Domicile

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

An entire summer has gone by since the last time I post. Declan has turned 2 and probably has grown a couple of inches and gained a pound or two. We went on a hike last weekend in Runyon Canyon.
Here he is squatting down for the picture just like daddy.

This past weekend we went to the pumpkin patch. We took a hayride and spent some time petting the animals at the petting zoo.
We picked out our pumpkins.

Then when we got home Declan started his own pumpkin delivery service using is new trike.

Airplane!

2009-05-30T17:08:00.001-07:00

While visiting Iowa Declan sat in the cockpit of my uncle's 1946 Fairchild.

He also took a ride in a Tiger Moth that was just his size.

It's Grillin' Time!

2009-05-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!!
Love,
Summer, Jared and Declan

San Francisco

2009-05-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

Declan and I went on a road trip to San Francisco to meet my mom who was there for a conference. Declan enjoyed looking at the cars from the 24th floor of our hotel.

Being so close to Napa, we shopped for tasty wine at the Ferry Building.

We ate a ton of tasty food in San Fran. Cheese, fruit, fresh bread and pastries!

Here I am holding on to D as tight as I can while we were on the cable car. He was squirmy and completely fascinated with the gears that controlled the car behind our seat.

street artist

2009-04-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today Declan came home from daycare with paint all over his shirt and a pair of loaner pants from school. He looks like a little street artist working his way across Europe painting art on sidewalks with his box of Crayola Chalk.

Here's a pic of D napping over the weekend. He sleeps like a champ on the weekend. He took a good 3 hour nap on Saturday afternoon. I can't believe how big he's getting. He takes up the entire crib!!

Easter

2009-04-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a Happy Easter! The Easter Bunny gave Declan a new ball and some bubbles. He was very excited! Jared made a "City Ham" and I made my grandmother's rolls and corn casserole. We had some friends over to help us eat all the food, since it was a little too much for Declan's 3pm snack!

We hid eggs in our yard and had to teach Declan how to find them.

After a few eggs, he was on his own finding eggs all over the back yard.

"Ummm, excuse me Mom, can you hide these again?"

Post Stitches

2009-03-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Everything has been good since Dec got his stitches out. We have a daily regiment of scar cream and sunscreen to help the wound heal. We've been playing outside a lot and enjoying the longer days.

Declan is now big enough to climb up on chairs including his high chair. It scares me when he attempts to climb into his rocking chair, but so far no accidents. Hope all is well! Happy Spring!

Toddler Battlescar

2009-03-04T20:26:00.001-08:00

Declan fell yesterday at daycare and cut open his head! We took him to the ER and he had 13 stitches to fix the wound. He was so brave! By the time we left the ER he was giving nurses high fives and collecting stickers!

The story we are telling everyone is that he was working on his lion taming act.

Armed only with a rusty soldering iron, a three-legged stool, a copy of Sun-Tzu's The Art of War, and an indomitable iron will; he cast caution to the wind and attempted to force the King of Beasts into a fearsome Cyborg Lion Army to do his terrible bidding. Alas, the lions rebelled, and our hero barely escaped... taking with him a gash above his eyebrow and thirteen blue stitches to remind him of that fateful day.

But actually, he tripped while he was carrying too many books at daycare, and hit his head on the door.It's still raining here. Here are a couple of pics from the last couple of weeks.

Swimming Lessons

2009-02-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

Declan is in swimming lessons this month and doing pretty well. The first lesson he was a little nervous and tentative, but the 2nd lesson he was all about being in the pool! They taught him how to kick and paddle, blow bubbles in the water and hang off of the side of the pool by himself like a spider.

"Mom, I need to hydrate before I hit the pool!"

January

2009-01-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

January has been a month of taking it easy after the busy holiday season. Declan has been playing with all of his new books and toys.

He's been practicing his two new favorite words, "Cracker?" (he always says it as a question) and "Up!" (he enunciates the p with such vigor and explanation you have no choice but to comply with his demand).

Winter is our favorite time of year here in SoCal! We are enjoying the warm weather and eagerly wait for daylight savings to enjoy longer days. Hope all is well with eveyone!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

We have been on the go.. First to Kansas for Christmas, then Colorado for skiing. Unfortunately I only have a couple of phone pics and I'm hoping that some family members will send us some Christmas morning pics. : ) Here's a few from before we left.

Here's D all bundled up for the snowy weather in Colorado.

With all the toys D got for Christmas, he only wants to play with the plunger! He looks like little orphen Annie singing "It's a Hard Knock Life." Happy New Year everyone!!

It's the Holidays!

2008-12-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

The temperature has dipped into the 60's here in LA and we are all bundled up in fleece.

We made holiday cookies to eat while we are decorating the Christmas tree!

Declan helped pick out the tree and decorate. He enjoyed hanging up the ornaments and looking a the lights. Happy Holidays!

Go Go!

2008-11-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

OH MY!!! We are on the go and Declan's parents are exhausted. Declan grabs his bike helmet and says "Go Go." He learned how to open doors and there is no containing him.

We tried to get him to nap today and he refused! He preferred to dance with his maracas.

Instead of napping he is picking up his soccer ball and throwing it in the back yard. Can you see that his eyes are bloodshot? He looks like a college student that just pulled an all nighter for the big exam. He's surviving on graham crackers and juice.

Here he is on his 2nd wind in the kitchen. He finally went to sleep exhausted at 7:30! Whew!

Walking and a Haircut

2008-10-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Declan started taking a few steps on his birthday and a week later he is walking all over the place!
Since his hair was getting a little shaggy and hanging in his eyes we decided to give him his first haircut. He was crying at first, but after a few seconds of Donald Duck on the TV, he calmed right down.

And here are some more walking pics!

Happy Birthday Declan!

2008-10-15T21:47:00.001-07:00

Declan turned one today! Here are some of the highlights.

Somehow it's cool with your own kid

2008-10-12T15:57:00.001-07:00

Today we rode our bikes out to lunch and then decided to go to the mall. Since we didn't have a stroller with us, we borrowed one of the cars and pushed Declan around in it. He loved it!

Almost a year

2008-09-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

We're a couple of weeks out from D's first birthday. He's walking all over the place with the assistance of his car aka "The Shuttle." He can stand by himself, but then looks around like "Wait a second... what's holding me up right now?"

Here is Dec having a little bit of fun after his bath pushing the shuttle around his room. Hope all is well with everyone!

Saturday Fun!

2008-09-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun Saturday in the Stone house. Dec and I went to Poquito Mas for lunch and he tried refried beans and enchiladas for the first time.

Baby D's latest trick is walking by himself with his toy car. He has taken a couple of steps by himself once at home and yesterday at daycare. He stood by himself for several minutes while distracted and looking at a straw. As soon as he realizes he is standing by himself he gets soooo excited he topples over. No major injuries yet, knock on wood!

Puppy Love

2008-09-11T21:24:00.001-07:00

Basil is always sniffing for food. Cheerios? Apple Cinnamon Puffs? Cookies?

Declan is much more advanced than Basil in his search for food. He just crawls up to the fridge and starts banging on it. Hope all is well!

Labor Day

2008-09-01T18:52:00.001-07:00

We're taking baby steps all over the place. Baby D can walk with our help the length of the kitchen. He's very excited about this. He tilts his head back at us with a huge grin when he starts walking.

Here Dec and I are both sporting our curly hair because of the humidity and heat of the summer. I think Declan can pull it off better than I can. : ) Happy Labor Day!

Silly Faces!

2008-08-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

We had a fun morning of silliness, with the highlight being Basil stealing a sock from Declan's hand. This made him laugh out loud like he was thinking "A dog eating a sock, now I've seen everything!" Then baby D gets dressed just in time for a nap. Fun times!

Weekends are so fun!

2008-08-23T22:32:00.000-07:00

Dec has been wearing his PJ's a lot lately. 2 days of "Pajama Day" at daycare, plus it's the weekend so we are in PJ's until noon.
Here he is at daycare in his PJ's.

Last weekend we went on a bike ride to the park. In preparation of D starting snacks at daycare, we tried all of the following snack food within about 3 days: Goldfish, graham crackers, nilla wafers, saltines and cheese slices. All of them were a hit with the cheese being the obvious favorite.

Making Friends with Cheerios

2008-08-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

In addition to learning how to pull all of our books out of the book shelf and strolling to the park to swing in the bucket swing, Declan has learned to feed Basil cheerios and their relationship has taken a turn for the better.

See how Basil is sitting for Declan?? B has never shown that level of respect for Declan before.

Spice in Town

2008-08-02T08:28:00.001-07:00

Spicey was in town last weekend to visit her grandbaby!

However, we did leave Baby D with his daddy for the day and drove to La Jolla to visit my brother and attend a family friend's wedding.

Spice and Basil snuggled on the couch and watched TV.. Aah!

Declan is climbing up on my legs. Remember when you could recognize your Momma by her pant leg??

And more fun times in the kitchen. This time we pulled out all of the paper bags and crawled over them.

Fun Times in the Kitchen!

2008-07-21T20:08:00.001-07:00

I just stepped away for a second

2008-07-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

and this is how I found Declan when I came back.

Grandparents in Town

2008-07-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

And they arrived with gifts! Declan loves riding around on his new truck. Plus he is learning his farm animals.The cat says meow. MEOOOW!

We tried to send Dec on a vacation via US post office, but he escaped. :)

Train trip to Seattle!

2008-06-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

We took an overnight train to Seattle. Our trip started with us taking the bus/train to Union Station to catch our train. Here's Dec and Jared waiting for the bus. Like the carseat on wheels? We just stashed Dec as a carry-on.

This was our little room for two days. There was also a dining car where we had breakfast, lunch and dinner and met lots of interesting people.

Our train was suppose to go up the coast through Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, but it was re-routed because of some bridge work. So our passenger train headed inland missing the coast entirely. However, this new and infrequently used (for a passenger train) route took us through the world famous (-ish) Tehachapi Loop - an engineering marvel of the 19th century. In order to gain elevation, the tracks loop back over themselves so that the engine of the train is actually momentarily above the caboose. There were a lot of train enthusiasts on to see it, some from as far away as Boston. One in a lifetime event, we were told. Here is a satellite view.

We all slept well in our bunks on the train. We woke up in northern California right by Mount Shasta.
A few hours later we were in Oregon with impressive vistas outside our window.

This is right before we entered the Seattle train station, passing through Puget Sound.

We made it! We were a little wobbly on our legs after being on a train for two days.

The comforts of our hotel room gave us room to sprawl!

Our first day out we visit the market to watch the fish fly and had Piroshky's at Piroshky Piroshky! yum!

Declan and I are impessed with Puget Sound!

We went to the top of the space needle!

Dec and I in front of our hotel.

We found a swing!

We took a flight home, but didn't take any pictures of checking the carseat at the gate or having our deoderant confiscated by security. We are safely home now and had a great vacation!

Ready to Ride

2008-06-14T08:36:00.001-07:00

So we are not 100% ready to take our precious babe out on the streets on the back of the bike. However, we do put him in the seat and put his helmet on to have him get used to everything. Besides that, we are enjoying playtime and the long days of summer.

Family Dinner

2008-05-31T20:47:00.001-07:00

We got a high chair for Dec that he can take to college! The slats move down as he gets older until it finally turns into a normal chair. Max weight 200 pounds! We had our first family dinner. D had turkey vegetable dinner with a side of rice cereal, while we had leftover Indian food. All in all a good day!

New Bike!

2008-05-24T22:29:00.001-07:00

Jared got a new bike that is designed to carry stuff and replace local driving. We've been riding to the grocery store for the past week. I got a box of diapers and a week's worth of groceries home in one ride.

Baby D got a new helmet with flames on the sides. We haven't tried out the baby seat for the back of the bike yet, but we will as soon as we are confident he's strong enough to be secure.

Ok... We're scared now.

2008-05-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Declan started out in the safety of the party tent with the green frog in his hand.. Some how the frog was thrown to the other side of the room and he decided to leave the party tent in search of the frog. Since he can only move by spinning around and pushing himself backwards, we were very impressed when he eventually made it to the frog via a very roundabout scenic route!

We had a lovely mother's day weekend. We packed up the Bjorn and took a look at some Swedish design at Ikea.

We went to Santa Barbara and ordered some seafood.

Then we ate some carrots and cereal on the patio.
We had a great mother's day!

Trying to sit up

2008-05-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

Declan is doing pretty well at sitting up by himself. Usually he slowly starts to lean to one side as well yell "Timber!"

Facing Forward!

2008-04-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

It looks like the flu and colds have left the Stone house and everyone is feeling better! Woo hoo! Declan went on his first walk facing forward which was fun for him because he can see everything, but sad for me because I couldn't see my baby right in front of me!

Here's baby D sporting his new shoes with puppy dogs on the tops of them.

Brunch with Friends

2008-04-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Our good friends from DC Joe and Christina were in LA and came over for brunch on Saturday.

We had a great time making mimosas with freshly squeezed oranges from our orange tree.

Declan had a breakthrough with eating yesterday. If he holds the spoon he's much more interested in eating his rice cereal with bananas. Plus our new brightly colored bowls made the food a lot more interesting for him. Woo hoo!

KU NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!

2008-04-07T21:21:00.001-07:00

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK BABY!!

Final Four, Rice Cereal and a Tooth!

2008-04-04T18:21:00.000-07:00

Wow! Big week in Declan's life. KU is in the Final Four. Declan's caretaker informed me today that Declan is teething. Being a first time mom I didn't notice, but sure enough once we took a look at his gums there are two big white baby teeth coming in his bottom gums

We tried rice cereal and carrots this week. Every time we approached his mouth with the spoon he would start blinking his eyes really quickly and then close his eyes.

What a week!

2008-03-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

Declan and I made a last minute trip to Dallas last weekend because my Dad was in the hospital. He's home now and everything is fine. All of the pics are pretty low rez since all I had with me was my camera phone. Here's Declan and I on the plane to Dallas.

Uncle Austin and Declan spent some quality time together.

Declan did get sick for the first time once we got home. He was out of comission all week!

But after some Tylenol, antibiotics and a nebulizer, he was back to his old tricks.

And some new tricks! He has now decided that his tummy is a comfier place to sleep than his back. Hope all is well with everyone!!

Spring has Sprung

2008-03-18T20:22:00.001-07:00

Our orange and lemon trees are in full bloom! It's light out when we get home now, so Declan enjoyed some outdoor time under the orange trees.

Outdoor time picking grass was great until we saw a snail in the grass. Eew.. time for the indoor toys!

Fun on Saturday!

2008-03-08T21:10:00.001-08:00

Saturday began with a trip to Target for dog food and diapers!

The weather was amazing today, so we spent some time outside picking oranges which are now in full bloom in the backyard.

In preparation for eating solids next month, we picked up a little chair for Declan. It has a tray that attaches to the front for when we start feeding him baby food. He hasn't quite got the hang of sitting up by himself, but we got another month!

Silly Face and Feet!

2008-02-27T19:20:00.001-08:00

Baby D likes to play in his "Party Tent" after a day of playing at day care. It helps him unwind after a long day.

Declan tests the limits of the bouncy seat by holding the overhead bar with his hand and foot, while kicking the toys with his other foot.

Fun with Heavy D

2008-02-23T09:36:00.001-08:00

Declan finished his first full week at daycare and did a great job! He went to the doctor on Monday and weighed in at 15 pounds 8 ounces.

Baby D's daddy tried out the baby sling. I don't think either of them were too happy about this.

Sunny and 70 Saturday

2008-02-09T20:23:00.001-08:00

Our Saturday began with brunch. It's not quite breakfast and it's not quite lunch, but you get a good meal!

After a couple of hours at Griffith Park, we went home and Declan played in his room.

Declan has accomplished one of his 4 new years resolutions. Gain some LB's!

Declan's Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Declan went with his parents to vote this morning.

Super Tuesday started with a diaper change.

He put on a sporty mock turtleneck that has penguins on it so he would look "Smart" at the voting polls.

Daddy and Dec Time

2008-02-03T09:18:00.001-08:00

That's right. Declan is watching his dad brush his teeth from the comforts of his baby bjorn!

It Rains in Southern California!

2008-01-25T15:23:00.001-08:00

Today Declan was all bundled up in his rain gear to go to the pediatrician for a check up. He is 14.1 pounds and 25 inches long. The doc said he looks good and healthy!

Baby Steps!

2008-01-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

That's right! All of the tummy time paid off! I can now avoid a full faceplant when my mommy and daddy put me on my tummy.

Also the advantage to being 3 months old is that all of the Sesame Streets are brand new! The writer's strike can't effect babies!

The bouncy seat is still fun!

We hope everyone's new year is off to a good start!

Declan's First Christmas!

2007-12-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

Not only was it Declan's first Christmas, but he also met the entire Moore side of the family!

We fried a turkey in the back yard. The following is the bird being injected with seasoning before the big fry.

Spicey spending some quality time with her newest grandson.

Grumps and Declan hanging out.

Santa brought Baby Declan a new teddy bear!

New Airplane!

2007-12-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Today Declan got a new airplane from Uncle Leon.

Played with his dog, Basil.

And then fell fast asleep!

11 pounds and Smiling!

2007-11-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

We just got back from the pediatrician and Declan weighed 11 pounds and 7 ounces, 90th percentile for his age.. He grew an inch to 22 1/2 inches, 75th percentile in height for his age.

I was lucky enough to get a smile from the D Man the other day. The doctor confirmed that it was a real smile and not just gas!

Chillin' at home with my Momma.

2007-11-28T16:45:00.001-08:00

We have come out of our Thanksgiving Day food comas (sort of) and are back to our normal routine of sleeping, eating and making funny faces.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

Uncle Aaron, Aunt Katie and Cousin Garrett came to visit from Kansas for Thanksgiving. Ben joined us for the festivities as well.

Declan is excited that he weighs more than the 8 pound turkey!

Garrett is hanging out watching Shrek 3 with his cousin Declan.

Declan enjoys his Circle book. He can't believe the surprise ending of a mirror at the end.

My Momma Dresses Me Funny!

2007-11-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

Declan sported polka dots and orange mohair booties to the mall yesterday! A little much for a trip to the book store, but it was fun.

He also was given a running stroller from Grumps and Grandma Debbie. We are looking forward to using it when he is big enough in 4 weeks.

4 weeks old on Monday

2007-11-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

Wow, time flies when your changing diapers! Declan is 4 weeks old on Monday. He's more awake and attentive during "Tummy Time" plus he is sleeping up to 4 and 5 hours at night! We are thrilled!

Welcome Home Declan!

2007-10-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Declan came home from the hospital on Thursday and his Grandmere arrived on Friday!

He likes his new crib and his mobile.

Declan met some of his new friends Jen, Ben and Andy.

Story time with his daddy.

Sunbathing with Dad and Basil.

9th and Final Month

2007-10-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

At the last sonogram Baby Stone's measurements was at 42 weeks even though I was in my 36th week. The doctor said if I don't go into labor in the next week or so, a C Section is the best option. Unless something exciting happens this week or the baby is smaller than they predicted at my next sonogram on Monday, we have a C Section tentatively scheduled for October 15th.

We are still trying to pick out a name. Considering Baby Stone's size, Zeus seems like a logical choice.

However, Jared is still very fond of Ichabod.

Basil likes the name Oregano and my nephew made the suggestion of Pineapple for a name. It's so hard to choose a name out of all of these wonderful options!

Fun with Basil

2007-08-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

We are 6 weeks out before I am in the "Window" of having the baby. We're trying to get out as much as possible before the end of summer and before the baby is born. Last weekend we took Basil to the beach. We had a 40 foot lead on her so she could run and jump in the ocean while we sat on the beach and read books.

Today we took B to Runyon Canyon Dog park. It's an off leash hiking trail. That's me resting at the top of the mountain checking out the smoggy LA views.

Baby's Room

2007-08-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

We finished the baby's room! The hardwood floors were installed and the crib and changing table arrived on the same day. We are both getting really excited about the baby! Basil is still very attached to her old room. We temporarily put her crate in the guest bedroom, but when we tell her to go to her crate, she runs to the baby's room. Then we have to show her that her crate is in another room. Poor thing!

Le Baby

2007-07-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

He's growing, moving, kicking and hiccuping. We're down to the final 3 month countdown. Here's a few pics of "le baby" in my "le belly."

The nursery is a work in progress. We've painted the walls green.

We painted one wall with chalkboard paint. This is our naming brainstorming wall. Don't be scared. There is no such thing as a bad idea during a good creative brainstorming session.

The baby has some stylish booties to keep him warm during the chilly California autumn.

Basil is enjoying her last few months in what used to be her room. Our plans are to put in hardwood floors and a rug. We've ordered the crib which will go under the far right window where Basil's crate used to be.

Cambria

2007-07-04T10:24:00.001-07:00

We just returned from vacation. We are predicting our last one by ourselves for a while. At least for 18 years. : ) My favorite part of living in Los Angeles is being able to get out of Los Angeles. Within a few hours we are in California's Central Coast, but worlds away from LA!

Off in the distance you can see the inn we stayed at and the restaurant the Sea Chest that's right next to it. The oysters, fish and chowder were excellent!