Meet the Family

Man...I've got insomnia and mommy and daddy are passed out! What's a kid to do?! Blog of course! Just don't tell mommy and daddy that I'm still awake and that I can sneak out of my crib!

It was a pretty exciting day today. I got to see my buddy 'Z' for his first birthday party. We got there early because we had to head up to Vallejo to see the family for dinner. It was good catching up with him. While he was napping, I got to try out his tree swing! Awesome! Happy birthday dude!

We then made our way up to Vallejo for the big introduction. My second cousin Oliver was in town from San Diego and my other second cousin Kimora was in town from Sacramento. It was a pretty big deal because it'll probably be years before we're all in the same room again. Coordinating our schedules is just insane!

So get this...I was just hangin out on my blanket when, out of no where, Oliver jumped on my back! I would have never guessed he had it in him! Much respect little man!

So I have to ask...am I scary looking? The reason I ask is that Kimora burst into tears when we first met. I swear...I didn't do anything! She was standing on the table so I climbed up to say, "How you doin?" and she just started crying! OMG! I took a bath that morning so I know I smelled good. I was wearing my cute football outfit for the 49ers game that night. What the heck?!

It was good to see everyone. Hopefully we'll be able to do it again...maybe at Disneyland! That would be pretty awesome! I hope everyone had as good of a time as I did!

Our First Family Vacation

Since mommy is going back to work next week (waaaah!), she thought it would be a great idea for us to take a short family trip to Monterey and Carmel. Our whole family went - daddy, mommy, me and Tachi! We got lots of tips on where to stay and eat from Uncle Ritchie & Auntie Margaret and from my buddy Ky and his parents. *High five* on the recommendations!

Before we could leave, we had to pack. I'm happy to report that I packed the most stuff out of everyone. It's not easy to look this good, you know. Daddy thought the weather was going to be mild and cool, so Mommy packed long sleeve onesies and long pants. Turns out the weather was hot and sunny the entire time!

Daddy and I chilled out in our room after we checked in at the Hyatt Monterey, while mommy took Tachi for a walk along the Monterey State Beach. Even though there were signs posted saying dogs had to be leashed, mommy let Tachi off leash when she saw several other dogs off leash. (Bad mommy!) Tachi had a blast running along the surf, chasing other dogs. For dinner, we had a tasty meal at Abalonetti's Seafood Restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. We enjoyed the sunset sitting on their dog-friendly outdoor patio.

The next day, we headed to Carmel-by-the-Sea and Carmel Beach so Tachi could play in the surf again. I was beginning to think that this trip was all about Tachi. I'd been to the beach before (Fort Funston), so it was no big deal to me. I decided to take a nap in the Ergo while Tachi played.

After the beach, we walked around town in search of lunch. I heard several people comment how cute Tachi was and ask if they could give him treats or pet him. What about me?! No one even noticed me. Hmpf...this must be the only city where Tachi gets more attention than me.

After lunch at Jack London's Pub and Grill, we strolled around town and checked out at Diggidy Dog, a dog and cat boutique. We continued exploring the town and stopped for afternoon refreshments at the Cypress Inn. Mommy grabbed a couple of dog treats from the front desk for Tachi so he could have an afternoon snack too. We ended our day with dinner at the Forge in the Forest. We sat in their special Dog Pound Patio, which is a shady patio dedicated to doggie dining. They brought water for Tachi and even had a special Dog Pound menu with items ranging from Plain Ol' Kibble to 8 oz of grilled and sliced New York steak for canine companion. Daddy says the people food is pretty good too.

The next day mommy wanted to take Tachi back to the Monterey State Beach, but I had enough of Tachi, Tachi, Tachi. Plus I missed the comfort of my own crib. So instead of the beach, we headed home in the morning. Haha...I win!

I'm 5 Months Old!

Happy 5 month birthday to me!

Unofficially, I'm 18 lbs 6 oz and 26.25 inches long. I'm currently wearing 6 month clothes. Yup, I'm a big, healthy and happy baby! Here's a run down of things that I like and don't like (in no particular order).

Things I Like:

• Rolling over: I still mainly roll from to the left from my back to my tummy. Mommy tries to entice me with toys to get me to roll to the right. Sometimes she even helps me by propping me on my right side so I'm halfway there already.
• Tickling my own feet: I giggle every time mommy and I play this game
  
• Sitting up while supported: I use my hands/fists to stabilize myself. Sometimes I topple over, but most of the time I can stay balanced. I can even fold myself in half so that I can suck on my toes.
  
• Putting anything and everything in my mouth: my fingers, grandpa's fingers, mommy's fingers, my toes, toys (especially sophie the giraffe), blankets and of course, bottles
• Holding my bottle: Mommy and Daddy say they know I wanna to help, but my fine motor skills aren't quite there yet. I generally can't get the nipple into my mouth and end up making a mess.
• Reaching and grabbing for things: I'm getting really good at this! I even grabbed a hoop earring off Auntie Christina's ear. Watch out ladies!
  
• My exersaucer: Whenever Mommy puts me in it, I look at her and smile.
  
• Lying on my back and grabbing my toes like the happy baby yoga pose: I haven't gotten my toes into my mouth this way, but it's only a matter of time. Mommy and Auntie Char did this yoga pose when they took yoga classes together. Now we can all do it together!
• The Wheels on the Bus song: Whenever I get a fussy, Mommy starts singing this song and I forget all my troubles.
  
• Screeching like a pterodactyl: Mommy and Daddy aren't big fans of this one.
  

Things I Don't Like:

• Getting stuck on my tummy: I'm usually okay for a few minutes, but then I get frustrated because I haven't figured out how to get out of this position. Sometimes I get so tired that I bonk my head on the floor. Don't worry, it's padded. Secretly, I've been practicing rolling from my tummy to my back in my crib at night. I gotta be more careful though cuz mommy caught me one time.
  
• Getting stuck in a seated position: Mommy and Daddy think it's strange that I don't know how to lean to one side and fall over. Daddy usually just sits there, looking at me and encouraging me to lean to one side while I fuss. After a few moments, Mommy rescues me by suggesting Daddy show me what to do so I can learn by doing.
• Napping when I'm out on the town: I just don't want to miss any of the action! On our recent family get away (blog post coming shortly), I barely napped at all. Just a short cat nap here and there instead of my usually hour to 2 hour naps at home.
• My hair falling down and out: Waaa...I miss my cool stick up hair. And to make matters worse, my hair's falling out at the back of my head. Mommy tries to cover it up by combing over the bald patches with my longer hair. Whaddya think ladies? Am I still a hottie even though my hair's fallen down and I'm going bald?
  

Finally, I Got Me Some Real Food!

After months and months of everyone torturing me by eating all sorts of yummy food right in front of my face, I finally got my grub on!

For the last few weeks, I've been studying - watching how people put food in their mouth, watching how people chew, and watching how more food goes right in there! Where's it all go? Finally, mommy and daddy caught on and decided it was time to offer me some real food! I was drooling with anticipation! Would I get fried chicken? Would I get pizza? Mmmmm! I couldn't wait!

Daddy strapped me into my high chair while mommy was in the kitchen getting my food ready. What would it be?! The anticipation was killing me! The great part was that grandma and grandpa were over too! Our first family feast! I'm guessing this is what Thanksgiving dinner is all about.

Mommy sat down in front of me with a bowl of something (I couldn't see what) and loaded up my spoon. Zoom zoom...airplane...here it comes! Mouth opens and...that's not fried chicken or pizza. What is this stuff! It's sort of mushy and flavorless. In fact...it sort tastes like my milk...but lumpy! Are they feeding me old, spoiled milk?!

Flash bulbs started going off and people started cheering. What in the world is going on?! I hear I even made it onto You Tube! Although it wasn't fried chicken or pizza...it was okay.

Who wants to go check out that new 5 Guys burger place with me? My treat!

Just Call Me Earl?

Do you know what a shar pei is? They're those wrinkly Chinese dogs. Did you know that you not only have to clean between their folds but that you have to dry between their folds too or they can get all stinky and gross?

Mommy and daddy have treated me like a shar pei since I was born. When they gave me a bath, they always made sure to clean out my neck folds. That was the stinky one. All that old milk! Yuck! They cleaned that fold under my boobs (which, by the way, are shrinking! Yay!) and the folds in my legs too.

Well today, I was checking out my toes and found something! I'm not sure if it's treasure or not, but it's definitely something! Guess mommy and daddy forgot to check in there! Any of you really old school gamers out there should remember Toe Jam and Earl. If you don't, check them out here.

Anyways...guess you can just call me Earl!