I've decided to keep blogging :)

These last 2 months have been unbelievably tough. I'm trying to get used to our "new normal". I've put off blogging because it's been too painful, but I also think it will be cathartic, as well as I just love having a blog for Austin to look back on. I am tired right now, trying to juggle so many things and so many emotions, but I'll be back soon.... stay tuned. :)

Labor Day weekend!

We had a nice, much needed, 3 day weekend. We really didn't do much, went to Charlie and Erin's for a BBQ and some of Ryan's friends had a BBQ today. On Saturday we decided to take Austin down to the petting zoo Zoomars in San Juan Capistrano. He loved it and so did we :)

Not much else to report. Austin is doing great at potty training and he is only going through about 1-2 diapers per day. He still won't poop in the potty though. I can't wait for that because, let's be real, poopy diapers are my least favorite thing about mommy-hood. 

Here is Austin at Zoomars feeding the goats... Enjoy!

Well, that's news to me

Grapes make Austin poop. A lot.

Summer 2012

Oh man. It's been awhile since my last update. Sorry :) we've been busy! Be prepared for a long update!

Where has this summer gone?!? Seriously. I want to know.

Austin is at a really fun stage right now. He is in to everything! He is talking up a storm and just a good little guy. Is it possible to keep loving each stage more and more? Well, that's how we feel!

Austin is a little FISH lately. He loves swimming. I think we have a little surfer on our hands! When we tell Austin he is going swimming, he runs and gets his bathing suit. He loves to jump into the pool and kick kick kick! We really need to get him into swimming lessons. 

Austin is saying too many words to count. Just tonight I was reading Goodnight Moon and he pointed to the clock and said, "clock".... what? How did he know that?! 

When he does something on his own, Austin says, "I did it!" and when he is looking for Ryan he says, "daddy go? I dunno"

He loves the ABCs and tries to sing along. When ever I get to C, G, P, V and Z he goes. "eeeeeeee!". It's super cute.

Also, Austin loves his colors. He recognizes and says: yellow, blue, purple (that one's kind of shocking!), pink and black. For some reason I cannot get him to say green or red. But he says purple and yellow. strange.

Austin started calling me "mom" a few weeks ago (although last week he resorted back to 'mommy' and then this week, it's 'mom' again. ). I HATE IT. It kind of breaks my heart each time he says it, so I quickly correct him and say "mommy". I'm not sure if he's screwing me up more by calling me this so early on or if I'm screwing him up more by correcting him every time. He'll probably need to uncover this whole thing with a therapist down the road. Luckily, (or unluckily?) he still calls me 'mommy' when he's sad or hurt and that makes me feel better (is that sick? maybe?)... but not, because he's hurt and then I'm sad. So I'm happy.... and then I'm sad? It's a really screwed up battle that we are going through right now. Probably the first of many! ha ha!

Potty training is coming along great. He only needs a couple of diaper changes a day. He is dong really great and gets M&Ms here at home when he pee pees in the potty and star stickers on his achievement chart at Belinda's.

Oh yea, something not so great... we have a RUNNER. I have now chased him down in the grocery store, Barnes in Noble and Best Buy. He looks at me, smiles a WICKED smile and takes off yelling, "RUNNING!!!! RUNNING!!! RUNNING!!!!!" I am not at all happy about this and need to curb it ASAP. In fact, I'm terrified he is going to run into the street next. I've tried disciplining him when he does this, but he laughs and thinks it's fun. So, Austin may be getting his first spanking sometime soon :( Hate to do it, but it may be necessary. 

What else... something fun. Austin loves his uncle Charlie and calls him "addie". We watched Shane a few weeks ago for the first time while Charlie and Erin went out for their anniversary and Austin started to really be interested in the little guy. I can't wait for him to get a bit older and the two of them are going to be trouble together!!!

Austin also really loved hanging with Ryan's other brother, Peter, when he was down from Portland for a visit and by the end of his stay was saying, "Uncle Pee". A small part of me hopes he always calls him "Uncle Pee" because that would be funny!

We are looking forward to the Fall, although it really doesn't feel like fall here until November. I guess we're just looking forward to football season! We are strongly encouraging Austin to be a Broncos fan and a USC Trojans fan. Actually, he doesn't have a choice in the matter!

I also can't believe our little man will be two in two months. WOW. I am speechless. This has gone by way too fast! I am so excited because my parents and grandparents will be coming out for an entire week for the event. 

We are also taking family pictures for the first time since Austin's birth at the end of September. I'm excited for that too! I found a great lady who was a recommendation of my friend Autumn and I think that we are going to take them down in Laguna Beach. 

What else? We've had a busy couple of weeks- I was in charge of my office for two weeks when my boss got married (even had to fire my first person- ugh. Ironically, he wrote my boss a letter that I did a great job while he was away and was "grace under fire"- ha!), we went to a Phish show, my friends Hayley and Erica came to visit from NYC and we went to see the Pageant of the Masters (they have not seen Austin since he was 6 weeks old!) and we went to a friend's BBQ/backyard concert featuring Eric and Andrew (see previous post). We've also got a busy couple of weeks ahead.... I'm going down to San Diego this weekend for my friend Randi's bachelorette party and we are going to go out to Palm Springs mid-September with a group of Ryan's high school friends. Can't wait!

Things are great at "Bunna's" too (that's what the kiddos call Belinda). She says that Austin is just a really good little guy lately and really behaving well. I think that it was us starting to really enforce time outs a few months back. She has mostly boys in her care right now and says that Austin knows all the boys names, but could care less about the girls! He hasn't even bothered to learn Bunna's name yet! crazy! He just really loves boys right now. She is, of course, wonderful with them as always and has taken them to do a lot of fun activities this summer. She has a pool across the street from her townhouse and she and another daycare lady take the kids swimming (they all wear life jackets and floaties). She has also whipped out her slip n' slide and her bounce house for the kids this summer- how fun! Just last week she took the kids to Pretend City. I NEED to take him here!!!! I've heard wonderful things about it and he looks like he had fun by the pics below! Maybe I'll save that for when my parents are out here :) Check it out: http://pretendcity.org/our-city/ . I mean, really?  how cute.

Okaaaaay! I think that may be it! I'm probably missing something. Time is flying. We are busy... but we are great. :)

Austin and his daycare buddy DJ at Burger King

Austin and all his daycare buddies (boys only club)

The crew at Pretend City! (not all watched by Bunna, some are her friend's). I love how she puts them all in orange shirts (she wears one too)

Austin, Brandon and DJ at Pretend City

Austin pretending to be a fisherman at Pretend City

And these are so cute. Here is our friend Scott's BBQ (band playing in the background) and Austin playing with this little girl Nadia. She just turned 2. Yes, Austin is TALL. Everyone who meets him says so too. There were no boys there, only Nadia and our friend Eric and Nikkell's little Maddie (next pic). He had a TON of fun with these little girls... of course doing what he does best RUNNING and RUNNING and RUNNING around. Here, though, they are just suckin' on some ice cubes. Kept them busy for a good 45 minutes.

Maddie here on the right. She is darling. We love her. Strange to think that we went to Hawaii with this little girl when she was just 3 months on and we were not even thinking about Austin yet! Also, do you like her purple tutu? Ryan's mom gave that to her! She'll be in Palm Springs with us in a few weeks and so the two of them will get to spend a lot of time together :)

And lastly, some fun photos from "Uncle Pee's" visit!

Austin getting a tie dye shirt from his uncle 

And a toy train

Hoherd Boys

 Uncle "Addie" teaching Austin how to perfect his swing

Hoherd boys and cousin Andrew!

Date night and pool time!

Last weekend we went up to Mark and Shelly's house so we could have a much needed date night! We had a nice dinner out just the two of us and then went to go see Ryan's best friend Eric and his cousin Andrew play at a bar in Monrovia. Eric was the best man at our wedding and sang the song of our first dance. Eric now owns a studio in Pasadena and it's getting a lot of publicity lately. He recently produced a few songs on the newest My Chemical Romance album and is currently producing the music of a lot of other local talent. His studio is AMAZING- a HUGE industrial building and he's filled it with all of the most up-to-date recording technology stuff (yes, I'll call it stuff!). We just love seeing the success of one of our closest friends. Andrew, Ryan's cousin, is also a very talented and a few years ago we invited Andrew to come to the studio with us and since then, the two of them have been making music magic! Their recent projects include all of the background music for Pawn Stars. Pretty cool :) Anyway, we had a great night and got to see Aunt Boo who came down for the show too. Here are the two of them playing a song that they co-wrote: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xVK-ASmvxQ&feature=share

Not bad, eh? We love them. :)

We then spent Sunday just lounging by the pool and had dinner that night with the family including Nandy and her sister Bevie. Lot's of fun!!

Here is Austin wearing his birthday suit in the pool! (he likes to undress these days)

Gammie and her boys

Could you melt?

It's hard to see Austin in this photo because he and Pua are just the same shade of white but here is Austin jumping into the pool... I love this photo!

Swimming with Popi!

Andrew and Shane

"Put the Booger in the Kleenex"

Our car ride home today...

Me: Austin. Get your finger out of your nose.

Austin: No

Me: Austin. Get your finger out of your nose. Please.

Austin: No

Me: Austin. Get your finger out of your nose. PLEASE. Wow. that is a big booger. Mommy is going to get you a Kleenex. Wow. That is a BIG GREEN BOOGER. Gross.

Austin: GREEEEEEN!

Me: Okay, Austin, put the booger in the kleenex. No, not on your shirt. In the kleenex. No, in the kleenex. Oh, you have more Boogies? Okay, wipe your nose, no, not your eye. Not your eye- your nose. Austin, where did the booger go? Is it in the kleenex? Is the green booger in the kleenex?

Comical. If my 21 year old self could hear me now!!!

And.... I still don't know where the green booger went.

#1

Yes, he is #1.

Shane + Austin = BFF

These just make me giggle :) 

Although I'm SURE Austin and his new cousin Shane will be great friends, right now, Austin wants NOTHING to do with him. Avoids him like the plague. As you can see by his face in these photo, he looks like he's being tortured taking their first picture together:

NorCal

Ryan, Austin and I took our very first road trip together up to Northern California to see our friends Adam, Mel and their little girl Gianna a couple of weekends ago. Austin was AMAZING in the car for 7 hours there and back. We were so impressed!

While up there, we just relaxed, let the kids play and ate great food. It was nice to get away, even for just a weekend!

We could not beleive how BIG Gianna is getting!!! wow. It seems like just yesterday she was born!

Daddy and Austin playing in the water

It was about 100 degrees up there, so Mel went out and bought a baby pool for the kids... but the grownups ended up enjoying it too!

Girls gone wild

Silly Daddy!

The boys and Gianna

Daycare Dance Party!

Belinda took the kiddos to Chucky Cheese today and they had a dance party! Austin is the kid in the front spinning. It's so fun to see Austin now playing and interacting with other little ones! He really just started "playing" with others instead of the parallel play recently.... now we need to work on sharing because everything is "MINE!" lately. Yes, we are definitely in the "terrible twos" stage a bit early.

And here are some photos from last week when Belinda took the kids to Atlantis, a fun park in Garden Grove. I'm actually going to take him there tomorrow because I've heard so many great things!

4th of July!

We had a pretty low-key 4th of July, but it was really nice. We went over to one of Ryan's friend's houses for a BBQ earlier in the day and then headed over to our friend Randi and Kurt's house. Randi and Kurt worked at Solstice with us back in the day and then Randi and I had worked together at a couple of other places. I really miss seeing her everyday, so it was nice to get together. They are getting married in October and I'm in the wedding, so lots of fun things to catch up on wedding-wise!

Austin had fun with their dog June (a big, hyper boxer!) and after she settled down, she gave Austin a ton of big wet kisses. We then watched fireworks over the lake they live by- They were kind of far away, so Austin was interested for the first few and then lost interest quickly! Next year, we'll be sure to get closer to the fireworks so he can hear them too!

Here's Austin with the sparklers that Randi got him!

Me and Randi Lee

"I love you"

Austin said "I love you" for the very first time last night... sounded more like "I do" or "I dee do", but I know that's what it was because every time I would say it, he would try to say it. Absolutely the best sound in the world- Warms my heart :)

Laguna

Ryan and I decided to pack up yesterday and head down to the Sawdust Art festival in Laguna. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. We walked around the festival for a bit and then decided to head down to the beach. I always forget how much I LOVE laguna. It's just so beautiful and the beach is cleaner, the water is bluer and the culture of Laguna beach makes the hassle of getting there worth while. Luckily, Ryan and I found a great parking lot just up the canyon with a free shuttle into town, so I think that we will start going to Laguna much more now that we found this and don't have to bother with the insane traffic to get there.

At the sawdust Festival:

Being buried in the sand by mommy:

Cheese!

San Diego Zoo!

Belinda took her week vacation last week, so we were lucky enough to have my mom come out and watch Austin for a few days. She had picnics at the park and took him to a fair! 

My mom flew in on Saturday and so we decided to head down to the San Diego Zoo on Sunday. The morning started off a bit rough though- we were in line getting a starbucks before heading down to San Diego and, out of no where, Austin puked all over himself and the floor. Man. That's embarrassing! We were debating on whether to just head home, but he seemed fine so we decided to just chance it and go down to San Diego. I'm glad we did- he was fine and we had so much fun!!! I had only ever been to the San Diego Zoo once with my own grandparents when I was about 10 years old and my mom had never been there. Austin especially loved the monkeys- one of the  orangutans was sitting up right against the glass and he thought it was the best thing in the world. I will never forget the way his face lit up when he saw it!

That zoo truly is incredible. I can't wait to take him more and more as he gets older!

Thanks again mom for coming out to help!