Wedding Weekend

September 19 & 20, 2008

The big weekend finally arrived! My dad and his bride, Bonnie were married at a small, beautiful, and elegant ceremony at my aunt's home near Pasadena, CA. The wedding and reception were perfect. I am overwhelmed with joy for them. They are so happy and so in love. I know my dad is taking his role very seriously. I couldn't have dreamed of someone better for my dad than Bonnie! I have been so focused on my Dad and Bonnie I kind of forgot to think about the dynamics of our whole family changing. Bonnie has seven children (including spouses) and four grandchildren (8, 4, 2, and 5 months) We met four of her children and all of her grandchildren in California for the first time.

And the Best Man did not disappoint! He had three packages of Nemo gummy snacks while he stood beside my dad. But he did just that, he stood there by himself. He even picked up the ring bearer's pillow and gave it back to him when he dropped it.

In-N-Out milkshake

Dinner with the family

Getting ready for the ceremony

Poppa and Grandpa

Playing with Aunt Susan

September 21 & 22, 2008

My Aunt Susan took these of Will while they played during our visit.

First day of fall

Will is singing "Rain rain go away..."

"Here mom, you sing it!"

Funny!

Wm is great at dumping, pouring, and digging.

He takes it very seriously!

First Trip To The Beach

Monday September 22, 2008

After a full wedding weekend, we headed to Newport Beach for a little family time together. Wm had a runny nose and a little cough most of the weekend and didn't sleep all that well, so I wasn't surprised that he was exhausted and fell asleep as soon as we got in the car.

With blankie and Blue Puppy

Halfway through the trip, Will woke up coughing the cough. The barking seal one. He started to cry because he couldn't catch his breath. It was definitely a croupy cough. Each time he tried to take a breath he strained. I could tell he was scared. The last time this happened back in April, the nurses told us not to mess with this kind of cough. So, we decided we better get to a hospital asap. We pulled off at the closest exit to get our boy some help!

Waiting to see the doctor.

What a trooper!

After an hour of breathing treatment and a shot of steroids, wm seemed to be feeling a little better. The doctor said his lungs sounded ok and just to watch his breathing. We decided to go ahead and take him to the beach, thinking it might be soothing for him and the salt water in the air would help to clear his congestion. He absolutely loved the ocean and the sand! He ran right in to the water and had to be held back from swimming out to sea. I could tell he just wasn't feeling well, though. I cradled him as we sat and watched the waves and surfers for a while before heading out.

First time in the California sand!

Testing the water with Daddy

The weather was nice and the beach was quiet. What a beautiful family memory!

Nuh-uh!

Tuesday September 16, 2008

"Gluten is not just in food. If you are following a gluten free diet you should be aware that gluten is also in common items like adhesives on stickers, stamps and envelopes, some medicines and vitamins, Play-Doh..."

Seriously? No play-doh?

Allergies Shmallergies

Tuesday September 16, 2008

Got the results today from an allergy test WM's pediatrician ordered. Turns out he is allergic to peanuts and eggs. Yikes! The poor kid has been getting a peanut butter sandwich for lunch for at least the last four months. I will talk with the doctor tomorrow to discuss the results in detail but they have recommened no peanuts or eggs, of course, and the gfcf (gluten-free & casein-free) diet. The doctor thinks this may help with his speech development. (I saw tonight that our favorite chicken nuggets come in a gluten-free version at Whole Foods. Yay!) I've actually been doing a little research and I'm hoping a change in diet may help a whole lot of issues we've been dealing with.

More later.

Blueberry Picking

Sunday September 7, 2008

I took Will blueberry picking last month. It was the very last day of blueberry picking season at our local berry patch. We joined my friend Amanda with her son, Riley who is one day Will's junior.

I got a shot of nostalgia as we walked down the path and approached the overgrown bushes. I don't know if it was the smell in the air or the hot summer sun but it reminded me of spending time in the summer at my grandparents. Two of my favorite memories are riding horses with my Grandpa and blackberry picking with my cousins. So simple.

Watching Will pick blueberries off of the tree, play in a puddle of mud, and run around the patch made me just long for that child-like simplicity again. He's happy...with dirt...and blueberries. We left dirty, sweaty, and with half of a pound of blueberries to take home. Most of what we picked ended up on the ground or in Will's belly. I didn't care how much we took home. I just enjoyed being there with Will. Watching him experience these things is like seeing the world with fresh eyes. I'm trying to slow down and take in these moments. He's teaching me so much.

I want this image of Will forever.

This is life to me. This is adventure. This is what it's really about. This is what I want.

This is who I am.

Fast Forward-Rewind

Saturday September 6, 2008

If Will were 18 years old in 1978, this is what he might look like. Really...because when I don't straighten my hair and when Jesse grows his out, this hot mess is exactly what you get.