Month: August 2009

Yo Ho Yo Ho A Pirates Life For Me!

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Greetings again from Disneyland! Yeah I know we are there too much, according to some, but its a happy place and even better now that we have our little girl to share it with. Because of the major heat and the fires we decided to take a night trip and enjoy the park until it closed.

When we arrived on Main Street, Shaun and I began the usual ritual of… so what do we do first??!! We decided to find a seat over at the Plaza Inn to eat and enjoy the fireworks when they started. On our way we saw that Mickey and Minnie were out taking pictures with everyone. So Abby, not even a year old, has her first pictures with Mickey and Minnie Mouse! As you can see in the pictures, Abby was distracted first by Mickey and his nose and then by Mickey walking by while she was taking a picture with Minnie. Oh well, they are still super cute pictures!

After dinner and fireworks, Shaun and I decided it was time to hit some rides before the park closed. We hopped on to Snow White’s Scary Adventure and Abby seemed to enjoy that. Its a fairly harmless ride though, just like Pinocchio or Winnie the Pooh.

After tackling that one, we made the decision to give one our favorites a chance to see how Abby did. Yeah you guessed it… we headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean. I know I was a bit nervous about how Abby would handle the dark and the drops, but as I learned quickly, I was worried over nothing.

Abby handled the two drops like a champ. She tensed up a bit but seemed to be OK. As we started to just float along, Abby seemed to relax completely and even to bob her head with the music. It was pretty cute! Unfortunately I didn’t even think to take video of it! Sometimes its hard to read her reaction, as she loves to just take things in. Her favorite scene seemed to be the one where the man is being dipped up and down into the well. Pretty funny! I cant wait to take her again to see if she likes it even more, or if she hates it. We shall see!

After Pirates we went on Winnie the Pooh. It was a nice calm ride after something so intense and Abby seemed to be losing steam. After Winnie the Pooh, Abby fell asleep in the stroller and we knew it was time to just walk around and enjoy the last little bit at the park. I love walking through all of the stores on Main Street, so we did that for a moment. After about 40 minutes, Abby woke up with a smile on her face and ready for more but sadly the park had already closed. I guess we will have to save Peter Pan for next time! So we had to say “bye bye” to Disneyland for now but I am sure we will be back soon.

Station Fire

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Oh fire season… it has begun and I really have to say that I don’t miss it each year. The Station Fire is getting bigger and bigger by the minute and it has been very scary. Thank goodness for all of those wonderful firefighters out there. They do an amazing job and risk so much.

I took this picture on our way to Disneyland for the evening. You will get to hear more about that later! But this was from the Reseda on ramp to the 118. Pretty impressive but scary. I don’t think this is a sight I will ever get used to. What was even worse about it is that we could see the flames from this fire from the parking structure at Disneyland! Not good.

Our Bedroom Stairs… Abby’s Everest!

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Shaun and I try to make time together with Abby to just sit and play, without her “saucer”, outside of her playpen and without Jack constantly looking for our attention. Lately we have been working on getting her to walk and stand on her own and she is getting so close. In doing all of this, we have found that Abby has accomplished something else! Stairs! As you will see, Abby has figured out how to climb the short set of stairs in our bedroom. Not only that, but she has also figured out how to get back down them as well! She had a little bit of help from daddy, but that was mainly done to make sure she didn’t fall and hurt herself. What a smart little cookie… and those chubby legs and tushy are pretty cute too!

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Daddy Time

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I just wanted to share a moment from Abby and Daddy time! It was just some time the two of them spent together after dinner and before bed. The simple moments that mean so much. Abby really seemed to like riding on daddy’s shoulders. I think we have a little daredevil! I really dont know where she got that from… certainly not me or Shaun. Maybe her Aunt Jillian? I guess all we can do is wait to see how long this lasts. Until then, I love to see that little girl smile!

So Close to First Steps

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Abby certainly isn’t walking yet, but she is getting so very close. Her favorite place to make these attempts, as you can see, is near the stairs in our room. By the way, she has figured out how to crawl up those stairs too! I think she will be walking very soon but we aren’t rushing it! She has had a few fleeting moments of standing on her own. If history repeats itself and she does the same thing she did with crawling, she will just suddenly start walking. Abby is one of those on her own terms kind of kids! I wonder where she gets that from? Hmmmm….

Just a Tad Sleepy

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Last night Shaun and I were sitting in the living room watching some TV with Abby. It was getting close to bedtime so Abby was having her bottle before bed. While she was drinking that, chattering away between gulps, Shaun and I were talking about something, but nothing too important. Not more then a few moments later I look down to see this…

Abby had literally dropped the bottle and just fallen asleep right there in her saucer! Who knew she was that tired! When Shaun went and picked her up and take her to bed, she didn’t even flinch or move. That gave Shaun a little bit of daddy/daughter cuddle time before we put her to bed.

Children are so funny. Chattering away one minute and asleep the next. They literally enjoy every ounce of energy they have up until that last moment where they just cant stay awake any longer. So cute! I cherish these moments.

Disneyland… A Few First Moments

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Yesterday was Abby’s second trip to Disneyland and while that may not seem all that important it was! Back on Abby’s 4 month birthday we took her for the very first time, but she was still to little to go on any rides or truly enjoy things. This time around was much different.

We decided to go for the afternoon and evening to meet up with Emerson, Jackie and their kids as they were celebrating Emily’s First Birthday! We took our time getting there, actually we were forced to. Traffic was a nightmare and on the way Abby started to have a meltdown because mommy wasn’t thinking and put her Doggy out of reach. Boy does she love that Doggy! Luckily we were able to get off of the freeway and get Doggy and a bottle for her. I thought that would help her to fall asleep for the rest of the ride, but instead… she chattered the rest of the way there which left her a little cranky.

Despite being a little cranky when we first arrived, Abby seemed to take everything in. The colors, the sounds, the characters and the ducks on the Rivers of America! At one point I think she was trying to have a serious conversation with them!

It was so much fun to see her enjoy herself, even if we were just walking around enjoying the sights! After some sight seeing we decided to finally take Abby on her very first Disneyland ride! So exciting! I must say that I was probably more excited about this then Abby and Shaun put together. Because we were already over in Critter Country we decided to go on Winnie the Pooh! Very appropriate for Abby’s first ride! She took in all of the colors, wiggled a bit with the songs and just stared at all of the characters. She also just looked so cute sitting in our laps, holding onto the lap bar.

Right after we got off the Winnie the Pooh ride, we spotted Tigger and Rabbit visiting with lots of visitor to the park. Shaun and I would have liked to had pictures taken with both of them but the line was extremely long. However, as we stood there Abby caught a glimpse of Tigger and seemed very excited! Her reaction was priceless and it almost seemed as if she was trying to talk with him!

After the excitement of her first ride, we decided to just walk around a bit more and enjoy one of our favorite places. My hope was to get Abby to fall asleep for a bit and eventually she did. Of course she looked cute doing that too! Luckily for us she fell asleep just before our dinner reservation, which allowed us to eat for a while before she woke up again. Dinner was at the Big Thunder BBQ, which for me was very exciting. The Big Thunder ranch used to have a BBQ restaurant when I was a little girl and the last time we had the chance to eat there, well… if you dont know the story about Snow White’s wishing well, as me some time. The BBQ was excellent! ALl of our food came out in metal buckets and our drinks were served in mason jars. During our dinner there was also a show which was pretty cute. Abby woke up when it started and she seemed to get a kick out of it.

After dinner we were finally able to meet up with Emerson, Jackie, Matthew, Jacob and of course the birthday girl… Emily! She and Abby had some time to get to know one another and it was too cute. I think Abby tried to kick Emily and Emily almost bit Abby but hey… thats what happens when you are little. They also giggled and chattered at one another, so I think this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

After chatting for a bit, we had the moment to watch fireworks together and both girls seemed to love it. Some of the fireowrks were a little too bright but aside from that they seemed to be pretty engrossed with it. After the fireworks we parted ways and decided to get onto one last ride before we left. We got onto Small World in no time and that seemed to be, well… I think the jury is still out on that one for Abby. Singing, dancing little dolls at 10pm might have been a bit much, but she didnt complain. Just sat here and took it all in!

All in all it was a great night and I cant wait to go back and tackle more rides with our little girl!

Surprise Teeth!

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Ok, so I know that new teeth in a baby aren’t really a surprise… we know that they grow in but this one had us fooled! Abby has had swollen gum’s up top for quite some time and its obvious that her two front are teeth coming in. While they havent broken through yet, you can see the outline of her teeth and you can tell her gums are softening in those areas. She has been cranky lately, so we have been watching for them. Also, Abby is at that point where she hates it when you stick your finger in her mouth to check or try to lift up her lip to look, which makes feeling around for teeth very difficult.

The other evening Abby was sitting in her “saucer” and I thought I saw a piece of lint or string in her mouth. When I went in to retrieve it I found that it wasnt anything like that at all… it was the top of a tooth! While we were monitoring those top teeth, Abby had cut another tooth on bottom. Her bottom left hand side next to her two center teeth to be exact! Didnt have a clue that she was even cutting a tooth on bottom!

That is now 3 teeth and counting!

Abby’s First Birthday Party Invite

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Birthday Parties!! Who doesn’t love a birthday party!! Today we were invited to celebrate a first birthday and it was Abby’s first official birthday invitation. The Guerrero’s, who are friends of ours had their little boy, Harrison, only a few months before we had Abby… on August 8th to be exact. Today was his 1st Birthday celebration and we had a wonderful time!

Harrison’s party was in Calabasas at the park on Lost Hills and Los Virgenes. It was a warm day, but the Guerrero’s had it all covered, including covered seating! The party had a Sesame Street theme and Abby seemed to love that, especially the jolly jump that matched. Unfortunately she is a little too small for something like that, but she sure enjoyed watching all of the kids inside! When we arrived we found the birthday boy making his rounds with Byron and Erika. The two of them were so cute in their Elmo and Cookie Monster t-shirts!

We enjoyed watching everyone play and Abby enjoyed some of her special treats for the day. Shaun gave her a cinnamon and sugar cookie, which she loved and ate like crazy and she had some juice to wash that down with. After we sang to Harrison and he had the chance to make a mess with his cake (managed to get Byron with a full fist of cake) Abby was given an adorable cookie monster cupcake. She loved it! Abby loved the actual cupcake and ate some of the frosting! What a mess, but what fun!

The day was very special and we had a wonderful time! I have to give Erika some major credit! I wish I had taken a picture of Harrison’s cake because it was amazing. Shaun and I made sure to ask where they got it… ideas for Abby maybe? When we asked, we found out that they didn’t buy it… Erika made it!!! The cake was delicious and it looked like a professional cake! Great job on that one… you certainly had us fooled!

All in all it was a wonderful day and Abby seemed to enjoy her first friends birthday party! And so did we!






Hollywood Bowl…

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As a birthday gift to Zoe, we went to the Hollywood Bowl tonight to see Herbie Hancock perform. It was certainly a night that I was looking forward to. Herbie Hancock would be performing with classical pianist Yang Yang as a fusion of jazz and classical piano. I was wondering how this would turn out and after that fact, I can say it was wonderful! They played backed by the LA Philharmonic and I couldnt have asked for anything better. To add to our evening… Jackie and Emerson came with us! It was a perfect night!

The show opened with the LA Phil playing the Marriage of Figaro, which was wonderful and better then I expected! When Herbie Hancock and Yang Yang came out to perform afterward, it was a wonderful piece that I was fairly unfamiliar with, but it was beautiful. The sounds mixed together were amazing and the blend of classical and jazz piano blended very well! Because this piece was longer then most, intermission followed and then Act Two began.

Act Two was my favorite! The LA Phil opened with Leonard Bernstein’s “Mambo” from West Side Story and there was a bit of audience participation with that! Both Yang Yang and Herbie Hancock had the chance to play a few solo’s as well as a few dueling piano pieces. It was great! They of course closed with one of my facorite’s, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. INCREDIBLE! Unlike anything I have ever heard! There isnt much I can say… you just had to be there. It was an amazing way to close the show.

However, as an encore for those peopls who didnt rush off, Herbie Hancock and Yang Yang brought out a special guest, Josh Groban! How amazing! He was excellent and of course has a beautiful voice live. To finish the night, Herbie Hancock and Yang Yang played a medly of Gershwin Themes!

The night was perfect and even though it took a while to get home due to traffic, fun was had by all! It was great to have the chance to talk, laugh and enjoy each others company.

Ten Months and Only Two to Go!

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Abby turned 10 months old today! I think I say it all the time but I cannot believe how quickly time flies and how much Abby has grown. Her little personality is really starting to come out now. The belly laughs and giggles are cuter then ever and now when you tickle her, she screams in delight. Its hilarious and whenever I need a good smile I just give her little tummy or under arms a tickle. Abby is crawling and moving like crazy. She has started an attempt to climb stairs and she is trying to stand on her own. A few days ago, while standing in her play pen, she let go and stood for a few fleeting seconds. As long as she has something to hold on to, she will move around. Although, anytime you try to get her to walk by holding her hands, she just becomes dead weight and wants to swing and use you as her transportation. Smart little cookie if you ask me!

This morning I woke Abby up and as always, she was happy to see me. It really is wonderful to see her face light up and watch her excitement when you walk into her room in the morning or after a nap. The best part of being a parent is being loved unconditionally. When I walked in this is what greeted me!

Seriously?? How can you resist a face like that greeting you every morning?? What a blessing! Her smiles, giggles, chatters and the expressions she makes with her face make my heart sing.

After Abby woke up and did her usually morning things we sat down for a little bit of breakfast. Abby had what has become her new favorite, scrambled eggs and turkey sticks. She loves them! After breakfast it was time for Abby’s mid morning nap which gave me a chance to clean house. Not only was it Abby’s 10 month birthday, it was also Grandma Zoe’s birthday! We were getting the house together and cooking a lovely birthday dinner.

In the afternoon, Abby woke up just in time for Auntie Kenzi to make a quick stop to see all of us and the new house. Being as busy as she is with school and getting her PhD in Physical Therapy, it was so wonderful that she had the chance to come by and visit. It gave me the chance to catch up with her. We miss her bunches!

As Auntie Kenzi was leaving, grandma Zoe came and the birthday dinner was underway. Shaun BBQ’d some chicken, which was amazing, and made some wonderful salads to go with it! Abby had some mashed potates with turkey and carrots which she seemed to enjoy immensly. As you can see below, Abby has also discovered some new things about herself…like her nose. Better yet, she has discivered that she can stick her finger in it! So pretty!

Ah what a little charmer! I cant wait to show this one off to any future boyfriends! The perk of being a parent… blackmail photos!

Watching Her Grow…

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One of the best things about being a parent is watching your child grow… at least I think so. The little changes and connections being made in developement to the physical growth.

Tonight I sat Abby down for dinner with the usual things. Some Gerber chicken sticks, diced cooked apples and diced cooked carrots. I also gave her some Turkey and Rice dinner in a bowl with a spoon. She already needed a bath so making a mess of herself wasnt going to be an issue. Abby is still working on using that spoon, but tonight something new happened. She was having a hard time getting food on her spoon and getting the concept of scooping, so she figured out another way! Abby took her finger, dipped it into the Turkey and Rice and then started rubbing it onto the spoon. She did this a few times and then, when she was satisfied, she put the spoon in her mouth! Great problem solving skills of you ask me! And all on the eve of her 10 month birthday! Gotta love watching her grow and learn.