Maternity Leave

Last week was my first week of maternity leave, and the timing of all of this makes me feel like a kid again.  Schools got out here for everyone around the same time as me going off work, so I feel like I'm planning fun things to do for "summer vacation".  Aside from doing some deep house cleaning, doing about 50 loads of laundry, running errands like dentist/library/grocery store/etc, and organizing all things baby girl related, here's a look into some of the fun we had last week....

feeding the sheep at Little Farm 

Ryan and his girlfriend Hadley

helping with baby sister's carseat...can you believe you used to fit in that at one time Ry? 

"Hmmm, this looks like a good place to sit and read"

"Hi baby!", Ryan loved meeting my friend Nicole's 8 week old daughter Isabella 

let's hope this is a good sign for how Ryan will be with soon to be baby sister

A trip to the Oakland Zoo...where Ryan spent a good 10 minutes walking along the length of this snake telling us he was "working on his balance" 

climbing the frog, a favorite zoo activity 

Ry's first experience with the Black & Tan sundae (mommy and daddy's fav!) at Fenton's after our morning at the zoo 

all 3 of us went home with very satisfied bellies after this 

Dads

We are so blessed with great men in our lives, and were lucky enough to be able to celebrate 3 fabulous fathers, in person, on Father's Day this year...

We had a picnic breakfast at a park with my parents...what better way to start the day than french toast with fresh strawberries, and bacon, all cooked on a camping stove?  This was immediately followed by some good ol' running around, of course.

Later in the day we hosted a backyard BBQ with Eddy's family to celebrate the Bayer men. 

Dads are extra great because they....

push you on the big boy swings

teach you how to do cartwheels

and constantly bring on the attack of the tickle monster

Here is a shot of my 37 week belly...for those of you keeping track. 

As for father's day gifts...this year Eddy and I had tickets to the US Open.  Eddy's parents graciously took charge of Ryan for the day, and the two of us ventured into San Francisco to watch some amazing golf.  It was a gorgeous day, and we loved meandering around the Olympic Club (albeit it's a really hilly course especially for a 9 month pregnant lady).  And since we couldn't bring our cameras or cell phones, this is a link to a photo of the hill where we sat and watched Tiger, Phil, Bubba and few other big names play through (click forward to the 2nd photo, of the 8th green).
http://blog.sfgate.com/ongolf/2012/06/15/photos-from-day-two-of-the-us-open/#5847-1

summer sweets

Just had to share this picture we took of Ry the other night, after devouring his angel food cake and fresh strawberry dessert, which was of course topped off with homemade whipped cream.  Did he love it?  Of course...every last bite.

best friends

Tomorrow is my last day of work, and then I'm on maternity leave.  Which brings about all sorts of emotions for me.  Change is something that always takes that adjustment period, right?
Well, one change after tomorrow is that Ryan won't be seeing our nanny Tracy and her two kids as regularly.  Tracy has been taking care of Ryan since he was 4 1/2 months old, and her kids Mason (7 years old) and Emma (3 years old) have been wonderful playmates for Ryan since the beginning.  In fact, Ryan tells me often that Mason is his best friend.  Having those kids as a regular part of Ryan's life has been great for him...it taught him to share, take turns, play nicely with others, and most importantly he got to learn what it's like to have a sibling before his sibling arrives...as Emma and Mason are very much siblings, for all the goods (and the occasional fights) that come with that.
And for as strange as it is to leave your child with someone else to take care of, Tracy has done a great job keeping Ryan safe, and healthy, and happy over the last 2+ years.  We have been very lucky, and feel blessed to have them in our lives.

Fairyland

This is a place that Eddy and I both remember going as kids.  I've taken Ryan once before, and it truly is a great place for kids.  The best part...everything is kid sized.  And it's in the heart of downtown Oakland, so it's always an eclectic mix of people both in and around the park.  Ryan is still on the young side to understand all of the fairy tales that accompany each activity, but we got him his own key this trip and he loved putting it in each of the boxes to "unlock" the story...he just wouldn't stand still to listen to the fairy tale after it started playing.  Oh well, we'll just have to go back.
Last week Eddy got to have his one last week of freedom before #2 arrives, and he flew to Vegas for a week of golfing and hanging out poolside with a group of guys.  So on our way to the airport for Eddy to fly out, we stopped at Fairyland so Ryan could get his wiggles out.  I think all 3 of us had fun.
And as for Ryan and myself, we did great at home without Daddy...although we both missed him terribly.  And it was really really nice to have him around again when he got back.

the entrance to the park, through the Old Lady's shoe

Who says you have to be 4 to go down the dragon slide?  Ryan LOVED it, and man that slide is fast

another year, another snowy Memorial Day

I'm not sure why we feel the need to torture ourselves....with the long weekend that is supposed to signify the unofficial start to summer, we seem to end up backtracking to winter.  The past two years in a row we found ourselves in the middle of a snowstorm to kick off Memorial Day.  Yet, Tahoe is still one of my most favorite places to be.  And when the sun came out Sunday morning (even though it was still a tad chilly), it reminded me why we chose to endure the elements the day before.  Combine the beautiful scenery with some much needed down time (aka unplugging from life, all of us napping during Ry's nap time, early to bed, etc), and it was a great getaway.
This year Eddy's family joined us in our quest for downtime, and they came up to the cabin for part of the weekend.  Great to have them around and to share in the fun with them.

so the snow didn't really stick to the ground, but we managed to find some patches for Ryan to huck over the fence

We took a short "hike" in the snow/rain part way up the Eagle Falls trail...and this picture (with the snow flake blurring out Eddy's face to prove it) describes how much Ryan loved the snow hitting him in the face.  He hated it.  Luckily the snow was on and off, and he did a great job hiking the rest of the time.  

Ry was just about my pace...34 weeks pregnant and hiking at altitude are a great combo!  Luckily I could still zip up my down jacket to keep the snow out

how many people can fit on one small couch?  8 (including the two little ones in two different bellies) 

the two troublemakers in their pj's

this is why we keep coming back

Alexandra and Ryan throwing rocks in the lake 

The whole family!  (And me in all my 34 week pregnant glory)