Saturday, September 27, 2008

The Greats and McKinley Montessori

My grandparents weren't able to make it to Nick's welcoming party so they stopped by for a visit on Tuesday afternoon. It's their first great-grandchild and it showed! I haven't seen them this excited in a long time and it brought smiles to both Katy and my face.
The proud great-grandparents

Great-grandma and Nick

Great-grandpa and Nick

Wise hands and young fingers.

Resting with mom after meeting his greats and having some dinner of his own.

Since we had seen my old vocational buddies, the three of us took a day trip to Katy's old work, McKinley Montessori school for some show-off time. It was definitely unnerving being in the cold-factory that is a preschool, but it was cool to see the excitement on Katy's old bosses and co-workers faces, both to see Nick and to show Katy how happy they were for her!

Showing Nick around the school.

Meeting some of his seniors.

I love this picture because it shows the bosses pure excitement.

Nick, Katy, and her old bosses Rebecca and Kathleen.

Katy, Nick, and Christine
Katy, Nick, and Josie
After spending an hour in a pretty dark classroom as the preschool kids got ready for a nap, it was a bit bright outside so I tried to help out my son by providing some shade.

Visit with Uncle Bub and his first volleyball match

Katy's brother Brian (aka Uncle Bub) lives in Vacaville and it just so happened that the girls volleyball team I coached in Sacramento, Inderkum High, was playing Vacaville Christian High on Monday, so we killed two birds with one stone. Brian was nice enough to take us out to dinner to BJ's, one of our favorite restaurants.
Nick and his Uncle Bub

Peaceful as can be.

Afterward, we went to Nick's first volleyball match and witnessed his first volleyball trouncing. Not a great year for Inderkum, but hey, at least he was at a volleyball match and not his first swim meet.

Nick's perspective of the match...ok, maybe a little more blurry.
My old coaching partner Stacy Williams enjoying time with a future middle blocker
Me and Nick with some of the girls I used to coach.

What volleyball match would be complete without a post-game nap in a Boppy Pillow?

Our great friends...the Wisners!

Every time we go back to Roseville, it seems we never get a chance to see all the friends we love for as long as we want to see them. This time however we were able to see our friends the Wisners (Dave, Natalie, Tyler, Winston, and Cooper) for an extended amount of time one night. Still never enough as we are gluttons for time with them, but it was really awesome to get that evening. Katy and I realized something as we drove home. Katy has known Dave and Natalie since a mission program in San Luis Obispo back in 2002, and I've known them since my freshman year of college in 1999. We've hung out with them together since we were dating and they were married, then we moved to Sac and shortly after so did they and felt like they were our friends. However, since we started going to ASGF, we felt like we became great friends. While we used to all get together and play cards, some board game, or watch a movie, for a while now we've been able to get together and do nothing but eat and talk...for hours. The only restraints have been our tiredness. Anyway, it was great to see them and we miss them terribly. Here are some pictures of our sons and dogs from that visit. We love you Wisners!

Nick and Tyler just hanging out on the recliner...a little bit of a size difference (Tyler is 11 months old now so give Nick some time!)

Tyler bright eyed and bushey tailed!
Nick getting bored with the photo shoot

Natalie taking great care of NickNick and Dave whose legs would cramp shortly thereafter
Lucy still not fully recovered from our new addition
Dave entertaining all the pups with tempting cookies (from left to right: Cooper, Lucy, Winston)

A party just for Nick



A week ago today Nick had a welcoming party at my folks house. All family were invited and it's hard to say how it went. On the one hand, my parents throw a heck of a party. On the other, it was extremely tiring. Not because it was family, merely giving up your son for a whole day to let everyone but you hold him. Selfish I know. But in my defense, Katy felt the same way. It was, however, really cool to see all of the family holding him and excited to meet him, taking time out of their busy lives to come over. Thanks everybody! And sorry if we were short with any of you...definitely unintentional. Here are some of the 115 pictures from that day. Just a few though, you can see them all up above in a slideshow from our Picasa site.
Nick already tired of being the "hot potato"

Uncle Jon getting way more comfortable at holding him...even enough to watch the Ryder Cup at the same time!

Not yet comfortable enough though to change a diaper!

Second cousin "M" (who remains web anonymous per her mom) meeting Nick

1st cousins once removed meeting (that's my cousin Jessica)

Nick and Great Aunt Suzy

The great-grandparents (my mom's folks) fighting over holding him! (or just a changing of the guard)

Aunt Natalie not yet willing to give him up but more realistically telling everyone of the vibrations felt on her left hand due to Nick's flatulating bottom.
Second cousins C and L (same mom) getting prepped by their dad Ryan on the trucks they just got to keep them occupied.
Rissa and M in some quality time

Me showing the flexibility of my son by putting his big toe in his nose...no joke, he can do it!

Napping on Pappy
Zach (Nick's 1st cousin once removed) and his girlfriend Grace with Nick
Always willing to nap on Noni

"C" playing with his John Deere while Tucker the mastiff guards the playing
Lucy has had a traumatic three weeks and for some reason took to cuddling on chairs, especially since Katy's arms were free all day.

Road Trip No. 1


These posts have been about a week in the making. I was doing so well in keeping up with things, but then we started traveling and it all went down the pooper. Last Thursday morning we set out, and by we I mean the 4 of us (Katy, Nick, Lucy and I), on our very first road trip. We went up to Roseville for what we thought would be a relaxing, no schedule trip, but quickly turned into a whirlwind adventure. We got in late Thursday night, after what should have been an easy 5 1/2 hour trip that became a 9 1/2 hour fiasco. My folks have two dogs, an old awesome mastiff named Tucker, and a cocker spaniel named Chester. Chester is what you would call a mama's dog and was quite interested in what was taking away all of his mom's attention, taking it upon himself to sniff the merchandise, that being Nick.
We're pretty understanding of dogs sniffing and/or licking (much to some people's dismay) our son, so long as it isn't directly in the face or hands. Don't ask me why not there, take a guess. All in all, every dog that has come into contact with Nick so far has abided quite well with these rules.

The next day after we finally exited our room at my parents, the four of us plus Chester, took a stroll down to the local park for an afternoon outing. I know what you're thinking. Nick can't even support his head yet, why is he going to a park?! While that may be true, this particular park is completely fenced in and Lucy needed a good run, Nick needed a little sun as the jaundice he had is still clinging for dear life, and Katy and I were sick of being in either a car or the house.
This picture is awesome. A bit out of focus, but it captured Lucy running with all four paws off the ground!
Lucy and Chester searching through the bushes for...well...nothing at all.
Nick all snuggled up in the 95 degree heat in his Baby Bjorn with Katy
Completely into his sunbathing.

After a brisk walk to the local grassy knoll, we realized he probably got too hot (the clues being drenched in his and Katy's sweat) and could cool off in a nice sink bath at Noni and Pappy's (my mom and dad). In classic grandma's house fashion, we stripped him, dunked him, and washed him.

Still asleep, not yet realizing what was about to happen.
Nick's first soap hairdo...minus the necessary hair.

A nice closeup of dad appearing to follow in Abraham's footsteps but in fact supporting his son.

Not the happiest about being pulled up out of the warmness.

And finally, all wrapped up as our favorite pig in a blanket.

What lovely, nice, refreshing, cleansing bath would be complete without a post deuce dropping? None I tell you! The rule has been in our house that if you're holding Nick when the deuce is dropped, then you do the changing, with certain exceptions that can apply when approved by the mom. My dad tried to invoke some ancient "grandfather law" which states that "no grandfather has to change the diaper of any grandchild if said grandchild is in the vicinity of any able bodied relative capable of changing said diaper." Katy threw that right out the window within 24 hours of arrival. So here he is, in full diaper changing mode, and quite candid, I give you...Pappy!
(notice the diaper in hand)