Yes, it’s here, the day I have been dreading for the past 2 years. The day I kiss my 20’s good-bye and embrace my 30’s. OK so maybe it was more like being dragged kicking and screaming into my 30’s but either way here I am and you know what? SO far it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I guess I imagined waking up this morning, getting out of bed and my breasts dropping to the floor and my face wrinkling up like shrink wrap in the sun as I dragged my bad hip to the closet full of mom jeans complaining about BINGO being moved from 4 to 5.

Alas, my breasts remain defiantly perky, my face has nary a wrinkle to speak of, there are no mom jeans in my closet and my only plans for the day include taking Josh to his 2 month check up. In fact I woke myself up this morning as my unusually angelic son slept peacefully in his crib, having only woke me twice over night. Happy birthday indeed. Then my awesome daughter and husband made me breakfast and gave me presents! I LOVE PRESENTS. A new wallet, some chocolate and a spa certificate?? If this is 30, sign me up.

I knew it would be ok. ☺

This summer was mostly uneventful. Or at least as uneventful as it can be with a newborn. Scott, Joshua and I stuck around the house, while Madi jet-setted around the country. Luckily she has lots of family to visit over the summer break or she would have been bored to tears just sitting at home with the baby and me.
With that being said, the last 2 weeks we kicked it into high gear and set off a flurry of activity. I’ll break it up into 2 parts so this isn’t the blog from hell. ;)
First we went to Torrance to visit our good friends the O’Neals, who welcomed their new baby boy Derek 5 days after I had Joshua. We had such a great time visiting with them and seeing their new house, big brother Jack and the new baby! Derek is adorable and such a good baby. Very quite and pretty much slept the whole time, while Josh threw a huge hunger tantrum before finally settling down to hang out in their back yard for a little bit. My only regret is not getting any pictures of Jack, my favorite 2 year old.

Beverly and I = hot mamas!:


Bff’s meet:


Playtime!:


The following week Scott, Josh and I drove to Santa Barbara for a night (Madi was in Tucson with her Nana and Grandpa). Scott had a trial so J and I were pretty much on our own. We really only tagged along because the next day we were supposed to drive out to Arizona for Labor Day weekend (and Scott’s fantasy football draft with my Dad and Mike Grippo). Anyway, the trip up to Santa Barbara didn’t start out so great. Halfway there Joshua started freaking out in the backseat and cried for 45 minutes straight! We were, of course, stuck in traffic and couldn’t find a great place to exit but once we did and got him fed and changed he calmed down and fell asleep for the second half of the drive. We got to our hotel about 9 p.m. and J fell asleep right away in his pack n play, Scott did some work for trial and I watched t.v. Yes we are party animals! ☺

Josh’s first hotel stay:


The next day Joshua and I walked around State Street and I did a little bit of shopping. Josh mostly slept.

Unimpressed with the art galleries of State Street:


The next day we drove up to Arizona after picking up Grippo. I was a little nervous about the baby being in the car for that long, which is why we left after his last meal around 10:00 p.m. I’m happy to report that he did great. He slept until 1a.m. when we stopped for the boys to refill on caffeine and then slept until we got to Aunt Nancy’s at 4a.m. Later that day we went to visit our second family, the Lemoine’s.

Joshua’s first visit to the Lemoine’s, checking things out:

Joshua with his Uncle B:


As usual we ate amazing food prepared by Mr. Lemoine and the boys drank the yummy (and deadly) vodka tonics Mr. Lemoine concocts. They proved to be a bit much for some of us.

Grippo’s first visit to the Lemoine’s:


It was so great to see them! <3

The next day we drove down to Tucson so Scott and Mike could meet my dad for the draft. I had breakfast with my step-mom and then drove across town to see my grandma, uncle, cousin and good friend Kristi. Joshua was a little cranky while we were there and for some reason wouldn’t let anyone hold him for very long. I managed to capture the fleeting moments of calm but for some reason cannot find the group pictures we took. ☹ ANNOYING CAMERA!

Joshua with Kristi:


Joshua with my Uncle Richard:


Scott was so upset with his son when I told him that he cried when my grandma was holding him, but then Josh flashed his toothless grin and he was forgiven. Sucker.

The rest of the trip was spent just hanging at Aunt Nancy’s. Scott finally had his fill of Zipp’s wings in Scottsdale and I got my Eeggee’s and we went to lunch with my friend Tiffany and her daughter Alexis. As usual I didn’t get a chance to see everyone I wanted to. Our Arizona trips are always so quick. ☹ I promise one day we’ll take a trip where we aren’t running around like crazy people (and where my husband doesn’t spend one whole day drinking and therefore asleep by 4 p.m.)
After picking up Madi’s from her dad’s, we took off for home. The drive home was successful in that Joshua slept the whole time, though no one else got much sleep as it was a little cramped in the back and the boys took turns driving and keeping each other awake. Even though Joshua was a good little boy, I have to say; last time I ever do that! 7 hours in the car is just too much!

So that was the first part of our trip. It was quite the whirlwind but I had fun and I’m glad I decided to go. Stay tuned for Part 2: Santa Barbara Revisited.

Our beloved Hammie passed away on Thursday, August 19 2009 of natural causes (NOT of a broken heart as Scott has suggested. Admittedly Hammie had been a little neglected by me since the birth of my human baby) We will miss him dearly. He was the sweetest hamster I had ever met and we had so much fun in our short year and a half together. Madi is, of course, devastated by her loss, but we took him to the Mission Viejo Animal shelter yesterday and they cremated him (for the low cost of $20! He is more expensive dead than alive!)
In memory of our little cutie, I share with you one of my favorite Hammie stories from January 2008:

Hammie, cute as can be, escaped from his cage. It has yet to be determined HOW he managed this, but I have my theories. Now, this has happened once before when Madi, the MOTHER of Hammie, left the cage door open. This was discovered at 2:00 a.m. and immediately brought to my attention by the negligible mother, and we were able to apprehend and then transfer the hamster safely to his cage. Whew! We survived the first break out.

Monday morning, 6:00 a.m. Madi comes into our room and informs us that Hammie is not in his cage and his domed door over one of the extensions of his cage is on the floor. I think "not bad, we have already determined point of exit, this shouldn't be too difficult." I get out of bed, wake up Scott and we troop into Madi's room to track down the awol hamster. Blurry eyed as we were, we felt confident in our hamster finding skills.
An hour later, and there is no Hammie in sight. It's time to start getting ready for school and work. We leave out some food and set up a few non-violent "traps" and head out the door. 12 hours later, still no sign of Hammie. Frustration sets in, or in Madi's case, hysteria.
So, I woke up this morning dead-set on finding Hammie the disappearing hamster. I inform Scott of my decision; he is very encouraging and supportive. I feel lucky.
12 hours later, I am making dinner, running through all the rooms I have been in and all the furniture I have lifted or turned over in my conquest. I consider that I may just be a horrible hamster hunter, but then I remember that my father hunts bison, this is in my blood. My resolve is strengthened.
It is at this point when I hear our doorbell ring. One look through the peep-hole (hey it's L.A. and I'm home alone) verifies friend not foe. It's Jamie, our neighbor right below us. He is holding a bowl which contains…. HAMMIE OUR HAMSTER!!!!!!! That little bugger found his way through our fireplace into the apartment below.
Luckily Jamie works for the CIA (oops, now I'm going to have to kill you), so he has much experience with this kind of reconnaissance and was able to follow the clues (chewed up carpet and baseboards) and find our Hammie in his broiler. Mental note: ask Jamie if he offers a training program.
In the end, our cutie is safe and secure in his cage…for now.

Good night sweet prince..