eva Kerns

2010-11-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

Aubrey Eva Kerns was born on Monday November 15, 2010 at 4:54pm. She weighed 7lbs 4oz & was 20 inches long. Like Dylan, I was induced in the morning. I was already dilated and progressing and my doctor was on call so we figured why not. This birth experience was WORLDS better than Dylan's. I had an epidural ;) I would highly recommend them. We had visitors throughout the day which was nice. Dylan had a whole entourage entertaining him the waiting room (A HUGE thank you to my parents, Nick's Mom, Uncle Jeff, Auntie Amy & Auntie Julie). I only had to push 4 times and Aubrey came flying out. It was very cool to be coherent this time and not throwing up. She was placed immediately on my stomach! Very cool! After all of her medical stuff was done she came back to me and latched right on to feed. Dylan came in to visit as soon as we were moved to my post pardum room. So far he's in love with her. I'm sure the honeymoon phase will end but for now it's been amazing! He loves to hold her and kiss her and is very concerned if she cries. We stayed in the hospital for 2 nights (I tried to go home after 1 but was denied). At least Nick was able to stay with us this time. Knock on wood, Aubrey has been a great baby. Good eater, good sleeper and is getting more adorable every day!!!!

Our faithful fans

She's here!!!

Feeling MUCH better after this delivery

Meeting her big brother

He kissed her,

held her,

and even tried to get her boogers.

Then he ate my dinner (well, mostly my dessert).

Going HOME!!!!

A beautiful jewelry box made by my Dad!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2010 was a ton of fun! Dylan loved his costume and had a great time answering the door on Halloween night. Thursday night we carved pumpkins with my parents and watched the Giant's game. Saturday we went to Lodi to enjoy the downtown festivities. He got to "ride a neigh" (as he says) and trick or treat with his friends. Then his friends came over (with their parents) later that night for the Giants game. Sunday was a nice family day at home watching football and painting "baby sister's" room.

D's costume this year was Mickey Mouse. He loved it! It was cute when people would say "look at Mickey Mouse" and he would look around like "where?!?!". I only made his shorts and bought the rest of the costume. Things aren't as easy when you're 9 months pregnant :)

Mickey Mouse, Fear the Beard and Matt Cain (my favorite Giant)

M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E

2010-10-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

MICKEY MOUSE! A few weekends ago my Mom & I took Dylan to see the Mickey Mouse Magic Show at the Stockton Arena. He LOVED it! They changed the layout of the stage so we had our seats moved and it ended up being quite an upgrade. Dylan never took his eyes off the stage.

Pumpkin Patch 2010!

2010-10-18T08:14:00.001-07:00

Now that we've survived a 3oth birthday and a 2nd birthday, it's time to deal with Halloween which is right around the corner. This weekend I bought material to make Dylan's costume (don't worry, I'm only making a small part) and we took Dylan to the pumpkin patch. Not just any old patch, but a pumpkin patch on steroids! This place had bounce houses, pumpkin canons, rides, corn mazes, food, a ropes course, zip line, pony rides and a haunted house. Dylan fell asleep on the way there so the day started out a little sketchy but once we rode the train, he was in a great mood! Of course he didn't want to ride the train with us. He sat with Auntie Kristen and Uncle Jason. Now I know what chopped liver feels like. Then he rode his first pony and we went on a tram ride. It's great that 2 year olds don't care that all of the rides go on the same path. :)

Finally on the train!

Then we got ditched for the Gramm's

Climbing tires with Daddy

I'll take this pumpkin right here...

Hey Dad, some help please!

Happy 2nd Birthday Dylan!

2010-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well it happened... My "baby" turned two! We celebrated all weekend long and all have the bags under our eyes and took naps on Monday to prove it.

Dylan's actual birthday was Saturday. We spent the day together as a family and he got to open his presents from Nick & I. Sunday we had a party for him and invited his friends. My brother in-law brought his bounce house over for the kids and they had a blast! We had to drag Dylan and Emery out at 8:30pm because it was pitch black inside. I hope they all slept as well as Dylan did Sunday night.

He got to open presents from Nick & I on Saturday. He loved tearing open the paper!

His party this year was Yo Gabba Gabba themed. It's one of his current favorite shows and he really enjoyed seeing all of the characters all over!

Jumping with Auntie Amy

Tackling Auntie Jerri with Emery

Loving Baby Kaia

He couldn't decide if he wanted to color or jump in the bounce house so he brought his crayons and book into the bounce house

Ring around the rosey...

...and we all fall DOWN!

Yeah, he tried the candle...

Everyone definitely knows what Dylan is into. He got lots of garbage trucks, trucks & books!

The recorder from my parents was a big hit! He was done opening presents after that.

When Dylan was done, Emery was nice enough to help me.

Exhausted after we dragged them out of the bounce house because it was pitch black inside.

Dylan is obsessed with the trash trucks. He stares out the window Monday mornings until they're here then we rush outside to watch them. Auntie Kristen works for Waste Management and set up a surprise for Dylan this Monday. The recycle truck driver got out of the truck, gave Dylan a high-five and a present, his very own WM truck!!! This guy always waves and honks at Dylan but the look on his face when he actually got out of the truck was priceless. THANK YOU AUNTIE KRISTEN!!!

Lake Tahoe 2010

2010-09-01T15:15:00.000-07:00

In August we had our 2nd annual trip to Tahoe with the Stork's, Towne's & Middleton's. The trip was the first week of December last year but we moved it to August because I think we'll be a little busy then :)

We rented a HUGE house in South Lake. It had a great living room for the kids to roam and play, a yard for everyone to play, a spa for the non-pregnant adults (everyone but me) to enjoy and a great creek across the road for the kids to throw rocks in. It was a wonderful relaxing weekend.

The ladies got a few hours to ourselves for manicures & pedicures. We came to story hour...

Our Big Boy!

2010-09-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we moved Dylan into a big boy bed! He got all new furniture and came home very surprised one afternoon. So far he's doing great. He loves having the freedom to climb in and out of his bed on his own. He also loves the new "Michee" (Mickey) ball pit he got for his big boy room.

He was so exhausted from playing in his ball pit he climbed into his closet and fell asleep! I went to find him in his room and couldn't find him anywhere. I opened the closet door and found this:

We told you he was a dare devil...

2010-08-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Summer Vacation 2010

2010-07-25T20:58:00.001-07:00

This year for vacation we traveled with my entire family to Southern CA. To celebrate my grandparent's 60th anniversary, they rented a house on the beach in Dana Point. The house was beautiful and right on the beach! It was so perfect for the kids. We walked right off of our porch onto the sand. It was so nice not to have to pack anything up to go to the beach. It was an adventurous week with all of us in one house but everyone came out alive. You think I'm joking but we survived a fire! While making dinner one night the BBQ caught on fire. Thankfully the 2 retired police officers also know how to put out a fire. Krissy, Mamaley and I grabbed the kids and ran out front as our house filled with smoke. Thankfully the fire was put out and all was well. As long as we were down south, we also went to Disneyland and San Diego to see Nick's parents. Disneyland was great! Dylan loved running around and meeting the characters. His love for It's A Small World also continued from last year. He got so excited while we were waiting in line and couldn't wait to get on the boat! Then he would dance and sing the entire ride! Absolutely adorable! He slept through Fantasmic but the rest of us enjoyed it.

At the beach we...

Played ball with Rylee and Uncle Jeff

Ate Otter Pops,

enjoyed sunsets,

hung out with Nolan,

enjoyed the deck,

watched Daddy boogie board,

had time outs,

found new places to climb,

played in the water,

(thanks for the warning Nick)

demanded licorice,

did arts & crafts,

read books,

and celebrated Rylee's 3rd birthday!

Then it was off to Disneyland!

And finally off to San Diego where we ot haircuts :)

Father's Day out takes

2010-07-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

Last year for Father's Day, Dylan and I put together a frame for Nick. It's a 3 panel frame and in each panel we put a photo of Dylan holding a "I" "heart" "DAD".

I or H? Apparently it was dirty and needed to be washed off.

Too cool

Mom, you want me to climb on the table? No problem!

I'm done

Now, I'm REALLY done

How do I get out of here... And yes, that is Benito.

The FINAL product!!!!

Can you tell me how to get...

2010-06-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

How to get to SESAME STREET!!!!

I can't believe I'm about to say this, last night Julie & I took the kids to Sesame Street LIVE. I thought I had a few years (or at least until Yo Gabba Gabba comes in November) until we started these shows but the opportunity presented itself (thanks Paul!) and we went. The kids had a blast!! Dylan cuddled on my lap for the first 45 minutes (it was a late 7pm show) but perked up and danced, marched and sang the entire second half! Giada enjoyed the whole show! The kids were adorable and I'm so glad we went!

Sorry for the dark videos but the purpose of the lighting obviously isn't for parents to take photos of their kids ;) But you get the gist of the adorable dancing that was going on!

May 2010

2010-06-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

Again, I'm ashamed of the monthly updates. But I guess this is better than no update, right?!?

Let's see, what have we been up to....

Dylan had more fun with Nigiri's water bowl. Nigiri also figured out that he can fit through the chihuahua doggie door (well not really, he did rip 1/2 of it out of the wall).

Hmm... a little easier to drink out of here.

It was also Mother's Day! I love my little family!

We've also been enjoying our beautiful weather! Dylan and I dusted off the water toys and had ourselves a wonderful afternoon!

Nick introduced Dylan to his love for fort building. Dylan shares the same love and the first thing he does when he comes home is climb on the couch and throw all of the cushions/pillows/blankets off so Dad can build him a fort. We currently have a semi-permanent one in the loft (by semi-permanent I mean until I'm brave enough claim my craft table back).

I had the Friday of Memorial weekend off so Dylan and I went to the zoo with Julie & Giada. It was a very eventful day. Julie conquered her fear of birds and Dylan & Giada actually got along!!!!!

It's looks like all of the Yo Gabba Gabba songs like "don't hit your friends" are paying off!

We also made it to a Giant's game over the long weekend! No (little) kids so we enjoyed a wonderful tailgate and a nail biting game!!!

Umm, I'm not quite ready for this...

Getting ready in the morning.Just doing his chores.
And I guess you could say we've been up to something else...

I'm 16 weeks along and due November 20th!!!

Picture RECAP

2010-04-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

So again, it's been so long I bet you forgot what we all look like. Not much new around here. Nick & I are still crazy busy (I've been traveling with work all month) and Dylan is still crazy. Below is our month in photos (in no particular order).

We celebrated my sister's birthday by heading out to a local winery with a picnic lunch. We hiked to this secluded picnic area where Dylan and the dogs could run around. It was a very nice afternoon with my family.

The birthday and my nephew, Nigiri
Auntie Amy, can I swing?

Grandpa, can we go swimming?

CAKE!

One weekend while Nick was out of town, Dylan & I met Jerri & Emery and Tracy and her kids at Fairy Tale Town. It was so much fun! Everything is kid sized, even the entrance is 4' tall! The kids had a great afternoon running around and the adults enjoyed catching up.

Dylan and Emery were so excited to see each other!

All of the kids!

Jerri & Emery spent the night and the kids enjoyed their first coed sleepover.

He got an awesome bubble machine from Uncle Jeff for Easter

Crazy hair day at school. His hair is pretty crazy on an everyday basis so we went Mohawk.

I won an award for work and got to go to New York to accept it. Nick and I went a few days early and explored. It was a great trip and we enjoyed the break but were SO EXCITED to get home to Dylan.

2010-03-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Whoa, a month has gone by. I promise we haven't been at home twiddling our thumbs. We've been busy having A TON OF FUN with our 1.5 year old CRAZY TODDLER. I mean crazy in a good way. This kid is non-stop on the go. He is adjusting well to school and the teachers have said he's had some of his best days recently. I think being able to go outside with the nice weather is helping with that.
Where too start...

We often joke about the many occupations Dylan could have later in life based on his activities now. Some of the many are listed below.

Evel Knievel - He could definitely be a stunt man.

Janitor

Pro Basketball Player

Superhero

Dylan's cousin Savannah came over to play one day. The kids actually got along and had fun!

Carpooling

Nico Busalacchi turned 1! Marc & Renee threw an amazing Sock Monkey party. Dylan spent a few hours terrorizing every other kid there. He even tried to tackle the "big boys".

Dylan and Giada have a love/hate relationship. He loves her and she hates him. I don't blame her. Dylan spends their time together pulling her hair, pushing her down and hugging her really hard. I think he has a kindergarten crush.

Nick and I ran our first 1/2 marathon!!! We trained for 3+ months and are so proud that we completed it! We had a great crew, thanks Coldani's & Jax!

Almost Spring!!! 1st day in shorts in a long time!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

2010-02-19T09:21:00.001-08:00

We celebrated my Dad's birthday this past weekend. He's not quite an old man but he is already counting down how many projects he has left in his life to use his new table saw. Seriously Dad, you're going to live forever! I'm sad I don't have any pictures of my Dad on his birthday but hopefully my sister does :)

Amy, Jorge & Nigiri came to town to celebrate. We had a yummy lunch followed by some fun in the awesome weather in the backyard! The dogs and Dylan ran around for a couple of hours! They all slept really well that night.

Dylan loved Nigiri's GIANT water bowl

He love it until...

it spilled.

Not from my Dad's birthday but one of the reasons my parents like to watch D. He does housework!

Growing Up

2010-02-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

The milestones keep coming. Quicker than I'd like these days. Below are some recent ones from Dylan.

First day of "school" We started Dylan at Merryhill School 2 days a week. I think it'll be great for all party's involved. Dylan will benefit from the interaction with other kids and from the instruction from the teachers. My parents will benefit from a few days off every week ;) He is doing OK. I should say his 2nd day was better than his 1st and I hope his 3rd day (today) is even better!

The little devil figured out how to open the baby locks on the cabinets. Thanks to Jerri, I'm now installing pain in the a** magnet locks on each cabinet as he figures out he knows how to open them. (Notice my temporary baby proofing, a Tupperware container lid)

Some other random acts of cuteness.

The snacks of champions, OJ, cheerios and tomato paste (?)

More fun with the camelback!

Fan Fest 2010!

2010-02-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we headed to AT&T Park for Giant's Fan Fest! It was such a fun day with some great opportunities. While we didn't get to meet any of the players (Dylan wasn't really into waiting in the lines) we did get to walk around, hang out on the field, in the locker rooms AND eat ball park hot dogs!!! The day definitely got us excited for baseball season. GO GIANTS!!!!!!!

All ready to go meet the Giants!

Climbing the bleachers with Dad

A whole freezer full of ice cream in the locker room!!!

What a cool place to hang out.

In the dugout!!!!!! What a great view!

Calling the bull pen!

Showing D the pitchers mound. Hopefully he'll be making his left handed pitching debut here in 21 years (after he graduates from Cal Poly of course)!

Matty!!!

He is pooped after all of the excitement!

Kenny Gift

2010-01-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Nick's parents came to visit and they brought Dylan a present, Nick's old Cabbage Patch Kid. His name is Kenny Gift. When Nick was little his parents too him to the Cabbage Patch Kid Hospital in San Francisco and let him pick any CPK he wanted. Kenny is the one he choose. As you can see, Dylan loves him just as much as Nick!

Giving Kenny a hug

Happy Birthday Giada Coldani!

2010-01-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated Giada Coldani's 1st birthday! I can't believe how quickly these kids are growing up. Mike & Julie threw an awesome party complete with yummy food, great entertainment (beer pong & football) and wonderful friends.

The Birthday Girl MY Cake! Guarding the keg
Kids play area

San Diego Vacation

2010-01-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we enjoyed our long weekend in San Diego. Tim, Tara & Blake invited everyone to their brand spanking new house that was just built! The house is AMAZING. I can't believe Tim & Tara designed it. I spent a majority of the weekend picking my jaw up off the floor. The Littrell's were awesome hosts and we all had a wonderful time.

Dylan was really good on both flights. We had an hour delay on the way home (it actually rained in Southern CA and everything shut down) and Dylan was still really good. The group went on a hike (complete with an ENORMOUS snake scare), had some quality girl time, enjoyed a private sushi chef and ooed & awed at all of the adorable kiddos. Sunday morning Nick's Dad came and picked us up so we could spend a night with them. Dylan and I both got haircuts with Marisa while we were there!

Reading the safety card, just to be safe

Waving good-bye to Sacramento!

The GORGEOUS house!
Reading time!

Dylan enjoying the view!

The Bob Parade

Dylan was enjoying the sun. It's been a few weeks since we've seen it!

Blake Chillaxing

Daddy Daycare

Dylan "helped" Maryn get around in her walker

How the boys entertain (no baby involved, just using the highchair tray on wheels)

Sushi Night!

Yes, Emery is still beautiful ;)

Happy Birthday Katie!

And another Emery update. She can now sing the ABC's!!!! She is brilliant!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it's time for another Christmas post. This year has FLOWN by. Dylan has changed so much since last Christmas. Last year he spent the morning napping on my lap and nursing. This year he tore into presents and ran around with his cousins. So fun!!!! We spent Christmas Eve at Jama's stuffing ourselves with tamales. Then we were so fortunate to have everyone at our house again for Christmas morning and spent Christmas evening at my parent's house. My sister and Jorge were missed but I'm sure they're having a great time enjoying the summer weather in Chile.

Everyone helped with the Christmas baking!

Christmas Eve

I told him to stop playing with the "people" and Jama replied that it was OK because Baby Jesus was "calling to him".

Bubbles!

Opening his stocking Christmas morning

Cutest PJ's ever! Thanks Coldani's!

Can't you see I'm on the phone... (I thought we had a few more years before this phase)

He shoots...

He scores...

YAY!!!!!

Funniest gift Marisa!!! (Nick's Dad's name is Michael and his sister gave this shirt to Susan)

It was a Sunggie kind of year

Loving his rocking horse from Grammy & Grandpa

Trying out the new roller blades!

Apparently I use the nose aspirator a little too much... (that's toy mustard in his hand)

Amy & Jorge were missed

Let the Hoilday Celebrations Begin!!!

2009-12-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night we celebrated Hanukkah with my family. My Mom cooked a fabulous dinner of brisket, sweet potatoes, asparagus and my personal favorite - potatoes latkes!!! Dylan was wonderful and actually let me enjoy dinner warm. He even ate brisket (covered in ketchup of course - come'on, he is MY kid). My parents gave us a wagon as our family present! It's so great! Dylan loved helping put it together and heloves riding in it!

Lighting the candles!

Enjoying brisket

"Helping" put the wagon together

Truely a family gift

Dylan's new hobby is putting his toys in the trash can. Nick and I try to stay on top of it and tell him "no" and pull them out but he sneaks a few in. Below is his "bounty" one night.

Lake Tahoe Trip, Happy 1st Birthday Mason!

2009-12-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we packed up the Tahoe and headed up to Lake Tahoe! We rented a beautiful house with the Townes, Storks & Middletons. The weather was beautiful, we even got some light snow. Saturday was Mason Towne's 1st birthday and we were so happy we could be there to celebrate with him!

Now you see me...

Now you don't! (except for my little fingers)

Teaching Mason how to get in trouble with the light switches!

The Stork's cooking up a fabulous feast!

Cleaning up the cabin

Mason all ready for the birthday cupcakes Auntie Kaitlin baked him!

Jordan's 30th, Happy Thanksgiving & Feliz Navidad

2009-12-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Long time no see. Been busy as usual and the blog has felt the effects. The good thing is we've been so busy that we've probably seen most of you!

On November 21st we headed down to The NO (Fresno) to celebrate Jordan Roach's 30th birthday. It was a wonderful evening with friends. The Roach's were wonderful hosts as usual and a good time was had by all! Dylan even found a new girlfriend! It was love at first sight when he set his eye's on Sheri's sister, Katie. He followed her around all night and would cry if she left the room.

The following week we celebrated Thanksgiving & Feliz Navidad with my family. My grandfather had a little issue and spent a few days in the hospital so they couldn't make the trip. It wasn't the same without them but we managed to have a little but of fun.

We...

played a little Rock Band

Watched games with Uncle Nick & Rylee

Went to the park

celebrated Feliz Navidad!

I made these blocks for Rylee & Nolan

Celebrated Thanksgiving!

Amy & Jorge's newest addition, Nigiri!

Dylan also has a few new tricks!

He loves to throw things away!

Read magazines

and dances to Yo Gaba Gaba!

Let's Go NINERS!

2009-11-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we took Dylan to his 1st 49'er game in San Francisco. He was such a trooper. We left the house at 7am and didn't get home until 7pm. He did great! There were a few hairy moments, but that was to be expected. He had a great time running around the parking lot during the tailgate throwing back a few Corona's (thanks Uncle Marc) and cheering on the team during the game.

He went to sleep in the car and woke up at Candlestick Park!

All ready to tailgate!

The boys watching the morning games.

Girlfriend #1

Girlfriend #2

Emery is such a love bug!

Hold my hand Dylan!

Dylan, come'on!

Please!!!!!

Great surprise running into my sister!

A cute photo from the free Safeway center!

Da Na Na Na Na Na Na Na...

2009-11-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

BATMAN!!!!! Dylan was the cutest Batman ever for Halloween! He loved his costume and wore it Friday night with some friends and all day Saturday. Friday night we had the Coldani's & the Busalacchi's over for dinner and some baby costume time. It was a wonderful night and the kids were so good! On Saturday, we dressed up and headed downtown for the festivities (thanks Kristen for the costume). We dressed in theme to match the kids. If you can't tell, I'm The Riddler!

A little pumpkin carving! The SF and Pirate kept our porch SPOOKY!
BATMAN #2
BATMAN #1 & #2

(like Father, like Son)

Ready to P-A-R-T-Y!

Sophie the Giraffe!

The Courageous Lion

The diaper brigade after the costumes were shed

Officer Benito

Dylan with his cousins

Fun at Daycare and the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

My busy body son has been everywhere lately!!! I mean, he NEVER sits still. Inside, out in the backyard, back inside and back outside. He climbs up the chihuahua stairs on our bed rolls around, then slides to the floor. Then back up and repeat. He runs circles around the island. Climbs up his chair, onto the couch, slides off the couch, back up on the chair. When he's in his highchair his feet are constantly kicking. He's even a restless sleeper. Gee, I wonder whose kid he is. :)

Here is some fun he's had at "daycare" lately. He and Grandpa have been very busy building new cabinets. It's a good thing my Dad has such a great helper! They've even found a few spare minutes to play at the park.

His BFF AceWorking Hard
Play Time!
All of this is EXHAUSTING!

Last weekend we took Dylan to the Pumpkin Patch at Phillip's Farms. It was so cute!!!! We went early and there was hardly anyone there so Dylan could run around. He loved all of the scarecrows and hay caves. The chickens, however, scared the crap out of him. They were so noisy and he did not like them one bit. Good thing that was the end of the trip!

On Saturday night we got all dressed up (read: I actually blow dried my hair, put makeup on, wore a shirt with no dried banana, milk or snot on it and shoes with heels) and went to the 1st Annual Calivirgin Harvest Party. It was a very nice evening with wine, fabulous food and good friends.

The past year

2009-10-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

It's kinda fun to watch the progression of the hair...

Happy 1st Birthday Dylan!!!!!

2009-10-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have a 1 year old. This is nuts for so many reasons! I could write paragraphs and paragraphs about how a I feel and how crazy the last year has been. But no one wants to be bored with that so below are MANY pictures from D's wonderful birthday and party. There is no way we could've pulled off the party without the help from our families!!! It was such a wonderful afternoon. Dylan was a little overwhelmed but I think enjoyed himself overall.

His actual birthday!

He loves his ball pit!!!

He even shared it with Giadaand his new chair!
Presents from Grandparents & Great-Grandparents

Cake time!!!

PARTY TIME!!!!

The birthday boy!

Most of the kiddos

I think Emery has a crush!

The birthday hat from Auntie Marisa!

He wasn't too fond of the cake at the party :(

I'm #1!

The Family

He loves his new ride!

Dylan got his first haircut from his Auntie while she was visiting. Well it was more of a trim and he HATED it!!! Trust me D, I didn't want to cut off your curly locks either.