4 months...

I can't believe my little punkin is 4 months.  The time has gone by so fast...

This was a beautiful blanket made by my mother-in-law's friend.  Bryant is after all 1/4 Japanese.  Phil has a Japanese middle name "Musashi".  We debated about whether or not Bryant should have a Japanese middle name in addition to my father's name as his middle name, but I thought that would make him more Mexican with four names.  My father wanted us to not use his name as a middle name and instead use a Japanese middle name.  So we thought about it.  We even went down to the Phil's grandfather's grave to see his Japanese name and thought about naming him after his great-grandfather, but it wasn't listed. (Phil has great memories about his great-grandfather, and wishes he would have attended his funeral.  His great-grandfather died when Phil was a little boy).  We asked Phil's great uncle for advice on Japanese names, and got some great family stories.  In the end after much thought we decided not to give him a Japanese middle name.  Although my father insists on him having "Samuri" as his middle name and calling him "Samu".  Phil and I find this funny because Musashi is a famous samuri, but Phil didn't want to name him Musashi. 

Bryant with my cousin Monica's little girl Julia Abbey born three weeks after Bryant.

home sweet home...

In a year it is amazing to see how far the condo has come. In case many of you don't remember how bad our condo looked like a year ago when we purchased it, I have decided to show you some of those pics.  (Note to our neighbors, this is why we paid so much less than you.  We didn't just a great deal.)  There was the masive stained and popcorn ceilings...

the no paint on any of the walls (in years)...

a hole in the bathroom wall...

the bathtub that was unusable... (at least I didn't want to use it!) Apparently the previous tenants did.

the retro decor... (and not in the cool way)

So far we have been making it so much better, but still have so much more to do.  This was especially difficult since I was pregnant through most of the construction, painting, etc.  I could smell the paint for days.  Also, being pregnant made it really hard for me to decorate, I couldn't just move the furniture around, and organize without the help of Phil.  

The "after" oictures to come, I am still decorate the Christmas stuff, so there crap everywhere.

Our next year's project is going to be to buy a flat screen TV (not my idea), dinning room table so we can have some fabulous dinner parties ;) and update the kitchen, which has appliances that are older than Phil and I.

cali...

Although like everyone else I complain about living in Southern California because of the traffic everywhere and at every time, I really should not complain.

This is my commute from Newport Beach to Long Beach...

Yes, I know I really should not complain when this is my view. Even though I could take the 405 and be home 10 minutes faster, why would I, when I see Pacific Ocean everyday. I think of all the people who are already shoveling snow, and I think how lucky am I that I live in Cali. Can you see the building in the background? It is downtown Long Beach. The picture was taken off of Goldenwest and PCH in Huntington Beach. Every time I cross this intersection, I can see the Los Alamitos marina, and think I am almost home. I wish I had a better lens so you could see the marina.

just one of the guys...

Bryant has just become one of the guys watching football with his "Raiders" jersey on. (Thanks to my aunt Lucy and cousin Monica for the Raiders clothes).

One day, probably every soon, he will be attending the game with Phil and my uncle Rigo on the 50 yard line.

Election Day

Phil and I voted early in the morning before Phil went to work. We didn't have to travel too far since it was at the Clubhouse. However, when we got there, there was a long line. I wish I had my camera, or not because I didn't get a chance to ready, and didn't look photo ready.

In the evening I went to a DG alumnae meeting, and when I got home I found Bryant like this...

Apparently Phil was trying hard to watch the election results, and Bryant wasn't cooperating. Phil feed him, which is why you see the two (by the way I was only gone for two hours!) bottles. Phil covered him thinking the light was bothering him. Phil took off his sock, because he might be too warm. He tried everything even entertaining him with his favorite too. Not so easy taking care of the little guy is it, babe?

**Phil's version of events:  Bryant and I were playing the election night drinking game.  Every time a state went for Obama, he would take a drink.  By the end of the night the little lightweight was wearing a towel on his head and dancing with the musical duck while missing a sock.  I took this picture after California was called for Obama.**   

Half Marathon...

I am soooo proud of Phil for finishing the Long Beach 1/2 marathon on October 11, 2009 considering he didn't even train, and I was not able to train with him.  Bryant's birth really prevented him from training, and then the lack of sleep thoses months (he still wakes up all night to eat every three hours).   

AND he beat his time from last year!!! http://www.runlongbeach.com/Home.htm

Originally, I thought that I would be able to run, but I was still recovering from the pregnancy. I can't wait for next year to run. 

3rd month

Bryant turned 3 months on October 20, 2008... do you think he is getting bigger? It is really hard for me to notice, since I see him everyday. By taking pictures of him with the dog, you can really see the difference.

BBQ...

Phil "helped out" at a BBQ competition. Eric's brother and cousin compete in BBQ competitions throughout California. Since the competition was going to be in San Diego, Eric asked Phil to help them as a body guard while they carry the food to the judges. Phil was so excited to go, that we were in San Diego at 7 am. Phil has never been a morning person, so for him it was a big deal.

The food was delicious. Although when Eric's cousin said that the chicken was the best chicken ever, I had my doubts. First of all, I only like white meat, and the chicken was the thighs. But when I ate it, and I ate it after I had eaten the ribs and brisque, which were great, they were right. The chicken was the best chicken I have ever had. I really think they should sell it or be allowed to sell it at the competitions.

my little pumpkin...

This is the same costume that Eli and Max wore last year. However, it bearly fit Bryant. We were so nervous that it was not going to fit...

Rachel Ann made this for me and the other DG girls. It was too cute to eat.

Eddie's mom made these. Also to cute to eat. Although for Max and Eli's Birthday the other kids did not have any second thoughts about eating them.

Favorities...

I just have to say that my favorite thing to eat is chocolate... especially chocolate doughnuts..(the other doughnuts are Phil's)

Hanging w/ Liz, Max, & Eli on Wednesdays...

Liz has been after me to join a Moms club. I think that it won’t be fun because Bryant is too little and the activities at the moms club are for toddlers. So Liz decided that we should have a day where the boys get to hang out. I started working part time on Thursdays and Fridays, and Liz meets with the moms club on Tuesdays, and Mondays are not usually good days for us to meet. So Wednesdays is perfect.

Two weeks ago we went to the Aquarium of the Pacific in LB. Liz has a year membership and I live in LB so it is perfect. The boys go there and love going there as you can tell the pictures. I really wish for Bryant to grow up like the boys and not be afraid of touching things. My mom didn’t want Liz and I to touch any of God’s creatures because they carry germs, are dirty etc. We don’t want that for our boys.

Liz decided it would be a great idea for me to hold the nectarine juice while she took the picture of the birds coming to me. As you can tell the boys really wanted to reach out and touch the birds. I on the other hand was nervous. Afterwards Liz told me she was nervous as well, which is why she had me hold the juice. Bryant saw the boys reaching for the birds and decided to reach as well. Liz didn’t get the picture of this because we both got scared that he might grab at the bird and the bird would peck at him. Neither of us thought Bryant would reach out!! Be careful what you wish for!

Liz never gets to be in pictures because when she is with the boys she is the one taking pictures. Here are a few pictures of her.

Here are a few pictures of all of us. We used the camera timer on the first one, and asked someone to take our picture on the second one. I just hate people using my SLR camera because they always want to change the lens. But if I want everyone to be in picture and there isn’t anything to place the camera on, then I have to ask someone. I usually have the camera “set” for them to take the picture and then they move it. On the second picture the worker moved the lens to include more of the background and make us hard to see. I guess I could take a tripod, but I already carry so much stuff for Bryant.

Last week we didn’t know what to do and Liz had already driven down to LB. It was too hot to go to the beach or the park, the boys would get sunburn. Liz has this great book with ideas, and in it was the Nature Reserve. It was perfect.

Inside the boys were able to touch everything without breaking it and there was air conditioning inside!!

Outside there were lots of trees, and the boys were able to go for a walk. It was ¼ a mile which is perfect for the boys to walk.

Can't wait for next Wednesday!!!

Check out more photos here!

UCSD Football...

So I have to take back something I said in my earlier post. Although I am really pro UCSD for Bryant, I would allow him to attend UCLA/Cal. Let me explain...

I love UCSD...I am the one who convinced Phil last year to volunteer to at the high school fairs to talk about our experiences at UCSD. I am also the one who tries to convince Phil for us to join some of the alumni activities.

Here is a picture of Edgar, Laura, Phil and I at one of the alumni mixers earlier this year. We took this picture where we first met at a pub in downtown LA to pick up the tickets, have a few drinks (Laura and I were both pregnant, so we had soda drinks) and appetizers. From there we later attended a Dodger game. ( I of course didn’t think it would be safe for me to take my camera into the game. I later realized that other people from the alumni group took their cameras and nothing happened.) We had a great time and can’t wait to attend another alumni event with our friends again.



Although I have a huge love for UCSD, UCSD does not have football. If UCSD had football, UCSD would never be confused for San Diego State (the party school), or USD (the Catholic school). I don’t understand why UCSD doesn’t have a football team. The administration states that we would not be taken seriously as an academic school. What crap!!! Who doesn’t take Cal or UCLA seriously as academic schools. I would understand if Bryant did not want to attend UCSD because it doesn’t have a football team. I didn’t understand the important that a football team brings to schools. The main thing is school spirit. UCSD lacks school spirit, because it lacks a football team.

Ashley and Scott invited us to attend the UCLA v Tenn game, and we had so much fun. I forgot to take a picture of the four of us at the game. What was I thinking?? You can just see the school spirit at the game.

Without school spirit, why would alumni return back to school, financially support the school, or send their kids to the school. Although I love UCSD I don’t try to convince my friends to go to homecoming…seeing a water polo/soccer match isn’t the same. If we had football, I would definitely be pushing everyone to have season tickets. Maybe I wouldn’t have to push, there would be so much school spirit, that they would want to have season tickets. Have you seen a USC football game, half of the stadium seems to be of alumni season ticket holders filled with school spirit.

2nd Month

Here are a few pics of Bryant at 2nd months, which I love!!

Of course he will attending our alma mater UCSD!!! Will he continue down our path and be a Poli-Sci major? Will he live at Marshall or ERC? If it is up to me, it will be Revelle, and be a bio major. He will grow up to be a denist. I should have listened to my uncle Rigo...and been a dentist. My dentist only works Mon-Thurs 7-2:30, and makes the bucks!!!

I saw the dog at the Bookstore and thought what a great idea it would be for me to take his picture every month to track how large he is getting compared to the dog. Originally I thought I would track this using the car seat, but he is getting so big that the car seat idea would not work.



I have been after Phil to finish the crib, because he no longer fits in my bassinet. This is my bassinet, which my mom lent to me for Bryant to use. I thought it was great idea that my parents kept it all these years. Although many of the baby books I read did not recommend using old bassinets because they are dangerous I didn’t care. Somethings are worth using even if they are old. One of the problems I did run into is that it rocks. Bryant is so big that when he a little the bassinet rocks and wakes him up. That problem did not last long. He weight now prevents it from rocking.




My happy baby! Bryant is happy, smiling, etc 85% of the time, which is great. However, when he gets mad, he really gets mad. I have to take a picture of him the next time he gets mad. There is nothing that can stop him when he starts to cry (except for food, I know, just like daddy!) And he has started to say "Da", which makes me mad! I am with him all day, and he says dad, what about me "Ma".
These just show how alert he has become. His eyes are following me around while I was taking the pictures. I will start showing him sign language very soon. Liz showed my nephews, Max and Eli, sign language it has helped out a lot. Eli loves to drink milk, so he sign "bottle/milk" all the time. Max on the other had loves to eat, so he sign "more", so that Liz feeds him more food. I wonder what Bryant is going to love to sign, hopefully "diaper".

Great Grandparents

It is incredible to think that Bryant has a lot of his great grandparents alive. I only had one great grandparent alive when I was born, my mother's mother's father. He wasn't much a father to my grandmother. It is sad to think that he had such a long life, yet my grandmother's mother passed away when she was little girl, and doesn't really remember her.

Here are my mom's parents with their great grandsons (yes we need to have a girl!). In the picture from top to bottom, left to right are my grandmother, my grandfather, Bryant, Isaiah (my cousin Jr.'s son, Jr. passed away last year. We miss him so much), Eli, and Max. This was taken at Bryant's Welcome Home party one week after his birth.

This was taken Sept 7.
I wish he knew my dad's parents. My grandmother, Maria, just passed away last December six months before he was born. She would have been so happy to know that I had a son.

I also wish he would have met my great aunt Tachita. I miss her so much.

Here is Bryant with Phil's mother's mother, Kay. Since she wasn't able to make it to the Welcome Home party, we decided to take him to visit her at the convalent home she lives at. We got their around 8 p.m. to find everyone asleep. We didn't know if we should wake her up or just go home. Phil went to her room to find her "watching" the Olympics, so we decided to wake her to see Bryant. We are glad we did. She was so excited to see him. We, also, took her a picture of Bryant and us. We were very nervous to place Bryant on her to take this picture because she is so fragile. She was born in 1918, she turned 90years old around the time of my baby shower!

Here is Bryant with Phil's father's mother, Lupe. This was taken at the Welcome Home party.

Since Victor wasn't able to make it to the Welcome Home Party, we took Bryant to visit him. You can see the difference between Bryant with Lupe above (7/27/08) and below (8/31/08) A month later and he is so much bigger. He was able to hold his head up for his picture with Victor.