the shaynes

New Year, New Blog!

2010-12-31T21:46:00.000-08:00

We have officially moved to Thousand Oaks and so has our blog. It just wouldn't be right to keep a blog dedicated to late nights in orange county (aka "oclatenite").

Please visit us at http://theshaynes.blogspot.com

We have so much to be thankful for in 2010; especially the birth of our ridiculously mellow and lovable little guy Jeremy AND being given the opportunity to relocate to Thousand Oaks. We are very excited for the year ahead and looking forward to what 2011 will bring. Happy New Year!!

How to Move Efficiently!

2010-12-31T15:25:00.000-08:00

Shabbat Star

2010-12-17T21:39:00.000-08:00

Zach was Shabbat Star at school last week. It is a really special event for a three year old at the JCC. Josh, Jeremy and I joined Zach in class to share some pictures, read a book, recite the blessings, participate in Shabbat Sing a long and have lunch. Zach was so proud to have all of us there and we were equally proud to participate! Of course, he requested a pink crown again .. should we start to worry?

Half a Year

2010-12-17T20:35:00.000-08:00

It does seem that as you get older, time moves more quickly. But when a baby enters the picture, you really get a sense for how fast time goes by. By the time your second one comes around, you really don't know what do with yourself. Jer is six months today. What's new you might ask?
We're getting an extra 1.5 hours of sleep each night. Wake up time has switched from 4:00 am feeding and back to bed to an approximately 5:50 am wake up call.
Solids - J is a big fan of the butternut squash apple combination, anything with fruit and oatmeal and believe it or not, I have been giving him Zachary's left over mashed potatoes .. AND he loves them!!! He's also a big fan of water from a sippy cup. He pretty much doesn't turn his head away from anything.
Fascination has moved from his feet to his hands. He can stare at his hands for hours. And we are rolling over and sitting pretty sturdy, with a little help still. This kid was won our hearts! He is SO mellow ..

Six month stats:
16 lbs 2 oz - 25th Percentile (Still wondering how this could be ... he seems enormous to us!)
27 inches - 75th percentile
No teeth yet which is funny because we thought they were coming in three months ago.
We're really lovin this little guy.

Photoshoot didn't start off so well today.

The difference from last month is that I don't have to worry
about him toppling over.

Tired Bubba ...And off to Zach's going away party at school. Blog to Follow...

Tushies

2010-12-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

I'm not really quite sure if this is funny or not. Since Zach is on the very long and lean side, I always said I wanted my next baby to big! Jeremy is not even that big but I told Josh the other day that Jeremy's tush was the same size (if not bigger) than Zach's. He didn't believe me. See for yourself.

YO GABBA GABBA

2010-12-05T14:28:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't know, there is a crazy show on sprout network called Yo Gabba Gabba. They claim in the beginning of the show that it enhances preschoolers' social skills and self awareness and uses interacive games to expand ones musical and kinesthetic skills. Sure... This show is so wacked out that it is fascinating to watch. Zach loves this show, seriously, he loves it. On the show, they have an old rapper (some may know him as Biz Markie) that does a segment called Biz' beats. When Biz comes on the show, he does some great beatboxing with a microphone. This is Zach's favorite. Zach starts to beatbox whenever Biz when the segment comes on. So, we bought VIP tickets to the live show in San Diego because we knew Biz would be there. Randi made Zach a special shirt, with the hopes that we would possibly get the attention of Biz. So, we left Jeremy with grandpa and nana so we could give Zach some extra love. We got down to San Diego, finished listening to the end of the Eagles game in the car, and off we went into the Arena. Somehow we managed to spend $37 on popcorn, hot dogs, and a glow in the dark pen. But, it was all worth it seeing Zach with a huge smile the whole night, and even a bigger smile once he was sitting on Biz' lap. That's right, Biz noticed Zach during the show and Zach was able to do some beatboxing with Biz. Here are some pics and a video of the evening. It was a lot of fun.

Chanukah

2010-12-01T21:05:00.001-08:00

Night One. Made the mistake of lighting the candles and opening presents before dinner. My latkes turned out to be the best ever. Jeremy was unphased by whole thing. Zach took one look at the menorah and said that is the shamash candle. Then he said the Ha'Motzi - ha ha :)

/

Happy Chanukah Everyone.

Cousins

2010-11-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

It's so fun that my cousins have kids and my kids have cousins! Here is Isabel with Jeremy and Zach.

We are Most Thankful For

2010-11-25T08:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

5 Months

2010-11-17T21:22:00.000-08:00

Can someone please slow down the clock! Time is really flying by. My heart aches.

Social Life

2010-11-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

It IS coming back!! Although, the boys are not making it easy on us. Both of them are VERY predictable. Zach horses around quite a bit in bed before he finally falls asleep but both of them are in most cases in bed no later than 7:30. The last two occasions we tried to go out however, both boys had some major sleep issues, Last night for example, we just wanted to go out for dinner for Josh's birthday. We put down Jeremy at 6:00 and he woke up three times before we left. He NEVER wakes us once we put him down. And we sent the babysitter a text during dinner (big mistake) to find out that Zach was refusing to go to sleep! We came home at 9:30 to a delirious Zach, who had not napped that day, begging for orange juice and tv and making no sense whatsoever.
Anyways, last weekend we enjoyed the night out in Huntington Beach with my friends from Green Street.

And last night, we celebrated Josh's 33rd birthday - woosh!!

Who's Who?

2010-11-14T21:13:00.000-08:00

Time for another round. I think you can probably tell a little more easily this time but its still fun!

Can I have one for my mommy?

2010-11-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, once Zach warms up, he has a great personality. It takes him a while to get comfortable but I feel bad for anyone he really warms up to because he pretty much doesn't stop once he does. Ask Uncle Aaron, Uncle Joe, or crappa. We were very surprised last night as we trick or treated around the neighborhood. For Halloween, the warm up period was non-existent. Zach's costume was a big hit. Many people asked him what he was and to show them some punches; each time he showed off a bit. Other people asked if he was the "situation." At one house, I heard Josh laugh and say "What did he just say?" Zach asked one of the people giving out candy "Can I have one for my mommy?" After that house, Zach reached in his pumpkin and gave me a tootsie roll and Josh a jolly rancher. What a guy! Jeremy took one look around and decided to go to sleep. Lots of pictures! Check out the one of Zach and Jeremy side by side looking right into the camera. I am amazed at how similar their faces are.

Attempt at a Family Shot Part II

2010-10-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Josh and I never have anyone around to snap a family photo so when we do, we take full advantage. And what is worse, we never have any of Josh, Me and Jeremy! Until now.

Lesson Learned

2010-10-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

So maybe a 24 hour turn around trip, including a 4 hour tailgate, a never ending game of half a cup flip cup, Sunday night NFL game wasn't such a good idea for two parents of a 4 month old. As if we weren't tired enough. It took days to recover! Eagles won, Josh NEVER found his seat but we had a great time.

4 Months

2010-10-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Bubs had his four month check up today. We can not believe how time is flying by.

Length: 26 inches
Weight: 13 lbs 14 oz.

He doesn't have quite the same long and lean frame that Zach did at 4 months. In fact, he is an inch longer and a pound heavier. But believe it or not, it still puts him near the 30th percentile in weight and 85th in length .. so it looks like we are heading in the same direction.

Happy 4 Months!! Thanks for the cool onesie Uncle Jonathan.

The Wrap Up Show

2010-10-14T20:08:00.001-07:00

I admit I have been neglectful in terms of the blog. But, it never slows down for us. Whether it's a birthday party, a sporting event, the zoo, or the pool, we are constantly on the go. Here are some pics from the past few months:

We went to my friend's daughter's birthday party at the petting zoo...

Zach loved his horse ride...

Randi dared me to pick up the bunny. The thing must have weighed 30-40 pounds.
Zach's favorite attraction at the pettting zoo - the guinea pigs

Uncle Joe and Uncle Mike stopped by the OC to visit us...

Thanks for the dessert...

Zach showing off his sharing skills...

Zach and Joe go way back. Doing a little Biz's beats...

How is this for some good reminiscing... Zach at 5 days old and 5 months old

Maybe Zach does look like Randi...

Zachy taking a stroll at the lagoon with some cousins...

Another friend's daughter's birthday party... This time at Chuck-e-cheese...
He loves his lamalade...
Say cheese!!!

Typical Zach fashion. He collected tons of tickets and when it came time to redeem the tickets for a toy, all he wanted was a wristband (which he has tons of at home).

Don't mess with big poppa... He will sit on you...

We thought it was too early for teething but apparently not.

Poor guy...

Yes, Jeremy likes the Eagles. But no, the bib was not used to protect him from food. The bib was for the drool. His tops were getting too soaked with saliva.

Jeremy is getting pretty diesel...

I think he's benching quarters (25 pounds)

The best family pic we have at the moment. Jeremy seems to never want to look at the camera.

My company party

Is it bad that we used a pacifier in place of a wine bottle stopper? Give us a break. It was our first night out in a while and we could not find a stopper.

My little Rocky Balboa... a Halloween Preview!!

Equal Opportunity

2010-10-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Listen, I'm still in love with Zach, really I am. Over the last month, other than refusing to nap, the kid has gotten sweeter, smarter and cuter.. I get a kiss and a hug every morning and every night, he sings to Jeremy when he is crying and gets me a diaper every time I need one. But the fact of the matter is that a 3 month old changes and does a lot more new things things than a 3 year old.

Here are some pictures of my little fatty today.

Our favorite 3 month shots! He was quite the little ham!

And my pride and joy!!

Someone's Found Their Feet

2010-10-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm still excited about the little things, even the second time around. :)

Preschool - 3 Year Old Class

2010-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

We were SO sad to say goodbye to Ms. Lilliam and Ms. Lorena. Last year was such a great year and Zach enjoyed their class more than words can say. On to Ms. Marcie and Ms. Jackie's class and we are very excited for the year ahead. They have the perfect mix of creativity, discipline and fun. The school mixed the kids up quite a bit this year but Zach is reunited with his old bud Andrew. They just seem so big now and Zach loves playing on the big yard. Here are some first day pics.

Happy 3 Months Bubba

2010-09-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

We still have not got the sleep situation down just yet. Especially tricky in the afternoon when both boys are home. Sometimes I get lucky and Jeremy falls asleep while on my nursing pillow, so I carefully unclick it, move it to the side of the couch, surround it with a blanket and pillows and pray he will sleep for just an hour. We're all good at night though - bubs goes down around 8 and we don't hear from him until about 5 and then he's back down until 7:30am, pretty nice for a three month old.

Jeremy has got quite a set of lungs on him. If I didn't know any better, I would think the arrival of his first tooth is close by. He might be pulling a fast one on me, but all the signs are there. He really is a sweet little guy. The best part is watching Zach interact with him. Jeremy just watches him and smiles and Zach loves watching him grow. Happy 3 months bubba!

Yep, that's a three role chin right there.

Big Bro helping out with the teether.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

A little behind on the blog posts but there are a lot of things I don't want to miss. We went to the Hyatt Huntington Beach for a nice little "stay-cation." They have the perfect size waterpark for the kids and cabanas so that you can spend the entire day outside. Zach was in heaven and we were thrilled to get quite a bit of sun.

Yes, Jeremy is actually sleeping in there!

And then, so did Zach :)

Fashion Show

2010-09-09T19:25:00.001-07:00

So, Zach came up to me one afternoon and asked me if he could be in a fashion show. Of course, I was thrilled and said absolutely. Well, that's not exactly how it happened but he did love it and tell us that he wanted to do it again!

A Present

2010-09-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

This showed up in the mail for me just in time for football season. I'm still unsure how I feel about it. Thank you Josh!

Take me out to the ball game

2010-08-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Grandpa (AKA "crappa") took Zachy to his first baseball game last night - Angels/Baltimore. Zach was excited the whole week and kept asking "are we going to the baseball game today?" Well, yesterday finally came and everyone had a blast (me and Uncle A went too). We actually made it to the bottom of the seventh, with Zach cheering and clapping in 6th and 7th innning, "let's go angels." Zachy didn't watch too much of the game as he was busy eating all the healthy treats (lalalems (m&ms), cotton candy, chocolate malt, popcorn, and pizza) grandpa got him in between innings... We all had a great time and the seats were awesome. The great Baltimore Orioles won 5-0. Thanks for taking us to the game!!! Oh, one more thing. Zach woke up 6 times last night. You think he had too much sugar at the game?

Divas

2010-08-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we had the pleasure of listening to the the music of Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Cher and Donna Summer. They even pulled me up on the grass to dance, so embarrassing.

I love this picture - they are both already ignoring me.

Who's Who?

2010-08-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking they look so different and then I recap the night in photos and realize it looks like the same kid, just a different outfit.

Uncork the Cure

2010-08-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Michelle invited us down to San Diego to an event called Uncork the Cure, to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It is such a fun event with unlimited food, wine, music and a fun crowd. Josh and I went together last year but only one of us could go this time around. It was my first time out since Jeremy was born. It was really my first time out since I got pregnant ... It was a really nice night. Thank you Michelle, for including me once again! This year, in addition to seeing our friend Kip from UC Santa Barbara, we also got to meet Tenley, Roberto and Ali from the "acclaimed" Bachelor.

2 Months

2010-08-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

I can actually make Jeremy smile. And like Zach , he is a big fan of smiling and laughing in front of the mirror. Laughter really does wonders for the soul doesn't it? To see your child's face light up like that is priceless.

We spent some time at my parents house this month and enjoyed some sun, wine and swimming. It was really nice and very much appreciated. Zach pretty much has everyone wrapped around his finger but especially my mom. We woke up one morning and she was still upstairs. In an effort to wake her up, he stood at the bottom of the stairs called for Nana a few times and followed up by clapping his hands. It was really funny, I had to ask him to do it again.

Jeremy and Zach already remind me so much of each other. Both, very sweet babies, very cute, quite needy, love attention. I swear Jeremy feels twice the size that Zach did. I will know for sure at our 10 week check up next week but I can tell you that he has three times the number of rolls/wrinkles/ and folds than Zach did. I'm really so in love with both of them.

My little Rocky Balboa

2010-08-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Zachy's been having issues with his bed lately. For the past month or two, he's been appearing in our room, standing at the edge of the bed. Although he does not say anything while he's standing near our bed, we still wake up. I get out of bed and bring him back to his bed. He then wakes up a few hours later, and yells "daddy." My heart races; I get up and go to his room. He says one word - "couch." I pick him up, throw him on the couch, then I go back to bed. As I said, this has been happening for a few months - maybe 4 times in a week until......

Last night, Zach was walking to bed and walked right into the bed post, hitting just below the eye. He went down hard and crying. It was pretty scary. I called Randi and she brought ice and a cold knife. Zach didn't want us to put ice on him so we kind of held him down and Randi placed the knife on him. Apparently, a cold knife when applied to something that is about to swell keeps the swelling down. Nice job Ran! We managed to keep Zachy's eye from getting swollen. The funny thing that came out of last night was that when Zachy's saw blood on the paper towel, he started laughing. He then said he wanted to show his friends his boo boo. He quickly seemed proud to have a bruise under his eye. Another funny thing about last night was when Ran was applying the knife to the bottom of Zach's eye, he said, "mommy, don't cut me." Zach really thought Ran was intentionally going to cut him. Today, Zachy was very proud to have this bruise under his eye, walking around with a box of bandaids. Here are some pics of my little Rocky Balboa.

By the way, Zachy didn't show up in our room last night. I wonder why...

This is how we found Zach one night sleeping.

7 Week Photo Shoot

2010-08-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

I had a happy guy on my hands yesterday.

First "Official" Outing

2010-08-03T09:48:00.001-07:00

I'll spare you the details of how much we love concerts on the lake since I have been talking about it for three years. I will, however tell you that the longer we live here the more fun they get. Literally, every person we know in Irvine was there. Technically, Jeremy's first outing was just 9 days after he was born at the first concert of the summer on BUT we forgot to put the memory stick in the camera. This will have to do!

New Hat

2010-07-31T10:25:00.001-07:00

1 Month

2010-07-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

Not everyone would be AS excited about this as I am, but the OCD in me loves the fact that both Zachary and Jeremy were born on the 17th of the month. So when I am keeping track, people ask, or for purposes of the blog, I can easily explain the age of both my children.

Jeremy is one month! This is what we've learned so far. He is a very sweet little boy. He loves his sleep. He is big, yet still so small. He will probably have big blue eyes but they could be green. He might grow up to be a beat boxer - he makes some pretty amazing sounds and its hard for him to poop sometimes (just learned that a couple days ago). He has long fingers and likes being outside. And the jury is still out on whether or not he likes to be swaddeled, can't seem to figure that one out just yet. He likes putting one arm over his eyes when he sleeps!

We have also learned that Zach is a great big brother. He is so nurturing, except when he isn't getting enough attention, he might throw something at my head or pee in his pants! (only happened once, btw). Jeremy never seems to bother Zach and he loves holding him. He calls him "my baby," is very protective and is thrilled when I drop off or pick him up from preschool so he can show Jeremy off.

What I have learned about myself.. I am enjoying the baby phase much, much more this time around than last time. It might be because I was working from home with Zach and so the crying and not a lot of sleeping would really stress me out. I literally have nothing to do now that the bris and birthday party are over and the thank you notes and announcements are out. I still worry, but not as much. My arms are getting nice and toned again! I cook a lot more when I am not working and we all benefit greatly. I also learned that I still can not walk into a children's clothing store without wishing I had a little girl, but besides that I am so in love with my two little boys and I feel very complete. I was hoping I would feel that way once Jeremy arrived - and I couldn't ask for anything more.

Happy One Month!!

3

2010-07-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my amazing, funny, loving, wild, adorable big boy! I seriously can not believe three years has gone by. Each birthday is definitely bittersweet. This one for me especially since its more than likely my childbearing days have come to a close. Looking back on last weekend, it is also made me see Zach's independence - I don't think he spoke to me for more than a minute at his party - and that was only because Abbie was giving him a hard time. :) He was really in his glory, so happy, having so much fun. We asked him what he wanted this year and he told me "Friends, Great-Grandma, a BIG bounce house and chocolate!" Happy Birthday Baby!

First, we celebrated at school! Yes, I made it there, with Jeremy and all!

Check out that stance!!

bounce house all to himself!

Cheers!! Thank you all for an amazing morning!!

One funny thing ... Josh and I buy alcohol at all our events and no one EVER drinks it. So, we still buy it but have been cutting back. We only bought 18 beers this year and leave it to all the mamas of Zach's friends to drink them up! There were none left!

July... so far

2010-07-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

We wanted to start a tradition last year of running the Woodbridge 5K every 4th of July. We were not sure we would be able to pull it off this year so we didn't sign up ahead of time. Both Zach and Jeremy were up by 6 am on the 4th so we packed up and headed out there. Zach was the only one who did any running this year but we were happy to make it out and finish. Jeremy of course slept the entire time and Zach really didn't want to stay in the stoller but we still loved it. Headed back to Fairside for some neighborhood fun. It was tricky this year with the little man but Zach definitely had a great time.

My first drink - Josh didn't think I could handle it - come on!! (sorry mom and dad)

In other July news, We taught Zach how to dip his cookies in milk - he loved it!

Jeremy's first bath

3 weeks ....
and almost 3 years old!

Jeremy gained a whole pound at his two week checkup - needless to say, I was thrilled!

And Josh and I celebrated 5 years of marriage over the weekend! We had an amazing dinner out. A huge thank you to my mom and dad for coming down to help us with that. To many, many more Josh - I love you!

Rewind

2010-07-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

And just before the new addition arrived - Zachary finished up his last day in Ms. Lilliam and Ms. Lorena's 2 year old classroom. We celebrated by making tie-dye shirts, having a party and going to Boomers!! This year he has learned to say please and thank you, get rid of his diapers, ask for help, tell his his friends when he doesn't like something, count to 20 (almost), sing his ABC's, recite the ha'motzi, defend himself, laugh uncontrollably and make us so very happy. We are so proud of him.

Jeremy's Bris

2010-06-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am finally coming back down to earth here. Taking a deep breath! What a crazy couple weeks all culminating with Jeremy's Bris on Friday. A bris is a crazy thing. I'm not sure what percentage of newborn baby boys get circumcised but I gather the number is relatively high. In other faiths, it is performed in the hospital, is fairly uneventful and I do not think parent participation is required. In our faith, we had to plan a party just eight days after giving birth. Not such an easy task. It is safe to say that Josh and I were both experiencing quite a bit of anxiety over this. Our first mohel was unavailable so we had a new one on the way. He was very particular and very focused on giving us a beautiful ceremony - all they way down to scattering rose petals on the "operation" table . I very much appreciated that but I was more concerned that he just did it right!! The day felt a little wild to us but after all is said and done, we had good company, a very nice ceremony and a successful circumcision! Thank you to everyone for taking time out of your day to share this joyous occasion with us. It was especially nice sharing the day with my cousins who also have their own small children as well - thank you Lauren and Tami for driving up (and down) here. Thank you to my parents for all your help and all the great food - I think we will be eating roast beef and turkey all week long, and a special thanks to Uncle Larry for taking such good care of Zach!!

And the afterparty - Zach jumping in the ice cold drink buckets!!

Oops, did I really say the resemblance was NOT overwhelming?

2010-06-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

I changed my mind....

Jeremy Max Shayne

2010-06-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Born June 17, 2010 at 8:43 PM
6lbs 13 oz., 21.5 inches

We were on cloud nine since we had the ECV procedure last week and then the s&*t really hit the fan. I started having crazy contractions on Monday afternoon but it wasn't your run of the mill labor pains. I did not feel good. Off to the doctor I went to find out I was running 100.5 temp and had a baby inside me with his little heart racing anywhere between 160 and 200 beats a minute. Not good! Lots of liquid, maybe a bladder infection and a ton of rest was ordered for me. A follow up non-stress test was scheduled just a couple days later - I was sure it would all be fine. Not so much. Babies heart was still racing Wednesday morning. Not quite sure what to do "Wheels" made an executive decision. He wanted this baby out and he wanted it now. I was 2 centimeters dilated and about 70 percent effaced. He swooped in and broke my water, told me he had a lecture and he might not be able to deliver the little guy but he would try and he was off. This was 2:00 PM yesterday. No more than an hour later, I was another centimeter and 100% effaced. A few more insane contractions, the nurse told me I could get an epidural if I wanted to - of course I did; and by the time that was in place it was about 5:00 PM and I was dilated to 6. Turned on the laker game and by 7:00 I dilated to ten and was ready for practice pushing. The baby was doing great so we literally waited for "Wheels" to get back from his lecture and he made it back in time to deliver Jeremy. It was a wild week and an even more wild day. We are still blown away (and thankful it happened so fast) and everyone is healthy. Now I just need to figure out how to pee so I can go home.

Jeremy is super mellow so far! He definitely resembles Zachy when he was a baby but it isn't overwhelming. He is a really good eater, has very little, very light hair, deep grey eyes and a cute little nose. Zach is doing awesome. He is being a great big brother and loves holding and kissing the baby. He just really wants us to come home.

Randi the rock star

2010-06-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

THE BABY HAS TURNED! But, we got a little help from Dr. Wheeler (AKA "Wheels" "Smooth Wheels"). Got to Hoag at about 6:20 a.m. for check in and to get an ultrasound for positioning before the External Cephalic Version (ECV). For anyone that does not know, ECV is where the stomach is manipulated so that the positioning of the baby changes. The point is to elimintate the breech by causing the baby's head to face down. Before the procedure started, Randi got an IV. Wheels then looked at both of us and said, "this is gonna be easy." The procedure took less than 30 seconds and it was a success!!!!! (We were told that the procedure can take 1-3 minutes, and if it does not work at the 3 minute mark, then it won't work.) Randi did amazing. It was unconfortable for Randi but "not that bad" - probably because the procedure was done in record speed. We think that we caused a hospital record for this procedure, maybe a world record. In fact, when Randi went back to the hospital today for a non-stress test, all the nurses knew who she was. Apparently the word got around that Randi's ECV was the easiest. Randi saw one of the doctors who assisted Wheels. He told her she was a "rock star." Now, let's just hope the baby does not go back to the breech position. Good job Randi!!! And a special thank you to Wheels because now Randi is soooooooooooo much at ease.

Turn Baby Turn

2010-06-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

We had Randi's 36 week appointment last week and saw via ultrasound that baby's head is still positioned up, with the legs down. Now, supposedly, there are some things that can be done to try to get the baby to turn. I'm just not sure if this is one of the ways: Randi at Scooters Jungle this past weekend going down the 40 foot slide. Very impressive!!!!!!
(It was one of Zach's friend's birthday party.)

Zach was loving it too! From 10:30 a.m. (when we arrived) to 12:30 p.m.(when we left), Zach did not take one break from the slide. We left Scooters Jungle with Zach crying because he apparently did not get enough of going down the slide.

This past weekend, we took Zach to Sesame Street Live in LA. Zach liked it and can't stop telling his friends that he saw Big Bird. But, I would say that Zach's favorite thing at Sesame Street Live was the popcorn. I don't think Zach's stomach agreed with the large bag of popcorn he ate. Our house smelled like fart the entire Sunday afternoon. I think we ripped through a half a pack of wipes on Sunday.
Here's a pic of Randi this past weekend, still looking great.

Birthday Season

2010-06-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

This time of year is always so fun because our weekends are filled with birthday parties. Long overdue, but Grady recently celebrated his 1st Birthday and we were so happy to be a part of it.

Last weekend, we went to Katie's Birthday party. Katie, is Zach's little girlfriend from MyGym. Her parents can really throw a great party. They have a huge bounce house, a pinata and Laurie (Katie's Mom) had an amazing non-alcoholic beer called Buckler waiting for me. It was amazing and so much better than O'Douls!!

In a few more days, I will be full-term - woohoo! I was very excited for this baby to come early but now I am hoping he cooks a bit longer. Looks like we have another skinny guy on our hands. He was only 5 lbs, 7 oz yesterday and hasn't flipped over yet. I went straight to Taco Bell after my appointment yesterday, and I wasn't even hungry. :)

Shavuot, Shabbat and Sprinkles

2010-05-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

My work schedule last week included an overnight, a day off and a closing shift which meant although I didn't have all the energy in the world, I had plenty of time to spend with Zach. School was closed for Shavuot so we went to Tanaka Farms and did some strawberry picking. I feel like we have been here a half a dozen times now but each time, we have a new, funny experience. This time, Zach's friend Jacob coincidentally was sitting on the wagon next to us. They had a lot of fun hitting each other with celery stalks. Then, we went into the field to pick strawberries. When we got home, i asked Zach to tell Josh what we did that day. He replied " I ran away from mommy," which he did. It was hot outside, at at nine months along, it wasn't pretty!!

On Friday, Zach was Shabbat Star. Honestly, I have never seen the kid so excited about something. He was beaming with pride. He really got to be the star for the day, complete with a pink hat (at his request), reading his favorite books, showing his friends all about his family photos, and getting the chance to go to the front of the auditorium during Shabbat Sing a long. There was nothing sad about this day, but the emotional mess that I have become, I couldn't hold back the tears.

Finally, Saturday I had lunch with my mom and a few friends. It was so nice to spend time with them, tell funny stories and give baby #2 a name. We'll keep it a surprise for the rest of you but I think we got a consensus that afternoon. Thank you to my mom and wonderful friends for spending the afternoon with me. I feel so lucky to have all of you in my life to share this wonderful time with me!

2010-05-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

There are many things I can say about my beautiful wife but I will keep this simple. Randi has hit the 33 mark today, with not much more to go. She looks great! She's been working crazy shifts and has long days at work. It hasn't been easy. But, with all of this craziness, Randi continues to be a great mother and wife at home. Thank you for everything you do, the values you have shared, and just being the genuine person you are. Now let baby ______ come so we can take a damn shot together...

Signs of a Growing Family

2010-04-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

There are definitely signs that our family is growing, Besides my expanding belly....

We got a new car! We are so excited about being able to go away and pack all of our belongings in the trunk. We used to have surround Zach in the backseat with blankets, suitcases, monkeys and other miscellaneous items but not anymore. Seriosly, we are thrilled driving this thing! Now we have room for two kids, strollers, suitcases and really anything our heart desires (for now at least).

We also took Zach on one last vacation as an only child. Would love to squeeze in another weekender away but it is not likely it is going to happen. We went to Rancho Las Palmas last weekend in Palm Desert. We enjoyed non-alcoholic lava flows, good food, a bunch of pool time and lots of laughs. Zach is seriously growing up. He was on his best behavior and made this one of the most enjoyable trips we have been on. It made me feel particulary emotional. I love being able to give this kid every ounce of my attention.

Being Silly

2010-04-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Now that Zach is getting used to me being back at work, he has started saying some pretty silly things about it. Josh called me one morning to tell me he had my glasses on, while carrying my purse, walking around the house saying "I'm going to see Mommy at Target." My other favorite is when he looks at me and says "Mommy, you are wearing red again!" So embarrassing!

Nana's Visit

2010-04-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of days to cover when Preschool was closed over the Passover Break. Nana saved the day and filled Zach's days with building houses, making cupcakes, playing outside and eating a lot of good food. We were so lucky to have her and I am pretty sure they both had a good time!

Our Seder

2010-04-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

The amazing thing about Zach going to a Jewish Preschool is that when the holidays like Passover and Easter come around, Zach does not know a thing about an Easter Bunny, eggs or candy. Instead he comes home singing songs about Pharoah, asking to look for the afikomen and reciting the kiddush. It is not that I don't want Zach to be educated about all of the many holidays of the world, it is just really nice for him to grow up feeling like "everyone" celebrates the Jewish Holidays. It is so exciting for us to come home at night and actually be able to sit down and have a family seder complete with Zach's participation.

Happy Passover

2010-03-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

We had an early passover party at school last week with the kiddos. They planned it on my day off so I could be there to help. We're going to try to attempt the four questions and the 10 plagues this year. Happy Passover from our family to yours!

And here we are at Week 27. Zach no longer does anything without including "baby." This means baby gets water and macaroni at the dinner table, complete with a place setting and all. He tried to put a penny in my belly button tonight and told me that this would make baby come out! If it was only that easy!

Southern California "Sleep" Disorders Specialists

2010-03-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

Let this be a warning: Anyone who needs a sleep study done on themselves, or knows someone that needs a sleep study done, stay away from Southern California "Sleep" Disorders Specialists in Anaheim (a few blocks away from Disneyland). The place is a complete joke. You come out of there feeling like someone glued your eyes open for 24 hours. Here's some brief background:

The ENT tells us Zach needs to get his tonsils and adenoids taken out. The ENT says that we need to have Zach go through a sleep study to 1) determine the level of care Zach will need after surgery and 2)see how how well Zach sleeps at night and whether he is breathing properly at night.

Randi, Zachary, and I arrive at the sleep center this past Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. (already a bad idea because we work the next day). On our way to the study, I realized that I forgot to bring our comforter (another mistake, but not because we were required to bring it...keep reading). When we got to the sleep cetner, a woman named "Hilda" or "Hild" or "Hilia" (let's call her the "technician") greets us and takes us to the room where we will be sleeping. Her breath was horrible. She takes us to a room where the study will take place. We see the bed, which is hard as a rock. The linens/blanket were extremely starchy. The blankets measured about 2 feet by 2 feet, so for me, it covered up to my kneecaps. The technician brought a cot into the room so that I could sleep in the room. The cot had steel beams piercing throughout the entire fabric of the cot, so, the 3 hours that I did sleep I was pretty much sleeping on a metal fence. When I did sleep those few hours, 3/4 of my body was frozen because of the 2 by 2 blanket and the draft from the window.

Getting back to the study, the technician wanted to place all the wires, patches, etc., on Zach once he fell asleep. From 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., we were reading Zach books, slowing things down. About 9:00 p.m., we all laid down in the bed, hoping Zach would fall asleep. [I forgot to mention that although we had the lights off in our room (because thats what people do when they go to sleep), lights from the outside were beaming through the cheap blinds. The sleep center was on a busy Anaheim Boulevard very close to disneyland and lights were coming into our room from traffic signals, etc. It was also a full moon and I think the moon's light was coming into our room. So, we were having a sleep study conducted in light.] As Zach is closing his eyes, freaken fireworks start going off from Disneyland. This lasted about 20 minutes. While the fireworks are going off, car alarms start sounding off. Randi looks at me and we both start laughing, thinking that this has to be some sort of joke. Zach aint sleeping. The fireworks continue... Just when I thought that we were at the finale part of the fireworks, it starts up again. I then got out of bed, open my door and throw my hands out at the technician yelling at her saying what kind of venue is this sleep center. She tells me that she can't control the fireworks. I agree but tell her that whoever decided to place a sleep center at this location was mental. I go back in the room and the foreworks stop. Car alarms are still going off because of the vibrations the fireworks caused. About 9:45 p.m., Zach falls asleep. The technician then comes into the room to start application of the wires, etc.

About a minute after the technician starts application, Zach opens his eyes, looking at this woman, wondering what she is putting on his scalp. At first, Zach is scared, just watching. We try to sooth Zach but he was not having it. (I'm not sure how these wires and belts get attached to a human being while asleep, let alone a toddler.). After about 10-15 minutes of application, Zach starts laughing and thinks its some sort of game. He then rips out a huge fart while the technician is wrapping things up. Oh boy.

It's about 10:45 p.m. and the technician is about to finish when Zach says he needs to go to the potty. Are you kidding me!!!!!!!!!!! Randi tries to convince Zach that he needs to pee in his night diaper because that it what the night diaper is for. But, Zach is potty trained so well that he does not want to pee in his diaper. I try to tell Zach that its okay to go in the diaper. He then starts crying (forgot to mention that going to the bathroom requires the technician to disconnect a some wires - big pain in the ass). We then go to the bathroom.

It's past 11:00 p.m., and Zach is finally about to go to sleep (keep in mind that the Sleep Center told us earlier that they need 6 hours for the study and they need us pretty much out at 6:00 a.m.). At about 11:15 p.m., Zach gets on his knees, starts bowing to the wall, and mumbling something. Randi and I start laughing.
We have no clue what that was about but in any event, Zach is sleeping at 11:15. From 11:15 to 2:00 a.m., Zach is sleeping, but every 30 minutes, his nose piece pops out. The nose piece apparently is the most important apparatus for the study. Each time the nose piece comes out, the technician uses the intercom to tell us that the piece came out and that she needs to come in to the room. Everytime the technician comes in, she keeps the door of our room open because she needs light. I guess the light from Anaheim Blvd. was not enough. I think Randi and I got about 1 hour of sleep during this time period.

From 2:00 to 4:00 a.m., more nonsense with the nosepiece - it kept coming out because Zach was pulling it off. Again, everytime this piece came out, the tech would use the intercom to let us know...

Finally at 2:00 a.m., we (me, Randi, and Zach) all fell asleep. The tech wakes us up at 6:25 a.m. We are all in a terrible mood. The tech takes off Zach's wires, etc. and asks us to fill out a questionaire. Randi pretty much says to the tech, "Are you kidding me?" I looked at the questionaire, which I did complete. One of the questions asked if we felt more rested after spending the night at the Sleep Center... What a complete joke...

Bottom line: If this study comes back with a bad report, we are asking for our money back.

Random Happenings

2010-03-07T10:08:00.001-08:00

So I have been back at work now for two months already. Target is a pretty amazing company to work for. The job itself is quite different than any other HR job I have ever had. Dare I say, it's even a little fun. Juggling is tough again but we've managed to squeeze some fun in over the last few weeks.

Pizza Night:
Since I don't have time to slave over the hot stove all day anymore, we have been trying to think of quick, easy and nutritious meals at home. Trader Joes has all the fixings to make a mean pizza, including whole wheat pizza dough!

Josh and Zach headed to a Purim carnival and enjoyed horseback riding, hot dogs and jumping in a bounce house - not in that order.

We made it back to Disneyland. Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Carbibbean are a HUGE hit!!

Because it is my Birthday....

2010-02-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

Or was my birthday not too long ago and because now that I know my home will be filled with 3 boys and not just two, I'm taking the liberty and pride in showing you how much Zach resembles me. You see, when Zach and I are flying solo, a lot of people say that he looks like me. When all three of us are together, the usual comments include "Ahh, he looks a lot like daddy." Or, when I am really lucky, people will say that Zach has qualities of both of us. Most often, I hear that Zach is a clone or mini-Josh (except from my family). Don't get me wrong, Josh is a good looking guy and all, but one of my two boys is going to have to look like me - and I think it is Zach! Except for his nose of course - this kid got lucky to have neither Josh's nose nor mine!

Here is a little photo shoot of me and Zachy from my birthday breakfast in Laguna!

PS - If you disagree, please refrain from commenting. It is MY birthday! JUST KIDDING!

Room 10

2010-02-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

I am starting to think Zach's teachers enjoy dressing the kids up in the most ridiculous way possible. I don't blame them. Here are some recent pics from Preschool!

Surrounded!

2010-01-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

It is official - Zachary is going to have a little brother! More thoughts on this later - but this is how our little guy is shaping up for now. Below you can see the evidence. Also included, are a foot, toes, hand and profile. He weighs 8 oz as of Wednesday! Everything has come back perfect and healthy and next week is the half way point before he is due to make his arrival!

Disney

2010-01-26T18:54:00.000-08:00

We had our first trip to Disneyland a few weeks ago. Uncle Jonathan and cousin Noah came out for the weekend from the east coast (bringing with them the cold rainy weather - I know, the storm came from the west). Anyhow, we started off the weekend at Yard House where we got Zach's favorite noodles. On Sunday, we went to Disneyland. I thought the "toddler" rides would be pretty vanilla. But, they all seemed to have some element of scary. Zach and Noah loved it all, especially Pirates of the Caribbean. I think we all can agree that the Jungle Cruise was one of our favorites. It went from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in a flash, and we only accomplished 7 or 8 rides. But, it was time to go - nap time. Well, there are 50 more attractions to do at Disneyland. Can't wait until next time... Here are some pics from our trip.

A Day at the Beach

2010-01-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

I know! The weather was amazing here last week so we headed to Crystal Cove/Corona Del Mar area for a little beach time and lunch. We were not the only one with the brilliant idea - there was an hour and forty five minute wait for lunch! This is the cutest little restaurant. The Bloody Mary's were eyeing me and they looked so good. We settled for a filet mignon cobb salad and a yummy garlic bread boule - so good!! Zach thinks when we go to the beach, we are on vacation. All week, he has been saying "I love the beach, I love the ocean, Are we going on Vacation?"

Its pretty amazing to see how much Zach has grown since the last time we were at the Beachcomber. You can check it out
HERE!

Officially a Big Boy!

2010-01-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

It kinda breaks my heart to hear Zach call himself a big boy but he really is getting so BIG! He is officially potty trained. We can't really believe it but we'll take it. He had an accident free week at school except for a few "sprinkles" as the teachers called it! I even got an email from one of the mothers last week letting me know that Zach pulled down his pants and showed her his "underwears."

He also is doing pretty well in his "big-boy bed" We had a few restless nights to go perfectly with my first week of work but once we told him he could have a bowl of ice cream for breakfast - he didn't get up or cry once. We're hoping he will just catch on and not keep asking for ice cream!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T19:13:00.001-08:00

We had a mellow NYE 2010. We headed to Koki's for dinner, a family teppan style restaraunt. Enjoyed a fun show, good company and some quality time together.

The only thing to get him to sit there is the dum dum pops.
Then we came home and played with hats, horns, glasses and of course the night would not be complete without some staged pictures with the Andre! See HERE for some fun shots from last year.

And then we woke up to an almost 2.5 year old standing at the side of my bed. He finally managed to climb out of his crib all too successfully. He did not fall, he was silent - and he did it three days in a row. Guess who got a new bedroom set this weekend!!! Thanks Nana and Grandpa!!

We hope you have a happy and healthy 2010

Oh Hanukkah, WHOAH Hanukkah

2009-12-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah was a big deal this year! Not only did Zach ask to light the candles each night (he is still asking a week later), and enjoy opening his presents, we attended 5 Hanukkah parties. First we went to Temple Bat Yahm and enjoyed lighting an outdoor menorah, singing songs with our friend Shayne and family, dancing and eating latkes. Zach also enjoyed doing somersaults down the aisle leading to the bima.

Then, we were off to Aunt Laurie's and Uncle Larrys for the best latkes and chocolate cake we have ever had. Zach had a great time especially with Uncle Larry!

Sunday, we went to watch the Eagles kick some butt at Eric and Leah's.

I was fortunate enough to volunteer in Zach's class at his JCC Chanukah party! These kids are so funny! The have been together since they were 5 months old and have become such good friends.

.
Zach, Ari and London
Finally, we ended the festivities at Ari and Ben's (from preschool) House. Sepi and Michael made homemade pizza and ice cream. Marisa, Michael, Ryan and his new little brother Benjamin were also there. Although I don't have any pictures other than a goofy family pic to show how much fun the boys had that night, you will have to take my word for it - I have never seen them have so much fun. We ended the night with Zach and Ryan breaking in the bathroom and brushing their teeth with Ari and and Ben's stuff!

Happy Chanukah, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!
Love, The Shaynes

Zach has some BIG news to share - Please listen

2009-12-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

And just in case you didn't him hear him correctly, he also put in in writing!

Expected to Arrive June 28, 2010!
Yep, that means we're into the 2nd Trimester already! We're ready to go and very excited!

So Thankful

2009-12-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving meant something different to me than in prior years. Let's face it, I have had a lot of time on my hands to reflect. But I realized this year, I am thankful for so many things.
1. I am thankful this year is over. As many of you know, it hasn't been the easiest year for our family and I am looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.
2. I am thankful my husband is the nicest guy in the entire world. He never once lost faith in me or all my unsuccessful interviews. He always thought something was wrong with them - never me. ha ha
3. I am thankful I was laid off! Sure, I was mortified and sad to leave my friends at Green Street but I recently spent the last 7 months with my baby - who is really a big boy now! He tested me, pulled my hair and fought naps but we got to have breakfast together every day, and watch movies on the couch and spend hours at the park. I will remember the last seven months as some of the best I ever had.
4. I am thankful for my amazing parents and brother who give Zach so much love he doesn't know what to do with it. It is amazing to see how much he loves you back.
5. I am thankful for my networks and HR colleagues. They have been amazing, supportive, fun, and wonderful to be around. I have met so many great people and attended a plethora of events - I never had time to do that.
6. I am thankful for my mother-in-law who has always remained optimistic of Josh, Zach and me.
7. I am thankful we (meaning Josh and I) have finally learned the value of money. We have saved and skimped and paid off debt and realized we were spending way outside of our means - never again!
8. Finally, (here is the kicker by the way) I am thankful that I just accepted a new job as a Human Resources Executive Team Leader at Target! It is the best opportunity that has come my way and makes all the hard work worth it. My good friend Michelle referred me and after a month a half, 4 interviews and several pros and cons lists, I accepted this afternoon.

We know things are going to get crazy again but we think we work better together under crazy. It would be really nice to stay home full time but it is just not in the cards at the moment. Thank you all for your love and support this year. We hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving. We celebrated with family at cousin Lauren and Phil's beautiful new home in San Diego. We also found out they are expecting their first baby in June. Needless to say, everyone had a great time and is thrilled for them.

Happy Birthday Josh - Thanks for nothing Eagles

2009-11-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated Josh's 32nd birthday -- woosh! We are definitely starting to get up there. We had a mellow dinner at one of Josh's favorite's Red Robin, had icecream cake from Baskin Robbins and then headed down to San Diego for the Eagles vs. Chargers game on Sunday. When we first arrived, we met our friends Sumer and Troy at a very cute family owned restauarant called Pernicanos. Then we got up bright and early for a tailgate that started at 8:00 am with over 2000 Eagles fans. If you think that sounds like a lot, there were at least 15,000 Eagles fans in the stands - some sections a sea of green. It was pretty incredible. They managed to bury themselves pretty deep before coming alive in the 4th Quarter. They might of even finished the Chargers off if they didn't let 27 seconds slide off the clock before calling their final timeout. Yes, I was sober driver for the day so I got to pay special attention to the Eagles slow deterioration. My boyfriend McNabb had a record day though and it was fun seeing him up close - we had great seats; club level at the 20 yard line!!!

Josh even ran into a good friend Jason that he hasn't seen since high school!

And although I know you are all dying to read about Josh and I, I will just throw in a picture or two of Zach since he is the real star of the show!

Very excited about trying out new underwear!

Arrrrrr

2009-11-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

We thought Zach might have been too young to go out for Halloween. We were wrong. He loved it. We went to a party and then we went trick or treating. Here are some pics.

Lastly, Zach has gone poop on the potty everyday now for the past two weeks. So, it seems that he's on his way to be potty trained. But, we kind of liked when he was dumping in his diapers because now we have to find a toilet everywhere we go. And, once we find a toilet, he does not like the one we find. What do we do now?

Sunday Funday

2009-10-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Well not Sunday Funday we're all used to BUT it was Sunday and we did have a ton of fun. We started by heading down to San Diego for my good friend Ronna's wedding shower . We're very smart about traveling now and whenever possible, we try to get a suite which allows all of us a much better nights sleep. Josh does all the packing usually and he does an amazing job! He never forgets anything, except this time - he forgot the air mattress for Zach, ear plugs, a toothbrush and boxers .. kinda big things to forget - but we both thought it was really funny! Off the shower with my girlfriends on Saturday night which is always lots of fun. We never get tired of telling the same old funny stories that seem to make us laugh harder as the years go by. Ronna looked stunning I can't wait to celebrate her wedding with her in two weeks! YAY RONNA!!

On Sunday, we went to Sea World. We saw "Shampoo", polar bears, dolphins and sea lions. The polar bear was Zach's favorite. The best part was when no one was paying attention and this giant beast grazed right next to the window we were sitting near. Zach almost fell off the ledge. "Shampoo" was fun too except we think Zach was confused. He was silent ... mute...stunned! Maybe scared. He didnt say a word during the show, but he did talk about it the rest of the day.

Tanaka Times Ten!

2009-10-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you all know I love this place. The activities change as the seasons change so we go here at least four times a year. If that weren't enough, I just found out we can start getting milk delivered to our door once a week along with a big box of organic fruits and vegetables from this place! Ahh, the simple things in life.

At first Zach was afraid of the petting zoo.

And then he warmed up, and tried to carry the billy goat home.

When the cat's away, the mice will play.

2009-10-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

I guess we all know who is really in charge here! On Friday night, we went to dinner with my (Josh) brother and mom. I don't have any pictures because only my (Josh) mom had a camera. Zach stayed the night at Nana and Grandpa's over the weekend. We went to Josh's work party, met up with some friends in Huntington, enjoyed watching Dallas lose and cleaned up around the house.

Zach's newest stunt is waking up early in the morning and wanting to go sleep on the couch. Josh and I actually woke up on Saturday morning and asked eachother where Zach was. This is what we found...

Fast forward 19 years, if Zach is anything like Josh, we will probably see a similar pose in a fraternity house and a beer bottle.

Work party and Friends

Today, was a fun day. In the morning, Zach ran into a pole on the yard at school. I don't have any pictures of this but imagine my delight. a few hours later at school, his toes were run over by a bicycle. Why he is on the yard without shoes on, I have no idea? Then, after his nap we went outside to play. Zach looked at me very sternly and said "No mommy, you stay there. I go inside to get my milk." So I watched him go inside ... and SLAM and LOCK the Door! This child never ceases to amaze me. What did I do you might ask??? First i tried to scream through the door for him to open it back up but he kept laughing. So I went to each of our horribly cheap windows and got the one leading to the computer room open. I popped the screen and told Zach to get my keys out of my purse (which he so obediently did). He gave them to me through the window and I opened the front door. Do you think I will underestimate him ever again? Probably not .. until the next time he blows me a kiss and says "I love you mama."

Susan G. Komen

2009-09-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

The three of us ran/walked the Susan G. Komen 5K this weekend. We absolutely loved doing the 4th of July 5K in our neighborhood and vowed to continue doing them. It is great exercise, a lot of fun, and for a great cause. And it is the only time, Josh and I get to work out together. The race was packed and running up Avocado in fashion island was nearly impossible. But there was some really fun music and some very inspirational people out there. Every person I looked at wearing a pink survivor shirt brought so much emotion to me; it was a bit overwhelming.

Check out Zach rocking out.

L'Shana Tova

2009-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

To all our Family and Friends,
May this next year be a happy and healthy one for all of you! An economic turnaround and lower unemployment wouldn't be so bad either, would it?

We love you.

By the way, this was just before Zach sat through almost an entire service at synagogue and prior to discovering he had a 102 temp. He still looks so cute though doesn't he? A trooper indeed!

Too Busy to Blog!

2009-09-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

I am not kidding. I spent another week home with Zach and we explored all Irvine had to offer, a new museum, an extra MyGym, frozen yogurt, and a fun MOM's Club pool party. The museum called Pretend City was pretty awesome. It really is a pretend city where kids can go fishing, ride in cars, go grocery shopping and go to the beach. See for yourself!

We started morning pre-school at the JCC. We are all adjusting pretty well to our new activities, new friends and new schedules! We even caught our first cold already! Of course!

We went to the last summer concert on the lake - which was quite bittersweet. Where did the summer go? This time we had a little Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra and James Dean.

We also got our backyard fixed up finally. This is so nice that I can play in the back with Zach now and I don't have to worry about cars or him running away. It is also great for eating a nice summer dinner outside. It was just a bunch of concrete, leaves and weeds. Here are some before and afters ...

Last but certainly not least is somehow football season has crept up on is. We enjoyed a big win with friends Week 1; and hoping for quick QB recovery!

Pre-School

2009-09-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Next week, Zachy will be starting big boy school - PRE-SCHOOL. We are very proud of him and excited for this milestone. Last week, Zachy had a "graduation ceremony" from the infant/toddler room. Here he is putting his things in the highest cubby, thus being one of the tallest kids in his class.

Another Woodbridge concert... this time featuring Rod Stewart and Journey - it was awesome!

Also, I have to mention that Randi has had some rockin meals lately - maybe she can stay out of work forever:

Organic wheat pasta,zuchini,squash, and roasted tomatoes

Citrus Chicken Kabobs with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables

What a Week

2009-08-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

Last Year about this time, I took a week off from work to spend with Zach.

We had a good time but he had just started walking, very little talking and it was fun but nothing like this last week. Boy, did we have a blast. The trick is, to get out of the house. I had at least one activity planned a day - sometimes two. The kid ate and slept like a champ, did not whine one bit and we had a great time spending time together. We went to My Gym, Bowers Museum Kidseum, Story Time at Whole Foods, Watermelon Tour at Tanaka Farms, played in the water area at the Spectrum, went to Happy Hour at the Yard House and of course hung out with Abby. I could do this forever!!

And how could I forget a little "house" bim bam ...

Summer Time

2009-08-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

Summer is really going by fast isn't it? In one short week, Zach will be graduating from the Infant/Toddler Center where he has been cared for since he was only 5 months and moving on to Preschool. We are getting ready for the transition over the next two and a half weeks (as I also get to transition to full time mommy!) (Whew!) We have lots and lots of activities planned - otherwise the house might get destroyed by my wild and crazy 2 year old! This is what we have been up to.

Concert on the Lake - We really love these and can not say enough about them. We love bringing wine and yummy snacks like homemade bruschetta. Zach loves singing, dancing and running much to close to the Lake so Josh and I can do anything BUT relax. We also love the lady that speeds down the hill on her scooter!!

We even got a little pick up football in - check out the form on this kid!

I have been cooking up a storm - and had to take a picture of this amazing looking steak, roasted corn and avocado salad!

And we spent a couple days in Carlsbad. We went swimming, down waterslides, saw a reptile show and had lots of good food! Since we got home, Zach keeps saying "I want to go on A-Cation!" Don't we all?

Finally, we attended Uncork the Cure in San Diego to support our friends Megan and Michelle and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Thanks to Grandpa for letting us get out for the night. He actually made it through 4 hours of madness without the help of Na-Na. Yes, Ladies, that is Kip - our old friend from Santa Barbara and former bachelor finalist!

Fishy!

2009-08-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Zach has really taken to anything with water recently.. the bath, the hose, the pool, the water dispenser on the fridge!! I drove to my parents on Sunday to spend some time at the pool. This kid loves swimming.

Wedding Weekend

2009-07-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

We went home to good 'ol Thousand Oaks for the weekend to attend my good friend Aaron Werber and Aisha's Wedding. It was beautiful and they were so happy! It was amazing seeing SO many old faces. Nothing has changed!! Everyone was still wild and crazy. So many funny stories and memories were exchanged as they often are at occasions like this. I couldn't help but laugh as we were driving up to the North Ranch Country Club. It brought back a lot of funny memories of big Westlake parties! Those days were priceless.

We came back and hit up the OC Rip-Off, I mean Fair. That place is expensive!!! Zach took one look at the big slide and said "oh my Gosh." We have never heard him say that before and could not stop laughing. We also won a goldfish for Zachy - but it died the next day .. so sad.

Happy Birthday Baby!

2009-07-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

On July 17th, Zachy turned 2! We are enjoying every minute! It just keeps getting better and better. His new line of the week is "Don't look at me!" We are so very proud of him .. (wink wink).

We started the festivities with birthday cupcakes and fruit at school.

As you can see, Zach did not want to share his cupcake with Gigi.

Then off to Chuck E Cheese. Zach really enjoyed himself this year - and so did we! Going to the bathroom in the corner... as usual

He was especially good at Skee Ball!

And the main event! All of Zach's 20 + friends and family! Thank you so much everyone. We had a great party!

We are looking forward to what this next year has in store for us! :)

NOT A BIRTHDAY BLOG

2009-07-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Zach's 2nd birthday was this past Friday, and his party was on Saturday. It was a great time and I think Zach enjoyed it. Before talking about his birthday, I wanted to get this blog up to speed with a few things.

The Woodbridge Association puts on concerts during the summer, typically on Sunday. We went about a month ago to see Oreo Divas. What's really fun about the concert is that all the kids get to dance in the front. It's also pretty good that we can drink wine on the lawn. Anytime dancing is involved, you can always count on Zachy to mix things up. Here are a few pics of the last concert we went to.

Zachy seems like he is really close to potty training himself. Last weekend, he said "poop." He than ran to the bathroom and said, "pants down." He then said, "shirt off." Not sure why he wanted to take off his shirt. Anyway, he walked up his one step to his toilet bowl and sat down. He then said, "bye, bye." Randi and I left the bathroom and gave him his privacy. (Everything but the pulling down the pants and shirt he has done before in the last few months). About 2 minutes after waiting outside the bathroom, I walk in and Zach is standing above the toilet, looking in the toilet. I go over and as Emril says, "bam." There was poop and a decent amount. It was amazing. Never got so excited to see crap. We all gave eachother high fives. Zach seemed proud of himself. He then did it again later in the day. Again, we were amazed. Well, he has not done it since that weekend. He is back to the poopoing in a corner, standing on the computer hardrive... I guess it takes time, but, at least we know that he can do it and when he is ready and confident enough, he will poop away.

I'm tired. Talk about Zach's party soon.

You Have a What?

2009-07-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

We had the best 4th of July! Our neighboorhood is somewhat like an all inclusive resort in the summer! The day started off with a 5K with our neighbors Greg and Patty. I would like to say we woke up early just to do it - but the truth is we are just up that early so we thought why not! We actually walked to the start line which is 1-2 miles and then did the race - jogging stroller and all, we finished in a respectable 35:10 minutes. We started at the very end of the pack so I would say you have to take off at least 30 seconds to a minute of that time. We will definitely do it again next year.

We got back to the house by 8:30, had breakfast and Brock (one of our other neighbors) had already tapped the keg. A what - yes you read that right, we decided to get a keg. We pulled our bbq's out from our backyards, put up a few canopies, brought out a baby pool, filled up water balloons, and had so much fun!!

A big thanks to the "Fairside" crew for making it happen!

And this week ... swim lessons! Stay tuned!

Uncle J and Cousin Noo-ah

2009-07-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

We had a week long visit with Uncle Jonathan and Cousin "Noo-ah". We always wish that they lived here. Zach loved playing and swimming with Noah. We had a fun dinner at Koki's also with Sima and Cousin Mitzi and a great time at Happy Hour at the Yardhouse. Thank you Grandma Elizabeth for spending time with us and taking all of us out!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

Even though I am late blogging about it - we certainly had a wonderful Father's Day. Zach was really hamming it up for the pictures!

Josh, thank you for being the best father to Zachy! He adores you and there is never a moment that I wonder why! And Dad - you are not too bad yourself. Thank you for all your love and support over the years!

Stay at Home Mom - In Transition

2009-06-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love the phrase "In Transition." Do you hear the sarcasm in my voice?What I do love however is all the mommy time I have been getting lately. We still take Zach to "school" for a few hours a day but we never have to rush anymore, we have very little stress when Zach is under the weather and I get to do fun activities with him like the Strawberry Tour at Tanaka Farms. You may remember the Watermelon Tour we went on last year. I actually chickened out before getting on the wagon so we just ate lots of watermelon. I made it this time around and had So much fun.. We got to sample, Maui Sweet Onions, Lettuce, Carrots, Celery and of course pick our very own yummy strawberries. Zach loved it - we had the best day!

Melissa's 30th

2009-06-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

It was time for Josh and I to have a little fun too (although I must say we have been going out quite a bit lately!) We celebrated Melissa's 30th with all my friends from college. To be perfectly honest, it felt a little nostalgic on my drive down there. I met Melissa and Sarah when I was 18 years old. They were both my dorm room suitemates at Francisco Torres (now called Santa Catalina by the way), freshman year. We have celebrated a lot of big birthdays together and I honestly could not believe we were celebrating the big 30. Here is one picture for old times sake and a few more from the fun night!

Circa 1999 - Newport Beach Road Trip

And 2009 ...

He's a Ladies Man!

2009-06-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

We had not one but two birthdays to go to last weekend; Katie's was on Saturday and America's on Sunday. Katie is Zach's friend from My Gym , a fun play center we take Zach to every Saturday Morning. They have grown quite fond of each other. This was a great party .. there was a bounce house, a balloon person, dora the explorer and even a pinata!

On Sunday, we had Miss America's birthday party at Scooter's Jungle, They had a HUGE slide there which was really fun for both Zach as well as Josh and me. By the end of the party, Zach was going down all by himself. Zach and America are friends from the JCC! All of Zach's friends were there - they had so much fun! We love that he already has so many friends and they get excited to see eachother.

Memorial Weekend Fun

2009-05-26T12:50:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun this weekend visiting friends at The Stephens BBQ and spending the rest of the weekend in Carlsbad. Thanks so much Melissa, Derek and Grady for hosting us!! We had a great time seeing you and all of our friends. I can't wait for Zach and Grady to be able to play someday soon. Right now, we just have to remind Zach to be gentle! Grady is so cute and Zach was really sweet with him! The remainder of the weekend, we spent at the beautiful La Costa Resort. We got a great hotwire rate - and enjoyed swimming, waterslides, smores, chasing Zach and more chasing Zach. We also spent the entire weekend trying to figure out how Zach can fall off of a full size air mattress 7 times each night when he is surrounded by walls on three of the four sides! Just when I think this kid can't get anymore personlity, he does something hilarious. I continue to be amazed at how this little guy can turn into a real person within two short years. Zach can now tell us where he wants US to sit, what he wants to eat, what shoes he wants to wear, he can name all 15 of his friends by looking at a picture, he tells me I am funny, and can tell us that he loves his friend Abby!! It is SO cute!! We will definitely be going back later this summer!
I have one happy kid on my hands!

SMORES

Self-Portrait

And speaking of Abby ....

Mo-Day

2009-05-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

To all those baby mommas out there - I want to give a shout - happy mother's day... Seriously, we had a great mother's day. Woke up about 5:45 since that's when Zach woke up - Zach took his daily a.m. dump. I let Randi sleep till about 7. While randi was getting that extra hour (bahhhhhhhhhhhhh), Zachy and I layed on the couch and watched for the 500th time, Yo Gabba Gabba - Biz' beat. When Randi woke up, Zachy gave momma her mother's day gift - a spa package for use at Burke Williams (Ran - you better use it and RELAX - you deserve it!). At about 8:30, we headed to Huntington Beach for breakfast. Being that there was no wait and since Randi had to have her Bloody Mary (too much v8 -bahhhhhhh), we went to Sharkees (Randi will say because we did not have reservations anywhere....Not true (had reservations at Back Bay - $50 bills a head and I don't eat shrimp and caviaaaaaa). Anyway, breakfast started out with Zachy having a crazy temper tantrum because he did not have "TWO BALLONE." One was not enough. When we got "TWO BALLONE," Zachy calmed down and the rest of our breakfast was great. The french toast was awesome and we had a huge booth. As you can see, Zachy was really loving momma on her special day.

After breakfast, we headed to the beach. Zachy really enjoyed it. I think he may wind up being a surfer, or a ballerenist? (seriously). Here are some pics.

In the afternoon, we played outside.

Cool Tricks - Cool Tricks

2009-05-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

We don't watch that much TV in the Shayne Household but when we do , it is always Yo Gabba Gabba. We REALLY like this show. It is pretty goofy but it cracks Zach up and he is learning a lot. One segment is called Cool Tricks - Cool Tricks! One of the things they do for example is "hum" the tune to twinkle twinkle with your hands. Here are some of Zach's recent cool tricks. We'll tell you all about Biz's Beat and Zach's new vocabulary next time.

Falling Asleep on His Favorite Blue Chair while mommy makes lunch.

Doing High Kicks in the Bathtub

Smiling on Command (sort of)

Wearing nana's Go-Go Boots

Gearing up to be the next Michael Jordan

Bubblongbepassover

2009-04-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Being that Zachy loves bubbles, we thought it would be a great idea to go to Bubble Fest in Santa Ana. Not so fun. The kid to our right had beads around his neck so being that Zach is obsessed with beads, half the time Zach's attention was trying to get the beads. The kid sitting below us in the bleachers had a toy car so the other half of the time, Zach was asking for the car. I think we watched maybe 5 minutes of the show. After twenty minutes, Zach started to say "help." He kept repeating this. At this point, I'm thinking that people around us think we are kidnapping Zach because we were trying to keep him from getting up from our lap. He is stil saying "help." We left. While leaving, I bought a $15 jar of bubbles. While driving home, the jar leaked. No more bubbles. Here is a pic from that dumb bubble fest:

Passover seder was just me, randi, and zachy this year. We had fun doing it. Randi did a great job getting the meals prepared - Gelsons-bahhhhhhhhhhhh. Can't find a shank bone anywhere. Anyway, Randi bought personalized hahhgaaddas and we got through most of the readings. Here are some pics:

The Long Beach Aquarium was pretty cool. I would say Zach's favorite part was looking at the birds and playing with his new girlfriend.

What is your Name?

2009-04-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

My kid is a genius!

Palm Springs

2009-04-02T19:38:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we headed to Palm Springs for the weekend. Our neighbors had a time share and were able to hook us up with a room at good rate. The room was nice, except thats all it was - a room, with Zachy's bed about two feet away from our bed. Wouldn't be a big deal if we didn't have to get in bed when he did... We stepped out of the box by keeping him up a little later on Friday and Saturday night. (Normal sleep time is 7:30). This probably would not have been a big deal had he had decent naps in the afternoon but that didn't happen. It also wouldn't have been a big deal had he woken up later the following mornings - but that also didn't happen - he actually woke up earlier. Doesn't sound like too much fun, right? We actually wound up having a good time despite the terrible sleep we all had and Pizza Hut's lies that the room I was staying at did not exist (that's another story). We spent the days in the pool, goinf down slides, went out for a stroll and had breakfast on Palm Canyon, (by the way, I hate this street), and hanging out with the neighbors. The lesson that Randi and I learned from this trip is (1) putting Zach to sleep later does not mean he wakes up later - he wakes up earlier; (2) I will never ever share a room with Zach [can't deal with: tiptoing in a room, using my cell phone light around the room for a half hour trying to find Excedrin for the most severe headache I may have ever had in my life, being afraid to use the bathroom, and being afraid to turn my body in the bed with a sheet (all which happened on this trip)]; and (3)Zachy is obsessed with our neighbor's kid, Abby (well, we knew this for a while).
Here are some pics from our trip.

I guess he does look like Randi ...