Welcome Adam Michael

It's been a long 9 months, but today we welcomed Adam Michael into the world and into our family.  He is absolutely perfect and we couldn't be happier. 

Owen came to the hospital with Nana to meet his little brother.  The first thing he wanted to do was "hold Baby Adam."  I think he's going to be an amazing big brother.

I am going to do my best to keep the blog going, but I have a feeling my posts might slow down a bit during these next few months while we concentrate on Adam and Owen's needs.  But here are a few pictures from today!

Mom and Dad about an hour before Adam was born:

11:20AM - December 29th, 2010

Beautiful Boy

Proud Parents

Our Boys





Christmas Day - 2010

Merry Christmas!

 

Did Santa come to the Santoki house? Why, yes he did! Santa came and delivered – big time.

Owen woke up his usual way – asking to go immediately downstairs and check the advent calendar to see if the Big Man came during the night. This time, mom carried him downstairs where Dad and Nana were waiting (Dad with the video camera rolling.)

The first stop were the stockings that Santa had filled with care. Did I mention that Owen thinks Santa is basically the Candy Man? So, he was a little confused when he saw these big socks filled with whoknowswhat. It was interesting to him, but still a little confusing and definitely NOT the chocolate he was after. So he directed me to take him into the kitchen to get the calendar.

 

On the way to the kitchen, the living room came into view and Owen’s eyes got VERY wide. “A ding ding and a Thomas!” was the first comment out of his mouth when he saw the pile of presents. Calendar forgotten – time to play with these awesome new toys. Owen loved everything he received…but I think these were his favorites:

• Garbage cans, trains and a lollipop in his stocking (Santa)
• A ride on motorized Thomas The Train (Nana)
• A Bubba sized “ding ding” that actually lights up and the gate moves up and down (Santa)
• A big boy tool set complete with power drill and saw (Santa)
• A Thomas The Train Movie (Uncle Michael and Aunt Kelly)
• A special Bubba chair (Santa)

The differences between this year and last year was that Owen was definitely more excited to open his gifts. The cutest part was hearing his little gasps when the present came into view “oooooohhhhhhhhh!” A similarity between this year and last year was it was still hard to get him to stay interested in all the gifts and I ended up opening the last few for him. But, it’s probably a time that we will miss when he becomes old enough to tear into all his gifts and open them in record time while simultaneously showing his appreciation or disapproval of each. Right now he approves of ALL gifts and wants to give each one equal attention.

 

The rest of the day was spent eating Christmas Eggs, playing with all our new toys (Mom and Dad got wine and a Panini (or Panino as the case may be) maker which we are so excited to put to use at the same time), video chatting with Uncle Michael, Aunt Kelly and Cousin Audrey, taking naps (everyone took one) and eating gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

Steve and I agreed, this was the best Christmas yet.

Christmas Eve - 2010

Wow, what a difference a year makes! Last year, Owen was a little over one year old and had absolutely no idea nor care about Santa. He liked taking a picture with the old man, but that was about it. Opening presents was ok – but he really just wanted us to open them and give them to him.

This year, Santa is THE MAN WITH THE CANDY. My previous post about advent calendars explained how Santa has been a regular visitor at night to the Santoki house. Each night, he has brought a piece of candy for Owen (3 Musketeers for breakfast anyone? Yes, please!) When Owen went to visit Santa to take his picture, Santa gave him a candy cane. When Owen went to visit Santa #2 at the fire station, Santa gave him 3 candy canes. So basically, Santa rocks.

So Christmas Eve started out with a trip down to Nana’s house and a visit with Aunt Debi and her family including some special guests – Noriko and her son, Takemi from Japan and Matt’s new girlfriend, Molly from Oklahoma. Owen had a blast playing with Grace and Takemi while the grownups got to enjoy some delicious brunch courtesy of Nana.



After we got home and Owen took a nap, Nana joined us for dinner and Christmas preparations. We watched the obligatory “Elmo’s Christmas Countdown” and got into our special Thomas The Train Christmas pajamas. Then we took a few pictures to document the evening. Before bed, we set out some cookies for Santa. Owen was thoughtful enough to try a bite out of each one just to make sure Santa would like them. Then, he was so quick to go to sleep knowing that the Big Guy was coming yet again to bring him “chocolate and presents.”

Steve, Nana and I celebrated Christmas Eve by eating fondue and cookies and then staying up fairly late to assemble and set out presents. Then we all went to bed to wait for Santa. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post to see if he came…

My Dad Is Older Than Your Dad

Steve has been feeling a little old lately. Aches and pains have become more common and therefore simple household tasks have become more challenging. We decided a little strength training might be in order for Owen just so he can pick up the slack a little earlier than previously planned. It’s going well so far, only a matter of time before he can start moving furniture around and changing light bulbs. Lift with your legs, Owen - not with your back…



Only slightly kidding. As some of you remember from the Father’s Day 2010 post, one of Owen’s favorite indoor activities is sitting inside a tote bag and having Dad swing him back and forth. This worked well when Owen weighed 20 pounds. Now that he is over 30, it’s a tough job to keep the swinging going as long as Owen would like. It’s a “Dad Only” job (Mom has made that clear) but even still, it usually involves changing into shorts and a t-shirt and taking a couple ibuprofen.

So Dad had the great idea to get one of these door mounted chin up bars. It works great! But I think Owen enjoyed it more when Dad was the swinger – or maybe I just did.

We Don't Need No Stinking Chipotle

The only healthy meat Owen will eat regularly is Taco Del Mar and Chipotle pork. I have been going to these restaurants fairly regularly and ordering a bunch for him. The conversation with the burrito artists usually goes something like this:

Me: “Three sides of carnitas in a bowl, please. To go.”
Burrito Artist: “You just want carnitas in a bowl?”
Me: “Yes, please.”
Burrito Artist: “You don’t want rice or anything?”
Me: “No, thank you. Just the pork.”
Burrito Artist: “Cheese?”
Me: “No, thanks. Just the pork. That’s it.”
Burrito Artist: “Guac or sour cream?”
Me: “No, that’s it…Just like that.”
Burrito Artist: “Okaaaayyyy?”
Burrito Artist (speaking to cashier): “This is just 3 sides of carnitas.”
Cashier: “What is it?”
Burrito Artist: “Three sides of carnitas – only.”
Cashier: “Just carnitas?”
Burrito Artist: “Yep.”

Because I’m annoyed with this conversation that happens EVERY SINGLE TIME and because I haven’t found the refrigerated carnitasinabag at the grocery store – I decided today that I could try and make myself some dang pork. Even though I have a fear of cooking meat (I’m better at pasta) I figured, it couldn’t be that hard. Worst case scenario, I try it and fail and I’m back to take out.

Well, I have to say…for a first try…I pretty much rocked it. The true test will be tomorrow when Owen tastes it. I probably just jinxed myself by getting too cocky, but...fingers crossed!!!!

Child Labor II

Owen is getting very good at vacuuming!  Since we are currently aware of loud noises and our ears, today he opted for some very responsible ear protection.  Now there is no excuse why these floors can't be spotless!  Or, come to think about it, there is no excuse for not hearing me when I say it's time for dinner, bath, bed or anything else he doesn't want to do...Unless he's wearing these crazy things at the time.

Another Year, Another Charlie & Owen Picture

Some kids have growth charts in their room.  I have Charlie stand next to Owen at the window.  It works and it's adorable!

"Cover Your Ears, Charrie"

Yesterday was garbage day and Owen decided he wanted to show "Charrie" the trucks.  It was definitely cute, but as usual, Owen out-cuted himself when he decided the trucks might be a little loud for Charlie's sensitive ears.  He said, "Oh, loud - cover your ears, Charrie" and he covered them for her.

A Bonus Holiday Event - Santa & A Firetruck!

I have a sneaking suspicion that all five of my pre-planned holiday activities are not going to be completed. If the rain doesn’t ease up there are definitely a couple that could get postponed to next year!

Today, however, Nana told us about Santa coming to the Gig Harbor Fire Station and handing out candy canes to good boys and girls. Do you think Owen would be interested in this bonus holiday activity? Let’s think…Santa + Candy + Firetrucks + Ambulances + Firemen. Uh, this is like a Christmas dream come true for Mr. Owen.

Nana and I had fun watching him ask Santa for more candy canes over and over – run around the fire station like a crazed banshee – be entertained by the firemen who were nice enough to show him inside all the trucks – and generally love life at the fire station.

Holiday Event 2 of 5 - A Visit With Santa

Tonight Owen stood patiently in the rain to wait for a visit with Santa.  He was promised a lollipop (candycane) and gosh darn it if he wasn't going to get it (Owen kept calling it a "special lollipop.")  We waited for probably 20 minutes in a massive downpour but the end result was worth it.  Since the picture is a given, I decided to bring along the video camera and I'm glad I did.  You can almost see the "Christmas Magic" in Owen's eyes when he firsts walks in and greets the Big Man.  He's starting to feel the magic of Santa and I love it.

You'll hear Owen talking a LOT about choo-choos.  This is because Santa's house is about 100 yards away from the railroad tracks and while we were waiting, about 5 trains came by - whistles blaring.  It was very distracting for Owen who was completely torn between Santa/Lollipop and Train/DingDings.  So when another train came by when we were inside Santa's house, Owen had to educate Mr. Claus a little about the sounds that were coming from outside.

I Pee Peed In Bed

It seems like the first two years of a child’s life is filled with notable milestones like first smiles, first laugh, rolling over, first words, walking, talking, running and jumping.  The third year is filled with milestones for sure but it seems like many of them are like rites of passage versus new developmental skills.

For instance, the first time you walk around the corner and see your toddler standing on the coffee table.  That happened to us around 12 months.  Many of these expected events haven’t happened yet, but I feel like they are on the horizon.  Things like climbing out of the crib, flushing something large down the toilet, a bloody injury, a foreign object up the nose or falling down the stairs.  None have happened yet, but they will.

Today, a toddler milestone was reached when I walked into Owen’s room in the morning and found him naked in his bed.  I said “Good morning!” and he said, “I pee peed in bed!”  Uh, yeah you did.  And all over all 20 stuffed animals, 2 blankets and the bumper.  I wonder what the next “milestone” will be?

Introduction To Advent Calendars

I bought an advent calendar a couple years ago and this is the first year we’ve tried it. We’re on day 4 and it’s going well. I know that some kids have full calendars and they are able to open one per day. Owen had a little trouble understanding that only one door could be opened per day so I asked Santa if he wouldn’t mind having one of his Elves come over each night and put a piece of candy in the next day’s door. He agreed and this has worked out beautifully for Owen. He basically wakes up asking for that day’s door and then he’s able to check all the other doors just in case the Elf forgot and delivered more than just one piece of candy. Once he’s satisfied that he got the only piece, he is able to wait patiently for the next day.

I was downloading videos off my camera and found this video Steve took the other day when I was at work. I thought it was cute because you can see how interested Owen is in the calendar (it literally stops him in his tracks) as well as hear him talk about it. 

Wordsmith

Owen’s vocabulary has been expanding rapidly lately. Steve and I are able to understand about 99% of what he says (although sometimes he has to repeat himself a couple times before we figure it out.) I would guesstimate that other people can understand about 60% of what he says?

Steve and I have been in constant awe of his communication over the last month or so. He is memorizing pages of books and will be able to remember them after only hearing the book once or twice. His sentences are getting longer and longer – he said one the other day that consisted of nine words. Before bed each night, Steve or I will ask him about his day and he’s able to recall and explain different parts of the day and what he did. What has really been impressing us are the sentences he says that are his own (ones that are not just mimicking things that we say all the time.) He has a lot going on in that head of his and it’s so cool to hear him talk about it.

There have been a couple sentences he has said lately that have made me laugh and I thought to myself, “I should write that down.” So I am. I can only think of three right now so as I remember more, I will add them to the list.

• (Opening the freezer and grabbing the ice cream container.) “This is called, ‘ice cream.’”
• (I’m in his room and he’s playing at the sink in the bathroom.) “I’m making a MESS!”
• (Reading his garbage truck book and spelling out STOP!) “S – T – O – P stop. What’s that?” (pointing to the exclamation point) Me: “It’s an exclamation point. It means you have to yell, STOP!” Owen: “S-T-O-P-X point. STOP!”

I always like blog posts with pictures so here is one I took yesterday that has nothing to do with this post. It’s just that Owen loves his Mr. Potato Head’s glasses and wears them a good portion of everyday. It makes me laugh every time.

Thanksgiving Day (Observed)

Today was the day we celebrated Thanksgiving. It was at Nana’s house (of course) and it was all the usual suspects who live local. Mom, Dad, Owen and Nana – Debi, Madeline, Megan and Grace.

Owen, Steve and I were all in the final stages of a cold and Nana was just starting one. So we were all a little under the weather, but luckily nobody was in the worst of it. Turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes were definitely what the doctor ordered. Plus, Nana did all the work (as usual) so the rest of us got totally spoiled (as usual.)

One of my biggest frustrations with Owen is that he refuses to eat mashed potatoes. This is NOT my child. I mean, he will gobble up the nastiest baby food (spinach and potatoes) but will not even entertain the idea of mashed potatoes and gravy. This logic is beyond me. So we all enjoyed a yummy thanksgiving dinner and Owen ate…pretty much…nothing. His loss! He did sit in his chair for the duration of dessert. We discovered “man cookies” (gingerbread men) and crème brulee (which he refused to try until I told him it was ice cream and then he ate half my bowl.)

The coolest (non culinary) part of the night was watching Owen and Grace play together. They really interacted and played with each other versus just playing near each other. They read books, played piano, played with Owen’s trains and trucks and finished the night with Steve chasing them both around the house and jumping out of corners to scare them. They were like two peas all night.

And now I get to look forward to the best part of the day after Thanksgiving…leftovers!

Holiday Event 1 of 5 - Merry Marching Tunes For Tots

Last year, I posted my Christmas activity to-do list and it kept me honest about sticking to it. Now that the tree is up and the stockings are hung, it’s time to revisit the “list” and broadcast to the world (or the 3 family members who read this blog) what I intend to do with Owen this year in the name of all that is Santa.

Last weekend we attended our annual holiday concert with Lisa and Linda. You will remember from last year’s post that the concert did not go as well as I had hoped (Owen was a heckler!) This year was much more enjoyable!

First, we had a few more attendees than last year. It was Dad and Mom and Owen along with Nana, Kelly & Finn, and Joe & Nancy. So much more fun with friends! It was a little crazy looking at Finn knowing that he is at the age now that Owen was when we went last year. These years are flying by. *sniff*

Second, Owen was a little more interested than last year – but barely. He still doesn’t enjoy lively banter between Lisa and Linda and I can’t say that I blame him. These women are a little hard to listen to for much longer than the 45 minute show…But anytime there was singing or music, Owen was all in. He even did some of the movements this time around which was neat to see. I did bribe him with a lollipop in order for him to sit still a little longer which I am not ashamed about. Owen also had fun playing the instruments in the lobby they have available for the kids while last year all he wanted to do was play with the elevator buttons.

Third, it was at the Tacoma Philharmonic this year so we didn’t get the prestige of Benaroya but it was a much easier venue to get to. PLUS, we got the bonus of a homemade lunch cooked for us after the show by Kelly which was worth the price of admission right there.

All in all, a great first holiday activity and kickoff to the season!

So here is my pledge for December. The following activities will be done and pictures will be taken as documentation (you just have to take my word on the Lisa and Linda dealio.) You will notice that last year, we did four holiday activities. This year I’m raising the bar to FIVE. Oh yeah baby, this year is going to be crazy festive.

1. Lisa and Linda: Merry Marching Tunes For Tots at Tacoma Philharmonic. DONE, CHECK, CROSSOUT, FINISHED.
2. Visit Santa and get a picture.
3. Zoo Lights at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.
4. Snowflake Lane at Bellevue Square.
5. Fantasy Lights at Spanaway Park.

Updates and photos to follow!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is a faux Thanksgiving for our family since we will be celebrating at Nana's house on Sunday when the whole family can be together (Dada is working today.)  So here is a picture of Owen watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade during his favorite part - the Sesame Street float.  Thanks to Uncle Michael for reminding me that it was on!

The reason Owen is in his diaper is because one of his new favorite books is titled, "No David!" and one of the pages is of David running down the street naked.  Owen took of his pajamas this morning and said, "Come back here, David!" (the words on the naked page) with a mischievous grin.  He then attempted to remove his diaper, which I was able to talk him out of.  So...we watched the parade in our diaper.  Who cares?!  It's Thanksgiving!

After the parade, Nana is coming up to make us homemade macaroni and cheese which is very nice because Owen has been sick all week and now I'm feeling the bug.  Ask me how I manage to get my mom to cook for me on Thanksgiving part I and Thanksgiving part II?  Don't know...but I like it!

Cold & More Cold

It snowed this week! I can't remember the last time it has snowed in November in Seattle...but we got about 4-5 inches on the ground and it has been so cold, it has lasted for days.

So what does a young boy do during the first snowfall of the year? Stay indoors because he has a bad cold. Poor Bubba. I even bought him snow boots last week just in case…darn it!

Nana has accused me a few times of being "mean" to Owen because I won't buy him popsicles for his cold. I just feel like the enjoyment won’t be equal to the mess that they make. So tonight I gave into the guilt and gave him an ice cream cone. Misery loves messiness, apparently.
 

Fall Gardening

Only kidding.  I don't garden anymore.  But Owen and I had a great day playing outside in the yard today.

The Halloween Express - Toot! Toot!

Happy Halloween!

Today was such a fun day! I have to say, two years old is a super fun age. Everything is new and exciting and because he has no expectations – he is totally looking to us for guidance on what to do.

The only sad part about today was that Dada had to leave for work before Owen woke up. So we are happy that he was a part of the pre-Halloween festivities, but sad that he missed the big day. Mama was emailing him cell phone pics to keep him updated.

Owen has never really had candy before so it was hard to explain trick-or-treating to him. He has had lollipops before (whenever he gets his hair cut) and he points them out when he spots them at the store. So I told him that after nap, we were going to get lollipops. He seemed pleased!

After Owen’s nap, we got up and put on his costume. Owen had seen the costume when we bought it – but had no idea what it was or what it was for, so we put it away until today. Since we are now calling 2010 “The Year Of The Train” it fits that Owen dressed as a train engineer. I am also still trying to keep with the “nothing on head or face” rule that when followed, avoids a lot of complaining and ensures that other people will be able to identify his costume if all head garments are ripped off.  However, this year, Owen is starting to understand the "you do this first and then you get this" concept.  Some people would call that bribing, but I call it “advanced logic for two-year-olds.”  Anyway, I told him that his hat was a lollipop hat and he couldn't get lollipops unless he was wearing it.  Guess who kept his hat on all evening?  Do I feel guilty?  Nope.

Nana arrived right after he got dressed and we were out the door to Kent Station for our first real trick-or-treating adventure (technically, he trick-or-treated last year at one house – Great Aunt Debi’s – but I’m not really counting it because he didn’t understand and he didn’t eat any candy.) We did a practice run at the house first...I had bought lollipops just to make double sure he ended up with a few by the end of the night. He is also in a major doorbell phase, so the combination of doorbell and lollipop was a win-win. He rang the bell, Nana answered, he said “trick-or-treat” and then Nana showed him the bowl full of lollipops. He was so confused, but was so happy with how things were turning out. He picked out his favorite and then we tried it again. He rang the bell, Nana answered, he said “trick-or-treat,” Nana showed him the bowl and he exchanged his first lollipop for the 2nd. I asked my mom when the candy grubbing stage starts when kids just start shoving as much candy as they can grab into their bags. She thinks age four. I’m hoping that I can teach Owen enough manners that he will at least say “thank you” after each shove.

We arrived at Kent Station and started walking around the grounds. I had never done one of these public trick-or-treat events before, so I was a little confused as to whether you were supposed to go into each store or if there were people outside giving out candy. I think it was both, but we really didn’t need much candy – I just wanted Owen to see some kids dressed up. We found a nice young lady dressed as Minnie Mouse and he attempted his first official trick-or-treat. He walked up to her among a handful of other kids and said “trick-or-treat” very quietly and she happily gave him a couple gold chocolate coins. We also stood there and waited until he said “thank you” and because it took him a little while (he was so interested in watching the other kids get their candy and was taking it all in) so by the time he said it, she wasn’t paying attention anymore. But, I was still proud of him. As soon as we walked away, he looked in his bag and said, “Lollipop?” Like, “Come on Mom – you promised lollipops!”

We saw an employee dressed up like a mouse (who Owen high-fived) and another like a pirate with a real cat wearing batwings on his shoulder (which Owen got to pet.) There were other very elaborate costumes, but it was hard to tell if they were employees or just regular people. We walked around a bit more and then headed to Sees Candy to see what they had as far as free candy goes and….they were out (probably because of all those candy grubbers!) But Nana bought Owen a special vanilla lollipop to fulfill his lolli wish.

 Since he got what he came for and the rest of the candy seemed kind of lame and unnecessary, we walked over to the train platform to try and fulfill Owen’s 2nd Halloween wish – trains. Plus, he was dressed as an engineer – we HAD to go watch trains! As it turned out, it ended up being a photo op only because we waited about a half hour and no trains came by. But the pictures were worth it. On the way back to the car, we heard two trains go by (of course.) Poor Owen. Oh well.

After the train station, we headed home for dinner and neighborhood trick-or-treating. Owen and I went to three neighborhood houses. He was so excited just to ring the bells. The neighbors all said Owen looked super cute. He got so much candy from just 3 houses – this candy thing is making me nervous!

We came home and handed out candy to a handful of kids who came by. I bought 10 pounds of candy this year – I ate 5 pounds myself before Halloween – gave away about ¼ pound – and now I have 4 ¾ pounds left. Shoot.

Owen came home and ate two more lollipops (yes, he double fisted them.) The official lollipop count for today is 4. One before we left the house, one at Kent Station and two after we came home. After dinner, he had his first chocolate candy (a KitKat bar) and now we know that Owen likes chocolate!

Here is a little video of Owen after dinner and after all the candy. I just read an article in Parents Magazine titled, “Myths Even Doctors Believe.” One of the myths was that sugar makes kids hyper. They say, that usually when kids get hyper after having a lot of sugar – it’s actually because of the fun activities going on that gets them excited versus any effects of the sugar. You be the judge.



Halloween Eve

It’s October 30th and we’re gearing up for the Halloween festivities. Nana came over to help carve pumpkins and she brought cookies for Owen to decorate. Owen was excited to wear his eye protection. Decorating pumpkins is serious business. Just kidding, but it made for a cute photo-op!

 Owen started out a little slow – he didn’t quite see the fun in pumpkin guts. But once I gave him a special spoon shaped like a shovel and put a few scoops in the bowl, he got into it. He wanted to scoop pumpkin seeds out and then back into the pumpkins. He was very tidy about it too! Any seeds that spilled over onto the floor, he meticulously picked up and put back into the bowl.

While Dada was carving, Nana took Owen into the dining room to decorate cookies. He did such a good job! He was very careful with the knife spreading the icing and then he LOVED the shaking of the sprinkles. Dada actually had a great idea for the next time we use sprinkles – tape all the holes except for one so they come out much slower. Brilliant!

I was ready to let him go to town with eating the icing, the sprinkles, the cookies – whatever he wanted to do. He tasted everything, but he wasn’t too excited about taking more than one bite of each. You would think that maybe he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, not true. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s recap.

I did the obligatory seed roast and we found out that Owen loves him some pumpkin seeds. They are kind of a weird texture, but he can’t get enough. Must be because they are just “salt vessels” which is why I like them. Anything covered in butter and salt isn’t that bad.

Ok, I think we're ready…until tomorrow!