Baby Baxter's Blog

Big Girl!

2011-06-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Daphne is getting so big! I can't believe my baby is 10 months old. Her newest accomplishment is pulling herself up on the furniture. She is really good at it, but so far no "furniture walking".....yet. I am in no hurry to have this girl walking.

She and Baxter have a pretty cute relationship. She loves to be near him, especially when he has snacks to hand out. She looks like a dog begging for food.

Daphne had her 9 month well visit, which was more like a 10 month visit. She weighed in at 19 lbs, which is what she weighed in December. No worries though, she is perfectly healthy. She loves to eat food, and she has about two months left of breastfeeding, she better enjoy it before she gets cut off :) She is a good little girl, and we are enjoying this fun time!

Nudist Camp

2011-06-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Why would any kid want to run around in a soggy diaper and shorts, when they can just be NAKED!!!! The boys had so much this past weekend playing outside in the water. This picture of Bax and Jackson is quite possibly my most favorite picture of them ever. Thank goodness you can't see their little boy parts, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to put it on my blog :)

Backyard Fun

2011-06-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Auntie Mary for these fabulous photos! My only regret is that Daphne is in her jammies. Oh well. Derek had been on a mission to find the perfect swing set, and thanks to Craigslist he finally found one! Baxter loves it, and Daphne loves the baby swing. With summer finally being here, we anticipate many hours spent in the yard.

For Easter, we bought Bax this set of golf clubs. With some practice, and a few lessons from Daddy, he is a pro.

Watch Out Michael Phelps!

2011-04-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Baxter had his first swimming lessons last Saturday. He did so well! Daphne and I watched from the sidelines as Derek braved the frigid 82 degree water :) He was a natural in the pool, we were so proud!

worst blogger of the year award goes to.......ME!!

2011-03-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

wow. I knew it had been awhile since my last post, but I didn't realize it had been THAT long. Yikes. We have been busy with everyday life. Nothing too exciting. We did take a trip up to Thousand Oaks to visit Dirk and Cotty and their lovely kids. It was fun. I'm pretty sure the highlight for Baxter was the fire station. Duh. Baxter also somewhat conquered his fears of the swing at the park. Daphne has been keeping busy as well. She has had several lunch dates with her baby BFF Gretchen (daughter of chelsey and danny). Both kids are growing up way too fast, and are getting to be so big. Here are some pictures.....

Cousin Love

2011-01-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

This is just too cute not to post.

Auntie Kerie has a fancy camera that can capture images of these wild and crazy kids, without the typical blurry issues. I am so happy to have these pics to post on my blog. Having Jackson as a cousin has been so much fun, and we all expect it to only get better!

The Holidays

2011-01-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

My mom sent me some good pics from the holidays. I really should start taking my own pics, but I suppose my hands are a little full these days :)

Daphne and I Christmas morning.

Baxter at my Grandmas on Christmas Eve. He stayed in the playpen while we ate Dinner. Pretty considerate of him.

Grammy Pammy and baby D.

Sometimes Daddy lets Bax handle a real bottle.

Beautiful Aunt Anne and Daphne.

My cousin Nikki and baby Daphne.

Auntie Jac, Patty and Grammy having fun with Daphne in the kitchen.

Bax was so excited to open his first present of the season.

Yo Gabba Gabba shoes!

Showing off his new shoes. Thanks Jim and Jac!

Obviously these pictures are from various events. We had a pre-Christmas celebration so we could be with Jim and Jac. They left on Christmas Eve to go on their late honeymoon to New Zealand. Lucky!! We spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma Daphnes house, and Christmas day and night was spent mostly with Dereks family. I know grandpa John must have some pictures from all of the Middagh festivities.....hint hint :)

Let's Play!

2010-12-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

Baxter and Daphne had fun playing with the Bumbo seat today. It was her first time in it, and Baxter is pleased to have the chair back in our rotation of seating options. Baxter recalls how hard it is to get in and out of the seat, so he was kind enough to bring Daphne a few items. It was important to get her the ballerina bear, and then a bite of a cookie. He is so eager to play with her, I cant wait to see them in action!

Four months!

2010-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Wow! Time flies. Our little girl is getting so big! She celebrated the big occasion by rolling over for the first time. Needless to say, we are very impressed. She is such a good girl.

Thank God for Camera Phones.

2010-11-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

We would never have any pictures if it weren't for our camera phones. We are so bad when it comes to remembering our real camera (which I have a love/hate relationship with.....mostly hate). These are from our trip to Disneyland yesterday. Grandpa John got us in, and we had a blast. Baxter enjoyed a birds eye view of the new Christmas parade from Daddy's shoulders. He saw Buzz Lightyear, and just didn't know what to think. Gotta love D-land during the holidays!

Life

2010-11-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2007

February 26, 2009

August 18, 2010

Wow. Turns out a lot can happen in just three years. We have been busy. We have been happy. Life is good for us, and we couldn't have imagined we would have TWO kids. As I sit here trying to type with Daphne in my arms, and Baxter strapped into his high-chair eating breakfast (well, he has actually been done eating for awhile now, but it is a good way for me to get some stuff done. Don't judge.) I am so in awe of what Derek and I have made. Happy anniversary to us!

Oh No.

2010-10-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Oh No. Baxter got sick. For real sick. Like throw up sick. It was awful for everyone involved. It may seem odd that I am blogging about it, but I just thought it was noteworthy. As a parent, there is nothing worse than your sweet baby being sick. Thankfully it only lasted a little over 24 hours. Initially I thought it was food poisoning, but I just didn't think a quesadilla from Rubio's could cause such trouble. I am happy to report that a full recovery has been made :)

Six Weeks Old!

2010-09-30T12:23:00.001-07:00

It seems like just the other day I was writing this same post for Baxter. I just can't believe baby Daphne is already six weeks old. She is such a joy to have around. She is an excellent little girl. She only fusses for a few minutes in the evening, but other than that she doesn't complain too much. Her big downfall is the car. She HATES her car seat. I just keep hoping she will get over it. Being the optimist that I am, I just try to think of how well she will sleep from all the crying.

As far as any milestones go, I can tell you she smiled at four weeks. It is a little difficult with Baxter running around to allow to much freedom for her to practice with rolling over. Oh well. I suppose she wont be the physical wonder that her big bro is, but they will probably start talking at the same time :)

Teagan's First Birthday!

2010-09-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to thank Taeler for these pictures and the pictures from my previous post. She got a fancy new camera, and I think she may have a new future in photography :) Little Teagan had her first birthday on Saturday, and it was a blast. Baxter had the best time EVER. He is such a boy, sweating like crazy and playing non-stop. Thank you to my mom for coming along with me to help with Bax (C-section recovery prevents me from lifting my giant 18 month old). Someday us girls will get a better picture with all of us and our kids, but I have a feeling we might have to wait a few years before we can get everyone to sit still and look at the camera.

My Cute Babies.

2010-09-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome To Our World.

2010-08-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Daphne Pauline was born on August 18th at 10:25 am. She weighed in at 8lbs 14oz, and 19.5 inches. Maybe someday I will document my labor story, but as of now I will just be impressed with myself for doing this much of a post.

We are so very happy to have this little girl join our family!

Boys will be boys

2010-08-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

Baxter loves having a boy cousin only six months younger than he is. Sometimes it may seem like he doesn't care for Jackson much, but those are just love taps :) Jackson came over the other day and the boys had a good time on their "rides".

August

2010-08-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

August has been a very busy month. We went to Thousand Oaks for Derek's family reunion. We had a very good time and Baxter had a blast running around the hotel. We also visited the Orange County Zoo at Irvine Park, and the Barn Yard animals were a hit. We have also been getting ready for baby Daphne to make her appearance. Baxter enjoys spending time resting his head on the belly, and he also wonders why mommy smuggled his soccer ball.

I would rather do nothing.

2010-07-05T23:08:00.000-07:00

When Baxter takes a nap, I would rather just sit and watch tv and be fat and pregnant. Not to mention, the laptop I use is upstairs, and I would just assume leave it there. I am a lazy blogger, and I do apologize to the 3 people who read my blog. We are all doing well, and very much looking forward to meeting our new baby sometime in August.

Baxter and I made it to the beach house for one night over the holiday weekend. In addition to being a lazy blogger, I am also a lazy picture taker. Thank goodness for my camera phone. This is all I got........

Water Baby!

2010-06-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial weekend, Baxter made a big discovery......the ocean. I don't think things will ever be the same for him. He actually played for awhile in the sand, not paying any attention to the waves. It wasn't until he took off running down the beach (thank you Grammie, uncle Jim and Auntie Jac for chasing him) that he actually got his feet wet. We can't wait for the rest of the summer!

Oh Happy Day!

2010-05-17T16:22:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was a very exciting, much anticipated event. My brother married his wonderful girlfriend, Jaclyn. There was a whirlwind of activity, and I am still recovering (dancing just is not the same when you are over six months pregnant). Baxter was able to enjoy the rehearsal dinner, and even sipped on a beer thanks to daddy (I walk away for one second......). The whole weekend was beautiful, and you could definitely feel the love!

So I guess it has been awhile. Whoops.

2010-04-20T20:10:00.001-07:00

Boys will be boys

2010-03-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

He thought he was hiding behind the recliner. I knew it was too quiet. Sure enough, he got his little hands on the most coveted item in our family room.....The remote control.

Don't mind his schizophrenic outfit. He had just got up from a nap. A guy is entitled to his not-so-stylish moments.

Someday, he and his daddy are really going to be fighting over that thing.

The Aquarium Of The Pacific

2010-03-18T10:38:00.001-07:00

Checking out the scene with Auntie Jac and Uncle Jim. We are not sure if he enjoyed looking at all the ocean creatures, or was it the people watching that had him entertained.

The shark tank. Some of those sharks were real mean looking.

The Lorakeet exhibit. This is where we had the most excitement for sure. Derek paid three bucks extra to feed the birds. Bad idea. In fact, bad idea going in there at all. Unless you enjoy getting pooped on. See how Baxter is leaning forward in this picture? Good thing, because a bird perched itself right on the back of his seat and pooped all down the stroller. If Baxter had been relaxing, it would have been more of an introduction to Lorakeets than we had planned on.

We decided to let him out of the stroller and roam a bit. There was a pigeon that he had his eye on. Doesn't he look so little?

Checking out some giant sting rays with Daddy.

Up close and personal. We had such a good time at the aquarium. We bought annual passes and look forward to going back all year!

Baby Baxter Turns One!!

2010-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

How is this possible?! Look how much he has changed! He started off as my chubby, red faced little munchkin. Now, he is just a big boy. It is hard to imagine all of the changes he has been through. All of that growing is such a miracle. He is such a joy in our lives, and is the cause of many smiles and laughs on a daily basis. He is my sunshine.

Here are some Bax facts:

Baxter can say the words "dada", "mama", "ball", something that sounds a lot like "kitty cat", and he whispers "whats that?".

Baxter can play ball. He will sit on the floor and roll the ball to you.

Baxter is such a boy. He likes to play drums and bang on anything. He also likes to drag things around like he is a caveman.

Baxter LOVES his daddy. He never cries when I leave the room, but sometimes when Daddy leaves he freaks out.

Baxter is very independent. He plays well with others, but he also does very well solo. He could also care less if Daddy and I are around when he is playing with friends.

Baxter is very funny. He likes to sneak up on you and scare you. I think he learned this skill from Grandma Paula.

Baxter is the best baby in the whole world and he couldn't be more loved :)

Happy Birthday Buddy!

The Park

2010-02-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

We had our first official trip to the park. We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful neighborhood, with two parks very close. We loaded up Baxter in his wagon, and we headed out.

Daddy had to do a bit of maneuvering to get the wagon down the hill. No babies were hurt in the process.

Baxter is not so sure of the grass. It must feel real funny under his feet. He was kinda spooked by it.

Trying to get him moving with the bribe of a daddy hug. He was not falling for it.

My little guy. Look at that face. A mother could just die.

The swings. He was about as sure about the swing as he was the grass. Maybe next time?

The slide was just confusing for him. I told him he will think it is the greatest thing ever someday. Just not today.

All done!

Haircut!

2010-02-08T12:14:00.001-08:00

Well, we finally did it. Baxter had his first actual haircut (not just a trim by mommy). The picture above is his before shot, featuring daddy and one of his friends Teagan. His hair was getting a little long, and we were getting a little sick of hearing "Oh look how cute SHE is". I know he is a beautiful child, with long, lush lashes......but having him mistaken for a girl was just absurd. So, Chelsey came over and got to work. Baxter played the piano for us while she worked her magic. Thanks to Lacy for the pictures.

The finished product! Someday, when we have our piano tuned it might be interesting to explain why there is hair in between the keys.

The Piano Man

2010-01-23T09:29:00.001-08:00

Baxter loves to display his musical genius at any chance he gets. These pictures were taken at Grandma and Grandpa Middaghs house, but we have a piano at our house also. Usually Baxter sits in his Daddys lap, but this time it was a solo performance.

Big Red Wagon

2010-01-18T17:03:00.001-08:00

For Christmas, Grammy Pammie and Grandpa Dan gave Baxter a Very cool Radio Flyer wagon. This is no ordinary wagon, folks. It comes equipped with seats, seat belts, and cup holders! Grandpa must have had something to do with all these fancy upgrades :)

So far, Baxter loves his wagon. We look forward to many adventures in it!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T13:35:00.001-08:00

We had a very mellow family New Years Eve. The three of us had our own little party. It was such a rockin party, that we decided to wear gray to tone it down a bit. Baxter missed the memo about kisses at midnight, so he just honked my nose at 8:30. Same thing, right?

After the nose honking, Baxter dove into his latest novel. This one is called "Alien Al" and it ends with a disco dancing alien, complete with music. Perhaps one of his favorite Christmas gifts from Auntie Kerie.

Happy New Year!! We can only imagine what 2010 will bring. 2009 was filled with so much goodness!

WHAT!?

2009-12-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

He is doing WHAT??

This.......

He has been taking steps since he was 8 months old. Last night something clicked for him, and he just couldn't be stopped. This video is edited down, but if anyone is interested in the 10 minute version, just let me know :)

Good Dog, Esther

2009-12-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, my Mom bought this wonderful series of books called "Good Dog, Carl". It involved a very responsible Rottweiler who helped care for the family children. The books were so adorable, and memorable. Well, we recently took a road trip to Arizona. On this trip we visited family and friends........and dogs. Esther is a very loving Weimaraner who helps to run the Brennan household. She is such a good dog. The way she behaved around Baxter got me thinking about Carl. I got a taste of the sweet life, and what it would be like to have a dog-nanny.

See how attentive Esther is?? I'm sure it has nothing to do with the possible cheerio or two that might drop on the floor :)

p.s. Thanks to Tom and Shanlee for letting us stay, we felt right at home.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T15:28:00.001-08:00

We hope that everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. We did! We started off at Grandpa Baxter's house with Dereks side of the family. Unfortunately, we have no pictures from that part of the evening. We headed to my parents house eventually, and fun was had by all.

Uncle Jim is always so silly with Bax.

And finally, for the first time ever on this blog..........Jaclyn! My future sister-in-law. We love Auntie Jac, and she is definitely one of Baxters biggest fans.

Bax was playing on the chair with Grammy. Give this kid a Tupperware lid, and he is a happy guy.

All in all, we had one happy thanksgiving, and we are so thankful for our amazing families.

A Few Firsts

2009-11-25T14:49:00.001-08:00

Our first trip to Disneyland. Thanks to Grandpa John, the whole fam was able to go for his holiday Christmas party.

Shoulder rides with Daddy provide the best vantage point in the whole park.

Family Photo in front of the big tree.

Derek, John and Baxter.

It was a success!

Then on Saturday morning we stopped by the Santa Monica Fire Station. Derek's Uncle Dirk has been a Firefighter with Santa Monica for a long time. It was so fun to see all the big engines. Derek and I even went on a call (nothing to exciting, just a false alarm at a nearby hotel).

This is the Engine that Dirk drives. What a job!

Baxter thought he might be able to fill Dirks boots.

Thanks Uncle Dirk!

Two Years Ago....

2009-11-10T09:45:00.001-08:00

I was looking pretty good.

My groom was looking HOT

All of our closest friends and siblings were there to support us and have a few laughs.

My new family. This is perhaps the best part of getting married. I know for some that in-laws can be a real pain in the butt, but mine are quite the opposite. I knew then that I was gaining a wonderful family, but in the past two years they have really exceeded my expectations.

The crowd awaiting our arrival.

Dad and I. So kind and generous.

Mr and Mrs Middagh

Thanks to Tom for making it official. I couldn't have been happier having someone who has known me my whole life do the honor of officiating.

Can't forget the dancing. What a party. My mom can really shake it.

And the most important part, walking off into the sunset together. What a beautiful day it was. I think back and it seems like so much has happened since then. Life together so far has been an amazing adventure.

Dude.

2009-11-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Patch Take Two

2009-11-05T19:32:00.001-08:00

We made a special trip to the pumpkin patch with Aunt Kerie, Grandma Paula and Jackson. Im beginning to think Baxter has something against pumpkins. He really could have done without the trip, but I knew it would be a good photo opportunity. He is such a big boy!

checking out the goats.

He can't keep his hands off of Jackson.

Grandma Paula and her two little monkeys.

He is wondering how much longer he is going to have to wear this silly monkey get-up.

In Honor of Halloween, Daddy's Monster Feet!

2009-10-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

Halloween Sneak Peak

2009-10-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

My little sock monkey!!! More adorable pics to come......

Creativity

2009-10-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is what we do at our house with laundry baskets (cause lord knows I don't use them as they are intended). His laugh is what makes us act like fools.

Video Time

2009-10-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

Baxter has been doing this funny laugh thing lately. He kinda sucks in air, which is probably not the safest thing to do while eating. But hey, I can't control how funny I am. And yes, that is a carrot in his hand. He loves teething on carrots. He is the best.

My Little Pumpkin Head

2009-10-10T10:31:00.001-07:00

We took our little guy to the pumpkin patch the other day. Basically, it was just one big photo opportunity. That being said, our usual camera friendly guy was kinda being shy. I think it was the big tractors going by, or the other kids running around. Tanaka Farms was pretty neat, and we think Baxter will enjoy it a little more next year.

Thanks to Grammie Pammie for the cute pumpkin hat and onesie.

We had a bad case of "hat hair" from his pumpkin hat. Something about this photo makes me want to eat his face off.

He loved the big pumpkin, and was using it as a drum.

Baxter was a little weary of the scarecrow.

And here he is with a pumpkin more his size. We are looking forward to making this a tradition, and hopefully he will enjoy it more in the future.

Busy, Busy, Busy.

2009-09-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our weekend started off with a bang! Friday night Baxter was able to hang out with Jack. They had a sushi date and all went well. Baxter is not photo ready in this pic, so he was trying to protect his perfect picture taking reputation.

Saturday Baxter stayed with Grammie Pammie while Derek and I went to Huntington Beach for his cousin Nick's Wedding. It was a lovely evening, and Lindsay made such a beautiful bride.

Reception photo taking fun with Erica and Sara. The three of us had such a blast together, and Derek and I were so happy to have them (and their brother Baxter) stay the night with us.

I think this is me being sexy. This is the look that landed me a husband. No doubt.

Sunday morning we took Erica, Baxter, Sara and baby Bax to Soup Plantation. Always a hit. After, we stopped by to visit Jackson. He was not happy about being put down for a picture. Baxter wants to know what is up with this kid :)

After visiting Jackson, we ran home, changed out of our PJs and headed to Seal Beach to visit grandma Jeanne for her birthday.

Bax and uncle Jim. They had very similar handsome shirts on. Perfect photo opportunity. Unfortunately, I didn't get any shots of my grandma Jeanne at her birthday celebration.

And then we were off to Westminster to celebrate Laurens birthday. Baxter was a real party poodle, and everyone loved him.

Baxter in a "Horvath sandwich". Lindsey and Lauren think he is pretty sweet.

He even helped Lauren blow out her birthday candles.

The bax man was pooped. Mommy and Daddy were pretty spent as well.

Happy birthday mom!

2009-09-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Last week we got together and celebrated my mom's birthday. It was a small, intimate affair. Just my grandma Daphne, Jim and Jac, my parents, and us. Jaclyn was so sweet, and made a fabulous dinner (that is why she is m.i.a in these photos).

Baxter loves his grammie Pammie. He is especially fond of the necklaces she wears. They keep him entertained since I hardly accessorize.

Bax and one of his favorite people, grandma Daphne. He is so content to just sit in her lap and play.

The Middagh family!

Teagan Grace Bradshaw

2009-09-14T11:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, one of my bestest friends Kelly and her husband Stan welcomed their first child into the world. Teagan Grace is healthy, and weighs in at 7lbs 9oz. Derek and I stopped by the hospital yesterday, and I was able to snap these photos. Kelly is doing very well, and is happy to have all of this labor stuff behind her.

Precious little girl!

If I blog it, he will come.

2009-09-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

Jackson Lee Rogers

September 1st

7lbs 6oz

19 inches

The day after my last blog post, Kerie's water broke! Baby Jackson was eager to get here, and showed up about two weeks early. He is cute as a button, and has a good amount of dark hair. Kerie is doing great, and looking forward to being home by Saturday. We are all so thrilled for this new addition to the family!

Waiting for Jackson

2009-08-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Baxter is waiting patiently for his first cousin to arrive. Derek's sister Kerie and her husband Rich are expecting their first little guy this September. We are all very excited, and I think it will be like a built in best buddy for Baxter. He already loves baby Jackson, and takes any opportunity to practice giving him hugs. This picture is just too adorable!

Some East Coast Love

2009-08-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last week we were lucky enough to spend some time with some out-of-towners. My Aunt Anne and Uncle Randy were here from Connecticut, and we met up at my grandmas house. It was the first meeting for Randy and Baxter, and it was a huge success! Jim and Jaclyn were also there, so there was some valuable Uncle/Nephew time, and we have pictures to prove it.

Uncle Jim enjoys blowing on Baxter's face, it is pretty funny. Lets just hope that garlic wasn't a main ingredient in the last thing he ate :)

My little pale skinned baby looks even pastier next to the bronze god. Jeez. Anyways.......It was so good to see Anne and Randy, and we are looking forward to seeing even more of the Bourne family when they come into town for a wedding in October!

Another One Bites The Dust

2009-08-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

On August 21st, one of my best girlfriends tied the knot. My picture taking was not up to par, so I apologize for the lack of awe-inspiring shots of the beautiful bride. The shot above was the best I could come up with. Good thing she had hired a professional :)

Chelsey is a hairdresser. She had her hairdresser friends there doing hair and make-up. Needless to say there was lots of fun to get in to. These hair-extensions really do a lot for my cheekbones, right?

The three of us felt strange being in a wedding without Kelly and Lori. We missed them, and this shot seems like it is missing something.

Taeler and I with the flower girls Tori and Eilish. Tae is pregnant and due in November. It is hard to see her darling belly in this picture, but she really is showing now.

And of course the Bax-man hand to make an appearance on this post, since it is his blog :) Here we are at the rehearsal dinner. Baxter was very well behaved, per usual. My mom was set to watch him, but unfortunately she has done something to her leg/back and is laid up at home. My dad is taking very good care of her and hopefully she can start to get better once they figure out what is wrong. Special thanks to Grandma Paula and Auntie Kerie who came to the beach house to watch our little guy so Derek and I could go to the wedding. They are so good with Baxter, I honestly didn't even worry. I knew he was in great hands!

Food is Good.

2009-08-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Last week we made a very exciting venture into the world of culinary goodness. Baxter is almost six-months, so we decided to make good of some perfectly ripe avocados. I had read somewhere (and our pediatrician also agreed) that a nice, wholesome avo would be a perfect first food. It was a big success!

Some of these pictures get a little blurry. Daddy got the camera a little too close, and Mr. Avocado hands had his way with the camera lens.

He is a champ! You would have thought he had been eating off a spoon his whole life:)

We have been eating "solids" for a week now. He has had peas, and potatoes. We tried the rice cereal, but after tasting it myself, I tossed it. This week we will try sweet potatoes, stay tuned!

Just Because.

2009-08-13T10:35:00.001-07:00

I love his smile.

The OC Fair

2009-08-08T22:39:00.001-07:00

Here we are pre-fair. Bax knew we had to be going somewhere good since mommy decided to do her hair.

Once we got there we smelled the lovely aroma of the live-stock. Baxter enjoyed the animals, but was curious as to why they don't make funny squeaky noises like they do on baby Einstein.

Being on a diet at the fair was not perfect, but I rationalized that this zucchini stuffed fried hot dog had to be low-carb. Right? No? Oh well, I did enough walking to cancel out that and the chocolate covered bacon:)

Our little dude and the big pumpkin.

Family shot.

Daddy and Bax in front of the corn.

Mommy and Baxter after he enjoyed his dinner at the fair. Not an easy feat breast-feeding at a county fair, but we pulled it off.

Totally passed out after such an exciting evening. Looking forward to experiencing it next summer with a toddler!

Bouncing Baby Boy!

2009-07-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Lindsey and I went to visit Laura and her boys Conrad and Jack. We had a great time, and the weather was perfect in Newport. We spent some time outside where they have a lovely view of the bay. Just the night before, Laura and Josh had some fun at babies r us, and bought some goodies for Jack who had been a little bored with his old toys. They bought this bouncy thing, and I was curious to see how Baxter liked it. Needless to say, he was in LOVE with it. I had to take him out to feed him, he would have bounced till the sun went down. He also found Conrad to be pretty entertaining :)

We can't wait to go back!

Fourth of July

2009-07-07T10:33:00.001-07:00

We spent the holiday weekend at the beach house. The weather was PERFECT. Sadly, I was not too diligent with the sunscreen application. As a result, my arms and chest were so burnt I was unable to spend any time outside on Sunday. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Baxter in his patriotic outfit. Wal-mart. Eight buck-a-roos. I love a good bargain.

Notice his new do. I gave him his first hair cut last week. Post trim, his hair tends to want to be a mo-hawk. I find this look pretty cute now, although not too sure how I will appreciate it when he is 12.

Good times!

Happy Daddy

2009-06-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Baxter is so lucky to have such a good dad. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband. I am also fortunate to have an amazing dad. Dads are so important, and in honor of them we celebrated not just on Sunday, but we started the festivities early on Saturday. We went to my parents house on Saturday to be with my dad. He had a busy day of golf planned for Sunday, and since he is the dad, he golfed. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures. On Sunday we went to souplantion for breakfast (yup, they have breakfast on Sunday only. For those of you who are salad lovers such as myself, this is a very exciting idea. Salad for breakfast. pretty sweet). We were joined by Auntie Kerie and Uncle Rich. Rich is getting as much practice time in as possible, he will become a daddy in September. We spent the afternoon at Derek's parents with the whole clan, about 30 of us. Here are some photos.

These are some pictures of Baxter and Cassie. Cassie is Derek's cousin Brians little girl. She is about eight months old. Bax was showing her some of his toys.

For fathers day I got Derek a jogging stroller. I snapped this picture this morning after mine and Baxter's morning adventure.

My child sucks, and other miscellaneous events.

2009-06-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

Yup. I said it. Baxter sucks. Literally. The little monster gave himself a hickey. I of course thought the worse when I saw it, thinking he had bonked it on something and I had not even noticed. Then I recalled earlier in the evening he was snoozing on Derek, and decided on an impromptu suck session on his arm. The result was this lovely black and blue hickey. Watch out ladies........

Here he is modeling his work. He is proud.

In his bumbo seat. Watching me cook.

Here he is with grandpa Dan. Otherwise known as Tiger Woods. I must say I have such a handsome dad, and Baxter is a spitting image. I have one friend who asked me how it felt giving birth to my dad. weird.

You might look at these pictures and think that it is Christmas time due to Bax's red and white stripped candy cane look. Truth is I just love red so much, and it is not easy to find in boy clothes. I take what I can get. He is about to outgrow this little outfit, so I had to get my fix.

In grandpas chair. relaxing.

He looks so tiny.

And last but certainly not least, here is Bax and his very good friend Jack. They enjoy spending time together, sucking on their fists and napping. Jacks mom is one of my oldest friends Laura. Jack is about two weeks older than Bax, and his mom and I have high hopes for their future friendship.

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-26T11:27:00.001-07:00

We were lucky enough to spend memorial day weekend at the beach house. It was a beautiful weekend spent with my parents and Jim and Jac. Baxter had his first trip to the beach, and enjoyed it so much that he slept almost the whole time.

Needless to say, my legs did get a little burned after not having seen the sun in ages. Don't worry though......baby was protected from the rays.

Bax got a new hat thanks to Rebecca (Auntie Jaclyns friend). In addition to the hat, he also scored a zillion other cute outfits courtesy of Harrison (Rebecca's son). Gently worn designer duds are the best!

These are some of the new items we got. Baxter was not really feeling the vibe of our fashion shoot, so we had to cut things short. He looks like such a handsome boy in his new outfit.

We had such a great time, we can't wait to go back. Derek and I even played some tennis (had not done that since December) and I am happy to report that we were victorious in our match against Jim and Jac (in their defense, I dont think they had hit the courts in months either). I suppose we will have to have a re-match on our next trip.

The Speech Clinic

2009-05-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Before Bax came along, I had some other people that I deeply care/cared for. I spent a collective six and a half years working at the Cerritos College Speech and Hearing Clinic. I loved my job so much, that it took my having a baby to get me to leave. Contributing factors to my loving working there were my WONDERFUL boss, and amazing co-workers but I also came to love ALL of my students that I saw through the years. One of the most fun parts of my job were the group sessions. We would work on social skills, and through the years the Wednesday morning group evolved into being more of a morning coffee group date. When I started prepping my students for my departure, I told them I would be back to visit ASAP with the baby. Well, time got away from me, and I am embarrassed to say that I just made the trip in to the clinic. It was the last group session for the semester, so there was a party. The whole gang was very happy to see me, and were happy to finally meet the new man in my life.

The whole group. Robert is front and center. He is the loyal sports fan. Always rootin for a new team.

This is Dana. There is so much to say about him, I don't even know where to begin. I will just say that he is my biggest fan, and will tell anyone willing to listen that "Liz is my favorite teacher". He came in after the group and politely asked if he could hold the baby. He let me know that he has held plenty of babies, and once I put Baxter in his arms I could see he was a pro. It was such sweet moment, and I am so happy that Baxter had the chance to meet some of my favorite people.

Look What I Can Do.....

2009-05-11T13:05:00.001-07:00

This is the most hysterical thing ever. He loves sitting up, and when he starts tipping over he kinda smiles and giggles. Too cute!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Well it's official....I'm a mother! Yesterday I celebrated my first Mothers day. I must admit I am a fan. It is kinda like having another birthday. Derek surprised me with a new tree for our yard (location yet to be determined). I love the idea, the tree will always remind me of my first mothers day. I have such a sweet, sentimental husband :) I made brunch for Derek's parents, aunt Kerie and uncle Rich. Baxter did the meal-time entertaining while kicking and making happy noises in his bouncy seat. After cleaning up, I took a nice nap and got ready for dinner. It was a nice, relaxing day. It would have been more perfect if I could have spent it with my mom, but they are in Hawaii, and we will celebrate when she gets home. Here are some pictures from the day.....

Baxter is not so sure where to look.

In his swing.

smiling for mom.

Nana Jeanne

2009-04-28T12:00:00.001-07:00

Baxter is so fortunate to have two great grandmas (and one great grandpa, I will have to post on him later). These photos were taken at my shower, and it was actually the first time my grandma Jeanne was able to hold him. Moments like these are so special, and I am happy to have it on camera!

Baby Shower

2009-04-27T11:23:00.000-07:00

Baxter's shower on April 18th was so wonderful. I am so lucky to have such amazing friends. Everything was so cute, and the food was so tasty! These are just a few photos from my moms camera.

Patty and the diaper cake. I plan on NEVER using any of those diapers. Too cute to take apart :)

Adorable quilt from the Horvath ladies.

Aunt Sue and Nana trying to make sense of some toy.

AMAZING red sweater grandma Daphne made. I think it will be perfect for the holidays.

Me and my "Nonnie".

Grandpa John the Family Photographer

2009-04-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Grandpa John came over the other night to help Derek with some projects. As usual, he had his camera handy and captured these very darling moments with Grandma Paula. So precious!

Easter 2009

2009-04-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm a little behind. I just thought I would take a moment to post about Easter while Mr. wonderful is napping. We had a very busy Easter, but the only photos I have are from my parents house. We were lucky enough to spend the day with my parents, my brother and my grandma Daphne. It was a beautiful day, and we had a lovely lunch.

Baxter loves his great-grandma. They could hang out with each other all day if it was up to them!

Baxter and his daddy watching golf.

notice the outfit change.....we had a bit of a "blow-out" during lunch. Uncle Jim could have done without that interruption :)

Bax and grandpa Dan. I think he looks like a little Cupie doll in this photo. They were just chillin, and he was giving grandpa some big smiles. My mom and I were near by with our hearts melting.

Since there were no pics of Jim and Baxter I decided to add this older picture. I think it is so cute.

Late night photo session

2009-04-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

We spend lots of time together at night, one activity he seems to enjoy is camera time. He really knows how to strike a pose.

This was taken after we got home from dinner last night (friday night Chilis with the Middagh clan). I thought he looked so cuddly cute in his little outfit.

I think we may have an international super-model on our hands :)

6 weeks old!

2009-04-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big day. Baby Baxter is now six weeks old! Time flies. It is so hard for me to believe that this little guy has been with us for six whole weeks. We celebrated by going to costco with grandma Pam. He seems to enjoy Costco, but I think he is really just behaving so he can snag those free samples. Mini quiche seem to be his favorite :) So far Baxter has hit these milestones....

Holding head up (day one)

Smiling (three weeks old)

Rolling from his tummy to back (five weeks)

Rolling from back to tummy (five and a half weeks)

Of course we are convinced he is the next boy wonder. I find that I am actually excited when it is time to wake him up. He looks like a grumpy old man, and I typically wind up laughing at his silly grimaces. He loves "talking" and will tell stories for days. He is such a love. This picture was taken this morning after I got out of the shower. He loves his bouncy seat and is very entertained by the smooth vibrations and calming water sounds.

We are NOT crazy cat people

2009-04-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a lover of animals. I even refused to see the movie "Marley and Me" because I knew that inevitably, Marley would die at the end (spoiler alert!). I have always had wonderful and sometimes strange (Dottie....RIP) dogs growing up. I liked cats, but my brother is very allergic, so we never had any as kids. While living at my first apartment in Long Beach, I was found by my first cat Pumpkin. She was quite the damsel in distress, and I had NO choice but to save her. She is a bit of a social recluse, but she loves me with all her little kitty heart. Tarzan came along a year later, due to the fact I was convinced that Pumpkin wanted a friend ( I think I may have been wrong on that one). Tarzan is very sweet, but has some little kitty behaviors that are not exactly perfect. Derek shares similar stories in how he ended up with his two cats, Stinky and Titus. Both of his boys are very well behaved, and don't have any "issues" like mine do. When we found out we were expecting, one very common question we got was "what about the cats?". Derek and I took on the attitude that if there were any problems regarding cats vs. baby we would deal with it then. Well, I am happy to report that there have been no problems at all. Neither cat or baby seem to really notice the other. Yipee! Here is some proof......

Pumpkin and her attempt at a cuddle

Titus the "protector"

Introductions.....

2009-04-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, here goes nothing. I want to start off with a disclaimer; I am not much of a creative writer. I plan on blogging stuff as it is. Thankfully now I have a baby that I can use to my advantage to make my posts seem much more thrilling. I also don't plan on being all to concerned with grammar and punctuation. Anyhow......I imagine I (liz) will be the primary care taker of this blog, so unless otherwise stated, I will be the one making the posts. Derek (my husband) is very busy working his butt off (and his clients, he is a personal trainer). He is a good daddy, and Baxter loves every minute they get to spend together. I am currently a stay at home mom. wow. That is wild to actually say. So far so good. If Baxter could talk, he would only have positive things to say about my skills as a mother. Im going to end this first post with some pictures of the fam. Enjoy!