Huey

Isaac sat in the back seat jabbering away as we rode home from Mindy's yesterday. He was telling me all about his day, you see. Pretty soon he grew silent with thought, and a couple of minutes passed by before Isaac started asking about his friend Huey. You see, Huey stays at home to hold down the fort while we all are out during the day.

Isaac: "Doo-ee?"

Me: "Did you miss Huey today?"

Isaac: "Doo-ee?"

Me: "Yeah, Huey is at home waiting for you. I bet he's going to be so excited to see you!"

Isaac: "Doo-ee! DOO-EEEE!" (jibber jabber followed)

Me: "We're almost home, Sweetie. When we get home, we'll find Huey and you can see him, okay?"

At this point all Isaac could say was Huey's name. So as soon as we clobbered through the door, we went straight to his room. The moment Isaac laid eyes on Huey, a huge smile crossed his face from ear to ear. He reached out his little arms and embraced Huey like a long-lost friend and covered him in wet kisses.

We walked to our bedroom, and I set Isaac and Huey down on our bed. As I changed my clothes, I watched Isaac laugh with glee and roll around with Huey in sheer delight as he repeated, "Doo-ee, doo-ee, [jibber jabber] doo-ee." Apparently, Isaac wanted to tell Huey all about his day too and probably how he missed his friend so. He also seemed to want me to know that Huey is his friend because he kept lifting Huey up and looking at me to say, "Doo-ee!"

I wish I could have caught all of this on film, it was too, too precious!

Isaac likes to give Huey rides around the house in his own little box-mobile.

Huey looks like he's having a good time too.

And at the end of the day, it's Huey who keeps Isaac company through the night.

Marinera Facial

So...... the secret to baby soft skin?

Smear dinner all over your face.

For the Third Time in My Life...

I went golfing yesterday! Yep, we were a little nuts for going in the middle of summer, but we had such a great time with Mindy & Todd!

We played at The Legacy where Kevin works. This resort was rated #1 in ESPN Magazine for 2008-09. He's so proud to work there, and I love seeing him enjoy his job so much.

So pretty. I love the monsoon summer views of pluming clouds in the distance. The Legacy is set on historic property in South Phoenix, lending itself to beautiful views and rich heritage.

Mindy and me

Mindy & Todd

Here I am! Third time in my life participating in the game. This is something Kevin and I would really like to start doing together more often. I really enjoy getting out on the course and being with Kevin in his element. And it helps to have a golf pro for free playing lessons!

Mindy and I played as a team and held our own pretty good! We played "best ball," meaning that we each took turns hitting the ball and played our next shot from whoever's ball was in the best spot. At this point, late in the game, we started to take turns hitting one ball. And obviously this time I didn't put her in the best location. However, she had been asking for the bunkers all afternoon because she loves the sand so much. So consider this as her wish being granted!

The guys...

... and just a few moments before that ... haha, like I said, it was SO HOT. We were melting - even with the cloud cover from the approaching monsoon. But it was all worth it for some adult time with our friends. That was fun!

Oh, Isaac...

Some of the latest goings on around here...

Isaac took a 3 1/2 hour nap this morning!! Never mind that he woke Mommy & Daddy up five times last night... Ah, well, I got a lot done around here during that stretch anyhow. And good ol' Huey, what a friend, acting as Isaac's pillow. But it's a wonder Isaac didn't wake up with a kink in his neck!
"Da-Dee, Da-Dee, Da-Dee" This is practically all Isaac has been saying for the past two days! It's no wonder, Daddy is a pretty fun guy. I did get him to say "Ma-mee" a couple of times today, so that satisfied my need to be included. haha...

They're looking at Isaac's favorite book here. Next to his binky, Isaac's ABC book is his #2 lovey. He'll sit and look through it for time on end, and as he points to things, we'll tell him what they are. He's getting the hang of it. We got to the S page where there is a picture of some strawberries. The other day I asked Isaac, "Where are the strawberries?" and he pointed right at them. That shouldn't be any surprise, however, because that's his favorite fruit! But then we got to the H page, and when I asked him where the horse was, he surveyed the page and then pointed at it. What a smart boy!

Hey everybody, I'm Italiano! Isaac had my own creation of Meatball Marinera tonight, and he loved it! In it was hiding a vegetable medley and shredded zucchini. He gobbled it right up!

And there we have it - Five teeth and one more working it's way through! One is hiding behind his upper lip, but it's there alright.

1,825 Days / 43,800 Hours / 2,628,000 Minutes / 157,680,000 Seconds

Five Years, One Immense Blessing! Happy Anniversary to us!

Saturday was our anniversary, and we spent the weekend at The Sanctuary in Scottsdale. Thanks to our friend Alex, an assistant manager at the resort, we got the friends and family rate and got to enjoy this beautiful resort!

We took Isaac along for a family staycation, and although we didn't get to do quite everything we wanted to, we still had a wonderful time together relaxing and enjoying each other away from the daily routine. We had a 1,000 square foot casita all to ourselves, complete with a kitchenette, living and dining room, master bedroom and beautiful bathroom - which had a deep bathtub that I enjoyed very much.

Here are some pictures from the weekend...

Our lovely casita

This chair was really comfy... if it was winter it would be a perfect place to sit by the fire and read a good book with a hot cup of coffee.... and a brownie (or two).

I love this picture. Isaac was about as excited to check things out as we were!

Okay, Isaac... show us around! (This is the most common view we get of him these days. He's always busy going somewhere...)

The kitchen looks good... where's my snack?

Ooooh, nice bed! It was oh-so-comfy. Too bad it didn't fit in our suitcase, we were tempted to smuggle it home...

Isaac thought it was comfy too...

... but that didn't last for long before he got in a tickle match with Daddy.

So much fun!

I love this place!

The next day, we spent the day relaxing around the resort before going to the Scottsdale Fashion Center for an outing.

Our view from the patio... too bad it was too hot to sit outside. Pretty nonetheless!

Complimentary flip flops!

We waited until the sun was low in the sky before heading to the pool. It worked out great because we had the pool all to ourselves while everyone else was out to dinner.

... and saved us from sunburns.

This is the view from the luxurious casas higher up.

(Paradise Valley below)

We didn't get to go out for a nice dinner or get the traditional "anniversary portrait" but that's okay. We're planning a night out soon (just the two of us) ... As far as anniversary weekends go, we really enjoyed our undivided family time together at The Sanctuary.

Multiplication

I think we’ve figured out one of the reasons why Isaac has been so crabby lately… ALL FOUR of his top teeth are coming in at the same time! They have all broken through the gums, and now it's just a race to the finish line. Is it just me, or do their teeth always look this big in their little mouths? Either I am unaccustomed to the idea of his little mouth full of teeth, or perhaps he got the Bianchi gene!

And I thought the bottom two at once were tough… This multiplication is killer.

I Turned Around For One Second...

Forget the light sockets... the cat food is where it's at!

And I Shall Call You "Na-Na-Na-Na!!!!"

Medium used: Crayon.

Name of the Piece: "Na-Na-Na-Na!!!"

It's Isaac's first piece of artwork - with only a tiny bit of help from his assistant, Mommy. I got the crayons out just for fun to see what he would do. And he actually caught on to the idea pretty quick. I was impressed! I picked one color out at a time, telling him what the color was each time. He grasped the crayon like a pro, as if he had been doing this all his life. Then he either banged it on the tablet or waved his arm sporadically, leaving long strokes on the paper. When he was done with a color, he would throw the crayon (just like a boy - or a moody artist). And I'd pull out another color for him. We did this until he picked up the tablet and yelled, "Na-na-na-na-na!!!!" And just like that, he was on to the next thing......

He's so cute. That was fun!

10 and 11 Months

June was a busy month for us with family in town and then our trip up to Oregon and Washington. So although we observed Isaac's 10 month mark, I didn't get around to posting it. Here's a little flashback...



At 10 Months we were breaking into the new world of fingerfoods. This was the first time I could actually shared my snack with Isaac. It was too cute - I had a couple of Sun chips and an apple as Isaac looked on with great interest. So I got his Graduates puffs out and gave him a couple. He slowly chomped on his puffs while I enjoyed my chips. And then I got to my apple and gave him a wedge. There we sat, side by side with our snacks, having a mommy-son moment. That's a simple but really special memory for me...

At ten months, Isaac was honing his skills in crawling and exploring, which was fun to watch. Once he realized this newfound freedom, he was unstoppable! Also soon after he discovered crawling, Isaac started to practice pulling himself up. He was getting really comfortable with it by the time we were up in Washington, and was cruising along the furniture with some effort.

It was at ten months that Isaac really spoke his first word - DADDY. We knew it was his first word when we noticed that he understood the meaning and only used it for Kevin. Anytime we mentioned Daddy, he would turn to Kevin and either point at him or grab him if Kevin was close enough. It culminated one evening when Isaac and I were playing together in the living room. Kevin was in our bedroom when Isaac stopped what he was doing, looked around, and suddenly yelled "DAAA - DEEEE!!!" at the top of his lungs. Kevin came around the corner asking, "Did someone call me?" Oh Isaac's face lit up like a candle, he was so thrilled that he was able to call Daddy to his side. And now he does it all the time. If Kevin doesn't come right away, Isaac will keep calling until he does! So... the word Daddy definitely became very different from da-da or da. And there you have it... now we're working on MOMMY. :)

Now at 11 months... Does he look older to you? Good, then it's not just us....

Isaac is definitely exerting his personality and testing his independence. His determination and sometimes strong willed persistence are in the forefront, while his sense of humor and happy-go-lucky nature is always just under the surface. He loves to laugh and chase us through the house. His favorite game is our variation of hide-and-go-seek / peek-a-boo. It's so much fun - for all of us! Our favorite sound is his deep-belly laugh. Once he gets going, he'll laugh at just about anything! Makes our hearts melt every time.

Speaking of chasing, Isaac is getting around very quickly these day! The pitter-patter of our little speedracer through the house is another one of our favorite sounds. He's getting very skilled at cruising along on his feet as well and loves walking back and forth through the house with our help or with the help of his toys. We suspect he may very well be walking by his first birthday! But we'll see. :)

Gone are the days when my little guy will sit still and cuddle in my lap - unless it's bedtime and he's spent. Although one perk is that he hits the hay with little to no effort now that he's using so much energy getting around. He's actually taken to putting himself to bed! We don't have to rock him all the way to sleep anymore! Just another way he's showing his independence... and growing up.

The countdown begins.... to being one year old!

Happy 4th of July!!

We want to take a moment to recognize all of the men, women, and families who have sacrificed so much to protect the freedom that we celebrate today. THANK YOU.

The Fitton's had their annual 4th of July BBQ, and it was a blast (as usual)! Many of the regulars couldn't make it this year, but no worries! We enjoyed a more low-key party. Besides, it's hard not to have a good time with these folks ....

Danielle and baby Seth

Colleen and Mindy

Addison - being so coy

Jake, Todd, Kevin, and Roger being goofy....

Zach & Michelle

Jaimie and me

Playin' the Wii... Go Michelle!!

Jake and Isaac playing together; Jake's a fun playmate.

Corrie and Leslie

Jake thought Isaac's float looked like fun and we didn't have the heart to tell him that he was too old for it... poor guy found out on his own. Sorry, you're just a little too big, Jake!

The perfect day for a dip in the pool (the secret to surviving Arizona summers).

Todd says, "Whaazzzzzzuuuuuuup?"

Isaac wasn't feeling up to going in the big pool, so he and Trenton had a fun time chillin' in the kiddie pool together. They are only three weeks apart, so Marian and I are both marvelling over the fact that our boys are both so close to turning one - so soon!!

My little surfer dude, playin' it cool.

There's a smile! You're so adorable, Seth!

Addie spied the camera and shot over a pretty smile for us.

The end of the day, right on cue our evening monsoon looms in the distance. I wish I could have fit the whole wall into the frame. This is one of my favorite views during monsoon season. A perfectly clear sky, hedged by an enormous thunderhead wall slowly making its way toward us. The wind will pick up as it nears, and then all of a sudden the thunder and lightning will unleash the downpour. It's so beautiful and amazing to watch!

A long day of fun... this was Isaac's THIRD nap of the day, which pretty much reflects how we all felt by the end of the day.

Thanks again, Mindy and Todd! It was another fun party!