... Park Time ...

I am trying to take Darrian to the park twice a week, I get home around 6pm and we head right over usually, after we drop Keith off at home. We have a favorite park we go to near our house, it usually not crowded, and they have a HUGE lawn.

Yesterday when we went to the park there was a game of basketball going on. D did not care about crawling or climbing around the play structure but instead just wanted to watch the big boys play, honestly stood there for about 10 mins. watching. Then some little kids came. D loves to watch kids play, and *almost* believes he can move as fast as they can. These two little girls were taken by him, one especially. It was SO cute. She came over and would touch his cheek, talk to him, he LOVED all the attention. She also brought her stuffed puppy over to him. I got a bunch of pictures.

Two More!

Can you tell I am excited I figured out how to do this!

A Tuesday Surprise..

Mexico is a week away. Can't wait. I want to go relax and spend 24/7 with baby D and family. In my growing photo play, I am learning to play with textures. I LOVE the look of textures.. how it makes a picture look worn, or a magical look. I FINALLY figured out how to get one done, actually I don't remember exactly how I did this.. but I am hoping over time it will become second nature. Just wanted to share the after affect! Let me know what you think!

10 months ..

*Still loves to move, crawl, pull up on things, and starting to stand on his own.

*Loves music, and to "Dance"

*Has just started to reach up for someone when he is on the floor and wants up. He does this with such intent it reminds us of an olympian doing their stance after dismount. It cracks us up all the time.

*He recognizes words like Bottle, Hungry, More and knows what they mean.

*Has finally started to say Mama more, after a very long run of DaDa

*loves to play with balls and chase them around the room.

*Says hi

*Loves chicken, turkey, chickenless nuggets, fruit, and ALWAYS wants to try what we are having

*Give kisses when he wants, on his own, in his own very cute way... mouth open and sloppy.

*Still has the best smile I have ever laid eyes on :)

*

A Lovely Day in the City.

Growing up we spent most of our weekends in San Francisco, Mom grew up there, Dad and her met there, we were born there... I think on weekends they wanted us to see the city they loved.

Although we don't go every weekend, I plan on Darrian getting to know SF as much as I do.
This weekend I am doing a wedding for Niki's old bosses daughter, Niki is going to be helping me with it. Saturday was the rehearsal, Mom and Darrian came along and toured the Legion of Honor while I worked. After.. some pictures, and then we had lunch in SF at Pres a Vi in the Presidio. It was a great day, the weather was perfect. Darrian loved playing in the columns and on the grass in front of the legion.



Legion of Honor:

A sampling of the De Young Exhibit, I am going to have to get over there and check it out.

Mr. Cuteness

"singing" to hear his voice echo in the courtyard.

Baby D and Grandma

A full tummy



Baby D had to get up earlier to drop me off at Bart this morning. Keith sent this to me, it is his first time falling asleep in his high chair. Guess a full tummy of wheat pancakes, and getting up early was the right combo. :)

Dad's Memorial

Dad's Memorial.

Over the weekend on Saturday we had Dad's Memorial. A group of small friends and family gathered for prayers for Dad, and for a life that was. I had written something, but in practicing reading it outloud I cried the "ugly cry" everytime. I knew I would not get through it so I had asked Niki if I couldn't would she be prepared to jump in and do it for me. I got to the first line, and that was it. Niki took over. So grateful since it allowed the words to be heard and not a babbling mess. I am going to post them here, more for my own record. (I plan on printing my blog into a book later this year, sort of a journal of life since I started it).

Over the past few weeks since Dad has passed I find myself flooded with memories of him. The person he was, the person I miss. The person I hate to think of in past tense.

Dad was a person who had the gift of gab, NOTHING was short, a story lead to a novel. The funniest part of this is that he would insert "to make a long story short" into his stories about 10 times, if not more, before finishing. He called me Michello. He said “gazonheight” after sneezes, and always reminded me it was wrong to plug my nose when sneezing.
He had a memory like no one I had ever known, and was a particular person about most things.

We shared a love of sports, all sports, and some of my best memories of him are the two of us watching sports together, talking about how the niners will ever make it without Joe, or if MJ made a mistake leaving basketball.

He was the father who liked to surprise his children with gifts, saying “no” to wants only to go back and get the toys, stuff animals on another trip and have it as a gift when we came home from school.
He taught me there was good in bad in everything, that positive gets positive and negative gets negative, and that persistence gets you far in life. That to have only one good friend made you lucky in life. And to never go to bed angry.

As he got older he was more willing to admit mistakes, explain them, and tell me how much he admired Keith and I. How happy he was in my choice of husband.

He was blunt, as blunt as blunt could be. Honest to a fault at times. If he were here he would tell me not to cry, this is life, that he loves me, and to be strong.

We would end every conversation or evening with “Good Night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite and don’t forget your prayers. ”.

So. Dad. I love you, I miss you, I will see you in my dreams. Good Night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite and don’t forget your prayers.

Diaper days..


Darrian is teething again. Not feeling great, and not feeling himself. Tonight after he took a bath we let him stay in his diaper and play around. Too cute I had to get some pictures. Grandma has stopped by everyday to see him since she retired from work on Tuesday he is really excited to see her everytime. I think he could get used to this.

Guest Starring Lily ..

Baby D and I went to visit Lily this Sunday, and Malia, Ivy and family. I got to snuggle with her for a long while, and even got to give her a bottle. It is neat how even at this young age you can see a personality come out a bit. She wants to know what is going on, and will stay awake to check it all out. She is very alert. I was able to snag some pictures of her while we were there, she really is a Doll. No surprise since Chris and Julie make lovely little girls.

Baby D did not really seem to know Lily yet, as she gets older she will. He did however like playing with the big girls, Ivy was playing with him a lot this trip. She told me she likes him now that he talks, and eats real food. :) It was cute she kept asking me what he was saying, like I knew or something :). Good trip.

Lily started off with a look of what is that big thing, Malia got her to smile though.

Growing up.. Happy 10 months Baby D..

Baby D is 10 months old today. Wow. Where does time go. He is very mobile, pulls up, cruising while standing faster (holds onto walls), crawls faster.. tonight he even stood on his own for about 40 seconds before I just picked him up because I was too afraid he would face plant on the tile. 

Over the weekend we took several of his "baby" things that he once loved to Lily so she can enjoy them as she gets bigger. One being his beloved jumperoo. He has not been inside it for almost two months now, once he got mobile he loved it less. I took it apart to wash the seat, and to get it in the car. Baby D climbed into the middle of it and give it one last play before we passed it on. :)