18 months

It was just 18 months ago today that my parents were blessed with the most precious gift they had ever received - ME! I came into this world on Father's Day and brought along with me a never ending diaper changing schedule, metal singer scream, sleep deprivation for my parents and the opportunity for them to experience the most radical, unconditional love. While some things have changed (my diaper output has slowed down and I did begin sleeping through the night at 4 months) the unconditional love has only continued to grow.

They are enamoured with my every milestone...you should see the videos of me walking, talking, etc. Oh wait, you probably HAVE seen these since I post my milestones on my blog. Anyway, they are my biggest fans and feel so lucky that I joined the family.

So, cheers to me hitting the 18 month mark! Mommy keeps wondering when we get to move from months to years - she says Math isn't her strongest subject!

Day 1

Today!

Remembering all we have to be thankful for

Thanksgiving has come and gone...I can hardly believe it! We were able to celebrate Turkey Day down in Orange County with Mommy's family and it was alot of fun, although we did have some sadness sprinkled in the mix. After years of battling Multiple Myeloma and countless treatments and procedures, we lost our wonderful Uncle Scott the day after Thanksgiving. He leaves behind his amazing wife Sheila (Mommy's Auntie), daughters Kristin and Jill, their respective husbands Ryan and Whit, his sons AJ, Patrick and Jeff, as well as the newest addition to our family, his first Grandson Charlie. His funeral was this past weekend and was such a beautiful memorial for him (or at least that is what Mommy tells me...I was running around outside with Daddy) It included all of his accomplishments as a family man, as well as in his work life, and all that he contributed to his community. We will miss you Uncle Scott, but promise to take great care of your loved ones that we still have here!

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we took some family photos with Mommy's friend Carrie at a local park. (You can visit Carrie's blog on the right side of the page - Carrie T. Photography - for a sneak peek of the photos!) All was going well and we were having a blast, until I slipped off the park bench and bit my lip REALLY hard. Daddy said this was probably just the first of many injuries I will have in my life and we did get to take our first field trip to the ER. Luckily, for everyone involved, I did not need stitches and Mommy can attest that I am healing very well. She is having a hard time getting the image of all that blood out of her mind, but I think she needs to toughen up a little bit. Daddy took some pictures of the wound, but I will spare you the gore!

Although we should remember the things we have to be thankful for all the year round, it's nice to stop and take a moment to reflect and appreciate our blessings this time of year. I am sooooo thankful for my wonderful parents and I think they are doing a great job. Mommy is thankful for our health, our family members (including those that we have reconnected with recently), that both Mommy and Daddy are employed and able to provide for our family, that we have a roof above our head and food on our table. But most importantly, she is thankful for Daddy and me...Duh, right. Have you seen how cute I am??

Here's hoping you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones and that this holiday season brings you much joy, laughter and love!

Peace out,
Finn

Chatty

I have begun to pick up more and more words recently with the help of Mommy & Daddy and below is a video from our vocab practice session last night.

"It's not a big deal"

So, Mommy's favorite phrase is "It's not a big deal, Finn" when I am annoyed, frustrated, fussy, etc. Basically, whenever I think something IS a big deal, she will bust out with this phrase. What she doesn't seem to understand is when she takes the keys, (or "buh bye"s as I adorably refer to them) away from me, that IS a big deal and I am going to throw a fit.

We also disagree on things she thinks are a big deal...like for instance, when the full bag of brand new clean diapers arrives, I think it is a great idea (but NOT a big deal) to remove them all and leave them on the floor in my room. Fun, right? She doesn't think so and I tend to hear phrases like "are those where the diapers go?" and "is this what your room is supposed to look like?" Duh lady, I am assuming it's NOT where the diapers go or how my room is supposed to look since you had to ask.

I must say that we both agreed that me falling off the bottom rung of the kitchen chair and landing flat on the back of my head this afternoon WAS a big deal. I proceeded to cry and screech loudly, with crocodile tears streaming down my face, and she proceeded to call the Doctor to make sure everything was ok. No need to worry, because I am fine and think it was just scary for everyone. It's pretty clear that I didn't learn my lesson though because I also proceeded to fall off the coffee table that my parents have strategically placed in front of the fireplace in attempts to deter me from playing in there.

Well, I should probably get going because there are plenty of NOT big deals for me to take care of before bedtime (including throwing and possibly eating cat food, standing on my toys, trying to pull the lamp down and chasing the cats!)

Peace,
Finn

Happy Halloween...a few days late! :)

Hello! We hope everyone had a great Halloween this year. I had a blast, although I am still a bit too little to understand the gloriousness that Halloween can be. Mommy and Daddy chose our costumes this year (we were The Incredibles) and had a blast celebrating at TWO parties. My friends Frances and Samuel had a really fun Halloween party with games, prizes, food, etc. My favorite thing was splashing in the kiddie pool and drenching myself with water. Thank goodness it was 5,000 degrees outside in the end of October in beautiful Santa Barbara! :)

Next, we headed over to my friends Tyler and Austin's house for an evening event...I found my new, most favorite thing (Do I sound like Oprah???) - the sandbox! My parents also realized that I am not the best sharer and decided I need to have more playdates. Jackson (the Dinosaur) and I seem to be playing well together by the looks of the picture below, but don't think I didn't freak out if he took a toy I wanted to play with. Cheers to tantrums and I can't wait until I learn the word "mine"...I have recently perfected the word "no", to Mommy and Daddy's dismay, but I can round it out with a sweet "Ah yah yah" which means "I love you" and that seems to change their tune.

And we're off again...

We just returned from a fabulous trip up to Red Bluff to surprise Papa Mike for his upcoming 75th birthday. It was a great time enjoyed by all and I was able to see my Aunties and Cousin Dylan. The trip went by really fast though and before we knew it, we were boarding the tiny plane back to Santa Barbara. I do need to make note that Mom tried to "gate check" me before we boarded on the little plane to Chico...she almost handed me off to the airport worker waiting before we boarded! I was a pretty good boy on the flight as long as I had snacks and I thoroughly enjoyed turning the lights on and off, opening and closing the window shade and eating cheerios. The photos aren't downloaded yet so we will update as soon as we can.

This weekend, we are heading down to Orange County again because Mommy is in Angela and Matt's wedding! I get to hang out with Auntie Erin, Uncle Jason and Cousin Amber while my parents get to celebrate at the wedding...this scenario works best for everyone involved! We should have pictures to post once we return as well so until then, have a great weekend!!!

Peace,
Finn

Happy Anniversary

It is hard to imagine, but my parents DID have a life without me before I was even a twinkle in their very eyes. 10 years ago, Mommy had a great idea to put on a benefit show at UCSB to raise money and awareness for breast cancer in honor of HER Mommy. With the fundraising, sign-making, shirt creating and idea partaking help of her amazing girlfriends/roommates (April, Brandy, Damien, Devon, Jennifer, Sarah and Tammy to be exact!), the R.A.I.N.S. organization was founded on the campus of UCSB. Standing for "Raising Awareness In the Name of Sharon", they worked tirelessly to obtain funding from the University to offset the cost of throwing a benefit show, recruiting bands to play the event, advertising for the show, looking for sponsors for raffle prizes, etc. Little did any of them know that they were actually setting the stage for my parents to meet and end up together.

My Dad plays the guitar, as many of you are aware, and was in a band called Pressure 4-5 during this same time. It was suggested to Mommy that she get his band to play the benefit show and Pressure ended up offering to play for free! Prior to the actual show, Mommy went to see Daddy's band play and was a little concerned at the rowdiness of the crowds they drew, but they seemed to make an impact on each other (I think Mommy told her girlfriends that she had a new "boyfriend"...that was code in their girl language.)

Anyway, the benefit show was a success and since this was in the days before digital photos, we don't have any to post. The event raised money for breast cancer awareness, Mommy found a way to honor Sharon's memory, AND Daddy ended up asking Mommy to come to a battle of the bands show that weekend. They still laugh that when asked what they were talking about that evening, Daddy said "We are getting married" and Mommy said "You have to be engaged first"...so they were technically engaged to be married from the get go.

Fast forward to October 14, 2006...Mommy and Daddy took their vows in front of their family and friends in a beautiful ceremony and have cherished every day since. Happy Anniversary to my parents and I wish them many, many, many more to come!

Palm Springs

This past weekend, Mommy went down to Palm Springs with her girlfriends to celebrate Angela's upcoming wedding. While she was busy doing this:

Daddy and I were home eating healthy food and learning new words as evidenced below:

Yes, I am sporting a forearm tattoo, but don't be concerned that Daddy let me do this since Mommy was gone. SHE was the culprit and gave it to me last weekend. I wasn't stoked to have this "procedure" done...she had to hold my arm for 25 seconds with a wet washcloth to get it to stick.

Hanging out

With the swine flu running rampant throughout the US, Mom doesn't allow me to play with other kids. So, here is a shot of me hanging out with my best buds - Leo and Ellie. These two were gifted to me even before I was in the real world. Pretty cool. I particularly enjoy eating Leo's mane and cuddling with Ellie...maybe that is why I don't have any real friends?

DISCLAIMER: Hi all, it's me Courtney. For the record, Finn DOES have real friends and IS allowed to hang out with them. My child can be so dramatic sometimes...not sure where he gets it from! :)

Here Comes The Bride...

Last weekend was Jennifer and Alec's wedding and it was beautiful! I don't have alot of experience with weddings (this literally was my first one), but I had a very important job as ring bearer. Mommy wouldn't let me carry the actual rings down the aisle because she said she couldn't afford to replace them if I decided to throw them or swallow them. The beautiful Church (don't have alot of experience with these either, ahem heathen parents) had a long aisle and I made it down all the way, with only one almost stop in a pew with a random old lady. She seemed very nice and is pictured here - you can see me checking her out...

After the ceremony ended, my babysitter Colleen came to pick me up so my parents could have a date and below are pictures from the rest of the night...their evening consisted of eating delicious food, dancing, hanging out with great friends and spending some much needed time together. My evening consisted of running around, going up and down the stairs, chasing Colleen's doggies, clapping, eating dinner, and sleeping. It was a great night for everyone!

From the rehearsal and after party (Daddy and I went home after dinner so Mommy got to hang with her girl friends!)

Mommy and Daddy at the reception

The Father/Daughter Dance...Jennifer looked so pretty!

Jennifer and Mommy dancing away!

And the cutting of the cake!

Now the two lovebirds are on their honeymoon...I don't really know what that means, but everytime Mom hears the word she smiles and talks about some place with a weird name...Zihuatanejo. Congratulations to Jen and Alec - we love you!

Mommy and Me

Last weekend, Mommy and I drove down to Orange County for a fun weekend. Friday, we went to Disneyland AGAIN and this time Auntie Erin and Amber joined in the fun. I did NOT take an afternoon nap, but I did crash in the stroller at the end of the evening...not surprising after a day filled with the Play Parade, Dumbo, It's a Small World,


meeting Mickey Mouse, Heimlich's Chew Chew train, the carousel, the spinning Ladybug ride (no, that's not the name of it, but Mommy and I can't remember it right now) and one big kid ride called the Zephyr. I got to sit on the bench with my very own seatbelt on this one and Mommy thought I looked so grown up (and was sort of bummed she didn't think to bring the camera on the ride with us.) I really enjoyed meeting Mickey Mouse and smacked him square on the nose upon introduction. Mommy thought it was hilarious; Mickey and his handlers did not think it was as humorous.

Daddy didn't join us on the trip down because he had to pull Single Daddy duty for TWO weekends in a row. We gave him a little bit of a break and he was REALLY excited to see us on Sunday. Mommy and Daddy have come to realize that even though I am ALOT of work and have ALOT of energy, it is just not the same being away from me. Even when I am getting new teeth in and am a bit grouchy (hypothetically speaking, of course...not like they are suffering, er dealing, with this right now as I type.)

We get to see my Doctor tomorrow and I am very excited. He is a very nice guy AND Mommy & Daddy decided to skip my shots this visit so as to not risk any adverse side effects - whoo hoo! I need to be in tiptop shape for this weekend when I debut my ring bearering skills in Jen and Alec's wedding. I am sure we will have lots of pictures from the big day and will post them soon.

And, here are some photos from today...I thoroughly enjoy my bathtub unless I need to have an actual bath in it. At what point are my parents going to transition me to the real bathtub you ask?? It remains a mystery!

Peace,

Finn

Pick your seat

Geez, I am on a roll today...here is another post that I wanted to share since I have a second. Mommy and I had to run a quick errand at Macy's the other day, but once we were parked in a nice shady spot (it has seriously been hotter than Hades here lately...I don't even really know what that phrase means and I probably sound like a 95-year old lady by saying it, but you get the drift) Mommy realized the stroller was not in the back of her car. With quite a dilemma on her hands, Mommy decided to face the challenge head on and carry me into the store to shop.

On the way in she also realized that she had to go to the restroom...now this was going to get tricky. Mind you, she talks to me all the time and I pretend like I don't understand what she is saying because I don't want to be the next Doogie Howser, so I knew that she was concerned about having an unrestrained, walking toddler in the cesspool of germs also known as a public restroom. With Mother Nature sending her not so subtle reminders, we braved it and I could feel Mommy's heartbeat racing...only to come to find there was a special seat attached to the wall in the handicap stall for this very type of scenario!!! I was strapped in with lightening speed and Mommy was able to get her business done, as well as snap a photo of this amazing device/NASA Spaceshuttle launch babyseat.

Where to start...

First of all, Mommy wants me to apologize for not keeping up with this blog. We have been so busy having fun that the last thing I want to do is sit in front of the computer all day. But, she keeps reminding me that I shouldn't shirk my blogging responsibilities so here goes and I have to provide the disclaimer that this will be a long recap!:


The first weekend in August my parents surprised me with a trip to Papa Danny's house so we could go to Disneyland! The surprise turned out to be on them because I woke up on the WRONG side of the crib and was a grouchy monster for oh let's say the MAJORITY of our visit to the happiest place on earth. The grouchiness was partially due to a new tooth making it's appearance and partially due to the fact that I am now a super, duper walking machine and can't be slowed down by a silly stroller.
We did watch a parade in California Adventures and the entire Barry family enjoyed this...I liked the music and the bright colors and my parents enjoyed the fact that our seats were smack dab in the middle of the wine country area of the park! We are heading back down this weekend and EVERYONE keep your fingers crossed that I am a happy toddler for this trip. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion that my parents are planning to leave me with Papa Danny so they can go to the park themselves on Sunday night for what they are referring to as "date night"...we'll see if I am ok with that.

The next weekend we had a really fun time with my friends Frances, Samuel and Jackson. All the Mommies got together a few months ago and came up with the idea to have the Daddies get together in Santa Barbara as part of their Father's Day celebration! The Daddies (also known as Chris and Pete) have been friends with my own Daddy forever and they are alot of fun. We went to Shoreline Cafe for happy hour on Friday, the Daddies went on a beer tasting tour (and I am pretty sure they didn't just "taste" on said tour) and we all had dinner at Chris and Sylvie's beautiful home, then Sunday we celebrated Samuel's 2nd birthday. It was a great weekend and I am so glad I got to meet my new friend Jackson and his super cool parents.

The Daddies with the their kiddos!

I think Jackson is telling me talk to the hand...oh no he di'int.


Me and Frances...I.Love.Her...can you tell?

The next generation...plotting something that will surely get us into trouble.

Here are "The Daddies" (my own, Chris and Pete) midway through the beer tasting. Mighty large "tasters" they have in front of them, wouldn't you say??

Fast forward to the NEXT weekend...this was a bit of a milestone for the Barry clan because Mommy left me and Daddy on Thursday and didn't come back until Sunday! Jennifer was celebrating her bachelorette party down in Palm Springs and Mommy, Jen and Tammy all drove down on Thursday night. This meant it was "Ladies Night" down in PS and "Barry Boy Weekend" up here! Barry Boy Weekend = listening to Motley Crue, going to the park, helping Daddy Finn-proof our condo, and some real bonding time. Mommy says she missed us, but I really think she had a good time! Below are some photos to prove it...

Pool party with Dames, Jen and Sarah

Pre-party with almost all the girls on night one!


One can only imagine what was said to cause this reaction!



And finally, last weekend was Papa Danny's birthday celebration/Barry Boy Weekend part two. Mommy went down to help Aunt Sheila and Uncle Scott at their house in Temecula and thought it was probably better for everyone involved if I stayed home. And, since we are heading down to Orange County this weekend she thought Daddy might want to skip the drive down and back for the weekend so he and I stayed here again (basically a repeat of the weekend before!) Mommy did get to celebrate Papa Danny's birthday at one of his favorite restaurants, the Hibachi Steakhouse and below are some photos for you to enjoy. Papa Danny's real gift will come this weekend when he gets to see me...Mommy says spending time making memories is the best gift of all, especially because we are on a budget. While down visiting the OC, Mommy also got to see almost all her friends from home on Sunday for Anna's baby shower. Baby Quentin was there and Mommy got her baby fix of holding him, but it didn't make her want another one of those anytime soon...good, that means I get my parents ALL to myself for longer!

Auntie Erin, Papa Danny and Mommy...I wonder if Mommy got that shirt on sale because one of the shoulders is missing??


My cute cousin Amber and Auntie Erin!

Well, thanks for catching up with us and I will try hard not let as much time lapse between posts again. Hope everyone is well and we still have alot of fun upcoming events so stay tuned!

Peace,

Finn

Butterflies Alive!

Hi Guys!

This past Sunday, Mommy and Daddy took me to the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum. It was Mommy's idea, but I don't think she was very excited once we got there. Daddy loved the big whale bones, giant squid replica and glass container filled with thousands of bugs. Mommy...um, not so much. But, she did love the Butterflies exhibit. Each year, from about May until September, the Museum houses more than 1,000 butterflies in an enclosed garden. They will literally fly right up to you and you have to check yourself in a mirror before you can leave to make sure you aren't taking any rogue butterflies home. It was really beautiful, although I got bored kind of quickly and found that banging my head into Daddy's chin/tooth was WAY more fun...for me, that is, not for him necessarily.

And, we had a visit from Auntie Erin on Friday and I LOVED seeing her. It was probably a toss up between who was more excited to have her visit - me or Mommy! Mommy says she now understands why her Mommy (my Grandma Sharon, who lives in Heaven) could talk to her sisters (Auntie Sheila and Auntie Cindy) on the phone for hours on end or why she would cry when they took Auntie Cindy to the airport to go back to Indiana. Sounds like a bunch of crybabies to me, but what do I know...I still think blowing raspberries is hilarious enjoyment.

This weekend my parents decided we are going to leave town to go down to Orange County and visit Mommy's favorite place - Disneyland!! Their plan is to visit the park during the day, let me run around to get me all tuckered out, then to let Papa Danny watch me in the evening so they can go BACK to the park and go on big kid rides. I think by big kid rides, they mean the wine-tasting section in California Adventures, but I don't judge.

Oh yeah, Mom wants me to tell you all about my development...not sure why you wouldn't think I am uber-smart since I can type and provide recounts of our weekends. But, here goes:

My favorite words are: Mama, Dada, Baba, Babana (or bah nana), Burble (purple), Ca (cat), Ahhh Duh (all done), Bah Buy (bye bye) and Papa (new today and Papa Danny actually got to hear me say it on the phone!) I love to wave hello and goodbye, clap my hands, give the fist and am very friendly to everyone I meet. I even got Joanna Kerns to smile at me at Nordstroms a few weeks ago...Love Mrs. Seaver! :)

More later -

Finn

Wedding Season Has Arrived!

Boy do I have a case of the Mondays and I am not even a part of the working world yet! This weekend was alot of fun and we were sad to see it pass so quickly. Mommy and I went on a lunch date with Auntie April to the Palace Grill...I was a good boy and didn't make too much of a fuss. I did try to steal Errol's watch, but he loves Mommy so much that is was ok. We then went to the Vans store and I got some rad, yet stupidly expensive, new shoes and I love them. Later we visited Daddy at work (where I showed off all my tricks...anytime you need to know where either my belly or my head are, I am your guy!) and then onto The Brewhouse for happy hour (the lovely lady I am sitting with is our Bride, Jennifer!) Daddy got to join us later and I even napped in my stroller for a little bit because I am just that cool.

Saturday, Mommy and the girls threw Jennifer a bridal shower. I was not invited because I am a boy and from the looks of it I think that is ok. They played games, ate girlie food, drank mimosas and ooh'd and aah'd about the unmentionables that Jen received. I would NOT have enjoyed myself! :) But, Jennifer had a great time and that is all that matters. Mommy has been friends with the lovely ladies below (missing one...Devon was at a family reunion and couldn't be there) for 13 years!!!

Sunday, we went to the beach and it was great. I only ate sand once, although I did manage to get a few sticks in my mouth before Daddy got them out of there. We had a dinner date at The Habit with Tammy & Aaron and I was a really good boy. And, I actually slept in until almost 7am this morning!! Mommy and Daddy would LOVE if I would do this on the weekends, but I like to be up bright and early on the weekends...especially on the mornings AFTER happy hour. It was a mad dash in the Barry house this morning to get everyone ready, but we managed to get it all done! This weekend we are looking forward to Auntie Erin coming for a visit...yay!!