No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
December 25, 2006
Emma and Kai seem very happy together…
Christmas Eve
December 24, 2006
Hmmm, Christmas in Ventura. Sounded really lonely at first. Especially for me–I’ve always grown up having big family get-togethers for Christmas. But the idea of bumming around, watching movies, sipping hot cocoa stirred with candy cane sticks began to grow on us. No six hour drive up north! No sitting in five hour traffic coming home from Fresno! So here we are, enjoying 70 degree weather on Christmas!
The weekend ended up being more full (and fun) than we expected. Our friends Kiwi and Trevor, and their newborn baby Alina visited from San Luis yesterday. After church this morning, the whole fam took a much-need nap. We spent some time in the afternoon visiting with a senior-missionary couple living a few apartments down from us. Finally, we had Christmas Eve dinner at our friends’ home. (HA, I got out of cooking a fancy Christmas dinner!) But dinner was so delicious. Our friends Oksana and John are awesome cooks. Check out these cute cute CUTE pictures of Kai and their daughter Emma (Kai’s new girlfriend!).
Merry Christmas!
December 22, 2006
Mouse is my co-pilot
December 19, 2006
I know I’m so retarded for posting these crappy pictures, but Kai is just so dang cute, I can’t help it!
A Week of Firsts
December 14, 2006
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This past week, I feel as if Kai has had a developmental explosion. He’s doing so much more “smarter” things all of a sudden. While it makes my life a little more complicated, I can’t help but be a proud mama.
He’s become adept at opening even the trickiest cabinets. A favorite activity of his is playing copycat. Last night, he was mimicking me as I brushed my teeth (imagine this tiny, empty fist shaking back and forth next to his little, open mouth. Probably the cutest thing I’ve EVER SEEN). He knows what to do when we give him his own toothbrush. Another evening, he was comparing Ryan’s ear with his own, and today, I SWEAR he said “ear.” He understands the concept of plugging things into electrical outlets (NONO!). He does the baby signs for “bird” (when he feels like it) and for “uh-oh/all gone.” And this morning, after drinking from his sippy cup, he set it back down–gently! (Let’s ignore the fact that he promptly picked it back up, and threw it against the litter box). Our relationship with our son has reached a whole new level. We’re dealing with a little person here who is not so baby anymore. Kai has become better at communicating his wants and needs, like pointing at food if he’s hungry, or clapping his hands and grinning if he wants to play. He points at everything, wanting us to explain the world to him. The three of us have so much fun together. These little things may not seem like a huge deal, but Ryan and I continue to be amazed by Kai each day. Just when we think we can’t possibly love him anymore than we already do, our hearts all of a sudden expand with even more love for the little bug. This is what being a parent is all about. |
Fear. Pure, raw, fear.
December 12, 2006
Just Another Lovely Day, Petting Ducks and Dogs
December 6, 2006
A Boy and His Cat
December 5, 2006
Someone is a little impatient for Christmas
December 5, 2006
Getting Sick Aint Pretty
December 5, 2006
It’s so hard when you’re a sick, full-time, stay-at-home mom. Obviously, it’s not like you can call your boss and tell him/her you’re taking a sick day. And being so new in town, it’s not like I can call someone to help me out. But I got to thinking that maybe that’s a good thing. No unexpected visits from friends or from anyone from church to interrupt my 3rd nap of the day. No one to witness my greasy bangs, or the glossy sheen of Vicks Vapo rub smeared across my upper lip.
It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas
December 3, 2006
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With our son’s fascination with anything spherical and ball-shaped, we nixed the idea of having a full-sized Christmas tree adorned with too-tempting-to-pass-up ornaments that Kai would most certainly destroy. Coupled with his fascination with knocking large things over, a Christmas tree would be a DISASTER. So, we brought out our little fiber-optic tree that we used during our college days, back when our apartment was too small for a bigger tree. |
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And this year, we have an actual fireplace to hang stockings over! HOLY MOLY WOW! |
(Fine?) Art by Jenn
December 3, 2006
Ryan and I love love LOVE modern art prints (example below), but not enough to shell out anywhere from $200 to $400 a print.
The crafty grrrrrl I am, I made my own. Haha, you can totally tell it’s homemade, but it cost me only 15 bucks to make, so DON’T HATE! Hopefully, I’ll get better at painting so that I can cover up these church-y cinder-block walls in our apartment.
