1,000 Words

Follow us to rookses.com

2009-06-27T09:47:00.001-07:00

Natalie's news is moving to rookses.com. Bret has worked hard over the last few months to make our own site more user-friendly (namely more Andrea friendly) so I can upload photos as easily as on this site. I'll be posting some updates soon, and that's where we'll share photos and tidbits about New Baby when he/she decides to arrive (I've still got two weeks, in theory)...

In the meantime, my craft blog will remain the same: rookspaperscissors.blogspot.com. I'm overdue for a few updates on that site, too...

Hope to hear from you at rookses.com!

Our little artist, video and photos

2009-06-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Natalie has always taken an interest in pens and paper. I suppose it's no wonder considering her mommy's love for such implements... This week, I got one of my biggest parenting thrills to date when Natalie started drawing recognizable faces!

First, Daddy drew a person with a blank face and she drew in the eyes, nose, and mouth in places most people would acknowledge to be facelike. Yesterday, she drew the circles for the faces herself and proceeded to fill in the rest of the features. Some are more abstract than others, but as a parent, I couldn't be prouder!

How do they do it?

2009-06-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

The creative team at Pixar is nothing short of purely amazing, and I'm ever so thankful for their clever collective genius. I still have a semblance of my sanity thanks to Pixar movies' high rewatch value. I'm currently watching "Toy Story 2" for the, oh, 40th time in recent memory, and I still like this movie.

I've mostly gotten over my qualms about letting Natalie watch movies nearly to her heart's content, largely because we make it out of the house most mornings. Plus, I think I'll come to rely on Pixar and friends more than ever during New Baby's first few weeks/months on the outside, and I don't want to feel too guilty about it!

Back to Pixar and my gratitude... We've recently rented some non-Pixar flicks, and they're fine to enjoy for one, maybe two viewings. After subsequent playings, they become first inane then insufferable. I don't think I could stomach any more "Madagasgar" or much more "Robots." They're just not as clever, or their modicum of cleverness is overshadowed by lowbrow jokes, too-trendy music, and flat plots... Somehow, Pixar has managed to avoid those pitfalls and has consistently created films that can be enjoyed 50-plus times by a toddler and her mommy...

Getting bigger

2009-06-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Five weeks till my due date, and I'm still getting bigger. This baby is quite active, at least compared to Natalie (yes, the comparisons begin before No. 2 is even born). Natalie was head down early on and content to stay that way. This one's all over the place, though roughly in the head-down position.

All kinds of fun

2009-06-06T18:10:00.001-07:00

Natalie showed up in the kitchen just in time to "help" make brownies one evening...

Not only have Natalie and Daddy been playing Boggle, they've been playing Mario Kart on the Wii. Natalie seemed to do best at going in circles.

Natalie got to "hold" baby Tilly Miller the other evening. She seems to be getting more fascinated with the new baby and excited about our own new little one, due in just a few weeks. I hope she stays this excited once the baby starts taking up Mommy and Daddy's time and attention!

Just like Mommy

2009-05-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

Natalie has become a charming little helper for me and Bret. She usually can handle small, specific tasks quite well, such as emptying the dishwasher (by handing me individual items), stirring things, throwing garbage away, etc.

She was a great help to Aunt Emily a couple of weeks ago when it came time to make salad...

And she helped me make banana bread the other day by mashing the bananas and holding the measuring spoons and cups as I poured ingredients into them.

At this rate, it won't be long before I'm her sous chef!

Today, I unpacked New Baby's bed -- a mini cosleeper. Before I'd finished setting it up, Natalie had collected her baby dolls and began changing their diapers in the new bed.

She also nursed one of her dolls in the storage compartment below the cosleeper, which I think Natalie thought was her new bed.

Don't worry, she will not be sleeping there on a regular basis!

New baby Tilly

2009-05-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to get to meet new baby Matilda Jane Miller just hours after she was born on Monday, May 18. Tilly is tiny and beautiful and beautifully healthy and whole -- I can't look at her or her loving family without getting tears in my eyes. She makes me excited to have our own new little baby in a matter of weeks ... and at the same time, Bret and I are extra blessed to watch carefully as the Millers learn the ropes of parenting a toddler and a newborn.

I cherished watching Natalie's reaction to a brand-new baby. She was enthralled by Tilly's smallness and enjoyed pointing out her tiny facial features and gently patting her head and feet.

Our babies and their babies

2009-05-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

The other day, Natalie and Hattie practiced some beautiful motherhood moves. I love watching them care for their baby dolls, and it's particularly cute when they wear them in their slings and carry them around the house.

In case you were wondering...

2009-05-14T09:24:00.001-07:00

I was just updating the new baby's wish list and thought I'd preempt any questions about a possible baby shower... Right now, I'm thinking I'll reserve any shower possibilities until after the new baby arrives, especially if we have a boy.

In the meantime, I'm keeping the family Amazon wish lists updated :)

One of the neatest gift ideas I've come across is a Dream Dinners gift card, which would be handy before the baby is born. One Dream Dinners session (for about $170) would allow me and Bret to assemble 12 dinners and keep them in our freezer for up to four months...

Otherwise, we're pretty set on big-ticket items needed before the baby's arrival. I was able to find a Peg Perego Primo Viaggio infant car seat for $40 (it's a $275+ car seat!),
and a new Arms Reach Mini Metro cosleeper for less than $100.

I came to the realization that we won't be able to get Natalie feeling completely secure in her own bed before her sibling arrives, so a cosleeper seems like the best option. New Baby can sleep next to mama in the cosleeper, while Natalie can continue sleeping in the middle of the family bed. Plus, I really want to make sure she will not feel excluded from the bed she's grown up in...

I nearly forgot to mention that I also bought a nice and spacious diaper bag for $10 -- it will function as training wheels, so to speak, while I'm figuring out how to pack the requisite stuff for two kids. Some of the other diaper bags I've had my eye on were as much as $80 (they're still on my wish list :) )...

Not red yet...

2009-05-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

Natalie is anxiously awaiting the ripening of our tomatoes. She will walk out into the backyard, peer at the tiny green fruit, and say "not red yet." Bret's teaching her that the tomatoes shouldn't be picked until they turn red -- an important lesson because she has picked at least one little green tomato before its time...

Easter, etc.

2009-05-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

We Rookses have been enjoying some down time after a busy March and April. Here are a few snapshots of our growing family, starting with my growing belly (which is quite a bit bigger now, nearly a month after I took the photo).

We had a lovely Easter Sunday with our friendamily, the Millers. They came over for an early dinner after an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. Before the festivities, Natalie decorated some boiled eggs using washable markers and stickers. She had a great time, and the eggs were rather ... striking

Finally, some photos of the Fresno Zoo

2009-05-01T16:55:00.001-07:00

At the end of March, we visited Grandma and Grandpa Rooks in Fresno. We spent a lovely Saturday morning at the Fresno Zoo, a place Grandma has wanted to take Natalie ever since she was born!

Starting strong with the elephants -- it was a blissfully warm (not hot) day...

Natalie particularly loved the monkeys and their acrobatics and jibber jabbering.

I have to confess that I was a little surprised that Natalie actually touched some of the animals in the petting zoo.

Bret said that she had a good time with the animals until she saw one poop on the ground.

Our growing family...

Finally, an answer to the age-old question: Is Bret taller than a gorilla?

All tired out after three hours walking around the zoo... Other favorite animals for Natalie included the prairie dogs and the sea lions.

Me (and Baby No. 2), Bret and Natalie, Grandma, and Uncle Wyatt (aka Uncle Woot)

She Boggles our minds

2009-03-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Daddy have taken to playing their own version of Boggle, a word-search game (which Bret is incredibly good at -- I won't play that game with him anymore!). In their version, Natalie and Bret shake up the letter dice, and Natalie says a word that they're going to spell...

Bret tells her how to spell the word, and Natalie then finds the letters.

And Bret helps her put them in the right order. Typical words that Natalie likes to spell include: frog, food, and shoe.

Miscellaneous March cuteness

2009-03-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd been better about taking photos of Natalie throughout this month. I guess I got lazy with all the wonderful grandparents around taking photos of their own. Here are a few of the photos I did snap. There are also a couple of videos that will be coming soon...

In other Natalie news, she's been sleeping in her bed pretty regularly for naps and at night. Bret and I take turns reading to her until she's good and sleepy. She'll then either drift off on her own or want to nurse for a little bit. Once asleep at night, she's been staying in her bed for between two and eight hours (eight hours only occurred twice so far). She's still pretty upset when she wakes up in her own bed, so I bring her into bed with me and Bret...

Amid the wreckage

2009-03-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Natalie struck her bedroom a few days ago. No Fisher-Price toy was spared. Only a seasoned mommy/reporter could handle the sight of the wreckage -- there were people and animals everywhere...

Yet, amid the wreckage we found a bit of "normal" life. Natalie apparently set up this little tea party with great care.

Or maybe it's not a tea party at all but a FEMA on-site conference.

Meanwhile, in another part of the house, Fisher-Price flight 223 was boarding....

Natalie's fridge magnets are well-traveled little letters.

A blast from my past

2009-03-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

I think this pregnancy has prompted me to begin nesting a little earlier than customary (I've been told it's a third-trimester/last few weeks of pregnancy thing). Or it could be that I've always craved organization. Whatever the case, I've been in the throes of "micronesting." All the furniture has been moved in our house ("macronesting") so all that's left to do is go through closets, rearrange toys and clothes, get rid of unused craft stuff, and finally shred the two garbage bags of old receipts that have been up in the hobby room closet...

Here are the results of some recent micronesting in Natalie's room, including her newest toys, which are some of my oldest toys.

The desk, dresser, and nightstand in Natalie's room were also mine from childhood. They have served me well, and I'm sure Natalie (and sibling) will get lots of use out of them. (A retroactive thanks to my grandpa and dad for investing in beautiful solid-wood furniture and finishing it themselves...) (And no, that's not Natalie's laptop -- I still use the desk for bills and writing...)

Natalie loves her new dollhouse, which I remember loving when I was little. Notice the giant cupcake on the dining room table -- she brought that in from the other room to feed her little people!

I put new fabric on the beds because they were still covered with foam from the early 80s, which bore divots from my and my brother's little fingers. The stuff was discolored and probably toxic, so I took great pleasure in creating the new bedding.

I love that the green, blue, and orange in this dollhouse are back in style...

Natalie called this doll "grandma" without any prompting from me or Bret.

Miscellaneous cuteness, the beach, and a milestone

2009-03-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

First, the miscellaneous cuteness...

Natalie found a new way to "help" with the laundry. If it wasn't for the laundry in the dryer, I think the second photo could look like she was inside a space capsule or something!

Fun with Play Doh... Natalie's been waking up wanting to do arts and crafts this week.

And the beach...

(It looks like she's summoning Poseidon.)

Some more miscellaneous cuteness...

I had the pleasure to watch Evelyn and Jonathan a couple of mornings this week. They're moving Friday to Africa for a year and a half while their dad, Phil (who worked at the same firm Bret works for), engineers some projects there through EMI. Their mom, Emily, has been a lovely blessing in my life over the past several years. While I'm sad to lose the Greenes for this time, I am excited for all that God is doing in and through them...

And the milestone...

Natalie got her own bed today! Thank you, Jonathan (and Phil and Emily) for blessing us with this lovely bed! Natalie took part of her nap in it today. She woke up pretty upset and disoriented, but she has since like sitting in it and was excited to show Daddy her new "baby bed."

Hattie, we hope to see you soon!

2009-03-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

We miss Hattie Rose, but we're glad that she's having a good time with her grandparents in Sacramento. We hope she'll be home in the next couple of days, after her mommy comes home from the hospital (she's had a gnarly stomach flu and has been hospitalized for the past week).

Video: Natzilla vs. Sandcastles

2009-02-28T16:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Rooks visited and gave us a great reason to go to the beach and build sandcastles (like "Monkey George," as Natalie says). Here's a video showing that the only reason Natalie ventured off the blanket was to destroy Mommy's nearly finished sandcastle (note the mommy-daughter moment at around 00:37):

We had a wonderful time at the beach with Grandma and Grandpa, and I have lots of other great photos I'll upload soon...

Who does Natalie look like?

2009-02-25T15:59:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my sister's blog and couldn't resist. The results surprised me a bit (granted I accidentally cut off a little of Bret's chin, but I didn't feel like redoing the photo and re-uploading everything):

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Fun in the kitchen

2009-02-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

Grandma Julie and Grandpa George visited over Valentine's Day weekend, which meant lots of love and lots of fun. Grandma had the idea of making frosted sugar cookies, which was a perfect project for an overcast, chilly day.

I let Natalie help with every part of the process (well, every part that she was awake for), from making the dough (she got her own flour, water, and sugar to cook with), to frosting the cookies (she took her nap while Grandma rolled and cut the dough).

Needless to say, the results were yummy...

FAWMily time

2009-02-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

For the fourth February, Bret and Ryan are rekindling their creative collaboration, Halfpenny Orchestra, and participating in FAWM (February Album Writing Month, fawm.org).

Natalie and I, along with Hattie and Sarah (Ryan's family) are very proud of the daddies, and we all are supporting their efforts as much as possible.

So far this February, in their pursuit of 14 songs in 28 days, Halfpenny Orchestra (pronounced "Hay-penny") has written and recorded three songs. You can hear them here.

Three cheers for the daddies!!!

Endless adventures

2009-02-07T07:35:00.000-08:00

I don't doubt that Hattie and Natalie will soon actually read to each other...

Helping hands

2009-01-31T08:46:00.000-08:00

Natalie proved to be a good helper on Friday afternoon. The weather was lovely, and I was inspired to sand and paint the little drawer unit we'd purchased to go with her play kitchen.

Natalie paid attention to every detail and did everything just like Mommy -- she wanted her own gloves, sandpaper, and paint brush. She sat on my improvised stool with me, and got a good amount of paint on the wood (where it was supposed to go). Now we have a cheery little kitchen station for Natalie!

By the way, the little drawer unit came from Michaels ($20 regular price, and we had a 50-percent-off coupon to boot!).

Miscellaneous January cuteness

2009-01-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's time for the obligatory, "I can't believe this month is almost over" utterance and catch-up post. Despite our collective head colds and stomach flu throughout January, we managed to have some fun times...

Natalie and Hattie love to play "Ring Around the Rosy" and fall down.

Natalie began falling asleep on Daddy (and Mommy, sometimes) for naps and bedtime, something she'd never really done before without nursing first.

For Natalie's birthday, we invited a few friends over for pizza and decadent chocolate cake (Natalie got her own cupcake). Here, Natalie is trying out her doll sling. Now she can carry her babies like Mommy will be carrying the new baby in a few months. Thanks Ryan, Sarah, and Hattie!

Our friend Sarah gave Natalie a set of Play Doh and a giant collection of cutting and rolling tools. We couldn't let Natalie have all the fun!

Mmmm ... delicious cake! Natalie occasionally asks for a "baby cupcake" or "coclate" -- a daughter after my own stomach ... er ... heart!

We had another birthday celebration when Grandma Julie visited during the week of Natalie's birthday (Jan. 14), right before the stomach flu hit our household. (Miraculously, Grandma didn't get sick!)

Natalie and Hattie enjoyed a bubble bath together -- great fun for everyone (and a great way to keep two kids contained for a little while!).

Video: lil' singer songwriter

2009-01-20T08:49:00.000-08:00

Natalie loves her big Christmas gift from Daddy: her very own guitar (which is really a ukulele). She quickly began playing her original compositions on her "baby garwar."

Christmas 2008

2009-01-18T11:26:00.000-08:00

Our new year is off to a, well, challenging start. We entered our two-week Christmas vacation in relative good health, but have been sick with a lingering head cold for the past couple of weeks.

On top of that, Natalie came down with a stomach flu last week, just after her birthday. Fortunately we'd scheduled her 2-year checkup for the very day she started throwing up, so the doctor was able to reassure us and tell us what to expect. Now, two days later, Natalie's doing much better, though she's still not quite back to normal...

With so much down time, I've finally gotten a chance to sift through all the photos we took in December and so far this year. It looks like we managed to photograph only two of our five Christmas celebrations, however. I guess we got too caught up in the fun of opening gifts and sharing Natalie's enthusiasm!

Christmas at home

Natalie got her very own microphone ...

... and some crayons in a cloth roll-up carrier.

She also got her own "baby bowl," among other fun gifts from mommy and daddy.

In the car on the way to Santa Rosa (by way of our friends' house in Mountain View), Natalie fell asleep while drawing in the backseat.

Christmas in Santa Rosa (with Grandma and Grandpa Parker)

Natalie and Grandpa had fun playing with some of Grandpa's toys.

I think it's safe to say that Natalie liked everything to do with Christmas, but she was most vocal about liking the lights on the tree.

Natalie and her cousin Landon had fun playing with his new train set.

Aunt Emily helped Natalie open a gift of wooden fruit and vegetables.

Aunt Becky and Landon were quickly surrounded by a pile of gifts opened and unopened.

Grandma and Grandpa gave Natalie her own play kitchen -- just the right size for our home. Natalie instantly began cooking all kinds of treats for everyone, and she continues to play with her kitchen every day!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Natalie!

2009-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

If you were to ask Natalie, "How old are you?" she'd answer, "two weeks." We're working on that...

Happy new year!

2009-01-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

Since I'm currently pinned under a sleeping/nursing Natalie, I'll share a brief update and perhaps do a year-in-review photo collection (I can't get to the camera to upload the new photos!).

Natalie is in the process of getting her own room, complete with her own bed. Bret and I have moved my craft stuff out of Natalie's room after we got rid of our guest bed (sorry, mom!). Now Bret and I share a hobby room: music-recording stuff and instruments on one side, paper-craft supplies on the other, all of which is surrounded by bookcases. It's coming together nicely, albeit slowly, and I hope Natalie likes her room!

We had several wonderful Christmas celebrations, which included traveling to Santa Rosa for about a week, coming home for a few days, and then traveling to Fresno over New Year's.

Without further ado (well, there might be further ado -- Natalie just woke up!), here's a year in review...

January

February

March

April
Natalie began walking in early April, but I apparently only posted a video of the event, so I don't have a photo for the review...

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Good grief!

2008-12-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

We Rookses have been super busy this holiday season, so busy that we haven't taken many photos of Natalie to share.... Plus, I don't have much to show for our biggest piece of news: Natalie's going to be a big sister as of sometime in mid-July (July 13, if you need a due date). Right now, she likes to rub her belly when I show her where mommy's growing a baby...

As for other news, well, nothing compares! I've been busy making custom orders for my Etsy store and getting over a yucky head cold, which got worse after lack of sleep brought about while night-weaning Natalie. But we're happy to say that she's slept through the night five nights out of the last six!

We're looking forward to Christmas vacation and time with all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousin Landon. We'll be sure to take lots of photos. In the meantime, here are a few random photos from the last couple of weeks.

Strangely enough, Brandon was surprised when Natalie bit down on his finger after he put it in her mouth!

Brandon then indulged Natalie in a game of "where's the baby?"

Catching up with November

2008-11-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

It's full speed ahead into the holiday season, and I nearly left all these photos behind in the first half of November...

Nov. 6: I just had to document Natalie's favorite position in her favorite little chair. Her Grandpa George bought this for her, and since we positioned it alongside the coffee table, she makes a point of sitting in it every day.

Nov. 8: Natalie loves to pounce on her daddy in bed!

Nov. 8: Natalie and I have taken to having afternoon tea and snacks. It's become such a regular habit (as requested by Natalie) that I got her a little tea cup of her own.

Nov. 10: Usually, Natalie enjoys taking all my shoes out of the closet. On this day, I looked down and found one of her little shoes amid my clogs and tennis shoes.

Nov. 10: Natalie and her best friend Hattie made some music together at Hattie's house. Natalie provided the vocals while both girls made a valiant effort of sharing the drum.

Nov. 11: Natalie's Grandma Julie visited for a few days and introduced Natalie to a Hello Kitty coloring book.

Nov. 13: Hattie came over for the evening, and the girls provided lots of entertainment. They're getting quite good at wrestling, especially now that they're about the same size.

Nov. 14: I happened to weigh my purse one day and was appalled to discover that it weighs 10 pounds! I suppose it kind of balances out my shoulders when I'm holding Natalie. However, I made an effort to sift through its contents. I was surprised by some of the things I found, especially: three half-eaten breakfast bars, three sets of keys, two of Natalie's sweaters, two of Natalie's hats, two pairs of Natalie's socks, and about a half of a pound of spilled cereal and snacks.

Nov. 15: Natalie had a great time with her Uncle Sam and Aunt Emily in Long Beach.

Nov. 16: During a friend's wedding in Oxnard, Natalie made some new friends while playing in the dirt.

Nov. 17: I wasn't fast enough to catch Natalie in the act of picking Hattie's nose...

Video: A rock star is born

2008-11-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

Natalie has been improving her singing and guitar techniques with help from Daddy. In this video, she's singing along to a song on Bret's computer. Note the direct look into the camera and her subsequent increase in volume -- I think we've got a little performer on our hands!

Coming attractions...

2008-11-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to post some new photos and videos and other updates for quite some time now, but I've been swamped with Etsy and Christmas projects and holiday plans. Here are some quick updates (photos and videos coming soon, I promise!)

*We went to Long Beach this past weekend (Nov. 14-16) to visit Uncle Sam and Aunt Emily. We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific and saw lots of awesome fish and other fun marine life (Natalie liked what she saw -- she fell asleep for most of the tour).

*Natalie has gone pee in the potty three times now of her own accord!

*Natalie is very fond of singing and will often sing songs to me and Bret in the car and other times. Over the weekend, we taught her "Row, row, row your boat," and she can sing the first line relatively recognizably.

*She is getting faster and better and stringing words together: "pee potty," "daddy shoes," "dark outside," "more nurse," etc.

*Natalie is getting better at counting -- she's got 5, 6, 7, 8 down pretty well, but she still doesn't say "one." She also says "two eyes" "two ears" when asked how many eyes and ears she has...

*Her favorite movies include "Ratatouille," "Cars," and "Babe." She is also very fond of the one Veggie Tales DVD we have, and, of course, Old School Sesame Street and the Muppet Show...

As close to Halloween as we're going to get

2008-10-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Natalie loves the little pumpkins I have scattered throughout the living room and dining room. She collects them and often arranges them in a row wherever is most convenient for her (I once found them on the floor of her room and later found them on the top of her push-cart walker toy).

We'd planned to go to a Halloween party on the morning of Oct. 29, but it just didn't work out (what with naps and other morning variables). Instead, Natalie and Hattie walked around our neighborhood in their Halloween costumes.

I hadn't planned much of a costume for Natalie. I really wanted her to wear a knitted Viking helmet (complete with blond braids) that our friend Jen made, but the rest of the costume wasn't coming together in time. Plus, it was starting to get hot outside. Then I realized that Natalie has these fabulous shoes!

Thanks, Auntie Em, for the ruby slippers!

Hattie dressed up in style as vintage Batman. That costume belonged to her uncle Stephen when he was her age.

Poppies are a bad idea, Dorothy!

They're off to see the Wizard. Or the Joker. Or both.

Gorgeous October

2008-10-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

In the middle of the month, Natalie's Grandma Julie and Great-Aunt Heidi visited for several days. We had a lovely morning out at Montana de Oro, walking along the bluffs above the ocean.

Natalie didn't want to go in the stroller until about halfway through our walk. Even then, she was fussy for her nap, so I sang "Seasme Street" songs and other ditties until she fell asleep...

Look closely in the middle of the photo -- that's not a house cat!

Natalie and Great-Aunt Heidi, who lives in Arizona, love the ocean.

Natalie also showed off her strolling skills. She loves to take her baby doll for a walk around the house.

Avila Valley Barn

2008-10-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

For the past several years, we've made a fall tradition of visiting Avila Valley Barn for a pumpkin gathering, treat eating, and hay rides. This year, like most years, we went with the Millers, and Hattie and Natalie seemed to enjoy themselves. It was a delight to watch them holding hands as they explored the farm animals and pumpkin patches.

Natalie can now say "pumpkin" and likes to take her own little pumpkin for walks in her toy stroller...

The face of sadness

2008-10-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

It was nap time. She wanted something on the table. I said no. 'Nuff said.

Grandparents, Pismo, and memories

2008-09-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

We were recently blessed by a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Parker. They brought their little trailer and camped in Grover Beach, which proved to be a great place to hang out. It was also just a hop/skip/jump from Pismo Beach, where we puttered around, ate fish and chips, indulged in ice cream, went out on the pier, collected sand dollars, and perused a quilt shop (well, my stepmom Kathy and I perused the fabric store while my dad and Natalie went to a nearby toy store). Oh yeah, how could I forget the saltwater taffy? yum...

Over the week, Natalie and Poqui made friends. The little dog (a Papillon) is truly the best friend my parents could hope for, and Natalie was fascinated by Poqui's hair...

Kathy and Poqui on our newly green porch.

In addition to blessing Natalie with trips to a couple of different toy stores, Grandma and Grandpa brought a bunch of my old Fisher-Price toys for us to keep here. I love having the old-school toys around, and Natalie took to them right away.

Green is the new blue

2008-09-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

I recently realized that I haven't posted a photo of our new house color. For more of the drama surrounding this color scheme, check out our other blog. The bright midday sun in this photo makes the house look more vibrant than it does most of the day...

A day at the park (lots of photos)

2008-09-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Sept. 20, we got to watch Hattie for a bunch of the day while her parents went on a date. We all had a wonderful time...

Before we headed to the park, we let the girls play the piano, er, play on the piano...

Then we headed to French Park in SLO (notice the brand-new play equipment), and somehow on a Saturday afternoon we had the park to ourselves.

After two hours at the park, we weren't quite tired enough, so we all went to Costco. By the time we got home, we were definitely worn out...

Fun with friends

2008-09-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

Natalie and Hattie love each other and always seem to have the best adventures together--even if they never leave the living room. It's been fun to watch their increasing awareness of the world around them and their abilities to communicate with each other and with us adults.

Natalie also got her first taste of brownie batter (before I added the eggs), thanks to Brandon...

Recent fun as seen through the eyes of Grandma Julie

2008-09-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Natalie's Grandma Julie (my mom) came to visit this week. Over the course of her stay, she snapped quite a few photos of Natalie's cuteness. Here's a sampling of the photos I got from her camera before she headed home today...

This one comes with a story: We ladies were enjoying a lovely breakfast at a cafe in SLO when a man in his 60s came up and gave Natalie that cute little stuffed elephant. It was a completely random act of kindness, and he barely stayed around long enough for us to thank him! Once Natalie got her hands on it and hugged it, I banished all thoughts of secreting it home to wash it first (am I paranoid?)...

Our big summer road trip

2008-09-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from a 950-mile road trip through Northern California and the Sierras, visiting just about all of our family members.

Leg one: Santa Rosa

We started with a trip up to Santa Rosa to visit my mom and stepdad. Highlights of the first leg include wine tasting in Sonoma County; Natalie's first adventure in a swimming pool (she hated it); and wonderful evenings on the porch.

Leg two: Lake Tahoe

My sister Becky relaxes on the grass with her son, Landon, and Natalie...

After three days in Santa Rosa, we traveled east to my grandparents' cabin at the west side of Lake Tahoe to celebrate three birthdays: mine, my grandpa's, and my nephew's. Nine adults and two toddlers shared a small cabin and a camping trailer over three days. Highlights include a morning at the beach (Natalie didn't like the water, surprise surprise); dressing up to go to Bacchi's Italian restaurant (a family tradition); and walking down to Sugar Pine State Park and exploring the pier (Natalie loved the pier to everyone's surprise).

Leg three: Yosemite (Tuolumne Meadows)

From Lake Tahoe, we drove south to Yosemite with my brother Sam and his wife Emily, where we camped for two nights at Tuolumne Meadows. It was a gorgeous area and a great campground. Highlights include Natalie hating the tent at first; lovely walks in the meadows where we saw a buck chasing a coyote, a marmot sunning itself on a rock, and several ground squirrels; a hike up to Lake Elizabeth, after which I got altitude sickness and lost my lunch; and roasting several things over the fire, including hot dogs and many a marshmallow.

On our way home from Yosemite, we stopped by Bret's folks' house in Fresno, rounding out the grandparents round trip.

All in all, it was a wonderfully smooth and enjoyable time. Oh, another highlight was a new camera for me! My brother is loaning me his old digital Canon Rebel. I took hundreds of photos in the "learn by doing" spirit. I'll get those off our other computer and share those in another post.

A most wonderful celebration

2008-08-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

For my 30th birthday celebration, one of the only specifications I gave to Bret was that I wanted to feel celebrated during a nice dinner with friends. Well, my dear friends Ryan and Sarah Miller, and Sarah Thien, along with Bret, planned and executed a most marvelous evening! Here are just a few photos that I have time to process. I couldn't wait to share them! I hope to write more about evening on our other blog and to post more photos...

The theme was "Black, White, and Red All Over," we all dressed up and enjoyed good wine, incredible food (which adhered to the theme), and gorgeous decorations. Thank you soooo much, my dear friends, for throwing this party, and thank you to everyone who attended. And thank you to my family for contributing to the purchase of the compact "Oxford English Dictionary," the "book with all the words" that I've wanted for a while now...

And a special thank you to Rebecca and Westley Fletcher for babysitting all the kiddos during the party...

Thank you, Shannon!

2008-08-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

As part of her gift to me for my 30th birthday (which will be Monday, Aug. 18, by the way), my dear friend Shannon gave Natalie the most adorable cupcake hat! (I had picked it out on Etsy, from a fellow San Luis Obispo shop.) Anyway, it's the most adorable birthday present--it's already hard enough to resist nibbling on Natalie's head!

This is how Natalie reacted when I asked her to wear the hat so I could take a photo...
She later cooperated.

Fun with Daddy

2008-08-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Natalie sure loves her daddy...

She loves to share meals with Daddy...

And she loves to share her balloon with Daddy...

Tennis, anyone?

2008-07-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

During Bret's office picnic a week ago, Natalie discovered tennis. She just might be a natural!

Bret eventually got to play tennis with Phil, after Phil was kind enough to play a little with Natalie.

July in Fresno

2008-07-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Despite the typical July heat in Fresno, we had a wonderful time with Grandma and Grandpa Rooks at their house this past weekend.

Natalie was a big help to grandpa and grandma in the garden. She didn't seem to mind the heat -- she wanted to be outside at every opportunity.

Natalie help grandpa set up his new website.

Natalie wasn't sure what to make of the Tickle Me Elmo doll -- whenever he was standing near her, she'd glance at it nervously. At one point, she went out of her way to knock it over.

Grandma made sure to help keep Natalie's feet cool in the little pool outside.

Grandma and Natalie picked a pear fresh off the tree in the backyard.

Natalie seemed to enjoy sitting in a little rocking chair that had belonged to her dad and uncles.

Natalie had a wonderful time playing with grandpa on the floor -- with a Fisher-Price Sesame Street Clubhouse that belonged to Bret and his brothers.

Friday night, Uncle Ryan (in the background on the left), Uncle Wyatt, and Bret (on the right) made an exquisite five-course meal for all of us, paired with wines, and then coffee with dessert.

New dance moves

2008-07-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

We caught on video Natalie's newest skill: twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom. Seeing her have so much fun in Grandma and Grandpa Rooks' living room kind of makes me wish we had a bigger living room!

This is why you never throw away "disposable" cameras

2008-07-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

This mystery photo surfaced after my friend Shannon went through the hundreds of photos taken by her wedding guests using the "disposable" digital cameras on the tables at the reception... She didn't know who took it until yesterday when Bret recognized it. I should have known -- Natalie and I only smile like that for Bret when we're that tired....

Summer cuteness

2008-07-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a taste of our summer so far. Thankfully it's been much cooler than the few sweltering days last month. We've thoroughly enjoyed our warm evenings, and Natalie has gotten quite good at helping Bret with the watering in our garden...

Who could say 'no' to this face?

Natalie and Hattie love just hanging out together on the futon.

The girls watched almost a quarter of "The Rescuers Down Under" the other night...

Fourth of July

2008-07-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Independence Day, we had our frinedamily the Millers and our friend, Brandon, over for a barbecue. A special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Parker for Natalie's holiday outfit...

It's hard to see in this photo, but Natalie actually has her hand in the glove -- I guess she just likes to give her daddy a hand in the garden...

After the festivities, Bret spent some quality time reading to the girls.

Vacation came to us

2008-07-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last week, we enjoyed a visit from Gina and Casey. Gina and I have been friends for more than 16 years, since we met in art class in junior high. Last year, I was honored to be in her wedding in our hometown of Santa Rosa (she was my maid of honor nearly seven years ago).

Gina and Casey stayed with us for three days as part of their road trip from Oregon to California before they move to Colorado next month. I made sure they experienced some of SLO's finest recreational activities, namely downtown (including a dinner on the patio at Novo) and Montana de Oro's trails and beach. We had a wonderful time -- it felt like I was on vacation in my home.

Bret, Natalie, and I enjoyed getting to know Casey a little better (we'd only gotten to meet him a few days before their wedding last year). Natalie and Casey bonded over board books... I hope that we all get to hang out again soon.

(Thanks for the wonderful visit--and the photos!)

Natalie food, take two

2008-07-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

I tried again to make something wholesome and not prepackaged, something with meat, vegetables, and flavor--but not too much flavor--something that would please the picky palate of little miss Natalie. I specifically tried to re-create the flavor and texture of the egg roll filling she loves so much. I got close, but apparently not close enough. Instead of gratefully shoveling it into her salivating mouth, Natalie swirled it around the bowl and onto her tray and eventually onto the floor. I'll keep trying.

In the meantime, I'll happily eat this mix of cabbage, carrots, spinach, celery, and chicken sauteed with sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and a touch of sugar. Mmmm...

In other news, I finally completed the first page of Natalie's scrapbook. It will be the artsy companion to this blog and the photo album filled with images of this well documented child...

Girl of summer

2008-06-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, we're surviving the 107-degree heat, barely (read more about the heat vs. me and Natalie). Here are some pics of Natalie, the lucky toddler who gets to run around shirtless and splash in a tub that's just her size.

Happy birthday, Hattie Rose!

2008-06-19T17:57:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday, Hattie, and congrats to the Millers on their daughter's first year!

Believe it or not, that's sand--bright purple, sanitized play sand. It was really quite pretty, and the kids seemed to love it...

Natalie paused for a moment to share her glee.

The birthday girl and Natalie took advantage of the shaded play area in the Millers' backyard.

Hattie vs. the beautiful birthday cake...

Natalie couldn't resist the temptation of such a lovely (and delicious) birthday cake.

Natalie (and Bret and I) had a wonderful time at a truly beautiful birthday celebration!

Catching up with June

2008-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

June is nearly half over?! Yikes! Here are some photos from the past 13 days of this month...

Last week, we got to hang out with our friends, the Oakeses, who were visiting from Nashville. Hattie Miller and her family joined us for dinner... Here, Sera Sage, Natalie, and Amelie welcome Hattie after she arrived for the party.

Natalie's first bubble-bath goatee.

Natalie shared her riding toy with her friends, two of the three stuffed gnomes.

If the shoe fits...

And mommy can't help but take a little pride in the fact that some of Natalie's favorite toys are pens, pencils, and paper.

Wedding pics

2008-06-06T16:55:00.001-07:00

My friend's wedding was a blast. The very organized bride didn't have much for us to help with, though we arrived Wednesday afternoon prepared to be put to work. Instead, we enjoyed some quality time with Shannon and Jim, her betrothed. Bret, Natalie, and I even had time to wander around downtown Mountain View and enjoy the local restaurants and shops (especially Book Buyers, a HUGE used-book store).

Natalie and Bret were quite the troopers. Daddy and the very tired little girl survived more than six hours away from mommy, the longest separation yet. Natalie had a hard time winding down to sleep, which meant that Bret missed the entire ceremony and half of the reception.

When I could, I stole Natalie away to a quiet room and made sure she could get a nap. After she was sound asleep, I put her in the Ergo carrier and joined the party.

Here waits the bride. We actually had a couple hours of downtime before the ceremony, and the bride waited as patiently as possible.

Natalie left her mark on one of the programs I'd made for the occasion.

Other people had left their marks, as well. At least the program had the honor of being smudged with the delicious chocolate cake.

The most talented Lisa Maksoudian was the photographer for the occasion, and I'll keep you posted as to whether other photos become available.

A Rooks family update

2008-05-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

I've finished all the stamping, cutting, and gluing for the wedding project. Now, all I have to do is write a little article about how the bride and groom met, and then I can print the insides of the programs and put them all together. Whew...

In the meantime, here's a picture or two of Natalie (depending how many I can upload while she's playing on the floor right now...).

I feel like there are so many other updates -- Natalie is walking like a pro, talking up a storm with new words just about every day (including Sarah, diaper, plants, book, ball, and Sesame Street), and dancing whenever there is music to be heard. She's also a determined but cautious explorer, especially compared to her friend Hattie.

My little reporter in the making.

I realized that I never posted any photos of our Easter. We had a lovely brunch at the Millers' after church.

The girls had fun playing, and then we had a photo shoot amid the poppies...

Our little family at Easter.

Natalie and Hattie had a marvelous time rolling the giant blue ball up and down the hallway the other day. Natalie is still a bit faster and left Hattie to cling to the wall in her wake a couple of times.

My whereabouts

2008-04-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share some photos of what I've been working on for the past four months--sorry, only one Natalie photo in this post. I don't have my craft blog up yet, so I'll have to post these photos here (for more on my pending craft blog and how I need your help, check this out).

My dear friend, Shannon, commissioned me to make the ceremony programs for her May 31 wedding. I was flattered and eager to take on the challenge of designing and producing 150 wedding programs worthy of being handed out on her big day. I also volunteered to create her thank-you cards and the cards for her wedding favors. She's not paying me per se (not that I would have let her), but she did buy all the supplies, and I get to keep the stamps and inks, etc.

I transformed our dining room table into my workspace for two main reasons: It's near the living room where Natalie likes to play, and having the project in a place where I see it every day motivates me to keep working on it.

Roughly 150 wedding programs--I thought the stack would have been higher!

The project spilled into my living room one evening. I had to spread all the programs out while the metallic ink dried, plus I wanted to watch a movie while I worked...

I have to confess, I love seeing my name in print!

The finished outside of the program (the text says Jim & Shannon/May 31, 2008). I'm also in charge of printing the insides of the programs and assembling them.

The finished favor cards, complete with a sealed plastic bag. The favors are wine charms, handmade by the bride's cousin. (I don't have any photos of the thank-you cards yet...)

And this is what happens when I leave my craft stuff on the floor.

After my own heart

2008-04-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

I enjoy having Natalie in the kitchen with me. The first time we experimented with baby gates, I put one up between the living room and the dining room, and her cries of protest made me sad. It feels right to have my little one playing near me when I'm making meals. That being said, I needed something to keep her out from under my feet. Thanks to good advice from friends, I created a drawer just for Natalie. In it, she finds mini pots and pans with other cooking tools, plus some wooden fruit.

It warms my heart to see her rummaging through the drawer, and it makes me even more proud to see her stirring her string of beads in the little pot! Just like mama... well, not the beads part...

Natalie has pretty much always been attracted to pens and pencils. Until recently, she's mostly just chewed on them. Now, one of her favorite things to do is use said writing implements to scribble on whatever she can. Through trial and error (lots of error), I've created a setup that works for both of us.

I now know to not leave pencils or pens lying around -- she's left her mark on our kitchen drawers and on the refrigerator at the church office. I also have to watch her rather carefully because she still loves to chew on writing implements.

Look who's walking!

2008-04-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

I made this video of Natalie's biggest walking endeavor on April 12 while Bret, Grandma Julie, and I were wine tasting in Paso Robles. We were enjoying the relaxed environment (namely the shaded grassy area) of Tolo, one of our favorite wineries. I loved watching her not only walk toward grandma but pick herself up after falling down. Notice how she takes a look at me and then walks the other way!

I should have seen it coming ...

2008-03-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

It was just a matter of time before Natalie figured out how to open the DVD/CD cabinet, which we bought specifically to keep the DVDs and CDs out of her sight, and hopefully out of her mind.

I've been trying to get Natalie to keep barrettes in her hair -- I even made some with different colored bows on them. She loves to take them out and try to put them back in. Well, I guess I should have known that she wouldn't limit that activity to barrettes. Here she's trying to adorn her hair with chicken and avocado.

Well, I tried ...

Natalie is a, um, choosy eater, I guess you could say. I try to not let her choosiness frustrate me, but it does seem to run counter to my culinary inspirations. The other day, I was determined to get my child to eat some yummy greens. I dutifully blended grilled chicken, grilled zucchini, spinach, carrots, almond meal, and an egg in the food processor. I then shaped the mush into finger-food sized treats and baked them. They weren't as aesthetically pleasing as I'd hoped, but they tasted pretty good. Of course, Natalie would have nothing to do with these chicken things.

They ended up on my salad with bleu cheese dressing.

Garden gnome

2008-03-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

On March 15, Bret decided to get started on our little garden patch. He bought some basil, lavender, and other herbs and took a few minutes to plant them in our newly landscaped back yard. Natalie and I stayed inside for all of a minute while Bret was gardening. She would not quiet down until I took her outside to be with daddy. (Of course, I had to bundle her up first -- the wind was chilly.) She had a great time being our little garden gnome in her wild flower-power pants.

Early spring

2008-03-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of March, Natalie's Grandma and Grandpa Parker visited us while testing out their new travel trailer. They camped for a week in Morro Bay, which gave Natalie her first taste of "camping."

Grandpa and Grandma gave Natalie a new book, which depicts rubber duckies in various scenes complete with props corresponding to the letters of the alphabet. Let's just say this "Alpha Ducks" book is kitschy and a perfect book for me, er, Natalie.

Grandpa noticed this sign outside the Bayside Cafe in Morro Bay. There's never a real worry about Natalie being left unattended for long when the grandparents are around!

Grandpa can't get enough of Baby Natalie.

Natalie hasn't had much experience with grass, so when we do put her down on a lawn, she tries to keep her fee from touching the scratchy green stuff. She looks like a little puppy trying not to get her paws wet! She eventually made her peace with the grass and started playing with a dandelion flower.

Random acts of cuteness

2008-03-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

These days, I get to work on the computer only when Natalie is napping -- otherwise, she'll crawl over to the chair and demand to be picked up. When I pick her up, she becomes insatiably interested in the laptop, its keyboard, and any photos of herself or other babies on the screen.

But I did get a chance to go through some photos from the last couple of months. Here's a smattering of snapshots depicting our own cuteness incarnate:

(The two of the mobile are for Greg and Ivy -- they got the delicate paper mobile for Natalie when they were in Denmark. Apparently, mobiles are all the rage there. Natalie loves trying to touch the ducklings.)

This was one of the first times I put Natalie's hair in pigtails. The 'do never lasts long -- she gingerly pulls the ponytail holders out shortly after I put them in...

We took a weekend to redo our pantry -- Bret ripped out the old built-in shelves, painted the walls the same green as our kitchen, and assembled black wire racks. I then took several days to organize everything on the new shelves. Natalie discovered the cookies and crackers right away.

Milestones and accomplishments

2008-03-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Obsession with her pink shoes -- she'll sleep in them if we let her (mid January)

Playing her baby guitar and singing (early January)

Inventing a joke: She says "Hattie Rooks" no matter how many times we tell her it's "Hattie Miller" (late December)

Saying her name: Natalie Rooks (early December)

Saying three-word sentences, her earliest had "too" on the end: "Baby bowl too" or "pink shoes too" (December)

Sleeping through the night (mid December)

Singing: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and "Ring Around the Rosie" (early December; early January)

Jumping (early December)

Occasionally asking to pee in the potty and actually doing so (Nov. 6)

Counting -- to 12 with help; to 5 pretty well on her own (November/December)

Putting two words together: "water cold" "blue barrette" (Oct. 20)

Saying "apple juice" with amazing clarity. We don't know where she picked up "apple juice" -- we don't usually have it (Oct. 16)

New animal noises and words: turkey (gobble gobble), rat/mouse (squeek) (early October)

Saying "bless you" ("ow witz") after someone sneezes, and saying "excuse me" (when prompted) when she burps or passes gas (early October)

Select new words: milk, pumpkin, straw, run, park, elephant (well, we know what she means), sit, Cars (she asks for the Pixar movie by name) (end of September/early October)

Pretending to sleep--she asks for a blanket ("beckekt") and then curls up on it and very deliberately closes her eyes. She also puts her toys to bed. (early October)

Finding Gold Bug in Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things that Go," which was a childhood favorite of mine (Sept. 19)

Pointing out the letter C and the number 8 (Sept. 19 and 20, respectively)

Shooing flies and other bugs (early September)

More select words: blue, red, bug, ants, yay, shoes, barrette ("bret"), bed, breakfast (that one took me a while to figure out), bath, bubbles (she's crazy about "bubbos") (late August, early September)

Expressing interest in certain letters of the alphabet (she often asks me to write them for her): O, E, M, N, S, Y (starting in August)

Natalie's first sentence (a combination of signs and spoken words): "Please more Muppets." (late August)

Newest words include: yeah, yellow ("rerow"), muppets ("buppies" or "buppets"), salsa , chips, water ("ah-gee"), cracker (late July and early August)

Obsession with balloons and airplanes (early August)

New words include: baby (and pointing to herself if we ask where the baby is in the family), balloon ("billew"), airplane ("ay-pee" or "ee-bee"), moon, "buh buh" for the noise a chicken makes (late July/early August)

Twirling (July 17)

Walking down the hall to the bedroom saying "mommy, mommy" when she wants to go to bed (July 15)

New words include: "bee," "beads," "cookie," "click" (for getting in and out of the car seat), "Amelie," "clock," "light," and "Elmo" (early July)

New animal noises: monkey, lion/tiger/bear, cat (now it's "meow" as opposed to "beow") (throughout June)

Saying "up" as she climbs stairs and bookcases (June 29)

Signing "grapes," "all done," and "book" (end of June)

Saying "no, no, no" (June 15)

Asking to be read to (often) (June)

Paying attention through the duration of a book being read to her (June)

Teeth Nos. 13 & 14 (May 11 through May 18)

Saying "mama" again! She stopped saying it for months... It was her joke to say "dada" every time I'd ask her to say "mama" (May 5)

Sticking out her tongue when asked where her tongue is (May 3)

Signing "please" and "thank you" (April 19 and 22, respectively)

Walking! (including picking herself up again, and changing direction) (April 12)Scribbling with a pencil between her thumb and first two fingers (April 4)

Pointing to her hair, her nose, and her eyes when asked where each are (April 3)

Taking four steps to mama (April 2)

Pointing to belly button when asked, "Natalie, where is your belly button?" (sometimes she points to her chest or her head) (March 22)

Teeth Nos. 9, 10, 11, and 12 (throughout early March)

First step (March 8)

Saying several words: hi, hello, cow, dog, duck, and Hat (in reference to Hattie Miller) in addition to mama and dada (intelligible words starting in late February; "Hat" said for the first time March 5)

First "step" (it was a lunge step between the futon and couch in our living room) (Feb. 29)

Free standing (after pulling up on something/standing up from a squat) (getting better since early January)

Walking with the push cart (on and off since Jan. 14)

Using the sign for "more" (usually for food) (Jan. 8)

Pointing at everything (Dec. 24)

Giving things to people (Dec. 22)

Pointing at daddy and saying, "dada" (Dec. 20)

Waving and saying "hi" (Dec. 18)

Tooth No. 8 (Dec. 7)

Saying "da da da da" (Dec. 5)

Opening the cupboard under the kitchen sink (Nov. 8)

Blowing raspberries on my bare skin (Nov. 7)

Obsession with clapping (she makes noise by clapping now)

Tooth No. 7 (Nov. 3)

Pulling up to stand and walk (Oct. 15)

Crawling (Sept. 11)

February

2008-03-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

February seemed like a particularly long month for some reason -- maybe it was that extra day this year. We Rookses had two lovely weekends with family at the end of the month, after continuing to unwind from Christmas and Natalie's birthday celebrations (it seems to take longer to unwind these days!).

(I can't seem to find any photos of when Grandma Julie and Grandpa George visited at the end of February. It could be that we didn't take any because Natalie and I were sick ... )

Feb. 16: Montana de Oro
On a gorgeous late morning, we headed to the beaches of Montana de Oro State Park with Natalie's Grandma and Grandpa Rooks. It was Natalie's first tide-pool adventure.

I had fun with the camera while everyone else hunted for and gathered sea shells and interesting rocks.

Grandma Roberta said she especially enjoyed the peace that the ocean brings her.

The ocean also brought Grandma a little wetness! The tide came in a little faster than she expected, and she got stranded.

I hoped that Natalie would fall asleep on daddy's back while he explored the beach ...

... but no such luck. Natalie needed to be with mommy for her nap.

The excursion to Montana de Oro was part of Grandma and Grandpa's birthday party for Natalie, since they were sick and had to miss the January festivities.

Bret found some interesting sea critters during his exploration of the tide pools. He was happy to get his hands on the camera and document the beautiful landscape.

The mom song

2008-02-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I'll be singing a similar tune before I know it!
(more photos will be coming soon...)

We are FAWMily

2008-02-14T09:11:00.000-08:00

This month, Bret's been working with Ryan Miller to write as many songs as they can. The two, aka Halfpenny Orchestra, have risen to the challenge of February Album Writing Month (FAWM) (the goal: Write and record 14 songs in 28 days). So far, they've posted four songs on their FAWM page, where you can read about them and listen to their songs. Natalie and Hattie have been a bit of a help and inspiration--Bret and Ryan plan to use samples of their baby noises in an upcoming song...

Working on walking

2008-02-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

Lately, Natalie has been showing a little more interest in walking with her little push-cart walker thing. I have a hunch that she's not going to try to walk until she knows she can really do it. She's been working on standing on her own--after pulling herself up on something and letting go and also going from squatting to standing (she can stand almost all the way up from a squat). Anyway, with some encouragement, she'll walk the length of our living room with her push cart, as seen in this video:

Birthday parties! Part 2

2008-01-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 14 (Natalie's actual birthday), Bret and I invited a bunch of our friends to join us at Bon Temp's Creole Cafe in San Luis Obispo. Bon Temp's is not only a fun restaurant with a lively atmosphere and delicious Cajun food, it's a meaningful place for me and Bret--eight years ago (almost to the day), we had our first date there. It turned out to be a wonderful place to celebrate Natalie's first birthday with our church family. We had the whole back room to ourselves, so the toddlers could roam at will.

Diane had fun dancing with Natalie to the New Orleans-inspired music.

Bret and I helped Natalie open her gifts. Here, she has a stylish red skirt from the McCarleys. Natalie looks great in red... (A special thanks goes to Brandon Edmonds for grabbing our camera and taking pictures during the festivities.)

Hattie Miller was quite the party animal.

Evelyn Greene (with dad, Phil) was also a party animal of the most cute kind.

Josiah McCarley seemed to enjoy the friends and Cajun grub.

A good time was had by all--including Brandon--and Natalie will always be able to see how celebrated she was on her first birthday.

Birthday parties! Part 1

2008-01-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 12, the Saturday before Natalie's birthday, Bret and I threw a family party for our soon-to-be one-year-old. Ryan, Sarah, and Hattie Miller were gracious enough to allow us to have the festivities at their house. In addition to the Millers, Natalie's Grandma Julie and Grandpa George; Grandma and Grandpa Parker; Great-Grandpa Parker; and Aunt Becky, Uncle Kyle, and cousin Landon all celebrated with the birthday girl. We missed Grandma and Grandpa Rooks--they'd planned to come, but ended up needing to stay home to get over a nasty cold.

The food included carrots, apples, bananas, yogurt, oatmeal cookies, guacamole, and turkey and cheese roll sandwiches--all foods that Natalie has eaten.

Natalie and Hattie had fun playing together. Natalie's cousin Landon also joined the fun and showed off his walking skills (he was too fast to be in many of the photos!).

Here, we caught Landon sitting on Natalie. She hardly noticed, and I think it's a good experience for her, since she often sits on Hattie.

Natalie's great-grandpa gave her something we'll always cherish: the rocking horse and matching bench (not pictured) that I had when I was a baby. He and my grandma lovingly refurbished it and have been waiting to give it to Natalie.

It took Natalie a little while to warm up to the cake, but she figured out what her audience expected of her. She eventually had frosting all over her face and started lobbing it onto the floor before we removed her from the premises. She seemed to enjoy the few bites she got into her mouth (it was a Costco carrot cake--I settled for store-bought after I realized that there was absolutely no way I'd have enough time or energy to make one from scratch).

It was a wonderful birthday celebration!

New territory for Natalie

2008-01-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

There's no Natalie in this picture ... yet.

Someday Natalie will be playing this newly finished section of our backyard. For now, she's content to stay in my arms (most of the time -- she's gotten to crawl around on the deck a few times) and wave to the cows that frequent the hillside beyond the chain-link fence. She loves cows, by the way....

Christmas highlights, part 4 of 4

2008-01-24T17:33:00.000-08:00

Scroll down for all four parts of the 2007 Rooks Family Christmas. We actually had another celebration, on Dec. 19, with Ryan, Sarah, and Hattie Miller, but we didn't take any photos of the "friendamily" festivities...

Christmas in Fresno

We drove from Modesto to Fresno on Christmas Eve, so we got to wake up Christmas morning and open the gifts.

Natalie got a Star-Bellied Sneech in her stocking, among other fun things. She was quite fond of the Sneech.

Natalie helped Wyatt, aka Uncle Woot, open his gifts.

Natalie helped assemble her big present--a rocking/wheeling riding toy that sings songs and makes other sounds.

Natalie loves the riding toy, and she can get off of it all by herself (she still needs help getting on).

Grandma got to take Natalie for a walk around the block.

We all had a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas highlights, part 3 of 4

2008-01-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Modesto

By the time we had our Christmas celebration with my family in Modesto on Dec. 23 and 24, Natalie had gotten the hang of opening presents (sort of). Besides getting to open gifts, she got to play with her cousin, Landon, and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Parker, Great Grandpa Parker, and Aunt Becky and Uncle Kyle.

Landon, who is 4 1/2 months older than Natalie, taught his cousin a lot about sharing.

The two kiddos each got copies of a Curious George collection of stories. For once, Natalie didn't promptly start eating her book.

Bret had his hands full trying to keep the babies from making their way out the front door.

Christmas highlights, part 2 of 4

2008-01-24T17:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas at home

On Saturday, Dec. 22, we had a Rooks family Christmas at home. Natalie got to open her gifts first.

Natalie's big gift from me and Bret was a baby doll. I'd noticed a few weeks before Christmas that she was just delighted by the baby doll in the kid room at work, so I made sure to get her her very own.

She loves him!

Christmas highlights, part 1 of 4

2008-01-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas in SLO (with Grandma Julie and Grandpa George)

Dec. 17, when my mom and stepdad came to SLO, was Natalie's first taste of Christmas presents all for her -- some of them were nearly her height!

Natalie especially enjoyed the ribbons.

The next day, we all went to Montana de Oro to walk along the bluffs (and work off Christmas dinner No. 1). (No, the stroller was not a Christmas gift.)

Happy Birthday, Natalie!

2008-01-14T10:26:00.001-08:00

As of 6:13 this morning, Natalie is officially one year old. I'm blown away by how much she's grown and accomplished in such a relatively short amount of time. I'm also having a hard time processing just how much Bret and I have learned as parents! Just a year ago, I was changing a diaper for the first time ever, learning how to breastfeed, and falling in love with Natalie Ila Rooks. I'm still very much in love, after how many hundreds of diapers and thousands of breastfeeding sessions. Our daughter is a joy and a delight. We're excited about what the next year of our lives together will bring.

Sharing

2008-01-11T09:53:00.000-08:00

Natalie recently learned how to share her food.
(I'm still sorting through Christmas photos and am busy with preparations for Natalie's first birthday--more posts will be coming soon, I promise.)

Away from the manger

2008-01-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

In mid-December, our friend Susan Sullivan shared her brilliant idea for marauding infants tired of tinsel: the Fisher-Price nativity set.

Now, Natalie has her own special Christmas decoration that she can thrash at will.

Today, Ground Zero caught my eye. The aftermath of Hurricane Natalie seemed more ... organized than ever.

Joseph: "Have you seen the Baby Jesus?"
Wise Guy No.2: "I could have sworn he was right here ..."
Mary: "I turned my back for five seconds ..."
Wise Guy No. 1: "Ooooooh, my head ..."

Fortunately, Baby Jesus was found relatively unscathed on the coffee table.

Early Christmas

2008-01-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

I'm still sorting through the hundreds of photos Bret and I took in December, but here are a few of Natalie getting into the Christmas spirit.

In early December, we went to Bret's family's house in Fresno. We had mentioned to the grandparents that Natalie likes to "help" me and Bret whenever we're working on the computer. They had the great idea of giving Natalie her own keyboard.

Now, Natalie can be as helpful as she wants to be. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Rooks!

Cover Girls

2007-12-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

Natalie and Hattie Miller (on the left) helped the Santa Maria Sun with its annual wish-list cover story, which hit the streets Dec. 20.

The babies also graced the inside pages. (Photos by Steve E. Miller, Sun and New Times staff photographer)

Tasty O's ...

2007-12-07T13:27:00.001-08:00

... more like sticky O's. I wrote about my new love/hate relationship with the O-shaped cereal on our blog.

Cutest smile ever

2007-12-07T13:22:00.001-08:00

It's still weird to me to glance over to the other room and see her standing ...

Mommy's little helper

2007-11-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

Lately, Natalie has been interested in "helping" with just about anything that I'm doing--getting something out of the fridge, putting clothes in the dryer, sorting the mail ... . I let her help me with the junk mail last night.

She was allowed to play with the paper until she started trying to eat it. She wasn't always this obvious about putting it in her mouth, though.

Funny face

2007-11-26T11:09:00.000-08:00

Bret had fun capturing Natalie's range of funny faces. (Nov. 17, 2007)

Natalie leaves her mark ...

2007-11-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

... on her books ...

... on the dining room chairs ...

... on the futon frame ...

... and on our games.

Today, I let Natalie put her chompers to good use on an apple ...

... and everyone was happy.

Highlights from the past few months: August

2007-11-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

Santa Rosa, Aug. 15-19, 2007
My best friend from high school, Gina, held her wedding in our home town on my birthday. It was a beautiful celebration, and I was thrilled to be her Matron of Honor and Faithfulness. I was a little anxious about how Bret and I would coordinate taking care of Natalie while I fulfilled my wedding-party obligations, but the littlest Rooks proved to be quite the easygoing party lover.

Girls' night out: This is just the first part of the decadent spread from Gina's bachelorette party, which began at The Girl and the Fig restaurant in downtown Sonoma. Natalie stayed home with Bret and her grandparents -- I heard she had lots of fun.

Part of me: I wore Natalie as often as I could during the wedding rehearsal. It worked out very well for her to nap in the sling, which proved to be quite the conversation piece.

Dinner time: Natalie was part of the gang at the rehearsal dinner. She was delighted because her friend "baby in the mirror" sat right behind us the whole time.

Good sport: Bret was a wonderful support to me and a fantastic father to Natalie (he always is) during the wedding. Here, he's waiting while the bridal party gets photos taken at the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens.

Friend Fishie: Bret documented Natalie's adventures with her fun friend Fishie, one of her favorite (or, at least, ever present) chew toys.

Trouble in training: On the way back to SLO from Santa Rosa (a five-hour drive), we stopped in Mountain View to see Natalie's Aunt Shannon.

Highlights from the past few months: August

2007-11-09T08:36:00.001-08:00

Iowa, Aug. 2-7, 2007
August was another busy month. This time we were the ones traveling and visiting friends and family. At the beginning of the month, we flew to Iowa for Bret's grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary celebration and family reunion. While we were there, Bret and I celebrated our sixth anniversary--our family even gave us our own cake at the grandparents' party.

Flying high: Natalie's first trip began with three different flights from SLO to Iowa. She did very well on all the flights, and Bret and I were blessed by fellow passengers' support and love for Natalie.

The homestead: Howard and Ila Rooks' home near Marion is on a beautiful acreage complete with a creek and expansive lawns. (That's Bret's youngest brother, Wyatt, sitting in the bottom right of the picture.)

Generations: Natalie loved all the attention she got during the trip--her Great Grandma Ila couldn't get enough of the littlest Rooks. From left to right, Great Grandpa Howard, Bret, Grandpa Clay, and Great Grandma Ila holding Natalie.

Great Grandpa's girl: Natalie had Great Grandpa under her spell the entire time we were there.

Grandma's Natalie-Boo: It was wonderful to watch Natalie being so loved by so many family members. We're so blessed as a family.

Natalie's namesake: Great Grandma Ila was delighted by little Natalie Ila.

Heritage: Natalie became the latest in a long line of Rookses to sleep in the family crib.

Homeward bound: We were blessed to have shared two legs of the trip home with Bret's parents and Wyatt. It was a relief to have the extra company and hands for Natalie.

Highlights from the past few months: July

2007-11-07T20:42:00.000-08:00

Looking back, I'm remembering just how eventful this summer was. Just about every weekend in July brought company to town, which proved to be a lot of fun for us and for Natalie. Also in July, we had the talented Lisa Maksoudian take portraits of us and Natalie.

Bumbo queen: Natalie loved sitting in the Bumbo chair perched atop the dining room table while I puttered around the kitchen (she never fell out of it, but she did eventually learn how to scoot it across the table--I knew she'd outgrown it when I saw that). I always kept at least three squishy blocks on hand for her to play with. (July 4, 2007)

Model baby: Natalie loves the camera--she's been photographed since the instant she was born. Here, she's modeling the sun dress that her great-grandma bought her. (July 8, 2007)

A new friend: In early July, my best friend from high school, Gina Erickson (now Eslinger), visited SLO to meet Natalie (and hang out with me and Bret). (July 8, 2007)

Gina Beana and Nataloo: Gina loved hanging out with Natalie, and Natalie seemed to love hanging out with Gina. (July 8, 2007)

An old friend: Natalie considers Amelie Oakes her friend and mentor. Amelie is five months older than Natalie and has shown Natalie the ropes. We're sad that Amelie will be moving away in January. (July 8, 2007)

Grandma and baby: Natalie enjoyed a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Rooks for her baptism in mid-July. (July 13, 2007)

Love from Grandpa: Grandpa Rooks doted on Natalie during his visit. She is one very loved baby. (July 14, 2007)

Happy family: Grandma and Grandpa Parker (and Poqui the Papillon) also visited us for Natalie's baptism. (July 14, 2007)

Hangin' with Great-Grandpa: Great-Grandpa Parker got to meet Natalie during the baptism festivities. (July 15, 2007)

First sacrament: Our family was invited to participate in Natalie's baptism, performed by Pastor Brian Kay (right). Natalie delighted the congregation with her enthusiastic noises and constant wiggling. (photo by Ryan Miller July 15, 2007)

In the name of the Father: It was a special privilege to dedicate our baby to the Lord before the congregation at Trinity Presbyterian Church. (photo by Ryan Miller July 15, 2007)

Yes, we're nerds: Our friend, Sarah Thien, held a Harry Potter party in honor of the release of the seventh book. I dressed as Hermione, Natalie was a Bertie Bott's every flavor bean, and Bret dressed as a wizard trying to look like a muggle. (July 20, 2007)

Wii love them: Our dear friends the Richardses (Jim on the left, Mandy on the couch, baby Samuel in Mandy's belly) visited SLO for a weekend on their homecoming trip from Italy. While we couldn't convince them to stay in California, we did enjoy every minute of their short stay. Here, Bret challenged Jim to a bout of Wii boxing. (July 29, 2007)

Homespun charm: I finally sat down and crocheted something for Natalie. I'd made many things for many of my friends' babies, but I hadn't made anything for Natalie until July. Now that it's fall, she's wearing this hat nearly every day.

Highlights from the past few months: June

2007-11-05T10:50:00.001-08:00

Sepia sling: Natalie loved her sling. She has since outgrown it (at least for the way I liked to carry her) and now gets worn in an Ergo Baby Carrier. This ring sling was handmade by my friend Sarah Miller. (June 22, 2007)

Closeup: There's something so beautiful about a sleeping baby. (June 19, 2007)

Fun with sepia: For a while in June, Natalie would be still long enough for me to play around with the sepia and black-and-white settings on my digital camera. (June 30, 2007)

Peekaboo: I love taking closeups of Natalie, especially her eyes. And if I had a dollar for every time someone commented on her eyes, she'd have a great start to her college fund. (June 30, 2007)

Summer dress: This was my favorite sun dress of Natalie's -- I love that it criss-crosses in the back. She wore it as often as possible ... Here, she's dressed and ready to go to Bret's company picnic. (June 30, 2007)

Four generations: Natalie's great-grandma and grandma visited in June for the first of many four-generation gatherings over the summer. (June 28, 2007)

1,000 Words

Follow us to rookses.com

Our little artist, video and photos

How do they do it?

Getting bigger

All kinds of fun

Just like Mommy

New baby Tilly

Our babies and their babies

In case you were wondering...

Not red yet...

Easter, etc.

Finally, some photos of the Fresno Zoo

More photos and videos coming soon

She Boggles our minds

Miscellaneous March cuteness

Amid the wreckage

A blast from my past

Miscellaneous cuteness, the beach, and a milestone

Hattie, we hope to see you soon!

Video: Natzilla vs. Sandcastles

Who does Natalie look like?

Fun in the kitchen

FAWMily time

Endless adventures

Helping hands

Miscellaneous January cuteness

Video: lil' singer songwriter

Christmas 2008

Happy 2nd Birthday, Natalie!

Happy new year!

Good grief!

Catching up with November

Video: A rock star is born

Coming attractions...

As close to Halloween as we're going to get

Gorgeous October

Avila Valley Barn

The face of sadness

Grandparents, Pismo, and memories

Green is the new blue

A day at the park (lots of photos)

Fun with friends

Recent fun as seen through the eyes of Grandma Julie

Our big summer road trip

A most wonderful celebration

Thank you, Shannon!

Fun with Daddy

Tennis, anyone?

July in Fresno

New dance moves

This is why you never throw away "disposable" cameras

Summer cuteness

Fourth of July

Vacation came to us

Natalie food, take two

Girl of summer

Happy birthday, Hattie Rose!

Catching up with June

Wedding pics

A Rooks family update

My whereabouts

After my own heart

Look who's walking!

I should have seen it coming ...

Garden gnome

Early spring

Random acts of cuteness

Milestones and accomplishments

February

The mom song

We are FAWMily

Working on walking

Birthday parties! Part 2

Birthday parties! Part 1

New territory for Natalie

Christmas highlights, part 4 of 4

Christmas highlights, part 3 of 4

Christmas highlights, part 2 of 4

Christmas highlights, part 1 of 4