favorite summer, con't.

Kyle can take or leave the pool, but give him a sprinkler or a faucet and this boy is in heaven! It's our new routine to go to the park in the morning, and when we get home I let him play with the sprinkler for just a few minutes. He gets nice and wet, and then we come in, dry off, have a snack and get in some comfy clothes for nap time. I can't believe tomorrow is August and summer is half-way over... I will definitely miss these lazy days at home with my boy, but I know this will be a summer I will always remember.

sharing a coke with Kyle

Today we found a Kyle Coke at Target, and he just so happened to be in the mood to say "cheese" for his mom! This made me smile, so I just thought I'd share. Happy Hump Day!

climbing and growing

Kyle finished his 3rd session of gym class this morning. When he started this class at 13 months he:

• Crawled up and down the mats
• Needed help climbing up the small slide and held my hand sliding down
• Was shy during bubble time
• Sat on my lap during circle time (or tried to run away) and watched the other kids do the arm movements/actions to the songs
• Needed me to place him in the middle of the parachute for ring around the rosie

And now at 17 months he:

• Runs full speed up and down the mats
• Climbs up the small and big slides by himself and flies down
• Runs over to the bubbles and pops them while saying "pop pop pop"
• Comes over to circle time on his own, sits down in front of me and does all the arm movements and actions by himself! His favorite is smelling his stinky feet and saying "eeeew" and talking on his foot phone and saying "hello!"
• Runs to the middle of the parachute, sits down in the middle and waits for ring around the rosie
• Helps the coach put the balls/scarves/toys away
• Almost gets air while jumping on the trampoline
• Walks along the balance beam with my assistance
• Hangs on the bars
• Runs over to sit down for stamps on his hands and feet and lifts his shirt up to get one on his tummy

This class has been so great for him, and he loves it! We are going to continue these 6-week sessions until he's old enough for the next level (24 months), and I have no doubt he'll just love running around with the bigger kids and learning even more.

our Disney weekend

We spent some time at Disneyland this weekend! We had a great time, but let me just start by saying that 17 months is probably not the ideal age for a Disney trip, especially if you're shelling out hundreds of dollars to get in. We were fortunate enough to be able to get into the park for free thanks to Brian's company event, so for us it was a great opportunity to have some family time. But I'm not sure we'll be going back on our own accord for a while... I'd say probably not until Kyle can stand in a 20+ minute line without having a meltdown.

Long-line meltdowns aside, we did have tons of fun. But the thing about Disneyland with a kid Kyle's age is that there aren't many places where they can get out, run around and release some energy. We don't feel comfortable yet having him hold our hand and walk in a big crowd, so we spent the day either holding him, or getting him in and out of the stroller. Most of the time he was pretty cooperative, but there were some times when he really just wanted to run around and explore and we had to coerce him back into the straps when we needed to give our arms a rest. 

We met Brian at the park around 4 p.m. when he got out of his conference session for the day, and since we didn't want to stay out too late past Kyle's bed time we had a good 5 hours to enjoy. We decided to introduce Kyle to some classic rides:

• Carousel near the castle: a fun staple for little ones with a quick line. Kyle had sunscreen in is eyes at this point, so he didn't really have as much fun as I think he would have if his eyes didn't feel like they were on fire. Poor guy.
   
• Casey Jr. Circus Train: he loved this one! A mellow train ride perfect for little ones with stuff to look at. Goes just fast enough for a little thrill, but he wasn't scared at all.
   
• Dumbo: this line was a little too long for Kyle's liking (around 20 minutes), so he was pretty restless by the time we boarded our elephant. But once he got on he was thrilled to play with the joystick and look out at the crowds while we flew in circles.
   
• Toon Town: we spent a good amount of time walking around Toon Town just looking at the buildings, and found a playground for toddlers. This was Kyle's favorite thing because he was finally able to run around on his own! Brian and I were ready to leave this area after about 10 minutes (I mean, we can go down a crappy slide every day at the park! It's Disneyland!), but Kyle would have stayed in here all night if we let him. We finally peeled him away after about 40 minutes.
   
• It's a Small World: I think this was Kyle's favorite. He was so excited to go through the tunnels and watch all the kids dance, and kept pointing at everything. Although he was totally ready to get out by the time it was over, because this ride is pretty darn long.
   
• Jungle Cruise: This ride may be a little scary for kiddos (there's some dead animals, head shrinkers, witch doctor and cannibals, after all), but Kyle was perfectly cool with it. It was dark and he was pretty tired at this point, but he sat between me and Brian on the bench soaking it all in and making appropriate animal noises :)

high-5 for Donald!

Dumbo!

Picked out a Donald toy. So excited.

It's a Small World.

Tired boy waiting for Jungle Cruise.

The next night, Kyle's grandma babysat for us so we were able to attend Brian's work dinner inside California Adventure and enjoy some hub & wife alone time. It was so awesome to have time in the park with the 3 of us, and then be able to have some adult fun, too. We're so lucky that Kyle has family to take care of him so we can remember what it's like to enjoy each other's company from time to time. 

PS - The World of Color show is so, so good. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend checking it out if you have the chance!

17 months: a letter to Kyle

My sweet Kyle,

Nothing melts my heart more than when I get love and snuggles from you. You're such a loving boy, and you show it by giving me quick cuddles, kisses and hugs out of nowhere. This doesn't happen every day, but sometimes out of the blue you'll look up at me and give me a quick peck, hold my hand or crawl over to me on the couch and lay your head on my chest. During these moments I can feel my heart soar and I am trying my hardest to lock those memories in so they'll never escape. It breaks my heart knowing that one day, when you're big and tall and hairy, you probably won't do these things anymore. But it's okay; I'll try and understand. For now, I'm soaking them in with all of my might because nothing can match that feeling of joy and true love.

I know you're only 17 months old, but I can see it in your eyes that you are a good boy, and that you are very caring and smart. Your first instinct with animals (real and stuffed) is to give them hugs and kisses. You put shape puzzles together like it's no big deal, and you can correctly point to every animal on the last page of "Brown Bear." 

When we go to the park (which is practically every day, by the way), you come and get me when you want to venture off. You walk over and reach up for my hand and lead me to where you want to go. Or when you need my help, you'll get my hand and show me what you want me to do. If you're running around and I ask you to stay on the grass, you'll (usually) stop when you reach the sidewalk. All of these things make me so proud of my little man. You're listening and learning and trying your best.

Speaking of the park, you're becoming a little pro at playing and climbing. You go down slides like you've been doing it your whole life, and you love to go super high in the baby swing. We bring a ball or your sand toys along, and you'll scoop sand and roam around and explore. You also love playing in water, whether it's the hose, sprinklers, water table or especially the sink. You ask to play in the sink every day by leading me to the kitchen/bathroom and saying "seeeeek seeeeek." This can get pretty boring for your mama, who has to stand there and make sure you don't fall out, but it's ok because you love it so.

This month you surprised me at gym class! We've been going every week for about 5 months now and you would just sit during circle time and listen. I would help you with the arm movements to songs, but you weren't ready to do it on your own. But two weeks ago, you decided you were ready and you participated in every single song! You knew all of the arm movements to the "butterfly" song, you talked on your "foot phone," you made "meatballs" with your hands and you touched your nose to your feet! All in one class! I was so proud, my face hurt from smiling ear to ear. I guess you were just soaking it all in until you were ready to do it on your own. 

I love our bedtime routine. Since summer has started, you've been pushing your bed time later and later, but we don't mind because your dad and I are enjoying our evenings together so much. Once summer is over we'll get back on an earlier routine, but for now you've been going down around 9-9:30. After dinner, dad's usually the one to give you a bath, and then we hang out together as a fam. When it's time to go to sleep, you'll help dad turn off the light and then give him a big kiss before joining me on the rocker. We tell daddy we love him, we'll see him in the morning, and then it's me and you rocking away until you drift to sleep. What you don't know is that every night dad comes back in to take you from my arms and lay you down in your crib so that I don't hurt my back. He also checks on you before we go to sleep to make sure your comf and the temperature is right. And he's the one who will comfort you if you wake in the middle of the night (which is pretty rare these days, but it does still happen). You sure are lucky to have such a loving daddy!

Here's more about you at 17 months:

• Favorite foods: tortillas, yogurt, applesauce, carrots, oranges/cuties. In the past few weeks you've become a pickier eater! Foods you used to love are no longer acceptable (i.e. bananas). Meals are becoming much more challenging and I've been pureeing your veggies/meats so you'll eat them, or making spinach smoothies during the day. You'll love something one day, and spit it out the next.
   
• Favorite books: Brown Bear, B is for Bear, Peekaboo Sophie, Where is Baby's Belly Button (still!)
   
• Favorite toys: BALLS to throw anywhere and everywhere, baseball mitt, your Mickey tent to roughhouse in, rocking horse, cars, stackable blocks, dad's iPod headphones, anything from the kitchen drawers/cupboards
   
• Favorite activities: gym class at the park (especially the parachute), playing outside, playing with water, sitting in the sink, saying hi to the ducks, exploring, being tickled on mom & dad's bed, ring around the rosie, putting on shoes
   
• Activities you tolerate/hot & cold: story time, stickers, coloring (mostly putting crayons in and out of the box), sidewalk chalk, building blocks, bubbles, bath, magnets, puzzle
   
• Favorite TV show: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You could watch this all day if we let you! You will get the remote, bring it to us, point to the TV and say "Mi-eeeeee." We usually watch a few episodes a day, and a couple more on the days mom has a work call or deadlines. You just started getting up to do the hot dog dance :)
   
• Words you say: seeeeek (sink), ice, dad, hi, bye, Mickey, Penny, tuck (truck), bottle (you enunciate this perfectly, no "baba" over here!), chissss (cheese! - to smile for the camera) passssh (paci), peeeesh (please), pop!, noooo, eeeew, bup bup (up), down, out, go. You still sign for "more," "all done" and "help."
   
• Sleep schedule: down for the night 9-9:30 p.m., up anywhere from 6:30-8 a.m. Nap time is around noon and most days you'll sleep 2+ hours. By noon you are so ready for a nap that you fall asleep right away.

Next month you'll be 1.5 years old! Your dad and I are thinking of something fun to do to celebrate... I can't wait!

puppy love

I just read this blog post and was reminded of how Penny is such a big part of our family. Lately, I've been quick to snap at her because she's decided it's okay to jump up on the kitchen table to eat Kyle's leftovers, and she can't help but bark when she hears Brian's car pull up in the driveway. She freaks out when I leave the house, and has to find juuuuust the right spot of grass to pee on, even when I'm in a hurry.

I've been letting these little things get to me because they seem to make my life harder. But I need to let them go, and start to appreciate more the joy that she brings to our family! Especially to Kyle. He adores his doggy and she's taught him so much. Because of her, he has understood how to be "gentle" and "nice" since he was just a little baby. I'm pretty sure it's because of Penny that he started to crawl when he did (to get her ball, of course), and he is a pro at throwing the ball because they've been playing together since before he could walk. I also love that Kyle isn't even the tiniest bit afraid of dogs or animals because he's been around them since the day he was born.

It helps that we are pretty much the luckiest yorkie owners on the planet. Penny is remarkably patient and loving with him, and I'm not sure you'd believe me when I tell you that from the second I put Kyle down for his nap until he gets up, that she lays on her bed and doesn't make a peep - even when I open the front door. She knows that's our quiet time.

Thanks Evie's Lifestyle for reminding me of what's important! And for the bonus knowledge that children with pets are more mature, have higher self-esteem, better social skills, and have virtually no trouble forming and maintaining peer connections. We love our Penny Pens.

PS - Penny has her own Instagram! @penny_the_yorkie_

mommy & son dates

Brian had a work dinner tonight, so it was just me and my boy for dinner. I thought it would be fun to go to a restaurant, just the 2 of us. I got the idea in my head about half-way through my bar shift, and it was just the thought I needed to get me through the day. I couldn't wait for our date!

Restaurant trips can be hit or miss with a 17 month old, and tonight was 100% HIT. He was such a good boy for me, sitting in his high chair and playing with his crayons and grubbing on his fruit, dinner roll and chicken strips. He spent most of the time taking these crayons in and out of the box while I talked to him about my day, and we chatted with a bunch of strangers who couldn't help but stop and say hi to him as they walked by. For dessert we shared an apple pie a la mode, so both of us left happy campers.

The #1 thing I'm working on with Kyle while eating out, and actually in any social setting, is throwing things. This kid has an arm on him and he loves to throw. He's starting to understand that he's only allowed to throw balls, but it's still a struggle when he gets bored, feels defiant or realizes after 1 attempt how fun it is to throw forks/crayons/books/instruments/food/anything and everything. Tonight he only threw his crayons once, so I considered our trip a success.

I want to try and always do fun things with my boy when it's just us 2. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the routine, but it's fun to switch it up for no reason at all other than the fact that it's fun to spend time together!

throw your butt in the air

This is how Kyle falls asleep most days for his nap. I rock him like this for a few minutes, and then lay him down in his crib and he rolls over and puts his butt in the air. I cover him with a blanket and he'll sleep in that position for about 2 hours if I'm lucky.

He look so huge in this picture, like he's trying to fit his toddler body on my chest like he did when he was a baby. It's fun to think that he laid just like that when he was inside my tummy.

I know I will miss these snuggles when he gets even bigger and no longer fits on me, so I took a picture today to remember how much I love these moments. He's so active all day, so when I get some mellow snuggle time like this I am one happy mama.

our day with Conan

Coming to you from Warner Bros. studios... it's Brian & Krista at the Conan O'Brien show!

Well, this picture was actually taken at the most amazing restaurant down the street because to my dismay there are absolutely NO PHOTOS allowed on the lot. But I did take lots of mental notes during our husband/wife adventure, and here's a quick recap of our experience.

For my birthday in May, Brian surprised me with priority tickets to the taping. It's something the two of us have always wanted to do and I was really excited, but mostly I was looking forward to an entire day alone with my hub (our first-ever since we became parents nearly 17 months ago!). Kyle's grandma was on baby duty, and we were set to leave at 11 a.m. and not return until well after bed time.

Although traffic on the 5 sucks at any given hour on any given day, we arrived in Los Angeles with plenty of time to get a couple of cocktails and enjoy lunch. We stumbled upon Ciao Cristina and I can't say enough good things. I'll just tell you that if you're in the area you should GO THERE RIGHT NOW because everything was amazing. We couldn't stop talking about it and said we may even make the drive again one day to go back.

On to the show. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the check-in process was. I'd heard some horror stories of people who wait in line all day to see a taping of a show, only to be rejected at the door. But this was the complete opposite. Our tickets said 2:30 p.m. check-in and to arrive 30 minutes early. We got to the lot right at 2:00. Parking was easy (and free!) and there was no confusion as to where to go. Check-in was in the parking structure, which made it so easy. You get off the elevator (which clearly says: Conan - level 2) and BAM! there it is. A security guard checked our ID's and my purse, we went through a metal detector and then a staff member had our names in an app on her iPhone. We were checked in within minutes, and told that the number we received (73) was our ticket in, and that we could return at 3 p.m.

We had an hour to kill, so back to Ciao Cristina we went for another round (or 2) of drinks :)

When we returned at 3:00, the waiting area was full. We sat down for just a few minutes, and then they began calling out numbers in groups of 10. They line you up in exact order of your ticket, and then march you in a single file, well guarded line to the studio.

The walk is pretty long, but we thought it was so fun to look at all the buildings and sets. Brian said that the lot looks exactly like it does in the cartoons, and I thought it was fun to read the signs on the side of each studio that says which shows and movies have been/are currently being filmed inside. You can also see the reserved parking spots for actors of current shows; we walked by the sets of 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory.

Before they take you inside you're asked to wait in a holding area, where they show you old episodes of Conan to keep you occupied. This was the longest/most boring part of the day, since we were standing in what looks like an amusement park line for probably 15-20 minutes. After that, they escort you into the building and onto set and tell you where to sit.

Brian and I were in the very last row, but the studio is so small (about 400 people) that all the seats are great. (The temperature is set pretty cool, so if you're planning to go make sure to bring a sweater.) As people kept filing in, they played good music pretty loudly, which made it feel fun and exciting. About 10-15 minutes after everyone is seated the warm-up comedian comes out, along with the Warner Bros. Studios Fire Department (did you know they have their own department?!) to tell you what to do in case of an emergency, and to get you excited for the show.

The warm-up comedian was Jimmy Pardo, and he was pretty funny. He had everyone laughing for a few minutes, picked on a few people in the audience and demonstrated the Applause sign. Then he introduced Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, who are awesome! They played a few songs for us while the crew got ready for showtime, and the trumpet player went to town walking up and down the aisles. It's always so fun to see such good musicians in action.

During this time, I LOVED watching all the behind the scenes stuff. It's so crazy to think that this is just another day at work for the camera guys, the lighting guy, the make up girl, the stage manager, the band, the photographer, the security guards... and I'm sure the dozens of people behind the curtain that you don't see at all. They are all very efficient, yet laid back and seemed to be having a good time.

Jimmy explained to us that when the band starts to play the show's theme song, to start clapping because that's when the show starts. It all happened so suddenly- one minute they're jamming in the isles, and the next minute the theme song starts. Out comes Andy Richter, gives the audience a tiny wave, and then stands at the podium and starts his announcing! Again, just another day at the office for him!

Conan comes out of the curtain and it's a little surreal. We've seen him do this 100 times on TV, so it's pretty funny when it happens 20 feet in front of you. While they're taping, they play the show as it will appear on TV on the screens overhead, so you have the option of watching the live people or watching the televised version. This was fun to compare the screen and the behind the scenes when they were doing the banter between Conan/Andy and Conan/stage manager.

Our guests for the day were Michael Sheen, who was really funny, and Joe Manganiello, who "taught" Conan some stripper moves during my favorite scene of the day: 



It was also fun to watch Conan and Andy during the commercial breaks. Conan is very focused, and was taking notes or dancing a little right up until it was time to start back up. People would come out from behind the curtain to tell him something or touch up his makeup, but for the most part he would just hang out right around his desk. After the interviews were over, the guest would stay in the chair for another minute or two and chat with Conan. (I always wondered if this was an act for the cameras, but they really do stay there and talk for a bit.)

After the second interview, Conan took the mike and asked us if it would be okay for him to do a third interview that would be taped for the next week's show, and that Taye Diggs would be joining him. Bonus! Conan and Andy changed their ties for this part, and then changed them back for the musical guest.

During the musical performance by Marsha Ambrosius, it was so much fun to watch the camera guys at work and figure out which camera was "on" that I didn't really pay much attention to the singing (no offense to Marsha because she sounded great). The performance ended and Conan and Andy stayed with her band until it was time to say goodbye. After the show was wrapped, Conan loosened his tie and did a little bit for the crowd and sang a playful song and messed with an audience member. He seemed much more relaxed and friendly once the show was done! 

Since security wasn't as tight on the walk back to the parking structure, Brian and I tried to sneak in a selfie once we were outside the studio but got busted and I had to put my phone away. The entire process, from check-in to driving away, was about four hours. We had such a great time and it was a perfect date day for us.

Oh, and did I mention we ate at Ruth's Chris for dinner afterwards? I was one happy wife!

favorite summer, con't.

I'm trying not to make Kyle say "chssss" to the camera too often, because I know eventually he'll get burned out and stop doing it. But at least once a day I ask him to do it and he happily obliges. Today I saved it for our afternoon bike ride. He cheesed for me a few times and my heart broke into a million pieces. I rode him around the neighborhood and tried to engrain the moment into my memory so the feeling I get seeing his little helmet head in front of me and his tiny hands grasping the bike handles will last a lifetime.

painting

I love Tuesdays with Kyle. The weekends are our busy time, and I'm gone most of the day at work on Sunday and Monday, so Tuesday is our day to re-connect, catch up on housework and errands and do fun stuff together.

Today we made a big mess painting the sidewalk in the back yard & he loved it! The "paint" was water mixed with cornstarch and food coloring, which acts as paint on the sidewalk but washes right away with water. It also washed right off his clothes and sandals, which is awesome because it was everywhere (including his face and legs!). I loved this activity because he learned something new, had a blast and we were able to work on learning our colors. Fun day with my boy!

cheese!

This morning I held up my iPhone to take a selfie with Kyle at the bike parade. I told him to look at the camera, smile and say "cheese!" - AND HE FREAKING DID IT:

He said "chisssss" and smiled for the camera! This picture makes me so happy, my heart hurts. That smile, those ears, that double chin! My little man.

I hope everyone had a fun 4th of July! I had to go into work at 5:00 (again, the joys of restaurant life), but we made the most of our morning and afternoon. We did the bike parade in the morning, had some bloody marys and beers with friends while Kyle took a nap in his friend's crib (that was a first, and a pretty frustrating experience getting him to go down in a strange room), and BBQ'd at my dad's house for lunch. Jammed packed day with friends & family!

happy July!

Wow, July snuck up on us! This month I'm looking forward to BBQs, swimming, concerts in the park and lots of fun in the sun. SUMMER RULES! I hope it stays forever!