Tipping Point

Dean has reached the tipping point where he now walks more than crawls. Our "Baby" Dean is growing up so fast! He is enjoying his new found abilities and although he still tumbles quite often, he's quick to get up and keep on moving. Check him out in action:

http://blip.tv/pelaezfam/dean-walking-down-hall-5917655

Visit to Maryland

It was great to see family during our brief trip back to Maryland. Most of Ed's family was in town for Linda's 60th Birthday Party Saturday night. She knew that Ed and Morgan were coming, but Dean and I were a surprise. We stayed at Rich and Jill's house (thank you for your hospitality!) and when Linda came over, I just let Dean crawl into the room until she noticed him and screamed in shock. It was fun for the cousins to all play together and Morgan said he just wanted to stay in their basement full of toys when it was time to go back to Texas.

And it snowed! Not much accumulation, more of a rain/ice/snow mix, but it was a change from the temperatures we've been used to.

On Saturday morning, we had a yummmmmmy brunch at Marc and Donna's house. My mom & Tom as well as Darren and Annie were up from North Carolina so it was great to have a partial family reunion. We really miss family, so it was just what we needed.

Thanks to everyone for making the effort to come see us. It was a whirlwind and the kids were troopers between all the planes, layovers, rental car, and traveling from place to place. Next time we will stay longer!

Elana is getting so big!

 

R.I.P. Stella

I'm sad to say that on Sunday, January 22, Stella died of a pulmonary embolism that caused a clot in her hind leg. Her body shut down pretty quickly and we had to make the decision to euthanize her to keep her from further pain as her outlook for recovery was slim. She had been in the care of my brother Darren in North Carolina since August, so all of this took place long distance which made it very, very shitty. I feel so bad not to have said goodbye to her or to have been with her at the end. I mean, I said bye when we left her with Darren, but I always thought I'd see her again. We've had Stella for 9 years and I will miss her. 

 I will miss her fat belly that swings when she walks; how her tongue was too long for her mouth; how damn clumsy she was; how after sitting down for 2 seconds, she would jump up on your lap and nudge your hand to pet her; how she would announce herself when entering a room; how she would sunbathe in the light from the window; how she would stand by the front/back door waiting for a chance to bolt outside, only to freeze if she ever succeeded in getting outside; how she looked like a Russian babushka hat when she sat with her legs tucked in; how she'd always get into things like bags or tissue paper or bubble wrap or laundry baskets or even inside the dryer; how we'd call her "Jaguar Bob" for looking like a hood ornament when she perched centered at the end of the bed; how she would suddenly get hyper and chase her toys around the house, throwing her mice up and always getting them stuck behind the bookshelf ( I found a colony of them when we moved); how she'd kill crickets at night, torturing them by pulling out their legs one by one; how good she was with the kids - never biting them even though they would bite her; how she'd stretch her front paws out when she was in ecstasy lying on your lap; how she'd make those Miss Piggy noises when she'd see a squirrel or bird outside; how she'd let you scratch her belly like a dog.

Stella/Bella/Bob/The Bob/Jaguar Bob, I will miss you. I'm so, so, so sorry I couldn't be there with you for your final moments. I hope you know you were loved even though we weren't physically there. You were our baby before we had our own kids and if we ever get a pet again, I don't think they'll ever make us laugh like you did. You were a dog in a cat's body, unlike any cat I've ever met, so social, tolerant with the kids, and loving. You have left us with many wonderful memories. Ironically, Dean has chosen the black cat stuffed animal we call Stella as his lovey so we will have a constant comforting reminder of you for years to come.

Thank you Jill for matching us up with her. She was a perfect fit and came a long way from hiding under the desk at Asbury.

Thank you Darren and Annie and Jonas for taking such good care of her these past 6 months. I know she had a fun time with you and got lots of attention and love from you guys. Thank you especially for being with her there at the end, Darren. It makes me feel good knowing that she recognized your face and had someone there the last time her eyes were open. It rained today in North Carolina and when Darren and Annie had to tell Jonas why Stella wasn't coming back home, I think he put it nicely when he said "the earth was crying now that Stella was gone."

A Walk through the Mirazozo Luminarium

 

Over the weekend, I noticed a gigantic, colorful inflatable structure on the grounds of the Palmer Events Center. After checking online, I discovered it was the touring Mirazozo Luminarium, an experimental maze consisting of varying thicknesses of nylon that use natural light to create colored patterns. Obviously, my 3 year old wouldn't understand, so I just told him we were going to see what the inside of a rainbow looked like. We went this afternoon while Dean was napping and Morgan had a great time weaving in and out of the colored rooms. It was like entering a Dr. Seuss dreamland. Hard to describe... but really cool. I couldn't stop taking picture... see for yourself:

Dean is on the move

Dean is still practicing his ability to walk. Now that he knows he can, he sometimes refuses to crawl and will scale the walls instead. He kinda looks like a mountain climber! Here is another brief clip of him walking:
http://blip.tv/pelaezfam/dean-proudly-walking-5890116

We had a laugh with Morgan the other night when Ed put an ice cube down the back of his underpants. Morgan laughed and proceeded to fish it out and then stuck it in his mouth! Gross!

Dean took 10 steps today!!!!!!

His first single step was on Friday, when he turned exactly 14 months. Nothing yesterday, but today... 10 in a row! He was on the floor with Ed and myself and I let go of his hands and he walked towards Ed with a huge smile on his face. You could tell how excited he was about his accomplishment! While I don't have that whopper on video, check out some steps (and subsequent tumbles):

http://blip.tv/pelaezfam/deansteps-5872007

http://blip.tv/pelaezfam/more-dean-steps-5872043

New Years Eve + No Babysitter = Party of 4

Happy New Year! With no real plans for the evening, we headed out after dinner to Auditorium Shores where the city sponsored a kid-friendly New Year's event. Entertainment included glow-in-the-dark circus performers, live music and good old fashioned funnel cakes and caramel apples. Ed and I sported short sleeves - the warmest New Year's Eve we could remember. The boys had fun but quickly got antsy and tired once the funnel cake was devoured. We knew we'd never make it for the 10:00 fireworks... After the kids were in bed, Ed and I played a celebratory Scrabble double-header over champagne. Woo hoo! (He won both games - by a lot I might add). I think 2012 will be the year to avenge myself.