Thanksgiving

Aaahhh. Turkey. Leftovers. Punkins. Pie. Punkin pie. Elastic waist pants. and the coveted Four Day Weekend. Spent it with family. Stella got lots of time with crazy cousins. The end. Still recovering. Started this post before the holiday, and finished it after.

Kids are the reason the holidays are so much fun. Though last night was actually Stella's second Halloween, it was the first one she got to enjoy. Stella was able to ride a pony, trunk or treat, and taste candy. So fun! Glenn and I were more excited about the pony rides, than anything else. Stella loves horses, so we thought she would get such a kick out of sitting on one. We showed up early, so as to avoid the inevitably long line. The challenge was keeping Stella away from the horses, while they were walking around. Finally, it's time to hop on. Stella, who has yet to actually say the word 'horse', spends the entire time on the pony, holding onto the horn with one hand, and signing the word 'horse' with the other (with a great amount of enthusiasm, I might add). Unfortunately, we were unable to get any decent pics of the long awaited event. Once the pony ride was over, Stella was cranky most of the rest of the night, because the pony ride was over. All efforts were now aimed towards distracting our little one from the ponies at the other end of the parking lot. Since the resemblence is so striking (we're talking doppleganger, here), Stella dressed up as Cindy-Lu-Who. Truly adorable. can't wait 'til next year!!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Manta Rays, sharks, and fish, oh my! Left at the crack of dawn to avoid traffic, and we spent the day chasing Stella, feeding Stella, and trying to get a cranky Stella to nap. All of this with fish and jellies as a backdrop. Stella loved the river otters. The penguins were defnintely a highlight. There happened to be one little guy showing off right in front of the glass, following anyone with a camera. Stella couldn't stop pointing and grunting. Apparently, we missed the real show, however, when a couple of penguins started mating. We had just walked away from the exhibit a minute or two before, when suddenly the crowd went from two to about eight people deep. I guess we know what always attracts the masses.
The favorites were the 'touch and feel' areas, where Stella perfected her splashing skills, and the toddler play area. She got a little ticked when we finally had to remove her from the water, because she wasn't the only one getting soaked as a result of her excitement.
Stella finally crashed as we were pulling out of the parking lot.
It was fun, and we are glad to be home.

Stella's First Baseball Game

Glenn and I are big Giants fans. I developed a love of baseball since meeting Glenn, so, of course my favorite team will be the San Francisco Giants. This may sound cheesy, but the experience of going to a baseball game, with thousands of other fans cheering for the same team, is just a bit magical. Here is a stadium full of people from different ethnic, social, and economical backgrounds, all pushing for the same goal - to win. For a few hours, differences are put on a shelf, and strangers are giving high fives, and speaking with enthusiasm to one another. Last Saturday, we took Stella to her first game - to see the Giants, of course. Glenn got Stella a Giants sweatshirt, so she looked the part. We got seats in a handicap section so we could have more room for all of the 'baby luggage'. It was perfect. When we got there, Stella's eyes were as big as saucers. She spent the first hour just taking it all in. When she wasn't snacking, flirting with those sitting around us, or clapping for a great play, she was exploring. We stayed through the sixth inning, as it was becoming quite chilly. Stella had so much fun! She crashed out, on the way home, and we even got some cute pics!

Greenie

Well, would you look at that. We are finally doing this. It has been a crazy past year. We had a baby and changed careers, as well as switching parental roles. Enough said.
As for the addition to our little family, I am just giddy. I love parenthood, and am just head over heels with our little one. We have a daughter, Stella Jane, who just had her first birthday. She is sweet, independent, and silly. She is also a girlie-girl. She loves dollies, flowers, dogs, and kisses. We are just crazy about her. I can elaborate more on our adventures in parenthood, later.
After working for FedEx for 12 years, Glenn has decided to go back to school. He wants to study accounting. So, while he stays home with Stella, I work outside the home. We have been doing this for almost three months, and it seems to be working out well, for us. Stella has more than adjusted to Mom being away during the day, and Glenn is wonderful with her. Stella has so much fun with her daddy, during the day.

There's the intro... More to come!