GGA and GGT

Great Grandpa Art and Great Grandma Tina are in So Cal visiting for the weekend. We met up at Shoreline Village in Long Beach where we enjoyed a nice leisurely stroll and yummy treats like yogurt, ice cream, and caramel apples. It's always so nice to see Noah with his great grandparents. Tomorrow we head to the beach with them... wonder if they will go in the water with him???

Surprise!

Jawsh threw a nice surprise party for me (with the help of Cathy, Cindi, and Zach) for my 30th birthday. Jawsh arranged for Cathy to watch Noah while we were out having a nice lunch at Spago's (little did I know that they were setting up while we were gone). Jawsh really pulled out all the stops... he even made Noah a shirt to wear for my party. It was great to see a lot of my friends there to help usher me into my 30's. What will this 30th year bring???

Forward facing... finally

We recently moved Noah's car seat so it is forward facing. We know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child be 20 pounds and one year of age before switching them to a forward facing car seat and that he qualified a long time ago, but we were happy to play it safe. I will say this, Noah really does enjoy his new view in the car and feeling like a big boy. When will we install Baby #2's seat???

It's a miracle!

My parents are the hardest working people I know... and it's a miracle that they took a day off of work to go to the beach! Of course, they loved every moment with Kaitlyn and Noah. They enjoyed taking them in the water and watching them play together in the sand. Kaitlyn was on her best behavior... she didn't throw sand at Noah this time. When will go back again???

Hello Sophie!

My cousin, Robert, and his wife, Mina, welcomed baby Sophie today! According to the news, "she arrived at 10:01 am, weighing 6 pounds 2 ounces and 19 inches long. Sophie and Mina are doing well and Robert is surprised how much she looks like him!" We are so happy for them. Robert is a proud papa... he is constantly sending new photos everyday (this is one of my favorite pictures). When will Noah get to meet Sophie???

Let's go fly a kite

This was our last day at the beach with the Reno Rubins. Aunt Julia brought a kite and helped Noah fly it. When will see them again???

Fun with Julianna

Today we went to the Old Zoo at Griffith Park to picnic with Julianna and her folks. We had a nice spread of food, plenty of space for the kids to run around, and enjoyed the cool evening breeze. When will we see them again???

Carousel

The twins are visiting from Reno for a few days and we have been beach crazy. When we weren't as Seal Beach we were in Santa Monica and Noah got to take his first ride on a carousel with them. He was a bit pensive but when the ride stopped he did not want to get off. What ride will he conquer next???

Noah loves the water

Noah finally got in the water at the beach and boy did he enjoy it! Can't you tell by the look on his face???

Now I know my ABCs (almost)

Noah has been practicing his ABCs for a while now and he is slowly incorporating more letters each time he tries. When he first started he missed about half the alphabet but now he almost has it all with the exception of the "L and N." When will he say the whole thing???

3

We went back to the exact spot where we were married (7-24-05). Yes, it's been three years! Sadly, the food has changed and we had to order different entrees from our original menu . Last year I asked, "Will he (Noah) join us again next year???" but we left him at home with Auntie Cathy. Next year, we may decide to go to Shutters for brunch instead of dinner with both of our sons... will that happen???

Playdate with Nathan

We finally made it out to Playa Vista for a playdate with Nathan. We met him at Gymboree months ago and found that the boys are the same age (both born in November) and get along very well. Noah had a blast going down various slides and copying little Nate. When will we head back???

28 weeks

I am now 28 weeks pregnant! Time is flying fast. Here is a shot of us at the doctor's office (Noah loves going with me and playing with the water cooler). How will he react to his little bro???

Happy Birthday Stacey!

Today we celebrated Stacey's birthday! My mom made an orange creme cake which was absolutely delicious. Noah and Kaitlyn were mesmerized by the candle... wonder what she wished for???

Bubblemania

We love the Zimmer Musuem! Every Wednesday they have a special program for the tots and this week's focus was on bubbles! It was really interesting to see all the different ways bubbles could be made. All the children got an opportunity to go inside a bubble at the end of the show. Wonder what Noah was thinking???

The next Tiger

Noah really enjoys playing in my parents' backyard when he visits them. He usually plays with the sprinklers, waters the vines, and picks fruit. Lately Noah's been practicing his golf game. As you can see, my dad was pretty impressed with his skill. Tiger Woods was two years old when he made his television debut on the Mike Douglas show swinging his clubs... when will Noah make his debut on Letterman???

Beach time

Noah went to the beach for the first time with his sidekick, Kaitlyn. They had a fun time building sandcastles. Let me retract that, Noah had a fun time building and Kaitlyn had a fun time knocking them down. But in reality, I think the two biggest kids, Jawsh and Bill, had the most fun. Everytime I checked on them they were digging tunnels, making holes, and carrying buckets of water back and forth, while Noah and Kaitlyn sat and splashed in the sandcastle. It was great fun. Noah liked to be by the water, but was not ready to go in yet. When will he want to go in???

Happy 4th!

This Independence Day was spent with family and friends. My mom made kalbi and Bill grilled hamburgers and hotdogs... needless to say a great BBQ. Dan provided the fireworks and everyone had a fun time exploding them in the backyard. I did not allow Noah to go outside while they were playing with the fireworks, but he was able to play Guitar Hero! Will he get to go outside next year???

Haircut #2

We took Noah back to The Yellow Balloon for his second haircut. This time around he did not cry as much but he was definitely not happy. As his hair was being cut he kept saying, "all done." He must of said that at least twenty times. Jawsh was pretty pleased with the cut... what do you think???

Special visit

Kaitlyn made it out to the westside to visit Noah. We went to Gymboree's freeplay time and boy did those two have fun. Kaitlyn really enjoyed crawling and jumping over things and Noah liked following her (for a bit). Here they are mesmerized by the bubbles. When will she visit again???

Finding Dory

Today we ventured to the Long Beach Aquarium with Bubbe. A lot has changed since I visited in 1999... they now have touch tanks, lorikeets, and a water area for the kids to play in. Jawsh was unimpressed by the aquarium (Sea World ruined him) but Noah liked walking up the ramps to the tanks with Bubbe and looking at the lorikeets. What will they have to add to impress Jawsh... Shamu???

Not so raging waters

Uncle Bill bought a small Elmo sprinkler for Kaitlyn and Noah to play in and to cool off. Kaitlyn has no problem running through and jumping on Elmo but Noah likes to take it easy. When will he run through on his own???

In N Out

In N Out is one of our favorite places to eat hamburgers. Jawsh always orders a double double, whole grilled onion, extra pickles, mustard, and ketchup (no special sauce) and I usually order a cheeseburger, no onion, and extra pickles. Noah had his own burger, but only ate half. He was more interested in taking the hamburger apart. What will he order when he gets older???

Zimmer Museum

Today we went to the Zimmer Museum which is an interactive space for learning, play, imagination, and exploration. Noah had a great time splashing at the water table and playing at all the different exhibit rooms. There is also a public library, although not that large, adjacent to the museum. When will we head back???

Summer solstice

It's always great to see Jay and DeLee. DeLee is also pregnant and expecting a little boy this November. We met up in Venice and had a nice dinner catching up. I wonder if their baby's birthday will be the same as Noah's birth date (November 25th)???

The Butterfly Pavilion

Today my school had a field trip to the Natural History Museum. After my students were dismissed, Jawsh and Noah came by and we went to the Butterfly Pavilion where Noah got to see plenty of butterflies flittering by. He really enjoyed pointing and staring at nature's pretty little creatures. Now the question is... should we go to the Spider Pavilion when that opens???

Happy Father's Day

We celebrated Father's Day with surf and turf on the grill. It was great to spend a leisurely day with family. Jawsh and I even managed to play a game of Scrabble. Can you tell by the picture who won???

Happy Birthday Sookmo!

This weekend we celebrated Michelle's birthday. We had some good Thai food and a yummy chocolate coffee cake afterwards (made with love by Barefoot Min). Wonder what she wished for???

What happened to 7?

The other day Noah started to count to ten! It was amazing. He first started with "one" and I echoed him and he continued on to ten. The first couple of times he tried to say seven but now he just omits it and goes straight from six to eight. My theory is that seven being a two syllable word is difficult for him to pronounce. But we still think it's pretty neat that he's counting. When will Noah say seven???

S + D

We ventured to Santa Barbara for Spencer and Delmy's wedding. When they were at our wedding almost three years ago, we knew that these two love birds would tie the knot eventually. The ceremony was at the Santa Barbara courthouse (really beautiful) and the reception was held at the Canary Hotel on the rooftop where we had a 360 degree view of the city. It was absolutely stunning. Wonder which one of our friends will get married next???

Happy Birthday Grandma Tina

Grandpa Art and Grandma Tina came to visit us in So Cal for Tina's 81st birthday. We were so excited to see them today. When will we get to see them again???

Typography rocks

Well if you're married to a graphic artist then you would say the same thing! Jawsh had a few pieces showing in Hollywood at the Rodin vs. Griffith store. When will be his next show???

Baby boy #2

We are so happy to announce that we are expecting a little baby boy this October. We are really excited that Noah will have a best friend to share his life with. I always thought that I would want a girl but after having Noah I think boys are excellent. Poor Jawsh wanted a little princess, but we'll just have to spend more time with Kaitlyn. Wonder what we'll name him???

Money, money, money

Kaitlyn and Noah both have little piggy banks and we saw Kaitlyn do this when she received money... so naturally Noah picked it up as well. This piggy bank was painted by cousins Mary, Seth, and Rebecca, which is why we love it so much. How much money does he have in there???

LA Zoo

We took our first trip to the LA Zoo and now that we are members we definitely plan to go again. The weather was overcast so it was a perfect day to walk around and see the animals in action. The lions were playing, the orangutans were climbing, and all the marine life was splashing around. Jawsh and I really enjoyed the lions because they were actually moving around and we think Noah really enjoyed the sea lions because he tried to climb the fence to go in the water with them. What will we see next time we go???

Mom's Day

Here is my Mom's day card already posted on the fridge. Do you think Noah got some help from his dad???

Step It Up and Dance

There should be a Bravo show dedicated to Noah and all his dance moves. Here he is jamming to good old jazz. I wonder how he will react to Mariah Carey???

Auntie Lise

We had a nice time celebrating Auntie Lise's birthday at Paco's Tacos. As you can see, Noah loves her very much. Will all her birthday wishes come true???

31 Flavors

We went to Baskin Robbins for a small treat and as you can see Noah really enjoyed the chocolate. What will be his favorite flavor???

Big Brother Noah

This is the official announcement that we are expecting Baby #2 in the fall. Although many of you have known about this I felt it's finally time to set it in stone in the blog. We are really excited and now that I am past my first trimester the nausea and the dry heaving has just about ceased so I am feeling a lot better. Now the big question... will the blog name change to Jawsh and Kim plus two???

Baby Evie

We finally got to meet the newest addition to the Venti Family... Genevie Lily! She is absolutely adorable! She has the biggest blue eyes and the fairest skin. It was great to catch up with the proud parents. When will we make the next play date for Noah???

Speed Racer

Kaitlyn brought over her red wagon Radio Flyer so Noah could take a ride (fully loaded with cup holders, canopy, reclined seating, and easy steering). They had a great time going around my old block and they even managed to share a kiss. When will we get one for Noah to bring to LA???

Passover

We had a lovely Passover at Bubbe's house... Jawsh led the Seder while Noah posed liked Zoolander. This year Uncle Zach got to look for the Afikomen, I wonder if Noah will get the chance next year???

Photo shoot (update)

Last December Noah was in a photo shoot. The pictures are finally up on the website and you can go to www.innovative-baby.com and sign up for a catalog to get the print. When will his next shoot be???

Hi Uncle Marty

Uncle Marty was in town for the day and got to spend some time with us. It was so nice to catch up with him over some yummy Chinese food! When will we take our next trip up to Davis to see the whole family???

Oma

The sweetest sound is Noah saying oma (Korean word for mom). We were at home in the living room, he looked up at me, and said, "oma." It is the BEST sound. He's saying a bunch of new words now like apple, this, pizza, pasta, and dada. And he knows that a dog says "ruff ruff" and a sheep says "baa." What will be his next word???

Chop chop

This is a difficult blog for me to write because I still can't believe that we allowed someone to cut Noah's hair! We finally took him to the Yellow Balloon, a children's salon in Santa Monica, and Noah sat in my lap as his hair was being cut. Noah was not pleased at all... he cried and screamed. After the haircut, they gave him a yellow balloon, a certificate, and a cookie. When will his next appointment be???

Yum... watermelon

We have been teaching Noah sign language, which has been great because he communicates well. However, we are anxiously waiting for him to talk! Many people have told us since he is exposed to several languages (Korean, English, and Sign) that he will take his time to communicate verbally. Lately, he has been exploring with sounds and at Bubbe's house he was very motivated to say, "yum...watermelon" (the watermelon was laced with a pinch of sugar). Will we have to sweeten things up for him to speak???

Great day

It's so nice that we live so close to Santa Monica Beach. After I returned home from work we went and had dinner with Uncle Zach and walked along the boardwalk. Noah had a great time walking in the sand and pushing his own stroller. I think he's ready to ditch the stroller, but we still love using it. When will we go back???

Baby Bach

Noah loves to play the piano. Instead of banging the piano with both hands, Noah likes to play individual keys. Will Noah be the next Bach???

Wolfy

Jawsh painted a wolfman for the release of the new manga, Motor City. His work was on display at Melt Down Comics in Hollywood and you can also purchase his pocket sketchbook there. That's right... it's being sold at the comic book store! Anybody interested???

Happy 26

Happy Birthday Uncle Zach!!! Wonder what you wished for???

FORE!

Noah joined the men at the driving range this past weekend. He had a nice time playing with the golf balls and tees. At one point, Dean gave him a club to drag around. Will Noah be the next Tiger???

Jay and DeLee

Uncle Jay and Auntie DeLee came to the westside to help celebrate Jawsh's birthday. We found ourselves at Lazy Daisy Cafe and succumbed to 31 Flavors right after. We hope that Noah will have another little buddy to play with soon. Did you get that hint Shields???

Happy 31

Jawsh's birthday was spent enjoying the Venice sun and ending the day in Santa Monica for dinner. It seemed like we just celebrated the big 3-0. Time flies fast, doesn't it???

Kaitlyn's Park

It's been two weeks since Kaitlyn and Noah hung out and boy did they miss one another! We ventured over to a park near Kaitlyn's home and they went down the slides and walked around together. When will Kaitlyn come and visit Noah in LA (hint, hint)???

Dejavu (sorta)

We were back in Palm Springs but this time Bubbe and Zach were also there. We had such a nice time visiting GGA and GGT and this time the good old Palm Springs sun was shining. Noah got to swim with Uncle Zach and Dad... it's been about 6 months since he's been in a pool! Noah was a little scared and enjoyed laying out on the chair a bit more, can't you tell???

Date Night

It's only taken us 14.5 months to go out together sans Noah! Auntie Cathy offered her babysitting services so we could enjoy a romantic dinner for Jawsh's birthday. We went to Wilshire where we enjoyed the organic fare and adult atmosphere but I still found myself cutting up food in small pieces! According to Cathy, Noah was the "best" because he ate all his dinner without fussing (and you can tell by his smile how much he loves his Auntie)! When will be the next night out???

Murakami

Uncle Zach is back in SoCal, which makes us happy because Noah gets to spend more time with him! We all went to see Murakami. In my opinion, it was Noah's favorite museum experience so far... lots of vibrant colors, interesting designs, and cartoons! The museum also had a Louis Vuitton store in the museum (due to Murakami's collaboration with the handbag designs). The bags only cost a few thousand dollars but we decided to forgo those and purchase a plush toy for Noah. Money better spent, wouldn't you agree???