Last big spill of 2007

Scene & result

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

My gift to daddy ... no meltdowns on the plane!

Merry Christmas

Just got back from Ohio where I had a great time w/ Grandma & Grandpa O and Aunt Renee. It was definitely fun playing with them and being silly. I even got to feel some small snowflakes. You need to check the pics since they tell a better story

I also got to play with all of the Gerhlich and Monte kids; I was pretty busy playing, but I think mommy talked with the other mommies for 4 straight hours while dada watched football then played cards.

Christmas 2007

Gifts!

Look at Adriana and me - we're exchanging gifts. We both gave each other crocs - how nutty is that?

Photos of Zeke at my house

Entering a new phase, and full of a lot more chatter. Even playing w/ Mr. Potato head.

Aunt Ellen babysat me for 24 hours this weekend. We had a lot of fun - be sure to check the pics for some of the silliness.

More silliness (album)

Here's a family photo from the cruise, and yes, I am wearing my velvet sportcoat.
After the photo, it took 2 minutes for my cousins and me to begin making a mess, spilling water, dropping food - i.e. all the stuff that makes dinner fun.


Me and mommy have been ill for several days - not fun.

Parrot time

I'm fighting a cold - boo - but here's the weekly update.

Parrot phase, in full force - I am repeating many, many words.

Three unique activities worth mentioning:
1) Penelope invited us over for a playdate. She's very cool.
2) Adriana took me to the Exploratorium. It's free on the first Wednesday of the month; I'm lucky she knows about all this stuff.
3) Adriana took me to the sports class. We'll get some photos next time.

Earlier, I confused daddy - he was rocking me while I watched a BabyBoost episode on animals. I looked at his hand and said "Mano"; it took a few seconds for him to realize I said "hand" in espanol and wanted to hold hands. Maybe Adriana should give both of us Spanish lessons!

My chair is back (in pics) and I am thrilled. In my exuberance, I stood on it ... once ... only once. My bruised noggin has served as a reminder that chairs are for sitting. Now, I love sitting and watching Plaza Sesamo (Sesame Street in Spanish) and Yo Gabba Gabba, which is my favorite show. Here's one of my favorite clips - hear it two times and it will stick in your head for days (just ask daddy.)



In the pics, there's a couple good shots -
1) a trifecta of good habits - sitting my new chair, watching the North Carolina game, and talking my bookie.
2) dancing to the aforementioned Yo Gabba Gabba clip.

Silly (album)

Sports school!

Friday, Daddy took me ot a tumbling class where i was jumped on the trampoline, played with a parachute, and sat on a seasaw. Awesome! I am pumped that I'll be going to a class each Saturday in 2008.

Not much else to report re: the weekened - watched some football, went to a playgroup at Leo's, and had my first public temper tantrum (at the mall)

Mexico & thank you to G&G D.

Just got back from the Mexico cruise - I had a blast playing w/ Ethan & Colby and seeing everyone else. I'm definitely getting smarter since I can now say everyone's name.

I didn't really like sleeping in my pack-n-play, but the cabin was comfortable. While the room was a tad small, I was thankful it had many fun toys (phone, trash cans) and semi-dangerous things to climb on (bed & windows).
Developed a smooth move for breakfast - I would walk up to random tables, wave and say "bye-bye", blow a kiss w/ my hand then walk away. This sequence brought a lot of smiles.

Be sure to check the pics & captions - among the highlights are play shots w/ my cousins and a massive meal at The Office in Cabo.

Thanks you to Grandma and Grandpa D for the cruise and playing w/ me when Mommy & Daddy were on excursions.

At the first breakfast, Ethan looked out the window and proclaimed he saw a whale. Several minutes later, someone noticed several dolphins in the horizon that were jumping out of the water. Ethan was convinced he saw a whale - who knows.

Mexico cruise

USC Weekender

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't posted in a bit.

Big weekend - it was the USC Weekender and both Glenn Davis and Mark Jacobs came to town. I had a fun time playing w/ those guys, but it's a rip-off that I don't get to go to the HPR - maybe next year. USC won and I'm glad I didn't go to the game - it rained very hard the entire time. Here a few recent pics - be sure to hceck the Berkeley tree people!

Weekender album

Dude! Sweet!

On Saturday, daddy took me to the sports bar to meet mommy & Ellen plus Sheryl and Tom, who were visiting from Ohio. (They were there watching the OSU game)

Then, Julian Alexander and Tara Church showed up. They were very cool; I found it quite easy to amuse them. They got me a sweet gift - well, the pictures speak for themselves. Tara wrote "We're delighted that you like your jacket ... You really look dashing" What can I say, the jacket is sweet - I even wore it for a bit on both Saturday evening and Sunday morning. (yes, I think it's velour)

Julian & Tara album

Rest of the weekend was rather quiet. Mommy and daddy did a lot of work in the garage and backyard while I tried to play with the most dangerous items around me. Had a blast stomping on puddles, smearing the water, sitting on wet ground then going to mommy for a hug.

Halloween

Had a special field trip on Tuesday - I got to visit mommy's office! I was a little bashful, but I roamed around a bit and gave out some 5's.

Halloween was stellar. During the day, I wore my costume to the park and got to see many of my friends and their costumes.

In the evening, we went to Oscar's for a little party. Then we headed to Belvedere Street where me met Elmer Fudd (Nate D.) and his parents. It was fun to see some other kids, but I still think Halloween is more for my parents than me. Maybe I'll be more interested next year. Regardless, one has to be impressed w/ the residents of Belvedere Street and all of the decorations and designs - my favorite house was the Happy Feet one that had adult-size penguins dancing in the windows (pic in album) Toward the end of the night. I was being a little adventurous by running up hill - unfortunately, I broke away and tried running downhill - bad idea - took a spill and cut my lip. Sort of ironic that daddy dresses as the hockey player but I got the fat lip.

Halloween 2007 (album)

Mommy highlight

Earlier, she bent down and said "Give mommy a kiss."
I treated her by running towards her and giving a smooch on the lips.

Her first kiss, and she was very happy.

Weekend update

Hi all,

Had a fun week - twice went to the zoo and hit my first Halloween party. On Sunday afternoon, we went to the Haight Halloween party - it was a little spartan, but afterwards we met Isabelle Anderson and her parents at the playground at GGP. She's 4.5 months old, and it's hard to believe that I was ever her size - very impressed with her first experiences on the swings and slides. (Be sure to check the pics & read the captions)

DEVELOPMENT ALERT ... I can now take off my own pants.

Tidbits:
- Corn on the cob - have you tried this? It's a little strange to eat, and I'm not quite grasping the concept.
- Broccoli and spaghetti sauce is tasty!
- I like to use utensils when eating some of my food. I'm comfortable using either hand, so we're still not sure if I'm going to be right or left handed. At this point, the left seem slightly ahead but not by much.
- Pursuant to the post about storing food on the floor - I can now throw food into separate rooms (the hallway and kitchen) Nice!

Pre-Halloween album

Updated w/ pics: Update

Had a great Saturday. Daddy's friends came over for the USC game - you know, the one in which SC blasted Notre Dame 38-0. Listen to this crew ... Gwyn, McKenna, Dorian. Yeah, I had a great time. Plus, Gwyn brought some yummo chicken.
In the evening, Liz & Kev Zoryan came over for dinner. They are very cool (and not just b/c they brought me a fun shapes/hammer toy)

Sunday, we went to the pumpkin patch w/ Nate Dewan and his folks. Poor guy's teeth are busting through his gums - not pretty.

Message to my fellow munchkins: You're probably like me ... you like snacking. Here's my tip to ensure food is always available ... hide it on the floor. It's rather simple - when your parents aren't looking, throw some bits off each side. Your parents will probably pick up most, but there will be a few nuggets left - I guarantee it.

Why am I the only one w/out a hat or sunglasses? I would really like an explanation.


2 cameras. I'd rather post the photo where we're looking at the camera and the moms are looking elsewhere.


I wonder if Nate's dad will be our first hockey coach?

Pics from half-marathon

and here they come

Update

Hi all,

Lots to catch up on –

Last weekend was fun. Met Calum Gregory, who is a very cool little guy. At dinner, both of us raise a ruckus, but once we got home, we had a blast. See the pics in the album and I’ll throw some video up at some point.

Big event from this past weekend was daddy’s half marathon. We drove to San Jose to watch him and Uncle Dorian run, but it was sort of a rip-off b/c while I was there for 2+ hours, we saw them only twice for about 1 minute each time. In reality, I spent the whole time w/ mommy & A Nicole (which isn’t bad) Props to the Doriani for a great effort in his organized run.

Sunday afternoon, daddy fixed the washing machine – he’s such a star.

Tidbits:
- the bumps and bruises are coming. I’ve been experimenting w/ my climbing, running, and other types of dangerous activities. Good news is that all my scrapes and bumps are healing quickly.
- Hello! I am treating everything like a phone – I’ll take a playing card and hold it up to my ear and pretend to listen. Same for toys, small books, and actual phones.
- Zeke and I hit the local pumpkin patch!
- I’m now brushing my teeth – see the pic. Don’t you dig it?

10/07 Photos (album)

Video - ah yeah!

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I've just arrived in the 21st Century ... w/ video. I'll be posting more clips over the next few weeks.

See the first video above ... Como hace el lion? (What does a lion do?)

Weekly update

Ah man, lots to catch up on ...

I've got a new game - it's called "Climb on Mommy". It's very fun - first you push mommy over, then climb on her back, then stand up and hope not to fall. See the album for a demonstration.

In the spirit of climbing, I can now climb by myself up on the couch and brown chair. There are a few pics in the album, and you'll see that I am now living a lot more dangerously (and mommy & daddy are more nervous.)

"Shoe" and "Turtle" - yup these are more words that I know.

Had a fun time at my swimming lesson on Friday. "Old Macdonald Had a Pond" is a pretty cool song.
Friday night, we met some friends for dinner - there was another little guy, Oscar, there - he's only 6 months old, but I'm sure I'll be seeing him at the park and library.

Saturday, I helped daddy adjust my highchair (pic in album) then we went to Isabelle Anderson's 100-days party. There were lots of munchkins there, but I was a little distracted by my pending tooth, which gloriously arrived by Sunday morning.

Injury report:
Welt 1: Thursday night, grabbed a spoon from the dishwasher then ran to the living room. I turned to see if daddy was chasing me and whammo! I trip, hit the back of my head on a chair and get a big nasty welt. Man, it was painful, but it hurt worse when daddy tried to ice it. it's a lot smaller now.
Welt 2: I took another spill on Sunday climbing on my new chair. Unfortunately, got a little bump on the other side of my head.
Yeah, there are matching bumps.

Climb on mommy (album)

Updated - weekend, breakthrough, and picnic (new)

Hi all,

Ah man, what a weekend.

Saturday was again stellar. Both USC and OSU won, and I was able to show all my tricks to two separate audiences. In the afternoon, Ellen and Ginnie came over for the Ohio State game, and then a bigger crew showed up for the USC game at 5. Among those in attendance: McKenna, Dorian, Nicole, & Larson.

Major breakthrough today ... I called my friend Ezekiel by his name. Adriana told daddy that she was pushing the stroller next to Ezekiel and his nanny when Brando reached out and said "Zeeeke." This means that I now know 4 names: Mama, Bill (should be "daddy"), Ara-ra-a (aka Adrianna) and Ezekiel. Pretty cool.

Updated:
Mommy had a great idea to have a dinner picnic in the park, and I now announcing that I am a Picnic Party Animal.
- threw food - check
- chewed food then spat it out - check
- ran around w/ knife in hand - check
- stepped in food - check
Daddy had to clean my face, hands, arms, legs, and feet. Nice!

Swimming lessons!

Had a fun time at my first lesson. The class started w/ 15 mins of "free swim" then some songs w/ aquatic nuances. Next, we broke into groups; my coach had mommy & me do some exercises w/ balls, toys, and a boogie board - nice!

The arts!

Got some crayons and a big ole color book. Nice!

(sort of a bummer that someone won't let me eat the crayons.)

Cupcakes!

These things are really great to eat, but tonight, mommy let me lick the beaters - sweet!

Weekends are for football

Hi all,

Saturday was quite a day - Aunt Elba came over at noon and we watched 7 hours of football! Man, it was sweet watching OSU cruise over Washington then seeing the Trojans demolish Nebraska. Even though I had a tooth coming in and a 100 degree temp (thanks to a flu shot), I had a fun time eating nachos off the carpet, doing my walk/dance, and gesturing "touchdown!"

As mentioned, got three shots on Friday - I squeaked a little but did not cry. Yeah, I'm macho.

My eating technique is improving. I can use both a spoon and fork, but I prefer to grub out caveman style.

Update and open challenge to Kobiyashi

I am eating avocado and bananas like a champ. Anytime you want to race for speed or volume, I'm ready.

New tooth arrived yesterday and two more coming in the next couple days. Please keep the ibuprofen nearby.

All in all, things are great. I'm learning more words in Spanish and English. Even if I don't know what the words mean, I generally like repeating them.
I'm definitely getting bigger, stronger, faster, and more curious - what's it all mean? Simply that I can get into more trouble. BTW, it is extremely easy to make mommy laugh.

I'm also feeding myself w/ a fork. Sure, my technique could be improved, but I'm doing well enough.

Cypress and Palm Springs

Had a fun trip to SoCal.

I spent a few days w/ Grandma and Grandpa D while mommy & daddy were in Palm Springs. Like last time, I got to play w/ my cousins - both are getting really big and I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun on the cruise in a few months. I really dig rockin out to the piano and organ.

Had a few days in Palm Springs too - 110 is HOT! I loved lunging into the swimming pool and taking sips of chlorinated water. Do you like my swimsuit?

SoCal and Palm Springs album

Grandma O visit

Hi all,
Sorry I've been silent for so long. We've been busy and gone.

Grandma Obyc visited this week. We had a blast at the zoo and playing. Here are a few pics:

album of Grandma O visit 8/2007

Style

Week

Great week! Thanks to my walking skills, I’m able to get in a lot more trouble and experience many new firsts … including bumps and bruises.
Monday – got my first fat lip (a spill in the hallway)
Tuesday – got my first chin abrasion (a spill in the park)
Saturday – got a little bump on my forehead (a spill in my bedroom)
I truly feel like I’m becoming a little boy (instead of just being a baby). For the record, these spills were my fault – what can I say, I’m a bit of a daredevil.

Had a fun time w/ Uncle Ballinger. Too bad he had to split. (in the pics, look closely my Neosporin-covered bump.)

My vocabulary is growing, and Daddy just taught me a gesture that will be very important in coming months … touchdown!

In honor of mommy ...

I see the gators and I say Boooooooooooo!

Big props to Aunt Erika.
She hosted a sweet pizza party on Saturday, and I probably ate a bona-fide adult-size portion. Not only that, she let us take some leftovers so I could have a small snack on Sunday and piece for dinner on Monday. Nice.

JB

Jeff is coming to visit this week. Look at these cool photos from last week!

Joe McKnight (#4), Marc Tyler (#26) and two Clay Matthews (sr. and #46)

Bad habit and weekend

Ok, I have my first bad habit – calling daddy “Bill”.

Fun weekend. I spent most of it 1) running around the house (yes, I mean taking laps) 2) saying "uh oh", my favorite phrase, 3) roaring like a lion and 4) pleasing my parents by pointing on command to my nose, hair, ear, etc.

On Friday, Adriana took me to the zoo – I loved seeing the penguins and the lion, but my favorite part was the petting area. Thumbs up on everything except for the goose. Check the pics.

Sunday, we went to the new park in Golden Gate Park. It was cool to roam around, climb up the stairs, the zoom down the slide.

For dinner, mom made some pasta w/ marinara sauce. OMG – it was awesome. You would have been amazed at how much I ate.

Ask me “Como hace lion?” and I will tell you.

Zoo album