#45

Tuesday July 12, 2011

Dear Monkey,

As we drove home tonight after a long day of work I heard you in the back seat babbling and it was music to my ears. No matter what kind of day I have had you always seem to make it better. Sometimes it could be a smile or an especailly tight hug, they are small little gesture that makes my heart melt.

For the last month or so I have been introducing you to finger foods. It was wonderful watching you go from sometimes being able to get the food into your mouth to being pretty good at feeding yourself. You are just too cute when you eat, you are just so proud. You sit up nice and tall in your highchair, and make this big wide hand gesture as you bring the food to your mouth. Once you taste your food you somehow manage to make your self sit up even higher with proudness oozing out of you. With every ounce of your body, you project this since of accomplishment.

 Your list is growing everyday, especially since you have started  to show signs of becoming a picky eater. We have started a full blown campaign of "What will Aj Eat". I want you to enjoy food as much as your Daddy and I, so I have vowed to show you all the wonderful foods out there. As of tonight, here is your list of Top 3 Favorite Finger Foods
1. Blueberries
2. Tofu rolled in Cereal
3. Cheesy Toast

We met with your Oncologist on Friday and everything went well. Your AFP is still registering high however everything else is looking good. You're eating and sleeping well you are not running a fever and your lymph nodes that are swollen are only the size of a pea. In a nut shell we are going to watch you closely over the next couple of months to see how you do. You have no idea what a sigh of relief this was for the whole family. We felt blessed that you would not have endure any more pain or discomfort.

As always my little monkey remember that I love you very much, my life revolves around you and I am only happy if you are happy.

Love from the bottom of my Heart
Mommy

C is Circus

When we were young the world around us was new and exciting, as we get older we start to lose that view on life. Yet as a parent we to experience that joy and wonderment through our children.

The One and Only

The Wonder

The Amazement 

The Talent

#43 & #44

Tuesday July 5, 2011

Dear Baby Boy,
As I write this you're in your room trying to fall asleep. You used to fall right asleep when we laid you in your crib, but for the last six weeks it has become a struggle. It all started when you had your surgery, we still do not know if it's because you are afraid to fall asleep or if it's because you learned new tricks. The same week you had your surgery you learned how to roll over really quick and sit up, a couple weeks later you learned how to stand up. Every night you stand up in your crib and cry these huge alligator tears. It is the hardest thing to see you go through night after night. All I want to do is run into you room sweep you into my arms and rock you to sleep, but then there is the part of my that wants you to learn how to be independent and learn how to sooth yourself. For now your Daddy and I compromise every 3-4 minutes we go into your room and give you a hug or rub your back. After 20-30 minutes you will fall asleep. I hope you know how hard it is to let you cry, there has been a couple nights were I will lay on your floor and hold your hand through the bars on your crib. I loved doing it too, you would hold my hand and play with my fingers and slowly fall asleep. You are just too smart cause now you roll over pull down the bumper and laugh at me and think it's a game, so no more of that

Love you Always and Forever
Mommy

4th of July

And I'm proud to be an American,

where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died,

who gave that right to me.

Lee Greenwood

Are you Looking At Me

Enjoying the Prade 

Cheesing It up

Double Trouble!

Off to Wonderland

 Pierre and Briannahs Wedding

June 26, 2011

On a perfectly warm Saturday day in June, guest arrived at Poppa and Melissa's house in Castro Valley, Ca, were they took the leap down the rabbit hole to a land of love and fantasy to be known as Alices Wonderland.

"Begin at the beginning and go on to the end and then Stop" - the King

I ask Briannah what made her choose Alice and wonderland for a theme, and she simple told me that her and Pierre love to drink a lot of tea, it is a nightly ritual that they both hold dear. I adore how something so small could turn into such a wonderful themed wedding.

Family came from all over the country to help these two transform their Grandparents backyard into their own utopia. Plants were placed and planted with care, decorations were hung in just the right manner, every little detail was thought about and set up with loving hands.

This wedding held a special place in my heart, Briannah is like a cousin to me. When I was younger Briannah would hang out with Melissa and I, looking up to what her big cousins were doing and mimic it whether it was good our bad. I am so happy to say that I got to watch her grow up and on this day I got watch this couple promise their love for each. They took a vow to devote to each other love through thick and thin. It was truly a magically day, not only for the Bride and Groom but for the guest as well. We are all so lucky to be able to share in their special day

The next generation of Trouble

Blake, Aj Julian
Melissa, mine and Steffanie's Sons

Exploring the California Acadamy of Science

 One of the joys about living in the Bay Area is all of the amazing places and things to do at our finger tips. On this particular day we journeyed into San Fransisco to visit the California Academy of Science.

We left the hot dry weather of the suburbs and drove into the city, we could feel the tempter drop and soon realized that we did not back enough warm cloth. Luckily the baby had a sweater and a blanket, so he got bundled up for the short walk through Golden Gate Park to the museum.




We meet up with my dear Big Sis Denise and her wonderful family and Boyfriend at the entrance. Everyone was really excited to see each other and to meet the baby for the first time.  I don't get to see my Big very often but when I do it always makes my day. I was so lucky to have found such a wonderful friend and just love spending time with her and her family. Three years ago she meet Paul her AMAZING boyfriend. I love watching the two of them together, they are so cute and you can just tell how much in love they are.



Aaron and I have been to the museum once before and we both Love the rain forest exhibit. They have done such a beautiful job of putting together the Living Rain Forest you "Step inside a living 4-story rain forest, where dripping water sets the beat for a symphony of croaking frogs and chirping birds." You enter at the floor of the forest "and climb into the tree-tops of Costa Rica to find free-flying birds and butterflies." The child in us all came out in the forest, it is amazing to see this beautiful butterfly fluttering around. Their colors and size range from dull brown to vibrant pinks and blue and small as a couple inches to as larger as your whole hand.  You feel as if you are taking a mini vacation and are transferred to a whole new world with out ever getting on a plane. "Finally, descend in a glass elevator into the Amazonian flooded forest, where an acrylic tunnel allows you to walk beneath the catfish and arapaima that swim overhead."


 I love seeing the wonderment and excitement in Aj eyes as a big Catfish swims overhead or when a yellow tropical fish comes up to say hi. I can never say thank you enough to the people who make museums like these possible. With out them we would never be able to pet a star fish or see an albino Alligator swim around. The love and dedication that the employees of the California Science Academy bring to our experience is priceless and very much appreciated

#42

Tuesday June 21, 2011

Dear Aj,
What a week! We got some great news about your tumor, we found out that the tumor is a Mature Teritoma which is non cancerous. We are not out of the woods quite yet, for the next couple week we will be watching your blood levels really closely.

As always life goes on and you keep growing and developing into who you are to become. On Sunday your Daddy found you standing up in your crib just like a big boy. This is just one of the ways that you are transforming in front of my eyes. You are demanding more and more solid foods, purees that used to be your favorite you just cant be bothered. You are loving finding the new textures and taste of solids. You are letting me know the foods that you do not like, but Mommy is persistent and I refuse to let you be a picky eater. You have become quite the little mover and shaker, you are crawling all over the place exploring your new world, you are so proud of your self when you pull your self up to standing.

As always everyone is infatuated with you. When you saw your doctor they all commented on how you look like the Gerber Baby, your Daddy has been trying to talk me into putting you into modeling maybe you do have career in your future. only time will tell

Today we had to go and get your blood drawn. You were such a brave little boy, you had your pacifier and your ipod ready and you only cried once! I was so proud of you.

I will love you for Always
Mommy