The QT Pie that is Abby!

I got to visit Matt, Deb, and the new sweet addition to the family- little Abigail! She was born in September on the 22nd and I had to wait a little while to see her but was so happy I got the chance to make a quick trip to Denver for three days. It is cool being an Aunt! DT stayed home with Adam and I got to snuggle with the little bean. She is pretty much as cute as a babe can be.

Momma Gets a JOB

Training for my new job started this Monday and it has been quite the adjustment (for me at least). Dylan has been rolling with it, and I think he truly enjoys his time with his "super nanny" Jessica! It is sweet- he can pretty much say her name and it is such a relief to know he is with someone I can trust, and that I can see she cares about my child! She took him to Coronado on Monday and today took him for a walk to Main Street here in the good ol'hood to check out the ducks (which I have never seen). She is the girlfriend of one of Adam's co-workers- very lovely and fun- DT liked her right away whenever we hung out. She has made it possible for me to go back to work without crying and I am so grateful! Thank you Jessica!

So, I got a job at Grossmont Hospital, which is the closest facility to our place and will hopefully be even closer after we move (still looking, saw a great place today- wish us luck). I'll be in the ER doing Admitting as a Per Diem, which is good since I'll make more money, though also a bummer since I don't get any benefits. I think it is a good start to return to work, and it was one of the first few jobs I applied for, so I didn't have to try too hard- and that is good for this bum! I should be working about 2-3 days a week and Adam is covering most of the time- it is mostly this month we need help since I am gone a lot with training.

I forgot what it is like to sit for long periods of time- having a toddler means I am always going. In fact, dear readers, it was kind of hard to convince myself to sit down once again at this darn computer. It is oddly exhausting.

DT is as genius as ever- it is amazing the sounds and words he can imitate now. Even my friend Julie was surprised the other day when he repeated, quite clearly, the word "spider man" and then said it again a minute later unprompted! Of course, he hasn't been running around saying it since then, but still, I believe it is an impressive word for an 18-month-old to utter.

It seems like his mind is expanding so much at this point- he understands a lot more and is trying to get a bit of independence going. You can see the satisfaction on his face- when he creates marks with crayons or paint or chalk (and yes, there has been a wall coloring incident- ah, it happens so quickly); or when he has helped me in some way, like watering the plants. And he is getting down some good white dude dance moves- bouncing up and down, turning around in a circle, getting real excited and shouting "yeah!"

And, to prove he is without a doubt Adam's child, he points up to the sky and declares "airplane" or "copter" and it never gets old.

Back to the basics

Hello again loved ones, sorry for the previously unexplained absence- although most of you who would in fact read any of this already knew we were in Colorado for most of the summer. For two months we visited families and attended two weddings. Oh and we wouldn't forget Deb's baby shower and the rowdy bridal shower/ bachelorette party for Sabrina (don't worry- I won't post the naughty pictures!). He he hee. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to spend more time with the relatives and friends since DT is growing so fast and soon I will return to the world of worker bees.

But alas, upon looking back at my pictures from the summer I realized. . . I don't have many. You would think I forgot to bring my camera from my pithy selection of moments in time. I think I was just too busy trying to have fun and chase Dylan around to stop and shoot. I did take pictures with other people's cameras, and they took pictures of us. . . and I am still trying to sort out exactly how to coordinate the transfer of said pictures. It is times like these I feel I stepped off the technology train a few stops too early.

Anyways, more to come from these past summer and current events.

Partying in Portland

Please excuse the long absence to those of you who check the blog regularly. A lot of growing has been happening this past month. DT is totally a toddler now! New skills include walking backwards, turning himself around in a circle until he gets dizzy and falls over, and texting with mom's cellphone. Clearly, he is a genius child.

We just returned from Portland where we had a lovely time visiting my dear friends Ginger and Laresa. Ginger is engaged to a fantastic dude, Ian, and Re's man Drew is the coolest. Cheryl (free spirit mom) was also in town and we partied it up for Gin's bridal shower. We also went to the Rhododendren Gardens and did some shopping. Gin kept this tired ol' mom up talking late at night, although somehow I feel like there was still more to talk about. Ian was a champion and entertained Dylan, reading to him, exposing him to good funk and soul music, and baking cookies for him. Actually he bakes cookies all the time, delicious, addictive cookies from which I am suffering through withdrawal now. Thanks a lot.

I loved their house- vintage, colorful, relaxed and inviting. The guest bedroom is in the process of becoming Van Gogh's bedroom. And they have a hammock gazebo and a myriad of tasty garden treats.

If you guys read this, I hope you know we had an awesome time! Thanks for feeding us so well and loving Dylan so much. I am sure DT has dreams of talking twigas now. The wedding is going to be such a great time, we are looking forward to it.

Portland is so green and groovy. It rained a lot but it smelled good and it seemed to operate on a slower pace- less traffic, more coffee time and good eating. And who doesn't love a giant Paul Bunyan. . .

See you again in India someday?

Last week or so Adam said farewell to one of his first students, Nitin, and also to some new friends, Malti and her son Akshay.

Malti had Adam as her progress check pilot and they bonded as she is both a great person and a great private pilot (congrats Malti!). Akshay is one of the coolest kids we know, and became an instant buddy to Dylan when we came to visit CFA.

We took Nitin to an Indian feast (or as we say in the good ol' USA, a buffet) to a place where even he thought some of the food was spicy. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to get to know some of the people Adam works with everyday, and it is fun to hear them joke with him and shower DT with attention.

They also extended an invitation to come visit them in India. . . little did they realize I am the kind of gal who would really like to take them up on that offer. . .

Birthday Bonanza

It is wild to think that just a year ago, Adam and I were just introduced to this amazing little creature that we made! And he has turned out to be so great so far!

The DT birthday showdown was hot and busy. We had our luncheon on the grass at Big Rock Park, at the base of Cowles Mountain in Mission Trails Regional Park. It is an awesome park- and we apparently we not the only people to know this. . . there were at least two other birthday parties (complete with jump-o-fun's and pinatas and princesses) and a volleyball troop. We were casual and low-key, and Dylan got to check out all the other happenings too. Our lovely friends and neighbors came to celebrate and wish our little dude well. Gramps was in town for a visit and helped me in all my crazed preparations (thanks Pops). And while I tried to keep the secret, inner control freak part of myself at bay, I did get a touch silly with the preciseness of the table arrangement- unfortunately there is no picture to prove this detail. I think Dylan had fun- he passed out afterwards like a senior after graduation day!

I am so thankful we have some good people surrounding us out here in the land of perpetual sunshine.

I am also thankful we have family visitors on a regular basis. DT and I took Gramps to Ocean Beach and it was another beautiful day, the water even felt like it was getting warmer. Dylan lured a cute little miss with his beach toys and enjoyed watching her fill a bucket with sand. He was also in awe of her advanced vocabulary and ability to communicate things she wanted (more water). He is a chick magnet.

A dude of nature

We love getting outside, especially now that Dylan is cruising! He will make a break for it when I let him loose in the park. The first picture is from a couple of weeks ago at Lake Murray, where we watched ducks and geese as we ate lunch. The other pic is from today, at a playgroup date. The grass was calling. . . Notice the sportingly handsome sweater he is wearing? Props to Auntie Shay and her crazy knitting skills- we got lots of compliments on it and it kept DT nice and cozy on a windy day, so thank you Auntie! I think you could make it a small business. . .

Only two more days to the big first birthday! DT is anxious to party!

One small step for man

Actually, lots of steps for the little man! Dylan is officially walking as of this past Friday and I know I am late to write about it. . . but I wanted to post a video that we took, and have been unsuccessful at uploading said video. He is the coolest little walker- since he has caught on he is blazing around showing off and beaming exuberance! And there is a lot of expressive jabbering to go along with it. He is trying hard to say "doggie" and to sign "more" and "fish"- or he is trying to wave- it is hard to tell.
All the running around has made him pretty tired today and he may have his last "baby" cold (also hard to tell). I can't believe he is toddling his way to his first birthday!
So, he wants to party it up (he told me), have some milky cocktails and invite all his buddies. Then they are going to cruise the park looking for chicks. I will post pictures of the festivities.
Thanks to all of you who voted in the poll. I appreciate any comments (either directly to the post or to my email), it helps to know if y'all check it out, and keeps up the motivation factor!

So, again, I don't have a picture of this, but yesterday there was a plane crash at the flight school. Adam had the day off but we drove by to check out the scene. The student who was flying it is unharmed but the plane caught fire after he evacuated and is a total loss. It even made the local news. And luckily it wasn't one of Adams' students!

Another Day at the Beach

Today Adam was off from work and actually got to frolick a bit in the ocean! We went to Tourmaline beach and it was another beautiful day. . . cloudless blue sky and somewhere between 70 and 80 degrees. It made me think about my dear friends and family back home in the land of snow in March. That would be a good band name. . . Snow in March, or maybe Snow in April.

Anyways, it was truly exciting today because Dylan started to take some steps on his own! Of course he is not completely running around yet, but he is definitely starting to get the hang of it. Next up, he will try surfing- as you can see in the photos, he is ready.

The DT personality is growing, and I forget sometimes that he understands more and more each day (scary! and exciting). He loves to watch and wants to play with older kids, he is recognizing more animals in his books and he likes to brush his teeth. One of my favorite tricks is to ask him what sound a lion makes, and he gives out a little "roar."

A Day at the Beach

Uncle Matt and Aunt Debbie came to visit for a few days on their way home from New Zealand and Antarctica. We had a relaxing lunch and trolled along the boardwalks of Mission and Pacific beach. Dylan cruised in the sand and impressed the ladies at the restaurant with his mad flirtation skills and by climbing a flight of stairs with great determination and rigor. It was a spring break scene! Dylan loved the time spent with two of my favorite people- thanks to brother and sister-in-law for making time to see us and brave the drive from LAX.
Dylan wants to get walking and is standing for longer periods of time. . . soon my days will be filled with the lovely game of chase! He likes to wake up "Da" in the mornings and spend time with him before he heads off to work. Lucky Da.

A new generation indeed!

Welcome dearest friends and family to my 21st century attempt to keep you all "posted" on all the profound thoughts, feelings and happenings in my world. And by profound I mean, you know, ordinary everyday stuff that is extra ordinary when you see it through the beautiful blue eyes of Dylan Thomas.