I don't look a day over 33. Right?!

My wonderful family treated me to a birthday lunch. Enzo enjoyed a lunch of red vines, sweet tarts, and sour patch kids (I've lately been known to do anything to keep him happy in restaurants.) I was especially sensitive since this restaurant was the scene of the crime.

Here, I read from the gift my creative mother gave to me - a romance novel with Jeff and me as the main characters. Boundaries?! Uh.... I haven't gotten to the real steamy parts yet. Ha!

Merry Christmas!

Jeff and I had to wake up this little elf ourselves. And he must have been so excited to see what Santa left for him, that he almost undressed himself. A big day was ahead of us, with visits to my mom's and Jeff's grandparents', so we had to start early so we didn't have to rush around.


He almost could not believe his little eyes. Santa came!


I thought I'd recreate an old tradition from my childhood - the compulsory picture on the stairs in our jammies. Next year, two little elves will be on the stairs in their jammies!


First up, the block train left all set up at the foot of the Christmas tree. It was pretty awesome since each gift Enzo unwrapped occupied his undivided attention for at least 15 minutes. Our gift giving took a few hours.

The carnage.

Santa must have visited Mema's house as well, because he dug out this rocking horse from MY childhood! Big hit with Enzo. At my mom's, a Christmas miracle happened. It's tradition that the youngest in the family lay the Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas. But my mom had misplaced Jesus and had been on the hunt for him for a few weeks. About halfway through the afternoon, Jesus appeared in the manger. And still, noone has 'fessed up.


Is it me, or does Kayden look a lot like cousin Scotty? Here's Auntie Mary Jo, too.

And at Great Grumpy and Nana the Great's house -- his first tricycle given with love by Nana.


Here, Nana dancing tamborazo zacatecano with Enzo. Today was a loooong, but fantastic, day of family, great food, and togetherness. Merry Christmas!

The Lord (and Dad) is Born!

After Jeff got home from work, we spent over an hour on the freeway to my dad's house - which usually only takes 30 minutes - to celebrate the birth of my dad. And Christ. He cooked us a lovely roast beef dinner - Uncle Johnny was able to join my sisters, Jeff, Enzo and I for some good Jesmer fun.


This year, Enzo was completely engaged in the unwrapping of gifts, which was a lot more fun than watching him eat wrapping paper. One of the favorites was the bouncing turtle. And that was BEFORE he hopped on.

Another favorite was a custom gift conceptualized, designed, and produced by my ingenious husband, Jeff. Since my dad has excessive arthritis in his back as well as two fake hips, clipping his toenails is quite the challenge for him. And since we've each been asked repeatedly to clip them for him, Jeff created a solution. The Extender Jesmer Clipper. Yes, a toenail clipper as well as magnifying glass mounted to the "Gopher" grabber. A freaking cable actuated toenail clipper.

And, please take note of the hooter hider covered in skulls worn by my sister, Claire, as she nurses Kayden. I'm so borrowing that.

Here, Enzo tests out the gift he gave to his cousin, Kayden.

A delicious cake baked by Josie. And decorated by Uncle Johnny. "Mer-py Birth-mas Gor-ther" translates into "Merry/Happy Birthday/Christmas Gordon/Father." Year after year, it never gets old.

Christmas eve eve

Enzo has thoroughly enjoyed his Advent calendar, especially because it has low-quality chocolate candies in each window. Each night after dinner, we ceremoniously open up the new window, push the chocolate thru and Enzo gobbles it right up. Then, he ceremoniously closes and opens all the windows again to ensure he didn't miss any rogue chocolate. Only one more window, Piccolo!

Tanzore and LA Athletic Club

As the end of 2009 quickly approaches, certain gift certificates expire. For the past few weeks, we've been on a mission to use up our expiring vouchers. Tonight - an overnighter!! (I don't know, after 19+ months, it's probably time for Enzo to have his first night without us, eh?) A staycation! A parents' night (whole night) out. Jeff picked me up at work and we were off to have dinner at a nice Indian Restaurant in BevHills called Tanzore. And boy, was it delish! I even splurged with an iced green tea.


Then, we checked into our Country Club Suite at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Posh. Can you tell that this 6-month preggo girl is excited for a night out?! I was the grand prize raffle winner at last year's office Christmas party at USC Annenberg and won this dope gift. Our plans for the morning were to work out at the athletic facilities, maybe get a massage, and enjoy our complimentary breakfast buffet. Instead, we slept waaay in (a night with no baby monitor static, nor a baby babbling us awake!) and crawled to breakfast before it was too late. And the workout was replaced with a stroll and browse at the LA Jewelry Mart.

Enzo did quite well and barely missed us at all. Must have been all the attention he got from Mema and her dog Max who came over and played with him. Thanks, Ma!

Joy to the world!

Enzo did NOT get the memo.

Gingerbread, er, graham cracker house

Enzo was invited to a gingerbread house making party with a few friends from Gymboree. Since Kylan and his mom Kathy live just a few houses away, we walked up the hill to find lots of fun (and sugar) awaiting us. Of course, it took Enzo a good 30-40 minutes to warm up to the kids, but surprisingly, he was one of the only kids who actually participated in decorating (or helping to un-do what I was doing to) his house.

I asked him to pose next to his house, and he took off a gumdrop roof tile and stuffed it in his mouth. He has never seen or tasted this much (or any?) candy.

The deconstruction continues...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I pulled down all the Christmas decorations, rolled up my sleeves, put the XM Holly-days station on, burned some cinnamon apple incense and began going to town. And it was a race against the clock before Enzo awoke from his nap.


Once he did wake up to see the bannisters wrapped in pinecone, snow-capped, white-lit garland, he says "oooooooohhhhhhhh!!!!!!" with his eyes wider than I've ever seen them before. This Christmas will be different than last year when all he did was eat wrapping paper. I introduce him to this very special music box, with a train, carolers, and snow frosted pine trees. Mesmerized, I say.


We head out over the river and through the woods to the Christmas tree farm/lot (aka Lowes) and Enzo sprints toward the trees. Why is it he picks the most expensive 10 foot Noble fir? We're going Douglas and we're going 8 feet. And I recall that last year I was stoked to bring with me a $10 off coupon that was conveniently mailed to me. This year, not so much. (Can you tell I still have a philosophical problem with spending $50 on a dead tree?)

Enzo says "There's gotta be a better/fresher/taller/fuller one back here in the tree jail" - if only he could speak. So his mother kindly asked the lumberjack man to find her one.

After making Jeff spin it around 143 times (hey, he was prepared with his headlamp and anti-sap gloves), we decide yep, this is the one.


We do the furniture dance to make a spot for the tarp and tree stand. And, by the way can I ask -- why was it with my first pregnancy I was coddled and protected and told not to lift anything heavy? Why this time is it more like "pick up your side of the couch higher and move a little more to the left, please!" Whatevs.

To tether the tree to the wall, or not to tether the tree? (per all parenting mags directed at moms with toddlers I've read for the past two months.) I think we'll take our chances.

Rudolph and the elf with the ceremonious North Star topper.

I am thankful

We had a wonderful day of giving thanks, and eating two Thanksgiving feasts! At my mom's, we celebrated and got to hang out with little Kayden Dale. Here, my dad holds his two grandsons.

I mean, really. Enzo atop his castle. Afterall, the name Enzo is from the Latin "estate ruler" and the Italian "Henry" (The Great).

We spent some time being silly, of course. What Jesmer family occasion wouldn't be complete without potty humor? I think my mom revelled in the diaper-changing stories we told and the shared techniques we imparted on one another. Being novices, Tim and Claire explain Kayden's first T.B.E. (total butt explosion) on Tim's oldest son, Anthony.

And of course, the compulsive shoppers - er, I mean those looking for a good deal - spent some time plotting out their courses for Black Friday.

I didn't get a shot of the fantastic feasts or a group family photo (boo!). And my camera died from no juice before our next stop at Jeff's family's house. This year we all have been so fortunate to share good health and lots of laughs, new life, and new adventures. We are very blessed and very grateful!

A-loooooo-ha, Ko' Olina, Oahu, Hawaii

We had a wonderful vacation in Hawaii - and it was much anticipated and much needed. Two years ago at this time, Jeff and I were having our babymoon at the same location and now it was time to head to the islands as a family, celebrating our threesome. For some reason, I didn't have my camera at the ready to capture the 56 minutes that Enzo screamed at the top of his lungs on the flight over the Pacific Ocean. Perhaps I got overconfident, since this is how we started out the 5 1/2 hour flight.


Thanks be to God -- Enzo slept for about two unconsecutive hours, and only wanted Jeff to hold him.

I don't have a photo of the first excursion in Paradise. Costco, of course. It's tradition. So we finish our shopping and Jeff spots a new menu item on the food court menu board that he's never seen on the mainland. Teriyaki beef bake. He sends me to fetch one, while he waits in line with calm and happy Enzo. Standing in line on the other side of the store, I think to myself, almost unconciously "why won't that poor child stop screaming?" Finishing my transaction, I turn and expect to see Jeff finished with his little receipt in hand. Instead, I see him exactly where I left him, with one of Enzo's wrists in each of his hands, waving them frantically, mouthing something unintelligible to me. I wave back and fill up our soda.

As I approach them, I begin to realize something is terribly wrong. The stench. The fear in Jeff's eyes. The panic in Enzo's face. The stench. Oh, it's my child who's screaming. I see that Jeff is holding Enzo's wrists because if he lets go, what is covering Enzo's hands will end up even more so in his hair, on his shirt, on Jeff's shirt, in Jeff's face, etc. Of course, our diaper changing kit is in the rental car. Now, how do we get this child out of the shopping cart and into the restroom?! By lifting him by his wrists and dangling him all the way to the restrooms. Jeff took one for the team. I realized I couldn't leave the store to retrieve the diapers because we hadn't paid for our items and I wouldn't have been able to re-enter the store because I'm not the Costco member, Jeff is.

About 20 minutes later, Jeff and Enzo emerge from what I'm sure is carnage. There was a twinkle in Jeff's eye when he said "I made a paper towel diaper."

We settle outside with his beef bake and all our groceries. Jeff was traumatized. The passers-by who spent some time in the restroom as Jeff was in crisis looked with pity on us. Since all was under control, we left Enzo in the cart and took our first bite of lunch. And we hear what sounds like raindrops on a cardboard box. Oh right. Enzo just pee'd on our take and bake (later in the week) margharita pizza. Because he was still wearing a paper towel diaper.

We lost it. And all started cracking up.


Enzo's morning ride in the laundry basket.


Contemplating his future.

On a canoe ride at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

My preppy kiddo.


LOVE this BodyGlove wetsuit with a bullet-proof vest inside.

Diving off the Ko'Olina Cat -- a snorkeling catamaran. I think the only reason he was initially afraid was not because he was buoyant in the middle of the Pacific, but because his father decided to suit up with snorkel gear, looking like a scary sea monster.

A sunset wade.

Pupus, cocktails, and birdwatching - oceanfront.

Fun with buckets and shovels.

Splish splash.

"I'm gonna get chu!" A game of hide and seek and chase me, all rolled into one!

Probably the best vacation we've had... and definitely the best one we've had as a family! Mahalo Oahu!