Christmas 2010

What a whirlwind Christmas we had. With it being Kellen's first, there was plenty of family & friends who wanted to make sure they were able to spend some time with him. So, here's what we did: On the 23rd, we had the Fowle family over for dinner plus Kacie's sister Nicole. It was nice because not only did we get to see Kacie's family, but Kacie & her sister were able to spend some holiday cheer with one another as Kacie was making a pit stop on her way to Petaluma (where her husband's family lives), and Nicole was leaving for Santa Barbara the next morning (where Kacie's family lives). On the 24th, we left for my Aunt Martha's house about 12:30. Not only were we able to see the Falore family, but my sister's family was there as well so we were able to exchange gifts with one another. Grant was off golfing with my Uncle Dave & Jake pretty much played video games the whole time, but it was nice for my sister, my Aunt Martha, and cousin Julianne to see little Kellen, of course. Then, about 3:30, we drove for Jeremy's parents house where we stayed put for the rest of the evening. Jeremy's brother Matt, and his fiance Katy were up from LA, and we had a great time! Kellen was absolutely showered with gifts!! It turned into a late night for Kellen, but he was a trooper & enjoyed all of the attention. Finally, on Christmas day, after opening gifts from Santa at our house, we drove up to my parent's house where again Kellen was showered with gifts from not only his grandparents but by his Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Aimee! We then left for my Aunt Nanette's house about 4:00 and headed Discovery Bay. There we enjoyed a Christmas feast, lots of great company, and completed the annual Gift Exchange! We finally made it home to our thrashed house...whew! What an exhausting couple of days. Now it's time to clean, clean, clean!

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Christmas 2010

All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth

Kellen has two teeth! The first one cut through about a month ago, and the second popped through about a week ago. Both together in time for Christmas. Kellen had some slight discomfort, but we treated him with baby Tylenol & baby Oragel. Nothing kept him from sleeping through the night, phew!

"Mama"

I swear to goodness that Kellen said "Mama" to me last night! He took a really long afternoon nap, and had to be starving when he woke up. We decided to wake him up for his bath, and when Kellen saw me he said, "Mama." Jeremy carried him upstairs to undress him, and I went to prepare the bath water. As I turned away, Kellen said "Mama" again! I really think he is associating me with the word!! Normally, if Kellen was just making sounds it would be more like "mamamamamama, bababababa, or dadadada," but this time he looked right at me and said clear as a bell, "Mama." Even Jeremy agreed! It was very cool. I told Maureen the next morning that we think he said Mama last night. When I got home for lunch he said Mama right away, and Maureen stated that was the first time he's said it all day. I called my mom to tell her, and she said that yesterday when I left to go back to work; as I walked out the door & closed it - he stretched his arms out and said "Mama" then too!

Guess Who I Met Last Weekend?

SANTA!!!
That's right. I met him in the flesh at Valley Fair Mall while his reindeer waited on the roof. My mom and dad kept me company while we waited in a really long line. We got there before Santa did, and the line was already 20 families deep! I was real patient though, and was a good boy so Santa could see what a good boy I am. I must have known something special was happening that day, because I didn't take a nap all morning! Finally, Daddy plopped me in the big guy's lap. I wasn't too sure what was going on at first as this was my first time meeting him. I overheard Santa tell Daddy that I could have anything I want! Yes, he said that! I gave Santa's beard a little tug to make sure it was the real deal. Yup, it's real. I then heard Mommy clapping and cheering me on, so I looked at her & gave her a big smile. A big flash went off, and this is what we got! Great picture, isn't it? Look at that, I'm even holding Santa's hands!

Another Cold?!?

Unfortunately, this is true. Kellen woke up this morning with an awful hack, sneezing, and a runny nose. At 7 1/2 months, this is his third cold!!! I swear this kid can't catch a break these days. I guess looking on the bright side, each cold builds his immunity up more & more. At this rate, he's going to be one healthy little boy! Get better soon my Sweet Boy.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at The Lanes. We had a great crowd that included my parents, Jeremy's brother Jordan (up from LA) with his wife & daughter, brother Andy, his wife Staci, sister Amy, and the neighbor Ed with his son Edgar. It was especially nice since last year I was eating Turkey from a hospital bed. While this year, we didn't have to choose which side of the family to be with since we all came together! It was really cute to see the two cousins together. Kathleen is taking up a storm. Yelling, KELLEN!!!, FOOTBALL!!!, KATHLEEN!!! as well as everyone else's names at every moment she could. So cute!!! In addition, Jeremy and I decided to take the entire week off for some much needed family time. I was also able to get in a shopping day with my mom in San Francisco. We had a great time.

Here are the pictures from Thanksgiving:
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Uncle Matt & Auntie Katy (to-be) are engaged

Last night, Maureen & Al hosted Matt & Katy's engagement party at their house. The bride and groom to-be looked so happy and in love. The Lanes are looking forward to the new addition to the family. Congratulations Matt & Katy!!!

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Matt & Katy for Blog

Kellen's six month photo shoot

Christmas cards are out!! And, the pictures we selected are from Kellen's six month photo shoot. The very talented Kacie Fowle (Kacie Jean Photography) traveled up from Santa Barbara just for the occasion. Here is the link to her slide show. You need the latest flash player for it to work (there should be music as well).

http://www.kaciejean.com/novemberlane

The location we chose was Yerba Buena Gardens in Downtown San Francisco. It ended up being a GORGEOUS day, and the pictures are absolutely gorgeous themselves. THANK YOU SO MUCH AUNTIE KACIE!!!

Makin' Baby Food

We are right in the mix of baby food! I wouldn't say that Kellen is an expert at this whole eating thing yet, but he's learning quick, and his palate is ever expanding. In mid-November, we had Kellen's two buddies, Gianna & Makayla over while their Mommies and I made baby food. The daddy's watched the babies (and football) while we pureed away in the kitchen. It turned out great, we ended up with a ton of food, and had a blast while doing it. All the while being proud of ourselves that we made natural, fresh, healthy baby food for our tikes. Looking forward to the next party!

Aquarium of the Bay

This past Saturday we went to the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco on Pier 39. We went with a great group of friends and had a wonderful time. It was so cute watching how curious Kellen was. His new thing is making elephant sounds. You can spot when he's doing it...look for that bottom lip sticking out! It was gorgeous day. The city was a buzz following the World Series Win, and we even did a little shopping along the Embarcadero afterward.
Enjoy the slide show of the pics!
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Happy Halloween

We had such a wonderful Halloween this year. We went to three different events throughout the weekend. Our precious Yoda made a surprise visit to the Santa Rita Witches Delight Friday night. Santa Rita is the school where Grandmo Lane works. He loved looking at all of the other kids, the lights, and listening to the music. He was bright-eyed the entire time, with his legs kicking away showing his excitement.

On Saturday, we went to the Saratoga Witchy Walk-A-Bout in downtown Saratoga. Grandma Sue, Papa, cousin Rochelle, and cousin Dyllanie met up with us, and away we went trick-o-treating (well, Papa & Daddy went to The Bank (bar) to watch the Giant's game). We received so many compliments. I dressed as Princess Leia, and we were a great Dynamic Duo walking around!! We were even stopped by KSAR local TV and were interviewed for the news!!! Daddy dressed as a Jedi, but he didn't last long in his costume. Oh well. It was a fun time. I look forward to it next year!

I know, bummer shot of Kellen, but it's the only one taken with all three of us dressed up!

They had a cowboy stilt walker!



Then, on Sunday night, we went over to Grandmo & Grand Dad Lane's house to go trick-o-treating in their cul-de-sac. We just went to four houses, but it was great to see Kellen in his Yoda costume one last time.

Kellen at Six Months

Kellen (or should I say Butterball), tipped the scales at 20 pounds at his six month appointment. He is 27.5 inches long, and his head is 45 centimeters. All three categories put Kellen in the 90th percentile. Yes, we have a big boy on our hands!! He had four shots this time, and took them very well. He had two injections on each leg & when the doctor switched to the other leg, Kellen was back to smiling. He's a happy guy!!

Kellen also had his first cold last week! It was a real mild cold, but it included a runny nose, sneezing, a slight cough, and lethargy. He was still a happy guy though. He would sneeze, snot would go a-flyin', and he would just look at you with these half open eyes and smile. It was so sad, yet cute at the same time.

Kellen is also starting solid foods now!! YUMMY!!! He has tried rice cereal, bananas, apples, peas and sweet potatoes. Guess what his favorites are so far? The peas & sweet potatoes!! He hated the banana and apple. I'll keep trying those, he'll come to love them, I know it. Here are a few pics of him eating rice cereal for the first time. Such a silly boy!

Lemos Family Farm: Half Moon Bay

We started a wonderful friend and family tradition this year. We went to the Lemos Family Farm in Half Moon Bay!! I personally have never gone, and I was so happy that we did. It was a wonderful treat that Kellen, Makayla, & Gianna were awake & happy most of our time there. We had a ton of fun. Going early was key. Traffic didn't play a factor at all in our day. We were home by 1:00 & still had the remainder of the day to look forward too. Can't wait to do it again next year!!!

Just arriving:

Cowboy Kellen:

With Daddy:

The three of us:

Cutie Kellen:

Mommies with Babies:

Daddies with Babies:

Kellen, Gianna, & Makayla:

My Super Cute Yoda:

On the train:

With Mommy:

Kellen with his first pumpkin:

Our Over-Nighter Away from Kellen

This past weekend, we attended a family friend's wine tasting party in Clovis (Clovis is about a three hour drive from Sunnyvale). Becky Wilson (Jeremy's friend Russ' sister) out did herself, just as in years past, and we had a great time. There were over ten different varietals, a huge spread of food, and most of all, great people. The flip side to all of this, was that it was our first night away from our baby boy. Due to the environment & forecasted extremely hot weather (as this was an evening/outdoor party), we decided to leave him with Grandmo & GrandDad. Guess what? He did great & so did Jeremy & I. I have to admit, I talked about Kellen the entire party & Jeremy admitted missing him to pieces as people asked about him too, but there were no tears shed. I was able to text Grandmo & she kept me updated on naps, activities, and when he finally hit the hay. He had no trouble & went to sleep right on schedule sleeping 11 hours that night. The first thing Grand Dad said to us as we got back was "He's such an easy baby!!"

A super sweet moment with Kellen the night before we left (we wonder if he sensed something):

Tasting some yummy wine:

Congrats Dr. Al Lane

On August 14th, Stanford hosted a "stepping down" party for Jeremy's dad. The entire family came together (Jeremy's brothers flew up from LA), and it was a great gathering. It was an honor to be among Al's colleagues, and to listen to the amazing things they said about him. I later told Maureen that it's like Al leads a double life. This side of him, we never get to see, and I was glad that I did.

Then, later in the afternoon, a loud whistle blew, and the Stanford Band rushed through the picnic area. We all thought they were just being their quirky selves & would keep running...nope! They stopped right near us & played four or five songs for Al's party!! It was the coolest thing!!!

Kellen as we just arrived:

The Lanes & a few others with the Band:

The Three of Us with the Tree:

Grandmo and GrandDad with Kellen & his cousin Kathleen:

The Lane crew with the Tree:

Under the Boardwalk

Out in the Sun, We'll be Having Some Fun...

On Labor Day, we were invited to join my Aunt Robi to her company picnic at the Boardwalk. It included free arcade games, a BBQ, and free rides! My parents (Grandma Sue & Papa) came too, and we arrived a little after 9:00am ready to take advantage of the arcade games. My dad, Aunt Robi, Jeremy and I also played laser tag while my mom fed Kellen. After enjoying some grub, we walked the boardwalk. We only mustered up enough courage for one ride, the log ride. Jeremy, Aunt Robi & I got absolutely drenched!!! It was a great way to end a super hot day. We had a great time.

Walking the boardwalk:


Hi Aunt Robi!

Quick family photo (we are drenched):

Kellen at Five Months

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. We have been a busy little family. We are doing well, and Kellen is great! He's growing super big (in mainly 9 months or 12 months clothes), and is still as sweet as can be. He rarely fusses, and is a willing napper. He wakes up peacefully & when we check on him we often find a happy baby sucking on his toes. He rolled over from belly to back on his 4 month birthday, and is a roll over pro now. Currently, he can sit up unassisted for short amounts of time. It won't be long until he's got it down pat. He also now has a strong interest in what we are putting in our mouths. He watches us eat very intently. I don't think it registers as food yet, but he definitely wants to see what's going on.

Kellen sitting up:

Kellen about to suck his toe:

Kellen watching me eat:


Kellen also loves being read to, and is able to keep his attention on the book for an amazing amount of time. Kellen also loves his little Sophie giraffe. Here's a sweet picture of him cuddling with her on a car ride.

Sir Laughs-A-Lot & 4 Month Update

Yesterday, was Kellen's four month check up. Everything went very well. Kellen measured 26.5 inches in length, 17 pounds 12 ounces (both in the 93rd percentile), and 17 inches for his head circumference (75th percentile). He had to get two more shots which he did just fine with. All in all, it was a great health report.

Also, we caught this video last week when I came home from work. Listen to those giggles & squeals. Love it!

Life as Parents (3 1/2 months)

Kellen is now 3 1/2 months. Time is flying by so fast. I often look at him trying to find reminders of what he looked like as a newborn.

Kellen has kept his mellow temperment and is so fun to be around. He lights up a room, and has already learned how to work a crowd always being an absolute angel in front of company. Jeremy and I feel very blessed and lucky that Kellen is our son. He brings us so much joy, yet challenges us at the same time. As new parents often say, we can't imagine our lives without him.

As babies do, Kellen is constantly changing and doing new things:
*He cries different. That newborn cry is out the window...HELLO LUNGS!
*He almost has this holding the head up thing down. He gets lazy when sleepy, but who doesn't?
*He's a giggle monster (see video below)
*He loves to smile at everyone (his reflection too)
*He's a big boy! His weigh in from last week came in at 16lbs 4ounces!
*He is sleeping through the night. Often for 9-10 hour stretches
*He has transitioned to his crib in his own bedroom
*He loves music!
*He is working well with Grandma Sue & Grandmo during the day while I'm at work
*He loves gumming everything, and has a bit of a slobber problem.
*He startles easily (I wonder who he got that from? MOM!)
*He is so close to rolling over (but not quite)
*He is well aquainted with his hands, and is starting to discover his feet

There are many more, but this is a good start to the new things he has been and is about to start doing. We're looking forward to his milestones, but we know we will miss the current things too.

Mr. Giggles

As promised in the below blog, we got video of Kellen giggling! It was a perfect ending to my day as today was my first day back to work. He's so cute!! I just can't get enough of that sound. Enjoy!

Speaking of my first day back to work, everything went fairly smoothly. Jeremy gets off work before me, and he said he came home to a happy little boy! Great job Grandma Sue!! As for me, I did surprisingly well. I had an enormous amount of email to keep me busy & focused, and I get to see Kellen on my lunch break. So, all in all, it wasn't as bad as I expected.

Kellen at Three Months

As promised, here are a few photos from our trip down to Santa Barbara. They are absolutely beautiful. As always, Kacie did an amazing job. We love you Kacie!!!

Side note, Kellen had his first giggles last night. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. I got teary eyed at the sound of it. Jeremy got him to giggle first, then I continued what Jeremy was doing, and he did it for me too. Such a precious moment!!! We're hoping to capture it on video soon (of course he wouldn't do it once I thought to grab the camera...).