Morro Bay!

First off: Happy Birthday, Mommy!!! Dylan, Max and I are sooo very lucky to have you in our lives!

OK, so I'm getting ahead of myself here. Where are the Christmas photos?!? But as the author of the blog, I get to make command decisions - and I'm making one (and the Christmas photos are coming...promise).

We just got back from a very nice, if short, trip to Morro Bay. It was great to get out of town and see something besides Sacramento. It was raining when we arrived, but the weekend cleared nicely, and we enjoyed all our time there and in nearby San Luis Obispo. My mother was able to join us on the visit, and the boys enjoyed getting to see Grandma Pilulaw again.

Also, we got an unexpected surprise in that many of my relatives from Santa Maria drove up the 101 Hwy and met us in SLO on Sunday. It was great for me as it had been a number of years since I'd seen many of them. Dylan totally enjoyed meeting his young cousins, who kept him entertained.

So here are some photos from the trip in no particular order.

Dylan and Mommy.

Morro Bay. January, 2010.

Dylan loves things that move,

especially vintage cars - with surfboards!

Grandma Pilulaw, Mommy, Max, Dylan and Poppy.

Morro Bay. January, 2010.

Max and Mommy. San Luis Obispo.

January, 2010.

Aunt Frances, Grandma Pilulaw and Dylan.

San Luis Obispo. January, 2010.

Cousin Henry, Aunt Frances.

San Luis Obispo. January, 2010.

Cousin "Little" Ernie.

San Luis Obispo. January, 2010.

"Little" Ernie's Wife, Connie

and her daughter, Madeline.

San Luis Obispo. January, 2010.

Cousin Jose, "Big" Ernie and

his niece Amanda Rose.

San Luis Obispo. January, 2010.

Amanda Rose and Madeline.

San Luis Obispo. January, 2010.

Dylan had a blast with these two girls,

who seemed equally taken with him!

Just 'Cause!

Dylan. January, 2010.

Just because The Boy is so darn cute!

Dylan Paints His Masterpiece!

Dylan Paints His Masterpiece.

January, 2010.

Dylan got an easel for painting and drawing for Christmas, as well as supplies like paints, paper, etc... Here he is, captured by Mommy, in the act of creating! I couldn't be prouder. As you can see, Dylan has the creative countenance: intense and intent. And note the naked feet... a true Artist!

We are going to frame his first works, and I'm sure there will be more to come. Look for them in museums around the world!

Max As The Dude - And More, Of Course!

Max and Dylan. January, 2010.

One Pooped Max! January, 2010.

Max Chillin' with Mommy!

January, 2010.

Just some shots of The Boys and their wonderful Mommy! The top one has Max decked out like Nanook of the North, while Dylan is nearly naked - a study in contrast. The middle one is Max zonked out after a morning at the park with the family unit. And the bottom one has Max dressed in his casual wear - a bathrobe - after a bath given him by a very proud and happy Mommy!

Me, I just get to love 'em all!

Max Rolls Over!

Max Joseph.

That's the way he rolls.

Sacramento. January 6, 2010

Now, this boy had rolled over a few times, but only once and we didn't really consider it a roll, more of an accidental flip. But last night, when it was just Max and Poppy, as we were doing some fun tummy time, he rolled over. So I put him on his tummy again, and boom, he rolled over again! The third time I grabbed the camera and recorded it for posterity. (I tried for a fourth time, but he wasn't having anything to do with that!)

And Mommy said that Max rolled over again during his tummy time today.

So it's official - the boy can roll!

Max's Two-Month Well Baby Visit!

Max. Happy Boy. January, 2010.

Last week, Max had his 2-month well baby visit with the doctor. Everything checked out, and his growth is moving strongly ahead. Mommy has the little boy doing his tummy time, and it's paying off, as Max can lift his head like a pro. He's turned over a couple times, but not consistently (read: on our demand!).

Max had to have a battery of injections, which Mommy bravely endured on her own while Dylan and I went to the pharmacy to get some infant Tylenol. (In fairness, I accompanied Dylan on my own when he had to get blood drawn for his annual lead analysis - we live in an old home - and annual iron analysis, all normal.) Of course, Max did not like getting poked. Nor did his brother.

Here are some of Max's stats over the last few weeks!

Weight:

November 4, 2009: 9lb, 8.4oz (63 percentile)

November 18, 2009: 11lb, 7.6oz (86 percentile)

December 30, 2009: 14lb, 1.1oz (83 percentile)

Height:

October 15, 2009: 1ft, 10in (99 percentile)

November 4, 2000: 1ft, 10.25in (89 percentile)

December 30, 2009: 2ft, 0.5in (84 percentile)

Head Size:

November 4, 2009: 14.76in (51 percentile)

December 30, 2009: 16.26in (67 percentile)

Max's next doctor appointment is March 1st.

Other news, we are all going to Morro Bay for a few days later this month. We hope that many of our SoCal family will be able to join us there to visit with the newest family member. But we are simply looking forward to a few days out of town in a lovely setting and all together!

Hope the new year is off to a great start for all of you!

The Boys!

Dylan and Max. December 20, 2009.

Sacramento, CA.

Here is a photo I took just a few days ago, at Mommy's request (and with her camera!), as a Christmas present for our parents and her grandmother. I like the spontaneity, and Dylan's smile is priceless. The brothers really like each other.

The Magical Onesie!

Back in May of 2008, one of Dylan's older brothers, Jack, found a special onesie for him. A photo of Dylan wearing the brand new garment is below...

Dylan Wearing Dylan. May, 2008

(8 months old)

Today, rummaging through his dresser looking for some warm clothes for our trip to the park, I found the same onesie. Now, he has worn this onesie many many times, but it had been awhile since he last put it on. "Would it still fit...?" I wondered. "Naw..." but I had Dylan try it on. And, lo and behold, it fits! It's a bit faded now after many washes, but it still fits and he wore it (and a few other layers) to the park today. And note: now Dylan has a neck!

It truly is a magical, miraculous, amazing onesie!

Dylan Wearing Dylan. December, 2009.

(27 months old)

Mike Visits Max, Dylan and the Others!

Uncle Mike, Max, Mommy, Poppy and Dylan

December 19, 2009. Sacramento, CA.

Uncle Mikey, from Mexico, is here for the holidays. Well, he's leaving soon to return to Old Mexíco, but when he arrived a couple weeks ago, he made our abode one of his first stops. He asked me to post the photo of his visit and I said I would, asap! So you know how that goes, but here it is, Mike! We've enjoyed having you around and will miss you when you leave.

The Official Christmas Photo, 2009!

We hope that this special time of year is a joyous one for you and your family.

Merry Christmas to All!

Max, Mommy, Dylan, Poppy.

Sacramento, CA.

12.12.09

We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and all the Best for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

More Halloween Madness!

Here are some photos from Halloween, '09! The first three were taken by Mommy just before the entourage left for their crazy run through the neighborhood, pounding on doors, charming the unsuspecting victims with cuteness and coyness, and then demanding payment (i.e., candy)!

A splendid time was had by all.

Max. Halloween, 2009.

Max. Halloween, 2009.

Max. Halloween, 2009.

Dylan. Halloween, 2009.

Sacramento, CA.

Dylan. Halloween, 2009.

Sacramento, CA.

Dylan. Halloween, 2009.

Sacramento, CA.

Dylan. Halloween, 2009.

Sacramento, CA.

Dylan. Halloween, 2009.

Sacramento, CA.

Dylan. Halloween, 2009.

Sacramento, CA.

Lady Bug and 1st Check-up!

Here's Max in his official Halloween portrait, done up in the height of Lady Bug fashion! (More Halloween photos and news to follow soon!)

Today, Max had his first well-baby checkup, and everything looks great. He has put on nearly two pounds (way to go, Mommy!), and a bit of height as well. No more concerns about jaundice, and his physical shows everything is going just the way it is supposed to go. No shots or blood work today, so that saved Mommy and Poppy some anguish, but the next visit will more than make up for today's lack of poking and prodding.

Mommy continues to recover. She had herself checked out today as well, and the incision is healed and all other signs point towards her getting more and more of her old life back again! Given what happened to her, I am totally amazed she can function at all, and she does so much more than that!

For now, all is well, all is smooth and we are all very happy.

I also want to thank Mommy's family, particularly Suzy, Jim and Jake for opening up their home and their hearts to Dylan. They took such great care of him while Mommy, Max and I were in the hospital for several days after the birth. We didn't have to worry at all about how he was doing or if he was safe or cared for. And also big thanks to Mommy's mom, Pat, and dad, Lou, for tons of continued support. And thank you to all of you who have sent notes, called, stopped by to visit at the hospital or at our home, and otherwise expressed your interest and concern for all of us. Thank you all!

Miscellaneous Musings with Max and More!

The Boys!

Doctor Dylan Makes a House Call!

After much soul searching and browsing the costume aisles at Target and looking on line, we finally made a decision about Dylan's Halloween costume: surgical scrubs. We thought it would be oh-so-cute if Dylan showed up at the hospital to visit his newly born baby brother on Halloween all dressed up in his scrubs. But then Max went and ruined that plan by being born 2 weeks early!

Oh, well... Just a few days before Max showed up, Jennifer made an appointment with Dr. Dylan, OB/GYN, for her next-to-last prenatal appointment. Here are some photos of that visit.