01/08/12

December 31, 2009 - This  morning Dave assembled a new toy organizer piece of furniture for our living room and Eric had fun 'helping'.  Later this afternoon I took Nick back to the pediatrician.  He weighed in at 9 lb 14 oz!  He is still growing fast.  The doc checked him out and recommended that we not continue the reflux meds (which we had already stopped two days ago) or even try a different kind since it did not help at all.  Instead, she wants us to try helping his stomach to see if we can help what is probably painful gas.  She gave us some samples of a new formula to try and we are also supposed to start giving him probiotics.  We'll see if it helps!  For New Years Eve we stayed up until midnight watching TV but were in bed by 12:10.  Aren't we exciting!!

Also, here is a video of what we are calling the 'new' Eric.  We don't know if it is the excitement of Christmas or simply that he is now 3, but for the last week and a half he has been a much more outgoing kid.  Video: New Eric

December 30, 2009 - We had family pictures taken this morning.  I can't wait to get them back!

December 29, 2009 - It has been two weeks since Nick began his reflux meds and they have not helped so at lunchtime I spoke with our pediatrician's nurse and scheduled an appointment to come in later this afternoon.  He is still quite fussy and has a painful cry throughout the day.  Of course, as I was on the phone with her it unexpectedly began snowing!  Once we realized that the snow was sticking we quickly got Eric into his snow gear so that he could go outside and play in it with Daddy before it was time for nap and it would presumably melt.  But, melt it did not.  By late afternoon it was time for me to take Nick to his appointment and we had 1-2 inches of snow on the ground.  I don't usually drive in the snow so I nervously packed the two of us up and into the car and slowly ventured down the road.  I barely made it out of our neighborhood when I quickly decided that there were just too many cars and too much snow for us to get to the appointment and slowly did a loop to get us back home.  We rescheduled the appointment for Thursday.  It continued snowing for a couple more hours and we ended up with about 4 inches.  We were very glad that Dave was off this week- since the snow was not forecast traffic was a mess.  After dinner Dave and Eric went back out to play in the snow and they had a great time.

                Videos:  Snow Angel  'Clearing' the Driveway

December 27, 2009 - This morning Eric went to his first friend's birthday party- our neighbor and friend Alise turned 3 today.  It was a Tinkerbell fairy party, but there was one other boy there who also was not dressed like a fairy/princess.  Eric had a great time, especially eating the ice cream cake :)  This evening we headed back up to Vancouver to have dinner at Nana and Pops' with Uncle Michael and everyone.

December 26, 2009 - We spent today beginning the clean-up process from opening gifts.  Lots of recycling and tons of cardboard...

December 25, 2009 - Merry Christmas!!  Surprisingly, it was Nick (and not Eric!) who woke us up this morning.  In fact, at 9:00 we ended up waking Eric.  He enjoyed discovering all the things that Santa brought for him (including the big boy police car and green jeep from Cars that he had asked for) before breakfast.  Video: Eric opening his stocking  After breakfast (which Eric hardly touched, he was so excited) we slowly delved into the stack of presents.  Needless to say, with an infant and a 3-year old it takes a lot longer to open gifts.  But, we had a lot of fun and Eric had a great time opening all of his (and Nick's!) gifts and eagerly helping the rest of us open ours.  By 4:00 Eric could hardly keep his eyes open so we quickly got him down for a nap while the rest of us relaxed for a bit.  Both boys stayed in their PJs all day and Nana had a great time getting her Nick fix.  Nick was fussy throughout the day, but we got some video during a short time when he was awake and happy (and talking!).  Nick on Christmas Day

December 24, 2009 - This afternoon we headed up to Vancouver to spend Christmas Eve at Nana and Pops'.  We went to a 5:00 family church service which was nice and short for Eric and then had a nice ham dinner.  Eric did not eat much as he was so excited for Christmas to be here.  We headed home at Eric's bedtime so that he could get to bed and sleep in order for Santa to come!  Also, in the first picture you can see a comparison between Nick at Eric (at 4 months).  Lots of similarity!

December 22, 2009 - Nick is still super fussy, so meds obviously are not working yet.  I picked up some infant gas drops today so we will see if that helps.  This evening we went out for pizza buffet and afterwards drove through the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights.  Santa was at the pizza place handing out little candy canes, which Eric enjoyed on our drive.  It was quite nice hearing him say 'wow' and 'look at all the lights' while enjoying his candy cane treat.  A true Christmas moment through the eyes of a 3-year-old!

December 21, 2009 - This afternoon we headed up north for a get together with my friends JaiAnn and Crista and their families.  It was nice to see everyone and we had a great time!  As you can see from this picture, the minute we took Nick out of his car seat all (and I do mean all) the girls swarmed him :)

December 20, 2009 - Nick @ 5.5 weeks.  He loves falling asleep on the boppy pillow.

December 19, 2009 - Nick is still pretty fussy, so it doesn't look like the meds are taking affect yet.  But, when he does have a happy period (becoming more and more infrequent) he has begun smiling!  It just melts my heart :)

December 18, 2009 - We finally made it to a playgroup this morning and Eric was very excited to go to Owen's house.  It takes forever for us to get out the door, especially when I try and get in a shower.  This is something I'm still figuring out how to manage.

December 17, 2009 - Eric had his Christmas party at preschool this morning.  Dave was able to work from home today and watch Nick for an hour so I could go to the party.  He had fun decorating a cookie and making a tree ornament, and particularly enjoyed the group sing-a-long.  We've been listening to a lot of Christmas music the last few weeks and he is really getting into it!  His favorites are Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman and Jingle Bell Rock.  We've been primarily listening to the radio, and he even loves to sing along with the 'K103' jingle.  Too funny!

December 15, 2009 - This morning I took Nick to the pediatrician again.  First, his weight is at 8.5 lb.  This is great- he has gained 23 ounces in 13 days and babies typically gain an ounce a day.  He's growing like a weed!  But, the reason I took him in is due to his fussiness.  Over the last few weeks his overall fussiness has increased, particularly during and after most feedings.  He has a real pain cry during this time and we can't figure out what is causing it.  The ped thought it might be reflux so we are going to start some meds, but they can take a week or two to become effective.  I hope it works soon because it is no fun having a baby screaming at the top of his lungs and you can't do anything about it except wait for the pain to pass :(

December 13, 2009 - Some pictures from today.  Nick is one month old as of yesterday!

December 11, 2009 - This morning I took the boys to do some shopping at Target and realized that there isn't much room for stuff when I have Eric in the front part and Nick inside the cart in his carseat, but we figured it out.  We had a rough morning getting out of the house (being sleep deprived really doesn't help), so the guilty mommy in me decided to get Eric a small hot chocolate (his first, I think) when I stopped to get my mocha.  He seemed to really enjoy it!  This evening all four of us headed out to the mall for dinner and some more Christmas shopping.  I drove us there and, on the way, Dave made a sly comment about my driving and Eric said 'Mommy doesn't drive very well'.  Dave is teaching him way too early....

December 10, 2009 - I finally began some Christmas shopping today- good, since Christmas Eve is only two weeks away!  Yikes!  It is also still very cold here.  We've been having lows in the mid-teens and highs in the mid-20's.  Still brrr....

December 7, 2009 - It was cold today!  Mid-20's- brrrr..... 

December 6, 2009 - We finally managed to get the tree decorated today.  We had quite a fiasco with the tree stand.  We couldn't find one of the pieces for our stand and they don't make this kind anymore.  It is the best kind of tree stand ever!  After hunting around on Craigslist I found a replacement stand and Dave and Eric quickly went to pick it up.  Dave got the tree up and we finally had time to get it decorated this evening.  Eric hung some ornaments on the tree, but he seemed to have more fun 'unwrapping' them from the tissue paper.  In this middle picture he is comparing his hand size to the ornament that has his handprint from his first Christmas.  We have one of these to do for Nick, we just haven't done it yet.

December 5, 2009 - Pops came over this afternoon and he went with Dave and Eric to get our Christmas tree.  Dave chose a great tree and we hope to get it decorated tomorrow.

December 4, 2009 - TGIF!!  Thus ends our first week with Dave back at work and I was very ready for him to be home for the weekend.  Whew....

December 3, 2009 - Eric's cold seems to have been a one-day event, so he got to go to preschool today!  Amazingly, I got him there on time.  Nick slept the entire time I was getting Eric ready for the day, so that made life much easier.

December 2, 2009 - First, Eric's cold seems to be a lot better today so that is good.  This afternoon I took the boys to the pediatrician for check-ups.  Eric had his 3-year and overall he is doing fine.  His height and weight are in the 25th percentile, where he has been most of his life.  They tried to check his vision, but he was too shy for it to work very well.  I haven't been concerned about his vision, so we'll just wait and try again next year.  Really the only concern is that Eric doesn't jump yet, a skill that they expect a 3-year-old to be able to do.  As usual, he's behind on his gross motor skills but fine on everything else.  We'll start working with him and helping him practice.

Nick had a weight check and he is finally above his birth weight!  He weighed in at 7 lb, 1 oz.  I talked with the doc about my low milk supply and that I will probably only pump for a short amount of time and she was very supportive, understanding how difficult the nursing became and how impossible it will be for me to pump too often with two boys to look after. 

December 1, 2009 - Eric has another cold, so no preschool today :(

November 30, 2009 - Today was Dave's first day back at work and we survived!  I was even able to get in a shower!

November 29, 2009 - Today was a difficult day.  My goal with this baby was to be able to nurse (which didn't work out with Eric).  The last two weeks Nick has been fighting me when it comes time to eat and it has progressively become worse and worse.  Our frustration levels have also increased.  Finally, last night, he just wouldn't go on and I ended up doing the feeding entirely from the bottle.  I also ended up pulling out the pump, something I had earlier refused to do (again, based upon my experience with Eric), but I needed some relief.  All day today I pumped only about 5 oz., which could explain why Nick was so frustrated.  Apparently my milk levels are really low.  So, for the time being I will be pumping and giving Nick what I can and use formula for the majority of the feedings.

November 28, 2009 - We went downtown to visit Santa today!

November 27, 2009 - Lesson learned- don't wish for poop!  Last night I realized that Nick had not pooped in a day, then in the middle of the night he had his first blow-out!

November 26, 2009 - We headed up to Nana and Pops' for Thanksgiving today!

November 25, 2009 - Grammy and Grandpa arrived this morning for the long Thanksgiving weekend.  Grammy couldn't wait to get her hands on Nick :)  At lunchtime Nana and Pops also came over and we had a belated birthday celebration for Eric.  Needless to say, he loved being the center of attention :)  Also, it looks like Nick's eye goop is going away- yay!

November 24, 2009 - Nick had his two-week check-up and he is finally gaining weight.  He picked up two ounces since Friday.  So, the supplementing is helping.  He also had a super goopy eye so we'll be starting eye drops.  We'll do another weight check next week when I take Eric in for his 3-year check-up.

November 23, 2009 - Happy Birthday Eric!!!  My 'little' boy is now my big 3-year old!  We had his playgroup over this morning for some birthday fun and cupcakes and then he got to open a few presents this evening.

November 22, 2009 - Nick had his second bath tonight and peed all over me- revenge, I suppose, for feeling cold!

November 21, 2009 - During lunch today, Eric's sense of humor emerged- he mocked me for the first time!  Also, we finally got Eric to 'hold' Nick!  We also ventured out to eat for the first time, with Nana and Pops.  We managed to go between feedings and Nick slept the entire time.

November 20, 2009 - This morning I took Nick to see the lactation consultant again for a weight check.  His weight is still down, so we are going to start supplementing his feedings with an ounce of formula at each feeding.  Hopefully he will start gaining weight soon...  We also had a picture taking session this evening.  You can see that Nick is a bit yellow from some minor jaundice, but nothing too major.

November 19, 2009 - "Pretend Sleeping"

November 18, 2009 - Eric is finally feeling better today.  Also, Nick had his first bath tonight!  He was very unhappy until he went to Daddy to get warm :)

November 17, 2009 - Eric was still sick today, so no preschool for him.  This morning I also took Nick in for our first lactation appointment.  The appointment we fine, although I think our consultant has more confidence in our abilities than I do! 

Also, here's a video of Eric and Daddy playing with Eric's new Penny Car.

November 16, 2009 - Nick had his first pediatrician appointment this morning.  He checked out great, except that his weight is still down from his birth weight so we hope he starts gaining soon.  My milk came in a couple of days ago, so he should be getting some food!

November 15, 2009 - We survived our first night as parents of two children.  Unfortunately, Eric woke up with a cold this morning so that complicated the 'adjustment' process.  He still doesn't want to hold Nick (and we're not going to force him), but I managed to catch this picture of the two of them.

November 14, 2009 - We headed home today and Eric finally got to meet his new baby brother.  Due to hospital regulations (in light of H1N1) he was unable to visit us at the hospital.  We chose to hold off on any visitors until after we got home.  Nana had him all ready to go when we arrived home.  Eric was quite apprehensive at first, yet a little curious.  We had the boys exchange 'gifts'.  Nick received a police car rattle from Eric and Eric received a gray hotrod from Nick.  Pops came over in the evening with Chinese take-out for dinner (sorry no pictures Pops!).

November 13, 2009 - A couple of pictures from the hospital today...

November 12, 2009 - Nicholas Austin Browning!!

After attempting to sleep last night, I started having more regular contractions around 2am at about 5 minutes apart.  I woke Dave up around 3am and we were off to the hospital at 3:30.  Good thing we had Nana come last night!  I was finally admitted around 5:30am as the contractions were more regular and I had dilated to 5 cm.  My water broke (on it's own!) around 9:30 and I quickly asked for the epidural as the pain increased. 

We welcomed Nicholas Austin into the world at 11:26am (missing a holiday by less than 12 hours!).  He was exactly 7 lb. and was 19" long. 

Videos:  Alert Baby & First Hair Wash

November 11, 2009 - Today is Veteran's Day- will we have a baby today?  This morning I had my 38-week appointment (I am 38.5 weeks).  I have progressed to being 4 cm dilated, but no contractions yet.  My doctor tried a trick (stretching the cervix?) which can sometimes bring on labor.  After my appointment I took Eric to Costco (lots of walking and lifting!) to hopefully bring on labor.

By early afternoon I started noticing contractions, but nothing too intense or consistent.  All afternoon they were 5-10 minutes apart.  I called Dave and had him come home from work a little early.  By this evening the contractions were still sporadic, but we asked Nana to go ahead and come over in case we needed to head to the hospital in the middle of the night.

November 8, 2009 - Eric had some silly time this morning, plus some Daddy time in the garage.  Here's a video of him learning to use the screwdriver.

November 7, 2009 - In an effort to get this baby out, Eric and I meet up with Nana and headed to a holiday bazaar (lots of walking!) for a few hours.  Got a little bit of Christmas shopping done...

November 5, 2009 - Eric had his very first school pictures today.  I can't wait to see them!

November 4, 2009 - Attempt #2.  We got to the public clinic an hour earlier this time and there was still already a large line.  But, thankfully, three hours later we finally left and Eric had his first shot of the H1N1 vaccine.  It was a very long afternoon today, but we survived.

November 3, 2009 - We haven't heard from Eric's pediatrician yet about him getting the H1N1 vaccine (he's on a wait list for when they get some) so we decided to go to one of the public clinics this afternoon.  With Acorn coming any day we want to be as fully vaccinated as possible.  Eric and I arrived there late afternoon and there was already a big line.  Thankfully, Dave arrived about 45 minutes later and could help entertain.  But, after waiting in line for 2 hours we got close to the front and they ran out of the shot version (he can't have the nasal version due to his asthma) two families in front of us.  Argg....very disappointed.  So, cold, tired and hungry we headed to Spaghetti Factory for dinner.

November 2, 2009 - I had my 37-week appointment today.  Doctor doesn't think I will make it to my next appt. in a week and a half.  I am currently 3 cm dilated, so hopefully Acorn will come soon!

November 1, 2009 - This afternoon Pops came over and he and Dave installed the truck front in Eric's room.  Looks pretty cool!  Eric also spent some time looking at the toy ads in the Sunday paper today...

October 31, 2009 - Happy Halloween!!  Well, no Halloween baby (it is 9pm as I write this).  I hit 37 weeks today, though, which means that Acorn will now be considered full term.  Yay!!  Now we just need to get him to come soon so he isn't too huge :)

This evening I took Eric trick-or-treating while Dave stayed at home to pass out candy.  Eric was very shy tonight, but about halfway through he did start helping me to knock on the doors and he would hold up his basket or pick out candy.  I never got him to say 'trick or treat' or 'thank you' though...  Here's a couple cute pictures of our Mickey tonight.  Also, here's a video of him singing the Hot Dog song (from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).  Hot Dog Song

October 30, 2009 - This morning we went to a Halloween playgroup party and had a lot of fun.  It was a bit overwhelming for Eric with all of the kids (a lot more normal), but we still had a good time.  After lunch today I took my first walk with Eric in several weeks.  It was nice to get outside for a bit!  Then this evening we decided to eat dinner at the mall's food court and then walk around the mall for a while.  It's time for me to get active so that Acorn will come!

October 29, 2009 - Today was a busy day!  This morning Eric had his Halloween party at preschool.  They did crafts and then went trick-or-treating in the church office.  I was able to go to the party, which was fun.  One of his classmates was Minnie Mouse, so we had to get a picture of Mickey and Minnie together!  Then this evening we decided to carve pumpkins.  Eric wanted a 'happy pumpkin' and we finally convinced him to take some of the pumpkin guts out.  Video: Pumpkin Carving 2009

October 28, 2009 - Here's a cute picture of Eric from this morning...he snuggled into his new sleep sack to watch Mickey.

October 26, 2009 - This morning I had my 36-week check-up and my doc lifted all of my restrictions.  So, no more taking it easy!  She was thrilled that I made it to and past 36 weeks and now hopes that I deliver in the next week or two.  I am about the same % effaced but am 1 cm dilated.  After my appointment we headed to playgroup where we dressed the kiddos in their Halloween costumes and attempted a group picture.  This is as good as we got and it didn't even include everyone.

October 25, 2009 - This afternoon we headed up to Nana and Pops' for an afternoon/evening of pumpkin painting, Halloween fun and dinner.  We decided to wait until later in the week to carve pumpkins so they don't spoil. 

October 24, 2009 - 36 weeks!!!!  Yay!!!!!  I can't believe that I've made it this far.  At this point we should be able to avoid the NICU, presuming that Acorn is healthy.  I am definitely bigger than I ever got with Eric and have moved into that 'uncomfortable' stage of pregnancy.  Now we just need to wait and see what the doc says at my check-up on Monday.

October 23, 2009 - Dave and I were able to get our swine flu shots this morning after I happened to call our regular doctor's office.  I was possibly going to get one on Monday at my OB appointment, but decided to jump on the opportunity after learning they could schedule us in today.  Now I just need for Eric's pediatrician's office to get some so we can get him vaccinated...

October 22, 2009 - There was no crying at all at preschool this morning.  Yay!!

October 20, 2009 - We all finally got a good night's sleep last night.  Whew.  This morning Eric didn't have preschool as today was parent/teacher conference day.  I went in for our short meeting (Dave stayed home with Eric) and had a nice chat with his two teachers.  I didn't really learn anything new (since we generally talk at pick-up time anyway), but it was kind of fun to have his first conference :)

Here's a cute moment from this evening...tonight we went out for dinner with some of Dave's coworkers.  As usual, Eric brought two cars with him in the car and into the restaurant.  He didn't play with them at all after his food arrived at the table.  After we got into the car to go home and we driving away we suddenly hear 'WAIT!!' in a truly panicked voice.  'Where's hot rod?'  He thought we had left his favorite car (purple hot rod) at the restaurant.  We had it in his food bag and were able to quickly reassure him, but it was the first time we have heard him panic about something.

October 19, 2009 - None of us slept very well last night as Eric was coughing on and off most of the night.  A couple of times he got so frustrated because he was tired and couldn't fall asleep due to his coughing so I had to go in and calm him down.  I think the longest stretch of sleep I got was 2.5 hours :(  But, Eric must have gotten some decent sleep because his coughing is not quite so bad during the day today and his inhaler seems to be helping today.

October 18, 2009 - Eric is still drippy and his coughing has started.  It actually increased quite a bit this afternoon so we've added his rescue inhaler meds for his asthma.

October 17, 2009 - Today is 35 weeks!  According to my doctor, at this point if Acorn were born he would not automatically be a NICU baby.  He might still need to go, but it would not be strictly based upon how early he would be.  Also, Eric woke up with a cold and is all sneezy and drippy.  This is his third illness since starting preschool and there are definitely a lot of bugs going around.  He seems to be coming down with something every other weekend...

October 16, 2009 - Here's a video of Eric just Being Silly.  Don't worry if you can't understand him- we're pretty sure he was just making up words to be funny!

October 15, 2009 - Eric cried at preschool drop-off again this morning, but otherwise had a good morning with no other crying.

October 13, 2009 - This morning Eric cried for a bit when I dropped him off at preschool, but his teacher Miss Heather seemed to be well on his way to distracting him to something else.  Apparently he had a great morning, with no other crying until he walked into a wall on their way back from the gym.  Oops! 

This afternoon I went in for my 34-week check-up.  I am now 80% effaced but not dilated at all.  Acorn is still head down and is definitely low, so we'll see how long it is before I go into labor.  I am supposed to continue to take it easy for the next couple of weeks until I go in for my 36-week appointment.

October 11, 2009 - Dave took Eric to the pumpkin patch this morning while I had a sleep-in morning.  They came home with three pumpkins and it looks like Eric had a great time.

October 10, 2009 - I made it to 34 weeks today!  Yay!!!  At this point in my pregnancy with Eric I was in full labor so I am thrilled to not be at that point yet.  Here's a cute picture of Eric and Dave...

October 9, 2009 - Another at-home day...here he's wearing Daddy's slippers.

October 8, 2009 - We had a rough morning today at preschool drop-off.  For the first time, Eric was crying when I left.  During breakfast he said 'I don't want to go to preschool' for the first time :(  When I ask him why he doesn't like preschool he says something about loud garbage trucks and the big kids.  So, as I left he was crying but his teachers were working to distract him and had him playing soon.  He had another rough time on the playground when the older kids came out to play, but he and a teacher walked around and looked and talked during that time.  He stayed the entire morning, though, which was good and was happily playing with the blue flubber when I picked him up.  We'll see how next week goes!

October 7, 2009 - I took Eric in for another haircut this morning.  It gave us a good excuse to get out of the house, plus I sat the entire time while he the haircut and played afterwards.  But, he had so much fun playing after that he had his first accident while we were out and about.  Thankfully I keep a change of clothes in the car.  This evening Eric played his first video game on the Wii (note that I was not at home but at a meeting...) and had fun doing so, but needed Daddy's assistance.

October 6, 2009 - This morning Eric woke up early again, and coughing a little bit, but seemed to be doing ok.  After I took him in to preschool I had an appointment with a lactation nurse who I plan to work with with Acorn.  After all the issues I had with attempting to nurse and with pumping with Eric, I look forward to having someone close at hand I can work with.  As I was leaving my appointment I got a call from preschool- Eric was having a tough morning they thought it would be good for me to come and pick him up.  He was quite weepy and unhappy, plus he wet his pants which probably didn't help.  He seemed fairly normal after we got home, so hopefully his nap today will help.

October 5, 2009 - Eric seems to be feeling quite a bit better today.  He had a good night of sleep last night and hopefully he is on the mend.

October 4, 2009 - Eric coughed on and off all night and woke up early this morning still coughing.  We decided to take him into the pediatrician and he was diagnosed as having croup again, so it wasn't his asthma like we thought.  He continued to cough most of the day, but hopefully his meds will help soon.  This evening I spent a little bit of time packing up a bag for the hospital.  Hopefully I won't need it for a few more weeks, but you never know!

October 3, 2009 - I made it to 33 weeks today!  This morning I took Eric in to get his regular flu shot.  He did great!  After the shot, he was almost ready to start crying when we quickly distracted him with a snoopy sticker.  No tears!  After nap, Eric woke up coughing quite a bit.  We went out for dinner with Jen's family for Uncle Michael's birthday and his coughing seemed to get worse as the evening progressed.

October 2, 2009 - We had another at-home day today and what a stinker Eric was!  He also didn't take a nap and continued to be a stinker all evening for Dave too.  We ended up putting him to bed an hour earlier than normal.  Whew!

October 1, 2009 - Apparently Eric had his first crying incident at preschool this morning :(  When the older kids joined his class on the playground it was just too much for him (and probably unexpected).  Poor kid...

September 29, 2009 - First day of trying to veg...I came home while Eric was at preschool and spent an hour watching a TV show from the DVR.  It felt very weird to be watching TV this early in the morning, but I'm following doctor's orders!  We've also noticed that Eric seems to be entering the 'why' phase, asking 'why?' to just about anything. 

September 28, 2009 - This morning I went in for my 32-week check-up.  First, the good news- Acorn's heartbeat was good and I am still measuring normal.  I also learned that my doc is totally fine with me getting the swine flu vaccine while pregnant and their office is scheduled to have the vaccine in a couple of weeks.  I also got my regular flu shot after my appointment.  For the bad news, after she checked me out I learned that a sign of early labor has already started (my cervix is starting to soften) and I am now 50% effaced.  She didn't put me on bedrest but does want me to relax and 'watch a lot of movies' over the next few weeks.  We'll see how far I make it!

September 27, 2009 - Today was probably our last day of summer weather.  We had highs in the low 80's (warm for this time of year), but this week Fall is finally supposed to arrive!

September 26, 2009 - This morning we ventured to the baby stores and bought a couple of the things we wanted to get for Acorn.  Here's Eric checking out the new double/sit-n-stand stroller.

September 25, 2009 - We went back to the zoo this morning with Eric's playgroup friend Alise.  The zoo was much busier this time, but we got to see all three of the new lions as well as the cheetahs.  Eric also got to see the python this time and was quite happy about it- Alise's mommy took the two over to look at it while I hid on the other side of the room, looking in the other direction.

I also caught Eric having fun playing with the infant toys I pulled out for Acorn.  He especially loves the red truck/coin bank.

September 23, 2009 - This morning I took Eric to the dentist for the second time.  He did great and they were even able to clean his teeth this time!  Oh, and no cavities!  Dave came home later in the afternoon and we immediately woke up Eric, got in the Mustang and headed up to PIR for what will probably be the last car event of the summer.  It was a gorgeous evening and we had a great time, staying even after it got dark out. 

Dave also loaded his Anchorage pictures onto the computer and here's proof that he was there!  He ended up with a free day and went on a glacier tour.  Looks beautiful!

September 22, 2009 - Today it was 92 degrees and way too hot for me.  We've also had really warm evenings and last night I hardly slept.  I am ready for some fall weather!!

September 21, 2009 - Two months until my due date!

September 20, 2009 - Dave has been gone less than a day, but I am ready for him to be home!  Since last night all that I have heard from Eric is 'I want my Daddy...when will Daddy be home?' in a super whiney voice.  Today we spent the afternoon and evening at Nana and Pops which was a nice distraction for Eric.  Three days to go!

September 19, 2009 - This afternoon Dave left on his last pre-Acorn trip, 4 days in Anchorage for a conference. 

September 18, 2009 - Two weeks into preschool and Eric woke up with a cold this morning.  Not really a big surprise- he is bound to have lots of little illnesses this year.  He spent a good portion of the morning coloring and painting at the table, followed by fun with play-doh!

September 17, 2009 - One of Eric's favorite things to say these days is 'Daddy is my favorite person.  I don't like Mommy.'  It breaks my heart, but I'm trying not to react since that will only make it worse.  Tonight at dinner, though, after saying this he asked 'Mommy have band?  Mommy have bunko?'  Apparently he really wanted a Daddy night! 

September 16, 2009 - Eric and I headed to the zoo this morning and had a great morning.  We saw a ton of animals, including the new male lion, and the zoo was pretty empty which was a nice change.  He really liked the red and blue lizard (second picture) and was quite fascinated by it.

September 14, 2009 - I had my 30-week check-up this morning and everything checked out good.  I asked my doctor about the sciatic pain, but there isn't really anything I can do about it other than massage and stretching.  At least things are still looking good with Acorn!

September 11, 2009 - I woke up this morning with some slight sciatic pain on my left side.  I guess I can blame Acorn for this one... 

September 10, 2009 - This morning was the official first day of preschool!  Eric did great and had no tears or anything when I left.  I then hit Starbucks (not the drive-through!) and ran a bunch of errands before picking him up.  It is so nice to be able to do some shopping without a kids in tow!

September 8, 2009 - Today was Eric's first day of preschool!  It was actually more of an open house this morning.  We went in for about 90 minutes to meet his teachers and explore his classroom.  Eric had a lot of fun checking out the new toys while I spent most of the time talking with the adults in the room.  He's been asking if I am going to stay at preschool with him, but seems to be okay when I say that it will just be he and the other kids and the two teachers.  Today was also the first time we heard Eric say 'I'm sorry' both on his own and with intent.  It's actually quite heart warming to hear...

September 4-7, 2009 - Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit over the long weekend.  We had several rainy days so mainly just stayed at home and inside.  Eric also came up with the idea of 'chicken nugget yogurt' over the weekend (pretend, of course).  On Sunday Nana and Pops met us for dinner at Marrakesh.  It was interesting trying to keep Eric from escaping since this is a restaurant where you sit on the floor and eat with your hands.  He ended up wedged between Nana and Grandma and couldn't escape!  After, everyone came over here and Eric had a great time being the center of attention.  Here's a video from the evening:  Family Band  It is kind of obnoxious to listen to, but fun to watch.

September 4, 2009 - This evening Eric began using the potty seat on the big potty instead of his little potty.  Makes clean-up a whole lot easier!  He was very excited to use the new seat and so proud of himself.

September 2, 2009 - Tonight Dave and Eric went to the PIR Beaches car show (I had a city meeting).  This was the first time we went since potty training Eric.  Although Dave had Eric try using the port-a-potty a couple of times, he ended up waiting until they got home (3 1/2 hours later!) to use the potty.  Yikes!

September 1, 2009 - I got a call with my test results this afternoon and my glucose and iron levels are good.  Yay!

August 31, 2009 - This morning I went in for my 28-week doctor's appointment and glucose test.  It was very weird to drink the glucose stuff (which is very much like 7-Up) right after eating cereal for breakfast!  Thankfully we made it to the doctor's office on-time and Eric got to watch me get my blood drawn.  Everything checked out good.  Acorn's heartbeat is normal and strong and I am measuring normal as well.  I also spoke with the doctor about whether I should get the swine flu vaccine.  I expected her to say 'yes', but interestingly she is in a 'wait and see' mode to see how the testing comes out and whether we get any outbreaks in our area before I deliver.  At the end of my appointment I also received my Rh shot.

After my appointment we headed to a friend's house for playgroup and the kids got to paint with their feet in the driveway.  Eric had fun with this and you can see his painting.  This morning was also our last day of having several things going on and Eric did great using the potty while at the doctor's office and at playgroup.  I'm happy to say that I think he's pretty much potty trained, except for sleeping times.  At home he is pretty good about going in to use the potty when he needs to go.  As long as I periodically ask him if he needs to go or have him to go try, he seems to do just great!  Woohoo!!

The last picture here is how Eric fell asleep this afternoon.  What a funny boy!  And, yes, I did move the pillow after taking the picture :)

August 30, 2009 - This afternoon we went to a family wedding for Jen's cousin Clinton and his (now) wife Heidi.  We had a good time and Dave took a lot of candid pictures for the couple.  It was also what I would call another big test day for potty training as we were at a park facility for 3 hours.  Thankfully they had normal bathrooms!  Eric did great and had no accidents, although we did miss the end of the ceremony for a potty run. 

August 28, 2009 - Today was the Intel family quarterly event.  It was a big test for potty training, but Eric did spectacular!  They had a bounce house that Eric enjoyed being in, especially when there weren't too many other kids in it.  The event was at the Washington County fairgrounds, which is located across the street from the Hillsboro airport.  Normally this isn't a big deal, but today they were practicing for the weekend Oregon Air show.  On the plus side it was fun to watch the planes practice, but on the negative side, as you can see from the second picture, Eric really didn't like it when the Navy Thunderbirds were practicing.  We were at least prepared and brought earplugs, but they only helped part of the time.

      Video: Bounce House

August 27, 2009 - We ventured out a big more today and ran a couple more errands and got Eric's hair cut.  Once again he did great while out and about and had no accidents at all today.  Tonight we got a sitter to watch Eric while Dave and I went to parent orientation night for preschool.  Yikes!!

August 26, 2009 - Today was day 7 of potty training and, being a bit stir crazy, we ventured out for a couple of really quick errands this morning.  Mainly, we went to Eric's preschool and dropped off all the paperwork forms.  Although he couldn't see his classroom yet, he was very excited to see the director and play with a few of the toys that are in the entrance area.  I think he is looking forward to preschool!  Also, Eric used the big boy potty for the first time today while we were visiting the preschool/church.  He did great, although we need to figure out the best way to coordinate using the big potty.  No accidents today!

August 25, 2009 - Day 6- no accidents!

August 24, 2009 - Day 5- one accident (at the end of dinner) and Eric really didn't like sitting in wet underwear/pants. 

August 23, 2009 - Day 4 and no accidents today!  Yay!!  And, we had a productive weekend.  Dave made good progress on the stairs and I got the freezer all defrosted and cleaned out.  It looks so much better now!

August 22, 2009 - Day 3...two accidents today.  Hope we're not regressing :(

August 21, 2009 - Day 2 of potty training!  Eric once again did really well and had only one accident.  Today is also our 10-year anniversary.  We didn't do anything special, especially since we had a couple of nights off last weekend.  Dave took the day off and worked on the stairs and I spent the day with potty training and prepping our freezer to be defrosted and cleaned.

August 20, 2009 - Today was Day 1 of potty training!  Eric did really well.  He peed and pooped in the potty all day except for one accident.  He also got to wear his new big boy underwear.  We even hauled the potty to the backyard when we went back there to play.  We'll see how tomorrow goes!

Today was also the first time I noticed that Acorn had the hiccups.  In fact, he had them at three separate times today! 

August 19, 2009 - Happy Birthday Dave!  Today Dave spent the day working hard at the office, but we went out for a nice dinner at McCormick's after he got home.  We then enjoyed some maraschino cherry birthday cake and ice cream.  Eric also really liked it, especially the cherries!

August 18, 2009 - Tonight I had my outdoor concert in the park and the concert went pretty well.  Afterwards, we all headed over to DQ for some ice cream.  Eric wanted a chocolate covered ice cream cone, and, as you can see, he really wanted to share it with Pops!

August 17, 2009 - Funny story- tonight during dinner, after I left for band rehearsal, I guess Eric kept saying a phrase over and over again.  Dave thought it was something about Mocha.  After about 10 minutes of this, he finally figured it out.  Eric was saying 'decaf tall non-fat hazelnut no-whip mocha', or something close to that.  Apparently he has picked up my usual coffee order!  Ironically, he hasn't been with me when I ordered coffee for five days.  Funny boy!

August 16, 2009 - Dave spent the day today at a Ford car show and, yes, he took his mustang.  Tonight Eric peed in his potty- the first time in a while.  He's been pretty interested in using the potty lately so I think we might try potty training later this week.

August 15, 2009 - After a nice breakfast at the hotel we headed back to Vancouver and picked up Eric.  He had a great time staying with Nana and Pops.  He got to pick orange tomatoes, eat chocolate cake, sit in all of the cool cars (and pretend to drive them) and play with lots of toys he doesn't normally get to here at home. 

August 14, 2009 - We spent the day touring the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge and checking out lots of wineries.  Dave enjoyed lots (and I do mean lots) of wine tasting while I quickly became the designated driver.  He also bought a dozen bottles of wine.  We then had a nice dinner at the hotel (minus any wine...too much earlier in the day) for an early anniversary dinner. 

August 13, 2009 - This afternoon Eric and I headed up to Vancouver where we dropped him off at Nana and Pops' for a couple of days.  Our 10-year anniversary is next week, so after I got back home Dave and I headed to the Bonneville Hot Springs Resort for two nights.  It is also a last trip away before Acorn comes. 

August 12, 2009 - This morning Eric had his last 'mom's morning out' class.  Now he keeps asking when his preschool starts, which is not until after Labor Day.  Eric was also being very cute at dinner tonight, pretending that his cucumber stick was a telephone. 

Video: Cucumber Phone

August 11, 2009 - Today was a very loud day here at the house- we hired people to refinish our deck and they spent all day sanding it.  Ironically, after sanding all day we had a complete reversal in the weather and it rained all evening and night.  Talk about bad timing...

August 9, 2009 - We celebrated Pops' birthday today and took a lot of family pictures. 

August 6, 2009 - Cute video from this evening:  Eric Warren Browning

August 5, 2009 - I had my 24-week appointment for Acorn this morning.  His heartbeat sounded great and I checked out ok.  My doctor thought he might be a little low, but she didn't seem to be too concerned.  This evening we took the mustang out to the car show at PIR and met up with Nana and Pops.  We had a great evening looking at lots of cars.

August 3, 2009 - For playgroup today a couple of us met up at an outdoor wading pool.  Eric had a great time and it is definitely something we want to do again.

August 2, 2009 - We spent the day today at the Washington County fair.  Today was the last day of the fair, and probably the coolest after our heat wave.  Eric rode some rides (which he loved doing) and we spent a lot of time looking at the animals.  He also played in a corn box (see video).  We also enjoyed eating curly fries at lunch and ended our day eating ice cream cones- they melted very quickly!  Eric was so tired he crashed in the car before we were even out of the parking lot.  It was a fun day! 

Video: Corn Box

July 30, 2009 - It finally started to cool today- our highs were in the mid-90's!  This kind of hot streak is pretty unusual here in Portland.  We've been setting records all over the place.  I like summer, but this is way too hot.

July 29, 2009 - Another hot day today, the high was 107.  Ughh....

July 28, 2009 - Today was super hot, we hit a high of 106.  Yikes...  We hit the park for a short time this morning before it got super hot but spent the rest of the day indoors.  Thank goodness for AC.  Eric spent some quiet time looking at the books in his room and he also pulled out his instruments. 

Video: Playing Music

July 27, 2009 - This morning Eric, completely out of the blue, Eric said to me 'hola Mommy'.  Wow!  We aren't trying to teach him any Spanish, but he does watch the show Handy Manny on the Disney channel from time to time, so this is probably where he picked it up.  Smart boy!

July 26, 2009 - Today was the first no-nap day in Eric's big boy room.  We moved the bookcase and his books into his room, so now he has lots of distractions to play with.  Today was also a hot day, in the upper 90's.  We're in for 100+ degrees this week, so it should be interesting.

July 24, 2009 - A quick anecdote from today...at lunch the phone rang once and Eric asked 'who is it?'  I replied with 'I don't know'.  His response: 'Telemarketer'.  That was a new word!  It was too funny...

July 23, 2009 - Just a few pictures from this evening...the first one he is covered in dirt and chalk.  I also realized that I hadn't taken any bath time pictures recently.  Don't worry, they are clean!

July 22, 2009 - Today at lunch Eric and I shared a pear.  After I carried my plate into the kitchen I said to Eric 'my tummy is full'.  Eric's response- 'Mommy's tummy full of pear.  Baby Acorn like pears in Mommy's tummy'.  Too cute!  After Eric's nap today we all climbed in to the mustang and ventured into rush hour traffic to try and make it to the Beaches car show at PIR.  It was quite nerve-wracking.  We were in stop and go traffic most of the way and kept a close eye on the car's temperature.  But, we made it!  It was quite a relief to get there and we had a fun evening of looking at cars and enjoying a nice summer evening.  We also had to take this picture of Eric standing next to the monster truck.  The wheels were taller than he is!  Dave was very happy to be able to show his car and that it was reliable enough to get us there and back.  It was a big test!

July 20, 2009 - Success!! Eric spent all night in his big boy bed and didn't get up once.  He woke up crying around 5:00 this morning, but after a quick hug and fixing his blanket he slept until 8:00 this morning.  I was very nervous about naptime today, but once again he did great!  It took him a bit to fall asleep but he finally did.  In fact, here is how he ended up falling asleep.  And, yes, I did adjust the blanket after I took the picture :)

July 19, 2009 - We spent a good portion of today moving most of Eric's things from the nursery into his new big boy room.  We still need to find a bookcase and move the books over, and after he gets settled in we'll move some of the toys from the living room into his room.  He took his last nap in crib this afternoon and this evening we put him down for bed in his big boy bed for the first time.  He kept saying 'I don't want to sleep in my big boy bed', but we kept reassuring him and after only a little bit of fussing Dave was able to put him down.  It took him forever to fall asleep tonight, which isn't a surprise since it is a new room, but he stayed in his bed.

July 18, 2009 - Dave and I got to have a sleep-in morning today and it was a little weird being home without Eric.  This was our first time being home without him.  Whenever we have left him before we always went someplace else.  We caught a noon showing of the new Harry Potter movie and then this afternoon headed up to Vancouver to pick up Eric.  He had a great time staying with Nana and Pops!

July 17, 2009 - I finally started to feel better yesterday and am doing better today.  This morning we went to a friend's for playgroup and she took this super cute picture of Eric- I just had to post it.  Then this afternoon I drove Eric up to Nana and Pops' where he will be staying the night!  He was very excited to spend some time over there.  Dave and I had a nice dinner out and then went to see Angels and Demons.  It was nice to have a date night!

July 14, 2009 - Well, now I have caught the bug that both Eric and Dave had :(  The thing that really sucks about having a cold when you are pregnant is that I can't take anything for it.  Hopefully I will start feeling better soon.  This evening we spent some time in the backyard and got some video of Eric's latest fun thing to do- spinning in his swing.  BTW, be sure to watch Eric's eyes when he gets done- it is trippy!  Here are three videos: Spinning 1   Spinning 2   After Spinning

July 13, 2009 - This afternoon I took Eric into the pediatrician for a follow-up appointment, after his asthma incident last week.  He checked out just fine.  The doctor and I decided to put Eric back on his twice-daily inhaled steroid- this is a preventative medicine for his asthma.  Ironically, this spring she said we could stop the medicine in June since colds are pretty uncommon during the summer and then restart in the fall.  And, of course, he gets his first cold since being on this medicine a month after we stopped taking it.  Since it takes a while to become effective it will be good to get him back on it before starting preschool in September.

Also, here's a funny video of Eric as he plays more with his new laundry hamper.  Help, I'm stuck!

July 11, 2009 - Here's a picture from this morning of Eric and Daddy looking at Daddy's new mustang magazine together.  Eric really enjoys this!

July 10, 2009 - Eric's new dresser was delivered today! 

July 9, 2009 - Today was a tough day- Eric was SUPER whiny today and by lunchtime my nerves were fried.  Dave also came home before lunch, sick, and spent most of the day trying to rest.  It looks like he caught the bug that Eric had last weekend.  Thankfully, Eric is feeling much better.  Also, here's a cute picture after Eric got himself stuck inside his new laundry hamper.

July 7, 2009 - Here's a couple of cute pictures from today.  This morning we had our air ducts cleaned, and it was noisy enough to bother Eric so Dave pulled out some earplugs for him to use (first picture).  The second picture is how I walked into the dining room and found Eric after lunch.  We went to the library this morning and got lots of new books so he spent awhile looking through them.

July 6, 2009 - Thankfully, Eric slept well today.  He still woke up coughing, though, so I went ahead and scheduled a doctor's appointment.  Around 10 I gave him more meds and he stopped coughing!  By the time we got to the doctor's and hour and a half later he still wasn't coughing and the doctor declared him healthy.  She said we did the right thing by starting his asthma meds when we did, so that was good to hear.

July 5, 2009 - Eric is still sick today, although not as sniffly.  This morning he wasn't coughing as much, but by later today (of course, after the pediatrician's office closed) he was coughing more again.  It never got bad enough where we had to take him in to the ER and tonight we started some of his asthma meds.  He didn't sleep well last night, so we'll see how tonight goes.

July 4, 2009 - Happy 4th of July!  This morning Eric woke up with the sniffles, but we decided to go ahead and do the neighborhood parade.  After nap time we headed over to Eric's friend Alise's house for a BBQ get together, but didn't stay for the fireworks since Eric didn't nap for very long this afternoon.  Eric barely ate any dinner tonight- all he wanted to do was play with the rocks at Alise's house!  After getting Eric to bed we had a very boring evening at home- in fact, I spent the evening folding laundry.  Ah, life with a toddler :)

July 3, 2009 - Dave had today off so we had a nice day at home.  This evening we decorated Eric's wagon for tomorrow's neighborhood 4th of July parade and then had some fun outside.  Here's a cute video:  Playing with the Hose

July 2, 2009 - Dave went back to work today and this morning Eric and I ran a couple of quick errands.  It was nice to be able to get out of the house!

July 1, 2009 -

Acorn is a.....BOY!!!

We went in for the ultrasound this morning (thank you Nana for coming over to watch Eric!) and were very relieved to learn that everything looks good.  Acorn looks healthy and is still measuring with a due date of November 21st.  His heartbeat was 152.  Acorn was very active during the ultrasound.  He kept turning over and over and giving the tech a hard time.  Since Eric was such a calm baby, I think I'm in for it with this one!  Dave's dad has always said that the Browning tradition is two boys (first) and then a girl, so the tradition carries on!  During the ultrasound they also checked me to see if they could find anything that had caused the spotting and found nothing- a good sign.  Everything looks normal. 

After the ultrasound and a coffee break we then had an appointment with my OB.  She checked me out and also could not find anything wrong.  Another good sign!  I can gradually resume most activities, although she still wants me to take it easy and rest a bit more often.  I will also continue to not lift anything heavy- including Eric.  I've been changing his diapers on the floor, and he is working on mastering climbing into his car seat and into the crib using the stepstool (although we hope to attempt the big boy bed soon).  Upon arriving home we were excited to tell Eric that he is going to have a baby brother.  We asked him what he thought about it and his response was 'okay'. 

So...now we continue to work on Eric's big boy room.  We plan to keep the nursery with the same transportation theme, although we will move the things that are Eric's into his big boy room. 

I thought it would be interesting to do a comparison of Acorn and Peanut's (Eric) profiles at the 20-week ultrasound.  To us they look totally different.  If you open this Power Point file you can see the two side by side:  Acorn vs. Peanut

June 29, 2009 - I called my OB first thing this morning, but can't get in until Wednesday morning.  I was supposed to have Acorn's 20-week ultrasound on Thursday, but instead we will have it on Wednesday with a follow-up appointment with my doctor right after.  I still haven't had any spotting since Friday evening and I've felt movement all day.  Dave worked from home today, which was a big help.  I did a few more things around the house today, but still took it easy and didn't do any lifting.  So, check back on Wednesday and hopefully we'll have good news to report (and pictures of Acorn). 

June 28, 2009 - Another day on the couch and of Dave being super busy.  Nana came over with some dinner for us and was kind enough to put a finishing coat of paint on the baseboards for me.  Now we just need to get the closet doors done!  On the plus side, with all of this sitting around I've noticed Acorn moving around and kicking a lot more than I noticed before. 

June 27, 2009 - It was a very weird day today not doing anything.  The most I stood was while I took a shower!  Thankfully, I had no spotting today.  While I vegged out Dave was super busy taking care of both Eric and I.  He also found time to take Eric to Home Depot to buy closet pieces and get them installed!  He even purchased the mattress and bed frame for Eric's big boy bed. 

Also, here's a video from this morning of Eric playing:  Laptop & Thomas

June 26, 2009 - Today was a good day and a bad day.  On the good side, I finally had some success with Craigslist and found the train table we were looking for- and it was still available!  So, we drove up north of Vancouver to pick it up and then had lunch and some playtime with Nana.  On the bad side, this evening I noticed that I was spotting a little bit.  Not good.  This happened, of course, at 5:30 on a Friday.  After speaking with the doctor on-call we decided that I would spend the weekend sitting on the couch and doing nothing.

June 25, 2009 - Eric woke up with a cold this morning- his first in a couple of months.  Poor kid.  Hopefully he will learn the art of blowing his nose soon!  On the plus side, this morning the carpet was installed in his big boy room.  As you can see from the pictures he has made himself right at home in his new room!

June 24, 2009 - This evening we headed up to PIR for an evening with the cars.  Dave especially loved looking at all the Mustangs there...

June 22, 2009 - A Day with Thomas!  This morning we headed out to Hood River, to the Mt. Hood Railroad, for a Thomas the Train event.  Eric had a great time riding Thomas, as well as going through all of the various booths and activities.  He especially liked playing with the trains and the petting zoo, which we did before the train ride.  When it came time for our turn to get on the train, Eric just couldn't wait to 'go ride Thomas'.  And, yes, we ended up getting him a small train set while we were there and he had a blast playing with it after we got home.

                    Videos: Thomas Arriving    First Trainset

As we were getting ready to head back home from Hood River, we were surprised with a phone call from Dave's brother and learned that Eric has a new baby cousin!  Christopher Allen Browning was born around 6:45 this morning.  We are so excited for Doug and Eiko!  Welcome baby cousin Chris!

June 21, 2009 - Happy Father's Day, Dave!  Today was a different Father's day- Eric started the morning off by being sick.  By mid-morning he was feeling better but Dave was dealing with a migraine.  Between the sickies and the weather uncertainty, we never made it to the car show up in Woodland but decided to head up to Vancouver and go out to dinner with Nana and Pops.  Then our trip up there (usually only 20-25 minutes) turned into an hour+ ordeal due to a bridge closure.  Needless to say, we were all very hungry for dinner and it was a late evening.

June 20, 2009 - Eric surprised us this morning by sleeping in until almost 9:30!  In fact, I was wide awake by 9, wondering why he wasn't awake yet.  Guess he was a tired boy.  We then spent the day working on Eric's room.  Dave got the new entry door cut and I got a lot of painting done.  I just have a couple of things to finish up before the carpet is installed on Thursday.

June 17, 2009 - This morning Eric's 'mom's morning out' class started up again for the summer.  This session the class is a bit longer, a full two hours.  It was nice because I had enough time to actually get some errands done.  Eric had a great time and at lunch surprised me by singing a new song- one that they had sang that morning!  After dinner tonight we ended up walking all the way to Burgerville and back to get their yummy strawberry milkshakes.  And, yes, Eric walked the entire way there and back!

June 16, 2009 - Today I got the call that the carpet is in and ready to be installed.  We've pushed off installation for a week and a half, so lots to do before then.

June 14, 2009 - We spent most of today and this evening at Nana and Pops', while Dave set up a new computer for them.  Eric had lots of fun playing, and especially loved sitting in all the cars!  He sat in the hot rod, Nana's pick-up, Pops' Mustang, the neighbor's Mustang, the neighbor's truck, and even got to 'drive' the neighbor's boat.  Whew!

June 13, 2009 - Between yesterday and today I got the first coat of paint on all the baseboards and moldings and today Dave got them installed.  Now we get to seal the holes and paint a second coat of paint.  This afternoon we headed down to Albany for a graduation party.  Dave's college roommate, Dieter, graduated with his master's degree today.  It was a fun afternoon of seeing friends we haven't' seen in a while.

June 9, 2009 - I finally got the closet in Eric's big boy room painted- next will be time to tackle the baseboards and moldings...  Also, here's a good video of Eric singing Old McDonald, which he began singing only recently.  Video:  Old McDonald

June 6, 2009 - This has been a week of cars!  This morning Dave and Eric went to the all Ford car show at our county fairgrounds and had a good time, especially looking at all of the Mustangs.  Dave also bought Eric a toy hot rod (Eric picked the purple one), and Eric really loves it because the hood, the trunk and both doors open.  Of course, the steering wheel was broken off before they even got home, but Dave managed to fix it, to Eric's delight.

June 5, 2009 - Over the last few days Eric has started saying 'yes I do' or 'yes I am' when we ask him questions.  Although there are still times when we don't know what he is saying, he is definitely speaking in very full sentences and talking up a storm.

June 4, 2009 - This morning I had my 16-week appointment for Acorn.  It was a fairly quick and routine appointment, but Eric and I did get to listen to Acorn's heartbeat.  Here's a recording:  Acorn 16-Weeks

June 3, 2009 - Tonight Dave and Eric went to the first PIR car event of the summer.  Jen had her City meeting tonight and the weather was great, so it was a good night to go.  Eric loved walking around and looking at all of the cars.

May 31, 2009 - After lunch we went over to Home Depot (Eric LOVES going there) to pick up some moldings and other things for his big boy room.  We also started the ordering process for getting carpet installed in the room.  We are now on the clock- there are several things we need to have done before we can have the carpet installed, so lots to do in the next few weeks.

May 30, 2009 - This morning Nana came over to help get Eric's big boy room painted.  She did most of the work, and was brave enough to let Eric in the room with us.  We had a few mishaps, but nothing that couldn't be cleaned :)  This afternoon Eric played in his pool for a while, and was very happy this evening when Dave came home from his trip to San Diego. 

May 29, 2009 - I started painting Eric's big boy room this afternoon.  I didn't get much done- only the first coat of the green walls- but it is a start....

May 28, 2009 - We had a busy day today!  This morning we met some friends at the zoo and had a good time.  It helps that the weather was in the 80s today.  After the zoo we headed up to Nana and Pops to spend the afternoon and evening with them, since Dave is still in San Diego.

May 25, 2009 - We had a nice weather day today and this afternoon headed up to Nana and Pops' for a family BBQ.  After we ate Dave and Uncle Mike took the kids to the park and flew a kite and let the kids run around.  Eric also got to enjoy his first ice cream cone!  Surprisingly, it didn't make as much of a mess as I thought it would.  In the early evening Dave headed out to the airport for his trip to San Diego- he will be gone for 6 days.

May 24, 2009 - After lunch Eric and Daddy walked all the way to our neighborhood park and back.  I was amazed that he didn't ask to be carried!  In the past we have used the stroller for at least part of the trip.  Needless to say, he was worn out and took a good nap this afternoon.

May 23, 2009 - We are noticing that Eric is starting to use the words 'me' and 'my' more, instead of referring to himself in the third person as 'Eric'.  This is great!

May 22, 2009 - Tonight after dinner we went outside for a walk and Eric quickly noticed that our next door neighbor had brought his boat home from storage.  He was so excited to see it up close, and was even happier when he got to spend some time sitting in the boat and 'driving' it. 

May 20, 2009 - This morning we went to the library to get new library books and for the first time we got all paper page books and no board books!  Eric is doing great with these kind of books- no tears to the pages yet! (knock on wood :)

May 17, 2009

Yes!!  We are excited to announce that Jen is pregnant and Eric is going to be a big brother!  The nickname for this one is Acorn and has a due date of November 21st.  But, since Eric was 6 weeks early, we will be happy if Acorn waits until at least Halloween before arriving.  Jen is about 13 weeks along and so far the pregnancy is progressing normally.  She has been tired and has had some nausea, but hopes that will subside soon.  Here's an ultrasound picture from about 8 weeks and a sound file of Acorn's heartbeat at 11 weeks.  Keep checking back for more updates!

            Acorn's Heartbeat at 11 Weeks

May 17 2009 - This afternoon we had a get together with Jen's friends and their families and had a great time in the backyard.  It was another super nice day and we even set up the kiddie pool.  By the end of the evening, Eric had a great time playing in the mud and getting dirt everywhere.  He also got to wear his big brother t-shirt again!

May 16, 2009 - Today was a gorgeous day with a high of around 85 degrees.  Last night we went to Home Depot (Eric loves saying this!) and got supplies for our projects today.  Dave worked on our fence and re-built the side gate that fell down this winter, while Jen and Eric got the veggie garden planted.

May 12, 2009 - We headed over to Intel today for lunch and had a lunch out with Dave.  Eric was very excited to see Daddy and had a great time trying every color on the whiteboards in his office.

May 11, 2009 - We begin a week of telling everyone about Acorn by telling Jen's playgroup.  It is so nice to be able to share the news!

May 10, 2009 - We headed to Skamania Lodge this morning to meet up with Nana and Pops for a Mother's Day brunch.  We were very excited to tell family about Acorn and it was great to be able to tell both sets of grandparents at the same time.  Jen changed Eric into his 'I'm going to be a big brother' t-shirt after we arrived and surprised everyone!

May 9, 2009 - This morning Jen headed to the Beaverton Farmer's Market to play with the band.  Mid-morning Dave, Eric, Grammy and Grandpa came over too and we enjoyed walking around.  It was a nice sunny day and it was fun to see all of the people enjoying the market and the community.  Eric had a fun day playing with Grammy and Grandpa.

May 8, 2009 - This evening Dave and Eric went to the airport to pick up Grammy and Grandpa, who came up for a quick weekend visit.  Eric was so excited to go and pick them up and even got to stay up a bit later than normal to play with them.

May 7, 2009 - We had to hit the grocery store this morning for a few more things and it was all I could do to get Eric to try on some sandals.  All he wanted was to go back to Playland!  So, more peaceful grocery shopping for me :)  We took these pictures this evening while Dave was grilling some steaks for dinner.  After Eric went out with him on the deck he came back in to tell me he needed his sunglasses.  Smart boy!  Here he's all decked out in his new alligator sandals, his Mickey sunglasses and is taking a picture (like I was) with his Mickey camera.  Too cute!

May 5, 2009 - What would normally have been a boring morning of errands and grocery shopping turned into a fun morning for Eric.  First, about 10 seconds after we pulled into a parking space at the grocery store a fire truck pulled up in front of us to park.  I quickly got Eric out of car seat so that he could watch the fire truck.  Just as they were getting out of the truck, though, they got a call and had to leave.  But, one of the firemen took a few seconds to say hi to Eric and gave him a sticker.  So nice of them!  We then got to watch them drive away and turn on the sirens.

Both of our regular grocery stores are being remodeled right now.  Today when we walked into one of them there was a sign announcing that Playland was open- one hour of free child care while you shop in the store.  We went to check it out and Eric couldn't get out of the cart fast enough.  All he wanted to do was 'play play play'.  He ended up having a fun 45 minutes of playing while I got to grocery shop all by myself.  What a treat!

May 2, 2009 - Tonight we went for another walk after dinner.  It's been getting nicer in the evenings and staying lighter longer, so as long as it isn't raining many nights we are going out for walks.  It also really helps Eric wear off some energy before bedtime.  He loves to run with Daddy.  I'll have to get a video of it sometime...  This morning Dave got to sleep in and on sleep-in mornings (whether it is Mommy or Daddy) he loves to go in and wake us up and then spend time playing on our bed.  Here's a video of him Playing on the Bed.

April 30, 2009 - Today we had an 'at home' day with no errands or activities.  It was a nice morning, so late morning I asked Eric if he wanted to go outside and go for a walk, expecting him to jump at the idea.  Instead he informed me that he wanted to 'bake' and use the 'red bowl'.  He was very serious about it!  talk about random and unexpected :)  So, instead of going for a walk we made chocolate chip cookie bars.  He's going to be our little chef!  He loves to stand on the step stool and watch me prep things in the kitchen.

April 29, 2009 - Tonight during dinner, after Dave had gone downstairs to get himself a drink, Eric announced to us "Eric happy Daddy have green beer".  Needless to say, we busted up laughing.  Dave's Stella beer is in a green bottle and Eric has dubbed this 'green beer'.  We caught this cute picture later that evening...

April 26, 2009 - I had a band concert this evening and Dave and Eric were able to come.  We play in a small church, so it is not a quiet concert.  Once the first song started, Eric immediately decided it was way too loud for him.  He buried his head into Dave and covered his ears.  Poor kid...  They ended up leaving after the first song and I feel so bad.  Hopefully our summer outdoor concert won't be too loud for him- he did fine last year.

April 24, 2009 - Today, all of the sudden, Eric has started to sing along.  Usually when we sing a song he just sits there and listens, but today he started singing along.  It is very cute!

April 22, 2009 - Eric got another haircut this morning and he did great! He loved sitting in the car for the haircut and then playing with all of the toys afterward.

April 20, 2009 - For playgroup this morning we headed to the zoo (along with the rest of the Portland area!).  Today the temps were in the high 70's and it was a perfect morning at the zoo.

April 19, 2009 - Today was a gorgeous day with temperatures in the 70's.  We met some friends at the Rhododendron Garden and had fun exploring and having a picnic lunch.  Eric especially loved looking at the water and seeing all of the ducks.  You can see that Dave was the designated photographer for the day...

April 18, 2009 - After nap today we drove up to Vancouver to see Nana's new pick-up truck and have dinner.  Eric got to sit in Nana's pick-up, Pops' hot rod and Pops' red mustang and pretend to drive each of them.  He had a blast!

April 17, 2009 - This morning we had playgroup at our house and set up all of the tents and tunnels.  It was kind of crazy, but the kids seemed to have fun!  This evening during dinner we listened to music and here's a couple of cute videos of Eric dancing while he's eating dinner.  Dancing with Mommy   Rocking out with Daddy

April 15, 2009 - Eric had another class this morning and once again had a great time.  When we talk about him going to class he can't wait to go and 'play play play!'

April 12, 2009 - Happy Easter!  Eric woke up this morning to find that the Easter bunny visited while he slept last night.  He had some books and little toys in his basket and lots of eggs to hunt down (with Daddy's help).  After getting ready we headed to church with Nana and Pops and Eric did really well during the service.  He really enjoyed the music and even went up for the children's time (with Mommy).  During the sermon he had fun taking turns sitting on our different laps.  After church we all came back to our house for a relaxing Easter brunch meal and another egg hunt.  And here's a video of Eric looking for Easter eggs: Easter Morning 2009 Egg Hunt

April 11, 2009 - This morning was the neighborhood Easter egg hunt!  It was Eric's first official egg hunt and he wasn't sure quite what to make of everything.  I had to point out the eggs and encourage him to pick them up and put them in his basket.  He seemed to have fun, though!  Here's a video from the hunt:  First Easter Egg Hunt

April 10, 2009 - After dinner tonight Dave decided to go through today's Fry's ad while he and Eric were playing kitchen.  Eric of course wanted to look at the newspaper with Daddy, and was very quick to point out the 'laptop' in the ad.  He then pointed in the ad to the iPod touch (which looks like our iPhones) and said 'my phone'.  Daddy was so proud!  It's amazing to think of all the technology he will know that we never did at his age...  Tonight we also colored Easter eggs, but forgot to take pictures this year.  Eric had fun dropping (and I do mean drop) the eggs into the color and using the spoon to take them out.

April 8, 2009 - Eric had his second Mom's Morning Out class this morning and once again did great and didn't cry once!  I spent a relaxing hour at Starbucks drinking my favorite mocha and reading a good book.  So nice... :)

April 7, 2009 - This morning I took Eric in to the pediatrician for a follow-up appointment related to the asthma and coughing issues he had a couple of weeks ago.  His lungs sounded great, the cough is completely gone and his ears look normal.  But, with the number of instances he has had with asthma this cold season Eric's doctor wants him to start on an oral steroid inhaler, twice a day.  This is a preventative measure that we will continue until June, when he should hopefully be done with colds for a bit.  We also put in place an official asthma plan for when he does get it.  Thankfully, so far whenever he has had breathing issues it has been in conjunction with a cold so there is hope that he will grow out of it as he gets older and hopefully the asthma won't worsen over time.

April 6, 2009 - Today was another gorgeous day with temperatures around 75- wow!  Dave even took the afternoon off to enjoy it!  Eric didn't take a nap today, so we decided to test out Dave's recent workings on the mustang and go for a family drive.  It was the first time Eric or I got to ride in it!  The car ran great and Eric had a great time going on the drive.  Now his favorite thing to talk about is Daddy's mustang...

April 5, 2009 - Today we had sunny weather and temperatures around 70- what a gorgeous day it was.  Of course, my allergies started kicking in so the 'sneezing season' begins.

April 4, 2009 - This evening I had a baby shower/happy hour event to go to so the boys were on their own for dinner.  Dave was really in the mood for sushi so the two of them went to a new sushi place (one where the plates of sushi move by on a conveyor belt) for dinner.  This was the first time that just the two of them have gone out to eat.  Dave gave Eric a piece of sushi with cooked egg and rice, wrapped in seaweed, and all Eric wanted to eat was the seaweed!  I can't get him to touch asparagus, but he'll eat all the seaweed he can get his hands on.  What a funny boy!  Apparently he kept asking for more seaweed, especially as he saw it going by on the conveyor belt, so Dave at the egg and rice part and Eric ate the seaweed.  Since I'm not a sushi fan, sounds like the boys have a new tradition!

April 2, 2009 - Eric's cough is gone!  Yea!  Also, we've decided to go ahead and enroll Eric in the preschool for next fall so I made the call to get him on the list.  It's hard to believe he'll be starting preschool already in September, but we think he will enjoy it.  If he weren't doing this then I would probably have him in one or two classes at the rec center and this way he has consistency throughout the entire year and I don't have to stress about whether he will get into a class or not.  This morning I made the mistake of asking Eric if he wanted to go to preschool and he answered 'yes'.  5 minutes later he was bringing me his shoes because he was ready to go to preschool :)  My mistake for phrasing it the way I did....the concept of time is a difficult one to learn.

Oh, and here's a video of Eric and Daddy playing some music together tonight.  They were sure having fun!  Playing Instruments

April 1, 2009 - Today Eric had his first 'Mom's Morning Out' class at the rec center.  He did really well and was very excited to go and play with the toys.  The class is only an hour and 15 minutes long, designed for kids who haven't been left by a parent yet.  He didn't cry once, and when I went to pick him up I had to go in and find him.  He was having too much fun playing with the kitchen and didn't want to leave! 

March 31, 2009 - This morning Eric and went to tour a preschool.  It is one of the few programs that I have found that starts before age 3.  They have a 2.5 year class that meets two mornings a week.  It is a Christian preschool located at a church that is pretty close to us.  There were a lot of things about the program that I like, so now we need to decide whether we are ready to start preschool in the fall. 

Also, this morning Eric woke up singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song.  So cute!  Here's a cute video of him singing, but you'll notice that he doesn't quite have the third line of the song yet.  Itsy Bitsy Spider

March 29, 2009 - Eric did not take a nap today and here's how we found him- no pants and his shirt down around his waist.  Silly boy!  Afterwards Dave set up his new set of tents and tunnels and we all had fun playing in them!

March 28, 2009 - Eric's cough seems to be improving and last night he finally got some sleep.  He coughed for an hour or two but then settled down and slept the rest of the night without coughing.  Yea!

March 27, 2009 - Last night Eric coughed all night long and didn't get much sleep (we didn't either).  I took him to the pediatrician this morning and it's his asthma again.  He got some meds in the office, which seem to have helped, plus he was put on some oral steroids for his lungs.  He also has the beginnings of an ear infection so he'll also be on antibiotics for a bit.  Thankfully, he took a nap this afternoon.

March 26, 2009 - Here's some random pictures from today...we've started moving furniture and things out of the upstairs guest bedroom so that we can get the carpet replaced and start working on Eric's big boy room.  We moved the bookcases into the downstairs guest bedroom and here's Dave carrying a HUGE stack of books for me- way too many for one trip.  If you look closely at the second picture you'll notice that Eric fell asleep with one arm outside of his shirt.  Funny boy.  The last two pictures are of Eric watching me make dinner.  He just loves playing kitchen and takes every opportunity to watch me when I do things in the kitchen.  Perhaps he is our future chef!

March 25, 2009 - Eric has been such a cranky boy today!  Thank goodness he took a nap this afternoon- he definitely needed it.  I've been tracking his napping and he's been napping only about 3 days a week.  Not enough!

March 24, 2009 - This week is Spring Break, so without much going on (no classes) Eric and I decide to go and visit Pops at his office and then Nana at her school.  Eric had fun visiting both places!

March 22, 2009 - Here's a picture of Eric when we were at the ER.  Dave took this with his phone.

March 21, 2009 - Eric is doing much better today.  He is still coughing, but not as often or as bad as last night.  He slept less than 7 hours last night, so we were very grateful that he took a nap and slept for 3 hours this afternoon.

March 20, 2009 - Eric's cold turned into coughing today, and by dinnertime it was getting worse and we began to notice some wheezing.  We gave him his asthma inhaler, but it didn't seem to help so after a bit Jen talked with a nurse from the pediatrician's office.  We tried several tactics that the nurse suggested, but they didn't work so the nurse told us we should take him to the ER (by this time it was 10pm).  Yikes!  So, we packed up and headed to the hospital- not the one close to us but Emanuel, which has a Children's Emergency room. 

After waiting for a while, we finally got into a room and Eric got into a little kid's gown.  Eric was diagnosed as having Croup as well as his asthmatic response to the cold.  He got some steroid medicine and had two rounds of the nebulizer (medicine through a steam vaporizer aimed at his mouth/nose), one aimed at the Croup and the other aimed at the asthma.  He was finally sounding better and not coughing so much and we were able to head home.  Eric did such a great job the entire time.  He didn't cry or fuss once- he seemed to understand when we told him that we were there to help the coughing go away and help him feel better.  He let the doctors listen to him and took all of the medicines without any problems.  What a trooper!  We finally left the ER at 1:30am.  Eric crashed on the way home- thankfully.

March 19, 2009 - Eric and I both came down with colds today...yuck.

March 18, 2009 - As you can see, Eric was very excited to play with his new kitchen this morning right when he woke up.  Eric also had his very first dentist appointment this morning.  He did such a great job.  The dentist was able to briefly look in Eric's mouth, and everything looked great, but the main point of going is to get him used to going to the dentist and having a good experience while there.  He got several little toys, got to feed the office gerbils and got a new orange Elmo toothbrush.  I think the visit was a success!

March 17, 2009 - We couldn't get Eric to say 'St. Patrick's Day', so instead we are calling today 'Happy Green Day'.  We had lots of green foods today and dinner was a completely green meal.  This evening Eric helped Daddy assemble his new kitchen, which he was very excited about, but it wasn't quite done when Eric went to bed.

March 15, 2009 - A few cute pictures from today...Eric and Daddy 'sleeping' (Eric's idea) and Eric talking on the phone with Nana.

March 14, 2009 - Here are a few pictures from Eric's swimming class this morning.  Also, here is a video of Eric Swimming.  You can see he really loves jumping into the pool, but by the end of class he is done and ready to warm up (note the purple lips in the last swimming picture).  This afternoon Eric had another no napping day and instead found other ways to occupy himself in his bed.  In the last picture he is just being silly...  Lately Eric has been napping only 2-3 days a week, much to Jen's consternation. 

March 12, 2009 - We thought it was cute how Eric lined up and positioned his strawberries- and then proceeded to count them!

March 9, 2009 - Just a couple of pictures from this morning...Eric posing for me and Eric putting a 'new Elmo diaper' on his 'baby Nate' (who he has named after a playgroup baby).

March 6-8, 2009 - Grandma and Grandpa came up for a short weekend visit.  We picked them up at the airport on Friday morning and they left on Sunday afternoon.  We mainly stayed at home, but Grammy did get to go and watch Eric at his swimming class with Daddy.  Grandpa seemed to enjoy playing with Eric's laptop :)  Here are some pictures from the weekend, including some Eric and Daddy car time!  Also, here is a video of Grammy and Eric dancing and playing music:  Dancing with Grammy

March 3, 2009 - Today we finally got to go to Eric's kindergym class- at least he and I are healthy.  On Sunday Dave came down with a sinus/cold bug and is still feeling pretty miserable.  At least we're not all sick at the same time...

February 27, 2009 - Jen was feeling a bit better this morning, so we ventured out to get Eric's hair cut.  He was very excited.  During his last appointment he sat in Jen's lap during the hair cut but afterwards got to sit in one of the little cars to test it out.  Today, all he wanted to do was sit in the red sports car while he got his hair cut.  He did such a great job!  No crying or anything- what a big boy!

February 26, 2009 - Just another picture of Eric being silly... (but cute!).

February 25, 2009 - Now that Eric is better, this week it is Jen's turn to be sick.  She first had a cold bug and has now moved on to the flu.  We've been pretty sequestered this week, so hopefully she'll be feeling better soon.  And for Pops- here's a fun video about your truck:  Pops' truck

February 21, 2009 - Eric seems to be pretty much over his cold and flu bug, which was good as today was Eric's first swim class with Daddy.  It sounds like they had a great time in the pool, especially with kicking and blowing bubbles.  Also, here's a cute video of Eric enjoying a cookie.  As you can see, Jen made cookies this afternoon.

February 18, 2009 - Eric has had a cold bug since last weekend, and this morning he woke up with a sick tummy and got sick several times.  Poor guy!  But, by late morning he was asking for food and was able to keep it down so that is a good sign.

February 14-16, 2009 - Eric went to stay with Nana and Pops over the long President's weekend while Jen and Dave went to Bend for a couple of nights.  It sounds like Eric had a great time playing at Nana and Pops, especially with the train set he and Pops set up.  We also understand that they read A LOT of books over the weekend.  We don't have any pictures of Eric, but here's a couple from when Jen and Dave went snowshoeing one afternoon.

February 12, 2009 - Here's just a cute picture of Eric being silly and reading books in the corner, on top of a basket of stuffed animals!

February 8, 2009 - Happy Birthday Nana!  This morning we went out for brunch and then went back to Nana and Pops house for birthday cake.  Eric enjoyed the cake so much that he got to have two helpings!  Later this evening we practiced counting and here is a video of Eric Counting.

February 7, 2009 - Today we went sledding!  One of Eric's library books is about a brother and sister who get all bundled up and head out to go sledding in the snow, and earlier in the week Eric asked to go sledding and play in the snow.  So...the weather looked great for today so we headed up to Mt. Hood and went sledding!

February 6, 2009 - This morning we had one of Eric's friends, Alise, over for a little while.  Here's a video of Eric & Alise Playing.  As you'll notice in the video, Eric has started 'speed singing' his ABCs so that he can clap and say (and hear!) 'yea!!' at the end.  Funny boy!  Also, this morning Eric said 'laptop' for the first time.  Dave was so proud!

February 5, 2009 - This was just too cute...Eric pretending to talk on the phone and is holding his play credit card.  It looks like he's ordering something!

February 3, 2009 - Eric had his second kinder gym class this morning and he seemed to really enjoy himself and explored a lot more than during the first class.  He even walked on the balance beam several times (holding both of Mommy's hands)!

February 2, 2009 - The boys being silly....Dave picked up some 3D glasses today.

January 31, 2009 - Eric's fever seems to be completely gone.  Yea!  We just need to finish up the antibiotics...

January 30, 2009 - We woke up early this morning to go and pick up Dave at the airport.  Yea!!  Eric's fever seems to be lower today and he certainly seems to be feeling better.  Eric was very happy to have Daddy home (as was I)!

January 29, 2009 - This morning Eric still had his fever and no other symptoms, so I made an appointment to take him in to the pediatrician.  He spent a good amount of time this morning on the couch watching cartoons and had no appetite.  At the ped's office later in the afternoon we learn that he has an ear infection and got some antibiotics for it.  He was a trooper as we waited for an hour for his prescription and finally made it home for dinner.

January 28, 2009 - Eric still has his fever today and has been pretty miserable.  His temperature range has been between 102 and 105.  At this point I'm hoping that I don't get sick as well, since Dave is still in Japan.

January 27, 2009 - We woke up to it snowing outside this morning.  Also, Eric woke up with a fever of 102 this morning.  Between the fever and the inch of snow we ended up getting we skipped his class this morning and just stayed in.

January 26, 2009 - This morning Eric pooped in his potty for the first time!  What a big boy!  We still don't plan to start potty training yet, but it was a case where I knew he needed to go and I asked him if he wanted to use his big boy potty and it worked!  No pictures of this event... :)

January 25, 2009 - We spent the day in today and didn't do much, but Eric did start saying the word 'hammer' today.  It's so cute- we'll have to try and catch it on video...

January 24, 2009 - This morning we took Dave to the airport- he'll be in Japan for a week.  We then spent the day doing a little bit of shopping and hanging out at Nana and Pops.

January 20, 2009 - Eric and I stayed in this morning to watch all of the inaugural festivities.  It was a rare day with the TV on all day!  Here's a cute picture of Eric copying Dave, later that evening.

January 18, 2009 - Today was Jen's birthday and after a nice morning of sleeping in, Eric woke me up with a rose and saying 'Happy Birthday Mama'.  Talk about melting my heart!  We then had a nice breakfast (made by Dave) and in the evening we had a nice dinner out and birthday cake afterwards.  What a great day!

January 12, 2009 - At playgroup this morning I spent some time holding a friend's baby.  Eric noticed, but didn't seem to mind.  Then on the way home from playgroup he started saying 'Baby Nate' and said that all day.  By bedtime Eric told Daddy 'Mama hold baby Nate'- his first four-word sentence.  I guess it made an impression!

January 11, 2009 - This afternoon Eric told talked to Grammy on the computer and told her 'Happy Birthday Grammy'.  It was very cute.  Here's also a video of Eric and Daddy Building a Big Home and another of Eric practicing his Microphone Singing.

January 10, 2009 - Our playgroup celebrated all of the kids 2nd birthdays today with a party at Gymboree.  Eric had a lot of fun playing with the equipment and eating his cupcake.  Afterwards, we all went out to dinner together.  Talk about chaotic!  The restaurant has a supervised kids play area  where they can go to eat and play while the parents eat.  Most of the playgroup kids who tried it lasted only 10-15 minutes.  When we took Eric down to the play area he couldn't wait to get in and didn't even look back.  He had so much fun playing!  He was there an hour before I finally went to get him and even then he didn't want to leave.

January 9, 2009 - This morning we met up with our Friday playgroup at the Children's Museum- it was Eric's first time there.  Overall he seemed to have a good time exploring and playing and certainly didn't want to leave when it was time.  I think we'll be back!

January 5, 2009 - Today we had playgroup at our house and Eric spent much of the morning singing!  He has such a soft, sweet voice :)  It took a while to figure out, but he is singing a combination of the ABC song and Twinkle Twinkle.  So cute!  Here's a video of him Twinkle Twinkle and another of him playing with his Pager.

January 3, 2009 - This evening we went out for an early dinner with Nana and Pops and then headed over to the zoo for the Zoolights exhibit.  We rode the zoo's train and saw lots of colorful lights.  It was very cold out, but thankfully not rainy or windy.  And the multiple hot chocolates helped!  (Eric even has a bit :)

January 1, 2009 - This morning we headed up to Nana and Pops to celebrate New Years/Christmas with them.  Eric got a lot of cars and had fun playing with his cousin Zachary.  Here's a cute video of Eric Dancing to the Thomas music in his new book.