Hannah's Crib

More baking....

2011-04-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

You've seen Hannah bake cookies with Mom. Here are some pics of Hannah baking with Dad.

Here we are making a heart-shaped pizza for mom for Valentines Day.

As you can see it turned out really well...

And here we are making buckwheat crepes:

Surprisingly everything we've made has been pretty tasty!

California Science Center

2011-04-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I went to the California Science Center and had a good time. I like any science museum where you get to learn about physics by pushing buttons and turning knobs. So one day I took Hannah to the CSC hoping to do this, but sometime between our visit and the time i last went (maybe about 6 years), the CSC added an entire wing to their building called "Ecosystems" and it just recently opened a few months before our visit. I had no idea! So we had to check it out.

There were lots of cool exhibits but the main attraction is definietly the Kelp Forest Aquarium.

It even has a Wave Machine and Tunnel. With a Touch Tank nearby!

The Aquarium of the Pacific will charge you $25 a person to see this, but the CSC is absolutely free!!! (donations recommended though)

Despite all the photos of marine life, Hannah's favorite part of the visit is the Porcupine of the Desert Ecosytem.

This isn't really a photo I took at the CSC. The porcupine exhibit dark so its hard to take photos.

Anyway, the California Science Center was so cool we went again two weeks later when Lola visited!

And no trip to Exposition Park is complete without a stop at Mercado La Paloma!

Mercado La Paloma is a Latin American Food Court where they have Yucatan Food. And they have a play area in the middle so you can eat while your kids play. Why don' t more places have this?

So what about the buttons and knobs? Well, the CSC has replaced a lot of those exhibits with touch screens. No offense, but we already have an iPad. But with the Ecosystem wing, who cares? We'll definitely be back to visit the porcupine thats for sure!

Gold Line to Olivera Street

2011-04-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've always enjoyed riding on trains. I have no idea why I'm drawn to them. Probably because they make you feel like you aren't in Southern California, because really who rides trains here?

Well, I thought I would share my love of trains with Hannah by taking her on her first train ride to downtown LA!

We started at the Del Mar Station in Pasadena. There's a fun, kid friendly restaurant literally at the station (Le Grand Orange), and you can even see the trains come and go while you eat.

We took the Gold Line because unlike the closer Red Line, the Gold Line is entirely above ground.

Union Station

Apparently Hannah didn't think I had enough spending money.

Olivera Street! We used that dough to buy about $25 worth of musical instruments. Take that, Kindermusik!

Hannah begins her Churro addiction here.

Going Home!

We had a great time downtown. We haven't done it since though, because it takes just as long to drive to the Pasadena station as it does to drive downtown. Now I know why no one here takes trains!

First Solo Pony Ride!

2011-04-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Where else...at Griffith Park!

Sorry, I couldn't resist...

Kids and Ponies. Enough said!

Duck Phobia and Dad Fail

2011-04-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the winter, Hannah developed a fear of ducks. This is 100% my (dad's) fault. Here's how it happened:

There's this outdoor mini-mall in Valencia that has a duck pond in front of it. This looked like a nice place to feed ducks, so I took some old bread and give it to Hannah. She was having a great time feeding the ducks -- as long as she was on the bridge over the pond. Being part of a mall, I made the assumption that these ducks were tame.

This was a bad assumption.

We decided to get closer the ducks so we got off the bridge and stood out in the open to feed them. They soon surrounded us.

This is when dad should have chased them away. But one of the ducks, eyeing some bread in Hannah's hand, lept up to her and grabbed the bread away from her, biting her hand in the process. Fortunately the bite didn't break the skin. But the bite did scare Hannah enough to the point where anytime she saw a duck she freaked out. Oops.

Hannah would not even go near a duck for almost 3 months. I felt bad for a few weeks, but after a while it just became silly. They're ducks, come on!

Well one day we were planning on being in the area of the duck pond, so in oh-so-clever attempt to cure her of this fear, I took Hannah back to the scene of the crime.

I gave Hannah some bread and told her to get to it. Did it work?

Surprisingly, yes! This time she just stayed on the bridge and she had a great time. Phobia cured! I guess you do learn a thing or two from watching decades of bad sitcoms!

Hang In There...

2011-04-05T15:05:00.001-07:00

No, this blog has not been cancelled. Dad has just been lazy. For four months.

But he will be posting regularly again soon -- mostly stuff that he should have posted a few months ago and didn't...

Baking Cookies

2010-12-19T23:34:00.000-08:00

Fun In The Rain

2010-12-11T23:44:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid i loved to race leaves in the gutter after a big rainstorm. I tried showing this game to Hannah. Here are the results:

The real craziness is this movie is me trying to stop the inevitable...

The Coop

2010-12-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

What is the Coop you ask?

The Coop is an indoor play area in Studio City created by two moms who wanted to create a more adult-friendly play area.

For kids there's a rope tunnel (a little scary for little ones), indoor slide , bubble pool, step game pad and an indoor jumper! Although it looks empty here, it gets pretty crowded around 3:00pm, once school lets out.

Luckily there's a room in the back with a kitchen set that kids can play in if things get too crazy in the main room.

For adults there's a coffee/snack bar and some magazines.

With the rainy season coming, I'm sure we'll be coming back quite often.

Our Halloween

2010-11-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Guess what Hannah was for Halloween?

This year was Hannah's first year trick-or-treating! She went with Kaya, Colin, Amaya and Gavin, and their parents too! Excuse the lack of pictures -- the neighborhood was dark and spoooooky! Emphasis on dark.

Just who is that guy in the scary horsey mask????

Sharing loot.

This year is particularly special in that Dad usually has to work on this holiday, but this year his employer let him out for 2 hours to spend with family. One hour of that was commuting to Kaya and Colin's neighborhood and back. Believe me, it was worth it!

Harvest Festival at Underwood Farms

2010-11-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Our family needed a pumpkin for Halloween, so rather than go to the nearby pumpkin patch, we decided to pick one up at the Harvest Festival in Moorpark. This place is like the Disneyland of pumpkin patches!

See that tower? There's a goat on top of it! There's a whole network of planks that the goats can climb to walk between a few different pens. Just don't look up...

Animatronic Chicken Show!
Is this a yak?

Corn maze! Good thing it was warm that day, otherwise we would've ended up like Jack Nicholoson in the Shining.

Ok, we probably should have posted these pics before Halloween. But better late than never!

Hannah's 2nd Birthday Bash!

2010-10-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

Hannah celebrated her 2nd birthday a few weeks ago! We had pizza, cake, arts and crafts, a jumper and more.

Thanks everyone for coming!

Hannah's Crib: The Flashback Edition

2010-09-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hannah's Crib has reached a whopping 10,000 hits! So what if 9,987 hits of those are from her parents? Time for a retrospective!

2 Weeks

3 Months

4 Months

6 Months

7 Months

9 Months

11 Months

13 Months

16 Months

21 Months

Hannah's Sticker Collection

2010-09-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Mom needs to bribe Hannah into brushing her teeth with a sticker. Watch Hannah show off her collection:

Hannah's Temporary Pet

2010-08-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's summertime...time for relaxing vacations -- for everyone besides us. Mom, Dad and Hannah can't seem to get their schedules to coincide for a nice trip. One day...

Anyhoo...one of our friends took a trip to the East Coast and asked us to take care of Drago, their pet fish. Hannah and Drago bonded instantly!

Drago bonded even more with Cow...
Sadly, Hannah had to say goodbye to Drago a few days ago. Oh well, at least Hannah is still able to play with Shady...

...or not...

Her Own Biggest Fan

2010-08-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

As you've probably noticed, there haven't been any video posts for a while. There has been some weirdness in blogger and i just recently found a workaround. It basically involves posting blind and crossing my fingers. Anyway, on to the movies!

Check out this Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/Happy Birthday medley

Believe it or not this is one of the tamer ones!

Hangin' With Cousins

2010-08-09T20:11:00.001-07:00

Dad Life

2010-08-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

New post coming soon. In the meantime, check out this link:

Splash Pads

2010-07-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

We haven't been to the pool that much this summer since 1) we don't have a pool and 2) Hannah hasn't realized she needs to hold her breath if she wants to go in the water without her parents holding her. She wants to jump out of our arms every time we take her to a pool! Fourtunately we don't have to worry about this at a splash pad. And luckily we live about 15 min away from three different ones!

Of course, we're not the only family that has these restrictions...

Beating the Heat

2010-07-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a pretty hot summer here in the North Valley. We've already had a heat wave of 110 degrees last week and we're bound to have more. Here's how we're beating the heat:

Playing at the backyard fountain

Lounging in the pool

Invading air-conditioned malls

Hitting the beach

Swimming in the Kidspace River

Jumping in buckets of water when dad has his back turned

But the #1 way we're keeping cool is... (to be continued next post!)

Fathers Day @ Big Bear

2010-07-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Mad As A Hatter

2010-07-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

Birthdays Galore!

2010-07-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Chillaxin' with Friends

2010-07-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

I realize I'm a parent and am no longer cool -- please let me have "chillaxin'". Please? Or was that word ever cool?
Road trip!!!!!

Just what is Ollie looking -- oh never mind...

Backyard Camping

2010-06-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Ok I admit that in the last post I stretched the truth a little. First, I only played 7 hours or Red Dead Redemption, not 9 -- I'm not that much an addict. Also, I didn't just drop Hannah off in the woods out of the blue. We sort of prepared her for it by doing some outdoorsy type stuff beforehand. Here we are camping in our backyard:

Hope this puts things in perspective!

Toddler Vs. Wild

2010-06-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was watching repeats of Mad Men on cable one night when I thought to myself: "Man, I
am sure being soft on my daughter..." So in order to toughen up Hannah I drove her 20 miles into the San Gabriel Mountains the following morning and dropped her off somewhere in the woods, giving her the privilege of finding herself home with nothing but her own two feet. However, after returning home and roughly playing 9 hours of Red Dead Redemption, I slowly began to question my decision. So I made the journey back into the woods to check up and Hannah, and lo and behold, she's completely fine!

And I'm not the only one that did it either!

Next time I'll try 40 miles in the San Bernadino Mountains. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger , right?

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Don't worry...it has a happy ending!

San Diego Zoo

2010-04-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we made our way down to the San Diego Zoo! It seemed a lot closer than I remember, but why ask why right?

On our way to the ticket gate we ran into a mom and her daughter, about Hannah's age. They sure looked weird. But I'm not above taking pictures of strange people and putting them up on the interwebs!

Hmmm...more funny looking people. Proper skin care does not seem to be a high priority with the residents of San Diego.

We finally got to see some animals. They also had an odd, blocky look to them. Good thing Hannah has her swine flu shots!

Okay, so this blocky thing is not limited to life forms. Something is up -- maybe its my camera? Note to self: turn up the Megapixel settings...

Hmmm. I don't remember these landmarks. Hannah consults our map. Wait a second...

Mystery solved!

New Kids On The Block

2010-03-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

Hannah made some new friends this winter!

Here's Lucas. He's the Donnie of the bunch

And here's Iggy. He's more of a Danny I think. Possibly one of the Knight Brothers. I know what you're thinking...but you gotta work your way up to Joey, no offense!

Welcome to the world boys -- see you soon!

We Are Suckers...

2010-03-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

See this cow/giraffe lovey? It was $8.99 at Target. It's Hannah's favorite and she can't sleep without it.

Hannah is running around a lot, and she often takes her cow with her. And occaisionally she drops it on dirty surfaces. And of course, we won't always have the time to wash it before her naps. Our solution: buy another one! Unfortunately this lovey has been discontinued at Target. This is something that has not escaped the interwebs.

We tried finding this on eBay. Guess how much it was going for? $30! And did we buy it? I think the title of this entry will give you the answer.

Actually, we got off lucky. We've seen some lovies on eBay that are going for over $100! But if a kid is attached to a particular one, I can see why their parents will pay that much. Now excuse me while I go to Target --I see investment opportunities ahead...

Favorite Valley Hangout

2010-03-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

If you ever want to know what Hannah's favorite place in the Valley is, ask her. She is not shy about telling us what it is:

And by Khana, she means Americana. At the Brand in Glendale! It has all her favorite things:

Trolleys

Fountains

Playgrounds

Seasonal Decorations

Pinkberry

We also have been to the Grove in West Hollywood and tried to capture the same magic.

She enjoyed it (bonus points for Koi in the ponds), but the Americana is the clear favorite. Luckily, the Americana is WAY easier to get to.

Actually, we knew Hannah would like the Americana. She has liked it for months!

Universally Accessible Playgrounds

2010-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hannah is so energetic we usually need to take her to a park or playground almost every day. The ones by our house are nice but are getting old. Luckily our friend Cherie told us about Universally Accessible Playgrounds, specifically Lake Balboa. These parks are awesome!

http://shanesinspiration.org/content/view/2/69/

These playgrounds were built specifically for children with disabilities, but they are also great for toddlers because of all the ramps and rubber mats. And they're huge!

There are about 20 in the L.A. area and we've been to 3 so far:

Anthony Beilenson Park/Lake Balboa

Anthony Beidelson Park...with Margot!

Aidan's Place with Ollie

Hansen Dam

We can't wait to discover more!

A Packed House

2010-02-12T12:39:00.001-08:00

Last week we had a bunch of kids over to celebrate their mom's birthdays! Seven kids to be exact.

I get tired just looking at these!

Occupation Prediction No. 2

2010-02-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

Landscaper!

She can do this all day!

Our Camping Trip

2010-02-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the late replay, but Daddy was (ok -- is) hooked on Infamous for PS3.

Anyhoo, even though it was raining a ton in late January, Hannah and I decided to go camping -- in the Living Room National Park.

Our Campsite

Grizzly Girl is making sure our gear is functional

Dad brought his acoustic guitar and we sang some campfire songs.

Horseback riding!

and even though we sealed our food...

...we still had unwanted visitors

I'mSoScaredI'mSoScaredI'mSoScaredI'mSoScared...

Guess That Mall

2010-01-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

When the weather is all wintery (or too summery), I will occasionally take Hannah to a mall to play in their indoor play areas. Can you match the picture to the mall?

1) Northridge Mall
2) Fashion Square Mall
3) Valencia Town Center
4) Glendale Galleria

The Answers: 1-C, 2-A, 3-D, 4-B. It's hard to tell which one is Hannah's favorite, but Daddy likes Northridge because it's the only one of these that has Great Khan's Mongolian Barbeque...yum!!!! It's also the biggest. Check this out:

Glendale does have Kyochon Chicken though....

Heavy Rotation

2010-01-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

These are the CD's that are being played the most this winter. Hannah actually requests most of them by name! Just not their official names...

Kiki -- Soundtrack to Kiki's Delivery Service
Ziggy -- Ziggy Marley: Family Time
Aybee -- They Might Be Giants: Here Come the ABC's
Brown, Piano -- Charlie Brown Christmas
Zosan -- Japanese Children's Songs
Elmo -- Sesame Street Songs
Lemon -- Peter Paul and Mary: 10 Years Together
Donna -- Madonna: Immaculate Collection
Hey Jude, Beatle -- The Beatles: Dad's Mix
Yo-Yo Ma -- Yo-Yo Ma!

Hopefully soon she'll request Vampire Weekend: Contra and give dad an excuse to download it from iTunes.

Occupation Prediction No. 1

2010-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

I predict...a dentist!

Hangin' With Our Peeps

2010-01-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to the Oshogatsu (New Year's) Festival in Little Tokyo with Juliette ande her family.

There was lots of cool arts and crafts, Taiko drumming and even had a Zaru Soba station! I can see this being a part of Hannah's meal rotation.

Hannah enjoyed her first trip to Little Tokyo. I can see us coming back pretty regularly.

Aquarium of the Pacific

2010-01-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays we met up with Cousin Jude and his entourage at the Aquarium of the Pacific!
We decided to go because Hannah LOVES fish -- or so we thought. We soon discovered that Hannah actually loves fish in every other environment EXCEPT the aquarium. Yep, she is more impressed by the koi pond at the mall or the fish tank at our neighborhood Dim Sum restaurant than the largest aquarium in Southern California!

I think going during the most crowded week of the year had something to do with it...
We still had a fun time meeting up with family though!
At least the mall and Dim Sum restaurant are free...

Snow Days @ Kidspace

2010-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hannah experienced snow for the first time over the holidays during Snow Days at Kidspace!

Margot joined us for the festivites as well.

Ok, so the snow was as brown as Mountain High Snow in late March...but its snow, right!
Like the true SoCal native she is, she preferred the Water Table!

Indoor play was fun too. I definitely see ourselves coming back more often in the summer!
See you all there!

First Christmas in the New House!

2010-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

"Hey Margot...ZOMG! vTech Laptop FTW! LOLZ!!!!! :D"

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. We sure did!

A Holiday Message From Hannah

2009-12-23T21:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

Holidays with Holly!

2009-12-18T19:51:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the week Holly had us over for a holiday party...with Juliette!
We did lots of neat stuff like play with toy trains, watch holiday cartoons from mom and dad's day, hop on a trampoline, and bake sugar cookies!

Thanks Holly!

Smooshed!

2009-12-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

A Week of Firsts

2009-12-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

On Hannah and dad's first full week together, she did a bunch of things for the first time:

First Trip to Porto's

First Potty...in the Toilet!

First Time on Slide By Herself!

First Time Wrestling a Giant Mutated Caterpillar!

We're so proud of our girl! Coming Soon: First Time Making Mom and Dad Dinner, First Time Scrubbing the Floors, and First Time Filling Out Taxes for the Family...

Thanks Yoya!

2009-12-04T22:41:00.000-08:00

Lola came by and helped Mommy and Daddy take care of Hannah for while Dad was crunching at work. Under Lola's care, Hannah learned to walk more confidently, eat many more kinds of foods, increase her vocabulary and ultimately become a much more fun an d expressive kid. Lola played a huge part in Hannah's growth and mom and dad couldn't have appreciated it more!
I think Hannah's shirt says it all. Thanks Lola!

Our Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-12-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

Like last year we celebrated Thanksgiving twice this year! Once with Grandma and Grandpa in the desert...

...and again with Ojiisan and Obaasan in the O.C. two days later.

Remember last year's Sukiyaki Christmas? Well this year we continued the trend and had a Sukiyaki Thanksgiving!
How can we not be thankful for such a loving family!

What's Your Name?

2009-11-24T23:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I gave her a little hint...

Cousin Jude's 2nd Birthday!

2009-11-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was Cousin Jude's 2nd Birthday!
Jude's had a little chain gang theme going on. Horizontal stripes only!

Jude is sure growing up fast! But despite the number of candles....Jude is really two.
Happy Birthday Cuz!

Hannah the Social Butterfly

2009-11-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

Hannah made a bunch of new friends this past week!

Well, aside from Margot of course, she met Dylan...

Benito...

Zozo...

And Clive!

We're looking forward to all hanging out again!

We <3 Katamari

2009-11-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

Minna Daisuke Katamari!

My own little Mini-Me!

Here we are in the early phases of planning our world domination!

...but we got distracted. With what else: Katamari!

Ka-ta-mal-ly do your bist!

Hannah's Second Halloween!

2009-11-01T16:51:00.001-08:00

Our Lil' Wild Thing!

Our First Jack-O-Lantern

Does our Pumpkin's teeth look familiar?

Happy Post-Halloween!

Visiting the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

We went to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday! Hannah surveyed the goods, making sure we'll be taking home the right one...

Hannah doesn't choose well under pressure...

She found one!!!! Looks like a winner!

Blast From the Past

2009-10-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

And by past I mean the summer. I procrastinated posting these pics so much they already invoke feelings of nostalgia. So without further ado: here's pics of everything else we did this summer!

Our Trip To Hawaii

Trip To The Zoo

Fun At The Pool (photos of Dad NSFW)

Summer Birthday Parties

Visits From Friends

And of course, playdates with Margot. If you haven't seen them already, you can check out some movies on her blog here. Kawaii!

So long, summer. Hello, decent temperatures!

Hannah WALKS!

2009-10-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

The Hannah Translation Dictionary!

2009-10-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hannah's been speaking quite a bit recently. Check out her vocabulary:

apple = all fruits

baby = baby humans and Lola's dogs

buhbuh = balloon

cock = clock

dodo = dog and all other animals except cats

doi = door

goo ga = good girl

lai = light

meh meh = flower (what?)

moo = moon

no = no (used only for the sake of being rebellious)

plane = airplane

shady = all cats

ska = sky

teddy = teddy bear

yaya = Lola

and of course

buhbye = bye bye

You can expect her novel early 2010...

Amaya's Birthday at Adventure City!

2009-10-02T14:18:00.000-07:00

Amaya had her 4th birthday at Adventure City this past weekend!!!!!

Adventure City is an amusement park in Anaheim with kid-friendly rides and attractions such as:

A Carousel

Rescue Rides

Barnstormer Planes

Express Train

Crank n Roll

Gift Stores

And of course, a Petting Zoo!

We all had a blast! I'm sure we'll be going back often. Happy Birthday Amaya!!!

One Year Deets

2009-09-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

So now that Hannah is one year old we took her to the pediatrician for her --WHAT THE...????

Kanye WEST? What are you doing here???? Stop stealing Hannah's spotlight and GET OUT OF HERE!!!

Much better. Now where was I? Oh, Hannah's deets:

Height: 28.5 inches
Weight: 18lbs, 14 oz
Number of Teeth: 6
Favorite Food: Cheerios, unfortunately
Favorite Book: Crime and Punishment, Runner Up: My Little Animals Book
Favorite Sleeping Position: Face Down (!)
Favorite Activities: Walking with assistance, practicing speech, playing instruments (esp. keyboards), picking lint from towels, pointing at airplanes, using objects as walkers, knocking stuff off shelves, playing with fans, harassing Shady, harassing Margot, harassing Mom and Dad

Our little baby is growing up!!!!

Hannah's First Birthday!

2009-09-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Hannah turned one over the weekend. And we had a RAGIN' PARTY for her at our new pad!

The best part: Odra and Hannah reunion!!!!!!

I can't believe we all survived her first year. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH!!!!

More Teeth

2009-09-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hmmm....maybe we should start saving up for braces now...

Mom's Company Picnic

2009-08-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

A day of food, fun, friends, and most importantly: PONIES!!!!

Separated At Birth

2009-08-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

I don't like where this is going...

5 Months

10 Months

15 Months

Hannah, it's all for yoooooooouuuuuuuuuu..............

Are We Ghetto Or What?

2009-08-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

Whenever we gave Hannah a bath in the apartment we just filled a mixing bowl with water and poured it on her to rinse her. So of course, one of the first things we did when we moved into the new house was to install a hand held shower head specifically for Hannah's baths. Unfortunately the water pressure in our house is extremely high. After just a minute, the water pressure caused our tub spout to burst! Now how are we supposed to give Hannah a bath? Go back to our old ways???!!!Luckily our house does have another hand sprayer...in the kitchen. Because it would take a while to get the faucet fixed, we decided to resume Hannah's bath...in the kitchen sink. Crisis averted!
It turns out Hannah enjoys taking a bath in the kitchen sink way more than in a tub in the bathroom. So here's where we've been giving her a bath for almost three weeks now.

So what happened to the tub spout you ask? Don't pretend the suspense isn't killing you! Well, my first reaction was to call a plumber. But I soon realized that as a new homeowner I shouldn't make it a habit to immediately call a "professional" every time something seems like it's going wrong. Ultimately I need to man up and try fixing things myself. So I used my masculine intuition to figure out a solution: I asked Grandma. She told me the problem was not too difficult and after she gave me a brief explanation, I found out how to replace the spout and apply the caulk in more detail online here. Sure enough...the solution was pretty easy!

Man, figuring out how to fix the bathroom, running around town finding all the right parts, and actually replacing the spout and reapplying the caulk took at least half a day. That's four hours I could've spent pwning n00bs on Resident Evit 5 Mercenaries mode. Sheesh!! Owning a home sure is a lot of work...

11 Months Old!

2009-08-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hillbilly Hannah

2009-08-10T10:38:00.001-07:00

Another one of Hannah's teeth came in! You may have to view these photos at a larger size to see it. It's not one of the front two teeth...

Looks like mixing moonshine with milk wasn't one of my brighter ideas...

We Moved!

2009-07-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

And we're back online! So much left to do but at least the hard part is over!

Excuse Our Mess...

2009-07-11T21:38:00.001-07:00

...and the lack of posts. But we're moving!
See if you can find Hannah. And her sister too!

What's New In This Picture?

2009-06-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Lola's Birthday

2009-06-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

We went to cousin Jude's house to celebrate Lola's Birthday!

Thanks for hosting Autie Vanessa and Uncle Pat. The pasta was delicious!

9 Months Old!

2009-06-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hannah has now officially been out of the womb longer than she's been in it!

Height: 27.5 in
Weight: 17 lbs 12 oz
Head Circumference: 16.75 in
Shoe Size: 2
Wake Up Time: 5-6 am
Sleep Time: 7-8 pm
Number of naps: 2 naps, usually 1.5 hrs each
Favorite Food: Acorn Squash
Least Favorite Food: Fuji Wok
Favorite CD: They Might Be Giants: Here Come The ABCs
Favorite Book: Daddy's Kisses (yes!!!)
Favorite Instrument: Bongo Drums
Favorite Toy: Anything that isn't a toy
Number of Teeth: ???
Recent Developments: Crawling, Cruising, Pulling up to standing position, Chewing some solid foods, Squealing at eardrum-bursting levels, Pulling dad's hair, Peeling off laptop keys, Giving raspberries to mom and dad

America's Next Top Model

2009-06-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Shameless plug: We have a couple of friends who sell their own baby clothes! Check out these threads:
Here's a cute tee by Michelle from tykecoon.com!

And this cute Big Bunny Onesie is by Amy Winfrey of Making Fiends fame! Check out her store.

Get 'em while supplies last!

Gavin's Birthday Bash!

2009-06-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Gavin had his first birthday party!
The place was decorated like a jungle...complete with monkeys. Lots of monkeys!

Needless to say, everyone had a great time.

Thanks for the invite guys!

Northridge Greek Fair

2009-06-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Juliana, Mia and Jenny came up for a visit. What did we do? Eat of course!

Thanks for coming up guys!

Noah's Ark at the Skirball Center

2009-06-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

We checked out this exhibit on Memorial Day weekend with Danny, Caroline, Mart, Jenny, and Margot. Noah's Ark is a family-friendly exhibit comprised of animals made out of found objects. Everyone loved it!

In fact, this is Margot and family's second time there!

Next stop: real animals!

Boldly Going Where No Parents Have Gone Before...

2009-05-31T15:46:00.000-07:00

To the movies! Grandma and Grandpa took care of Hanners while mom and dad went to see a movie together for the first time since Slumdog Millionaire. Guess what we saw? That's right, we saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. Sheesh homies....of course we saw Star Trek! Doi!

Hmmm. Nice to know that Hannah and Grandma have the same taste in clothing. I see Hand-Me-Downs! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

The Giggles

2009-05-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

20 Minute Meals

2009-05-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Playdate at the Getty!

2009-05-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Hannah met Myles and Oliver for the first time. What better place to have a first playdate than the Getty Center?Ok, just setting the mood. On with the shenanigans!
Margot got to meet everyone as well. And she taught Hannah how to wave!We all had a great time. Here's to many more playdates in the near future!

Hannah and Margot...the New Harold and Kumar?

2009-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

What a wacky duo!

Like Father, Like Daughter

2009-05-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

One day when I was holding Hannah in my arms she looked right into my eyes and gave me a look that said: "I'm ready, Daddy. Take me to Best Buy." My eyes suddenly became misty. Our little baby is growing up!
While we were there I probably should have picked up a digital camera with better auto focus.Now I'm sure you're asking yourselves: "what makes you so sure she wanted to go?" Because she absolutely loves electronics, fools! Check these out:In fact she loves these gadgets way more than the toys we buy specifically for her. Like father, like daughter!

Dim Sum with Margot! And Some Grown Ups Too.

2009-05-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

Probably the one place you can eat where you can have a screaming baby and not feel weird. Not that they did...I'm just sayin'!

8 Months Old!

2009-05-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

Enjoy these pics of a happy Hannah (and parents) now! Two words: sleep regression...

Good Eats With Lesley

2009-05-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Lesley got a chance to stop by before going back home to the boonies (a.k.a. Oregon). What started as a quick visit became a day long culinary tour of the valley! First we had brunch at a Valley staple: More Than Waffles!

We devoured the waffles so quickly I forgot to take pictures -- can you blame us? Next we stopped at a Frozen Yogurt place: Tutti Fruitti.
And lastly, Mommy came home and we all had dinner at Absolutely Phobulous...a Vietnamese place that has Veggie Pho made with veggie broth. Whaaaa....??? In between meals we played some Little Big Planet to help us digest.
Food, Friends and Video Games -- what more can you ask for? Thanks for the visit Lesley...and see you in three months!

Good Times With Odra

2009-05-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

April Pix

2009-05-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Daddy didn't get to post too much in April. Here's some pics of that month:

Goodbye Odra!

2009-05-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Odra's last day with us was last Thursday. In the three weeks she took care of Hannah, Odra helped us sleep train her, get her on a simple routine that includes two naps, a walk, and two meals of solids a day, clipped her toenails and finger nails shorter than mom or dad ever could, helped organize our livingroom and Hannah's room a little and gave Hannah a haircut. With Odra's help Hannah now gets plenty of food and rest, and she stays happy all day. WOW!

Goodbye Odra, and thanks for all your help. We all miss you already (seriously)!

And So It Begins...

2009-04-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

Hannah's First Haircut

2009-04-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Odra and Daddy gave Hannah her first haircut!

Ok, so it was really more of a trim. As cute as it is I still miss her wild, untamed Asian 'fro:

Here are her first locks. This'll look good along side her dried umbilical cord.

A Solid Update...

2009-04-23T09:09:00.001-07:00

Broccoli, Zucchini, Carrots, Acorn Squash, Peas, Rice Cereal, Bananas = YAAYY!

Green Beans = BOOOO!

Toes = YAAAYY!

And for adults:

Odra's Bread = YAAAYYY!

Odra's Chile Relleno = YAAAAYYYY!

A bunch of Yay's and just one Boo. I'd say it's going great! I guess all the good and healthy eating we did during the preganancy is paying off!

We Have Odra As Our Nanny And You Don't

2009-04-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

Mom needed to go back to work, and Dad had three weeks until his hiatus. We needed to find someone to take care of Hannah fast. We asked our good friend Mel for a recommendation and she introduced us to Odra, the sister-in-law of her own nanny.

Simply put: Odra is awesome!

Hannah and Odra hit it off immediately. Odra has over 12 years of nanny experience and it shows. She has been very supportive with Hannah's sleep schedule and we have adjusted our routine according to suggestions. She plays with Hannah in ways we haven't even thought of. She helps us out with chores while Hannah is napping. And best of all, she has her own system of introducing solids that is way more focussed and effective than ours.

A month ago I was hesitant to leave Hannah in the care on someone other than family for three weeks. But with Odra around for just over a week so far, we already wish we had her longer!

Happy Belated Easter!

2009-04-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hannah also turned seven months old as well. Happy (belated) Easter everyone!

Playdate with Juliette

2009-04-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Juliette, Michele, Brian and Holly came by and hung out at Hannah's Crib.

Man, it sure is getting crowded in here!

Loungin'

2009-03-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

What do Hannah and mom do while dad is at work? These picts will give you some idea...

Here they are checking out real estate blogs. Hannah wants a house with stables in the back for a pony.

It took me a while to photoshop the beer out of Hannah's hands in this one.

Looks like so much fun! Four more weeks to go...

Kaya's Birthday Bash!

2009-03-19T19:46:00.001-07:00

Last week was our friend Kaya's 4th birthday! Check out the craziness:

Kaya and her family have generously donated many clothes and toys for Hannah to wear and play with and they have played a big part in her development. Happy Birthday Kaya -- and thanks again!

A Half Year Old!

2009-03-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! I can't believe it's been a half year already!

Of course when we're trying to get Hannah to back to sleep at 4 am I find myself saying "It's only been a half year?"

Anyway, here's the Six Month Deets on Hannah:

Weight: 15 lb 13 oz
Height: 25.75 in
Head Circumference: 16.25 in
Diaper Size: 3
Nipple Speed Preference: Level 2
Number of Teeth: 0
Recent Developments: Sitting up, rotating on her stomach, pushing herself backwards, grabbing your loose skin and inflicting as much pain as humanly possible without drawing blood
Favorite Saying: "D'oh!"

Next challenge: Solids!

Our Little Spotter

2009-03-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

After all the catered meals at work, I could use the help.

New Do's

2009-03-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

We absolutely love Hannah's crazy a** hair! It's the source of much amusement: we've endearingly called her Pineapple Head, Wilson (the volleyball from Cast Away) and Lil' Kim (Jong Il, not the rapper). And that's just off the top of my head. It gives her so much personality!

Unfortunately, Hannah's hair is getting so long at the top that it's starting to droop. So in order to prepare ourselves for the next hair phase, we tried out a couple of new do's:

Cute, but makes her look like a boy if she's not wearing pink.

This is the one we'll probably go with. She looks like a little Pikmin!

Our little girl is growing up!

Goodbye Papasan, Hello Jumperoo!

2009-02-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

Thanks Lola!

2009-02-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

If you've been following this blog you know that Lola has been taking care of Hannah for the last two weeks. Lola has just finished those two weeks and has gone back home this past Saturday. Thank you so much for the help! Mom and Dad are very grateful, and Hannah misses you already!

It's now mom's turn to take care of HannahBear. Have fun girls!