| archives • main |
| archives • main |
|
DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 14 2009
 A whole slew of photos today. Just felt like capturing my family. David decided he wanted to write a letter to Santa. He wrote it all by himself. I sounded out the words to him so he could recognize the letters. Here he is writing it.  And writing some more.  And the finished product.  Nathaniel is still loving these biscuits. I took it away for two minutes and he cried until I gave it back.  And it makes a mess. Huge mess. He's standing all the time now. Still can't sit down by himself but can stand up just fine.  And here's me. It's hard to see my bruise. I am not all black and blue but my nose is swollen quite a bit. And my thigh and back hurt a LOT.  Thank you for your kind words. I am trying to rest and relax. I happened to have taken today and tomorrow off work and David's sick at home so except for a quick trip to work (to pick up a Christmas present) I've been home all day. Oh and the camera is all fine as you can see. Happy Monday.  DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 13 2009
 Nathaniel puts everything in his mouth so I decided to get him these teething biscuits and he loves them. And then I remembered the mess they make!  On a completely unrelated note, I've had this toy for years and just realized that its in the shape of a face. The blue eyes, yellow eye brows, green head and blue hait. The smiling red mouth. Holy cow! How did I not ever notice that before?  Yesterday's Gilroy Gardens attempt had to be aborted. So today we try again. We ended up in the model train show yesterday and then a long trip to Target. Let's see if we manage to get there today. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 12 2009
 My first pedicure in six years. Holiday spirit. It's been really rainy here so we've been cooped up at home. But it's lush and green outside.  And here's boy number one.  And boy number two.  Off to see if we can go to Gilroy Gardens. Here's to hoping rain stops. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 11 2009
 Hanukkah begins. David was the Shabbat helper today at school so we all went to be with him.  Here he is collecting sadakah.  It was lovely watching him and how comfortable he was.  Nathaniel woke up at 4am today for his second feeding and I could not fall back asleep so I really need to go off to bed now. Happy weekend. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 10 2009
 This is from the wreath project David and I made yesterday. I found it here and had been saving it for an occasion. And despite resisting it, David actually enjoyed it.  Today, we had playgroup. This is the third week of Nathaniel's new playgroup and it's been quite fun. I am really glad we can do this for him.  And one of him eating those puffs he loves so much.  Off from work for the next five days! Excited to rest and relax. And play. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 9 2009
 See? I told you he's standing up! He loves playing with this toy and standing up as he does, even though it's supposed to be a sit-down toy. I am normally very anti putting even slightly naked photos of my kids online anywhere. Just a personal peeve. To each his own. But I love this cute little one and it doesn't show anything so I decided it was ok. This is from last night's bath. David was in there, too.  And a smile from Nathaniel.  Trying to catch up today. Working hard and methodically. This month is going to be topsy turvy. I won't get to read as many books but I will spend lots of time with my boys. All three of them. Love them. Today David said that his brain was full and that he had to create more room in it. And then he proceeded to do just that. Love love love this boy. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 8 2009
 We baked more today. Blueberry muffins for David's class. They turned out pretty yummy. David had a lot of fun mixing the flour and sugar and putting the papers into the trays. Nathaniel's going through this super-clingy phase so he cried every time I left the room even to get the ingredients. But we made it.  And I tried to give Nathaniel some avocado and was met with this face.  And a lot of gagging. Let's just say he didn't like it.  Here's our tree. I've made my peace with it being slanted.  And the mantle with our stockings and the beautiful mirror.  Nathaniel is also in this phase where he gets up every time I put him in bed and cries and cries. Fun fun. Sorry that the posts have been inconsistent this last week. I am spending more time with my family for December which is giving me less time to do these things. I am prepared for pages 8 and some of 9 for tomorrow and I will post them. I did finish a book last week and I plan to post that, too. And I've got an idea for downloads so expect those some time tomorrow. My tag, I haven't begun yet. But I shall. At some point. Apologies. Family comes first. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 7 2009
 David's the friend of the week at school this week and so he's allowed to bring toys to share and bring his family etc. So, today Jake and I and Nathaniel went in and Jake read a story to the class. And I snapped photos, of course  We were supposed to go to Six Flags afterwards but it turns out they are closed so we stayed home and relaxed.  Happy Monday. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 6 2009
 Today we stayed home. Relaxed and made pound cake. When I downloaded photos I found this one of David and laughed and laughed.  Nathaniel has been super-clingy but he's also learned to stand up al by himself. He's quite amazing.  Tired but thankful. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 5 2009
 We went to have breakfast with Santa at the Menlo Park recreational center today. Before that, Jake and the kids had some family time listening to music.  And here is Nathaniel.  A lovely day and then we had a delicious lunch at Donato in Redwood City. Three days ago, it was our fifteenth anniversary (dating) and today was the celebratory lunch. Delicious. Off to spend some family time. Happy Saturday. Movie coming soon I promise. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 4 2009
 We just came back from riding the Train of Lights in Niles, CA. It was magical and wonderful and fun and even Nathaniel didn't complain too much despite missing a nap and staying up past bedtime. This train was decorated inside and out with Santa and carolers and everything.  I loved all the decorations and if it weren't for taking care of Nathaniel I might have taken 1000 photos. As it is, I took 112.  David loved it, too.  And here's the litte boy. Seconds after this he was off the carseat and on our laps for the rest of the trip.  And here are my three boys. Loves of my life.  December daily page and the weekly movie coming tomorrow! Too tired to move now. DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 3 2009
 Jake snapped a few photos of the three of us this morning. I love them and their imperfection.  My boys.  And one of just Nathaniel.  Trying to achieve some peace and calm today. This week went by too fast, I need time to slow down a bit. On another note, my class started today. Yey! DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 2 2009
 Yes, still stuck on the ornaments but this is a special one. We made this one today, David and I. Well mostly David. While I attempted to accomplish some work, Nathaniel and David played together.  And then Nathaniel went around and put everything in his mouth.  Yep this was in his mouth seconds later.  And then as he napped, I took a short break to help David make some ornaments. He made a total of 5 different ones but this one is my favorite.  Still feeling out of sorts but hoping it will pass before the week is out and I can settle into some sort of routine. Let's see... DAILY PHOTOS - DECEMBER 1 2009
 Happy December! I am already way behind but still delighted that December is here. And will continue to post ornaments for a while. I love them too much. Here's David opening his advent calendar. We have a cheap-o one Jake got from the pharmacy. It's just the daily act of the little indulgence and having something to look forward to.  And Nathaniel is sitting there, observing us all the time. He's such a joy, such a delight to have around. His giggles give us endless pleasure.  More to come tomorrow. I am supposed to be sleeping and have so much more to do. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 30 2009
 You'll have to endure photos of my ornaments for some time. I love them and I can't take enough photos of them. Sorry in advance. I've officially moved downstairs so I can smell and see the tree while I work. I spent the afternoon working at the dinner table and Nathaniel, who doesn't seem to want to be anywhere but right by me lately, decided to play right under the table.  And then David joined him, too.  All while I was having a video conference. Nice eh? And when he finally ventured away, it was towards the kitchen where there are too many things that he shouldn't be going near. So I had to give up on the table and move to the couch where there's lots of open carpet. (and the Christmas tree but that's going to be an adventure either way.  I put some small lights in the other living room, too, which is where our stockings live.  Those weird green lights on the stockings are from the UV filter on my lens, gotta remember to take that off. Today was very unproductive but I did take Nathaniel to the doctor and he's gained 1.5lbs in the last month. The doctor had wanted him to gain at least a pound so we're good! Still at 12% but he wasn't worried. Nathaniel got his second flu shot and didn't even flinch. Here's to a more productive tomorrow. December, here we come! DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 29 2009
 Christmas has officially arrived in our beautiful house and I am thrilled. I started out the morning by finishing my book (more on that tomorrow) while Nathaniel napped and then played a little.  Then we took out the ornaments. I realized most of the lights were not working so we had to take another break. When Nathaniel went down to nap, I drove to Walmart and bought a ton of new lights. Now we were ready to decorate. David helped me, of course.  And Nathaniel watched us and was quiet, mostly.  And here's the finished tree with the lights on. It was late at this point so there was no light out.  And here's one with the lights off.  Yes, the tree is crooked. But I love it anyway. I love Christmas. I love smelling the tree. Seeing the twinkles. I loved every little thing about the holiday season. And now I am tired and need to rest before Nathaniel wakes up for milk. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 28 2009
 I've never been able to take good photos of our Christmas trees and this year is no exception. It's right in front of the backyard which means there's lots of backlight and my 50mm doesn't work well since it's a huge tree so I changed to the wide angle today and this is the best I could do. It's a bit crooked but I love it none the less. It smells magical. I bought Nathaniel some puffs the other day and he's enjoying them quite a bit. He likes playing with them as much as eating them. Take note of how many are stuck to his arms.  Lest you think it's just the arms, several on the floor too.  He does like eating them, too. When I undressed him tonight to put him down, I noticed at least five stuck inside his clothes, maybe he was saving them for later.  I finished all my layouts and David's book with the AMM kit from this month. I am still reading my book for the week but I might be able to finish tonight, if not, definitely tomorrow. I've noticed a spike in comments lately, I am not sure where you're coming from, but that you so much, knowing that people are here, reading, and communicating back really makes my heart happy. Five days to my Big Picture Scrapbooking class on reclaiming my time. I am officially excited. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 27 2009
 A few weeks ago I asked Jake if he'd be ok going to cut a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. My friend Diane said they did that last year and it was a lot of fun and I loved the idea. My wonderful husband, of course, agreed. As he went to do the morning trading at work this morning at 3:45am, the rest of us woke up at 6:30. We played, we got ready, Nathaniel napped and we left the minute Jake got home. I had read that it wasn't raining in Half Moon Bay where the farm is but as it turned out, it was. Which is why this photo is as magnificent as it is. And this next one, too.  I'd read that the Grand Firs were the most pungent of all the trees and I wanted something that smelled a lot and would last the longest. So once we found our tree, Jake got to work. I tried to help but I am not sure I was useful at all.  Nathaniel watched pretty quietly most of the time.  And when he wasn't, his big brother was there to soothe him.  After we got the tree up and netted and tied, we rode the little train and listened to Christmas songs, we drank cider and even watched a super-short puppet show. A bunch more hard work from Jake, a lot of trimming, a huge mess, and the tree is now in our house. I attempted to take a shot of it but trees and I, we don't seem to get a long. I will make another attempt tomorrow, I promise. After all the kids went to bed, I dug into the December kit from AMM and already finished three layouts. I have a few more to make and David's school mini. I even made the 47th tag. Of course, I didn't finish my book yet and still have my writing homework to do and six more items on the todo list but I will get to them all in due time. And, of course, tomorrow....we decorate the tree! Christmas season has officially begun and I couldn't be happier. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 26 2009
 Ok, I know it's a terrible shot but I wasn't letting today pass without getting some sort of Thanksgiving shot. Our day started out ok but went downhill quickly when Nathaniel decided to skip his midday nap. He cried and cried so I finally gave up and we went out to the track so Jake could do his run.  Doesn't he look amazing? While he was running David played and smiled and was generally happy.  Even Nathaniel was smiling but don't let that fool you, he was cranky.  Not this one, though. Sweet as ever.  When Jake finished, David did a run around the track, too.  Then we went home and I foolishly thought that Nathaniel would finally fall asleep. But no. He slept for 20 minutes and he was up. While he was sleeping, I got all of our food into bowls and started cooking the broccoli and butternut squash. Even though he was sitting next to me after he woke up, he whined and cried the entire time. He wanted my attention on nothing but him. I then put him down at 4 again and he still wouldn't take a nap so I finally just gave up. I'm not one to care too much about Thanksgiving. I didn't grow up here so I never had the tradition. And often times there's too much family around. I am more of a one-on-one person and get easily stressed with too many people around, even if it's the people I am closest to. And since we had no one visiting this year, I thought Jake was going to be happy skipping Thanksgiving altogether. But it turned out he wanted to have it. So last night we went to Whole Foods and got a few items we loved: a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, Israeli cous cous, mac'n'cheese, and stuffing. Today, he went to get rolls, cranberry sauce, and a pumpkin pie at the grocery store. I made the same butternut squash casserole from a week ago and some broccoli (with a little cheese and onions.) We had enough food for 16 people and it was really just me and Jake since David's a picky eater and only wanted to eat rolls. (In the end he did eat some of the squash, chicken, mac'n'cheese, and stuffing, too. And pumpkin pie with ice cream of course.)  All in all, despite the lack of naps and much crying, it was a wonderful, peaceful and quiet thanksgiving. We're all full, happy and feeling thankful for so much of what we have. If you live in the US, I hope your Thanksgiving was special, too. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 25 2009
 This morning I woke up knowing I was going to design those downloadable tickets and wanted to do them quickly before inspiration left so David spent some quality time entertaining Nathaniel while I worked.. He's so awesome.  And here's one of those puzzling eyes.  This promises to be a quiet Thanksgiving in the karenika household. It's just us four. We've got the food all set and plan to rest, relax and enjoy each other's company. My little boy is seven months old now and the big one's almost five. Time passes all too quickly. See you tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 24 2009
 Where we live, there are several new moms so today we all got together at my house. It was really fun and I am hoping we do it again. David had Thanksgiving at school today and he tried peanut butter for the first time and really liked it.  Nathaniel is so mobile now that it's hard to get a non-blurry shot.  Another day with no to-dos. Working on it. I am sure it will catch up with me but trying to stay calm and relaxed as much as I can. Let's see if I'll get to finish tomorrow's digital downloads. Let me know if there's anything you want. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 23 2009
 We are not exactly sure what color those eyes are. They are the topic of much debate. Nathaniel is fully crawling now and discovering the world as he likes.  A wonderful, quiet day where I didn't give myself any todos. Which meant I could take some time to do math with David tonight and I am enjoying this lack of pressure. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 22 2009
 This is the little journal I made for the journaling class I'm taking. I wanted it to be simple and easy to carry around and something that would give me joy to touch without worrying too much about having too many parts that could fall off. Here's the back.  And I can slip my pen into the side.  Nathaniel is really not a fan of peas. I've tried giving them to him twice now and each time he's gagged and made the saddest faces. I am not sure if it's dislike or he might be allergic somehow so I am staying away from peas for a while.  Relatively happy Sunday here. Finished my book (will post tomorrow), played with my kids, watched some TV, and wrote a little. Hope your weekend was good. I woke up today with a little melancholy and sadness but then I remembered that I did indeed find my ring and I felt better. I thought it was odd that the feeling had become so ingrained in just two days and that my memory hadn't really caught up yet. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 21 2009
 Guess what? I found my ring! I woke up this morning and went down to cook some vegetables and there it was, amongst the broccoli. Veggies are good for you, I tell ya! And then I cooked some creamed spinach and this delicious butternut squash casserole. Mmmm.  Nathaniel was in a good mood most of the day.  And so was the boy with blue eyes.  He's about to stand up any moment now. It's all happening too too fast.  I had a pretty good day. Especially since I found my ring! I cooked veggies, ate veggies, did some art, made a journal for my upcoming class, read some, watched some TV and am about to read more. Not too shabby. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 20 2009
 Last week, I had my first etsy order. I was so excited that I made the order right away. And then I wanted to make a thank you card. I wanted it to be perfect. This was the first person to support me and I wanted it to be special. That meant that I put it off for FIVE days cause I wanted it to be so nice. Finally, today I decided to give myself 15 minutes and I say and did the whole card in 12 minutes, without stopping. It's not perfect but I think it turned out nice. Nathaniel likes crawling towards me so it's a bit harder to take photos now.  He's also discovered the door stoppers and has been having a ton of fun playing with them.  Still sad about the ring. Really enjoyed watching New Moon. Also enjoying my book of the week. And really thankful and excited about Stephanie's new journaling clas. Nothing like journaling and Stephanie is amazing. Happy weekend! DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 19 2009
 My friend Sandra came to visit today so I could see her little boy. Both my boys were a huge fan instantly. Nathaniel was rummaging around the toy drawers.  David kissed him a bunch.  And then Sandra's little boy woke up.  And even gave me a little smile!  Today was a sad day cause when I came back from picking up David I realized I lost my right that I wear on my index finger. A beautiful elegant ring with diamonds on it. I haven't found it yet and I don't think I will so I am really really sorry. I seem to have the worst luck with jewelry. I am so sorry Mom!! Off to bed now cause I need some sleep before I go see New Moon!!! DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 18 2009
 My creative therapy journal. This is the best art journal ever. I love it. I love every little piece of it. Here's David playing with his friend at school. This girl and David have been friends for a long time now. They get along really well.  And cutie-pie Nathaniel.  Still quite tired. This is a good but long week. Monday night I met with my friend Jenn, tonight we have a dinner guest, and tomorrow night I go to see New Moon at midnight. So I am going to be even more tired on Friday but it's worth it. Today, David, Nathaniel and I had lunch together. We went to the Palo Alto Cafe and had bagels and shared an orange juice. It was so wonderful. I hope your Wednesday is going well, too. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 17 2009
 An upcoming creative therapy catalyst. David read a story to Nathaniel today. Even though it was in Turkish. And he can't read.  And here are two smiley photos of my smiley boys.   And a cute looking face he made today.  Feeling exceptionally tired lately. So tired that I am in physical pain. I hope I am not getting sick. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 16 2009
 I finally hooked up the computer in David's room and he's really loving it. He mostly loves doing the art and the drawing and I love watching him play, explore and learn. Nathaniel has been really attached to me lately. He's happy and peaceful sitting next to me but if I leave even to take a photo, this is what I get.  I know it's a phase but it breaks my heart to see him sad. I have a lot more I want to write but I actually went out to see a good friend tonight and I am way too tired and need to go to sleep so the rest will have to wait until tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 15 2009
 Nothing like giggling kids. David was tickling Nathaniel and he was giggling so much which was, of course, making David giggle. Moments like this are worth more than gold.  Extremely tired this weekend. Beyond words. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 14 2009
 David wanted to do some art today so we covered the table with paper towels and had fun with the watercolors. Nathaniel, who was cranky all day, sat behind him and watched.  We also played with stamps and played games and hugged and chatted with my mom and dad over Skype for a long time. Good day. I spent the day making my very first Etsy journal (thank you Karla, you're awesome!) and it was so much fun. I've also been reading my book of the week and am more than halfway through. I still have a lot of todo items on my list but I am feeling at peace with it all. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 13 2009
 Something about this photo I love. Not even sure what. And look how much he's wanting to get up.  Long and a bit of a dreadful week. Here's to next week being better. Happy weekend. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 12 2009
 Lately it's a lot of work getting this one to let me take photos. Lots of bribes are involved and threats and begging. I love this one cause you can clearly see the second tooth coming out.  And here he looks just like me when I was a baby. It's really odd to have a kid who looks like you. Never had that before.  David's been totally addicted to playing games on my iPhone and honestly I don't think it's terrible to let him play. Especially since he wrote every one of the letters of the alphabet yesterday. I am so proud of him.  Semi-productive day today. I did finish my tag but it was already too dark to take a photo so it's coming tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 11 2009
 Yesterday, Nathaniel started getting up by himself for the first time. Both David and I were so excited to see it and tried to capture it but couldn't so here's one to make up for that. And today they played together for a long time.  David laughed and laughed.  And so did Nathaniel. He was even giggling watching his brother entertain him.  This is also from yesterday, while I was chatting with my sister, I told her I had to go to the bathroom so could she please watch Nathaniel. I think she did a great job, all the way from Turkey.  And Nathaniel really loves eating that phone.  It's that or the laptop, so we've compromised.  A lot of photos but too tired for words. Happy Wednesday. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 10 2009
 David's class is studying bugs this week. I used to take photos of David at school all the time before Nathaniel came. But now I carry him to school so I don't have two hands free to take photos. Today, I put him down on the carpet in David's class.  It took him seconds to get going.  He only stopped to watch his brother.  Who gave him his daily kiss and a hug before we left to go back home.  How can one not be thankful for this life? I've been worrying about work and not being as productive as I'd like lately but yet yesterday a workmate said some wonderfully appreciative words to me and I felt so thankful that I saved them so I could go back and look next time I felt insecure. And today he did something even nicer. It's nice to feel appreciated. If there's someone you're appreciating, make sure to tell them. You never know, you might make their day. He sure made mine. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 9 2009
 He's into chewing anything and everything. Including cables, paper, tissues, anything really; he's not picky. David's still working on his letters. He's awesome. Doing really well.  I am not sure you can see it but tooth number two is also out and visible now.  Happy Monday. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 8 2009
 I didn't manage to finish my book this weekend. I am still only halfway through it. I have been reading. But also spending time with Jake and David and Nathaniel. We played on our bed for a long time.  And David just kissed his brother over and over again. I swear I didn't pose him one bit. I think he sees me kiss Nathaniel so much that he likes doing it too.  All in all, a sweet weekend here. I am almost done with my etsy journal, I'll post it early this week I am hoping. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 7 2009
 Haven't had a David shot in a while. He's so wonderful and so sweet and so kind and I love him so much. And here's the little one in action. He's fast and loves to go under my desk. I'm going to have to get the gates for the stairs very soon.  I am only 100 pages into my 500 page book for this week. I might or might not get to finish. I am hoping to but it's been a bit too hectic. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 6 2009
 A etsy project that's in process. As of last night, Nathaniel is full-on crawling. I have never had a baby this mobile this young before, I am a bit afraid. And he now has two visible teeth.  Isn't he the cutest?  Lots of todos this weekend but I think I am going to take it easy and do whatever I actually feel like doing. Happy Weekend! DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 5 2009
 Love him. Nathaniel had napped a lot this morning so when we went to pick David, I suggested we take a fun detour. So we went to get ice cream. And ate it before lunch. Sometimes you just have to eat your dessert first. A little more productive today but it's still continuing to be not-the-best-week-ever. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 4 2009
 I know it's a bad shot but while I was chatting with my sister today, I turned around as saw David kissing Nathaniel over and over again. I had to snap a shot, no matter how crappy. I am so blessed. Not a productive day. I haven't been able to find my groove this week. Weeks like this frustrate me. But I am telling myself it's going to be ok. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 3 2009
 Today was one of those days where I forgot to take a photo until it was too late. Until all the light was gone. So what I got is too imperfect. But some days are like that. And this project is not about perfect photos. It's about having a chronicle of our lives. My kids' growth. And with that, I mark today. Thank you for your kind words to yesterday's post. They mean a lot to me and I am still thinking about it all. Still unsure how to move forward but I'm working on it. In the meantime, I'm spending more time with my son. Working on his letters, reading him bedtime stories. And kissing both of them a ton. Giving myself the space. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 2 2009
 The feet. The beautiful, cute, kissable feet. And the eyes. The eyes that speak right to my soul.  Too sleepy for any more words tonight. Happy Monday. DAILY PHOTOS - NOVEMBER 1 2009
 There's something about these shots that makes my heart skip. I've been trying to snap a photo of Nathaniel's tiny tooth for weeks. And here we finally are. How cute is that?  And look at my other son. He's stunning.  Great weekend here. Got a lot done. Not all but most of what I hoped to do. And some quality family time of course. What more can a girl ask for? DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 31 2009
 Happy Halloween! Halloween is not a favorite of mine. I hate all things creepy and I hate horror movies. But I do love seeing how much joy David gets out of it. Nathaniel got to be a bumblebee this year. David's old costume.  Doesn't he look cute?  I couldn't get a good shot despite how much I tried. I think there was less light than I thought it and I didn't raise my ISO as much as I should have.  And David was Buzz Lightyear, thanks to my awesome sister who sent us tons of costumes.  All in all a joyful day. Hope yours was, too. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 30 2009
 Gone are the sedentary days. He's so mobile. Still not crawling but he is moving around. And he keeps doing this all the time. Trying to stand up. Trying to get his body to move. I did all my A Million Memories layouts tonight. Four layouts, all with a lot of journaling, and I love them all. It was a rough day, today, but it's looking better now that it's almost time to sleep. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 29 2009
 I do most of my work in my bed during the day. I lie here, work on the laptop and watch Nathaniel over the video monitor. Watching him while he sleeps is something I cherish. I often have to stop myself from going into his room and giving him a kiss. Today, I was watching him play on his bed before he falls asleep and I saw him go on all fours and rock back and forth like he's been doing for a few weeks. But then he rolled on his side and sat up. All by himself. He sat up and grabbed his two little teddy bears and played and played. I was so amazed that I broke my rule of never going back in and grabbed my camera to take a shot. And now he sits up all by himself. This kid never ceases to amaze me. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 28 2009
 My boys. Love them. It's been a long and relatively productive day but I am wiped and want to curl up with a book so I won't write much today. I want to leave you with the thought that life is short and you shouldn't feel obligated to do anything that you aren't really obligated to do. (sounds weird but so many of us feel a sense of obligation when there's no actual obligation.) DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 27 2009
 I ordered this little pumpkin because I thought it was really cute. I am not a fan of Halloween. I don't like scary anything and I am not a fan of pumpkin flavored anything either. But aren't these cute? We've been having a lot of these faces lately.  I think he's cute even with his sad sad face. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 26 2009
 While he was sleeping last night, David kept coughing so I thought it might be best to keep him at home. I wasn't sure it was a good idea but the two boys played together so much that I was so thrilled and snapped these (far from perfect) photos.  Nataniel had his six month appointment today and he's doing well except for his weight. He is at 30% height, 50% head circumference but only 10% for weight. He was 25-30% last time (at four months) so this is sort of bad. To be fair, he's looking and acting all healthy but I will nurse him extra long for a while and give him some daily solids and pray that he gains some weight. My little boy also got a ton of shots today but he's such a trooper that he barely cried. I hope David will be the same way when we go back next week for his flu shot. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 25 2009
 Today was pumpkin carving day. We got all settled in the backyard and I cut the top and took its guts out.  This little template was the one David chose for this year.  Nathaniel wasn't all that happy. I am not sure if it's the teeth or he's just moody.  Afterwards, while I gave Nathaniel another portion of food (he didn't like it much better.) David practiced his letters. We've been writing one letter of the alphabet every day. We skipped yesterday so today we did both Cs and Ds.  I didn't get much of my todo list done this weekend but I am feeling very thankful for my beautiful life. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 24 2009
 Happy six months my little boy. Nathaniel is six months today. He is so close to crawling it's almost scary. He even wants to stand up and tries to several times a day. He has two little teeth coming out and he's still the sweetest baby in the universe. In honor of the six month birthday, we tried solid food for the first time today.  I gave him his own spoon cause he kept grabbing mine.  In case you were wondering if he liked it, that's a definitive no. Not a fan.  Today I didn't get as much done as I had planned but I did make some progress, got a few major items done, played a lot with my kids, cooked, and I am now relaxing and telling myself it's ok if my todo list doesn't all get done. Tomorrow: carving pumpkins. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 23 2009
 Nathaniel's been cranky the last few days. I am hoping it's just cause of the teeth coming out. Monday's the doctor's appointment so I'm sure we'll find out if something is wrong. I've been working on my December Daily album. I am so excited about it so far. Here are a few sneaks.   Happy Weekend!! DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 22 2009
 Bad photo, I know. This was actually taken in David's classroom. Not the best lighting. Good day but really tired so more tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 21 2009
 I can kiss those fingers forever. This morning David was on the bed with Nathaniel watching some TV and here's how I found them.  And, mom, you said he was going to be jealous of the baby!  Let's just say you were wrong! DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 20 2009
 Another one from the patch. I came home with these sunflowers. They make me happy. Here's how I work most days. Wouldn't you love to have this little one with you while you work?  I am so thankful for my life. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 19 2009
 Another shot from Saturday's pumpkin patch trip. I love this shot of Nathaniel cause it shows you that he's going to be a multi-tasker just like his mommy.  And those eyes. They're not like his brother's but they are pretty amazing.  DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 18 2009
 Thanks to my amazing husband, I got to go to a Donna Downey class today, all the way in Berkeley. I loved seeing Donna's beautiful books. I loved meeting her and seeing her quirky, fun, and delightful personality up close. I realized, once again, that I dislike taking classes where I take someone else's art and copy it. So my book isn't finished in any form. And it won't be until I decide what I am going to do with it. However, I loved every minute of my class anyway. And here's today's Nathaniel.  Have I mentioned he's got a tooth that's broken through the gums? He's not even six months old! Ready to crawl, already teething, this little boy is scaring me. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 17 2009
 We went to the pumpkin patch today. Lots of shots coming, ignore this post if you don't like tons of posts. We went to Lemo's Farm in Half Moon Bay. We rode the train.  We rode fake horses.  And real horses.  We played with fake pumpkins.  And real ones.  We even got a spider hat!  And here are a few cute ones just for fun.    I spent most of the rest of the day reading. I am not even halfway in my book this week. I will likely make some more progress tonight and tomorrow but I am not sure I can finish. Let's see. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 16 2009
 I love love LOVE love my family. I really adore them in every little way.  Good day today. And a pleasant, wonderful surprise at work. Nice way to end the week. Tomorrow's the pumpkin patch! DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 15 2009
 I can never get enough of watching the two of them play. It's just such joy to see.  I got David these Spongebob pajamas and he loves them. Puts them on several times a day.  I've been semi-productive lately. Not getting as much as I'd like done but getting enough done not to feel sad. It does look like I'm not going to be able to finish this week's book on time though, I'm not even to page 100 yet and it's like 700 pages. Some good news from today, my brand new BPS class is now open for registration: reclaiming my time. This workshop literally changed how I live my days. And here's a sneak of my project.  I hope to see you in class! DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 14 2009
 I love watching them play together. It is the highlight of my day. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 13 2009
 He's sitting up more and more. And I can't take my eyes off of him, I just love him. We had torrential rain today. I am not liking the rain all that much and can completely do without it. So thankful we live in California. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 12 2009
 It might look like he's chocking Nathaniel but he's really just giving a hug. He hugs him so many times a day. I really feel so blessed.  And here's the scary moment of the day. Nathaniel's been getting on all fours and moving back and forth lately. Which is the beginnings of crawling. He's not even six months yet!! ugh.  Happy Monday. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 11 2009
 Imperfect but I love it! Wonderful Sunday, with family. Relaxed and happy.  My handsome boys.  I can never kiss him enough.  And Jake snuck in a few of me.  Finally feeling better. Happy Sunday. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 10 2009
 Today's photos are just for me. So I can remember my amazingly beautiful family. The little boy is growing up so nicely. He's so unbelievably cute.       I was playing around with my childhood photos yesterday and found this one. Don't we look so similar?  DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 9 2009
 Another imperfect photo. But it shows how we all play on our bed together and how much fun we have. So who cares about the blur. Sometimes it's about the emotion and not about the perfection. Still feeling super-grumpy. Not sure exactly what's going on. I think I need a little time off from myself. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 8 2009
 This photo is technically poor but I still love it. Lest you think Nathaniel lives in the exersaucer, it's just an easy place for me to put him while I have both hands free to shoot photos. I am feeling a bit frustrated lately. Not because my todo list is too full (which it is) but because I actually want to do all the items on my list but cannot find the time to do them. Several times a day, I find myself itching to do one of the items and then immediately itching to do another one at the same time and then I get none of them done and I feel mostly frustrated. Oh well. Life. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 7 2009
 There are no words for how much Rebecca Sower inspires me. Really no words. I want to be her when I grow up. I made a long wish list trying to be like her and here are some of the goodies my mother in law was generous enough to buy me for my birthday. If only they came with her talent... A lot of photos today. One of those days where I couldn't decide which one to post. So you get them all. Sorry. Here's how much he is interested in his big brother.  Two just for me.   Here he is laughing. Laughing.  And here's what he's laughing at:  And my sweet sweet boy.  Good day. My husband did something amazing for me today. Thank you, Jake. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 6 2009
 You can't see this very clearly but I love watching them play together and it's one of the things I am most looking forward to as they grow up (not the bickering though). Today is one of those days where I have a million things swimming in my head, where I want to do so many things and feel equally inspired to do all of them at the same time and having that create the paralysis and inability to actually do any one thing. ugh. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 5 2009
 I wanted you to see what often takes place behind the scenes when I am taking these photos.  See the little boy going crazy there just to get the baby to look at the camera long enough? Oh the things we do to capture a good shot? DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 4 2009
 Look at this child. He's so incredibly cute. I know you might be sick of seeing photos of my kids. I totally understand. But I will never be sick of it. These photos make my soul happy. And here's another one of Nathaniel practicing sitting.  All in all, a good weekend. Got a lot done. A lot more to do of course. Looking forward to the week. Yes, I am surprised too. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 3 2009
 I am still reading this week's book so I will make this short. I love photographing Jake with the kids and I adore these shots.    I finished my AMM kit today and I've been reading intermittently. All in all not the best day but that's ok. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 2 2009
 David has been playing with this fishing rod Jake got for him and he's having a blast. And here's today's Nathaniel.  Still feeling a bit blue, hoping it will go away before the weekend is over. DAILY PHOTOS - OCTOBER 1 2009
 Nathaniel decided he wanted to help me work. Actually it's been a rough day. I am tired and worn out today and so is Nathaniel. He didn't take his naps well and he's just frustrated which makes me frustrated and it's a vicious cycle from there on out. Here's to a better tomorrow. Happy October. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 30 2009
 Look at those eyes! Who can resist them. This is what he did the very next second.  NAthaniel's been grabbing at and playing with everything and anything. I don't think he's going to be anything like David. He will shove everything into his mouth.  But I love him anyway!  I can't believe September is over already. I am not ready for October yet. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 29 2009
 I love catching these moments when Nathaniel discovers something new and is slowly stretching out for it. I wanted to play with it a bit and have fun.  And those beautiful, yummy feet.  Back to get some work done. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 28 2009
 A flower from our zoo trip two weeks ago. Quite an interesting one. And here's today's Nathaniel shot.  A quiet, uneventful day today with not much accomplished. But I did make a new tag (coming Thursday) and did a lot of work. I just wish I could focus better... DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 27 2009
 The greatest thing about the age in which we live, if you ask me, is video chat. Today, Jake, Nathaniel, David and I got to chat with my sister, my mom, my nephews, my grandmothers, and my dad all at the same time. It was the most awesome, wonderful moments I've had in weeks. I just love that we can all see each other even though we're miles and miles and oceans apart. So thankful for technology. I had been waiting for today for weeks. For the last two months, I hated my hair. I hated touching it. Looking at it. I just hated everything about it. I hadn't been able to dye it cause of the pregnancy and nursing but the doctor finally gave me the go-ahead and I needed this cut so badly. So today I finally went to the hair dresser and it was worth every single penny. So please indulge me as I share a few photos of me and Nathaniel.  This one was homework for the great Mondo Beyondo class I just finished. It's important for me to remember this. I am not alone.  Don't we both look so happy?  On Friday, I made this long, scary list of todo items for the weekend. I was so stressed just looking at it. And you know what? I did every single one of the items on my list!! Wee!!! DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 26 2009
 This is Nathaniel right after he woke up and had some milk. I love the rosy cheeks, the happy, satisfied look. I love him. He's such a part of our life that I can't remember our family without him. He's really enjoying the exersaucer. I love watching him discover and rediscover the toys.  And in case you think I forgot, here's the other little boy in our lives. I love him madly.  And in case you wonder why I don't have more photos of Nathaniel smiling, it's not cause he doesn't smile often. It's cause when he smiles, he smiles so big and with so much of his body that all the photos come out blurry.  I spent almost all of today reading a book. Can't think of a better way to spend the day. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 25 2009
 This is the joy of having two children, seeing them play together. It's so wonderful and gives me so much joy. David is the kindest big brother. He plays with Nathaniel so much and is so kind to him. Kisses and hugs him all the time.  And Nathaniel does the same. In his own way.  And the thumb is still in the mouth.  A productive day today. Working hard to go through my to-do list. This is looking like it will be a stressful weekend but I am hoping a productive one. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 24 2009
 Another one from the zoo trip. Have you had enough yet? Nathaniel's recently started to make use of his legs/feet as well as his hands and I am always amused to see how much more he can do when he's using all four (arms and legs). Quite fun to watch how flexible he is.  He also turns five months today. Happy five months my boy. You're growing up so quickly and I am so glad not to have to miss a moment of it. Long and sort of a frustrating day today. Nathaniel didn't want to nap again. At all! Yet he was whiny the WHOLE time. But I did get some quality work done so I spose that should make me feel better. Happy Thursday! DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 23 2009
 A little flower shot from the zoo. I love flowers, I can't help myself. I caught Nathaniel digging through my bag today. Naughty naughty.  Today was one of those days where I feel so very thankful for my life. I am so thankful for how supportive everyone at work has been with my wish to work from home. How incredibly kind and generous they are to me. I know that sometimes I get burned out or forget how amazing my life is so it's best to write it down here so that I can come back and read. I am so so thankful. I also want to thank my sister for her incredible support. My sister is far away but she is one of the most supportive people in my life. She goes out of her way to find ways to support me and she is so kind, so generous, and so wonderful to me. I know these are words we use often and they have almost worn out their value but I mean them with the depth they actually have and I mean them purely. Sometimes I forget how I am blessed to be among such amazing, genuine people who are there for me. It's such a treasure to have that. So today I am taking a moment to give thanks. I need to do this more often. Thank you, Yona, I love you so so much. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 22 2009
 Another beauty from our zoo trip. I love owls. The are so soft and mysterious. I will never forget the day I got to touch one years ago at the Pittsburgh Zoo. So Nathaniel must have slept all his sleep yesterday cause today he wouldn't sleep!! Argh. I work upstairs in my bedroom for now so I've moved this little chair next to me so Nathaniel can entertain himself while I work and he's been playing until he gets annoyed.  Feeling a little out of it today. Here's to a more productive tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 21 2009
 Another one from our zoo trip over the weekend. Love the meerkats. They have a special place in my heart. Lion King was the first movie Jake and I ever went to and it will always be special to me. Today's Nathaniel is just a snapshot I took in a hurry. Today was one of those magical days when Nathaniel didn't wake up until 8:15 in the morning (even then he didn't wake up, I had to wake him up so I'd have time to nurse him before we had to go drop David off at his school.) and then he came back home and took another long nap and then we picked up David and Nathaniel took another super-long nap when we came home. As if all that wasn't enough, he took another nap at 4pm (brief one cause I didn't want it to mess up bedtime. Holy cow! If only I knew today was going to go this way, I would have planned it so much better!!  This weekend I did some digging in the garage and opened up a few of the leftover boxes. One of them had David's bike and batman computer in it. Today, he decided he wanted to play with them simultaneously.  We also got a headboard today. Our first one ever. I love it already. How I want to get a bedskirt but we don't have a frame so it's really hard to find short bedskirts that are just for the box. I've just started my book of the week which is "Love Walked In" and I am loving it so far. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 20 2009
 Thanks to kids woot, I get to have this wonderful treasure that reminds me of my childhood. I've always ALWAYS loved Pink Panther and now I get to have it. David's been watching it incessantly too. And Nathaniel's been sitting it up more and more. (Lest you worry, Jake was right next to him, just in case he tipped over.)  A quiet and wonderful Sunday here. I spent most of my day reading. I remembered that everything aside, my first is and always will be reading. To more days like this. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 19 2009
 Since Jake was out of town last week, we were scheduled to celebrate my birthday this weekend (and next!) so we went to the San Francisco zoo. It was teeny tiny compared to the San Diego one was but it was still a lot of fun. I'll share more photos throughout the next few weeks but I love this one of the two penguins. And Nathaniel was snuggled into his Daddy the whole time.  David made a face about half the time but I did manage to get him to giggle a few times.  And here's the handsome man. Love him.  The book post is hopefully coming tomorrow. Still reading the book. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 18 2009
 Last night I got some amazing amazing news about work. Our project god a really big award. So today, all four of us went to work for the celebration. It was really deeply wonderful to be a part of such an amazing thing. I am truly grateful and awed. I snapped a shot of Nathaniel on the way back home, in the parking lot. He was really tired and fell asleep in the car on the way home.  I am suffering from a terrible bout of allergies suddenly and it's making me really congested and drowsy. I hate it. I think it's our new sheets so I am washing them and hoping that will do the trick. Yuck. Today's photography video is coming soon, YouTube is still processing it. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 17 2009
 I snapped this weird shot in David's class. I like it and I can't even explain why honestly. Here's the Nathaniel shot for today. Love this boy. I know I say it a lot but I cannot say it enough. I can't stop kissing him either.  Another good day so far. I woke up incredibly exhausted. Beyond words. But I recovered throughout the day and I did get quite a bit done so I am feeling good. And I got some amazing news at work so that helped, too. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 16 2009
 I took this shot on a recent walk David, Nathaniel and I took. I can never capture the beauty of flowers the way I wish to. The way I see them. So today I started working again after 5.5 months of maternity. This date was plaguing me for several reasons and I was really anxious about it. The amazing thing is, when the morning finally arrived, I felt at peace. Most of the anxiety is gone and I am feeling much more peaceful than I have in weeks. I still have a lot to learn (moving into a new position) and I am nervous about some of it but I have faith that, in time, I will pick it up and it will be ok. And if it's not... well, I am not worrying about that just yet. The greatest thing is, I get to work from home. This is the original reason I chose to work with computers over twenty years ago. I knew I wanted to be home to see my kids grow up and I am blessed to get to do that. Blessed beyond belief. Because I'm still trying to get Nathaniel's naps organized, I work upstairs in the bedroom for now so I can watch him on the video monitor. Here's a shot of what things look like in my room during the day.  And just in case you think Nathaniel's not enjoying it, I assure you, he is.  It's challenging to work from home, on many levels. And when I did it before it wasn't for a company like Google and I only had one kid, so I expect this to be even more challenging but I am up for it. I am excited about it. This is going to work! DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 15 2009
 I took this photo in David's classroom. I like how it looks like the lion's looking at me. I talk about David's eyes a lot. And they are magnificent. Amazing. I was really curious if Nathaniel's eyes would be that way too. I figured not but just hoped so. As it turns out they are amazing too, but in a totally different way. It's harder to capture it on film. Here's an attempt but it doesn't really do them justice.  Trying to have a relaxing, happy day today. Looking forward to seeing some good friends tonight. And tomorrow: work! DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 14 2009
 The amazing Stacy Julian sent me these beautiful flowers last week. Orange, of course. And so stunning. It was such a treat finding them on my doorstep. Today's Nathaniel.  And one that shows my flexible boy. Look at that!  And finally David let me take a shot. Isn't he stunning?  Blech day today. I didn't get as much as I'd like done. And I didn't even get to read my book. I feel like I am crazy ADD right now. Not sure what I want to do first so I end up doing nothing productive or fun. Oh well. It will subside. One more day and then I go back to work. It's been almost 5.5 months. It's going to be so odd. And good. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 13 2009
 This is a shot I had leftover from Cayucos. Right now, Jake's on a plane back here. I miss him. And I LOVE internet on the plane, yey!! This turned out to be a very productive weekend I did six layouts, 2 creative therapy catalysts, 6 videos, and another 6 photoshop videos, and read a lot of my book. All in all, very productive. I got two sweet ones of Nathaniel.   And David wouldn't let me take any. I love my kids so much and just feeling so thankful and happy for them and Jake today. Here's to a productive and happy week. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 12 2009
 Today's my birthday. 35. Jake had to leave town to visit a friend in New York so it was just me and the boys. We had a wonderful and relaxing day together. In the afternoon, we walked over to the local grocery store and bought a cake for David and me. I lit a little candle, made a wish, David sang me happy birthday, I blew my candle, and we both enjoyed a little piece of cake. Here's a shot of Nathaniel as we walked (he's loving his thumb):  And the only shot David let me snap:  I got lots of phone calls from family and friends. Emails. Messages on Facebook and Twitter. I did a few more layouts and bought some goodies. All in all, a wonderful day. I can't wait to see what 35 will bring! DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 11 2009
 Today was a fantastic day! Absolutely awesome! Nathaniel's naps all lined up and he slept for a long time while I filmed movies for here and I even did a layout and an upcoming catalyst tonight. I just felt like it all just synced. Ah. Thankful for days like this.  Not great but still. I wanted to snap one of the two of us so here we are. September 11...and Jake flew to New York from CA today. So many memories. So many terrible ones. I am thankful for being alive today. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 10 2009
 Feeling extra-crabby today. I am guessing it's the hormones but it's rough. Here's to a better tomorrow. Here's today's Nathaniel:  Happy Thursday. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 9 2009
 First day of school. Since most of his classmates are the same as last year and he knows his teacher really well, David didn't have any problem adjusting to school today. It was fun watching him go right in and play.  The tears came much later when I went to pick him up and he realized he wasn't having lunch at school anymore. He was angry and crying. I tried to explain to him that he'd be home with me and Nathaniel but he didn't like it one bit.  Nathaniel watched him in awe as he played with all the toys and hugged all of his classmates.  I feel so lucky that he loves school so much. I hope that wherever he ends up going next year for kindergarten, he makes good, solid friends and loves his teachers just as much. Exactly one week from today, I start work. After five and a half months of maternity it will be interesting going back to work. I am anxious yet excited. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 8 2009
 We went to visit David's classroom today. School starts tomorrow. His last year in pre-school. Wow. Time passes too quickly. And here's today's Nathaniel shot.  A bit too tired to write more tonight. See you tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 7 2009
 An appetizer of olive oils. Yum. I love this boy so much.  Uneventful day here. Everyone was tired and a bit grouchy. Here's to a productive and good week. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 6 2009
 Today we went to our friends Jess and Chris's for their son Beckett's third birthday. That meant Nathaniel took his nap in the car and it was super-short and then the rest of today looked like this:  Yes, that's why we tend to try to stick to our schedule as much as possible. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 5 2009
 My wonderful husband turned 35 today. To celebrate his birthday, we went to this fantastic restaurant in Redwood City and had a delicious meal. Here he is. My beautiful husband.  Nathaniel was mostly well-behaved and did a good job of staying quiet and joyful.  So was David. And he got to eat delicious delicious chocolate ice cream because of it.  That's why I didn't get to write yesterday. It was a full-on family day. Where we laughed and played together. Wonderful time. Happy, happy birthday my love. To many many many more! DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 4 2009
 A little leaf being born. I love how the young leaves have that light, strong green compared to the older deep, dark ones. And here's Nathaniel. He is sitting up unassisted for longer periods now. Maybe 2-3 minutes.  And those feet. Those wonderful feet.  A relaxing uneventful day here. I don't think I accomplished one thing and I feel ok about it. I'm going back to work soon, gotta enjoy these last few days. Here's to a great weekend. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 3 2009
 David caught a ladybug today. He was really gentle and waited patiently until I changed to my macro lens and snapped this shot. And this one. I love how his wings are folded but out.  The little one and I sat outside in the backyard as David played.  We both watched him and smiled.  And he smiled right back.  The joy of my life. I'm feeling better. Things are starting to fall in sync a little bit and the baby is sleeping a bit better. I see small flickers of light in the distance. Just small ones for now, but light nonetheless... DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 2 2009
 Nothing like a few wicker baskets. Especially ones full of fabric. Nathaniel loves sucking his thumb lately. He's found it and he uses it liberally to calm himself down. I think he looks so cute.  For the first time since I started putting him in his bed, he's been sleeping for over 45 minutes. I know that as soon as I type these words, he will wake up. But, for now, I am just thankful for the magic of it. May it continue. David's teacher visited today. I can't believe he's only got one more year of preschool. He's growing up way way too quickly. DAILY PHOTOS - SEPTEMBER 1 2009
 I love seeing this sign every time I sit at my desk. Thank you Jen Lemen.  David spent the day playing with my punches. He had so much fun.  And so did Nathaniel. When he wasn't taking his super-power-naps that last like 15 minutes. Ugh.  I am reorganizing my blog for the month of September. Stay tuned. Trying to get better and more planned about what I do here. Not sure why. But I guess why not :) Downloads, and more, are coming, I promise. Rabbit rabbit. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 31 2009
 I couldn't pick one. I love them all.    Almost September. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 30 2009
 I know these are blurry. But I don't care. Sometimes it's just about the memories.   DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 29 2009
 Today we played with bubbles.  David loved it. He played and played.  And Nathaniel was in a good mood too, when he wasn't being asked to nap in bed.  Happy Saturday. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 28 2009
 My tags. I love them. I love making them. Definitely my favorite 2009 project.  I love him. I love him. Madly. so much. But we're still struggling with sleep. I know it will pass. Just wish I wasn't so tired. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 27 2009
 I have a wooden fence that surrounds the backyard. Yet, there's this little vine that has somehow found its way through from the other side and is seeping into my yard. I love looking at it. The way it's peeking in. I love its resilience and persistence. I wanted to take some photos of David today. Felt like it had been a long time. He made this face for me.  And here he is sitting at his table, coloring his workbook as he watches movies. Yes, he's living the life.  We put together Nathaniel's exersaucer the other day and now he gets to spend 15 minutes at a time in it. What do you think, does he like it?  Oh, yes, he loves it.  Not looking forward to tonight. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 26 2009
 Just one little one today. I've been feeling a little out of it. Not getting much done. I guess it's going to be one of those days... DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 25 2009
 Sorry about posting this a day late. I didn't even realize that I missed posting yesterday until I was in bed. I love this little angel I have sitting on my desk. I know this photo is blurry but look at that face. How can I resist it?  And here's a portrait shot, I don't take enough of these lately.  Nathaniel had his 4-month appointment today. He's doing great. 30% on weight and height but perfect. Strong. Happy. Lovely. He also had some shots so he's been feverish. But otherwise all's calm here and pretty much the same. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 24 2009
 This is a splurge I just made. Emera bag is specially padded to hold my camera.  Nothing like the joy of discovering a new toy. And rediscovering it.  Little brother, you're awesome. Today you're 4 months old. You sat up unassisted for 4 minutes. You are getting to be a better sleeper. At least when I swaddle you. You laugh all the time. You can fit your whole fist in your mouth. Your face lights up when you see your brother's face. You love love love tummy time and will roll on your tummy all on your own. You are the best addition to our family. We love you madly. Today, I went to Nathaniel's doctor's appointment only to find out it was actually tomorrow. It's been like that lately. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 23 2009
 More of Nathaniel on his tummy. Feeling unsteady but I adore this boy so much. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 22 2009
 He really loves being on his tummy. And he's so strong. He's almost sitting up unassisted.  Look at this face.  And one of the beautiful older brother.  Still working on sleep. Still feeling fragile. And pensive. And hopeless. And a bit broken. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 21 2009
 My boys. Feeling a bit fragile today. Tired and worn out. Nathaniel has been unable to take naps anywhere but on me while feeding and that's not really sustainable considering I will start working in four weeks. So I decided to work with him on sleeping in his crib. It's a tough tough thing for me. All the leaning over and kissing and hugging and love means my back is breaking with pain, my head is splitting in half and I feel broken inside. I know this is the journey we must take but I wish I were on the other side of it already. I've been working on my next Big Picture Scrapbooking class. It's a workshop coming in December and I want to get all the materials ready by the end of the month so I am spending all my free moments on it. Here's a sneak of my project:  Working on this project really inspired me to look at my life, set some goals and feel excited. And today's Nathaniel shots. He's been chewing on his fingers so much. Yet no teeth at all so I wonder why he chews so much.   Hope your day is better than mine. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 20 2009
 Just a few of Nathaniel today. I have too many photos to process. Always like that when we come back from vacation; too much catching up to do.  Nathaniel and I started working on sleeping. I've been putting him in his bed for his naps. It's painful for both of us and my back might end up breaking but I have 4 weeks before I am going back to work and he needs to be a better and a happier sleeper so for the next month, he's my number one priority. Nothing else matters as much. Today, my class started at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I adore teaching this class. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 19 2009
 I love him.  We're back from the beautiful Cayucos. I am in a funk. Not sure why. Too much time to think and not nearly enough time to do. Maybe that's why.... DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 18 2009
 More from beautiful Cayucos.  And today's Nathaniel.  There are some vacations where you go sightseeing and others where you go on adventures. And then there are vacations where we just sit in the hotel, relax, play, watch movies we've seen before, feel no obligations whatsoever, go take walks, and just enjoy each other's company. This has been one of those.  I had a long list of things I wanted to get done. None got done. Yet, I have no regrets. I enjoyed basking in the light of my family. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 17 2009
 More from Cayucos. Just photos today. The connection here is not so good. But we're having a fantastic time. It's a shame it has to end so soon. Lots of photos here...         Happy Monday. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 16 2009
 More from beautiful Cayucos.  i don't like that purple bit on the back but too tired to photoshop it... And here's one from the beach.  And of course a few of my wonderful boys. I love them all madly.    Hope your weekend was fantastic. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 15 2009
 This, from beautiful Cayucos.  While walking around we saw these three little birds, waiting for their mom and then the mom showed up to give them some food. So magnificently cute. And today's Nathaniel.  Happy Saturday. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 14 2009
 David had a blast today climbing into the lawnmower box and closing it all the way. Amazing how much joy a cardboard box can bring.  And here's Nathaniel today. I also caught him staring at David's toy and wanted to snap a shot of that, too.  Curious little boy. It's been an exceptionally rough few days for me. The lack of sleep is becoming a bit unbearable and add to that the fact that he's been taking his naps on me, and I am just a tired basket case with a hurting back. We're leaving for vacation soon and maybe, just maybe, that will be the energy jolt I need. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 13 2009
 This is how my house looks lately. My kids playing together. I love it. I can't wait until Nathaniel's older and they really play together.  And the feet, the wonderful feet.  I slept very little last night. David decided he was going to have bad dreams. So he was up 6 times and each time David went to sleep, the baby woke up. And when they were both finally asleep, I had insomnia. Ugh... DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 12 2009
 I adore this photo. Not even sure I can put into words why I do, but I do. Today was a "let's be lazy" day so I pretty much got nothing done. I did a few digital elements, mostly to learn my way around Photoshop. I am not sure if I will continue doing the downloads past August. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Not sure right now. I have learned a lot so I spose that's serving its purpose. Here are a few more I snapped during tummy time:   This one I took last night as Jake was holding Nathaniel. Love this one, too. Love the feeling of nostalgia I get when I look at it.  And a one of the boy with the amazing eyes. He's been watching Aladdin over and over again for days now.  There are more photos from today coming in a separate post. Between the laziness, taking care of the kids, and eating, I've also been reading Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner. I am not sure how I feel about the book yet. I've liked her in the past so I am reading and waiting to see if I like it more. Still feeling a bit out of sorts and pensive. But excited for our upcoming vacation. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 11 2009
 I love those little feet.  And this smiling face. This is as David sings and dances around so entertain him. I must say that while Nathaniel baby is considerably easier than David was (partly cause I've done all this before), it's still been a rough few months here. I haven't slept a full night in six months (I wasn't able to sleep towards the end of my pregnancy at all). Nathaniel doesn't like being put down at all. He nurses almost the whole time while he sleeps. If I try to unlatch he wakes up and cries really hard. If I put him down to grab some food or even to pee, he is really miserable and within minutes, he's sweating from anger. I am certainly worrying less this time around and having a real maternity break has been wonderful but even with that, I find myself tired too often. And frustrated that I am unable to do what I want to do. My head is spinning with ideas that I have no time to execute. Even though I know that he will eventually sleep through the night and even take naps by himself, that time seems unfathomably far away. And I keep reading about other people's kids sleeping and I feel like I am messing it all up all over again. But then he smiles. He is so incredibly cute. I hug him hard and I am thankful for each and every moment. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 10 2009
 Two people I love more than anything.  And the other one I adore. He said today that when he's eight, he wants to change the baby's diapers. He is clowning around and dancing just so the baby smiles.  I actually got a bunch of big things done today so I am happy. And spent some time reading old old postings on my blog. quite interesting to see what changed. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 9 2009
 He's just so very stunning. I can't believe those eyes and lips and skin. And here's the beautiful little brother, looking up at Daddy.  Here's David being a teenager cause he's not getting his way. He didn't want to sit outside at the restaurant so sulked for a good, long time. But then there was a wasp that followed us so we did end up going inside after all.  A wonderful, uneventful day. Hope your Sunday was good, too. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 8 2009
 David playing his Thomas game. He's really quite wonderful at entertaining himself, I am quite lucky.  Not feeling like writing today so I'll just post these and say more tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 7 2009
 Tulips. I love tulips.  Good day today, though lately Nathaniel won't let me do anything at all. He wants to be held 24/7. Ugh.  He won't sit anywhere for more than 3 minute by himself. Just trying to remind myself that, this too, shall pass. We had a playdate today with our neighbor Susannah and her daughter Indiana. It was fun. Looking forward to a productive weekend. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 6 2009
 Here's tonight's family dinner. We had mustard roasted snapper fish, vegetable risotto, green beans, and salad. I know it doesn't look awesome but I swear it tasted delicious. Nathaniel is having rougher and rougher days. He does not like to be put down. He has a tough time falling asleep by himself anywhere and he wakes up really sad. I am not sure what to do so i am trying not to stress and just take it one day at a time.  But David is as nice as ever, he plays with his toys and tries to make the baby smile all day long. I am so blessed to have him.  DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 5 2009
 Nathaniel's become a big fan of his fingers. And not so much a fan of the swing. I am finally making progress on the tasks I have at hand. And booked our vacation and everything. I have started this new schedule where I eat my frog first thing every morning. It's been working quite well on days where I do it. And I've also been doing the wii fit lately. So is David:  Happy hump day! DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 4 2009
 My sister. My wonderful sister. She and David and Nathaniel and I chatted for 40 minutes over Skype. God bless technology. They blew kisses back and forth on the computer. I am so lucky to have my sister. Here's another one of her and you can also see David:  And here's my daily Nathaniel:  He's not a fan of the swing lately so we end up having to distract him with David's toy that lights up. Otherwise he will only nap on my lap while nursing (as he's doing right now). DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 3 2009
 This is the little boy when I am not holding him. When he's tired. It's the saddest face to me and I cannot resist it for more thqn a second. DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 2 2009
 I love how Nathaniel always touches his toes when he's sitting in this chair.  Here's my beautiful son, playing with legos. I love him to bits. Literally. Every little bit of him.  And, of course, the daily Nathaniel. It's been a quiet unproductive weekend but I was relaxed and got ideas ready for the week. Here's to a productive week! DAILY PHOTOS - AUGUST 1 2009
 Rabbit rabbit. A bit bummed that we're already in August. I have about six more weeks of maternity left and then back to work. Considering how little sleep I get at night, I am hoping I can keep it together. This is my new necklace. I had the Lisa Leonard one since the beginning of the year and when I saw this heart pendant from superhero designs I fell in love. I kept going to the site every day until I finally caved in and bought it. The back says "loved." I really love it.  Here's my daily Nathaniel. I can't believe he's past three months already. Time literally flies.  And here's David down on the floor with Nathaniel cause he's so nice to his brother and loves keeping him company. Not much else to report from this quiet day. I spent some time doing the digital elements (see post below) and a bit of time reading. Otherwise, not much else I'm afraid. But I am trying to take it easy and enjoy the little free time I will have. Happy August. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 31 2009
 A few cute photos to share with you today. It was a very productive day in that I got a lot of to-do-list items done. I am about to go to sleep. I hope the rest of this weekend is as relaxing and productive.   Happy Birthday! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 30 2009
 Today was another family dinner. I made this delicious goat cheese pastries. I even put onions and garlic! Trust me, that's a miracle. I then made squash and broccoli and a delicious salad. Even David ate almost everything this time.  Here's a cute photo of David trying to entertain Nathaniel.  And a funny face by the little one.  Can't believe this week's over! This one went too too fast! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 29 2009
 Not the best shot but wanted to have a photo with my little boy. I've been meaning to write more but honestly it's 8:30pm and I'm ready for bed. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 28 2009
 A chaotic day today and I am too tired to write so I just leave you with our photo. More to come tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 27 2009
 Love my boys. Love love love them. I did some good work today. I set a schedule for us (it was my summer plan, now that summer is almost over, I finally did it.) I made a list of posts for a side blog I've got going. I set up our new Wii Fit. I did two layouts for the August kit for A Million Memories And finished one of the books I was reading (The War of Art). I got a lot more items on my list but I am making progress. Hope you had a good Monday! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 26 2009
 The best brother ever.  I love these kids so much! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 25 2009
 Hope your day was fun, too!!  DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 24 2009
 This is a perfect representation of Nathaniel's mood lately. He doesn't nap for more than 20 mins at a time and hence he's continually cranky. I am a bit lost on what to do. He's been conquering those milestones one by one though. Here he is, sucking his fingers.  Tummy time with good push ups.  A huge smile to his older brother.  And grabbing toys.  Hopefully the crankiness will go away and I can get a little more peace around here. Until then, such is life. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 22 2009
 Tonight was family dinner in our house. I'm sure most of you eat dinner together every night where you cook a healthy meal etc etc. Well, we don't. I don't cook. Almost not at all. So much so that when we lived in NYC, we had books in our oven (for storage). One of the things I wanted to work on with this new house and our second baby, was my cooking. In the name of taking it slow and experimenting, I decided we'd have one night a week where I cook and we all eat together and everyone has to try everything. You don't have to finish but you have to try each thing. So tonight was our first night. I cooked dover sole with lemon, roasted green beans with parmesan, and sauteed potatoes. Add to that cucumber, tomato, and corn salad and we had a meal. It may not look so appetizing but I swear it tasted great. Even David (who is the pickiest eater) tried each thing (after much cajoling). So far, so good. Aren't you proud Mom and Yona?  Here's Nathaniel from last night as Jake's watching the Tour de France and holding the little boy.  And here's a crappy iPhone shot of David in gymnastics class. He's really doing great.  Finally, here's Nathaniel looking up at me, all sleepy. He's been struggling with his naps lately which makes him one cranky boy. I don't know what to do so I am trying to take it easy and know that, this too, shall pass. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 21 2009
 I had been neglecting taking David's photos. Isn't he incredible? Since I wrote about Nathaniel yesterday, here's some information about David:
  DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 20 2009
 Here's my sunshine sleeping on the swing, looks so peaceful, doesn't he? He used to love the swing but lately, it requires a lot of patience and sucking to get him to fall asleep. At almost three months, here's what you do Nathaniel:
I can't wait to get to know more of you Nathaniel and we all love you so so much. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 19 2009
 I love this little stuffed animal. My friend Kathy gave it to me cause I told her how much I loved them each time I visited her home. I have a red one and a black one. I know they look a bit evil but I love them, can't even say why. Here are a few more of Nathaniel with the toy:   And here he is grabbing things finally.  Mostly uneventful day today. I spent most of the day reading "I thought it was just me." and relaxing and feeling inspired and peaceful. Haven't had that in a while. I think I need to be productive too often. I need to take more of these quiet days. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 18 2009
 Here's David, trying to make Nathaniel smile. He loves watching the baby smile and I love watching him bond with the baby. I am so blessed to have such a sweet, kind boy (even if he tests my patience sometimes.)  And here's a funny face from Nathaniel. Uneventful day today. Mostly rested. I am feeling really tired lately. I think almost three months of bad sleep is finally catching up with me. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 17 2009
 I hadn't taken a good photo of David in a while. Look at those piercing eyes. I know it's been a lot of photos lately but I can't help myself. I'll stop soon, I promise. I have a lot of Nathaniel from today.       I love them both so much. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 15 2009
 How do you not fall in love with this little boy?  And here's David, eating, watching a movie, and playing all at the same time. At his little table.  His eyes are still sort of blue. This week has been relatively unproductive, but I am hoping next week will be better. Nathaniel isn't sleeping well at night. I can't tell if it's something I am doing wrong or just cause he's still so little. We had the pleasure of our friends Manu and Hana's visit today, it was great. Especially since they had such wonderful news. I am glad that we're starting to see friends again. I miss seeing people. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 14 2009
 Some of our delicious CSA fruit from this week. Doesn't it look amazing. And here's some of the veggies.  And here's David helping me prepare them:  I used to do that with my Mom. Today we went to gymnastics and then picked up our CSA and I did an upcoming catalyst. That's about it sadly. Tomorrow is a biggish day for me so I am a bit nervous. I will leave you with several wonderful Nathaniel shots. Well, wonderful to me.      It's almost midweek! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 13 2009
 David spends so much time trying to get Nathaniel to laugh that I wanted to capture a few of the photos of Nathaniel looking at him and smiling.  And here's David:  An uneventful day here, feeling tired and unmotivated. Trying to cut myself some slack and let myself rest. Hope your Monday is well. And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUKI! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 12 2009
 A productive weekend here and a relaxing one. I finished Nathaniel's book and caught up on almost all the tags. Still have some catalysts to do but making progress. I hope this week is just as productive. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 11 2009
 We started today early by taking the car too the shop and then took a trip to Target to buy David shoes where we bought this lego toy. Here's the sweet boy.  And Nathaniel's still chewing on his fist.  We spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching Tour de France. I did two more Nathaniel layouts. I have only one left to do to catch up. I leave you with more photos of him.  and here's a finny face.  DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 10 2009
 David started his soccer class today. He had so much fun! I had fun just watching him. But, of course, I was the one mother who didn't bring him water. Thankfully, there was a vending machine and so I was able to fix the situation. Then we came home, ate, watched some movies and took some photos of Nathaniel.  And then both the boys fell asleep while I worked on Nathaniel's baby-book layouts.  Oh, and I came home to a surprise from Linda at Sakura of America. They are wonderful sponsors for creative therapy and I told her how much I loved this week's prize and here's what I got in the mail:  Isn't she awesome? This is a fantastic company and I LOVE these pens. Here's to a good weekend! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 9 2009
 Not a great day for photos. We had a lot of visitors today. Someone came to fix the tub and then someone else to fix the paint. Tomorrow they come for the garden and then we're done. At least for now. Well, we have to take the car in on Saturday but that's not for the house. Still being relatively unproductive cause I am so tired. But I did two layouts for Nathaniel's book. So that was progress. Here's to a better tomorrow. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 8 2009
 David and I decided to cook some of the veggies we got from our CSA. With the help of Ina (Barefoot Contessa) we made some roasted green beans and they were delicious!  All in all, an unproductive day today. Not feeling up to doing anything. I decided to allow myself a day of rest so that I can give myself permission not to be productive today. Oh well. At this moment, David's playing with some of my stickers while the little one sleeps.  And I am working on catching up here while the SSH is still down. ugh. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 7 2009
 This is our delivery from the CSA we're using for July:Eating with the Seasons. The best part is that they let you choose what you get delivered each week. This week we got: broccoli, squash, zucchini, green beans, pluots, strawberries, valencia oranges, and nectarines. So far, so good! I was expecting today to be rough. We started our day with a dentist's appointment for David. His teeth are shiny clean now, look:  Nathaniel napped right on my shoulder the whole time. And then we came back home and did our morning routine and then left the house again at 2:30 for David's first gymnastics class:  He hadn't taken his nap so he was really tired and I think the class tired him out even more. Though he appeared to be enjoying it, he said he didn't like it. We agreed to try it for one more week and then see. After the class, we went to pickup our CSA food and came home, all tired. And then Jake came home and we all watched the Team Time Trial on Stage 4 of Tour de France.  And to end our evening, my friends Holly, Peisun, and Nadia from Google came over with pizza, diapers, brownies and gift certificates to Godiva. All in all, the day was long but fantastic. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 6 2009
 Since yesterday was about Nathaniel's project, today's for David's room. I bought these planets last Christmas and they finally made it to the new house. We plan to hang them this week and that makes us done for everything we've alredy done. 
We started today on a really bad note since nathaniel really struggled last night and neither of us slept much. David was kind enough to play in his room as I took a nap while Nathaniel slept this morning. But somehow I threw out my back in the process and it's hurting like crazy. Tomorrow is a really long day for me so I am hoping that it will be better by then (even though it's likely that it won't be.)  I also started Nathaniel's book today finally and I think I really like the system I came up with. Let's see how it looks when it comes together.  DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 5 2009
 Here's a sneak of a project I worked on yesterday, all day. It turned out quite cute, if I say so myself. I didn't think I could do it, I am not so good at doing home projects but this one was fun to do. 
We started the morning quietly. Nathaniel played on his chair.  And David finished the Star Wars movie he'd started yesterday.  And then both boys took naps while I did some art.  Look at that finger...  When he woke up and nursed, he was all smiley and happy.  All in all, a great Sunday here. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 4 2009
 I am the biggest fan of Tour de France. Well, let me rephrase. I am the biggest fan of Tour de France when Lance is in it. When we lived in San Diego, watched every minute of the Tour and loved it. But, somehow, once Lance stopped, I stopped too. It wasn't interesting to me anymore. So imagine my joy when he decided to come back! I am now back to watching every minute of it. I wonder if I am one of the only people who watches this obsessively, yet, cannot ride a bike. 
This is David's "I'm not friends with you anymore" face. Which he makes whenever he doesn't get his way. So, quite often.  When Jake and David discovered that Return of the Jedi was on TV, everything else stopped. All three boys were watching TV and hanging out. Nathaniel spent some quality time with his Daddy today. Sitting by his side.  and walking around.  Nathaniel has recently discovered his fist and he's been sucking on it feverishly. The slurpy noises are hilarious.  And here's a big smile to end a wonderful day.  I hope your July Fourth was as great as ours. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 3 2009
 Great day! Well, started sort of rough as I didn't get much sleep last night. Nathaniel just had too much gas the poor boy, so he cried and cired. (Since he's napping right now at 9pm, I am guessing tonight won't be a breeze either.) But then I did so much! I went shopping for some groceries for recipes and made the delicious Granola Bars in the photo above. Before that I made a delicious Sole fish and ate it for lunch. My first time cooking in 14 years! 
I know the photo isn't so great but it tasted delicious, I swear. I have Kelli Crowe to thank cause she linked to the Barefoot Contessa book that I ended up buying and it's where these recipes come from. Yum! There shall be more cooking next week.  And here's the little boy. He had an ok day. A little rough on the naps but nothing else terrible. He's a superstar. Oh, and when I came home from the store, I saw the A Millon Memories box on my doorstep and it was all I needed to get my jump on Nathaniel's baby book. I sat and did three layouts. I am doing something different (than David's) with Nathaniel's book and as soon as my photos are here from Shuttefly and I put some of it together, I will share. Happy long weekend! DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 2 2009
 Look at that boy. I keep thinking his eyes are turning brown but then I see the photos and they still look blue to me...Today was a great day. I got a ton done and I feel great about it. Our house is finally starting to look like a house and not a box collection. The garage still sucks but one day at a time. Here's another Nathaniel, sucking on his hand. 
And here's David in his full Buzz Lightyear costume.  And it's been a while since I had a tulip. :) 
I also ordered our first CSA basket today. We're scheduled to receive Broccoli, zucchini, squash medley, green beans, Valencia oranges, pluots, strawberries, and nectarines. Let's see how yummy they are. DAILY PHOTOS - JULY 1 2009
 Rabbit Rabbit. Happy July Everyone. I need to work on figuring out how to take good photos in this house. I haven't sorted it out yet. No energy. I did open all the book boxes today and I'm doing something fun with the books and I will post ab out it as soon as I am done. Nathaniel is really whining right now so I guess this will be it for today. Oh and I did make some art! yey for art! DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 30 2009
 He looks smiley but he's been fussy almost all day and went on a full-out wailing spree when we were in Safeway today. Despite that, I got to run some errands and unpacked 12 more boxes. The end is still not in sight but I am feeling more hopeful. No art today. Maybe tomorrow...  And here's one of David. He's been wearing the Buzz Lightyear costume daily lately. I didn't think he was into dressing up but obviously I was wrong. He's so cute in it.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 29 2009
 My friend Nicholas and Ty came over today and David immediately took Ty hostage and Ty was generous enough to play with him and read to him. He's the best. So is Nicholas who helped me! Nathaniel had his 2-month appointment today which meant shots which meant a fever of 101. Poor boy.   DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 28 2009
 Quiet day today. I decided not to do any unpacking today. Just some rest time. Family time and a small project for Big Picture Scrapbooking.   David and Daddy playing. Can you see his joy?  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 27 2009
 David has never ever been in water. Ever. Not one time since he was born. For the first four years, his pediatrician recommended otherwise so we never took swimming classes. But this summer, I wanted to register him for classes and see how he does in the water. I was a bit nervous but never said anything to him. Well, it turns out he was a superstar! From the first moment, he jumped, he put his head under water, he made bubbles. It was like he's always been in water. I can tell this will be a fun class!  Jake's parents have been in town and before they left, I wanted to make sure to capture some photos of them and Nathaniel. In this photo aboce he definitely looks just like me.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 26 2009
 The Hulk David! He's been having so much fun with this costume. And here's one of the baby.  And just in case you think I don't have one from yesterday for Nathaniel, here it is. David kissing him while his grandmother holds him. Much loved.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 25 2009
 Love this boy and this very handsome man.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 24 2009
 Look at that look! And, of course, here's the sweet boy.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 23 2009
 About to fall asleep. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 22 2009
 Those stunning eyes. I wonder if Nathaniel will have them, too.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 21 2009
 The swing means a sleeping boy. Don't worry he sleeps in his crib all night. And ppor David is a bit bored.  And here's one from yesterday that I missed.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 20 2009
 Yes, he is still on the swing.  DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 19 2009
 Getting a teenty tiny bit settled in. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 18 2009
 Relatively represantative of how our day has been. Blinders. IKEA. Crate and Barrell. Boxes. Unhappy children. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 17 2009
 Ok, catch up time. We had no internet for DAYS! so I am going to post all the photos first and then I'll write up some words. Apologies ahead of time for the flood of posts.  Moving day. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 16 2009
 These look like ordinary keys to you but they are not! They are the keys to our new home. Our first home. We are excited beyond belief. Thank you Mom and Dad!! Here's the handsome boy with his one toy that's not packed.  Nathaniel isn't really sleeping at night. It's making me a bit crazy but I know it will be over soon so I am just trying to hang in there.  This is going to be a long long week for us so cross your fingers. See you when I have internet again. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 15 2009
 I know, I know. It's dark in my house, photos come out blurry. I am working on it. But look at those hands! Quiet, happy day here. Nathaniel napped like on schedule every two hours. Yes!  We have no food left at home and all of his toys are packed so David's been watching movies and eating crackers. Yes, I know I am a terrible mom. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 14 2009
 Here's my handsome boy. David went to his friend Halina's birthday today and Jake sent me videos from there as it was happenning and it was so fun. I love technology so much. And here he is playing with Nathaniel.  I love all my boys so so much!  I had a wonderful 90 minutes today as I visited my friend Cole's new house. Delicious food, wonderful company, and great conversation. Thank you, Cole! Tomorrow starts our big week. Please cross your fingers for us. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 13 2009
 Nahaniel is totally smiling now and David loves it. He spend a good bit of the morning talking to him and imitating him (hence his open mouth) and singing to him. He's just the bestest. And I snapped this shot. I know it's blurry but I love the face Nathaniel is making so I'm keeping it.  Lots of good work done this morning. A few more days and the chaos will be done I think. At least one chaos. Then the other one will begin. But still....Well little boy just fell asleep and I think that's my cue to go to bed. Even though it's only 7:43pm. G'nite. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 12 2009
 Last night I finally decided to give Nathaniel the milk I'd been saving. If I waited a few more days, it was going to go bad. I'm going to have to pump a whole bunch this weekend as next week is hectic with lots of people in and out of our house so I won't be able to nurse as easily. Here's David giving milk to the baby. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Then again, he's just the sweetest boy. Nathaniel, on the other hand, wasn't in the best mood.  I wanted to take a photo of both kids and here's David being his sweet, accomodating self and Nathaniel, not so much.  After a bunch of nursing, a nap, some burping later, he finally was in a good mood.  Not much light in this house. I can't wait to move. On other news, Nathaniel is definitely tracking now, nice to see that progress and he gives big, huge smiles throughout the day. We did a few more errands today (hard as they are with two kids) and packed a few more boxes. Here's something I learned while I packed my minibooks: I need to use more (or stronger) adhesive. All the embellishments were falling off. Ugh. Happy weekend! DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 11 2009
 Here's Nathaniel attempting to do tummy time. Actually if you see the big photo, you'll see he's not doing tummy time at all. Jusy lying there. Hmmmm....  And here's David making funny faces. He loves making these faces when I grab the camera. As you can also see, we spend a lot of our day in pajamas lately. Need to get into a better routine but there's too much going on right now so I am cutting myself some slack. July 1 is going to be a week of changes here. Mark my words.  Good day today. I spent the day without a lot of expectations and such was relaxed and spent my time reading people's old blog entries (loving discovering new things this way and getting to see a person's blogging growth). Still managed to do a few more chores and pack a few boxes. Making progress. Very slowly but still... DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 10 2009
 The photos today aren't so good but honestly I am amazed I took photos at all. I got about an hour of sleep all night last night. Nathaniel decided it was fun to play all night and then struggled from 2-7am when I finally gave up and got up for the day.  I still got done a bunch of chores, not as much as I would have liked but here's to tomorrow being a better day. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 9 2009
 Nathaniel lying on daddy's shoulders. He loves his dad. And he loves David. He smiles at him all the time and today he was tracking him and watching all that he does. And here he is with his long long lashes.  Today was a big day here. Jake was home. We got a lot of stuff done and took a big step. The baby didn't sleep much at all last night so I was dead tired. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Especially since I have to go to AAA and do yet another list of long chores. So cross your fingers for me. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 8 2009
 David loves playing with Nathaniel's toys. I love that he doesn't think they are silly or childish. He's a great big brother to play with. And here's the baby with a hint of a smile.  Slow but productive day. Made a few appointments, packed a few boxes, not too much but slow progress. Tomorrow is a big day here, let's see how it goes. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 7 2009
 I love this boy. I cannot believe he's mine. I cherish him so much. And here's another shot of Nathaniel sleeping. Jake took this one while he was in my arms. Doesn't he look so peaceful?  Another day of blog surfing and baby hugging. Nothing else to report. Happy Sunday. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 6 2009
 Sleeping peacefully. Pretty rare but happens every now and then. And I look at him and all I want to do is hold him, kiss him, hug him, and kiss him some more. Quiet morning over here as we relax and watch TV and play games and just enjoy a simple Saturday.  Feeling exceptionally hormonal today. Not sure why. Who even knows why it comes and goes. I have been discovering new blogs and going back to my favorites and reading their old old entries from years ago. I've been inspired and thoughtful. It made me want to write more. read more. think more. expect some entries to come. assuming i can find the time to sit and write. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 5 2009
 Isn't he so beautiful? Ok, so I am biased. I do think those eyes are gonna stay blue, though. And here's the big brother figuring out how to put together a lego toy our neighbors left on our doorstep for him. We have the best neighbors.  Quiet day here. David's officially on vacation now so I have to figure out what to do for the summer. I think soccer, swimming and gymnastics classes for him, so he's not bored and I'll make daily schedules for us. Ten more days and we can organize our life a bit better. Let's see. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 4 2009
 Nathaniel loves looking at light. I think his eyes will stay blue, don't you? And here's David on his last day of school. I am excited about this summer. I want to make the most of it with my boys.  Here's David playing music to the baby.  A few more small errands today but otherwise trying to take it easy. Nathaniel was up a lot last night so I am resting but not sleeping since he won't let me put him down. Can't believe we're in June already. This year is literally flying by. DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 3 2009
 I love him. There are no words to express how much I love him. Tomorrow is his last day at school and then the summer begins. Let's see how I do with two boys at home. And here's the little one curled up in his chair.  Another relatively good day. I ran errands like IKEA and getting insurance and signing paperwork and calling handymen etc. Nathaniel is sleeping so so. He wakes up every two hours and generally takes 45mins to an hour and a half to go back to sleep. It's enough that I feel ok during the day but not so much that I feel rested. Oh well... DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 2 2009
 Look at that! David yelled while I was in the kitchen this morning, "Look, Mommy, he's holding my hand!" I ran in and they were looking at each other and holding hands. My boys. I love them.   And here's one of Nathaniel in the bath. Love those fists.  Good day today! I had my six-week checkup appointment and all is well. I have this weird itch all over which has been driving me crazy so I finally got an appointment so that makes me happy. Nathaniel and I took a walk and then he napped while I cleaned up more. Making a dent now! DAILY PHOTOS - JUNE 1 2009
 I told myself that today would be a relaxing day. Not getting anything done. No pressure for me. So right now I am watching TV and Nathaniel is sprawled on my lap, sleeping soundly and peacefully. He's so so cute. And here's David from this morning with his Buzz Lightyear helmet. He's such a doll!!  Oh, and, rabbit rabbit. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 31 2009
 A quiet-ish day here. Eveyone was a bit tired and a bit cranky so we all laid low. Here's David giving a kiss to the baby. He does this many times a day. And Nathaniel touching him (albeit unintentionally).  Look at those beautiful lips. He's so so cute.  And the funny boy with a funny face!  Tomorrow is a new month. Possibly a big one for us. Hope your weekend was great! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 30 2009
 David, the junior pirate! He loves his new pajamas! And Nathaniel cranky whenever I don't hold him.  David kisses Nathaniel, trying to calm him down. Nathaniel is really lucky to have him.  Good day! We watched Street Fight (excellent!) this morning and Jake held the sleeping Nathaniel while I cleaned up all my scrap stuff. It's amazing how much stuff I have, especially the Thickers. Off to do some more cleanup. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 29 2009
 Here's the wonderful David reading to his little brother. Isn't he awesome? And Nathaniel doing tummy time.  Long day here. Nathaniel wouldn't sleep even after a trip to the park. David peed in his bed. The mailman came but didn't leave the packages so we had to drive to the post office to get them. Ugh. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 28 2009
 Look at the little feet and hands!! I love them. I need to photograph a lot more baby parts. Mini photo shoot for my boy. And here's the smiley boy. He's such a sweetheart.   And David is sweet as always too. I love him love him love him. A rough start today. Nathaniel wouldn't sleep from 5:30am to 1pm. But then passed out finally. And he's slept 3 times since then. Sleeping now. I got a bunch done tho. Wrote my journaling for the June layouts for a Million Memories and organized a lot of stuff using Evernote and even packed a box. Got lots lots lots more to do of course but making slooooow progress. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 27 2009
 This is David's I am looking at you but not listening face. Can't help but love the boy. He's loving being back at school; it's a shame we only have one more week and that's it for the year. And here's the little one who had a rough day today. Not enough naps.  I got some work done today, cleaned up a bit and watched Marley and Me and Yes Men. And some quality family time. All in all, good day! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 26 2009
 Look at the little boy. He's so alert and content. He had his one-month checkup today and all is wonderful. He's 21 inches and 8lbs 3oz. Yey! Growing wonderfully. He was in such a good mood. Even when he had his Hepatatis shot, he only cried for two minutes. And David is back at school. Yey!!  Got a lot of work done today cleaning up. Not that you can tell at all...oh well. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 25 2009
 Look at that amazing family. How can I not be so so so thankful? Today was my seven-year wedding anniversary with my wonderful husband. As a present to me, we took lots of family photos and went to a wonderful lunch (thank you, mom and dad!) The rest of the day was spent with relaxation and art. A truly great day and here are some more family photos:     Happy anniversary, baby. I love you madly!! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 24 2009
 Nathaniel's one month old today. It is going by so fast and he's such a joy and delight. Happy one-month little boy. I am still sick so we went to urgent care today and after spending 2 hours and 45 minutes there, it turns out I am fine and just came back home to rest and drink lots of water. bleh. At least David was in a good mood.  All in all, a quiet day with lots of TV and family time. What else can I ask for? DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 23 2009
 He's feeling better, can you tell? I'm still sick. Caughing, sneezing, shivering. yuck. So we all napped, watched TV, and just relaxed. We all needs days like this every now and then.  And, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Aksel and Jeff! I love you and miss you! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 22 2209
 Look at that cute little boy. Isn't he so sweet? I love all the faces he makes. So much personality in such a little package. David is still sick so I kept him home today, too. I finally took him to the doctor and it turns out he has sinusitis the poor boy. So he's on antibiotics now and hopefully will get better much more quickly. But, of course, to keep life interesting, now I am sick. Ugh.  Tonight, we attempted to go to I KEA (after renting a truck) and buy the 15 new pieces of furniture I wanted to buy and it turns out they each weigh like 100 lbs which is not a realistic number to carry when you have a newborn on a Bjorn, a 4year old who's having fun with all the boxes and a poor daddy who's been up since 4am. So that plan was aborted and we returned he truck and decided the delivery price was worth it. Oh well. And, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I love you Madly! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 21 2109
 David's still sick so he was home with us today. Which meant not much got done today but that's ok. I love being home with my kids. Here he is waking up from a nap. I think he's finally getting better. This week's felt like a series of Fridays for some reason. Tho tomorrow finally is Friday.  Here's the little one. Still not sleeping perfectly but I love him so! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 20 2009
 Good day today! Despite the fact that the baby decided 4am was morning time and spent the next two hours just cooing and looking around. I still got a lot done this afternoon and something I've been really anxiously waiting for did arrive today so I am just happy. And look how peacefully he's sleeping. Isn't he so sweet?  Those eyes still look blue to me! And here's poor David who's been caughing and just feeling crabby for days now. Poor little boy.  Happy hump day! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 19 2009
 Another day at home with two. David was caughing so much last night and this morning that even Jake said we shouldn't send him to school. So home, he stays. Here he is telling the baby how much he loves him. He's my sunshine. And here he is being all cool with his cool glasses. He even asked me to take this photo.  And here's the daily Nataniel. Another one of my sunshines.  And, of course, the tulip.  So far, no the most productive day but let's see how the afternoon is. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 18 2009
 Doesn't he look so peaceful? Well, we're still on the cry, eat, sleep schedule. And now boy #1 is also home since he's got pinkeye.  Yum. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 17 2009
 David's getting pretty clever about the photo taking lately. Making cute and funny faces so he can have some fun with me. He's being so nice to everyone and he tells us ten times a day how much he loves us and how much he loves the baby. He's just the nicest kid ever. I feel so so lucky. Nathaniel, on the other hand, has been going through what I think is a growth spurt. All he does is eat, cry and sleep. If he's not eating or sleeping, he's pretty much crying. I feel bad for him and I am pretty tired too so I hope it's not going to last too long.  He still looks so so cute, doesn't he? DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 16 2009
 Here's David after a long nap from which he didn't want to wake up. Not a happy camper. Not the best day. Nathaniel decided not to sleep much after 2:30am so I've been up all night and all day and I couldn't sleep when he did finally fall asleep so I am dead tired. I think he's having a growth spurt cause he will not stop nursing all day either. Well, tomorrow is another day :)  Happy Saturday to you. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 15 2009
 I know it's a terrible photo but I love the feeling in it so it stays. Productive day! yey! I got some errands done and then went to work to have lunch with my friend Cole. I saw about a million people which made it hard to chat with Cole but it was great to see everyone. I stayed a bit longer than I should have though and Nathaniel was really hungry by the time we got home. I even bought moving boxes. Yey me.  Here's how I found David at school today. He had some boo-boos. But he's so so cute. And here's the little one, sleeping peacefully.  DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 14 2009
 Feeling a little low today. Not really sure why. Nothing bad actually happened and I am not even low on sleep. Just feeling worn out maybe? I keep thinking of bad things over and over for some reason. Like I keep thinking something terrible is going to happen. Maybe it's cause everything has been so great and I am worried something will happen to offset it. Who knows. I hope it will go away.  Here's David at school. Much better today. One of those days where you know he's going to come home all messy with paint everywhere. Hope you're having a good week! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 13 2009
 Here's David from school this morning. He was feeling a bit sick I think cause he got very upset after I left and ran out of class twice to give me hugs and asked me to go back and be with him. I am hoping he's not getting sick because it would be a major bummer right now.  And here's Nathaniel. See those beautiful eyes? I wonder if they will stay blue. What do you think?  DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 12 2009
 I am trying to establish some sitting areas in each room. So the living room is for computer and TV and has this little boppy for the baby so he can sit, too. Here's one of those rare moments where he did like it. The playroom has scrapbooking and another little seat for Nathaniel. And the bedroom is for reading. This way I don't spend all day in the same room (or bed.) Today was a bit challenging for us. Nathaniel just cried the whole time he was awake and I was trying to not get him to sleep too much so we fought back and forth since all he wanted to do was nurse and sleep. I hope he will sleep tonight.  He is so so beautiful though and I love him so so so much.  And of course, here's the other one who is also manificent and he's playing with a teaset with me right now as Natheniel sleeps (of course!) I love my boys so so much!  DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 11 2009
 Here are the beautiful tulips Jake brought home. Pink and white. So so pretty. And here's David's third teacher. Teacher Melissa. She's so so sweet!  And the little boy who won't sleep from 4am to 7am is sound asleep when I take him to school. Just not when it's 4am.  Happy Monday! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 10 2009
 Jake's mom bought David this magnificent toy that he loved immediately. He's been playing with it nonstop. A wonderful mother's day here. Jake came from Boston with tulips and we sat down and chatted and then went to IKEA to run some errands. Nothing amazing, just a quiet day with my wonderful family. Couldn't ask for anything better.  And just so you can see that Nathaniel isn't always happy happy joy joy...  Hope your mother's day was wonderful, too! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 9 2009
 Even though this photo is bad quality, it is such a great photo of how awesome David is so I love it. David has always been the kind of kid who plays for hours all by himself. Today, as I was nursing Nathaniel and catching up on some TV, I turned around to find David playing quietly. He's so so awesome. Today was David's best friend Joseph's birthday. Jake's in Boston so the three of us got in the car and went to the park where it was. I didn't want David to miss it no matter what. He did have a great time even though we weren't there for a long time. I am so glad we did go.  The little one slept the whole time.  The rest of our day was quiet and wonderful. I really love being home with my kids. I love my kids. I love my husband. I am feeling so thankful. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 8 2009
 Can you see him smiling there? He is! He is! And here's David with teacher Kathleen. We all love her.  Quiet day today. Finally got to do some art. A little bit but still better than none. It was so nice to spend some time with the tags. Jake's going to be gone some of this weekend but I am still excited to have him for some of the weekend and to spend some time all four of us. I love my family so much and I feel so blessed. Speaking of family, Dad is home safe and sound, thankfully. All in all, a great week! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 7 2009
 Here's David and his teacher Cody. Aren't they so sweet? David was really odd this morning. He didn't want to get out of bed. He woke up, took off his pajamas, got dressed, and went back into bed. He kept saying he was still tired. It was really really odd. I meant to say that the really colorful place where Nathaniel was sleeping yesterday was a present from our friend Jess. Something I really wanted so thank you so much Jess! Nathaniel loves it too. So does David. He loves playing with the baby toys everywhere. He keeps showing Nathaniel his toys too. He's so sweet. Here's Nathaniel from this morning. He was actually awake when I took David to school which is pretty rare since the car puts him to sleep asap.  A better night last night. We all slept a bunch more. I decided to give myself the day off and took a morning nap and feel much more rested. The headache is still here but quiet now. The next six weeks promises to be very hectic but a good kind of hectic a new, big step in our life. I can't wait! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 6 2009
 See how he's sleeping peacefully? So sweet? He didn't do much of that last night. Nor did David. I think they conspired to make sure I didn't have a sleep-ful night so here I am tired with a horrifying headache that won't go away. Ugh. Thankfully, I have the world's best husband ever cause he left work early, gassed up both of the cars, went grocery shopping, and then picked up David. He's an angel. I just was completely useless all day. I slept. I tried to sleep and then slept some more. That was about it. Here's the big brother.  My dad had an operation today. Got his gallbladder removed. I am so thankful to know he's ok and so thankful for iChat and Skype. And the internet. I was there with them as much as possible. Get well quickly, Daddy. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 5 2009
 Today was Nathaniel's follow up appointment to make sure he'd gained his weight back. As you can see, he's not as fan of being weighed. The good news is he's gained all of the weight back and a bit more. Yey! A lot of photos to share today. Tonight while I was processing photos, Nathaniel was lying in my bed, looking around and David decided he wanted to talk to him and give him hugs and kisses. He kept bringing toys to show the baby. He really is being ultra sweet to Nathaniel.  David came home from school covered in green paint today. I mean all over. Like the Hulk. When I left him this morning, he was doing a Mother's Day project. I wonder if that's what the green was for.  Here's one of Nathaniel from early in the morning. He loves looking around and watching everything.  And finally another shot of the beautiful tulips.  A lot of little errands again today. I might finally be seeing the bottom of that list which is good cause I'd love to do some art. Let's see if I get to this week. Oh, and, I hope you get well really soon Daddy, I love you! DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 4 2009
 Last night was a bit rougher than usual. Not really Nathaniel's fault. He slept earlier at night but for some reason, my head was too busy and I couldn't fall asleep. I kept tossing and turning. So by the time I decided I could fall asleep, Nathaniel was awake again and again. It worked out ok though, I took a nap when we came back from dropping off David to school and I feel less like someone slapped me now. We even ran some errands. Cashed checks, notarized paperwork, etc. I feel good about being able to do some things. No matter how small. David was being an angel at school again. I love watching him play and discover new things at school. I am so glad he is happy there.  We also got confirmation that Nathaniel's cord blood was successfully stored. This is something we decided at the very last minute. We never did it for David and we couldn't decide if we should for Nathaniel or not. As it turned out, the yearly cost was quite low so it just came to the one-time collection fee and we decided better safe than sorry. Especially if we decide not to have any more kids. Now that it's come and gone, I am really glad we did it. And I hope we never, ever need it. DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 3 2009
 These are cupcakes Jake's office sent us when we came home from the hospital. Don't they look amazing? Yesterday, one of my old colleagues from work brought over 6 dishes for us to enjoy while we're home. Everything from soup and salad to main dishes to dessert. People's generosity and kindness leaves me in awe. Days are passing uneventfully here, which, to me, is a good sign. Another relaxing day. David went to his friend's birthday party, we watched some TV, ate some, slept some, and that's about it. Here's Nathaniel accomodating me as I try a new pose. He did get annoyed about two seconds after I snapped this.  Here's David with his hair short. Yes, not nearly as cute but now he can see.  DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 2 2009
 Mom bought me some beautiful tulips before she left. Aren't they magnificent? David was invited to a birthday party today, so he got all dressed up, posed for some blurry photos and he and Daddy went off only to realize that the party is tomorrow, not today. Doh! So they finaly went and got his hair cut. You'll see in tomorrow's photos.  Nathaniel and I stayed behind and did some errands. I folded all the laundry (there was a lot). Watched some TV (we're running out of space in the dvr). Changed the look of my site (like it?). and got caught up on all my posts. I am prepping tomorrow's catalyst, too and then I will lie down for a nap. Here's the little boy from earlier today.  DAILY PHOTOS - MAY 1 2009
 This is what David does when I tell him to smile. He makes the funny smile and I tell him that's not a smile and he puts his hands to check his face and he tells me that's happy look. It makes me laugh and laugh. Mom's last day today. She's leaving tonight for Turkey. It's been a productive and useful but short visit. We ran a lot of errands. She took care of David while we were in the hospital and helped me out in so many ways. I'm always sad when she leaves but I feel like this particular trip we accomplished so much that I feel less regretful than usual. Thank you so much for everything, Mom. I love you. Here's Nathaniel. So alert and so sweet.  Happy May! DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 30 2009
 I know this photo is blurry but I love this image of my mom showing Nathaniel to my sister over iChat so it was going to be my photo of the day despite the lack of quality. Today was a good day. Nathaniel and Mom and I went out to lunch and got some sunshine. We then came back home and chatted with my sister a bit and that was it for the eventful part of the day. Oh, and, his umbilical cord already fell off. Yeah, that's about it. Honestly, I love how quiet and empty the days are. It forces me to rest more and be calmer. Here's David playing at school and the second one is a baloon string he attached to his ninja to make a ninja parachute. He spent hours and hours playing with that little toy.   And of course, here's the little one. I promised myself there'd be daily photos of him, especially because I did that for David in his first year.  DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 29 2009
 Here's David watching Nathaniel sleep. I was making him food and he said he'd stay here while I made his food to make sure the baby wasn't scared. Isn't he awesome? He really is being the best brother. Another relatively eventless day. We took David to school togehter, came back, had breakfast and both of us took a nap. I then finished some errands like bills, insurance paperwork, thank you letters etc. And then mom came over with some lunch and I took another nap. A little TV and going through the baby kit I'd bought for Nathaniel and we're about to go to sleep for the night. Well, at least until the next nursing break. So far, he's really the sweetest kid. I am so blessed to have two wonderful sons. I don't know what I did to deserve it but I am so so thankful. Here are two shots from school today. David playing and Nathaniel looking around, taking it all in.   DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 28 2009
 Just in case you thought I forgot about this one. He's always my first love and he's so wonderful so don't you worry. He is such a great big brother. He helped me so much this morning to clean up and get ready for school and in just every little way. He really is an angel. A little low on the sleep but all in all a great day. I managed to get it all coordinated so Nathaniel nursed on time to fall asleep right as we needed to leave for David's school so he slept the whole way there and back. And then woke to nurse when we got home. Big success. My mom came over for the day and we did some planning etc. until it was time to take Nathaniel to his 3-day check up. He's great and gained a lot of weight back already. Yey. Some luch/dinner and my day was over. It all went really smoothly and I am hoping the same for tonight. Cross your fingers for me. And, of course I'll leave you with a photo:  DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 27 2009
 Our first day home went relatively smooth. Nathaniel was up and down during the night but nothing other than expected. David slept like a champ and he's such a sweet big brother. He's being quiet and playing next to us as I nurse Nathaniel. He gives them hugs and kisses his feet. I am trying to pace myself since I know there will be many months of this so I am resting as much as I can and I even managed to take a shower today so I feel much better. Trying to accomplish one small thing each day but not expecting much of myself. Jake's going to go to work tomorrow so I wil be taking David to school with Nathaniel; we'll see how that goes. I am still sore all over which is really the one thing bugging me. I know it's expected but it's really annoying to feel black and blue all over. Oh well. It shall pass. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 26 2009
 We're finally home. Safe and sound. The little one seems to like it here so far. He's been really wonderful. Nursing and peeing and pooping and sleeping and doing all the right things he should be doing, thankfully. I am feeling pretty tired but ok overall. I don't have the energy to write about the labor yet but it was all very quick and smooth. So we're all feeling tired but lucky and blessed. Thank you so much for all your kind words. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 25 2009
 Still in the hospital but all is great. Little boy is nursing ike a champ. Big brother already read him a book:  We're all doing great. A family of four now. Going home tomorrow, will write more then. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 24 2009
 Nathaniel James. Born 6:04am. 6lbs 7oz. 20.5inches. Welcome to the world, little boy. We love you. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 23 2009
 And yet another productive day if you can believe it. I had a doctor's appointment this morning and it turns out I am 3.5-4cm dilated. About halfway effaced. So I think it's pretty close now but I honestly don't know. We've also decided to keep the little one's blood cord. Nothing like making these decisions so last minute. Then we took a trip to IKEA and came back home to rest a bit. Another trip to Crate and Barrel and the day was over. David was too tired today and threw a huge tantrum when I came to pick him up. I have no patience or strength anymore of course but I tried to be nice to him. I love him so so much. He's such the sweetest boy. Here he is, with his best friend Joseph at school. Happy Thursday. Let's see when the little one decides to show up. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 22 2009
 And yet a third productive day! yey!! Got a lot lot done today and I am happy to feel like I'm making a lot of progress on accomplishing things I want to do before the little one arrives. Not much else to write today. Except: Happy Birthday Michelle!! Love you. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 21 2009
 Another wonderful day. The worst part of today was the totally crazy swelling I have on my ankles and feet. With David, my feet never swelled. But now, they are three times their actual size. Ugh. A quiet-ish day at home today. Mom and I figured out a bunch more errands, I am washing the last of the baby's clothes and I think we're pretty much set now. I am officially getting nervous about labor too so I guess it's getting close now. It's been really really hot here which doesn't help with the sweating and swelling. But I think it's going to start getting cooler tomorrow so I am looking forward to that. Thankfully. Here's a snapshot of the sunset I caught on the way home from dinner tonight. Magnificent. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 20 2009
 A long but wonderful day today. I woke up at 1:30am and couldn't go back to sleep. I made a whole bunch of calls to overseas and then worked for a while and tried to go back to sleep at 4:30am but then David decided to wake up at 6am so in the end there was almost no sleep most of the night. It's unbelievably hot here and I am melting so that doesn't help either. But it was a productive and great day despite all that. We dropped David at school, went to run Apple stored errands, and then spent a long time at a little cafe in Palo Alto. We then cooled off at the hotel and went to our afternoon appointment. We then rented my mom a car and I finally came back home. I then found out David has pooped in the toilet! It may sound odd but it's a big deal in our house for a long story I won't get into here. But that's why he is getting to eat a popsicle here. Big big deal. So all in all, a fantastic day. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 19 2009
 Another fantastic day. Didn't get any art done so far but I did do a whole bunch of the chores I had setup. I caught up in my 365 binder. I posted creative therapy. I cleaned up a bit. I caught up on my blog. Got some pregnant photos taken and cleaned up some of the Tivo. Maybe will get to do some art before we have to leave to pickup my mom. I woke up at 4am again and didn't go back to sleep this time. So I took a nap even. I am officially one week away from this little one's due date. Quite amazing. Long as it was, it all went so quickly. While I took my nap, David played quietly in the living room and here are some of his creations. He is such a wonderful kid and so good at playing with toys. Happy Sunday! DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 18 2009
 A truly wonderful Saturday. We went bowling early in the day and had a lot of fun. I didn't bowl but took some fun photos which I will post next. We then got some more Subway and came back home to take some family photos which is when we took the above shot. I'll post the others separately. David then went down for his nap and I did a few upcoming catalysts. Did a bunch of coordinaton and organization for the next few weeks. I am trying to get ready for the baby as much as I can. I know it's all going to be unpredictable and I am ok with that but I'd like to finish off as many loose ends as possible. When David woke up, he and Jake went out to the park and I rested a bit and next thing we know it was time to eat, watch some TV and go to bed. All in all, a truly wonderful day. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 17 2009
 As promsed, a quiet day today. The cramps seem to have quieted down, thankfully. The only thing we did today was to take a little walk in the neighborhood and go to subway for another yummy sandwich. Otherwise, it was a TV and rest day. Isn't the little boy so cute? I wonder how similar he and the little baby will be? Is he or she also going to look like Daddy? I will leave you with a flower photo I took outside, aren't you glad it's not a tulip?  DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 16 2009
 I am sorry, I don't know why I keep falling behind lately. Today was a long day of a lot of errands for us. It started with a doctor's appointment. I am only 2cm dilated and around 50% effaced so there's still a while to go for the little one. We then ran a bunch more errands and then went to Subway. I seem to be completely addicted to the chicken fillet sandwiches there lately and crave them every single day. We then came home and were both wiped so took naps and then woke up and went back out. After finishing off a really important errand, we finally decided to celebrate this very productive day with some ice cream. David ate this relatively gross one and I had some chocolate ice cream with bananas. Yum. Probably due to the doctor's appointment and the hectic day, but I had some crampy contractions today. The kind that signifies labor. So tomorrow's going to be a quiet day at home just to make sure. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 15 2009
 You know it was time for another tulip shot, right? I guess my "middle of the day" nap got in the way yesterday cause I couldn't sleep properly all night. I woke up at 1am and didn't go back to sleep until 3am. I am not sure if it's the baby, the crazy amount of other stuff happening in my life right now, or just feeling not tired but it makes the next day that much harder. So so on the productivity scale today. But feeling ok despite being a bit tired. I got my tag finished (coming in the next post) which makes me happy. Finished a few more odds and ends and I am off to read some paperwork that needs to be read today. A few more errands this afternoon and I should feel like a good, solid day and then I can do some more art. The art makes me so happy. David and I also played a game today. One he invented. He spent a long time collecting items for it, waited patiently until I was ready to play, and then meticilously wrote instructions for it. Here he is going over the instructions with me:  And then explaining all the pieces of the game:  How can one not love this boy? DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 14 2009
 Happy, productive day today! I ordered my photos, finished the performance evalations for work, finished reading my friend Kathy's story, ordered all the certificates I needed to do my upcoming consulate work, got gas, went to Costco, nd even bought a few scrapbook fun at Michael's. Which is where we bought David these cute little stickers he is wearing. I've even printed my birth plan and have done half the list for packing our bags. Another productive day tomorrow and I think we'll be all set. After which maybe I can actually get some art done since I am itching to do my tag and maybe even a few more creative therapy catalysts. Wouldn't that be awesome. Thursday's going to be a full day so I want to make sure to get some good rest tomorrow, too. I can't believe we're already halfway through this week. All this time is passing way too quickly. Happy Tuesday! DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 13 2009
 Quiet day here. Semi-productive and mostly resting and relaxing. Got a few things done and have a whole bunch more to go. I shall leave you with another one of the cute, sweet boy.  DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 12 2009
 Today started much better. We were invited to an Easter brunch at our friend Kathy's and David was the only kid there which meant he had the 60-some eggs all to himself. He was so excited and so happy that he couldn't stop hugging her and telling her how awesome she was. I think it was by far the best Easter he's ever had. The rest of our day went pretty smoothly, too. I finally got my birthplan done and I got the packing list for the hospital, too so I will pack tomorrow. A few tiny things and we're officially ready for this little one. Though, I have another 13 days or so and I'd like the baby to stay put until it's due date ideally so she or he can be fully grown and healthy. Cross fingers. My mom is coming a week from today. I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving and I can't wait. One more week. I will leave you with a shot of David digging through Kathy's house to find all the eggs.  DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 11 2009
 This shot is really representative of the day we had. All three of us were grouchy in our on way and despite one piece of unbelievable and fantastic news in the middle of the day, we just couldn't get ourselves to be in good spirits. Some days are just like that. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 10 2009
 Today we had our weekly doctor appointment and our wonderful doctor let David help listen to the baby's heartbeat and it was all so smooth and nice. I love my doctor and I hope she's the one on call when the little one is coming. Either way, I am glad I had her through this pregnancy. We wanted to take some flower shots in the neighborhood since things are finally blooming for spring. We spent the rest of the day mostly resting and not getting too much done.  DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 9 2009
 A quiet day for David and I. Both of us playing, relaxing, watching some TV and resting. I had a short to-do list today but even that didn't get done. Oh well. I am trying to cut myself slack especially since I am having contractions each time I get up. All is ok overall. I had intended to catch up on some of my art while I was on maternity but haven't been able to so far. Let's see if tomorrow looks more promising.  As part of getting ready for the baby, my sister and I put together the pack'n'play I had bought for David. This is exactly where David spent his first six weeks and, if all goes well, little baby will spend his or her first weeks here, too. The boppy was a present but the other two pillows are the best new mother thing I ever got. They are called "My Breast Friend" and they are by far the very best nursing pillow I've ever owned. When new mom-to-bes ask me what they should get, I ask them if they plan on nursing. If they do, I tell them they must, have to, get this pillow. It's worth its weight in gold. I have two because I used to keep one at home and one in the car at all times. One of the things I was very nervous about the first time around was nursing. I wanted to make sure I could nurse and felt scared and insecure. But I was also determined. I am happy to say I got to do it for a long long time, so it's one less worry this time around. I know that, assuming all goes well, I will be able nurse this little one, too. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 8 2009
 Today is the last day of school for David for ten days. He's off for Passover and since I am home on maternity, I decided he doesn't need to go to camp so we'll be spending the next ten days together. Let's see how it goes. A rather odd day today. I feel calmer than I have in a while but I am in quite a bit of pain on and off. I wonder if the baby is getting ready to come a bit sooner than planned. I guess we'll see. At least we're 99% ready, except for my hospital bag and some names. Specifically boy names. Oh well, I'm sure we'll figure something out. Happy Wednesday! DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 7 2009
 Here's David with his "Silly Mommy" looks. I love him so. Today is declared a day of rest. I plan to do nothing but lie on the couch and watch TV. Some little stuff might get done but no pressure. That's the plan. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 6 2009
 Almost caught up. My sister left last night. While I was tired all week, I really loved having her here. She helped us pick a house, she washed all of the baby's clothes and setup the bed for me, she cooked for us every night, and she put up with my crazy. And trust me, I've been crazy. I miss her already. Thank you, Yona, so much for coming! Today was a day of errands. I got the baby's car seat installed, I confirmed we're set for the hospital and for maternity pay, I paid my bills, and just tied all the loose ends, so I can relax now. David's school is on vacation starting Wednesday night so I have two more days just to myself and I plan to make the most of them. Here's David in one of the boxes that used to hold baby clothes, wathcing Batman. Cutie pie! DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 5 2009
 This is the first time I asked him to smile and he just did. Not a funny smile but a nice, authentic one. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 4 2009
 Finally a photo of Yona and David. This is from an hour-long fun session they had blowing kisses at each other and catching them. I cannot tell you the squeals and joyful noises David made through this time. It was truly awesome. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 3 2009
 This is the only shot I got of these beautiful tulips. Look at the patch of green inside these? So so stunning. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 2 2009
 David, looking through a "binocular" he made at school. "It makes it all pink," he tells me. DAILY PHOTOS - APRIL 1 2009
 Another school shot. David looking at an art project that greeted him in the morning. I am often jealous of the fantastic school experience he gets to have. I am so happy for him and so glad we're able to send him to such a good school. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 31 2009
 Ok, it's finally time to catch up. In the spirit of catching up I am just going to post the photos and write a few lines. This is from school, a typical face David likes to make that makes me smile. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 30 2009
 His first day back at school since Yona arrived, David couldn't wait to show her off to all of his friends. He also had to show off his new Spiderman socks which he was so excited about, I don't think he kept his shoes on for most of the schoolday. We did one final tour of houses and I think we're getting close to narrowing down our choices. It's exciting and scary all at the same time. I am also starting to feel really exhausted because I literally do not sleep for more than 20 mins at a time now and I cannot function most of the day. So I am not sure what the plan will be for the next three weeks before the little one's due to arrive but I am trying to take it easy and nap a lot and do tiny bits of work in between. Happy Monday! DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 29 2009
 Just in case you thought the presents from yesterday weren't enough, Yona also brought David two "small surprises" for each day she's here. These include workbooks, stickers, and many other fun things that would each be considered presents that are not small in my house. So David is just being spoiled over and over again. Here he lines up all of his new action men and his new car has the ability to propel a dog out of it, so he uses that trick to knock them all down. You'd be amazed at how many times he patiently lined them up just so he can do this. We spent most of yesterday and today looking at houses. We drove all around our neihborhood and a few adjacent ones to show my sister the houses we had found so we could get her opinion. The rest of the time we played, rested and just enjoyed each other's company. Having my sister here means we get a fully cooked meal each night. I cannot tell you the difference it makes. Watching how quickly she does it all, makes me feel maybe I could do it, too. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 28 2009
 And finally she's here!! My sister, Yona, whom I haven't seen in person since July of 2006. I cannot believe how long it's been and how much I have missed her. Yona knew that this trip would be all about relaxing and not doing very much since I am so very pregnant and need more rest than anything else, so she didn't really bring much to wear, yet, she still came with a huge luggage. When I asked her what was in it, she told me they were toys for David. And she wasn't kidding. Here's the photo of the luggage before David attacked it. I don't think she'll ever be able to come again without bringing this many toys. It's a good thing she has twins who are six years ahead of David. So while I was excited about having my sister visit, I think David might be even more so now that he knows what it means to have her here. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 27 2009
 OK, it's been a few hectic days and it's 5:35 AM on Tuesday and I absolutely cannot sleep so I figure what better time to catch up. These particular tulips never bloomed. Very rare, in my experience, but I loved them anyway, who doesn't love purple tulips after all. My last day before I go on maternity has been uneventful. I tried my best to tie all the loose ends as best I could and they gave me a congratulations cake (and yes I should have taken a photo of it) and a little onesie and a hat for the little one. It was so sweet and kind and generous. It will be odd not to go to work for the next few months but I do know that I will have my hands full very soon. My sister is coming tonight so I am extremely excited and there will be several posts coming about her. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 26 2009
 David spent his afternoon making these balloons. He's quite talented and loved posing with them. When I asked him what he wanted to do next. He said "let's do some art." so I said ok, what kind of art. He said "I want to scrapbook." Heh. I didn't even know he knew the word. We took out some of my spare papers and stickers and punches and had a blast. Quieter than usual day today. Thankfully. I've been really really exhausted lately. I don't sleep at all at night anymore so I really need a nap or two during the day. Tomorrow is my last day before I go on maternity. It will be so odd not to check my mail obsessively and to not have meetings all day, etc. Then again, within a few weeks, I will be spending all my waking moments with the little one so I am sure I will have my hands full. I finally did tag number twelve today and it was a lot of fun. I am really glad I am doing this project. It has been one of the most fun things I've done this year so far. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 25 2009
 These flowers are right outside our house and they smell so very yummy. The bees love them too. I am just glad spring is finally here and the flowers are blooming again and there's color everywhere. It's amazing how much happier sunshine makes me. Last night was a rough night. Even though I went to bed at 7pm, I kept waking up and then at 1am, I just couldn't go back to sleep so I had to get up and read a little and then try to go back to bed and it was all just crazy. Not to mention all the nightmares I've been having. I know the next few weeks will only be harder but I am also seeing the light at the end of the tunnel since I am due exactly one month from today so I am telling myself to hang in there. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 24 2009
 I love him. I love him madly. I just do. Days are passing quickly but hectically. I am still really busy at work and am using most of the rest of my spare time to take care of David, keep up with my BPS class, and rest. I am getting more and more tired and more and more heartburn. Lovely. Only three more days until my sister is coming and I cannot wait. Miss her so much. As it gets closer I just miss her more and more. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 23 2009
 Yesterday I was at Costco and bought David a little present. It's a Wii game that involves Spongebob. I thought it would be easy and fun and it turns out it's really hard so it's been mostly Jake and I playing and David watching. Tho he's still happy we have it. My last Monday at work before I leave for maternity. Work's quite hectic of course but it's all last minute stuff so I am trying to do my very best and leave things in as good a state as I possibly can. I've been meaning to write this one down. The other day, David and I were driving to school and he always asks me when he'll be six or seven or fifteen etc and I say "in one year" or "in five years" etc. Then he asked me when he will be twenty. I said "in sixteen years." He said that he wanted to be twenty and I said I didn't want him to be twenty, so he asked why. I told him that when he's twenty, he wouldn't be home with Mommy and Daddy anymore. He'd be away at school and sleeping there and we'd miss him so much. He thought about this for a while, and then said: Ok, I don't want to be twenty. I want to be SIX! I laughed and laughed. I love my boy and I know that one day the prospect of not living with Mom and Dad will be so appealing but I am so happy that, right now, it's not. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 22 2009
 Hadn't had a black and white one for a while. Another simple day with a few chores done but nothing substantial done. We played Wii for a while, watched some TV and mostly relaxed. Oh and we started doing the taxes. Still a long way to go. And still no art done. Oh well. Some weekends are just like that. I hope yours was more productive than mine. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 21 2009
 I know this is a very blurry photo but it's a representation of today and that's what this project is about isn't it? David and Daddy went to Stanford's Lucile Packard today (where we're planning to have the baby) and took a class on sibling preparation. As part of the class, they gave David this "Big Brother" shirt. Which he hasn't taken off all weekened. I am not sure how much of the class he digested but we figure no harm and possible help is never a bad thing. We also looked at a few more houses around Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. I think we have officially seen all the new houses in the area now. Other than that, I've gotten nothing done. No art. A lot of naps, though... I shall leave you with one more photo from this session:  DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 20 2009
 Tulips. I can never get enough of them. Really busy day today, trying to tie up loose ends at work. Making sure that whoever takes over for my work is not left stranded. I want to leave things the best I can. There are still so many baby things I haven't even begun worrying about like washing all of David's old clothes with the special baby soap. Like buying a new pack-n-play so there's a place for this little one to sleep. Like making sure we have newborn diapers etc. etc. At least I did make the carseat installation appointment so I feel good about that. And David's going to a "sibling" class at Stanford this weekend so we'll see how helpful that will be. My sister is coming to visit exactly one week from now. I haven't seen her in person since June of 2006. I miss her like crazy. I cannot wait to see her and hug her and spend hours and hours talking to her. I know she'll help me with shopping, with preparing for the baby, and with looking for houses. She will cook for us. She will just be so awesome to have around. I cannot wait to hug her. My Big Picture Scrapbooking class started yesterday and the boards are already hopping. I am so excited to be there, to get to teach this class, to get to share this experience with others. I cannot tell you how happy it's making me. I am so thankful for the opportunity. I shall leave you with this wonderful photo of David from this morning:  Happy Weekend! DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 19 2009
 This might officially be cheating since these photos were taken last night but they were too precious to me not to count in my year so as far as I am concerned this is today's photo and that's that. This is David and Daddy playing with stomp rockets in the backyard. David loves these so much that I think you can see the joy in his face. Last night, he decided to experiment with the different ways he could get the rocket to fly.  He tried using his elbow, jumping with both feet, sitting on it, jumping backwards and many other crazy styles.  And the whole time he laughed and laughed and just couldn't get enough.  Watching that kind of joy on a kid's face is electric and contagious. It's one of the joys of being a parent and getting to experience the world through your little one's eyes. He kept making his hands into little firstballs so he could get more strength.  And of course here's a tulip shot I took before I had to part with the beautiful, reddish orange ones we had this week.  My Big Picture Scrapbooking class started today and I couldn't be more excited. You can still register for a little while and if you're on the fence, go for it! I promise you won't regret it :) Happy Thursday! DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 18 2009
 We got to work really early this morning so we got to play outside for a bit and I tried to snap a photo quickly before David changed his mind about playing on the swings. Another long, eventful day but now we're halfway through the week so I am feeling more optimistic. I hope your week is going well. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 17 2009
 Happy St. Patty's Day to those of you who celebrate. I don't really but I do enjoy seeing others who do. Here's a branch that I photographed at work this morning. I love seeing spring finally arrive at our door. I am ready for the warm sunshine and blooming flowers everywhere. It always makes me feel rejuvenated. A long day today even though it wasn't Monday. As my last few days are coming at work before I leave for maternity, and as the baby gets coser, there are just lots of odds and ends to do for both. So today was meetings and presentations and then trip to Stanford Hospital to learn more about their birth center and process. My BPS class starts on Thursday so I am really excited about that and a week into the class, I will be leaving for maternity so I will have extra time and attention to give to the class which makes me even happier. I just hope the students like all the work I've put into it. I will leave you with a photo of David from school cause I can't ever have enough of those:  DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 16 2009
 I had a rough night last night because during my sixth wakeup for the night - which was at 3am - my spine just decided it didn't want me to lie down anymore so no matter which way I turned, I just couldn't get my body to let me sleep. So, when David woke up this morning, Jake must have told him that Mommy needed some more sleep cause when I finally got up, I saw him sitting in the living room, on the beanbag, with covers and quietly reading a book. On the other hand, David's been considerably more difficult lately. Not like he's terrible or anything; he's still the sweetest boy. But he shows signs of complaining and pushing back more often. I don't know if that's really just natural part of growing up or something is up but I am hoping it will pass. Honestly, on the little sleep any little thing gets on my nerves so it could also be mostly me, who knows? I had quite a lot of contractions today. I really can't imagine getting a lot bigger but I know I will. Oh well, as long as the little one is happy and healthy. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 15 2009
 David bought these Spiderman tatoos and cannot get enough of them. Today was a quiet day. My brother and sister in laws are still here. They spent the morning playing with David while I took a nap and then they all went to have lunch with a friend while David and I attempted to take a nap but he wouldn't take one which meant I couldh't have one either. And now we're all watching Wall-e. Here's Leila and David, playing with the tatoos.  And here are some beauitful tulips my friends Manu and Hana brought yesterday:  Happy Sunday. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 14 2009
 Happy Pi Day! My beautiful sister-in-law threw me a baby shower today. It was a wonderful, relaxed one and good friends came. We didn't have a lot of people but it was really nice to have one nonetheless. I am reall thankful that they came all this way just for us and played with David so much too. She bought some yummmy food and did some traditions from each family member. Here's my brother in law, Danny, and David.  Here's a tradition my other sister in law, Andee, does: we gave candles to everyone so they could light them when I am in labor.  One from Lelia herself: she bought stickers and got the guests to pick the ones they liked and write some words on a picture frame so when the baby comes we can put the photo in it with everyone's sentiments around it.  And finally one from my sister: a sheet torn by everyone and then candy wrapped in it.  And that's it. I hope your day was as nice as mine. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 13 2009
 Did you know there will be Friday the 13ths this year? We've already had one in January and here's the second one and we will have another one November. So if you believe it's unlucky, you're in for a long year. I hadn't had tulips in a week or so, I missed them. Look at all the colors. It's just so stunning to me. Even though it doesn't even smell, I love it nonetheless. Not feeling up to saying much today, so I will leave you with a lego shot I took at David's school. Happy Friday.  DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 12 2009
 I love this smile. I spent some time with David at school this morning. I love watching him work his way through the class, seeing the activities he chooses, the way he interacts with the kids. It's nice to get to see how he's with his peers as opposed to us. Started on the tag last night. Finally picked the theme and the technique but I am not finished yet. Not sure if I love it, but the point is to experiment and I certainly have been experimenting. One week left to my Big Picture Scrapbooking course, Telling Stories Deeply. I am really excited and nervous. You can get more detail here and of course you can ask me questions as much as you need. I hope to see you in my class! DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 11 2009
 Another school shot today. I love watching David at school. Many days I am loathe to leave him and go to a meeting. We're halfway through the week already and I feel like I've accomplished too little. My wonderful brother in law is coming to town tomorrow so I am excited to see him and his wife is coming on Friday. I haven't seen her in so long and she's so wonderful that I can't wait to see them. They're flying across the country just to throw me a baby shower, aren't they the nicest people in the world? I've been thinking about my tenth tag but I haven't decided exactly what to do yet and even what technique to use. We'll see when and if inspiration strikes. It doesn't strike very often laltely. Hope your week is going well. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 10 2009
 Today's the Purim celebration at David's school so all the kids and the teachers were dressed up in costume. Being the great mom that I am, I completely forgot. So I was really thankful when the teachers put together this quickie for David. He even had a crown and all. But he said he's not "king David" he's a prince. I've also been meaning to write this little story that happened between us last week. It was one of those nights Jake was working late so I had put David to bed and he was being whiny and I was almost at the end of my patience and took a deep breath to make sure I wouldn't blow up at him and changed course. So I slowed down and said "I'm so happy you're my son, David. I love you. Thank you for being my son." There were a few moments of quiet and then he said "You're welcome." and then he said "I'm so happy you're my Mommy." It made me feel so much better and it made me realize the importance of taking a breath and stepping back every now and then. On another note, today's my best friend Levent's birthday! Happy Birthday my wonderful friend, I love you!! DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 9 2009
 Another fun day at school. David was elated to find out that he can cut the little piece of foam. Small things make him so happy. Of course, on the other side of the same coin, small things set him off too. A long day today as Mondays are for me but then the week gets lighter so I know that I just have to get through today. Not much else to write so far today. Happy Monday. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 8 2009
 Daddy's back and it has brought much rejoicing into our household. It's wonderful to have our wholefamily together. David was so happy, he kept giving him hugs all day long. I had planned to take the whole day off and just relax and be with Jake and David and not worry about getting things done and it's been a lovely day so far. Despite the strong heartburn, I feel calmer and more positive than yesterday. The household is quiet as everyone takes a nap and relaxes on this Sunny Sunday. I finished the latest Grisham novel I was reading and honestly it was so bad that by the end of it I was mad at him for taking my time and wasting it like that. Who wants a "whoddunnit" novel that doesn't actually tell you who did it. What a waste of hours I won't ever get back. Off to read another book and take a short nap myself. Hope you're having a happy weekend. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 7 2009
 The rain has finally stopped and I am really glad. It was starting to get to me. The nice thing about all this rain is that it makes some beautiful greens in the backyard. A relatively productive day today. I did two catalysts, a bunch of laundry, read some, played with David a bunch, and prepared tomorrow's catalyst for posting. However, it was also a pretty rough day emotionally. I seem to be up and down a lot and maybe suffering from a bit of this. Hoping to go to bed in a few minutes and get a good night of rest. It's amazing what some rest can do. Jake comes back tonight and I am excited to see him. I miss him when he's gone. I know many women like taking time off but I seem to be happiest when my kid and my husband are around me. Even if it's more work, I just love having their presence. Hope your weekend is going well. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 6 2009
 Another school shot. I like these cause I know I will want records of what school and class was like years from now. Finally relaxing a bit. The end of the week is always easier than the beginning at work and allows me to rest more which is great. Still got one more thing due and then I can focus on doing some creative therapy art this weekend. I also plan to rest as much as possbile. I have to clean up my table first though since it's messiest it's been in months. Happy Friday!! DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 5 2009
 Little boy giving me a smile at school. Yesterday turned out ok afterall. I went to the doctor, heard the little one's heartbeat, and managed to stay awake through the musical and even make it through today. For the most part at least. It had been a long time since I went to a musical and I really had no idea about the story so I enjoyed all of it very much. I even managed to stay up a little later than usual and work on my kit and tag. Jake left for New York this morning. I wish I were there with him; I really miss the city a lot. Even six years later. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 4 2009
 First time I've seen David playing Operation. Even though he couldn't get any of the pieces out, he didn't get frustrated. Just tried for a bit and then moved on to another toy. My sweet boy. Rough and long day today. Back to back meetings and then I have to pick up David and rush to the doctor's and then rush back home and get dressed cause I'm going to see Wicked on Broadway (well in San Fran) tonight. Even though I am really looking forward to it, I haven't stayed up past 10pm for 7 months now and I am not sure I'll make it through so we'll see. Feeling a bit worn out and worn down. Wishing life was a little simpler. Just one of those days I guess. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 3 2009
 I've been drinkng Diet Peach Snapple lately and I know it's not good for the baby so I've been desperately looking for alternatives. One of the perks of working at Google is having access to a fridge full of Naked Juices so I've started drinking those instead. O-J is my favorite one. Plain, simple, and consistently yummy. David build a Star Wars tent today and I wanted to share:  Started working on the kit a bit and even started my tag but things are moving slowly since I am still quite exhausted and going to bed early. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 2 2009
 This morning was a rainy Monday morning where I had a dentist's appointment at 8am so I needed some tulip love to tide me over. Jake bought these pink ones which are so soft and lovely looking, aren't they? And I love how they're leaning towards the light. Feeling tired as always but things are going ok for us. Jake's liking his work, David's a happy little boy, I am doing ok and the little one seems to be growing just fine. So, all in all, I don't think we can compain. A little over three weeks to my maternity leave and my sister is coming right on the day I go on leave and I haven't seen her in person in almost three years so I am very excited. April is promising to be very hectic but I am planning on taking it easy as much as possible. Especially if the Braxton-Hicks gets worse. Hoping to work on the new AMM Kit, some catalyst and my tag this week. I want to do some art every day just for me. Let's see if I can. DAILY PHOTOS - MARCH 1 2009
 I know this is technically not a good shot but I love seeing the joy on David's face as he wins his boxing game on the Wii. Mostly a day to rest today. Feeling more and more tired lately but I guess that's not surprising as I go into my eighth month. Yesterday ended up relatively productive after all but not today. I am trying to learn to be ok with that since I don't have a choice and I am working on the most important project which is making sure the baby is growing safely. Happy March!! DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 28 2009
 Far from the best photo but still one of my favorite moments from today. Feeling lots of blahs today. Trying to shake it off but not so successful so far. I'm hoping it will go away. I really dislike unproductive weekends. Hope you're having a good Saturday. DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 27 2009
 Here's another one of the little boy who's starting to resist having his photo taken. But I cannot have enough of those eyes. I am still in class today and enjoying it quite a bit. Expect some posts to come out of my class but only after I sit down and can collect my thoughts. I am looking forward to the weekend quite a bit. Not much else to say right now. Just trying to keep myself from dozing off... DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 26 2009
 David doesn't have a fever anymore but he still has a running nose and his lips are chapped and he has a tiny dot on his nose that he's been scratching (hence the band-aid). The lips are why he's making that funny face. He's still so cute if you ask me. Today's a long day. I will be in class all day, so Jake's going to have to pickup David. Let's see if I can stay awake all day and manage to sit in the chair without too much pain. I spent hours last night working on an upcoming creative therapy catalyst. I painted and cut and glued and I was so happy. It's been a while since I've felt that surge of joy that comes from doing something artistic so it was really fun. I love making the tags each week so I decided I wanted to see if I can transfer that joy to the catalysts too. Last night, it worked. We'll see if I can do it again. Happy Thursday. DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 25 2009
 How about something different today? For reasons I am not sure of, lava lamps are a part of Google culture so we have them in many buildings and in almost all the lobbies. Here are the four sitting in the lobby of my building. I had never seen a lava lamp until I came to the US for college and I instantly fell in love. Not sure why honestly but I always wanted one. I am happy to say that I now have one on my desk. And a purple one! Today has started out well so far. No breakdowns at school, no weird conversations, all quiet. I will be in class tomorrow and Friday so I have a bit of a busy day but otherwise all is well. I had fun last night with interesting people and got to celebrate my friend's birthday. Though it was 9:30 as I was driving home and I was really really tired, which is kind of sad that I can't stay up past 9pm anymore. I also worked on my eighth tag last night and will post it in a second. DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 24 2009
 So is it better to share tulip photos too often or David ones? I can never get enough of either so it's a dilemma. Let me know if you have a preference. My weird days are continuing...after yesterday's odd incidence at school, today David decided to have a full-on melt-down which he's never ever had in four years. It was so odd that the teachers didn't know what to do. I am not sure where it came from but I am hoping it was a one-time incident. It also meant I was 15 minutes late to my morning meeting but otherwise things have been pretty quiet. Well, except the fact that I woke up at 4am and couldn't go back to sleep and I am going out tonight so we'll see how I survive the night out. Baby's still kicking like crazy and I love feeling it especially when he or she is obviously doing cartwheels inside. Here's one of David from this morning where he's sneaking a smile:  I spent a little bit of time helping a friend today with some coding problem and once I figured out the problem, it was one of those "i can't believe someone would write code this bad" cases which made me laugh so hard that I had to call Jake up to share. I love that we can share things like that and we understand each others' jobs well enough. Less than a month for my class at BPS to start. I am really really excited about it and can't wait. A post coming with more details in a minute. DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 23 2009
 Today was pajama day at David's school. Hence the Hulk pajamas under his jacket. He's finally feeling back to his own self and I am so thankful. Everyone feeling better is exactly how I like it. Mondays are my craziest days and today was no exception so I am happy that it's finally over. This week will go fast but will also be full cause I am going out tomorrow and I have a class Thursday and Friday that goes late into the evening. This will mean that I will feel wiped by the end of the week. I just need to take some time tomorrow and get organized for the week and then things should go smoothly. Still thinking a lot about relationships and friends and how much work things are. I am still hearing sad stories from friends and strangers and it's making me wonder about how hard it is to stay together, to keep the communication going, to make sure to check in with each other and not let things rot. Because letting it deterirorate is a from of giving up. It's sneaky cause it doesn't feel like you gave up since it wasn't a conscious action but in the end it achieves the same result. Especially sad to see a family with kids falling apart. Happening a bit too often lately. Anyhow, on to happier things....Happy Monday! DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 22 2009
 Jake started teaching David how to play chess. David paid a lot more attention than either of us imagined. It's really fun for me to watch them play. They've spent a lot of time playing together this weekend and it's been joy for me to watch it. Here they are planying with a fancy lego set:  Another quiet day here with me sleeping in and then Jake taking a nap. I had coffee (well hot chocolate for me) with my friend Mike today. One of my favorite people from college and yet we see each other too rarely. I've noticed that I'm not as good at keeping in touch as I'd like to be. There are some people I wish I still had in my life or others that I wish I saw more consistently but I am not organized enough. Maybe I need to establish a better routine around this. A few more things I would like to get done this weekend before I am ready to face the week but overall I feel peaceful, relaxed and rested. We're about to go out for some yummy dinner and spend some family time. Something I always cherish. Happy Sunday. DAILY PHOTOS - FEBRUARY 21 2009
 David asked me to take a photo of his toys. These are from a pirate set we received on his birthday. The skeleton on the end glows in the dark and makes David very happy. Relatively quiet day here. Jake and David kindly let me sleep in which was wonderful. When I woke up Jake took a nap and then when he woke up, I took another nap and then it was David's turn so the house was pretty quiet all day long. I didn't get as much done as I would have liked but I did manage to finish one big item on my list which is the first step to a big dream I have so I feel pretty good about that. I've decided to change the titles of these posts, so that they are by date so this way I don't have to count what day I'm on and it's also easier to see if I miss a day. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 20 2009
 Today was my doctor's appointment and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat while David perused the toys in the magazines at the office and asked me if I can buy him each of the toys there. All is well with the baby and supposedly the contractions are perfectly normal so I am not worrying about a thing. That's that. I was worried that lately I haven't been eating that healthy so I decided to have some soup last night and the baby was like "Are you kidding me?" so the soup didn't even get to sit in my tummy for more than 6 minutes. So much for being healthy. Won't try that one again. And here's to those who say nausea goes away after the first trimester. I am almost 8 months now and even with the medication, I still hugged the toilet last night, thank you very much. Anyhow, on to nicer things. The rain has finally subsided in beautiful Palo Alto so we can see some sunshine now. David's temperature has also finally stayed 98.6 for almost 24 hours now. Things are finally looking up. Hope you're having a happy Friday. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 19 2009
 Part of me feels bad for having so many tulip photos but then these make me happy and right now I'll take anything that puts a smile on my face. Admit it, aren't tulips amazing? David's still got a fever and I am just trying to stay calm and assume that it shall pass. I have just made my peace with the fact that this week is lost to taking care of each other. He woke up at 3:30am last night and wouldn't go back down without me so I haven't slept much in the last week and my very pregnant body is not liking that. But the baby is kicking away and I am loving it. My checkup is tomorrow so I'll get to hear the beautiful heartbeat too which I am very much looking forward to. This weekend will be resting and rejuvanating for all of us. I think we all need some of that. I shall leave you with another glimpse at the tulips.  DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 18 2009
 David was feeling better last night but since he has to be well for 24 hours before he goes to school, Jake stayed home with him today and I went to work and it was a long long day with back to back meetings. And then David's fever spiked again to over 103 so I took him to the doctor again and still no infections anywhere so we're back to square one with Motrin and hoping it gets better. My turn to be home tomorrow. On the way home from the doctor's I got several Braxton Hicks contractions. Really strong ones. I didn't realize they come so soon. Still got the heartburn, too so it's been party-central here...Off to lie down and relax now. Oh, and, Happy happy happy happy birthday my friend Cole, Alcor, Nicholas, Jack. Hope you had a marvelous one! DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 17 2009
 Jake brought this little bamboo piece home months ago and it's been sitting in a glass in shallow water for months, living. To me, this is a miracle. I have the brownest thumb I know; I kill all plants. Even the ones hard to kill. But this little one has been living for a long time, quietly and persistantly. David's still sick. 102. I wish I knew what was wrong. Actually, I wish he'd get better so I can stop worrying altogether. While we're at that, I also wish my heartburn would go away. I'm not a fan of it. I think five days in a row of both of us being alone and a little or a lot sick is finally getting to me, so I am feeling a bit restless today. Not to mention the 303 emails in my inbox that need attention.... Here's a snap of the little boy from this morning. Sick but still as cute as ever.  I know I've been whining a lot lately and thank you for putting up with me. While I'm not at the best physical shape, I'm actually doing quite well emotionally and psychologically. I feel calm and peaceful. I love feeling the baby kick and while I'm not experiencing the huge excitement some mothers seem to have when expecting, I know this is not alarming. I never did have it with David either and I was worried then but I am not now. If I love this baby half as much as I love David, he or she will be much loved. And I know I am going to love her or him at least as much so I am not worried. And just so you don't think you're leaving without a tulip shot:  Have a wonderful Tuesday. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 16 2009
 This is David at the doctor's. Look at those piercing eyes. Even with pinkeye, he looks amazing. I took him to the doctor today cause last night as I put him to bed, I realized he was burning up and it turned out he had a temperature of 102. When I looked it up online, it said pinkeye and temperature together could mean ear infection so I figured better safe than sorry. I think I jinxed him by telling the doctor how healthy he's been when I took him in for the yearly checkup last week. Oh well. He has no infections and the fever is down a bit today so we'll see how tomorrow is. I seem to be doing ok today, gave up on trying to be super-productive and just taking it easy. Resting, relaxing, and reading. And just in case you thought I might be done with the tulips, I bought a purple bunch today so expect some more photos later this week. Happy Monday! DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 15 2009
 What can I tell you? I can't help myself. A quiet day around here. Exhaustion, heartburn, and nausea translates to not doing much besides sitting around. The fact that it's raining cats and dogs isn't doing much to inspire me to go out either. So David and I are just enjoying some relaxing time togehter. I've been thinking a lot about writing and how I spend my time lately. More on this later. Off to lie in bed and read some. I hope you're having a great weekend. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 14 2009
 I know it's the crappiest photo and, in retrospect, I should have taken a screenshot instead of a photo but I don't care. HAPPY BIRTHDAY YONA!!! My wonderful sister is born on this very special day and I am so sorry I am not there to give her a huge hug in person. But I am still very thankful for computers and the fact that I was able to talk to her and see her this morning. Little boy had a rough night last night, he was up on and off all night. Have I mentioned he woke up with pinkeye yesterday? Yeah, that was fun. I think his nose is all stuffed up so it's been bothering him and keeping him up at night. Jake also had a rough night cause he drove all the way to SFO to realize he missed his flight and had to come back home and fly out this morning. It did mean I got to spend some time with him on Valentine's day which was fun but all of us are a bit worn out from the long night. Here's Jake and David checking out a special lego set Jake owns. Another daddy-David moment.  I'm officially ready for my long, relaxing weekend to begin. I have some fun movies to watch, chocolate, and a few good books to curl up with. What more can a girl ask for? Happy Valentine's Day. May you have a wonderful one filled with health, peace, and love. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 13 2009
 One of the toys David got for his birthday was Stomp Rockets and he's been waiting to play with them for a week but I wanted to make sure Jake was around when he did so finally this morning, we were able to play. Even though one of them already got stuck on the roof, David enjoyed every moment of it. After we finished, he hugged Daddy to thank him and to say good-bye since Jake's leaving for the weekend. I love these Daddy-David moments so very much. David and I get to have four days at home together since his school is closed today and on Monday. We have some fun activities planned but I am hoping we'll take it easy for most of it since I could use some quality rest time. Oh and he woke up with conjunctivits this morning which means I will likely get it soon, yey! In all honesty, despite the heart burn, nausea, and exhaustion, I am feeling quite relaxed and peaceful. Happy Friday.   and one more tulip love.  DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 12 2009
 A long but productive day, at work and at home. I'm now officially on a different host provider. Things shouldn't look any different to you though I am not sure what's up with my email so emails sent to karenika.com might still not be working. Please be patient and I will fix that asap, too. I wanted to take some more photos of the backyard so I can enjoy spring coming. I also took a photo of my tulip, of course. And finally one of David playing. I love listening to him play and how his imagination works and just watching him when he doesn't know that I'm watching. He's such a joy.    DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 11 2009
 Yesterday was David's 4-year checkup. Our doctor is so nice and sweet and good with David that it's a joy to watch them. Here he is letting David listen to his own heartbeat. We also did an eye test and a hearing test and everything else. All seems to be well for our healthy little one. Knock on wood. David was so funny during the hearing test that we had to do it three times. The rule was that you had to raise your hand when you hear a sound and put it down when the sound goes away. David was so distracted that he'd either forget to raise his hand or forget to put it down. Finally after the third time we explained, he did focus for a few minutes and passed with flying colors.  DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 10 2009
 Love the funny looks he has. I know it's been a lot of David lately but I love them and want to make sure I get a lot of them. David's been a bit sadder and moodier than usual and I am not sure exactly why. Otherwise he's just perfect as usual. Tomorrow's our yearly checkup so I guess we'll see if something is wrong. I'm doing well otherwise too. Trying to rest as much as possible and trying to get mentally ready for the little one. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 9 2009
 Little boy wanted his teddy bear along this morning which was really odd as he's not the teddy bear type. But it looks like he was not being himself all day cause when I went to pick him up they said he was sad and out of it all day and wanted to go home. They had even called me but I missed it cause I was in a meeting which, of course, made me feel sad and guilty. I've been ok today. I think while Mondays are the hardest meeting-wise, I am most rested on Mondays so I go through them more easily. David and I spent the evening being lazy since neither of us felt like being productive so we lay on the couch and watched TV as we snuggled up. Happy Monday. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 8 2009
 Happy Birthday little boy! Today he turned four. I can't believe he's four already. The years really are short. He has grown up to be such an amazing boy. Kind, generous, sweet, and so loving. Funny, silly, and fun. I am so so proud to be his mom. This is how he waited while we were singing so he could blow the candles as soon as we were done. (I blurred the other kids since I didn't want to worry about having them on the internet. And here's one more after the candles are out.  DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 7 2009
 I don't know if it's nesting or OCD but I have been wanting to cleanup and organize David's toys for weeks so on our trip to Costco for David's party, we bought some containers and some ziplock bags and I've just been cleaning, sorting, and organizing all day. It was a lot of work but it looks so much better now. And here's a little shot of David. This is the face he makes when he's done something wrong but says "It's ok Mommy. It's ok." When he wants me to let him know that it's ok and I am not mad. Who could ever be mad at this little boy?  DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 6 2009
 Look how the tulips have bloomed. I love tulips more than any other flower. Bar none. It's been a few rough days here. I've been really tired. I mean really tired. David's been such an incredible doll. He's been playing by himself and helping me out and just doing anything and everything he's told. Just so thankful for the little one.  DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 5 2009
 David's birthday is this weekend and we decided to celebrate it today at school. It was really sweet and he got to have both me and his Daddy there with him. The candles were trick candles and kept re-lighting up which was funny. Nothing much more today except that I am getting more and more exhausted and it's officially starting to worry me a bit. Not to mention frustrate me. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 4 2009
 This is what happens when you take as many photos as I do. It's been a long week so far. A lot of meetings. And I am still overly exhausted which doesn't help. But I am taking my Iron pills, and trying to go to bed early and relax as much as possible. Life's ok otherwise. I am still able to keep my peaceful inside and considering we're a month past the new year, I'm feeling good about this. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 3 2009
 More flowers today. My backyard is finally blooming again. I saw two hummingbirds yesterday, too. I can't wait for spring to get here. It's been a little too cold. Today is back-to-back-to-back meetings so it promises to be a LOT of fun. (not!) What I really want to do is crawl right back in bed and stay there all day. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 2 2009
 It's been a while since I had some flowers. I think I am going to buy them more often. Feeling happy in general but sad about the sadness around me. DAILY PHOTO - FEBRUARY 1 2009
 Welcome February. Here's David snuggling up to Daddy. We spent the morning getting some coding done and then David and Jake played the Wii a bit while I worked on my kit from A Million Memories. Productive days are my favorite. As Jake watched the Superbowl at a friend's house and David napped, I finished working with my kit and felt happy and satisfied. Some of my favorite layouts of all time. Got some sad news today from friends. A lot of that going around lately which makes me pensive and sad. More on this later. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 31 2009
 A quiet-ish day today. We looked at some houses in the morning and really rested the rest of the day. Here's to David really relaxing. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 30 2009
 Love him. He finally decided to remove his band-aid last night. I couldn't believe it. I am so proud of him. And then this morning, he pooped in the toilet for the first time! He's growing up, my little one. I woke up all sick this morning. The allergies are at an all-time high and I can barely keep eyes open. I wish things would let up a little bit...but oh well. The little one is still moving and all seems to be well so that's what matters in the end. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 29 2009
 Relatively quiet day today. I found out that I am anemic which would explain the crazy exhaustion I've been feeling. Iron pills, here I come. This afternoon, my friend Jess came over with her son Beckett and we had a lot of fun playing together and chatting. Nice to have a friend, especially such and old and solid one. I need to do more of this. Allergies are acting up tonight and my head is just one big bubble but otherwise, all in all still quite peaceful. 2009 is great so far. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 28 2009
 Today started in a bit of a frenzy. I had my checkup at the doctor's which went beautifully and she even got David to help listen to the baby's heartbeat which was really nice and David loved it. But then I had to do my glucose test which is this orange drink you have to drink and then you have to have your blood drawn exactly 1 hour later. So I drank my thing on the way to David's school and then rushed back to the doctor's to have my blood taken. Ugh. Never liked that orange drink. The ghastly headache seems to have mostly dissipated, thank God. In a funky mood today but I know it will pass so I am just trying to take it easy. Here's to a more fun tomorrow. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 27 2009
 The little boy has been very patient and self-entertaining as my headache is still here and making me frustrated, impatient, and not interested in doing much. I love him so. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 26 2009
 Monday found all of us sick. I had a horrifying headache that was so bad that I woke up at 4am and went down to the car to get Tylenol. Jake woke up sick, too. But not David. He just wanted to eat candy. The trip back was less fun mostly cause I had an unbearable headache that drove me absolutely mad. (it's still here). DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 25 2009
 Sunday was my CHA day but I loved this photo so much that I wanted to post it. I also didn't take enough photos at CHA.  that's christine, michelle, me, gabrielle, tonya, and krista. All wonderful women.  I wasn't sure if I was going to go to CHA or not until the last minute. I kept changing my mind. In the end, I am glad I went. I got to meet all these new ladies and I got to see Michelle again (whom I love) and it was fun seeing all the product in person. This year's show was considerably emptier than last year, which, for me, was nicer since it meant I could move around more easily. But it was kind of sad for the industry. We also went to the CI and SEI parties on Saturday night and that also seemed emptier and less interesting than last year, maybe cause it wasn't my first time, who knows? They did both have yummy ice cream...and the CI party had all the Star Wars characters, which mostly creeped me out. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 24 2009
 I snapped this out of the car's window as Jake was speeding down the freeway. It was so magical and clear and blue that I wanted to make sure to get a photo. The trip down to LA wasn't so painful (at least not compared to the return trip.) and I am glad we got to go and see some friends. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 23 2009
 I wanted one of the little boy, it's been a while. Yesterday was a good day, we relaxed and after his nap, we had a picnic on the couch as we cuddled. Apple Jacks, Apples and David and mommy time, what more can someone ask for? I must have still been giddy from my BPS workshop going up cause I did my third tag and three catalysts last night. Excited to create again and even though I'm exhausted, I'm looking forward to going to CHA again. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 22 2009
 It might seem silly to you to have two of these in the same month but I have been dreaming about and working on this workshop for months. I have dreamed of teaching at Big Picture Scrapbooking for ever. This to me, is the biggest accomplishment I could have asked for in my scrapbooking. If you're interested in journaling, I hope you'll register for my workshop. I've poured my heart and soul into it and I cannot wait to get started! DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 21 2009
 Today started with a dentist's appointment to make sure the stains on David's teeth were just stains. It turns out they were nothing to worry about and they cleaned them too so now he's all shiny white. Early morning David jumped in my bed and we played together. We play this game where we tell each other how many times we love each other. Ten times! Twenty times! This morning he said "five teen times!" and then he leaned over and whispered in my ear "With all my heart." I love him so. And it's what's keeping me going right now because I've been feeling really sick and out of it lately. I am constantly tired and can't seem to eat anything at all with out feeling terrible afterwards. Considering I am almost 7 months, that's just crazy. We took out the baby stuff this weekend and one of the items was this little swing which David really likes now and yesterday he buckled his little teddy in and swung it gently. I think this boy's ready for a sibling, don't you?  DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 20 2009
 Big day in the United States today. I cannot tell you how proud I am to be a part of this historic day and this wonderful nation. David and I watched together this morning and he made sure his Wall-e was watching too.  DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 19 2009
 Tonight, David asked me to come to the fridge for a minute and I thought he was going to ask me to help with the letters but when I went there, this is what I found. Isn't he the sweetest? I mistakenly thought it must be a good idea to try to get off the medication again two days ago and it turns out I was wrong again. I have severe allergies and was unable to function all day today. Yuk. Back on the medicine, sadly. And a fully wasted day. Last night, I had such a surge of love for David that I almost woke him up just to give him a hug and tell him I loved him. It took all my strength not to wake him up. It's really amazing how very much I love him. Here's a shot I took while we went out for ice cream this afternoon.  Big day tomorrow. See you then. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 18 2009
 Today we needed to get the cars serviced since we're going to CHA next week. So we all went to the dealership and I, once again, realized how wonderful our little boy is. He immediately started playing with the legos and told himself stories, created worlds and even found the other kids at the place to encourage them to play with him. He's a true joy. I am deeply thankful. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 17 2009
 I went to the California Academy of Sciences with my friends Cole and Ty today and while I wish I got more photos but here's the few I like. The rest of the day was pretty quiet though I did do my next tag and will post it tomorrow.    DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 16 2009
 We spent hours last night putting these stars up in David's room. He's been unhappy when the room is pitch black and often asks us to leave the bathroom light on all night. I thought this would be a cheaper and cooler alternative. So far, it's a huge hit. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 15 2009
 I wanted this to be our photo of the day because I noticed this table as soon as I walked into the classroom and it looked so inviting. I only wish when I was David's age, my classrooms had looked like this. See the before photo:  Doesn't it look so inviting? It made me want to sit down and do some art. But I must say the first thing David noticed were these gymnastics pieces and he wanted to play immediately.  while that one made me smile, this one made me realize our skateboarding days are not too far:  which scares me quite a bit. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 14 2009
 Today we were late to school and normally David always complains about washing his hands when we walk in but not today. He went right to the bathroom and washed them so he could join in on the fun. Made me wonder if we should be late everyday... Still way too tired. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 13 2009
 Last night we launched a product we've been working on for a while so it was a big moment for me and my team and I wanted to commemorate it. Love this product and the team working on it. Here's a shot of the little one cause I am trying to make sure I have many of those:  The tree is finally down. I guess I really was ready cause I don't feel so sad about it anymore. David was ok with it, too, though he was a bit bummed. Still more tired than I'd like but things are improving a bit. So far so good in 2009 and I am managing to stay peaceful which makes me feel happy. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 12 2009
 Another shot of David at school. No I never get sick of these. I especially want to remember the band-aid on his finger cause he's been obsessed with band-aids lately and will not let me take them off. Not sure how we will ever get him off it but we're indulging him for now. Busy day at work today, maybe I'll post it as my photo of the day tomorrow. Otherwise, feeling good about the bunch I accomplished over the weekend though I have a lot more to do. Will finally take the Christmas ornaments down today (I think I might be ready at last) and Jake will have to chop up the tree this week. Still really exhausted but I'm starting to make my peace with it I think. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 11 2009
 David and Jake are spending most of the day watching football. David also loves watching movies on Jake's G1 Android phone. I just love watching them. See his beard? He's been growing it for day and I love seeing it but it is not fun to touch or kiss. Quiet day for me. I worked on the tags last night (photos coming next) and four catalysts today. I also got my CK kit finally so I put all the cards in for all the days and decided on a routine: - daily photos taken and posted on the blog here with notes - weekly updates of the journaling cards, written in pen - monthly ordering of prints to put in the album (not sure where yet.) Things are starting to get organized a bit. Off to do some Photoshop reading. Happy Sunday. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 10 2009
 I captured this little gem as David and Jake were playing outside. We had just come out of ThemeFest where we hope to have David's Fourth birthday in a few weeks. Before that we drove up to San Fran airport to meet our friend Dave and his wife Christine as they had a layover on their way back from the Philippines to Cincinnati. I hadn't seen Dave in a long long time so it was nice to catch up. The rest of the day has so far been quiet. I came home and fell into a long nap and have just woken up to my relatively long to-do list. It's looking at me and I'm looking at it and not sure where to start. On we go. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 9 2009
 It's been a few rough days for me. Two days ago, my watch stopped working, which is a major major problem for me. Then there's the exhaustion I mentioned yesterday which got worse and worse throughout the day. I then came home to notice that my diamond bracelet wasn't on my arm anymore and that was just the last bad thing I needed for the week. Just when I thought I wanted to crawl into bed and have this week be over, I noticed my diamond bracelet sparkling in the bed. And then I went to visit Big Picture Scrapbooking and saw that my Projects Now! class Change in Plans was finally up and my day just did a 180! Teaching at BPS is my biggest scrapbooking dream. I am very passionate about teaching and BPS is exactly where I wanted to teach the minute I heard about it two years ago. This truly is a huge huge dream come true so I am really excited and had to make it my photo of the day. If you download it, I hope you send me an email and let me know how you liked it. And I will leave you with a photo of David from this morning at school.  DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 8 2009
 Another one of the little boy. You know I will have a lot of those this year. See the crooked smile again? When I ask him if I can take his photo, he immediately dons this face. This is on the way to school. He likes to run down this road and this morning he had a small snack of pretzels and wouldn't let go of them as he ran. Things have been hectic in 2009 already. Working on a big dream I had that is so far promising to come true before the little one arrives. Christmas tree is still up and I just decided I am not ready to take it down yet, so there. Other than that life is same old same old here. I am really exhausted the last two days, not sure if it's the pregnancy, the hours of work I'm putting into the aforementioned dream, or the fact that David's been waking up in the middle of the night and requesting hugs and kisses. Either way, I am glad the weekend is coming soon. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 7 2009
 Today I just wanted a smiley boy. He's doing his weird smile but I still love it. The Christmas tree is still not down here but we've already gotten back into the routine of things. I generally start my day by checking my mail, reading AMM, and my RSS feeds. I make breakfast for David and then jump in the shower. We then both relax as we eat our food. I make David's lunch for school and we both get ready and we're out the door. I drop David off at school and get to work and our days begin. It might sound boring or tiresome but I love routine and I love this one, especially on a morning like this when I miraculously woke up before David and he slept all the way to 8am. This never happens. I have a lot of work today for both my job and a scrapping project I am working on so I needed the little bit of extra sleep and the quiet time in the morning, so I feel extra blessed for the tiny break I got. Well, off to start our day. May yours be a wonderful one. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 6 2009
 This morning when I took David to school, his teachers told me about how he loves playing with these trains and likes to make a really long one. The classroom is really dark (especially since it's cloudy outside, too) so I wasn't able to capture anything better. But I love this photo cause he's smiling and the way he's sitting is exactly how little kids sit. I am pretty proud of myself for letting imperfections go and just capturing daily life. Trust me, it's not easy for me. I also decided I want to learn a lot more about Photoshop this year and concentrate on bettering my photography as well, something I constantly strive to do. It's good for my business but it's good for me. I love taking photos so why not be better at it? And here's a shot from the tree which will probably start coming down today. I honestly am still not ready to take it down yet.  DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 5 2009
 The year's finally started today. David's back to school and I am back to work. It feels good to be back in the routine but I miss him already. We still have our Christmas tree up too so I am not ready to let go of it all just yet. I gave myself one more week. Here are a few shots of David from this morning. He's been loving the lightsaber and plays with it constantly.   Love this boy. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 4 2009
 I know, I know, another computer screen photo with not much to see. But there's a story and a good one. Today's my grandmother Maya's 90th birthday. My whole family and her friends and loved ones are all celebrating in a restaurant in Istanbul and my wonderful sister found a way for me to be there without flying there. At the end of their dinner, we used the wonderful iChat to connect to them live so Jake and I could wish her the best birthday. David was excited about the idea but got shy in the last minute, so he didn't come to the screen. It was really special and for a few moments I felt like I was there with them. Happy Happy Happy Birthday Omamika, to many many many more!!! In case we couldn't make a connection I'd prerecorded a message to her and then we also made a movie the three of us. here's that movie. It's quite funny. Just so you don't think I'm not taking photos of the little boy, here's a shot of David watching Winnie the Pooh on his little DVD player.  Happy Sunday! DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 3 2009
 I started the day by talking to my sister over iChat. We have some special upcoming family events so there's been much organizing over the computer. I like this photo even though it's low quality because it shows the twenty things happening at the same time. Chatting with my sister, backing up David's DVDs as he sits next to me looking through them, reading my blogs, all at the same time. Not to mention the crowded couch showing my anti-nausea medication, the bills I still have to pay, and just the overall chaos of finishing off last minute chores. This is what Project 365 is for me, capturing our daily, ordinary life for a whole year. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 2 2009
 Here's David dancing to Pink's "So What." His new favorite song. He rocks out while the song plays and I love watching all of his moves and the faces he makes. Another quiet day in the household. David and I spent the morning relaxing in bed while I read a book and he watched Thomas on the DVD player. Then we read some books together on the couch and I caught up on my email and blogs. I have bit of a list of chores to do today like getting groceries and doing laundry and cleaning up my scrap space which has gotten completely out of control. But nothing urgent and it's nice to know that I can just take the day to relax and read and enjoy my life. And, yes, my Christmas stuff is still up. I decided I won't take anything down until the next garbage day which is Thursday next week so I can enjoy my tree for another few days. DAILY PHOTO - JANUARY 1 2009
 David's been wanting to watch Star Wars for a while but we needed to find just the right moment since it's a movie to watch with Daddy and not Mommy. So we promised him that on New Year's Day, he could watch the movie with Daddy. He's been talking about it nonstop for days. So this morning they put it on and watched half of it. And then we met friends for breakfast in San Fran, came home, took naps, recorded a quick video for my grandmother's upcoming 90th birthday, and then they sat down to watch the rest of it while I did some art. All in all, the best way to start the new year. 2009 PROJECTS - PROJECT 2 - A YEAR OF PHOTOS  Here's the second project of 2009 for me. I was one of the lucky people to get one of Becky Higgins' Kits of the Month called Project 365. It's organized such that when you have an open spread you see a full week's worth of journaling and photos. Since I have a new baby coming in a few months, I thought it wouldn't be fair to do another Daily David and there was no way I could commit to two photos a day (I'll be lucky if I can keep up one a day.) So I like this idea of a photo of a day with a little story each day. Sometimes it will be just David. Sometimes me, sometimes Jake. Sometimes all of us. Sometimes about the new baby. Sometimes about some other bit of life. I have a feeling it will end up quite wonderful. I am hoping I can keep up with it and I feel optimistic. Like last year, I'll post the photos here, too so it can keep me honest and my family and friends can watch along. |
| ©2008 karenika.com |