Say cheese!

I had some dental work done today and they numbed the left side of my face. I took this pic with my phone on my way home from the dentist (at a stop light!) I am smiling as big as I can, but half my face is totally dead - I look like a crazy woman! I thought of videotaping myself singing a song so you could REALLY get a laugh but I decided against it ;)

My dream has come true!

After following his music for the past 20 years, I finally got to meet Little Rocker in person!! I met up with him on his north american tour and he was just as amazing off stage as he is on stage! I think he even looks taller in person :) I was shocked when he agreed to come with me to a Halloween party at a friend's house - he has such big muscles from lugging his amp around to stand on. Oh, and he signed my shirt!!!








The other man in my life, Noah the lion, charmed all passers by at a pumpkin patch this morning :) Almost every person walking by commented on his costume and his cuteness - and I thought I was just making a last minute decision at Old Navy! He rode a horse for the first time, and giggled at goats licking his fingers as they ate pellets from his hand. Of course I looked down to see Noah pulling his hand out of his mouth, a sign that something has just gone in... like... a green pellet. Ew! It came out a little mushier than it went in but we got most of it out. A little extra fiber I guess.

See Ya!!

Pillow Fight!

Darren has been out of town for the last few days and got in really late last night. Sometime around 3:00 am I was rearranging my pillow and getting comfortable. Out of the blue, Darren snatches one of my pillows (the harder, decorator pillow that I also sleep with) right out of my hands and bashes me right in the face with it! I'm talking full wind up with a bullseye right on my nose!

Kim: "Darrreeennnn!"
Dar: "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm asleep... sorrryyy.....*snore*"

So in the morning I asked him what happened. I guess he had a dream where I was being really mean to him and saying awful things. So in his dream he figured if he just "bopped me in the head with a pillow" it would shake some sense into me!

We've laughed about more than once today.

Noah last halloween

Look at that crazy hair!

Mom's Group Cuties

Today we had mom's group at my house and the kidlets brought their costumes! I don't think they could have gotten much cuter!

Noah the lion, Jana the fairy, Lucy the flower, Sashi the pumpkin and Conner the dinosaur!

Jana looks like the lawnmower fairy - she mows your lawn while you're asleep!

Jana, Reid (Ninja), Lucy, Sashi, Noah

Noah signing "help"

Buddies Noah and Reid


Mama's cutie pie!

Blog Day for the Mothers Act - 10/24

Today I proudly stand with many bloggers to support Blog Day for the Mothers Act. As many of you know, I suffered the devastating effects of Postpartum Depression during my first year as a mom. It was relentless, it was heartbreaking, it was lonely. I was completely unprepared and uninformed about this illness and when it hit I had a difficult time finding help and support. Today is a day I encourage anyone who reads my blog to call their senator and ask them to support The Mother's Act (bill number S. 1375).

From Postpartum.net:
Up to 800,000 women in the U.S. will develop a diagnosable perinatal mood disorder this year! (This does not include women whose babies are stillborn, who miscarry or suffer pregnancy termination). Yet only 15% of these women will receive any treatment. We need to do a better job screening, educating and treating our nation's mothers! The Mothers Act addresses these concerns and offers the common sense and needed remedies of screening, education, provision of services and research. Thanks to your efforts it will not go unnoticed! Let's move this out of the HELP committee and into the full senate!!

California
Boxer (D-CA) 202-224-3553 - Kudos to Senator Barbara Boxer for signing on as a sponsor
Feinstein (D-CA) 202-224-3841

Link to other states

Suggested Script: "Hello this is (your name) one of Senator (Senator's name) constituents from (your town). I am calling to ask the Senator to co-sponsor The MOTHERS Act bill number S. 1375, sponsored by Senator Menendez, which will provide funding for research, education, screening and treatment of postpartum depression."

If you are from California thank Senator Boxer for signing on as a sponsor.

For more information on PPD or the Mothers Act visit Postpartum Support International or Postpartum Progress.

Thank you!!

PPD Survivor!

Noah's buddies

Introducing......

Noah ( and his crazy pose face)

and his buddies!
Reid....

(poor Reid is teething)

And Lucy!

We like to put Lucy to work when she's here

Tumbling Time

We tried out a tumbling/trampoline place this morning. It was hard work! I think I got more exercise than Noah! It was great because Darren and Jennifer were both there so we could all enjoy Noah's experience together. I haven't decided yet if the class is a bit advanced for Noah since it involves standing still in places and attempting hand stands against the wall - but the running around was great. Next week I am trying the gymboree class for his age group to see which one he enjoys more.


(you can see Kristen and Reid smiling in the background)


Imagine running around with a wool turtleneck and scarf on, that's what it felt like with my hair!

Noah has been conked out now for two hours - he yawned no less than three times just in the short drive home so he was beat!

And now moving on to random stuff....

If you are ever looking for something, check in Noah's drawer...

Super cute pic of my super cute boy!

Good times :)

Noah has started doing some pretty cool things lately... For starters, he now signs "again", "help", "apple", "hungry", "hurt", "cookie", "cold", "book", "Juju" (the letter J twice) and "medicine". That makes his total signing vocabulary at least 16 words!

As far as talking, in addition to what I've already blogged in the past, he now says all done, apple, bless you, thank you (upon prompting), pray, cookie (dokie), light, waffle, water, again - and so much more! It has been amazing to watch him turn into this little person. This morning when I was kneeling at his crib playing before I took him out I heard this hmmming and looked up to see him stepping up to my face and bringing his lips toward mine for a kiss. I gave him a kiss and he ended with "mwah!" This is the first time that he has initiated affection like that toward me, without me saying "give mommy a kiss". It melted my heart!

Here are some pics from the last couple of days:

He loves to get into my make up bag - this is after he pressed my compact to his face.



Eating his first apple by himself

The ipod generation

Enough said.

Noah's Wish List

Noah sat Mr. Rogers and I down last night and expressed his desire for some particular items this Christmas. Who are we to not take him seriously? So here are a few items he would like. I found the kitchen, new in the box, on Craigslist so we already got him that :) I'm sure we will have more up here later! It's not quite a Dear Santa list, but more like a Dear Nana, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa list.

Converse lo-top size 5.5 Little Tikes Kitchen
Target - Power Wheels Lil' Quad
www.Leapsandbounds.com Tub Phonics and I can dress myself! Doll



Puppetjungle.com (Melissa and Doug) Noah loved when I played with this puppet! The one in the store was a fireman. He would hi-5 it and go back and forth looking from me to the puppet as I was talking. I saw it at an arts & crafts store called Richard's

Hooray for sweaters!

I love summer!! But I must admit, I equally love Noah in his little sweaters :) It rained yesterday and I had to take Noah to the doctor's for a cold. He had on a shirt, a sweater, and a yellow raincoat! He was so cute. We got him the sweetest pair of Vans that are awesome, they fit so great and he doesn't try to curl up his foot when I put them on.


Darren and I were clearing out the garage today and Noah saw his Leapfrog Activity Station and wanted to play in it. He fits a little differently now - he stands in it with the seat pulled out!

Remember when?

Then...



And now...

Noah's new stove

After watching Noah go up on his tippiest of toes to put our small pan on the stove, I decided to get creative. I grabbed a box and quickly drew on two burners with a permanent marker. It definitely isn't a kitchen up to the standards of Gordon Ramsey (I believe he would yell "shut it down!") but our little chef was pretty impressed. And the sauted letters weren't half bad!







We will have to get him a little kitchen of his own for Christmas. Yes, we are already thinking of Christmas! We have already ordered the plush set of Handy Manny and his tools. Handy Manny is a cartoon we watch during Noah's snack time. Or as he calls it "NACK!" and then follows it with "ManNEH ManNEH!"

Welcome!!

So here we are at our new address! I'm hoping this will make it easier to upload pictures. I had been slacking off on blogging because it took a long time to put pictures up, and they were too small. I'm hoping this gives me just the kick in the pants I needed to start blogging again! If you are finding this for the first time, the blog that was used before this one can be found at baby.kimanddarren.com

Here are some recent pics.