65 and feeling fine

We celebrated my dad's 65th birthday! I can't believe he is 65 because he definitely does not look that age. I think eating all that kimchi keeps him looking young. Noah and Kaitlyn were there to help celebrate... Noah did a little dance for my dad and Kaitlyn gave plenty of kisses. What will they do for him next year???

8 years

It has been eight years since Jawsh took me out on our first date in San Diego. Jawsh washed his car, brought me a cd by Lauryn Hill, and looked in my refrigerator before we headed out for the evening. We ate in Hillcrest at a 50's joint called Corvettes and then proceeded downtown to watch Cafe Tacuba perform. We enjoyed eachother's company so much that we went out the next night to see American Beauty. In honor of that date, we took Noah to Cafe 50's by our home and enjoyed a chocolate malt. Who knew it would lead to this???

GGA and GGT

We had a wonderful time with GGA and GGT at Bubbe's house. Of course, Noah was the center of attention. GGA sang old classics to Noah (like Stardust) and GGT enjoyed watching him crawl up and down the stairs. By the time Noah sees them next, he'll be on his way to taking his first steps and possibly singing Stardust right back to them. When will we see them again???

Self feeding

Noah is learning how to feed himself... sometimes he uses his fingers to pick up crumbs, other times he uses his spoon, and when he really loves what he's eating he likes to lick the bowl clean. Wonder how he'll react to his first Baskin Robbins sundae???

Kissing cousins

Noah and Kaitlyn like to kiss, but don't worry he won't be like George Michael and she won't be the next Maybe (it's an Arrested Development reference). Isn't this just too cute???

Sneak peek

Noah's first birthday is approaching quickly and Halmoni has been helping us get ready for the big day. Here is a sneak peek of what Noah will be dressed in... a beautiful silk hanbok. The hanbok has many layers so the pink will not show (dad was worried about that). Wonder what he'll choose at the toljabee???

Moo!

My parents enjoy singing a Korean nursery song called, Songe-Ah-Gee (translated to Spotted Calf) so we thought it would be appropriate for Noah's first costume to be just that. We took him to a pumpkin patch in Santa Monica and he loved touching the pumpkins. At one point, he lifted himself up and then let go of the pumpkins, standing up, unassisted, for a few seconds! His first steps are just around the corner... doesn't time just fly???

Reading machine

Jawsh loves to read and I think that Noah is following in his father's footsteps. He really loves his Eric Carle collection (thanks Lise) and sometimes we catch him "reading" by himself. Here is a great shot of Jawsh reading a goodnight book to Noah. I wonder what type of literature Noah will prefer???

Kicks

Noah got his first pair of shoes... black Converse for babies. What a production! His little feet were measured (size 4.5) and he even received a balloon (gotta love Nordstroms). The Converse are perfect for his little feet and the soft soles make it feel more like socks. Jawsh really wanted the Vans, but for now Noah's feet will display the classic star emblem. When will Noah take his first steps???

Chusok

Chusok is a Korean "Harvest Moon" festival. This day is kind of considered like Thanksgiving in Korea. The celebration starts with a family get-together at which rice cakes made of rice, beans, sesame seeds, and chestnuts are served. Although there are many components to this special day (like visiting ancestoral graves, wearing hanboks, and dancing) we put a different spin on it and celebrated Cindi's birthday. Wonder what she wished for???

Jammies

Just had to share this shot of Noah in his dino jammies! Isn't he so cute???

Happy Rosh Hashanah

This year we were very fortunate to spend the high holidays with the Rubin clan in Reno. We had a nice time at the services where Noah slept through the blowing of the shofar! Back at home, Jawsh and I enjoyed the yummy brisket and matzo ball soup while Noah had a great time being the center of attention! When will we see everyone again???

Kaitlyn's Tol

We celebrated Kaitlyn's first birthday with family and friends. Jawsh made an incredible slideshow that reflected upon Kaitlyn's first year of life, games were played, and the food was enjoyed by all. A highlight of the evening was the Toljabee. Laid out in front of Kaitlyn was a golf club, pencil, thread, and money. It's said that the child's future is predicted according to what they grab (the first and second items are considered the most important). Kaitlyn grabbed the thread (signifying long life) and the pencil (future successful scholar). What will Noah pick when it's his turn???

Driving Ms. Kaitlyn

Halmoni bought a car for the babies to share and ride, but this is not just any car, it's Lightning McQueen from CARS! Kaitlyn loved driving with Noah so much she gave him a kiss on the head! When will Noah reciprocate???

What's wrong with this picture???

One word. Harabujee. Yes, he actually put Noah in the sink with his clothes on! What will he, my father, do next???

Summer fun

Noah and Kaitlyn love the pool! What a cute picture, huh???

29

Today I was under the weather, feeling ill and tired. No, it's not because I am now officially 29, rather, I caught a virus. The day was uneventful but I did manage to enjoy the Barefoot Contessa cake my mom made. Wonder what flavor I'll get next year???

Mozart

When Noah was in the womb, I played a classical cd in the car when I would drive to and from work. When Noah has his moments of fussiness we play the classical music cd and we have noticed that he calms down. With tears in his eyes, he cocks his head, and listens. So we were not surprised to see him take a liking to the piano. Will he be the next Mozart???

Swinging

We decided to watch the sunset in Santa Monica. Noah got to go in a swing and we walked by Shutters and witnessed a wedding from the boardwalk (now we know what it felt like to be watched during our nuptials). It was so nice to be at the beach... when will Noah go in the ocean???

The worm

Noah is in the beginning stages of crawling. At first he was doing the worm to get to here and there. It slowly shifted to a caterpillar crawl and now he is able to raise up on his arms a bit more. I'm hoping that I will be able to witness his first crawl before I have to go back to work. What are the chances that I will get to see this???

Water baby

Noah is used to swimming in kiddie pools, so imagine his reaction when he took a dip in Bubbe's pool. He had such a great time he did not want to come out. Is this the making of an Olympic swimmer???

Kaitlyn news

Kaityn will be one soon and everytime I see her she is doing something new. She started crawling weeks ago, saying appa and oma (dad and mom), and she even points to the birds in the sky. One thing that hasn't changed is her pterodactyl scream and her dog growl (yes, this petite little baby really makes these sounds). What will she do next???

2

We went back to the exact spot where we were married (7-24-05). Yes, it's been two years! We enjoyed all the good things that we had at the wedding and of course, Jawsh also had to have a Patron margarita. Last year I wrote, "When we celebrate our second year anniversary, we'll have another person joining us at dinner... anyone able to babysit???" but we decided to take Noah with us and we were glad we did. He was wonderful the whole night (he could not keep his eyes off the beach long enough to take a picture). Will he join us again next year???

D'oh

In anticipation of The Simpsons Movie, we went to Apu's Kwik E Mark (a converted 7-11). There was actually a line to get in and once we got in we had to stay in another line for a Squishy and a pink sprinkled donut. Noah was mesmerized by Ralph and Homer. I wonder which he liked best???

Not so rosey

Noah went through his first bout with illness: roseola. In usual Noah style he took it in stride. We're glad that it passed and we are hoping that we won't have another illness anytime soon. Anyone know where I can buy a bubble for Noah???

Reno Rubins

Aunt Julia and the twins were back in Cali for a short visit. It was nice to spend time with them and we wish they lived much closer. Although the Noah's Ark exhibit was a little too kiddish for Seth and Mary, we still managed to have a nice time there. When will we see them again???

A penny for Noah's thoughts

What is he thinking???

Fourth

It's amazing to think back to last July 4th... Michelle and I were at the Hollywood Bowl, pregnant, pushing eachother up the hill to get to our seats. Now we're almost back to pre-pregnancy bod, making sure Kaitlyn and Noah don't push eachother! It was such a wonderful experience to be pregnant at the same time. What are the chances of that happening again???

Florida sunshine

My cousin, Suzy, flew in to CA for less than 24 hours! Before she flew back to Tampa she came by for a quick visit and we were able to see her portfolio (she's a wedding photographer). Great stuff. Check her site at: www.suzyminphotography.com- anybody getting married soon???

Pool party

Kaitlyn has a little pool in her backyard and Noah was invited over to swim, well actually, to take a dip. When Noah got in the pool, Kaitlyn splashed water on his face and took all of the toys he played with. Despite that he had a good time, but Kaitlyn had a better time. When will they learn how to swim???

A friend for Noah

Noah made a new friend today... 21 month old Angeline. Noah has good taste because Angeline cleans up after herself (and Noah), is very smart (she mastered the shapes toy quickly), and she knows sign language! Will Noah's good taste in women continue throughout his life???

ADO(RED)

Noah and Kaitlyn were sporting their RED shirts so I tried to do a photo shoot of them. I thought I could send this to GAP and the babies would be discovered, make a million dollars, and have their own line of toys or something... then reality struck. Kaitlyn was too busy showing off her crawling moves (yes, she's now crawling) and Noah was too busy trying to avoid her (yes, he's learning how to push her away). So for now the dreams of being discovered are on hold, but in the meantime Noah is still DELIVE(RED) and Kaitlyn is still DIAPE(RED). How cute is that???

Best babysitters

We were so fortunate to spend time with the Reno Rubins! What fun it was to have them in town. While we were busy playing Rummy Q, stuffing our faces with ice cream, and watching Talledega Nights, Noah managed to get some play time with his twin cousins, Mary and Seth. They were so great with him... they changed his diapers, built amazing toy towers, and even gave him a bath. They are going to be great babysitters when they go back home. Can we say... Babysitters Club???

Oy vey!

Noah's wardrobe expanded with an addition of two shirts. He received a bright green one from Uncle Zach that says, "Someone who loves me very much went to Israel and got me this tshirt" and the other one is the one you see before you. "Oy vey" is a Yiddish expression translated as "woe is me." Everyone got a kick out of both shirts... which do you prefer???

The Original Uncle Bill

Tonight Noah got to meet the original Uncle Bill and my Aunt Suki. Uncle Bill exposed us to all 31 flavors of ice cream and called us every Christmas to ask us what we wanted. My brother was named after him and now Noah has an Uncle Bill who will carry on the tradition. What will Noah ask for first???

WNBA or Art?

Kaitlyn is going to play sports whether she likes it or not... Billy will make sure she can hoop it up like Sheryl Swoops and swing a golf club like Michelle Wie. Here is Kaitlyn in training: palming a ball. Sure it's not a basketball but she has to start somewhere. Uncle Jawsh will balance the athletics by teaching her art. Which will she like more???

Playing with Bubbe

Grandma Caryn, affectionately known as, Bubbe, came to spend the afternoon with us. Noah enjoyed playing peek a boo and being held by his one and only Bubbe. Noah has been vocalizing for weeks saying uhma... when will he say Bubbe???

Sleeping babes

This picture is just too cute... who do you think woke up first???

Nursery

I am so blessed to have a nursery on site at my work. Although Noah is staying at home with Jawsh it's great to know that we have the option to take him to my work with me. Carter and Savyor were ecstatic to see Noah. Will he get along with the others as well???

Mommy's work

Jawsh brought Noah to my school while it was in session and the kids freaked out! I wasn't sure who they were more excited to see... Jawsh or Noah. I wonder if they'll visit again before the school year is out???

Hello Cousin

Noah was all smiles when he saw Cousin Adam... when will he meet Jenny and Jon???

6 months

I can't believe Noah is six months old. He shares this day with the Stars Wars 30th anniversary. Will the force be with Noah???

Temple time

Noah enjoyed Rebecca's bat mitzvah so much he was on his best behavior for the three hour long service. Great Aunt Gail didn't even know he was there because he was so peaceful. I think the song he liked the most was Hee-Nay Mah-Tov. In 13 years Noah will have his bar mitzvah. I wonder if we'll have it at Sea World???

Double trouble

We were sharing the good news of Noah's first tooth when Great Aunt Julia copped a feel and found another growing right next to it! Noah's almost six months and has two emerging pearly whites. Time flies fast, doesn't it???

Friendly skies

Noah's first trip on an airplane went really well... we flew to Nor Cal for Rebecca's bat mitzvah. Noah slept peacefully in his seat and had many admirers. Now we know that we can take him anywhere! Next stop: Maui. Anyone want to join???

Mom's day

Mother's day came and went... Jawsh returned from Cabo safely and we watched the season finale of Survivor (one of my favorite shows). Caryn told me "everyday is Mother's day," which I believe because Noah is just too perfect. Wonder what we'll do for Dad's day???

Wanted: best friend

Jawsh and Jay have been best friends for almost 30 years and we hope that Noah will also know the joys of having a best buddy. So, now that Jay and DeLee are married, the next step is making a best friend for Noah. When will that happen???

First tooth

Of course this would happen while Jawsh was away in Cabo... the emergence of Noah's first tooth. In this picture he's not crying because of the teething process, rather, Kaitlyn was in his space rolling back and forth. Thankfully Noah is cutting teeth in his usual fashion... chill style. Will he be like this for all the milestones???

We'll miss you

Michael's family is moving to New Jersey... We are so excited for them but saddened that Noah (and Kaitlyn) will not be able to play with their cousin when they grow older. When will we see them again???

Yum

Have you ever seen the Magic Bullet infomercial? This is probably the best gadget that we have purchased so far and has helped us make Noah's food. His first fruit was the avocado... we were going back and forth between that and the banana. In honor of Jawsh (the avocado is one of his faves) we went with the green. What will his first veggie be???