Veteren's Day at Irvine Park

This year, Veteren's Day fell on a Wednesday, so I had the day off. Grant, Geoffrey, and I headed up to Irvine Regional Park for the afternoon.

First, we had a picnic lunch in the park. Grant and I enjoyed our Subway and Pirates Booty while Geoff played on the grass. He loved picking up the crunchy leaves, and feeling the different texture of the grass.

Next, we went to the Orange County zoo. The weather was nice, kind of cool, so some of the animals were pretty active. Geoff liked watching the bobcat pace back and forth in the cave, and the bear came right out in the middle of his enclosure. Grant thought it was funny that the zoo had coyotes and raccoons. Geoff only really noticed the more active animals, of course, but seemed to really like walking around.

After the zoo, we went over to the duck pond. Geoff liked watching the ducks swim on the lake. Grant and I saw a kid across the way roll right into the duck pond! Gross! Grant thought it was hilarious - he had just been wondering how often people fall in!

We walked over to the train station and then around the lake and back to our car. We drove to another section of the park where Geoffrey got to play on the swings - his favorite!

Once it started to get dark we left the park and went to The Counter for dinner. All in all, it was a beautiful day!

Baby Einstein

So did you hear? Disney is offering a refund for anyone who has bought a Baby Einstein video or DVD. Anyone. Apparently, they have been sued up one end and down the other for claiming that the videos are educational and beneficial for babies and toddlers, despite the APA reccomendation that children have no TV screen time until they are 2 years old, and numerous studies that TV is not educational or beneficial to babies.

Duh.

Did parents actually believe that these videos were educational? Did anyone use them as more then a temporary baby sitter when they needed 15 minutes to cook dinner, take a shower, take a break? Did anyone really think these videos were going to make their children geniuses? I can't believe that they did. I feel like people had to know the videos were basically high tech baby sitters.  I feel like stating that is akin to putting "This beverage is hot" on the side of McDonald's coffee cups.

I mean - I've put Baby Einstein on for Geoffrey. The TV is always on in our house. Is that a good thing? Probably not. But I like the background noise. I've never seen Geoffrey sit and watch a video. If it is playing, he is on the floor playing. We're talking, singing, dancing.

Life in moderation, folks. Use media wisely. Balance. Interact.

And if your kid turns out to be a dumb ass,   there is probably more involved then the fact that they sat to watch a few Baby Einstein Videos.

31

I turned 31 on Sunday.

Birthdays. make me nervous. Not because I mind getting older, I just get embarrassed by the attention.

On this particular birthday I was not feeling so hot. I was fighting a cold. I had a dissappointing lunch at Jamba Juice, Disney was packed (but I did get my b-day fun card!), and Geoffrey was tired (read: fussy) for the first half of dinner at Gyu Kayku (plus they put us at this tiny table - not helpful.)

On the bright side, I got to spend my birthday with Grant and Geoff, Donna made me a delicious strawberry cake, and I got to talk to my Mom and Bobby. Grant and Geoffrey got my Disney Guide for 2010 and Beatles Rock Band, Blake got me Dan Brown's newest book, The Lost Symbol, Donna and Gary got me Toddler 411, Midway Mania for wii, and some clothes, and Mom and Bobby got me a swing for Geoff and an Amazon gift card. Plus I got cash and gift cards from Dad, Delaine, Heather, Katherine, and Cathy. Pretty good stash!

I am feeling very grateful and loved!

Legally Blonde

We saw Legally Blonde a few weeks ago. I really liked it! The story is fun, the music is catchy... a great show all around! Maybe in my top ten!

Sunday - Wednesday WDW

Sunday - Animal Kingdom and EPCOT

On Sunday,  Mom (Patty), Bobby, Geoff, Grant, and I went to the Animal Kingdom. We ate lunch at the Dinosaur restaurant, and then took turns riding Dinosaur and staying with Mr. Jefferson.

Although we wold have preferred to do Kilimanjaro Safari later in the day, we were sort of on time schedule due to shows and dinner resies, so we did it next. Fortunately, there were lucky and able to see lots of animals - in fact, it was the best view of the lions Grant, Geoff and I had seen the whole trip! After our Safari, we crossed the park again to watch Finding Nemo, the musical. Merciful air conditioning. Then Patty, Grant and I rode Expedition Everest while Bobby and Geoff took a walk.  We finished our afternoon by seeing The Legend of the Lion King - such an awesome show!

We drove over to EPCOT and hiked back to Japan to eat at Tepan Edo - a Tepan dining experience. Our chef was awesome - he came out all serious  but ended up having a great sense of humor. Our waitress was sweet - she wrote Geoffrey's name in Japanese for him, and made us a pair of "kid" chop sticks - you know, with the rubber band and the chopstick wrapper. When we asked for a clean set to take with us so we could learn how to make those chopsticks ourself, she brought a bag out of like 8 premade sets! Cool! Geoff did pretty well at this diner because I kept him in my carrier - so he did well.

After dinner, we  walked back to Future World. Patty, Grant and I rode Mission Space (Patty loved it!). Then Bobby, Patty, and Grant rode Test Track while I fed Geoffers. We left just as Innoventions was finishing! A very good day!

Monday - EPCOT & Magic Kingdom

This morning, I went online to see if I could change our Boma Reservations to a later time. Our current reservation was for Tuesday at 5:15 . Our plan was to go to Typhoon Lagoon that day - but a 5:15 reservation meant we would have needed to leave Typhoon Lagoon at, like 3 ish - however, as we learned with Blizzard Beach, the afternoon is the best time to be at the parks! I had tried several times to change it, but wasn't holding out much hope with it being free dining and all. However, I checked today and someone must have canceled because I got  a 7:40 dining time - PERFECT because Typhoon Lagoon closed at 6! We were set for Tuesday!

We started out at EPCOT. Eating lunch at The Land. After lunch, we went to the Universe of Energy to watch Ellen's Energy Adventure - love that attraction! After Ellen, we rode Mission Space again while Bobby and Geoff looked at the GM exhibit at the exit to Test Track.

We stopped at Club Cool to taste sodas from around the world - I still love China's watermelon soda and Mexico's apple manzinata.  Then we rode Journey into the Imagination so that Geoff could see Figment again - he LOVES Figment. We spend some time in the Imagination lab - walking on the musical squares and conducting Figment in the digital orchestra.

We had dinner at Le Cellier in Canada, eating delicious cheddar cheese soup and yummy steaks. Geoff slept at the beginning and then was pretty antsy for  the rest of it - luckily, though there were 4 of us to pass him too, so that helped a lot!

After dinner, we showed our appreciation to Canada by watching the circle vision O Canada!. On our way out of the park, we rode Mission Space - Bobby and Grant were in moods and made ridiculous faces into the camera - and Bobby selected Portuguese as their language, so Mom was stuck  listening to a Portuguese narration and trying to do the end survey in another language. Nice.

We hopped over to the Magic Kingdom next. We rode the Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Next, I fed Geoffers while everyone else rode The Jungle Cruise. I had fun watching people "drive" the mini Jungle Cruise boats at the exit to the attraction. Next we had Dole Whip floats - Yum!

We rode it's a small world next, followed by Winnie the Pooh. We finished the night watching Mickey's Philharmagic. Since everyone was exiting the park at once, we swung by the bakery to get some pastries with our snack credits from our dining plan. We still had, like, 25 snacks left and we were leaving in two days! We swung by Pop Century on the way home to make our room look used and then headed back to our town home.

Tuesday - Typhoon Lagoon.

Typhoon Lagoon is my favorite water park. I wished I had remembered that from last time. I am glad Grant and I got to see both water parks, but let it be said here - Typhoon Lagoon  - absolutely my favorite of the two. It has my favorite type of rides - curvy body slides, and tube slides, and a beautiful setting.

After a quick lunch we parked our stuff and took off with a float around Castaway Creek - the Lazy River. Next, Mom, Bobby, and Grant did the inner tube slides while I fed Geoffrey. Then Bobby and Grant took Geoff to the wave pool while Mom and I did the tube slides. We met the boys in the wave pool and Grant, Patty, and I swam out and rode a couple of the big waves (one broke my sunglasses!)

We headed over to Crush 'n Gusher, the water coaster, and we each did that ride twice - first Patty, Grant and I did a triple tube, then Bobby, Patty and I did a triple tube, and then Bobby and Grant did a double tube while I fed Geoff. Crush 'n Gusher is sort of off to the side, but it had a nice little wading pool attached for people to wait in if other family members are on the ride (it has a height limit,)

Next, Mom, Bobby, and Grant did the snorkeling - I sat that one out with Geoff - although fun, I didn't particularly have a desire to get in 75 degree salt water. Then we went over to the body slides and took turns riding them and waiting with Geoffers. The lines were short at this point so it was pretty easy - Grant waited first while the other three of us went, then Bobby waited, then I waited, then Patty waited - perfect.

We went back over to where the tube slides were because they have a family slide there with a long wait earlier in the day. Also, Grant saw another family go on with a baby so we thought we'd try. Yes - Geoff was allowed! So we took him on twice - he went once with me and Grant and once with grandma and grandpa! What fun to be able to take him on a tame, fun water slide! We spent the last 40 minutes floating in the lazy river and just relaxing!!!

We got to our car just in time because a HUGE thunder storm hit us right overhead. We made a mad dash into our town home. The rain wasn't as heavy as I'd seen it in the past, but the lightning was really close! We took showers and changed our clothes. By the time we were ready to head to dinner, the thunder had mostly passed, but there was still a steady rain. We arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at about 7:40 and checked in for dinner. They didn't call us until 8:30 - they were BUSY! But - oh - how I love Boma. The food was delicious! I didn't have any main dishes - I just filled up on sides - corn and spinach pudding, humus, cous cous, salads, chicken chowder, butternut squash soup…yum yum yum!!!!  I LOVE Boma.

Wednesday - EPCOT

This is our last day in the parks. Boo hoo!!!! Our original plan was to hop to Magic Kingdom in the evening, but we changed our minds because we still had to pack - so we ended up doing EPCOT all day. We started out in World Showcase with an international lunch. Chicken and lamb from Morocco, Fish and Chips from the UK, and Sushi from Japan that we all shared. After lunch, we watched The American Adventure.

We headed back towards Future World. After a stop in Club Cool for soda, we rode Spaceship Earth - this time, Mom rode with Geoff and I so that Grant and Bobbi could be goofy without bugging us!
We went to Innoventions West next to take advantage of our Visa Magical Rewards perk - we waited in a short line (about 10 minutes - way better then the 45 minute line for the character stop!) and got to spend a good 5 minutes in a private room with Minnie Mouse and Goofy! It was so nice - just us and the photographers. Minnie was awesome - she was so attentive to everyone! Goofy came straight up to the baby, so Minnie went over to greet Mom and Bobby and Grant. Then she came over and spent like 5 minutes dancing and tickeling Geoffrey. So much fun! She let him suck on her nose and really spent time with him! The photographers took photo pass pictures and pictures with our cameras. It was REALLY special and I am so glad that we were able to do it!

After our special character encounter, we went over to The Living Seas to ride Finding Nemo and Friends and visit the aquariums. Then it was time for dinner in Mexico. This is a restaurant that we wanted to try - one that we probably wouldn't pay for , because Grant is not a Mexican food fan, but the setting was beautiful - inside next to the volcano on the Grand Fiesta boat ride. Before dinner, we rode the boat ride, and then had dinner.

After dinner, we went to Norway and rode Maelstrom.  Then we stopped in the bakery to use some of our snack credits on pastries to take with us. We continued on through the World Showcase, stopping to see the Wonders of China Circle vision. They had an awesome exhibit on the terra cotta soldiers, too. We continues around the showcase to Paris to get a few more pastries to go.

We finished our evening with a ride on Spaceship Earth. We got off the ride just as Illuminations was starting - which was perfect. We slipped into the photo store to get our free 5x7 photo of the earlier character visit (thanks again, Disney Rewards!) while there was no line, and we were able to exit the park just as Illuminations was ending.

We headed over to Pop Century to clean out our room and check the folio so we could use the express check out.. Mom bought some post cards and I had more food. (A yummy Mediterranean flat bread.) We were back to our town home by 10:30 and we got mostly packed before bed!

Thursday - Ft. Lauderdale

This morning, we checked out of our town home. We stopped at Downtown Disney for lunch - we ate at Wolfgang Puck Express  - delicious and an excellent use of our counter service credits.  Then I fed Geoff while everyone else looked around the stores. Sitting there feeding Geoff I felt like Snow White - all these animals just came out of the bushes and got up really close to me - birds, lizards, squirrels… and the music playing was classic Disney music - I loved it! (Although the squirrel got a little closer then I would have liked!)

We stopped at Goofy's Candy Company to use our remaining snack credits on chocolate covered pretzels, fudge, etc. We also had 2 remaining counter service credits, so Grant and Bobby went back to Wolfgang Puck's and bought two meals for a family. Saved them $40! Fun! Then we got in the car to head to Ft. Lauderdale.

Saturday!

Today, we picked up Mom and Bobby from the airport! We switched out rental cars to get a mini van. Then we headed over to Pop Century for lunch. After lunch, we came back to the town home and went swimming. That evening, We went to the Polynesian to see the Spirit of Aloha dinner show. The food was delicious - and the show was very entertaining. We also had a great table, in the back of the middle section, but over to the side. It was nice because we had our own table and we could walk over to the side if Geoff got fussy - but I brought my carrier and he did well!

After the show, we swung by Walmart and then headed home!

Friday - Animal Kingdom and EPCOT

On Friday, we began our day at Animal Kingdom - and guess what? It rained! (Surprised?) However, it didn't rain until later in the afternoon and it didn't rain hard, so it was actually a pretty enjoyable day!

We had lunch at Pizzafari, and I went to the baby care center to feed Geoff while Grant did a couple of spins on Expedition Everest. Then we watched "The Legend of the Lion King" which Geoff enjoyed until he fell asleep. Next, we tried to use our DInosaur fast passes, but Dinosaur broke down, so I rode Everest and then we went on the Safari. We had dinner at Yak and Yeti and it was DELICIOUS! I had a miso skirt steak and fried shrimp and Grant had a breaded mahi mahi with plum sauce. We shared a dim sum basket, and then had creme cheese wontons with vanilla sauce, pineapple, and strawberries for dessert.

Next we headed over to EPCOT. We rode Spaceship Earth and Test Track, and then watched Illuminations. We ended the evening over at Pop Century, eating a late dinner and then swimming before heading home.
 

Thursday

We started our day at the very very hot Disney Studios. We had lunch at pizza planet, and then took turns riding Tower of Terror. We saw the American Idol experience - which was lound, thank goodness, because Geoff was in his pre-nap scream-fussy stage and I almost had to get up and leave! I really liked the American Idol experience - I thought they did a good job, although the judges were kind of cheesy.

Next, we rode the Great Movie Ride, before heading out.

Geoff did not fall asleep on the way to dinner, but we tried the carrier again anyway. It wasn't the easiest meal, but way better then previous nights. I don't think he is quite comfortable enough for the high chair and the stroller is so low, so when possible, carrier it will be! He did ok, playing with toys, etc. I did great, enjoying a whole maine lobster!!! YUMMY! Grant had filet, and we went halvsies on dessert - chocolate cake with orange sauce and (surprise) key lime creme brulee.

We went back to EPCOT for the evening - Grant ride Test Track, and then we all rode Finding Nemo and looked at the fishies in the Living Seas. Grant took Geoff on Journey into Imagination while I rode Mission Space. Grant said that Geoff really reacted to the ride, even laughing out loud at Figment during one part of the ride!

It was extra magic hours, so we walked over to France for our late night snack instead of going to pop century. I had a quiche and a creme brulee (can't get enough!) and Grant had a ham and cheese croissant and a creme brulee. On the way out, we rode Journey into the Imagination again, and then bought Geoffrey a Figment doll - his first WDW toy - to celebrate his 6- month "birthday!"

EPCOT & Magic Kingdom

On Wednesday we started our day at EPCOT. We arrived in time for lunch and headed back towards the Japan pavilion. I had sushi and Grant had beef and chicken with rice. I loves the sushi but Grant was not crazy about his. Next we went to France and got a chocolate croissant and a creme brulee. This made Grant feel better! Next, we watched Impressions of France, and then wandered through Morocco. We watched The American Adventure and then headed back to Future World. We rode Spaceship Earth before leaving.

We had dinner at Citricos at the Grand Floridian. SO far, this has been one of our easiest meals. Geoffrey fell asleep, so we brought him in the carseat/carrier, and he slept through most of dinner. The waiter was very helpful, too, because he had our whole meal - appetizer (goatcheese and pear salad and tuna carpachio) entree (lamb shank for both) and dessert (tropical fruit creme brulee and tiramisu) and the check out to us within an hour. He actually LISTENED when we requested a fast meal. He was very nice and understanding. Geoffrey woke up around dessert and was content to plat with a toy while we finished. Huzzah!

We went to The Magic Kingdom for the evening. We rode Carousel of Progress, and then Grant and I switched off, taking Geoff on Buzz Lightyear while the other of us went on Stitch's Great Escape. Trying to make it an early night, we left Magic Kingdom and headed over to Pop Century, messed up our room so it looked used, picked up a shirt Grant had bought me at Animal Kingdom that we had delivered here, and then had nachos and ice cream in their food court.

Back at the town home we took a short swim before heading to bed!

Tuesday Animal Kingdom / Magic Kingdom

The first park we went to today was Animal Kingdom, so of course, it rained. We ate lunch at Flame Tree BBQ, and then headed towards Expedition Everest. At Animal Kingdom, they have a central fast pass distribution center, where there are fast pass machines for all the rides in one place - we went ahead and got fast passes for Kilimanjaro Safari. Grant rode Expedition Everest and then Kali River Rapids, while Geoff and I walked through one of the jungle walks. Then I rode Expedition Everest, although I did not ride Kali River Rapids - heavy drenching did not sound appealing to me.

Next, we watched Finding Nemo, the musical, before heading over to the Safari. Our Safari ride was really cool - we saw lots of animals this time, including the lions!

After our safari, we did the other forest walk and then went to the new Tusker House buffet. Geoff was again Mr. fuss budget during dinner, but it was a buffet, so it was easier to alternate, plus it was really loud. They had some good food - an apple walnut blue cheese salad, cous cous, salmon... and really yummy desserts!!!!

After dinner we went to the Magic Kingdom - apparently it was crowded because they extended the closing from 10 to 11. We rode the Magic Carpets of Agrabah. We were going to watch the Hall of Presidents, but the next show was 17 minutes later, and I was able to feed Geoffrey in the lobby before the show started. We instead went out and watched Spectromagic and ate Dole Whips. Then we rode Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, and Mickey's Philharmagic before heading home!

We were pretty sleepy - even Mommy fell asleep on the drive home!

Monday - EPCOT

On Monday, we went to EPCOT. We started in The Land for lunch in the Sunshine food court. Then we rode Finding Nemo and Friends and Spaceship Earth.

We decided to take a break so we headed over to Pop Century for a swim in the pool.

Back at EPCOT, we headed to World Showcase and spent some time in Mexico, riding the revamped boat ride featuring the Three Cabelleros, and in Norway, eating pastries and riding Maelstrom.

For dinner, we made our way to the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort to eat at the California Grill. We timed it so that we could watch the Magic Kingdom's fireworks from the rooftop observation deck.

Dinner was delicious - blt flatbread, summer salad, filet of beef for both of us, and banana chocolate creme brulee and melting chocolate cake with cherry ice cream,

Tomorrow.... Animal Kingdom!

Sunday - Pop Check in and Disney Studios

Today, we checked in to the Pop Century Hotel. We're not actually staying there, but we did bring bathing suits over so that we can swim mid day if we want. We booked the hotel so that we could get the dining plan that comes with it.

After we checked in we had lunch at Pop Century, using our dining plan. I'm excited because they have lots of good things you can use for snack credits and those I am the most concerned about using up.

Then we swam for a little bit before heading over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner. We ate dinner at Jiko - an Africa restaurant. We shared: an ostrich with yogurt curry sauce appetizer, a summer peach salad, spicy crusted tuna with a cucumber tomato salad, filet mignon with macaroni and cheese, a pistachio/chocolate creme brulee, and fresh doughnuts with coffee ice cream. Everything was included on the dining plan except for the appetizer and summer salad. SO DELICIOUS! Geoff was SOOOOO tired, but he just wanted to see everything that was going on! Which meant that he was pretty fussy. However, he did finally fall asleep when dessert was brought out. Luckily, he wasn't loud at all, just antsy, and it wasn't too busy at that point.

After dinner we went over to Disney Studios. Grant rode Tower of Terror while I fed Geoff at the baby care center (not my favorite - small and messy and smelly). He also tried to ride Midway Mania, but apparently they don't have single rider there anymore - boo! We met up and rode The Great Movie Ride and then saw Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

After we left, we went back to Animal Kingdom to share another counter service meal as part of our dining plan at there quick service location, Mara.

Saturday - Magic Kingdom

Yesterday we went to the Magic Kingdom. We arrived in the early afternoon. We parked at the Polynesian and took the monorail so that we wouldn't have to deal with the Ticket and Transportation Center.

Although there were some big storms moving through Florida, they mostly missed us, and we had a warm, mostly dry day!

First, we got fast passes for Peter Pan - which weren't available to use until 7 PM - almost 5 hours later! That is always one long line - Geoff hasn't even ridden it at home yet! We rode its a small world, which Geoff loved, of course, despite the fact that he was getting hungry. We then watched the Hall of Presidents, a wonderful, dark, air conditioned, 25 minute presentation. Perfect! Geoffrey happily ate while we happily enjoyed the new show (which now concludes with a brand new audio-animatronic Barack Obama.)

Next, we rode The Haunted Mansion, which has a cool new winding staircase room that reminds me a bit of Hogwarts. Next, we saw Donald Duck taking pictures so we swung in to get our photopass started.  Photopass is honestly one of the greatest recent inventions Disney came up with for park operations - that and fast pass.

We thought Country Bear Jamboree would be a nice break, which it was, although not as cool (AC) as we would have liked. Geoff fell asleep during the show and took a nice little nap. While he napped, Grant rode Splash Mountain. I was going to ride Big Thunder next, but the ride was closed for a bit. We got fast passes for each, though, for later.

Geoff was awake again and getting hungry, so we went to Pirates, our old stand by. The only problem is that WDW's Pirated is woefully short - 7 minutes - less then half the length of ours at home. So Geoff got a snack. We went to Cosmic Rays to share the BBQ combo plate for dinner (our meal plan doesn't come into effect until today). I tried to feed Geoff there, but he would not focus, so I gave up and took him to the baby care center. It sprinkled a little bit on the way there. At the baby care center, they have a very nice nursing room, with four rockers. It was dimly lit and peaceful, although Geoff was fascinated by the Victorian lamp next to us. However, he finally did hunker down and get a nice feeding. The rockers here form a sort of circle, so it was nice to be able to chat quietly with some of the other nursing mommies.

We met Grant outside and went back to use our fast passes - I rode Splash and Big Thunder, and then he rode Big Thunder. While he rode, Geoff and I found the perfect spot to watch Spectromagic, right in front of Country Bear. I probably should have kept Geoff in his stroller, but I didn't want to block anyone's view so I held him on my lap - it was pretty warm for that and he got kind of fussy between each float. But when the floats were in front of us, he was mesmerized. We also got attention from a lot of the characters (Smee, a butterfly) who came up to say hello to Geoff (he is a people-stopper - people always comment on how cute he is!).   We were also close to some cast members who knew people in the parade, which often caused parade characters to interact with them and each other in funny ways - for example, the two ostriches that had a bird-fight. So funny!

After the parade, we used our Peter Pan fastpass. While we were on the ride, we had one of those Florida 30 second down pours. We stayed dry on the ride. Our stroller, however, did not. Luckily, I had brought the carrier, so Geoff hung out on the carrier with me. We exited the ride at 10, which is when the fireworks were supposed to start - however due to the storm, they were delayed until about 10:15, which gave us a chance to get Geoff in the carrier, grab our stuff, and find a place to watch Wishes.

After the fireworks (Geoff did pretty well - they were loud and he got a bit fussy towards the end - not sure if the sound bothered him or my attempt to cover his ears did) we went to watch Mickey's Philharmagic. We talked to the cast members and they let us stay for two shows in a row (since it was not crowded at this point and it was the last two shows of there evening) so I could nurse Geoff during the shows. We left the park at about 11:15, taking the monorail back to our car at the Polynesian and heading home.

Fun fun fun!!!!

Friday, Aug. 14th - Blizzard Beach

Today, we went to Blizzard Beach. We got there around 1:30, hoping that the afternoon would bering thinning crowds but also that we'd get a few hours before any storms came in.

After finding a spot for our stuff, We hopped in the lazy river for two rotations - The river is long and each complete circuit takes about 30 minutes! They have these cool "baby" innertubs that don't have holes in the middle - just plastic - so little ones can't fall through. It was perfect for Geoffrey!

Next, I fed Geoffrey while Grant went and rode a slide. Then, while Geoff napped, we went to ride more slides. Blizzard Beach is nice because it was quite east to navigate his stroller to the bottom of the slides, so we could switch off watching him and riding. Some of the lines weren't very long, so we got to ride those slides a few times. Geoff didn't nap for very long, but he played happily in his stroller.

After a while, we headed to the wave pool. Here, Geoff wore a life jacket. He LOVED floating on his back in the waves, and he also loved when Grant or I bounced him up and down in the water! Then Geoff and I got out so I could feed him again, and then Grant and I did a few more slides. We finished off our wonderful day with a few more revolutions in the now - pretty much empty - lazy river!

We stayed until park close at 7:30. The crowds really thinned out, the weather was overcast and not too warm (78 when we left) and no lightning forcing us out of the water. We were VERY lucky and had a fantastic time!

Now, Geoff is napping, and Grant is picking up pizza for dinner. Yummy!

Dowtown Disney

Last night, we went to Downtown Disney. The pouring rain stopped, so a lot of people came back out - it was pretty crowded. First I went to guest relations to add the water parks fun and more option to our tickets. Then, we saw that on the stage by the World of Disney, there was going to be a Yo-Yo show starting in 5 minutes! That was fun to watch.

We had dinner at Fulton's Crab House - I got dungeness crab and Grant had mahi mahi. After dinner, we did some browsing in the stores and then headed for home. Geoff had another good sleeping night!

Aug. 12 and 13th

On Wednesday, we started our day with a quick swim in the pool. Then we ran some errands. We find a lady selling baby stuff on Craig's List, and bought an exersaucer and a play mat/gym for Geoff for $30. So glad we did as he has used them both lots already! We went to Costco, Verizon (my phone crapped out), and Target as well. Back at our town home, we rested (Geoff did not sleep well last night) and washed his new toys before heading out to dinner at Texas Road House - Way yummy!

Our plan for Thursday was to go to the community pool in the afternoon, and Downtown DIsney in the evening. We went to lunch at Five Brothers Burgers, which was really good, but sort of pricier then we expected. On the way back, this huge storm started up - we sat in our car in the driveway for 20 minutes while buckets poured down (you know we're not afraid of rain, and yes, the door was maybe 10 steps away - but it was POURING and the lightning was right over head!) Now we're inside,   listening to the storm. According to the weather channel, 4 inches fell in the last hour, as well as 11,000 lightning strikes. And it looks like it is going to be the worse right here over Kissimmee for the next 2 hours. I guess we'll put off our pool plans... Stay Tuned....

Orlando/Kissimmee - Arrival Tuesday, Aug. 11th

On Tuesday, Aug. 11, we left for Florida. We took Jet Blue out of Long Beach. On this flight, the plane seats are 2 and 2, and the flight was expensive, so we only bought 2 tickets, and took Geoffrey as a lap baby.

The first leg of the flight   (Long Beach to Austin) was pretty full. We gate checked Geoff's stroller and car seat, as well as one of our carry-on suitcases (the plans is small, so the larger carryons can't fit.)

I nursed Geoff on the way up to prevent ear problems, and he fell asleep. He slept for the first 45 minutes of the flight. When he woke up, he played quietly for awhile and then got a little antsy. Grant walked with him to the front of the plane and Geoff was happy up there for about 20 minutes. He fell asleep again, and slept and nursed for most of the descent into Austin.

Our plane only stopped in Austin for about 40 minutes, so those of us continuing on to Orlando were asked to stay on. Geoffrey was happy watching people get off and then laying on the seats while Grant stood and stretched. The flight to Orlando was only half full, with many empty rows in the back. Although we planned to move back, conveniently, the row directly across from us was empty, so Grant moved there and we each had our own row. Geoff followed a similar schedule of napping on the way up, playing in the air (this time, I walked him to the back, and he and I talked with a nice flight attendant), and then napping just before we landed. All in all, he did very well on the flights - no crying at all, and just a little bit of antsy fussing!

At the airport, Grant got the bags and rented the car while Geoff and I sat with the bags. We were directed to take any car in the midsize row... so we walked all the way down to the end and found a Kia Rondo - woohoo! Plenty of room!

We swung by the rental office and got our welcome packet and then came to our townhome. Our town home is at Windsor Hills in Kissimmee - this is the closest off-property place to WDW I've ever stayed! The town home is nice - it has a driveway right out front, steps from the door. On the first floor is a bedroom with a queen bed, a bathroom with a shower, a big kitchen, and a big family room. Beyond that is a screened in lanai with a small (12 x 12) pool that has one corner that is about 5 feet deep. Upstairs is a washer/drier, a bedroom with two twin beds and bathroom with a tub/shower combo, and a master bedroom with a king bed and bathrom with a shower/tub combo. The town home is awesome - we'd stay here again. The bedrooms are a little small, but otherwise, the place is great!

We went to walmart to get some needed supplies and then headed back for the night!

 

Last Night

Last night went so much better!!!

Yesterday, I made an extra concentrated effort to feed Geoffrey enough. When he stopped, I didn't give up (most of the time.) Also, he seemed tired a lot, and I took advantage of his more tired, down times, to feed him. Finally, I just settled in for an hour of feeding most times to combat his activity.

I fed him solids twice, sweet potatoes in the morning and apples in the afternoon. He still does not seem to like apples, even mixed with rice cereal. It is the only different reaction I've seen to feeding him any kind of food - he sticks out his tongue and lets it drip out - he doesn't even try to eat it. (Yet, the other day he grabbed a lemon out of my water, and as we waited and watched for what we were sure would be an amusing reaction, he just happily licked it / put it in his mouth, with no sour face at all!)

For his last feeding, we were going to try a bottle mixed with rice cereal (1 tablespoon of cereal to 8 ounces of milk). He was so hyper and so full of energy, he would not sit still for the bottle. He wasn't fussy or hungry (in which case I think he would have taken the bottle). He had just nursed for an hour  and had some solids. I was just trying to cluster feed / tank him up. He was at that last big burst of energy before bedtime. So, he wouldn't take the bottle, but he would nurse from me (it helped him calm down), so I went ahead and nursed him.

He fell asleep and woke up 7 1/2 hours later to eat! Huzzah!!! Then he slept for two more hours. So hopefully think means my hunch was correct, and he was not eating enough during the day. Hopefully this plan continues to work!

At WDW - we can spend lots of time in the baby care center, or we can do lots of smaller feeds more often (15 minute feeds every 2 hours or so). This has worked for us in the past, and can work well if we're, say, watching shows at the parks.

I feel better. I know it is only one day - but it is amazing what a nice long chunk of sleep will do for you!!!!

 

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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5 1/2 Month Dr. Visit

On Tuesday, Geoffrey had his 5 1/2 month doctor visit. Geoffrey looks healthy and is doing well. Dr. Chang said that if he rolls over at night and we see when we check on him, then we should put him back, but it is ok if he rolls back over again.

He grew an inch - and is now 27 1/2 inches long (90th percentile), but he only gained 2 1/2 ounces (16 11 1/2) which puts him at the 50th percentile for his weight. This was a little concerning, but I know he hasn't been eating well since he gets so distracted lately. This is similar to what happened 2 months ago. I just need to make sure Geoffrey eats for a good 10 minutes on each side - which is proving to be easier said then done, but it's our goal.

Geoffrey had two shots today. They were given by a new nurse who is training. WHen it was time to get ready for the first one, I had his hands, Grant was dangling a toy, and Nurse Florence, who was supervising the new nurse, was making funny noises. Geoff thought all of this attention was great! When the nurse put his shot in, Geoffrey looked down at it, and smiled. SMILED! What? We all busted out laughing! Nurse Florence was like, "Geoffrey! You never do that for me! My ego is hurt!" Shot number two didn't earn a smile - in fact a look like he was going to cry passed over his face for a brief instant - but all of our attention kept him happy. It was the best shot experience ever! Nurse Florence was laughing about this 10 minutes later while we were checking out!!!

His next visit will be Sep. 17th - he'll be almost 7 months, and that's when he'll get his 6 month vaccinations. 

Camping

We just returned from a camping trip at Lake Edison.

On Sunday, Angie, Andrew, Cori, and Andrew's friend AJ, and Grant, Geoffrey, and I drove to Fresno. We ate at John's Incredible Pizza, and then spent the night at a Marriott Residence Inn. The next day, we drove up to the campground. The last 18 miles heads up over the Kaiser Pass on a one lane road that I thought was pretty scary. It took an hour and a half to travel those last 18 miles. Poor Geoffrey's ears hurt!

The campground was beautiful. They had two sites reserved for us (Gary and Belle drove up on Monday and met us at the Marriott.) The sites were both in a small valley, so it was like we had one big campsite.

We spent our days walking around, playing, and relaxing. We found two geocaches - one at our camp site and one across the lake. We went swimming in the lake (which we estimated to be high 50s/low 60s). Angie brought a telescope and we went down to the lake to stargaze.

Geoff did very well - as Grandpa Gary said, he was a happy camper! He slept in his pack n play for most of the night, but once the sun came up, he slept with mommy and daddy under the sleeping bag. He loved being in the carrier and walking around!

Of course - there was the bear visit! A bear broke the window on our van and got away with some of our dry food goods! I didn't hear it, but poor Angie did - didn't exactly make for a good night's sleep!

Camping dinners are, of course, yummy. We had hamburgers and hotdogs, beef stew, chicken and dumplings, and pot roast. We also had campfire pie, finally, which everyone agreed was a hit! (We used apples and blueberries.)

We camped for five nights, and drove home on Saturday. We followed eachother down the mountain, and then separated. Grant and I had to stop a few times to adjust the tarp that was covering the back broken window, and to feed Geoffrey. We ate at The Elephant Bar - so yummy! I would LOVE if they opened one closer to us!

All in all, we had a great vacation! I love summer! I love Grant! I love Geoff! I love Belle!

Sleep

Ok - The real Ferberizing begins!

Naps - So Geoff is now pretty good about taking naps in his crib. We are out and about a lot, so our goal is one nap a day in his crib, which seems to work well. The other naps he takes in his stroller or car seal, unless we are home.

Night - He's always been really good about falling asleep at night, so no issue there. His current routine is a feeding at 11:30, followed by a book and a song, and then in bed by around 12:15. He usually sleeps until about 10:30 - 11:30 the following day.

Middle of the Night - So here is the new part. Geoff can go 9 - 10 hours without eating, so he only needs to wake up once to eat (if at all.) At this point, I am ok, with one night feeding, but I'd ideally like to eliminate it by Disney World - we'll see though.

So what we're doing is extending the time between feedings - I know he can go 8 hours, he's done it before - but we started with 5 hours. So the first night, I fed him at 11:30, and was not going to feed him again until 4:30. He woke up at 2:30 (He must have known something was up because he never wakes up at 2:30!) So we used the progressive wait approach (Ferberize). We started with 15 minutes, because that's what we're up to a nap time. He cried for 15 minutes - so I went in to tell him I loved him, but I didn't pick him up and I didn't feed him. Next, Grant took the monitor down stairs with him (he was still awake) and came up at 3:05. Geoff was still crying while Grant walked up the stairs, but when Grant reached the door... silence - Geoff had fallen asleep! Grant waited 10 minutes to be sure, but indeed, Geoffrey was asleep. He didn't wake up to eat until 7:00!

Last night, I pushed back the waiting until 5:00 - and he woke up to eat at 5:30. Although we probably could have used the progressive wait method again, and not fed him until later, I didn't because I am ok with feeding him once at this point (and he didn't wake up again until 11:30) and beause I am going to keep pushing it out - tonight, I won't feed him until 5:30 (if he wakes up earlier, etc.)

Camping may throw a kink in it - we certainly can't let him cry at the camp ground in the middle of the night! But once we're back from camping, I'll start again with this and see how far we get by Florida. Since we'll most likely have a condo in Florida, I can still do this and not worry about his crying waking the neighbors (if it gets to that! Last night, we didn't have a middle of the night crying session, so you never know!) Hopefully by the cruise, he'll be sleeping all night - or up for just one feeding!

Sweet Potatoes

On Friday, July 10th, Geoffrey started Sweet Potatoes. We mix it in with his rice cereal, for now. He treats it pretty much the same as the rice cereal. He either lets it sit in his mouth, or chews it a bit, before eventually swallowing it. he doesn't spit it out, for the most part, but he does lose interest pretty quickly.

After Geoffrey's appointment we went on bought a food processor and some ice cube trays so we can make our own baby food. We now have 64 frozen cubed portions of sweet potatoes ready for Mr. Geofferson. Thanks, Daddy!

4 1/2 month Doctor Visit

On Thursday, Geoffrey had his next Doctor's visit with Dr. Chang. He did really well. It was nap time, so he fell asleep in the waiting room. For once, we didn't mind a long wait (there were a few newborns who always get priority after lunch) because it enabled Geoff to sleep for about a half an hour. When Dr. Chang came in, he was just ready to wake up, but still dazed enough to not resist too much when she checked his ears and mouth and everything.

He now weighs 16 pounds, 9 ounces, (75th percentile) and he is 26 1/2 inches long (90th percentile). So he is doing really well. Geoffrey's new suggested diet consists of fruits and veggies twice a day, however, this is still just practice. We're supposed to introduce a new fruit or veggie every week so that we can watch for allergies. It is also ok if we choose to skip a day because we're out because he really is not gaining nutrition from it yet.

Also, she says that Geoffrey can certainly go 10 hours without needed to eat now, so I need to get better about letting him go back to sleep without feeding him.

At the end of the visit, Geoffrey got a few more vaccines. Again, having just woken from a nap helped because he was in a pretty good mood. First he had his oral rotovirus vaccine - which he treated like he pretty much treats his food - he let it sit in his mouth without too much swallowing. But it eventually went down. Then he got two shots - PCV and DTAP (which can be painful). He handled these shots well - not getting too too upset. He cried after the first one but was easily distracted from his cries. The second one he cried more, but we could then pick him up right away, so daddy made him feel much better.

This round of vaccines were the same as the vaccines he got 2 months ago at his 2 1/2 month visit.

Chip

When we were at Goofy's Kitchen, Chip came up to Geoff and tried to engage him. Geoff had looked at most of the characters with fascination, but this time, h just wouldn't look at Chip. He was too busy staring and smiling... at me! After a few minutes, CHip shrugged and took a pen and wrote on our table cloth "He only has eyes for you...."

Ah... I love my boy.

Starting Solids

At Geoff's last visit, Dr. Chang told us to start feeding him rice cereal once he turned four months. She said it was important that he start learning how to eat solids because some babies will get so accustomed to drinking their meals that they won't adjust well when they nutritionally need solids. (I have also read somewhere that at 4 months, babies are still pretty malleable, but that the older they get, the harder it is to change routines.) Basically, solids right now or "dessert" - they are not for nutrition, but for practice.

For some reason that I have not been able to explain clearly, I was resistant to the idea of starting solids yet. I'm sure these contribute - but I don't know if they really explain it: I love breastfeeding, and do not look forward to the day when he won't need it anymore... right now, I know he is getting healthy food, but once he starts eating solids, you never know... the practicality of it - his diapers are easy to deal with and don't smell bad (and, weird as this sounds - I think I am going to miss his newborn - exclusively breastfed diapers...) ... I feel proud of myself that he is so healthy and thriving because of me, and I think in my brain I connected his lower (percentile) weight at his last doctor's visit to the fact that he is only breastfed and she wants him to start solids - so I feel like maybe I am not adequate and he needs more now (instead of at 6 months.) I know many of those reasons are silly, but it was just how I was feeling. (Grant says it is his first step towards moving out and that is why I am so resistant... hee hee)

Anyway, we decided to star solids on July 4th. The main reason was because we have a Doctor's appointment today (July 9) and I figured it was best that we at least attempted it before the doctor visit so we could discuss any issues with Dr. Chang (rather then start after and have to wait a whole month to see Dr. Chang if there ARE issues. Of course, she is great about returning calls, but still. It was a good kick in the pants for me!

We are starting Geoff on rice cereal, and he has had it on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday so far. Even on day one, he didn't spit it out - but he did make the cutest faces and sort of work it around in his mouth before swallowing. He definitely needs to learn how to swallow - I guess that's what this practice is for - but I do think the majority of it ended up in his tummy. (I guess I was thinking he might just spit it out completely, showing that he wasn't ready for solids yet - but alas - he did not.) On Sunday he started crying after about two bites, but the rest of the time he ate more.

We are starting out with 2 tablespoons of rice cereal mixed with an ounce of breast milk once a day, and he eats about half of it. We'll see what Dr. Chang says, but after about a week, we'll probably up it to twice a day.

My little boy is growing up!

20 week thoughts

On Friday, Geoff will be 20 weeks old.

Although he can roll over, he doesn't do it often. He has started playing in his exersaucer for short periods. He loves the toys, but he gets frustrated because he can't balance very well yet.

He works hard to scoot his knees under his body - he might be crawling before we know it! He also likes to "walk" when you hold his hands.

He loves to hold his feet now (and sometimes chew on them) - especially when you are trying to change his diaper.

He laughs a lot now - sometimes you can make him laugh when you tickle him or make silly noises.

He also started this silly slouching trick - when you try to hook him into his car seat - he slouches and scoots down way low - and laughs... It is both annoying and cute - I think he is trying to be funny.

Sleep - his sleep is variable. When he first got back from Vegas, he continued waking up twice at night. Then, he moved to waking up only once - sleeping 5 - 7 hours between feedings. However, this is not consistent - as the last few night he's started waking up again twice.

Michael Jacoson Memorial

I am watching the Michael Jackson memorial - and having a very hard time. I am so sad. He really did leave to early. He had more to give, more to prove. I am mostly so terribly sad for his children - how awful to lose your parent. He was poised for a comeback. I hope he found happiness. I know there are people all over the world who die in terribly sad circumstances - and maybe Michael's death sort of represents that - but he touched so many people - so many watched him grow up - Celebrity really extends your family, for better and for worse.

Geoff is singing along with Mariah Carey and Trey Lorenz... "I'll be there..." with his high pitched squeals.

Now Queen Latifah is speaking. Her eulogy is perfect.

Jennifer Hudson's - "Hold Me" with Michael's own words at the end - God, that got the tears going.

"There was nothing strange about your daddy... it was strange what he had to deal with."

Brooke Shields. Beautiful. Thank you for helping us see him.

Paris... this just is not sinking in for me. So sad.

Disneyland Trips #8 & #9

Tuesday, June 30th

Grant, Geoff, and I went to Disneyland last Tuesday. It wasn't too crowded. We got there in the afternoon. WE started out at Disneyland, riding Pirates, The Haunted Mansion, and Winnie the Pooh, before heading over to DCA to watch the Electrical Parade. Geoff LOVED the parade. He fell asleep while waiting for it, but woke up to watch it and couldn't stop staring at the bright lights. After the parade, we went back to Disneyland and rode its a small world. On our way out, we hopped on the Flying Dumbos for Geoffrey's first "flight," since there was no line. (I remember repeating my story to Grant about seeing Michael Jackson on the flying dumbos. I'm watching Micheal's memorial as I type this.)

Tuesday, July 7th

We went to Disneyland with Angela, Andrew, and Cori to celebrate Andrew's 10th birthday. We met at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel and had a yummy buffet brunch. While there, we were visited by Pluto, Fairy Godmother, Chip, Dale, Belle, Balloo, and, of course, Goofy. After lunch, we went over to Disneyland via the monorail. Once there, Angie sat with Geoff while Grant, Cori, Andrew, and I rode Star Tours. After that, Andrew tried to get into Jedi training. Unfortunately, it was VERY crowded and he didn't get picked. He was pretty bummed, so we quickly moved on - after a spin on Buzz Lightyear, Andrew was happy again.

We headed over to DCA so that Andrew could ride Tower of Terror. He rode with Grant while Angie, Cori, Geoffrey and I rode Monster's Inc. Next, we headed over to California Screamin'. Andrew and I rode (and sat in the front!) while Cori and Angie rode the carousel and Grant sat with Geoffers. Then Andrew rode the Maliboomer as a single rider. We all saw It's Tough to be a Bug, next. Then, Grant, Cori, and Geoff went to stake out a bench for the parade while Andrew, Angie, and I went on Tower of Terror.

While we waited for the parade, Angie and Grant went to get dinner (soup in bread bowls) while Cori and Andrew played in the SS Rustworthy. We ate dinner and then watched the Electric Parade. Geoff was so cute. He stared in awe again at the entire parade. When it ended, I handed him to Grant and he fell asleep within a minute. SO CUTE!

We headed back to Disneyland again. Cori slept in the stroller and I carried Geoff in his carrier. Andrew finally got to ride Indiana Jones with Angie and Grant while I sat aith Geoffrey and Cori. Then, Angie, Geoff, Drew, and I rode the Haunted Mansion while Grant sat with Cori and watched Fantasmic. We exited Haunted Mansion just as Fantasmic ended, so instead of dealing with the crowds - Angie and I sat with Geoff and Cori while Grant and Andrew went and rode Splash Mountain and Winnie the Pooh.

All in all, it was a great day. I think Andrew had an awesome birthday!

4th of July

What a fun day we had! Geoff, Grant, Gary, Belle, Lyon and I attended the Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade! We stopped by to see the Mosich's and sat in front of the hotel on PCH and 8th and watched the parade go by. It was a nice spot because it was shady and on the grass - which was good for us and the dogs. True, we didn't have the clearest vantage point of the parade, but I really enjoyed it!

That afternoon, we went over to DOnna and Gary's and had a yummy hot dog bbq followed by some wii. Poor Belle was wigging out from the fireworks (although Lyon couldn't care less!) At nine, we went home and headed up on the roof to watch the fireworks (last year of that for a while - I don't see myself taking a toddler up there!)

After the fireworks, we went back downstairs and watched the Macy's fireworks and Geoffrey played in his exercauser for the first time! Fun! He really liked it!

All in all, it was a very fun day - with lots of first for Geoffrey!

Las Vegas Friday/Sasturday - Heading Home.

This morning we mostly focused on moving. Mom and Bobby went early to check in to the MGM Signature. Grant and I called the bell men and we were assured that they were able to deliver our bags to the Signature for us. (We were checking out of MGM because our deal was over, and the room would be $300 if we wanted to stay one more night.)

Once we checked out, we drove over to Mandalay Bay to try their new buffet - which was really good. They had a diverse offering, and the setting was very tropical. After lunch, we took turns playing in the casino a bit and sitting with Geoffrey in the shopping area.  Then we headed up to Lush where we bought incredibly expensive bath bombs to use in the jacuzzi tub that night.

Back at the Signature, we checked in and headed up to our room to await the arrival of our luggage so we could go swimming one more time. Unfortunately, our luggage arrived 3 hours later, and we were unable to swim. Oh well. It was nice just relaxing and spending time with Mom and Bobby. While watching tv, we saw an add for Outback Steakhouse and decided to go there for dinner - we found one off the strip so it wasn't crowded.

Back at the hotel, we said goodnight. Grant, Geoff, and I took a bath in our huge jacuzzi bath tub using one of the bath bombs. Geoffrey LOVES the water, so he enjoyed it!

The next morning, Grant and I checked our stuff with the bellmen and packed up Mom and Bobby's stuff. We went to breakfast at IHOP. As we were pulling in I noticed that if you presented a receipt from the outlet mall across the parking lot from that day, you would get 20% off of the bill. So we sent Grant and Bobby to Carter's to get a $4 clearance onesie for Mr. Geofferson which ended up getting us $8 off our bill.  

After breakfast, we went back over to Carter's and did a little more shopping. Then we drove Mom and Bobby to the airport and said goodbye :o(

Grant, Geoff, and I went back to the hotel and got our stuff and headed home. Geoffrey did well for the first two hours, but then he started wailing. I got in the back wit him and fed him a bottle. Between that and me playing with him, he was pretty much fine for the rest of the trip home. We made it back in four hours (only stopping once at a rest stop and once for me to get in the back) and we returned the rental car with time to spare. Mom and Bobby got home at almost the same time we did!

Our first vacation with Geoffrey was awesome! Things I learned:

1) Vegas is not exactly baby friendly. Not all restrooms had changing tables and it was hard to find places to nurse. However, it can be done, and I would do it again.

2) Help is always wonderful!

Las Vegas - Thursday

Finally! A break from the MGM buffet. Today, we went to eat at Le Village Buffet at Paris. When we arrived, I tried to find a bathroom with a changing table (the one next to the lobby) while Mom, Bobby, and Grant paid. I got back just as we were seated.

Wile we were eating, Grant got the text that Michael Jackson had had a heart attack, and then that he died. I couldn't believe it! I was really in shock. Poor MJ. All the money in the world and he couldn't get the help he needed. Sounds like so many celebrities I know of...

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel, enjoying a stroll down the strip. It wasn't too hot most of the time. Back at the hotel, we watched some of the Michael Jackson footage, and Mom and Bobby got ready to see Ka. While they were at the show, we did some packing. We met them down in the casino after their show was over and we walked to Fat Burger for dinner, enjoying a nice evening on the strip, and taking some pictures. It was a pretty relaxing day.

Las Vegas - Wed. June 24

Wednesday June 24

Today, Grant and I woke up in time to get breakfast at the buffet. Hee hee. Mom and Bobby had already gone, so they spent the morning with a very happy Geoffrey while Grant and I had breakfast, and then drove over to the Venetian to exchange vouchers for their Phantom tickets.

After that, Mom and Bobby went to do the TV research thing they have at MGM. They watched an episode of CSI and then rated it. Mom. Because of her age, got asked to participate in a further study – which took her an extra hour and earned her $50! In the mean time, Grant and I hung out with Geoffrey and watched the wind and rain outside our windows, and then met Bobby to play slots. When it was my turn (while Grant walked around with Geoffers) I got a straight flush on one of the poker machines! Fun! I ended up walking away $10 richer. Hey big spender!

When Mom was finished, we had lunch before heading upstairs to get ready for the show.

While I was changing Geoffrey's diaper, I did a raspberry on his tummy and he started LAUGHING! It was so cute! I had given him raspberries before and he didn't really react, so this time it was adorable! So fun!

Geoffrey and I had a fun evening playing together. He even took a nap long enough for me to get a majority of this blogging finished! Meanwhile, Grant, Mom, and Bobby thoroughly enjoyed seeing Phantom of the Opera. It happened to be the 3 year anniversary of the show, so the guy who played the Phantom came out and spoke, and there was a big cake for the cast! This makes Phantom the longest running Las Vegas musical. They had great seats - 3^rd row center or the mezzanine.

Geoff and I met them for dinner at – you guessed it – the MGM buffet. Yum. Did I mention that I've been eating a lot of sushi? Oh... and sugar free desserts... hee hee.

Vegas - Tuesday June 23

Tuesday June 23

We all slept in this morning, so we went to lunch together at the buffet. Most of the food was pretty similar to the day before, and the lines were still long. After lunch, we strolled down to the half price ticket booth to get a discount coupon for the Village buffet at Paris as well as Mom, Bobby, and Grant's tickets for Phantom.

Mom and Bobby walked over to New York New York to check out the new casino, while Grant, Geoff and I went to the pool. Geoff had fallen asleep but woke up early and cranky. He wasn't as happy in the water – it wasn't that he disliked the water, but he was still sleepy. I put him on my shoulder and we walked around the river, and Geoff fell asleep. He slept on my shoulder for about a half an hour as Grant and I went 'round and 'round the pool! When he did wake up, he was in a better mood. We went around a few more times before I got out to feed him.

We headed up to our room and met up with Mom and Bobby. After dinner at – you guessed it, the buffet – we went out for a walk. Geoff was so tired from swimming, that he napped for three hours – from 9:00 – 12:00! We were afraid that he wouldn't sleep at night, but he did! He fell asleep while we were finishing dinner, and slept as we walked over to New York New York (we were very disappointed in the new casino – very plain – it lost must of its character,) on to the Bellagio where we watched the fountain show at 10:45 and 11:00, and then walked back to the hotel. He finally woke up as we approached the hotel, so we took a few minutes to look at the Rain forest Cafe. We visited the aquarium (although Geoff was more interested in the bubbles) and the alligator. Back at the room, he ate and then went right to bed! What a good boy!

 

Las Vegas Monday 6/22

Monday, June 22

This morning, Mom and Bobby woke up before we did, so they headed down the the MGM buffet for breakfast. Then they played in the casino a bit while Grant and I had lunch with Geoffrey. The buffet had good food, but had a very poor lay out. I've eaten SO MUCH sushi at this buffet!

After lunch, we went out to the pool. We found a shady spot near the lazy river and settled in. Geoff was sound asleep, so Mom (Grandma) held him while Grant and I took a lap in the river. Then, Bobby and Grant took a lap while I sat with Mom and Geoff. Once Geoff woke up, we all went in the lazy river. He loved it! We started out in the shallow pool so he could get used to the water, and then we went to the river. Mom and Bobby had found an inner tube, so we took turns riding it with Geoff sitting on our lap. He was fine going under the waterfalls and everything! People kept commenting on how cute he looked with his swimming trunks, swim shirt, hat, and sun glasses. Mr. Cool.

After a while, we got out, and I fed Geoffrey. This was the easiest place (other than the hotel rooms, of course) to feed Geoffrey. He's been pretty good about sleeping when he needs to. He is talking lots of little naps throughout the day – and sleeping from about 1AM to about 10 or 11 AM, with one night feeding. He's doing really well!

After our day in the pool, we went down to dinner at the buffet. We were a little bummed that the food at dinner was almost identical to the food at lunch, with a few small exceptions (crab legs and shrimp, for example.) The lines were horrendous.

After dinner, we went up to the room and realized that we had left our diaper bag at the buffet. Bobby called down and they located it and gave it to the cashier. Meanwhile, Grant and I were talking to a manager. The manager checked his office but it wasn't there (because it was with the cashier). We tried to explain that to the manager, and although he was very friendly and was trying to be helpful, he was severely overwhelmed by the long lines – the buffet was not set up to handle the crowds there promotions were bringing in (besides the deal we had – free buffets included with the rooms) they also had an all day pass anyone could buy for $30. IN any case, Grant left to drop off Mom and Bobby for he Blue Man Group while I waited around for the manager to call me back to tell me he had located the bag.

Once I got the bag, I went upstairs and waited for Grant. We had a nice evening with Geoffrey. We went to pick up Mom and Bobby from their show, and then went to Wal-mart for drinks and moleskin for blisters. They had some adorable Disney onesies that we got for Mr. Geofferson!

June 21 - Father's Day

Sunday, June 21^st.

Father's Day!

On Sunday, we packed up and moved to the MGM.

First, Geoff and I gave Grant his Father's day present – a picture frame with pictures of Grant and Geoff and a poem from Geoffrey. Then, Geoffrey wished Daddy a Happy Father's Day by spitting up all over Daddy's shorts. With only about 30 minuted left until check out, Grant decided to throw his shorts in the washer and at least get them washed – figuring they could hang dry at the MGM. Unfortunately, he forgot to take his iphone out of his pocket – so he washed his phone too! Of course, it was completely ruined – but at least he still had the accidental insurance, so he was able to get it replaced.

Bobby and Grant loaded the car up with all of our bags and drove over to the MGM, while Mom, Geoff, and I walked and met them there. There was no way we'd all fit in the car with all of our stuff!

We checked into the MGM – one room was ready, so we brought all of our bags in the room. Our room faced South-east, with a view of the airport and Hooters hotel. The room was large and very nice – It has a couch, table, and chair, and a king bed – the room is split into a sitting area and a sleeping area by a large wardrobe / TV chest. The room also has a fridge, a shower with a tub, and a separate shower. We really like it! Mom and Bobby's room is directly across the hall (11306 / 11305). There room faced south west – you could see New York, New York, Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay from there room.

We had lunch to celebrate Grant's first Father's Day at Mon Ami Gabi, his favorite restaurant at the Paris hotel. We gave both Bobby and Grant Father's Day cards and enjoyed a lovely meal in the Atrium. Grant and I split the French Onion Soup and an Endive, Blue Cheese and melon salad, and we all split a Pate appetizer. For entrees, Mom had a Spinach salad with Salmon and blueberries, Grant and Bobby had steak and frittes, and I had a fried green tomato grilled cheese sandwich. Delicious!

After lunch, we walked back to MGM, stopping at the Half Price Ticket booth. They had Bette Middler tickets for $64! We didn't think we'd be able to get into the Colosseum for that price, so we decided to get tickets for Mom, Bobby, and me. Later in the week, Grant, Mom, and Bobby would be seeing Phantom, but we decided to get Bette tickets since we'd never seen them for such a reasonable price!

Once we got back to the hotel, Mom and Bobby's room was ready, so we took some time to unpack. Bobby and Grant went to exchange our vouchers for our Bette tickets at Ceasers Palace, and went to the Venetian to get Mom and Bobby's Blue Man Group tickets for Monday night (these are the tickets they got from Dr. Phil.) Then Grant went to replace his iphone.

That night, Daddy and Geoffrey got to spend the evening together, while Mom, Bobby, and I got to see the Divine Miss M in concert! What an amazing experience. Bette Middler! THE Bette Middler! The show was everything I expected – hilarious and beautiful, with great music, great dancing, and comedy in a beautiful theater.

The show started late, and didn't end until 9:30, so we couldn't make it back to our hotel in time for dinner at the buffet. Our package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the MGM buffet. However, since the buffet closed at 10, we ended up going to The Burger Bar for dinner. Geoff, again, was great, sleeping through most of the meal. He got fussy at the end, because he was pretty hungry, so I left while they paid the bill and fed Geoffrey in the car.

(As a side note – that is the only really difficult part about having Geoff here – it is not a friendly place for nursing at all – hot outside, smoky inside with not a lot of quiet places to sit. Not a surprise, and easy enough to work around – just a comment.)

We joked about what people must think of us walking through the casino at midnight with such a little baby! I am sure there were some that didn't approve. On the other hand, we did see other families out, too! How your perspective changes when you have kiddos of your own, huh?

Saturday, June 20

Saturday, June 20^th

Geoffrey slept well in his pack and play. He did wake up for a night feeding, but considering the heat and how dry it is here in Vegas, I am actually glad he's eating at night to stay hydrated.

We picked up Mom and Bobby from the airport. It was so fun to watch Geoffrey play with Grandma and Grandpa! We went to the Mirage and had lunch at Cravings before heading back to the Marriott.

That night, Geoffrey got to spend the evening with Grandma and Grandpa, while Grant and I went to Bellagio to see Cirque Du Soleil "O," which we had not seen yet. This show is so cool – a traditional Cirque but with an amazing water stage! There were lots of excellent acts, including some great diving acts! We both really enjoyed it!

Geoff had a good time with Grandma and Grandpa. He ate almost 12 ounces when they fed him! He slept well again – waking up for one feeding.

Las Vegas - Geoffrey's First Vacation!

SO - I am way behind on my vacation blogging - 5 days in and I haven't even started! I must say, though, that it is harder now with Geoffrey to find time to sit down and blog. Typically I like to do a big chunk all at once - but I may just have to adjust to blogging about small bits here and there.... Hee hee -

Away we go!

Friday June 19

We left on Friday morning to drive to Vegas. We rented a car from LB airport and were on our way by noon. There was a lot of traffic until we got on the 15, and then it was smooth sailing. We stopped at Barstow for lunch, as well as at a rest stop for some stretching. Geoffrey did well for most of the ride - but towards the end, he couldn't sleep any more and was ready for a change from the car seat and some social time.

We checked into the Marriott Grand Chateau at about 6:00 PM, and we all enjoyed some stretch out time. The room we stayed in was a one bedroom – but it had a very odd lay out and was not an effective use of space. However, we certainly enjoyed the washer and dryer in our room!

After we settled in, we headed back out to dinner. We ate at Grand Lux at the Venetian. Geoff was very good – he slept through most of dinner and was pretty happy when he woke up.

We swung by Wal-mart to get some snackins before heading back to our hotel for the night.

16 week happenings! + rolling over!

Geoff sure had a busy week!

On Thursday night, Geoff came to our fifth grade wax museum and science fair! Everyone loved seeing him!

On Friday, he went to our Spring concert. Aunt Cathy Roh held him during the concert and he loved hearing the music!

On Saturday, he went to an Angels game! The Angels played the Padres and won - scoring nine runs - four of them home runs! It was so exciting! (Geoff, by the way, slept through the first 3 innings!)

Geoffers is such a good boy on all of these outings! He really travels well!

Plus, this weekend, Geoffrey rolled over! He rolled from his back to his stomach on Friday and again on Saturday! He likes to put his feet up. rolling into a ball, and then rolling over to one side... well now. a few times, he's managed to roll all the way!

15 1/2 week Pediatrician Visit

On Monday, Geoffrey went to visit Dr. Chang. He now weighs 15 pounds (which puts him in the top quarter) and 26 inches (still 90th percentile for length.) With Geoff spitting up so much, and starting to sleep longer at night, I was anxious to know that his weight was all right. So of course the fact that it proprtionally went down had me worried. However, Dr. Chang does not seem concerned. She said he looks healthy, strong, and happy, and that he is growing well. When I asked, she said that his length was great, and that he while not be a chunky baby, he is still doing very well. She seemed impressed that he was still exclusively on breast milk - no formula - and that I was pumping enough.

She also didn't seem concerned about Geoffrey's sleeping on daddy's schedule, which is good.

She wants us to start solids when he is 4 months. It is not for nutritional reasons at this point, but rather to get him used to eating solids so that when the time comes that he needs solids, he won't refuse food off of a spoon in preference to the nipple. At this point, just rice cereal. We haven't started yet - He won't be 4 months until June 20th. I asked her about delaying solids until he was 6 months - because I had really started thinking that I might want to do that. She said that if he refused the cereal or didn't seem interested, it was ok, and to try again in a few days or a week, but in general, she felt we should go ahead and start it.

I haven't really decided yet. His weight does concern me a bit and maybe a little rice cereal would help. Plus it is another source of iron. We'll see how the summer goes.

I am glad that summer starts for me when Geoffrey is turning 4 months. I feel like he is hitting a new developmental level at 4 months - new foods - new feeding patterns (the plan she gave us as a suggestion has him nursing 5 times a day, with rice cereal after the 2nd and 4th nursing), and new sleeping patterns (I can already tell that he can go 8 hours, sometimes longer, without a feeding at night for most nights... He's still sleeping now and he went down 8 1/2 hours ago.) I'll get to be home with him through this particular transitional time.

He also got two more immunizations - His HIB and Polio vaccines.
Neither of these are really known to cause reactions and just like last time, Geoffrey did just fine with them. When nurse Florence actually gave him the shots, it wasn't nearly as bad as last time... he didn't have any of those high pitched screams... just a pissed off cry and then he calmed down pretty quickly.

Pediestrian Only - Times Square

Times Square in New York City is now pedestrian only!!! Hurrah! I think that is such a good idea!!!! 

 

Traffic Light Cameras

HB decided against putting up those cameras and intersections to catch drivers that are running red lights. Thank goodness. What a waste of city money!!!!

 

Geoffrey Update - 15 weeks

In this edition:
Sleep
New Developments
Geoffrey's 7th visit to Disneyland

Sleep:
Well, Geoffrey's cranky period really seems to have subsided. Was it a growth spurt? Probably. But we also did some research and we thought his crankiness might have been due to the fact that he was getting too much night sleep and not enough day time sleep. With him sleeping 12 hours at night (with feedings) he wasn't tired enough to nap too much during the day, and yet he was still tired and needed that day time sleep. We've been cutting back his night time sleep, aiming for 10 hours, and that seems to help a lot.

Now Geoffrey is napping in his crib. Sometimes he is able to go right to sleep, and other times he needs some crying time before he falls asleep, but his crib naps are now 45 minute naps, not 10 minute cat naps here and there. However, he is still flexible enough to sleep in his car seat if needed, or down stairs, or in the pack and play and Nonna and Grandpa's.  

The last two nights (weekends) Geoff slept 8 hours and then 9 hours straight through! I still wake him up on work days at 6 to feed him before I leave, but in a week and a half, when summer hits, I think Mr. Geofferson will be able to go through some long stretches of sleep on his own!!!

New Developments:
Geoff is getting better and reaching and actually grabbing toys now in order to bring the to his mouth. Now that he can hold his head up well, he actually enjoys tummy time most of the time! He really is generally a happy, easygoing baby. He likes to make noise and can even laugh and giggle. So cute!!!

Disneyland
Last Thursday, Geoffrey went to DIsneyland for his 7th trip! We rode its a small world. His favorite part was the African scene because he loved looking at all the leaves and vines. We also rode the FInding Nemo Submarine Voyage and the new monorail. Fun!!!!

tidbits

Geoff went swimming inthe big pool for the first time yesterday. He's been in the jacuzzi several times and seems to like it a lot. We were not sure how he would handle the colder pool, but we didn't get a chance to find out - Danny inadverdently heated the pool to 92 degrees! He had fun and enjoyed it for about a half an hour!

Geoffrey has added a high pitched sqqueal/scream to his repitoire of sounds. He uses it when he plays with his toys, squealing happily. He also uses it when he's really worked up in a crying fit - when it escalates to that scream, daddy and I give each other a look. Daddy thinks it is funny. Mommy has premonitions of three year old temper tantrums, but right now still jumps at the sound of it to try to solve the problem.

One thing that is more related to pregnancy recovery - I have been losing my hair. Gobs of it. I know it is normal - but man, I cna't believe that I am not bald!!!!

Summer vacations!!

This summer's plans include:

Two trips to Vegas,
Camping in the Sierra Nevadas,
Disney World/Universal Studios Florida (for two weeks!)
and an 8 night cruise to Panama, Costa Rica, and Cozumel!

Spring Tv ends

Well, now it is time for crappy sumemrtime tv. Although I was thrilled with the ending of Amazing Race (Victor and Tammy), and satisfied with the end of Survivor (J.T.), the end of American Idol was a huge dissapointment with Kris Alan winning over Adam Lambert. Although Adam's music isn't my cup of tea, he was amazing at every performance and deserved the win.

Up now? I am way behind on Dollhouse,  Fringe, I have the finales of Lost and 24, and Ghost whisperer and Medium still seem to be churning out a few episodes. I am ecited about a new show, Glee, and I am willing to watch the Bachelorette to fill up my time. In the meantime, I am counting down to July (Why July??? Why not June???)  to start Big Brother - my summertime crack addiction ( i know it is bad, but I can't help it, I am addicted!) Not to mention I have this Netflix disk, Rachel got Married, that has been sitting here for a month. What a waste - sigh.

Plus - Sims 3!!!!!

3 months - observations

Geoffrey's Likes:

He loves Mommy and Daddy an Uncle Danny and Belle-dog.

He likes to laugh, and squeal, but his favorite noise to make right now is gurgling. He likes to get some saliva or milk pooled in his mouth and then smile and gurgle. He does this a LOT!

He loves his toys. He mostly still looks at them and bats at them, but he can start to hold some of the rings/links on his own. He can look at them for long periods and be amused, talking and laughing. He really is aware of them and interacts with them now! We use the toy bar on his swing, his rain forest mat, and now we bought a toy bar that can attach to different things, such as his car seat. He really enjoys these! It is quite cool to see how his interaction with them has developed!

He loves to suck on/chew his arms! He is really good at grabbing one hand or arm with the other now.

He loves baths/jacuzzis/warm water. I've been bringing his baby bath in the big bath so that he can take baths with me- that is a lot of fun! This weekend, we might go in the big pool - it was up to 85 degrees yesterday!

Being outside.

When Mommy sings to him.

Dislikes:

Sleeping in his crib during the day.

Shots (duh.)

(I am trying to think here - there was a reason I started a dislikes list and I can't remember what it was... ) He's actually a pretty happy baby - and the last few weeks of fussiness weren't a direct effect of something he didn't like. Hmmm.... maybe I'll come back to this.

Oh!!! Duh!!!! He still hates Tummy Time! I worry a bit about this - as I feel like he should be stronger with his tummy skills at this point - being able to hold himself up with his arms a little bit, but I know he'll catch up with this... but still - nothing will entice him - not mommy or daddy, not his toys. Most of the time he just cries! Poor guy. It makes mommy sad when he has tears!

Other Observations:

He is starting to sit upright with support. He uses his Bumpo for short periods. Sometimes we put his swing in the upright position, but lately he seems to be too excited and will sometimes tilt too far forward and then be leaning in front of the support pillows. He can also sit propped up on the couch or bed with blankets and pillows. He seems to like the view this way. We have started to take him in his stroller without the car seat attachment, too, once or twice.

 Outings:
Geoff has been to DIsney two more times. His 5th visit was a short one on Thursday, May 7th. We just did the Sleeping Beauty walk through, Mommy did Matterhorn, and we did Buzz Lightyear. His 6th visit was on Friday, May 15th. We went with angie, Andrew, and Cori. It was crowded - but the big people rode California Screamin', and we all rode on Mickey's Fun Wheel (formerly the Sun Wheel). Then we rode Tower of Terror before closing down DCA with 3 rides in a row on Monster's Inc. all together! Cori and Andrew came home with us. Andrew was a big help getting everything to the car. On the way home, Geoff was gurgling, and Andrew said, "I think he tried to say my name!" Cori flipped out and got mad because Geoff wasn't trying to say her name. Hee hee. She was pretty tired! It was kind of funny.

Geoff also takes lots of walks with Dad and Belle at night. He loves these and often stays awake looking around at everything!

He is also great about running errands to stores with us. He's also been to Round Table twice this week since Daddy discovered a new Round Table buffet in Fountain Valley!

He also enjoys visits from Nonna, and going over to Nonna and Grandpa's house, as well as Grandpa and Grandma DeeDee. He loves being a ham for the web cam when he talks to Grandma and Grandpa Bobby on Skype, too.

He's a busy boy! And he is truly loved - he brightens our days more then we could ever imagine!
 

3 months - Growth Spurt?

Geoffrey Walter is 3 months old. Dios Mio. He has grown and changed so much already!

I haven't blogged lately because the last two weeks were a little more difficult then usual. Nothing major, but for the most part, Mr. Geofferson was extra fussy. In the afternoons/evenings he would have very little content time, and would mostly cry or fuss or need to be held when he wasn't sleeping.

Daddy and I were perplexed. Did Geoff need a nap schedule? Although his night time sleep was fairly consistent, he had no schedule for day time sleep - he just snoozed when he was tired. It worked for daddy and I - and was really no big deal to us when Geoff slept. Could that be the problem? We started keeping track of is naps to see if we could develop a schedule, and tried to put him down for some. However, he cried most of the time we put him down, and seeing that he is still a bit young to Ferberize, that didn't go to well.

I started doing some research, and remembered that babies often have a major growth spurt around 3 months. Perhaps we were gearing up for that? '

In the meantime, we just cuddled and loved - and gave him lots of baths since he likes those. Lately, I've been getting in the big bath tub with him, and putting his baby bath in there with us.

On Thursday night, Geoff was like a new kid - he was happy and giggly and talky all night, with very few fussy periods! Friday night was pretty good, too! 

Was that the growth spurt? Was that it? I was waiting for something worse, but he seems much happier again! We'll observe the next few days and see!

Mother's Day

On Sunday, May 10th, I celebrated my very first Mother's Day with my wonderful family! I wanted to spend the day with Geoffrey and Grant - so we decided to drive down to San Diego for the day. We visited Balboa Park - Geoff slept almost the whole time. In retrospect, we probably should have woken him up at the park - because on the drive home he wasn't sleepy at all and cried for a large part of it - poor boy - at that point he wanted to play and stretch! Anyways, before the drive home, we went back to Kafe Yen in Pacific Beach - this Asian Fusion restaurant we had found by chance a few years ago. It was very yummy! It was a t dinner when Geoff first got a little fussy. Really over all, though, he did well. I loved being with my boys, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my very first Mother's Day, then with Grant and Geoff!

Grant and Geoff also gave me the most amazing Mother's Day gift. We now are members of the Disney Vacation Club! We own at Saratoga Springs! I am so excited for the family vacations and traditions we'll be able to develop at Disney World!

stupid e cards

they pretty much all charge now.

Hallmark e cards

Hallmark charges for most of their ecards now!

Chhh. I think not.

Idols on the Musical Theater Stage

We've seen the following Idols on stage:

Amy Adams in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Latoya London in The Color Purple
Taylor Hicks in Grease

I thought there was another....

Grease!

Last night, we saw Grease at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The cast did a really good job, and I enjoyed the show! I believe this is the first time I've seen a Broadway-caliber production of Grease!

Taylor Hicks did a cameo as "Teen Angel." I thought he did a good job with it - not over the top, but very good. At the end of the show, he performed a song off of his new album - that was fun to hear, too.

2 1/2 month pediatrician visit

On Monday, May 4, Geoff had a visit with Dr. Chang. Geoffrey is now 25 inches long and weighs 14 pounds! Dr. Chang says that he is doing very well - everything she checked - eyes, abs, back, ears, etc. looked good. He is tracking well with his eyes, and his neck is strong.

He got two shots - DTAP and PCV, and an oral rotovirus vaccine. Poor guy - he was already getting fussy before nurse Florence came back in, and he was crying through the oral vaccine. By the time he got the first shot, he was wailing, and the 2nd one brought a full blown, high pitched screech. Poor guy! I was holding him and Grant was holding me. He didn't have much reaction to the vaccine - no fever or anything - but he was definately fussier then usual on Tuesday.

10 weeks - 2 1/2 months!

Geoffrey is ten weeks old now - or 2 1/2 months. I guess I need to start talking in months now - but I am not ready for him to be old enough to start talking about him in months!

This week was sort of erratic as far as his sleep is concerned. One morning he woke up at 8:45, and another morning he woke up at 11:30! Still, the other three days were his normal 10 - 10:30 ish wake ups. However, this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) he has spent a LOT of time sleeping. Another growth spurt, perhaps?

On Thursday, Geoffrey made his 4th trip to Disneyland, and had his first park hopping experience! We started out at DCA and had dinner - it is the beginning of the food and wine festival. Then we went over to Disneyland. I fed Geoffrey in the baby care center, while daddy found a place to sit and check his email. Daddy texted us a picture and when we were done, Geoff and I tried to find him based on the pic he sent us. It was fun! After, we rode The Jungle Cruise, and then Grant rode Splash Mountain single rider. Next we went on Winnie the Pooh, which Geoff really seemed to enjoy - his eyes were huge as he took everything in! Daddy took Geoff on Winnie the Pooh again while Mommy rode Splash Mountain, and then we were able to jum in the line for Haunted Mansion in the very last group before the park closed!

This morning (Sunday) Geoffrey got his picture taken. Kelly, a music teacher at my district, came over and took some beautiful shots of him. We'll probably have Kelly come over and take shots every few months. Geoff was a very good boy for all of his pictures!

This afternoon, we went to a BBQ at Grandpa and Grandma Dee Dee's house. Aunt Tammy, Uncle Dave, Lexi, Aunt Darci, Uncle Scott, Drew, Parker, and Karson were there. What fun! Your cousins loved seeing you, and everyone else loved holding you!

Tomorrow we have a doctor's appointment for Geoff. I'll blog more then...

Wallpaper border

The wallpaper border that we chose for Geoff's room is Mickey at the Circus. It is bright with primary colors and very busy - one of the reasons we chose it was because we thought it would be stimulating for him.

We put it up midway around the room - I believe it is called a chair rail or something? In any case, it happened to align perfectly with the top of Geoffrey's changing table - just at his eye level. One of the things he loves to do when we change him is stare at his border - it is so cool! He really loves to look at it! We really made a good choice with it!

Rent at Corona Del MAr High School

Three protest high school's production of 'Rent'

About 300 counterprotesters shout them down.

By NIYAZ PIRANI

The Orange County Register

| Recommend 4

NEWPORT BEACH - Three members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas, who came to protest Corona del Mar High School's production of "Rent," were shouted down by 300 counterprotesters this afternoon at the school.

The group came with signs that read: "Fags are beasts" and "America is doomed." Another sign was anti-Obama, while a fourth sign used an obscenity and an image of a dead baby between two hamburger buns.

Counterprotesters' signs read: "Long live Elton John," "Hate is not a family value," and "Do you need a hug?"

After about 30 minutes of protesting, which started around 2 p.m., the three members of the Westboro Baptist Church asked police to escort them to their car. Students remained after the three left, holding signs and screaming and waving as drivers of passing cars honked.

Kaylin Alexander, a senior at Corona del Mar and of the counterprotesters, said "We think they are ridiculous. God loves everyone."

Fred Phelps, Jr., the son of the founder of the Kansas church, said, he was preaching to the crowd.

"(Rent) is catering to the totally out-of-control youth of this nation," Phelps said. "They've got no discipline, no morals. Only doom and destruction lie ahead for them."

Betty Phelps, also a member of the church, said, "This is the side of the fence we are always on. We speak the truth, and I don't know of any other church that does."

Rosanne Fall, of Costa Mesa and a member of the Orange County Equality Coalition, said, "We're here to support Rent. It's important for the kids.

We shouldn't discriminate based on sexual orientation."

Twenty Newport Beach police officers were on the scene for crowd and traffic control. There were no incidents or arrests at the protest, but there was a minor, noninjury traffic accident at the intersection of Eastbluff Drive and Jamboree Road.

The Tony Award-winning musical, plays tonight at 7:30 at the school and runs on select dates through May 2. The play deals with homosexuality and AIDS, became an on-again, off-again affair at Corona del Mar after drama teacher Ron Martin claimed that the school's principal, Fal Asrani, would not allow the play to go on. Asrani has denied that allegation and a "school-safe" version of the play was approved.

The play made its debut Thursday night in Corona del Mar's 230-seat Little Theatre.

Senior James Ramsey said he saw no reason for the "hoopla" because the school version has been pared down in comparison to the original.

"I think the school version does a very good job of bringing the material down and making it appropriate at a high school level," he said. "I feel like (homophobia) is just a common thing in high schools in general as well as in Orange County, being one of the most conservative counties in California."

Max Priestley, a sophomore and actor in the play, said the counterprotests are a peaceful way to express the students' side of the issue.

"It's amazing to do something this changing for so many people," he said. "Not just for me and the cast, but for so many others."