Little Cruiser

We're Ba-a-ack!

2010-01-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

It has been almost a year since my last post which I have some regrets about. But what can I say? It was an incredibly busy year. Year of the Ox was a hard working year and there wasn't a lot of room for keeping up the blog. So in an effort to do less this year I am going to make time to keep up with Alistair's life and times again.

James and the B-Man

2009-03-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

This morning Alistair wanted to play blocks. Normally this is an activity he shares with Dad, but this morning Dad was "sleeping in" so I joined him in his room for BLOCKS. He had constructed two figures, one was short and stumpy with one leg and the other was tall and lanky with the neck of a giraffe (picture would have been provided if our camera hadn't broken).

I asked him what the name of the tall lanky one was and he said "James!" It surprised me that he came up with this on his own. James is his middle name but we never use it in context. So I asked him what the short stumpy one was called and he said "B-man." (something else he came up with on his own). And then we proceeded to play. I did the voice of B-man and he did the voice of James and they had a full conversation of what they were going to do.....which was go to the park.

I was so happy my child could play make believe with me!

2009-03-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

2009-03-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

Dancing Fool

2009-03-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

The Ali Report

2009-01-16T07:28:00.000-08:00

The new year has brought on a slew of new intrests/obsessions for Alistair. At 17 months here are some of the things he says, does, loves.

1.) Dancing. He could be asleep in my arms while I am watching a show and the jingle of a comercial comes on. He opens his eyes, smiles and starts wiggling his body to the music. When the comercial ends he falls right back asleep. It's kind of crazy.

2.) Elmo or "Emmo". We have to see "Elmo in Grouchland" at least twice a day right now.

3.)Poop. And no, he's not doing it in the toilet. He just loves to say the word. He will sniff his feet and declare "Poop!"

4.)Baby. He got a little doll for christmas and he loves to role play with her. Baby takes naps in the crib and gets snuggles from Alistair. But I had to draw the line the other day when he wanted me to breastfeed baby.

5.) The ABC's. He can't quite recite them yet. He can say A B C D and then it crecendos into a melange of sounds that couldn't really be called letters. But what I think is the cutest thing is he tries to do the hand signs for the letters too just like he sees on "Signing Time".

Thanks for a Wonderful Year...Goodbye 2008!

2008-12-28T23:17:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS 2008

2008-12-26T22:05:00.000-08:00

WE have been SOOOO busy this Holiday, I haven't had time to post everything we have been up to. December is a big month for us....Greg and I officially celebrated 1 year of marriage with a trip up to San Francisco over night (sans bebe) and visited the new Academy of Sciences Natural History Museum. It's awesome, I highly recommend it for all ages.

Union Square was bustling with tourists and shoppers but Greg and I took time out to watch the street performers and get a Free Hug.

Alistair got a drum for Christmas, here is his first jam session:

Stoked on Elmo:

Ali's new favorite song.

2008-11-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

Halloween

2008-11-01T07:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Wedding Day!

2008-10-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am a little late with this post but it's been a busy month, what can I say. Wedding day was perfect. Perfect weather, beautiful people, yummy food and LOVE everywhere.

I Like Dirt

2008-10-03T07:44:00.001-07:00

I think these pictures speak for themselves. But what I wasn't expecting was the nightmare I had last night where We were at our wedding reception and friends and relatives were passing Alistair around. My mom then comes over to me, holding a choking Alistair in her hands and says "I think he ate a toy." So I open his mouth and it's filled with rocks and toys and I start pulling things from his mouth and they just keep coming: toy cars, figurines, jawbreakers, and to top it off a giant glass sculpture of spiderman. He's still having trouble breathing so I have to perform CPR. The dream continued to go on, but I'll spare you my other neuroses.

Tele Time

2008-10-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

My mom has been waiting for me to get interested in movie watching. Although previously a controversial subject among new parents......Tv or not Tv! I have just been too interested in the world around me to sit long enough for a show. But the other day my mom put on "Finding Nemo" , converted my little box car into a comfy TV watching chair and gave me some veggie puffs. I was stoked, and to her surprise I watched the first 20 minutes of the show!

The boys

2008-09-26T20:41:00.001-07:00

In the Garden

2008-09-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

Cookies for Breakfast

2008-09-18T07:50:00.001-07:00

For Alistair 13 months is starting to look like 2 years. He is becoming increasingly willful and boundry testing by the day and this morning was a testimony to that when I let him have Bunny Grahms for breakfast. Over the past week he hasn't wanted to eat anything in the morning. I tried all his old favorites: strawberry yogurt, oatmeal with cinnamon, scrambled eggs, bananna, tofu dog. But all he wants to do is scream in agony as the spoon comes toward his mouth or drop his food piece by piece on the ground. This morning we are suppose to have playtime at the park with his friend Liam and so I was determined to get something more than milk into his belly. You can tell from the smiles that he is feeling triumphant.

Monday Morning

2008-09-15T08:15:00.001-07:00

Mimi took these pictures of Ali, she said "before you cut his hair" It's funny how we can get attatched to things. Greg is dying to give him a little boy hair cut and I can't imagine him without his soft little blonde curls now. I guess eventually we will have to trim him but for now I've won the hair battle.

Accidents Happen......

2008-09-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am sharing this story in hopes that someone can learn something from this. Yesterday we had Alistair's friend Vaughn over. The morning was going swimmingly, the boys were playing in Ali's nursery like a dream, I even caught Alistair giving Vaughn a kiss. So I went about my chores and was in the bedroom making the bed when I heard his bloodcurdling scream. It was a cold morning and I had turned on the heat to warm the house. Unfortunately, our vent is smack dab on the floor in the middle of the hallway. Vaughn was coming down the hall, tripped on his pant leg and landed on the vent. At first I thought he had just startled himself from the fall as I could not see collateral damage. But when the screaming persisted I realized his little hand was burned. I held his hand under the cool water from the sink but nothing was going to satiate the pain. (I later learned that eggwhite, if applied timely, will stop the burn from blistering and acts as an analgesic.)

I called my mom who lives down the road to watch Alistair while I tended to Vaughn. Thank God for moms who live down the road from their daughters, I don't know what I would have done with out her. And then I called Vaughn's mamma who gave me the green light to give him Children's tylenol (I'm sure she would have wanted to be there for him but it wasn't possible that morning). And thank God for Children's tylenol. He cried for another hour or so while the tylenol kicked in and then his pain went away. The blisters on his little hand continued to grow but he no longer seemed bothered by them. I tried several times unsuccessfully to keep his hand wrapped in clean gauze but he just pulled it off.

My heart breaks when I think about the pain he must have been in. And of course the tremendous guilt that someone else's child could have gotten hurt at my house. Parents, be so careful when it comes to heating devices/vents/fireplaces in your home, especially because they are often within reach of little ones. I certainly wish we didn't have to learn this one the hardway.

The Newest Perkins

2008-09-08T19:41:00.001-07:00

Life has it's surprises and Dharma is one of them. On Friday, a friend of mine told me the tale of a harrowing dog rescue and the sad demise of the pup who was on his way to the pound as she spoke...........how could I let it happen? "Maybe we can help?" I heard myself say. And that night we brought home Dharma the little half Chiwawa, half terrier. And aside from a case of the humpies when he gets really excited, he is perfect for us in every way. And Alistair ADORES him. He calls him Duk-duk.

Being 1

2008-09-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

It is a little sad that summer has already come to an end. We walk outside and see the leaves on the japanese maple turning brown, it' s almost too cold to go the warm pool at Simpkins, and ......... school has begun. Of course for Alistair that means 3 hours on Friday mornings.......but it is still a sign that fall has arrived and babyhood is waning.

I am so completely enjoying every stage of his being, revealing himself as a sweet and sensitive little boy. The other day we had a moment when his friend Vaughn was over. Vaughn is the most solid baby I have ever met, and incredibly resilliant. But on this particular morning, in his exhuberance at being a newfound walker he went straight into the door frame and let out a wail. I ran to comfort him and as I sat on the floor with Vaughn in my arms I looked over at Alistair who had a very disturbed expression on his face. I knew it was a mix of concern for Vaughn, and confusion tward me for caring for this other baby. So to ease the moment I said to Alistair. "Ali, Vaughn bumped his head. I think he needs some snuggles. Would you like to help me snuggle him?" And Alistair ran to his little toy bin and picked out his stuffed teddy bear and brought it to Vaughn...........I think I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye.

Dear Alistair

2008-08-13T23:17:00.001-07:00

Dear Alistair,
I realize this letter is a little belated so forgive me.....Happy Birthday! You are now one year old. And I wanted to write this letter to remind you (and us) of all the cute, sweet and funny things you do.
First of all you are a VERY sweet boy. You love to laugh and to make others laugh. Your Dad taught you how to go "Boo!" and you love to do your own version of it where you throw your voice and go"HUH!" You give kisses and brush your hair with your little comb. You are AMAZING in the water, you can even hold your breath and go under, a bit of a fearless spirit. You like being the center of attention and enjoy crowds but you are a momma's boy at heart. You always want to be in the kitchen, between my legs when I'm cooking. You share, handing us rubber duckies or pieces of toilet paper, whatever happens to be in your hand. You think it's especially funny to pretend feed me your bottle.
You always wake up happy, and you clap when Mama or Daddy opens their eyes. You can walk now, almost run. You LOVE music, especially reggae, and especially especially when we hold you and dance with you.
You are just all around fun loving and fun to be with and I love you with all of my heart!
Love,
Mama

My first Birthday party!!!

2008-08-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome day! So many friends and family came to celebrate. Love to everyone who came!

Swim Lessons

2008-07-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

Natural Bridges

2008-07-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

dancer

2008-07-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Alistair has proven himself to be quite the little dancer. When the music is on he's always shakin' it. I am attributing this to his new "Music Together" class that we do on Mondays. He LOVES it!

Ali's first Steps

2008-07-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ciopino

2008-06-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

The other night Greg went down to the Catalyst to see a friend's band play so Ali and I were alone for dinner. I made up some ciopino, put on a Roberta Flack record and poured myself a glass of red wine and had an evening with my little guy. It felt so nice to be able to just hang out with Alistair. He is actually a pretty great conversationalist even if his vocab is limited to Ma-ma, Da-da, Na-na, Ba-ba and Moooo.

Raising Arizona

2008-05-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

Ali had his first plane ride last week when we tripped to Arizona to see relatives and spend 5 days in the sun by the pool. It was a great visit. Can't wait to go back......we did the zoo, the museum, CHASE stadium for a little baseball.....and relaxed relaxed relaxed......

The Ladies in my Life

2008-05-18T08:39:00.001-07:00

Luci, Bijou and Elani are the current ladies in my life........and I love the ladies.

Anyone for a playdate?

My favorite swings...

2008-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sir Alistair

2008-05-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Chardonay II

2008-05-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

If you have never been on a sunset sail of the Monterey Bay, I highly recommend the Chardonay cruise. For $50 bucks you see all of Santa Cruz from the sea, plus you can get your drink on (they have an open bar with local red and white wines, organic beers and organic sodas)., AND you get the best sunset in town.

We did the cruise for Greg's 37th birthday. Just don't forget to bring your warmest jacket. They don't tell you how cold it is out there on the bay and there were some people in t-shirts absolutely freezing their booties off.

Yo!

2008-05-04T09:17:00.001-07:00

Moss Landing

2008-04-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome Sunday. In celebration of Earth Week the marine lab at Moss landing was doing an open house so we made a day of it.

Ali loves Honey

2008-04-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

We almost didn't make it on Sunday. Ali had been feverish and fussy the night before and I wasn't sure if it was the teething or if he was coming down with a cold. But around 4:00 we decided he was well enough to go to the city to see Grandma Honey and Travis. Now I really hope he didn't have a little bug with all the kisses he gave Honey. That baby is a lover for sure.

Nothin' but a Good Time...

2008-04-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

I am constantly surprised at the way the universe makes things manifest and this was another one of those things....... So Greg and I are secretly big fans of Bret Michael's reality television show Rock of Love. We got into it last summer when the first season aired and I was pregnant with Alistair and resigning myself to a lot of TV watching.

The girls on the show were over the top trampy and all desperately vying for the love of rock ledgend Bret Michaels. Although the content of every episode consisted of pole dancing, toplessness and cat fights, we were hooked as each week revealed another girl losing the chance at Bret's "heart".

Then last weekend Greg and I were in Salinas at this pizza parlor watching his friend's band play and I happened to see a poster on the window for Bret's Rock of Love Tour. I leaned over to the girlfriend of one of Greg's friend's and said "You know, that would actually be kind of fun to go to." Just so happens her father was the bookie for the venue and had extra VIP tix and backstage passes. Kissmet!

So here are some of the pics from last night's show. It was so much fun! Note: No Photo with Bret...the stinker was no where to be found at the after party.......

Day at the Park

2008-04-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Alistair's friend Henry came over today along with the usual suspect, our beloved Vaughn. So Lisa (Henry's mom) and I took the boys to the LSB playground. I wanted to try out my new double jogger. Okay...those things are hard to maneuver. but I can't complain, it does doughnuts around one in a jogger and one in an ergo.

I'm happy...No I'm upset...no wait...I'm sick! Yeah, That's it!

2008-04-10T10:32:00.001-07:00

Ambrosia

2008-04-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Some People have been asking if I can crawl now and I am happy to say.....Yes I Can!!!! But I am a little lazy, I will only crawl to a toy I want and then I stay put. I still think my mom and dad should baby proof the house this weekend in case I do decide exploring is cool too.

I'm 8 Months old!

2008-04-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

Back in Action!

2008-04-06T21:14:00.001-07:00

Alistair got a new pair of sunglasses today. I can't believe he actually kept them on his head for more than a minute. My camera got watered on and we were sans photo for a bit so it was nice to be able to take pictures this morning again. Mimi was nice enough to give us her Sony Cybershot on returning from her trip to Paris so we are back in action.

Little dude is 8 months old on the 9th. I feel like he becomes more and more a buddy to me every day. He is my favorite person to hang out with, play with, talk to......(besides Greg of course). Thank Heaven for little boys.

Two Peas in a Pod

2008-03-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

Da Da

2008-03-05T10:34:00.000-08:00

I'd like to argue that it doesn't count, that it's just baby talk, but lately Alistair has been saying da-da. And it doesn't help that he pretty much only says it when Greg is around, indicating that he associates this sound he makes with his "da-da". A friend pointed out that he probably hears this sound more than ma-ma because he is usually in my company and I am probably saying things like "Oops! Da-da forgot to take out the trash." or "Where the heck is your da-da, he was suppose to be home 20 minutes ago?"

Morning time with Wooly

2008-02-26T08:57:00.001-08:00

Watsonville Sunset

2008-02-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Last weekend when I was sick as a dog and Greg was going stir crazy locked in the house with me we decided to pop on the internet and look at houses to buy. To our amazement and delight we discovered that there are houses out there that do exist in the price range we can afford........ in Watsonville. Not my first choice of neighborhoods but hey it's our first home.....and as Greg pointed out.......you can probably get a mean burrito within 2 blocks of anywhere. So we hopped in the car and went to test out that theory. These pics are Ali in the car at sunset while daddy is scoring us some carne asada burritos in the Super Mercato. And yes, they were some mean burritos.

Valentines Day 2008

2008-02-15T08:05:00.001-08:00

Today was my first full day with Alistair and Vaughn. They are quite a pair. They really play off of each other, and as Vaughn's mom pointed out, they seem to be developing their own language. I saw Alistair do things he doesn't normally do today and Vaughn was busting out with Alistair's high pitch squeal. Two babies is a lot of work but they are both good boys and a total joy to be around.

I am 6 months Old!

2008-02-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

I went to see Dr. Shirmer today and he said I am a happy and healthy 6 month old baby boy. No kidding! I am now 28 inches long and 18 1/2 pounds and the good news? My head finally caught up. I am in the 90th percentile for height, and the 75th for my weight and my head size. I have out grown all my 6 month old clothes and now wear 12 to 18 month gear. I love to eat. I'm not picky. Pears, apples, carrots, peas, squash, all the first foods I love! I roll but I don't crawl yet and I am super social. I love to flirt, especially with the girls. If I'm awake, I want to be around others, I don't like being left alone. Over all, I am a really happy baby and mom and dad said I'm still a keeper.

Alistair Plays

2008-02-05T17:25:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy29WBcec-8&feature=related

Alistair Laughs

2008-02-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgPByrm9G2U

Alistair Speaks

2008-01-30T08:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vOy2Ip9p-o

Ali P and Vaughn B

2008-01-29T11:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Deborah and I are starting a baby swap with the boys. Alistair is more and more interested in engaging the world around him and so having a playmate couldn't have come at a better time. It will be neat to see how their little personalities develope as they interact with each other.

a tRIBUTE tO cHARLES

2008-01-23T09:01:00.000-08:00

mY uNCLE cHARLES tOLD mE hE lOVES tO rEAD mY bLOG. sO tODAY iS fAN aPPCECIATION dAY. tHANKS uNCLE cHARLES. iT'S rEADERS lIKE yOU tHAT kEEP tHE dREAM aLIVE! -aLISTAIR

2008-01-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

I'm 5 Months old Today!

2008-01-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Dude I'm Cute!

2008-01-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

Favorite Holiday Shots

2008-01-03T19:38:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T23:18:00.001-08:00

New Year's Eve we stopped in San Francisco on our way back from Folsom. I love the city. It is my second home. We ended up at this little hole in the wall pizza joint in North Beach and Alistair got to enjoy his first experience in a high chair while Greg and I ate our sausage pizza and eaves dropped on the conversations of the people at tables nearby. It was a perfect afternoon

Alistair's First Christmas

2008-01-02T23:02:00.000-08:00

This had to be my best Christmas ever. Anything I could really say about it would be an understatement. From singing carols in the church with my little son in my arms to celebrating Christmas day with my husband and Alistair and Kristina. The season and the spirit just filled me over and over again.

Vegas Baby

2007-12-17T14:12:00.001-08:00

Dear Alistair,
You will probably do the math one day and realize your sweet, moral, law abiding parents were not actually married at the time of your conception or birth. It was just a detail, really. It had nothing to do with our love for you or each other. It' s just that sometimes life speeds up and then you have to play catch up which is what mommy and daddy were doing on this particular weekend. I love you so much!

Love,
Your Mommy

Dear Greg,
I can not imagine my life without you. You are my best friend. You are so funny and handsome and an amazing dad and I love you with all of my heart. Our life together has been an adventure from the moment we met and I can't wait to how the rest of the story unfolds. I am grateful for you every day of my life.

Love,
Your Wife

2007-12-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

UPDATE

2007-12-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

I am officially 4 months on the 9th but my check up came a week early. The doc says I am now in the 77th percentile for weight and the 90th for height......but my head is still lagging behind at 45%. What the heck? At this rate it looks like pro basketball is my best bet at a lucrative future.

Me so Miso

2007-12-04T17:48:00.001-08:00

Ali tried his first big people food the other night. We got sushi take out and he seemed interested in what we were doing so I stuck my finger in the miso soup and he almost ate my finger. So we got a spoon and gave him some. Japanese food yum yum. He's a boy after my own heart.

I party like a rock star!

2007-11-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

Alistair absolutely refused to miss a minute of our family fun and so he did not nap all day on Thanksgiving and even managed to stay up for a few hot rounds of Taboo (but barely). The amazing thing was that he then proceeded to sleep through the night and was even still sleeping when I got up the next morning. I was so amazed, I took a picture.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

Alistair had his first Thanksgiving at Honey and Pappa's in Susanville. Here are the pics from our trip.

2007-11-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

Santa's Little Helper

2007-11-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

This week we took Ali to Sears to get his holiday photo. As you can see from the pictures, the experience was a roller coaster of emotion. But I get it. For a baby, a photo session at Sears is like being on acid. You are stuck in a room tinged with a faint hint of baby poo, bright lights flashing everywhere as an ominous black robot on stilts provides the feeling that dark forces are at work here. You look to your right and there's your mom on the sidelines sweating and grinning unnaturally big, shouting words of encouragement while a woman in a clown wig is whirring and clucking behind the black robot and waving a fushia teddy bear. Behind you is a winter wonderland but you can't play in it or make snow angels, and it's 80 degrees.

We did get one good shot though (not featured here) which we will be including with the Christmas letter.

Bath Time

2007-11-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

And one day we'll look back and say "You use to fit in the sink!"

Halloween

2007-10-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

Halloween was waaaaaaay more mellow than I was hoping. We had plans man, big plans. There were parties to go to, pumpkins to carve, babies to dress up, masks to put on. But alas when the day was done, so were we. I carved our pumpkin and we roasted seeds and stayed in and watched Halloween II, III & IV on Tv.

Alistair and Henry

2007-10-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

The Play Group

2007-10-28T16:21:00.001-07:00

Well life really does come full circle. Today Alistair and I went to our first play date with the other moms and babies and dads and siblings of what I'm hoping will become a life long group of friends who's kids get to grow up together. My mom belonged to a play group when we were small and although none of us kids remained friends, she still gets together with those moms once every few months and they are still a great support for each other through life. Everyone I met today I thought was awesome and I'm excited to see how things are going to develope. The babies, in chronological order are: Logan, Jack, Luci, Henry and Alistair. But there were other kids there; Charlie who is one and a little girl who's name I never learned was also one and Stella and Boone who were probably four or five. I'm not sure how that all works out now. But I do know this. A few months ago, right after Ali was born, I had a very strong thought. I wanted to invite a group of really great people to share life with Greg and Ali and I and today when I got home and downloaded the pics, I saw the one of the group and thought, wow, these are those people.

Father and Son

2007-10-28T16:19:00.001-07:00

Family Portrait

2007-10-28T16:18:00.001-07:00

dream babies

2007-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

We had a couple of "firsts" in the past week. Alistair can now reach and grab for things, he can also roll over and back again. I didn't believe Mimi when she told me that he had done this while she was watching him. Perhaps because like all parents you want to be there to witness your baby's firsts. But lo and behold, this morning when we were playing on the bed he performed the said feat.

Pumpkin Patch
In general Alistair has become a lot easier to go on outings with as he has gotten older. And I was so excited for our trip to the pumpkin patch. This is his first Halloween and I couldn't wait to get some shots of him in front of his pupmkin at the patch. Unfortunately he cried the whole time. My sister snapped a few gratuity photos to document his misery and said to me, "I had to learn that my child would not always be my dream baby." (refering to his cousin Bijou). So I am effectively letting go now of all future expectations and truely appreciating the times when he is a dream.

What I do at 2

2007-10-13T09:39:00.001-07:00

I turned 2 months on October 9th! At the doc I found out I am 13 and a half pounds and 24 inches long, I'm in the 80th percentile for height and weight for babies my age. But mom said the doc told her my head was in the 23rd percentile??? I don't think my head looks unusually small.

These days my favorite things are: looking at myself in the mirror that hangs on the mobile in my crib, Sunday mornings when both my parents are home to play with me, meeting new people (especially when they make conversation, I love to coo), going for walks on the beach with Mom in outward facing Bijorn, drooling, the boob, Dad talking to me in Brittish accents, and picture time. Here are some from my latest photo shoot.

HAPPY

2007-10-04T08:34:00.001-07:00

Back to Work

2007-10-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've had time to do a post. This is because I went back to work this week and there are pros and cons to this fact. The pros are that I get to have adult conversations on a regular basis again, I get a break from Ali which causes me to miss him even more making our time together even more special, and he gets to have quality time with his caregivers, Mimi, Auntie Lisa and Cousin Bijou.

I was pleasantly surprised on Monday when his day with Bijou and Auntie Lisa went so smoothly. Lisa said he didn't cry once. His little temperment is still unpredictable from day to day so I of course feared he would be fussy, but he was an angel. Go Ali!

2007-09-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

Great Grandma Holligan

2007-09-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ali met his Great Grandma Ruby and Great Aunt Shirley over the weekend. I think it is the coolest thing that he got to meet his Great Grandma. She's 90 years old and still vibrant with life. Ali adored her and when she talked to him in her Southern Alabama drawl he was all smiles. Here's some pics from the weekend.

Giants play the Reds

2007-09-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

We took Ali to his first baseball game last night. Greg's friend Steve had scored club level seats right behind home plate so how could we say no? Ali did real good and hung in until the 7th inning at which point he promptly let us know he had had enough. That was fine with us since it was 9:30 and we knew there was a drive ahead of us. At guest services they gave us a certificate that said "Baby's first Game" and printed his name on it. It was so cute. And as we left the park a black man on the corner playing saxaphone went into his own jazzy version of rock-a-bye-baby as we carried our sleeping baby through the city night.

He has a social security number and one Giant's game under his belt, Ali is officially and American kid.

West Cliff

2007-09-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Uncle Matt came for a visit on Monday. I was worried that Alistair and I would not be very interesting company for him. Our day consists breastfeeding, cleaning the house, watching daytime television and if we're lucky, going for a walk. On Monday we were lucky, we got to get a walk in. While on our walk Uncle Matt pointed out that another pedestrian was staring at us. I realized it was a certain aquaintance of mine (who shall remain nameless). She obviously recognized me but I felt compelled not to address her due to a strange conversation I recalled having with her before Ali was born. (Funny how as a new mom a fierce and protective tigress is born within us and is fearless to do battle with anyone who is a perceived threat to our child.)

Aquaintance: "Kate, I didn't know you were pregnant."
Me thinking: How could she? This is not a person I ever call, email or even think about, just a person I happen to know in passing.
Me: " Oh."
Aquaintance: "Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"
Me: "A boy."
Aquaintance: "Yes. More boys are always born in times of war."
Me thinking: We have been in war for awhile now and just a few years ago everyone was having girls, there is no relevance here.
Me: "Huh. That's interesting."
Aquaintance: "Well hopefully you raise him to be a spiritual warrior."
Me thinking: It is really none of your business how I raise him.
Me: "Hmmm."
Aquaintance: "Are you still with the same partner?"
Me thinking: What the hell is this lady talking about? Same partner since when? If she is reffering to when I may have met her for the first time in graduate school 5 years ago then no, but I did not have a "partner" then. And the way she used the word "partner" struck me that perhaps she could not recall whether I was gay or straight.
Me: "Uh, no?"
Aquaintance: "Everything always happens for a reason."
Me thinking: Then what is the reason for this conversation?
Me: "Uh-huh."
Upon realizing she was not getting the reciprocation she was fishing for my aquaintance friend decided to wrap it up.
Aquaintaince: "Okay well, it was SOOOOOOOO good to see you. Take care and be well and I hope that you have a speedy delivery."
Me: "Thanks."

Grandpa Holligan and Alistair James

2007-09-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

I love this picture!

Alistair loves to go to Mimi and Poppi's house. If he's crying in the car on the way, his tense and screaming little body relaxes as we come through their front door. He smells the cool sweetness of their foyer and he knows he is at that good place where his every whim is catered to and he gets lots of loving. Not that he doesn't get it at home but the relationship between an grandparent and a grandchild is so special, so pure, so uninterrupted by obligation. And Greg and I are so lucky to be able to have a mommy & daddy night once in awhile. These days that's priceless.

Morning time with my favorite little guy

2007-09-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

I left my heart in Folsom

2007-09-12T09:06:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we made our first overnight trip with Ali. I feared the worst because in the days leading up to our weekender, Ali was a wreck, crying and fussing every waking moment. But we discovered baby Gas-X in the nick of time and he was back to his happy little self instantly. (On a side, he now seems to have a bit of constipation I believe in part to the Gas-X, so I wouldn't recommend using it long term).

We had a great time visiting with Ali's grandpa Jerry and grandma Donna, cousins Jaylin and Kennedy, sister Kristina, auntie Heather, and uncles Jay, Kevin, and Jeff. Did I miss anyone? Lucky Ali has a big family.

Highlights from the trip:
1.) Playing with Zha Zha, grandpa Jerry's ferrett
2.) The countless face offs and jam sessions on Guitar Hero (Jaylin reined Champ).
3.) Watching Ali smile for his auntie Heather.
4.) Stoney Ihop family breakfast
5.) Singing songs and making faces at Ali all the way home to Santa Cruz.

Labor Day Weekend

2007-09-03T10:36:00.001-07:00

1.) The Leonard Family Charlie, Jessica, Charles, Mason, Mason's friend & Ali

2.) Jessica, Charles and Ali

3.) Charles and Ali

4.) At Capitola Beach

Labor Day Weekend Cont.

2007-09-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic labor day weekend. On Saturday Ali got to meet even more of his big beautiful family when we went down to the village in Capitola and hooked up with Greg's cousins and their kids. We checked out the sand castle building contest on the beach but mostly Ali just wanted to chill in the shade and stare at Greg and I.

On Sunday Mimi and I took Ali for a walk down by the water in Capitola to check out the begonia festival. There were not many floats on the river yet but the ones we saw were so vibrant and alive.

We have been working on getting Ali to smile voluntarily and so far it has just been a slew of gassy grins. This morning though, Greg was making faces at him on the couch and he did it! Seeing your baby smile is the best thing in the world. I wish I'd gotten a picture.

Nigel & Rupert

2007-08-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Morning time has become the greatest joy in my day. It is the one time when Ali is is most calm and alert, when there are no needs to be tended to other than practicing the art of entertaining him. This morning I introduced him to Nigel and Rupert the sock monkies, who have been sitting on the bookshelf in the nursery waiting for him to be born. I am not sure who is being most entertained by this newly forged friendship, me, Ali or Nigel and Rupert.

Who's Your Daddy?

2007-08-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

When Ali was born one of the first things I said to him was, "Well, you don't look like me or your daddy." His hair was dark and so were his eyes, which were also a little slanted, as if Asian in decent. I would say to him, " Baby, I know your mine cause I gave birth to you." I guess my expectation was that he would come out looking just like Greg, with flaming red hair and a devilish grin. But over the past 2 weeks he has grown more and more to look like a Perkins. Here are some pics to demonstrate.

Ali meets Luci

2007-08-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Last night our friends Kathy and Luke brought us dinner. And they also brought their sweet baby girl, Luci. Luci is six weeks older than Ali and this was his first time meeting another baby. He was fascinated. Luci on the otherhand was not swept away by this younger man's charms. That's ok Ali, you've got plenty of time to practice your game.

Little Angel

2007-08-22T08:25:00.001-07:00

Babies love their Mimies and their Nookies

2007-08-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Ali has proven himself a boob man and therefore does not want to be far from his at any given moment. However, he LOVES his mimi, and a cuddle and a nice long snooze on her shoulder run a close second.

We have been introduced to the controversial subject of the pacifier from many angles and as steadfast as I was in the beginning, not to let the plastic nipple brush his lips before 3 months of age, I have come to terms with the fact that my child has an oral fixation and while not quite coordinated enough to self soothe with the thumb, a nice nookie in the mouth when mom is trying to run errands at Target never hurt anyone.

Ali's Alphabet

2007-08-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

A is for Angel.
B is for Boob man.
C is for CUTE!
D is for Dangerous with the ladies.
E is for Exploder (if you know what I mean).
F is for Fire sign.
G is for Guapo.
H is for Happy.
I is for Incredibly strong.
J is for Jamacian (honorary).
K is for Kissable.
L is for Lovable.
M is for Mama's boy.
N is for Napper.
O is for Organic.
P is for Papa's boy too!
Q is for Quick learner.
R is for Rocker.
S is for Squeaker.
T is for Tenacious A.
U is for Unbelievably sweet.
V is for Vicious grubber.
W is for Wiggle worm.
X is for X-ellent.
Y is for Yummy.
Z is for Zzzzz.

Getting The Cut

2007-08-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

Ali is officially 1 week old today. He has already gained back his birth weight. I would like to say I have lost mine but alas it took me 9 months to gain it so...

Yesterday we took him to get circumscised. I have to tell you, it was actually not as traumatic as I would have thought. I guess I kind of imagined he would somehow "know" we had chosen this for him and instantly become psychologically damaged from this reality, scorning us as parents and no longer living in the belief that the world is a safe place. But he's a baby. And I continue to be floored by their resilience. He did cry, real tears in fact, and so did I. It wasn't all peaches. But, he was consolable and smiling and breastfeeding within 10 minutes of the snip. I think the toughest part about the whole ordeal is seeing his little swollen pee-pee with the blood soaked gauze every time I go to change his diaper. And yet he smiles and coos and stares out the window as I change him so the trauma for him must be over now.

Ali's First Days

2007-08-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we have successfully survived the first week of parenthood! I have to say that aside from the fact that I want to weep every time I think of the enormity of my love for this baby and a constant postpartum throb in the bum, this new baby deal is not as hard as I thought. We thankfully have a child who does a four hour sleep shift from around 10pm to 2am, nurses for an hour and then does another sleep shift from 3am to 7am. He's been an angel so far. However, he does have a little condition called infantile stridor which is a loud chirping noise he makes upon inhalation, caused by extra laryngeal folds in the neck. To learn more about it go to http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_respire/conlaryn.cfm . The doc said he most likely will out grow the stridor by the time he is 6 months but Greg and I have been hyper vigilant when he is napping, making sure he is still breathing (this is not at the request of the doctor but from our sheer desire as new parents to take the greatest care with our new little being.

We had some really wonderful visits from relatives this week. Greg's Dad, stepmom, brother, stepdaughter, mother, 2 sisters, nieces and aunt came to see Ali. And my sister and her husband and their 2 daughters came too. My sister, Lisa was at the birth and an incredible support for Greg and I. To read about her experience of Ali's birth you can check out her blog at http://www.bijousimone.blogspot.com . It's pretty humorus I think.

Pictures:
1.) Cousin Ashley, Sister Kristina and Ali.
2.) Uncle Dave and Ali.
3.) Grandpa Jim and Ali.
4.) Grandpa Jerry and Ali.
5.) Baby Ali.
6.) Auntie Heather and Ali.
7.) Daddy, Ali and Grandma Honey.
8.) Cousin Kennedy and Ali.
9.) Auntie Lisa, cousin Bijou and little Ali.
10.) Ali's first outing...downtown La Selva.

Welcome Baby Alistair!

2007-08-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

After 36 hours of labor (24 w/o pain meds) little Alistair James Perkins joined us in the world at 5:46am on Thursday August 9th 2007. He has already proven himself to be a champion breastfeeder (and hopefully a champion sleeper soon). We are so in love! (and a little sleep deprived) Stay tuned for more updates on the first few days of Ali's life. Love, Kate and Greg.

Due.

2007-07-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today is that day on the calendar we've been waiting for for 9+ months. I had my suspicions that he would be late and now as the day slips into the better half I am convinced our little darling will not be making an appearance for another week or so. Nevertheless, I devoutly went to my last pilates session this morning and then to the chiropractor and then to the acupuncturist with the heartfelt plea at each session of "Please help me to get my baby to come out." No matter how much we understand about the human form and the miracle of birth, there is still this great chasm of mystery as to how it all works. There is a little person living in my belly. Ooooh! And he just kicked me!

I dont wanna, I dont wanna

2007-07-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Like the sands of the hour glass so are the...
I've been waiting 9 months and I can hardly wait another breath!
Alistair's due tomorrow,
What!
Yet the doc says he's cozy and should'nt make his appearance for at least a few more days.
Kate and I have been blessed right and left since the moment we got the news.
This lil guys coming into such a killer life it would make your head spin.
All has been so good with BBQ's, visits with family, wondering, dreaming, and glowing in the light of how blessed and lucky we are.
It won't be long now until the stork makes his landing and smoothe delivery.
YAYYYY!!!
I just wanted to say hello, check in and if you're reading this...'til next time.
Greg.

Sleepless in Santa Cruz

2007-07-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

Our 2am, 4am, 6am feedings have already begun and he isn't even born yet. It has been years since I've risen before the sun. And here I am riddled with hormones, my body obeying the impulses to feign sleep. I've given into the urges, no longer willing to fight with the sheets and the pillows. I rest only in knowing there is some primordial reason for this insomnia. I can sleep when I'm dead.

He's more than a twinkle in his daddy's eye.......

2007-07-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

And so we begin......

After strong encouragement from family and friends and just 1 week shy of my due date I finally find the time to start this blog for my soon to be born baby, Alistair James. It has truely been 9 months of whirlwind for both Greg and I, complete with job changes and two consecutive moves. But we are super happy and super blessed to have landed in the greatest place we could dream of for starting our family, just a 10 minute walk from that magical pacific ocean and a one mile car ride from grandma and grandpa (hearafter reffered to as mimi and papa) in one of the most notoriously laid back towns in America, Santa Cruz, California. So welcome everyone, and enjoy the rest of the journey with us.........