We're back!

Well, we have had an interesting past two weeks to say the least and are having a great time with our new addition! Tate Oliver Barry was scheduled to arrive on Monday, November 29th via planned c-section, but our little friend had another idea. Luckily we had picked up Papa Danny from the train station on Saturday morning and got him quickly up to speed on Finn's schedule because I went into labor that evening. Something seemed different about the contractions I was having from the previous Braxton Hicks I had experienced throughout most of my second and third trimester. After placing a call to the on-call OB/GYN to get some guidance if we should head to the hospital or not and noticing an increase in the intensity and how quickly the contractions were coming, we decided to take a ride over to see if I was really in labor. I will spare you the gory details, but it was determined that I WAS in labor and we would be having this baby in 20 minutes from the time the nurse got in touch with the on-call Doctor.

Tate was born at 1:36am on Sunday, November 28th which turned out to be a great birthday present for his Daddy! Papa Danny took great care of Finn while we were in the hospital and we were discharged to come home on Wednesday. Our nursing staff was amazing and we received wonderful care while we were there, but I was anxious to get home. Plus, if one more person came into my room to take my vitals or push on my belly, I was going to lose my mind!

Finn has been a great big brother and really likes Tate so far. He wants to "see Baby Tate" and lie down next to him. Pretty cute! My sister was here for a few days last week and we had so much fun...we were able to get some Christmas shopping done and just spend some quality time together. I love that we can just hang out on the couch and crack up together. I am so lucky to have my sister!

We are all looking forward to the holidays and are in full celebration mode with our Christmas tree up and listening to Christmas music every chance we get. We have yet to make Christmas cookies like I keep promising Finn, even though he continues to tell us "I like cooookies" every chance he gets. I think that is his way to remind me of my promise to him!

Hope everyone is doing well and we will all try to keep this a bit more up-to-date. Tate may even become a contributor, when he isn't busy eating, pooping and sleeping!

The Final Countdown

Feel free to cue the old song by that hair band, Europe. I have officially started the countdown for the arrival of our new addition. I have 10 more sleeps until we head to the hospital and I can hardly believe the time has come. The nerves are kicking in and I am anxious for the surgery, but cannot wait to meet this little person that has been "cooking" in here for so long. One of my closest friends up here had her baby this morning and I went to visit them at the hospital this afternoon. I was overwhelmed with the sheer adrenaline and pure love that filled the room and can't wait for us to get to experience that again. Baby Cailyn was born at 5:56am this morning and she is gorgeous. She also has a full head of hair and since Tammy and I both suffered from heartburn throughout our pregnancies together (which according to the old wives tale means a "hairy baby"), I am sure I am giving birth to Chewbacca.

Thankful in a backhanded sort of way...

So, I am walking into the break room at work to have one of the few vices I am allowing myself during this pregnany (caffeine in the form of jasmine green tea from Trader Joe's!) and the tea packet slips from my fingers onto the floor. Now, I could see how if you are reading this you are thinking "big deal", but to a 9-month pregnant gal who hasn't been able to see her feet looking straight down in months, this is a problem. I am watching the packet of glorious tea sail to the floor in what feels like slow motion - the same tea that is meant to help get me through the day that started at 5:45am when Finn woke up our household. With a hand on the door for stability and a grunt for sheer motivation, I bend over to pick up my tea packet only to stand up face-to-face with a co-worker who had proceeded to watch the entire thing shake down without offering any type of assistance to me whatsoever. Honestly.

Now, anyone who knows me can vouch that I am sensitive and get my feelings hurt probably easier than others. Perhaps OVERLY sensitive could be used as a descriptor and adding pregnancy hormones to this mix does not help anything, but I am officially OVER selfish people. This unfortunately clueless man has no idea that his actions, or lack there of, have set me off on a tangent of rehashing all the things people have done recently that have disappointed me or hurt my feelings. But, in writing all this down it has allowed me to vent and get it off my chest. Especially since I know that people will continue to be selfish and self-serving and I can only be responsible for how I let it affect me or react to it.

So, I am thankful to those who have reached out to me during this pregnancy to send congrats, check in periodically to see how I am feeling, offer advice or funny anecdotes to get me through difficult days, post on this page, or just let me know that they are thinking about me and my growing family. My plan is to take note of those who have shown this type of kindness to me and make sure to pay it forward AND continue to show my gratitude. In addition, I will look inwardly to make sure I am not being selfish and will strive to reach out to those in need...you never know when someone just needs to know you are thinking about them or care how they are doing. And, if a pregnant woman ever drops ANYTHING in front of me when I am no longer with child, you can bet I am going to do my best to get it for her.

Hugs!

Today, I am thankful for the multiple hugs that Finn decided to shower me with this morning. Hugs from him usually have to be requested multiple times and he will begrudgingly oblige for the most part. But, I received two hugs this morning on the couch, one "run and jump into my arms" hug and one leg hug while I was putting my shoes on in preparation to leave for work. Made a blah Wednesday that much brighter for this Mommy!

Weekend Update from Massive Headwound Harry

Ok, so it's not THAT bad, but Mommy wanted me to document the weekend's excitement of injuries. Now, I am going to start this off by saying I am a climber. If there is something for me to climb on, I will be on it ASAP. Numerous times a day my parents tell me "Finn, don't run on the couch" or "Finn get down, we aren't supposed to jump from the couch to the table" or "Finn, it's not ok to stand on the armrest of the couch" or my personal fave to do "Finn, do NOT jump from the armrest, run on the couch and jump onto the table." These two are really stifling my gymnastics career.

Anyway, I was completely OVER dinner on Saturday night and left my parents at the table so I could slyly pull off one of these many maneuvers before getting in trouble. I was having a blast jumping off the couch and landing on the table, when I misjudged the distance and face planted onto the coffee table. My right eye now looks like Rocky Balboa's and Mommy is afraid school is going to call CPS on her when she arrives to pick me up today.

Fast forward to Sunday morning. My parents were pretending they couldn't hear me when I woke up yesterday, even though I was sending them clear messages like "I GET UP DADDY!" Deciding to take matters into my own hands, I climbed out of my crib and toppled to the floor landing on my head. Yes, that was the second time that region of my body had been compromised in a span of 12 hours. Mommy and Daddy hope that this isn't turning into a pattern, although I did stay in my crib after naptime yesterday and when I woke up this morning, using the requisite "I'm Ready!" that Mommy made me promise to say instead of scaling my crib to freedom. Finally, last night I was playing under the table and stood up without moving far enough away and hit my head for the third and last time this weekend. Perhaps the next time you come see us at our house I will be wearing protective gear like a helmet???

Gratitude

I have a few friends who are taking this time in November to memorialize something in their life that they are thankful for each day. I LOVE the idea, but am tired at just the thought of doing it each day this month, so I thought I would jot some things down now.

My Mark - I am so lucky to have such a cool, smart, funny individual that wanted to spend his life with me. He is a great example of the type of person I would like to be and who I hope our children will model themselves after. His feathers don't get ruffled easily and he is super patient. Sometimes, these two characteristics madden me when I want him to react like a lunatic about something (ahem, like how I am reacting perhaps) and always appreciate it after the fact when he didn't. I appreciate all the additional work he has had on his plate recently to get ready for this new baby, not to mention helping take care of Finn AND me while I am swollen, grouchy, and rotund.

My Finn - Terrible two's have hit the Barry household like a whiny, crying, stubborn tornado. And yet, I am still ridiculously thankful for our little boy. His language and comprehension skills amaze me every single day (for example, he made me laugh on purpose yesterday while we were driving home and then had to announce "I'm funny!") and I sometimes just find myself staring at him in amazement and disbelief that I can take 1/2 the credit for creating him. There are definitely times when he tries my extremely limited amount of patience, but each morning I can't wait to see that little face and hang out with him once again.

My Family - There are too many people to list everyone by name here, but I am soooo thankful for my family, both immediate and extended members. I am especially grateful for my Dad's upcoming visit to watch Finn for us while we are having this new baby and adore the relationship that they have, even though we are far away. And I am extremely grateful and looking forward to my sister's visit as well (not to mention her previous weeklong stay with us when Finn was born.) I laughed quite hard during that week, which is not an easy feat with a c-section incision, and will always be so thankful for her coming to stay with us while she left her own family behind for the week. My Dad is the epitomy of selflessness and he definitely passed that onto my sister. And, what did I get from him??? - His nose! :)

The one thing I wish for is that my Mom would have been able to meet my two incredible boys that I have in my life, as well as the new baby that will be joining us in the end of the month. I know she would have loved Mark and would not have been able to get enough of Finn (and her adorable Granddaughter Amber too!) For that I am sad and probably always will be, but the silver lining is that I got to have her for as long as I did and I know that I have witnessed her personality shine through on occasion in Finn.

I am looking forward to this season of giving Thanks and hope to be able to appropriately show my gratitude for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me. These, of course, are not the only things I am grateful for and will hopefully be able to post more soon.

~ Courtney

Our Little Fanly

Mommy keeps talking about how our family is going to increase at the end of this month. She asks me all the time who our family is and I tell her "Mommy, Daddy and Finn...our Fanly"! Sometimes I will add Papa Danny to that or Nuna and sometimes our friend Tammy gets included too! Please note that I don't include the baby in this equation yet. My parents think it's still a little too early for me to understand that this thing wiggling around in Mommy's belly is actually going to be a baby that lives at our house and joins our "Fanly". Can't say I love the idea.

Yesterday was Halloween and although I have been stoked to be Buzz Buzz the Bumblebee ever since Mommy ordered my costume, I REFUSED to wear it. Would.Not.Look.At.It. That's the type of refusal I am talking about. Nobody is sure why I didn't want to wear it (and I sure am not talking about it), but Mommy and Daddy went with the bee theme and I would only wear my pajamas to the Halloween party at my friend Tyler and Austin's house. Mommy did say that Grandma Sharon was having a ball laughing at that scenario! We didn't get one family shot on our camera, but think Tyler and Austin's Mommy might have, so hopefully we can post photos soon.


We will be welcoming the new baby on November 29th, as long as s/he doesn't come early and Mommy is getting a teensy bit nervous about the whole thing. She has already had some contractions, but no real labor yet, and says that anyone who says you forget what labor and recovery is like is a big, fat liar. I am SOOOOOO excited that Papa Danny is going to come up and stay with me for a week while Mommy is in the hospital and he is going to get to see my "new house", my "new school" and bring me to the hospital to meet my new brother or sister! Nuna is going to come the week after for a few days to help and then Mommy said she doesn't want to think about how sad she is going to be once her "fanly" leaves. Sheesh, what a baby! :)


These are Mommy's last two weeks of work before she takes some time off for the baby. In actuality, it is 9 1/2 more days or 76 more hours or 4,560 more minutes, but really whose counting?


Thanks for checking in and hopefully we will have more posts before the new baby arrives!!!

Last vacation...

Well, the last vacation until the baby is born I should say. I am hoping my parents will take me and my sibling(s) on more vacations when we get older. And, I write sibling(s) because not sure if Mommy will be having any more babies anytime soon. She is officially OVER being pregnant already, according to her, and can't wait to meet this new little person. Disclaimer - Mommy wants me to point out that she can wait until Baby Dos is fully cooked though as she is only 30 weeks along!

Anyway, sorry for the digression. Last weekend we went down to Newport Beach to spend some time with Nuna, Uncle Jason and Amber. It was sooooo much fun and Mommy & Daddy want to rent a beach house next summer! The location was great because it was right on the sand and we didn't have anyone peering in our windows like they do closer to the boardwalk or on Balboa Island. Don't think WE weren't peering in people's windows when we walked to lunch by the Newport Pier or when we visited Balboa Island with Aunt Lala though!

The weather was great and would warm up in the afternoon. We could watch the surfers from the comfort of the couches in the living room and listen to the waves crashing on the shore. It was rad! Nuna's birthday was earlier in the week so we celebrated with dinner, presents and cake. I LOVE happy birthday cake, as I call it, and although there weren't any "handles" (aka candles) it was still delicious. Auntie Lala brings the best treats always!!!

It was sad to say goodbye to the Flemings and their awesome beach house. We got some shots from our trip down there though and can't wait until we can see them again!

Cousin Amber and I preparing for some death-defying acrobats.

Uncle Jason and Amber!

Hmmm, do you think they know I have a donut hole in my mouth??

Vacation is over...I don't want to talk about it! :(

New House!

We have been in our new house for one week and are loving it!! The space, the rooms, the backyard, oh my! Mommy and Daddy haven't lived in a house up here in Santa Barbara for a very long time and have never lived in one that has a garage, so they are super stoked.


Other than unpacking and trying to get settled, we have been pretty boring recently. We will be visiting the Flemings at their beach house this weekend though and are looking forward to relaxing by the ocean and celebrating Nuna's birthday!!! Nuna is Auntie Erin and nobody knows where I came up with Nuna for Erin. I have been calling her that since I started talking though and it just stuck! I love my Nuna...she came to stay with Mommy and Daddy for a whole week when I was first home from the hospital and I swear I have such a close bond with her because of that time. Not to mention that she is really kind and loves me like I am her own!



We have one more trip down to LA to visit Mommy's friends and their kiddos in September and then we are staying put until the new baby arrives. I keep telling Mommy and Daddy that it is a "baby sister" and that I want to name the baby "Rocka Baby", but not sure if they love that idea. Mommy keeps asking if I want to feel the baby move, but I am usually too busy. Mommy says the baby is moving alot and swears she saw an elbow poking out today. GROSS!

I've got the fever

Great news - we received news the middle of last week confirming we have been approved for the rental house we had an application on!! Mommy and Daddy are SO excited! We will have more room, storage, a backyard, garage, etc. Yay!! Neither one is looking forward to moving AGAIN (especially not Daddy since he did it almost completely on his own, although he did have help from Geoff and Joe - thank you so much guys!) But, we have been living out of boxes for the majority of our time in the apartment so the packing shouldn't be as big of a bear this time. Plus, we are hiring movers and will probably never move ourselves again!!

With the move coming up and having to cancel our Palm Springs weekend because of the timing of our move in date, we went down for a spontaneous trip to Orange County to relax a bit for the weekend. Nobody told my immune system about this trip because I woke up with a fever on Saturday morning. We still decided to hit the Disneyland park for a few hours though since we have those summer passes, but after a few rides and witnessing the awesomeness that is the Jedi Training show, I was practically begging to go back to Papa's house. Mommy said "we are leaving Disneyland to go back to Dangerland" since Papa's house, as I am sure I have mentioned in previous posts, is not super child-friendly. Daddy was stung by a bee last time we were down and there are "owies" all over the place, the term my parents and Papa have dubbed for all the dangerous, spiky and scary cactus that he has in his garden. Not to mention the gate-less pool or the spiky, glass coffee table, that we have nicknamed "The Widowmaker"!

"Let me out to Dangerland!!!!"

Anyway, my temperature went up and down all day and into the night, so we didn't do too much. I did wake up bright and early on Sunday morning - we're talking 4am people - but my fever has since pretty much broke. We did get to enjoy lunch with Papa, Auntie Lala & Jeff, Auntie Nuna, Uncle Jason and Amber, and Rick and Pam. I enjoyed NOT eating lunch and not wanting to sit in my highchair, but preferred cruising the front of the restaurant with Papa and cuddling on Daddy's lap. We will be back down for a visit the last weekend in August and are looking forward to it. I will let my immune system know ahead of time so we hopefully don't have another episode!

Papa with his grandkids!

Mommy with cousin Amber!!

LOVE my cousin Amber!!

Jail or Knuckle Sandwich

Mommy is MAKING me clarify a few things, in case you are ever hanging out with me and I use either of the above terms. First, Mommy or Daddy (nobody can remember who started it) said I was in "jail" when I was stuck in between their legs standing in front of them sitting on the couch. Jail, in the Barry household, consists of being stuck here and either getting tickled or kissed/hugged. Not like the typical description of jail, at least not from what my parents have seen on Locked Up Abroad or the like.

Second, Mommy sometimes will ask me if I want a knuckle sandwich. I usually reply with "YEAH!" because this means she is going to tickle the side of my face with her knuckles. At no point does she use force or brass knuckles.

Just want to clarify so CPS is never called on my parents!

See, don't I look happy and well adjusted??

Disneyland!

So, Mommy talked Daddy into buying the Disneyland Summer tickets and we decided to make a trip down a couple of weekends ago. It was great timing because it wasn't uncomfortably hot (not that I care, but thinking of Mommy in her prego state) or incredibly crowded (this was for everyone else's sake since my Mommy does NOT have alot of patience for the ignorant masses - even worse when she is expecting.) We had a great time and are looking forward to our next trip down!




We have been trying to find a bigger house in the area because we need more room than the teeny, tiny apartment we are living in currently (Mommy is requesting you all send us good thoughts please!) With this new baby that Mommy and Daddy keep telling me about, I guess we will need more space. Not sure how I feel about this new addition coming in to our family, although I did tell my parents that I was going to "hit the baby" the other day. Neither of them was really stoked, but I didn't mean it. Come on!


One of my new favorite things to do is to have a 'dance party' with Mommy and Daddy. I particularly like "Hot Dog" that plays at the end of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but my dancing partners can only take so much of that tune. They try to mix it up with some other jams, including songs by some guys named Prince and Justin Timberlake...I GUESS they are ok!

Ballerina or Karate Kid??

We've had visual baby movement! Last night, Mark and I were watching TV and I had a feeling we were going to get some movement...I was right and we both got to see the baby kick for the first time! Every time we have had an ultrasound, the baby has been moving like a maniac, so I am sure I am in store for some crazy acrobatics for the next few months. And, I have to admit that there have been times when I have literally forgotten I am pregnant and marvel at how different the second pregnancy can be. But, to see that little being moving and know s/he is growing in there as planned, is no less exciting or miraculous than it was with Finn.

We don't know if we are welcoming a boy or a girl to our family, but it is clear that our newest addition is going to be active. Just thinking of adding another bundle of energy to our family makes me even more tired than I already am, which by the way, is SUPER tired this time around. With Finn I had bundles of energy in my second trimester, but this time I just feel like I could nap all day and dream of M&Ms....mmmmm! :)

Summer Fun

Well, the Barry Family have been busy little bees, which means not spending alot of time on the computer apparently! Since my last post in May we have - announced we are adding another baby to our family, visited the Flemings in San Clemente so Mommy and Daddy could go to Shannon & Jason's wedding in Del Mar, had a birthday party for ME and welcomed the Flemings to Santa Barbara for a FUN visit, survived the stomach flu (well, only Mommy had this one), ear infections and head colds, and visited the OC to see our family down there.

While Mommy and I were visiting OC, Daddy flew up north to see his family for a visit and it was the longest I have been away from him. Mommy kept me SUPER busy by going to my new favorite place, Target (it was bound to happen since that Target-Lover is my Mom!) and to three different parties over the weekend. I LOVE parties and was sort of annoyed that Mommy had to go back to work today instead of taking me to a party. I have some photos below for your viewing pleasure.

Here are some of the things that I have been working on recently: Counting to 14 and skipping 5, 6, 12 and 13 altogether, singing lots of songs and my favorites are "Itsy, Bitsy Fiber", "Old MacDonald", "Tinkle Staws" and "Happy Day" which is my rendition of Happy Birthday, and not listening to my parents when they want me to stop doing something fun because it's "dangerous". Such worry warts, those two. I also LOVE to paint and have come home with some very cool pieces of artwork for my ever-growing gallery. We need to move out of this tiny apartment so we can have space to hang my masterpieces!

With my Auntie Lala - I LOVE her and she is soooo funny!!


They unleashed the beast into the backyard - FREEDOM!

Cruising with Papa Danny, my escort around the pool


My cousin and buddy, Amber!

Cousin Luke...he taught me how fun those tubes can be when you stand up in them and I stole all the quesadillas he didn't want to eat off his plate =we're a good team!!

"I need that"

Mommy didn't realize that when I was younger she would say to me "I need that" when I had something in my hand that I shouldn't have (think, anything small that I could slip quickly into my mouth and could potentially slide down my throat causing her to have to fumble with the heimlich maneuver in a panic.) I have since adopted this phrase and it makes Mommy and Daddy crack up everytime. Today, I announced "I need that" while Mommy was putting on her chapstick and I have been known to state "I need crackers" at times when I CLEARLY don't need crackers. Mommy is just glad she taught me I need that instead of I want that...oh, just wait lady.

Sorry for being such a bad updater on our website. Most of you know that we moved recently and are still in a state of chaos at the new place. Mommy and Daddy keep telling me it is just temporary while we search for a bigger home, but I think Mommy secretly likes it. Not forever, she assures me, but she LOVES the walk-in closet and the brand new, clean bathroom. She did liken it to a hotel though, without the housekeeping service, and I have witnessed a few episodes where her frustration got the best of her due to the chaos...I don't really know what it means, but she has said "of course I can't find the lid to the steamer when I need to steam some carrots. Why should anything be easy around here??" I think she is hilarious, especially when she is frustrated. That's usually when I turn on the dishwasher, even though I know I am not supposed to, or remove ALL the tupperware from our childlock-less cabinets (aka MY favorite part of the new pad) to really get her going.

We are going to our PEP birthday party this weekend and I am very excited to see all of my buddies. We have known each other since we are little, like 5 weeks old little, and it will be nice to see everyone. Hopefully we can take advantage of some warmer weather this weekend too and maybe go to the beach or pool...parents, are you reading this???

Peace,
Finn

Catching up

Hey to all my fans (I am talking to all three of you out there that read this!) Mommy just downloaded some photos and I decided it would be a great time to catch everyone up on some of the stuff we have been up to. First things first - FIRETRUCKS!! We went to a Kids Expo two weekends ago and I got to get up close and personal with a Santa Barbara County firetruck. Pretty cool and it was a good thing I wore my matching shirt.

Next up was a date with Mom at the playground, although as soon as this cutie (behind me in the "tunnel of love" photo below) started talking to me, I soon forgot all about my Mom. Mom thought "Sigh, my baby is growing up" and I thought "Lady, you are ruining my game!"

I have found a new affection for STICKERS recently. And, the cool workers at Trader Joes will usually give me some to keep me from screaming while in the checkout line. I decided that I would apply each one given to me painstakingly S.L.O.W. while Mommy waited patiently (yes, you read that right...patiently) in the parking lot. The results are below and I am pretty proud of myself, if you couldn't tell.

Finally, I went to SCHOOL for the first day today! Yep, I started at UCSB and had a great time. Daddy dropped me off and I was ready to go as soon as my feet hit the floor. There was so much to do and so many new friends to be made, although I had to give Daddy two hugs before he had to go to some place called work. Mommy picked me up and she knew I had a good time because I was dirty from head to toe. Notice there are stickers in my first day of school photo too. I told you, I LOVE stickers!

Well, thanks for checking in and now you are pretty much caught up. It's past my bedtime, so more later!

Peace,

Finn

Boo CaCa

Hey guys,

Before I learn how to pronounce the above hairy guy's name correctly, Mommy wants me to document what I call him. Boo CaCa! It makes my parents laugh every time. I guess I will continue to mispronounce it for awhile just to amuse them. Those two are easily amused, I must say!

More later,

Finn

UCSB!!

After all my preparation and months of hard work, I have received the great news that I have been accepted to UCSB! Mommy and Daddy are SO proud since they are both alums and this campus brings back fond memories of when they met. Mommy keeps saying that I can't go to "IV" EVER in my lifetime, but I don't know what she is talking about.

I haven't declared a major yet and am not ready to limit my focus, but I know I will be spending quality time in art, music, physical education, nutrition and naptime. What, like you didn't take tons of naps when YOU were in college?

Needless to say, I will be at the UCSB childcare center soon for a couple of days and we are all thrilled about it. Mommy put me on the waiting list when I was just a wee fetus and we were finally offered a spot. After our visit on Monday, we are all so excited to be starting this new journey. I tend to need some time to warm up to new places/people, but I couldn't wait for Daddy to put me down so I could run wild, scale the ramp and climb down the stairs, check out the books and the cool table with a ton of balls to throw, open the door to the "nap room" and listen to some Rachmaninoff (even Daddy was impressed with that) and check out the array of blocks & toys. I even cried a little bit before we left, just to make sure that Mommy and Daddy knew how much I enjoyed myself and am looking forward to going back.

GO GAUCHOS!!

Where does the time go??

Mommy is always wondering "where does the time go" and I thought that was appropriate for the title of my post. I can't believe the last time I practiced my typing skills was back in January, so I apologize for my lack of follow through. Good thing keeping up with this page in a timely manner wasn't one of my New Years Resolutions.

We have had a fun and busy past few weeks. Since my last "blog" (BTW, does anyone else loathe that word, BLOG, like Mommy and I do?? It feels gross rolling off the tongue and reminds me of lame nicknames, like Brangelina. It's official - I shall only refer to my writing on this site as "posts" from now on.) Sorry for the digression. As I was saying, since my last "post" we have been up north to meet new Baby Evan and catch up with the Bartows, visited Aunt Mary/Papa Mike/The Muirs in Sacramento, went to a cool place called Pretend City in Irvine with The Flemings (photos below for your viewing pleasure), visited with Auntie Lala, and celebrated Mommy's birthday.

In January I started at my new sitter's house on Monday, Wednesday and Friday - we LOVE her and couldn't be happier. My friend Mason, (May May), is there and we have known each other since we were 6 weeks old! There is also another friend named RJ, (Are Day), who lives next door to my sitter and I think it is safe to say that I REALLY like him. I talk about him ALOT and get very excited to see him. Mommy and Daddy haven't met him yet and liken him to the "cool kid" in school. One day I am going to be SO embarrassed of those two.

Saturday Night Fever

Now, don't worry....I don't have a fever and nobody is dressed like this:

But, it is Saturday night and we are spending it in typical Barry fashion (i.e, at home and my parents are preparing to watch a rented movie that they missed in the theatres.) I have been a "little" bit of a pain today and I prefer not to share why (hey, my parents read this and they are STUMPED as to why I was in rare form for most of today so I am not letting anyone in on my secret.) However, I must say that I am writing this from the comfort of my crib and they put me in here 20 minutes earlier than my normal bedtime without a peep from me, so I am clearly not myself.

We are all looking forward to the New Year and have made some resolutions. Mommy decided, among a myriad of other things she will be working on this year, that she needs to watch her language...she isn't raising a sailor for goodness sakes and she can cuss with the best of them, but she decided to focus on sharing some of her other strengths with me instead. She definitely enjoys writing and has decided to help me build on my vocabulary. My newest words from the last couple of weeks are Doctor, Animal, Tammy, Moose, Blueberry, Cracker, Ernie and Pancake. Let's also clarify that they don't necessarily sound exactly like you would think (for instance, Ernie sounds like Oooh-Neeee), but it's consistent and I am definitely talking about Ernie of the Ernie and Bert fame when I say it. Hey, the "R" sound is hard for some kiddos!

We are looking forward to our visit to meet the newest member of our family in January. Baby Evan was born just before Thanksgiving this year so we will be taking a trip up North to visit the Bartow family and meet the new addition. Also on the agenda for this year are bridal showers, weddings, birthday celebrations, hopefully a vacation, spending more time with family and friends, making memories and sharing lots of laughs. One of our family resolutions is to have more fun and appreciate all that we have because we are so very lucky...we are starting NOW! Hope you all are well and thanks for checking in with us!

Peace,

Finn

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We had a great, yet germ-filled holiday this year thanks to the upper respiratory virus making its rounds this winter season. Daddy was the most affected and ended up being sick through Christmas Day, but he was able to rest and recuperate at Papa Danny's house and finally felt better. We opened up presents at Papa Danny's house with the Flemings and I perfected saying Amber's name...it sounds very distinguished with my pronunciation - "Ahhmburr". I have also named Auntie Erin, Nuna, and nobody knows why. This one is still a mystery to us all!



Mommy and I attended Papa Danny's annual Chinese Food Christmas Eve dinner (nobody knows how this originated) and we were joined by a fun group including Charles and Catherine West and the Prahsers. What a fun event! Mommy showed everyone how I know how to "cheers" with my sippie cup and I got so excited at one point that I threw my sippie cup and it knocked Mommy's glass of chardonnay over, spraying Jim's nice shirt, Mommy's plate and my diaper bag. Nothing spells good parenting like a diaper bag smelling like Chardonnay, right?

I was much more interested in eating Puffs and a bagel than I was in opening my gifts on Christmas morning, but thankfully Amber was very helpful and I got most of my gifts opened. It did take 2 days to open everything because I got a little overwhelmed with all the stimulation, but I was really spoiled this year. Some of my favorite gifts included the Doo Dah (DUH), a broom set, Doodle pro, puzzles, a ball that lights up when you throw it hard enough (AWESOME), bath toys, matching squeak eggs game and some board games for when I am bigger. I told you I was spoiled!

Mommy and Daddy were able to take advantage of Papa Danny's offer of FREE babysitting twice while we were down at his house so they saw a movie (Up In The Air, which they REALLY recommend) and enjoyed a Finn-less dinner out at a real restaurant one evening. What a treat!

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday this year and wish you all a happy, healthy and fun-filled 2010.

Peace,

Finn

Mystery of the Doo Dah - SOLVED!!!

For some time now, I have referred to a vacuum cleaner (and a broom and surprisingly a wrapping paper roll) as "Doo Dah". I LOVE the doo dah and can't get enough of it. This is a good thing for our condo since it means that Mommy vacuums more often due to my fascination. But, due to my limited spoken vocabulary, I couldn't explain to my parents WHY the vacuum is called a Doo Dah.

Fast forward to Christmas when I opened my very own "Doo dah" made by the wonderful people at Fisher Price. I was so excited by this present that we even brought it to Auntie Sheila's house with us for dinner so I could 'take care' of the carpets at her house. Once we arrived at Aunt Sheila's and I was set with the Doo Dah, Mommy noticed there was a song that was playing when I pushed the vacuum around. She utilized all of her technical skills to turn the volume up (this took 3x longer than it would have if Daddy were with us, but he stayed behind at Papa Danny's house nursing an upper respiratory infection) and was shocked to find the song lyrics say "I'm gonna clean the house today, DOO DAH, DOO DAH!" She immediately called Daddy to include him in the findings and they figured I must have played with this very toy at a friend's house.

Cheers to the mystery of the Doo Dah being solved...what a Christmas Miracle!