18 month Check-up

Well, we are back from Jack's 18 month check-up and all is well. He weighs 20 lbs. and is 32 inches tall. He's at about the 30%ile for height, but still below zero on the curve for weight. No worry though, he has been his entire life. We should all be so lucky! HA! He did have to get one shot this time, chicken pox vaccine. I swear it hurts me more than him. I start stressing out even before we get in the car to go to his appointment. This was the first time he really understood where we were and why. He whimpered and cried the entire time we were there...even when they weren't in the room with us! Thank goodness the doctors had Aviation Safety Journal in the waiting room! The pictures of airplanes helped a bit. Wjat do you think of THAT Grandpa Jim?

Bubble Boy

Summer vacation needs special, fun daily activities. Today we went shopping (only a little fun), changed the oil in the car (only fun because we saw lots of cars at the Honda dealership and got to play in the jolly jumper), played at the mall play area (very fun) and the best part of the whole day was blowing bubbles with Daddy (supreme fun)! Jack loves bubbles and we have been blowing them like crazy for the last few months. We even bought a battery operated bubble blower to keep Mommy from passing out or hyperventilating. But tonight when Daddy got home, Jack learned to blow them himself. It is a little tricky getting the right air pressure when you blow, but Jack cracked the code tonight. He is still not a professional because Daddy had to "help" in order to keep Jack from constantly licking the wand! Yuck! After bathtime Jack got an adorable teddy bear from his Ventura Grandma, our wonderful neighbor Lora Ruffin. What a great surprise! Jack cuddled his new friend while enjoying his night-night bottle and watching Cars. Does it get any better than that?

Zip, Zip, Clip, Clip

What a busy weekend! We headed down to Long Beach on Friday. First stop, Grandpa Phil's place. One of the things Jack loves most about Grandpa Phil is that he gets to hang out in the bar with the guys and do "guy" stuff. He loved Grandpa's yummy mahi-mahi salad and did plenty of "cheers" to celebrate their fun afternoon together. We even ran into Uncle Troy there. After that we headed to Redondo Beach for dinner and fun with Pa. Jack was sad to miss Grandma Laura on her birthday, but he did enjoy lots more "guy" time. We walked to Mexican food for dinner and then watched muscle cars on TV before bed...WOW! Jack wants a Corvette now, so he and Pa have a project to work on together.

On Saturday, we brought lunch to Auntie Nikki and got to meet cousin Max for the very first time. Zia Andria joined us for plenty of butterfly kisses. We had lots of fun at the condo, but had to leave for a haircut. Diane is such a great stylist and she knows some great tricks for getting Jack's hair just right. We started by taking him outside and then he had a great time squirting everyone with the water bottle while Diane gave him the fastest, cutest cut we ever dreamed of. He and Daddy look very handsome together. We came home last night for a bath and a great night sleep. It's always so nice to wake up at home and cuddle in bed on Sunday morning. We hope you are all having a nice weekend too.

Relaxing Friday Morning

Daddy had to run to the office for a couple of hours this morning, so Jack and Mommy had a relaxing morning, lounging in bed. Jack was a happy camper with milk in his sippy cup and Sesame Street on TV. He really loves Elmo. Even Gracie came up to cuddle with us. He was very comfy in one of his new pajamas. Today we will head down to Redondo Beach and have dinner with Pa. Kelsey and Grandma Laura are out of town, so we'll have to celebrate Grandma's birthday without her. Then, on Saturday we get to see Max and get haircuts. I'm sure I'll have lots of great photos to share by Sunday! Have a nice weekend.

Fun with Amy

Our friend Lorena came by yesterday with her children, Edgar and Amy. Edgar was one of my students many years ago and is now in high school. Amy will be going into third grade next year. Jack had a great time with both of them. He shared his cars with them and dragged Amy around the house for hours. After tearing the couch apart looking for a remote, Jack decided he liked it better disassembled. We decided to turn it into a fort. It was very fun. Thanks for coming by!

Penne Pomodoro

Last night was bocce night for Rob, so Jack and Mommy headed to Santa Barbara to support our favorite player. Jack loves Arnoldi's restaurant and has been dining there since he was a tiny little baby. In case you are ever there and unsure of what to order, Jack recommends the penne pomodoro. He wears it well. And believe it or not, there was even more in his tummy than on his face.

Mohawk Boy

Jack's hair is so long that his shampoo mohawk won't even stay standing. Despite his hairstyle malfunction, he was having lots of fun in his bath last night. Lightning McQueen joined him for a while and he turned his submarine into an airplane, complete with "whooshing through the air" sounds. We are all headed to Long Beach this weekend for haircuts. Jack's is especially overdue. I can't wait to see how handsome he and Daddy will look in their stylish new dos.

Jack and Rob will also get to meet Max for the first time. I can only dream of the mischief these two little cousins will get into in years to come.

Max Trani Hardin

Here is some early video of the newest member of our family. I checked in on them at the hospital before I came home yesterday and they are all great. Troy finally went home for a shower and a nap after trying to sleep on the tiny, little, squeaky loveseat in the hospital room to two days...God bless him, he is such a wonderful guy! Nikki was feeling good. She was moving a little slow, but she was up and moving which was more than I could do 24 hours after Jack was born! I'm so glad she didn't get a c-section! She'll be back to normal soon. The baby is perfect! He just finished his hearing test as I arrived, passed with flying colors. He was mostly drowsy from Tylenol after his own little surgical "procedure" that morning. Max and his mommy will both be walking a little cautiously for a few days. They will all be headed home today to start their life together. Good luck family!

Fresh From the Oven

Introducing... sorry, still no name. Check in again tomorrow. But here is a picture of Jack's cute new cousin. He is adorable. He looks very serious complete with furrowed brow. I think he's trying to figure out how he wound up in this world. As we left the hospital, his pediatrician came in to announce that he is perfect...I could've told her that.

Anyway, Nikki came through labor in 12 hours. She had a pretty rough night, as they gave her some drugs to kick start things and it did. She started at only 1 or 2 cm. When I arrived at 6:30 this morning they were just giving her an epidural. She went quickly to 6 cm by 8:00 and then 9 cm by 9:00! The nurses were racing around to get things ready. By the time she hit 10 cm, they were chasing the doctor down to hurry and get there. She actually had to stop pushing to wait for the doctor to arrive!! At 10:57, the baby arrived. In the end healthy baby, healthy Mom, relieved Dad. Everything was great. Everyone is so thrilled to finally meet our newest member of the family. Congratulations Troy and Nikki!

Baby

8 lbs 6 oz 20 in. Mom and baby are doing great!

Coming Attractions...

If you've wondered why I still haven't posted about my nephew, it's because he has yet to make his appearance. I'm headed down to Redondo Beach tonight to be close to Little Company of Mary Hospital (which Rob likes to say is the BEST hospital out there...it's the one where he was born!) Nikki will go in late tonight to get round 1 of her induction medications. I hope to post by this time tomorrow about my darling nephew and the quick, easy delivery that Nikki experienced! Keep them in your prayers tonight and check here tomorrow for updates.

Happy Father's Day!

Hope all our Dads/Grandpas had a perfect Father's Day morning.

Say Cheese!

Andria just sent this photo today. Taken around Christmas, but I completely forgot about it. It's one of my favorites now. Thanks Andria, you rock!

Pizza Night!

Today we had a fantastic day. We hung out at home most of the morning and then after Jack's nap we went to the mall. We shopped at Target (Jack got a really cool car that has sound effects and zips around when you shake it.) Then off to the play area upstairs where Jack had an absolute blast climbing, sliding and playing hide-and-seek. We capped the trip off with a spin on the mini carousel. Once we got home it was pizza night! As you can see he loved stealing pepperoni straight out of the box. What a little scamp! He whooped and screamed while we played with his new car and watched Bolt. He was still raring to go when we finally put him down at 9PM. Sometimes the best days are simple ones.

Mack Attack

Grandma Laura got Jack a set of cars from his favorite movie, Cars, and he was thrilled! However, we were all surprised that his favorite character, Mack, wasn't included in the set. Daddy to the rescue...he stopped by Toys 'R Us on his way home yesterday and found Mack. Jack loved Mack so much he even took him in the tub. (Most of the stickers made it through the spa day.) He played with his Mack and all of his cars last night for hours. The ultimate thrill was playing with all his cars, including Mack, while the movie played on TV! Wow! What a Friday night! Mack is pretty big, so thankfully we were able to get Jack to bed last night without it. No surprise though, he's playing with Mack again as I type. Happy boy!

Still No Baby

Thanks to everyone who has called wanting to know about Nikki's little boy...still no baby! She was due last Friday, so every day that she is late seems like an eternity. She had consistent contractions for several hours on Monday night, went to the hospital when they were 5 minutes apart, and the nurse told her to go home because she was too chipper to be in real labor!!! I advised her to be crabbier next time! HA!

Anyway, Jack and I took a trip down to Long Beach yesterday to help keep her spirits up. Grandma Laura and Auntie Kelsey joined us for lunch at the Yard House, a walk around the Long Beach Pike and ColdStone ice cream...yum! If that spicy buffalo wing sauce doesn't get that baby moving I don't know what will.

Fortunately, Nikki is still doing pretty well. Sleeping and eating OK, no horrible heartburn or swollen extremities. She looks GREAT! All belly, but otherwise not an ounce of fat on her. She is scheduled to be induced on Monday if the little guy is too stubborn to come on his own. I'll keep you all posted when there is news to tell.

P.S. Jack had SO MUCH FUN driving his new cars everywhere yesterday. He was having too much fun to nap. His shirt for the day was appropriate...Sleep is for the WEAK! Thanks for the Awesome cars Grandma!

Story Time

Thankfully, Jack loves his books. As a teacher I'd never live it down if he didn't! He loved Goodnight Gorilla so much this morning that Rob and I both had to read it to him many times. We tried The Very Hungry Caterpillar, another of his favorites, but he only wanted to hear the part where the caterpillar is eating. Butterfly? Who cares!

Go Team!

Today Jack is sporting his blue and gold Adidas sweats from our friend Jason Kapono and his UCLA t-shirt from Auntie Andria and Uncle Phil. He is an adorable little Bruin in the making! Is it football season yet?

Sponsor a Mile

I'm sure you have all heard us talk of the amazing Strong Family in Santa Barbara. Their precious baby Gwendolyn was born just a few months before Jack, perhaps that is why we feel such a connection to them. Sadly, their adorable daughter was born with SMA, the #1 genetic killer of children under the age of two. Gwendolyn just celebrated her 20th month-iversary and continues to delight and inspire her family, friends and even strangers. In addition to the MANY efforts her parents, Bill and Victoria, make to increase attention and funding for SMA, they have established the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. They will be traveling via RV to Mississippi on June 21st and are trying to raise $50,000 to help find a cure for SMA (100% of money raised goes to their foundation). If you have not already visited their website, we encourage you to check it out. If you have not signed their petition to cure SMA...DO IT NOW!!!! It will only take 30 seconds! If you are interested in sponsoring a mile, two (or maybe ten) please do so.

Rob and I are inspired daily by the courage we see demonstrated by the Strongs. We have strived to be better parents for Jack based on the example set for us by the Strongs. They are truly amazing. We are sure you will be inspired by them too.

Click this link to sponsor their journey:
http://sponsoramile.com/

Click here to visit their website:
http://www.gwendolynstrong.com/

Click here to sign the Petition to cure SMA:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/182/petition-to-cure-SMA

We can only imagine how our lives would be altered forever if Jack had been born with SMA. Please take the time to help the babies and children afflicted by this dreadful disease. Thanks.

Monkey, Part II

Jack loves when Daddy pushes him in his car around the backyard. So, yesterday he decided to be the Daddy and treat his little monkey buddy to some great fun. After we got Monkey safely strapped in, Jack proceeded to push him around, popping wheelies and chatting with him for quite a while. He is so cute with that darn Monkey! Not so cute, however, was when I turned my back during breakfast this morning and Jack decided to share his syrupy waffles with Monkey! After a quick sponge bath for both of them, it was back to having fun!

Monkeying Around

The only thing more adorable than Jack feeding crackers to his new sock monkey was when he first did it yesterday. You see, he was cuddling in bed with Mommy and Daddy when he decided to share his treats with his new monkey friend. However, he was trying to feed them into the red "mouth-like" thing that is the monkey's bottom! You can see in the video that the two look very similar...I understand his confusion!! Well, today he had it right and I am so delighted to see what a good friend he has become, sharing his treats.

We also went to the park today for lunch and playtime with our adorable neighbors, Junia and Eden. I can't believe I forgot the Flip video!! They were so precious playing together and sharing snacks. The girls each wanted to hold Jack's hands as we walked to the playground, and Junia was especially the doting Mommy with him while we were there. We had a great time and look forward to more playdates this summer.