From October to December

I'm not a very avid blogger but I knew it was time to post some photos and to give a little update on the family.
For Halloween this year we dressed up Jonas in a lion costume, which was given to us by a neighbor. We loved it, but he didn't so much. (He's not very fond of head coverings.) So the costume lasted a good 3 minutes to which there were many tears.
We had a great Halloween nonetheless. We took our little man around the neighborhood for a bit, to which he wanted to hand back all the candy he had just received. Christian and I had a blast carving pumpkins, and we spent the evening with neighbors in the front yard sitting around the chiminea making smores and handing out candy.
Once Halloween falls upon us it just feels like everything else speeds up. Before you know it Thanksgiving is here, and the way people are these days Christmas deco is up mid-November. I love Thanksgiving, and only hope that it never goes overlooked. By that I mean, even Black Friday seems to be more of an anticipation then the idea of actually spending time with family and friends to remember how much we already have to be grateful for.
Now its Dec 12 and Christmas is right around the corner. Jonas is fascinated with the lights and the idea that he can walk around exploring all thats before him. Watching him pick up so much and learning to communicate with us has been fascinating. We love being his parents and can't wait for his little brothers arrival due January 15. We are so excited to have two little boys in our home! And with that, here are some of our latest family photos (shaythomason.com)... Merry Christmas!

One

My baby turned one today.
When I woke up this morning a flood of memories filled my mind starting with exactly a year ago today when I gave birth to our first son at 8:17am, Sept 1, 08. What a surreal moment for Christian and I, to think our life changed that very moment he entered the world, and his little life depended completely on us to survive. His body so small and seemingly fragile. Yet, at that moment we felt confident enough to take on the responsibility that seemed so large and daunting just months before.
As I entered his room this morning, I looked over his crib and found him crawling around, content just to be awake. To think, the day we brought him home from the hospital, his crib seemed oversize for such a little body. Would he really grow into it so fast?
Those middle of the night rendezvous feedings we had now long over, and so many stages of change he had already gone through in just one year. The three of us had been to so many places together, new sights and sounds had been introduced, and he has now spent every holiday with us.












There have been moments where I often times still feel so young and unequipped for all the responsibility that I now carry, like the feeling I use to get when I was still in high school or college and still felt so immature and young- unready for the responsibilities of the real world. Now I only feel that for seconds, and I realize that I am ready. By no means do I have it figured out, but I'm ready to take it on.

Jonas is one today. It's gone by fast, but we don't wish back on any moment of it. We've been given the most incredible opportunity to raise, teach, and instruct him as long as we are his parents, and we only look forward to more years ahead...

Coming January 2010...

Baby Burkhardt #2















Jonas' reaction: "I can't believe it!"

For July: The helpful and random I've used along the way...

For the Beach:
1. When at the beach, remember to not leave food unattended. Keep it stored in a cooler or tucked away somewhere. Sea Gulls will take whatever you were eating, regardless if you are a hungry, pregnant woman.
2. Baby powder is a MUST BRING to the beach. It's the secret ingredient to getting rid of those wet and sandy hands, butt, and feet that make that car ride home miserable... not anymore!
Homeopathic:
3. Instead of popping the pills when you've got a bad cough, try Vicks Vapor rub on the bottom of your feet and then place socks over them. Sleep tight!
For Baby:
4. If you have a baby and you travel by plane often, buy a carseat bag (Babies R Us- $15). Three reasons: You will have a protected car seat while flying; the bags are made with so much extra room that you can stuff other clothes and supplies in there; and car seats are free luggage, so you could possibly save yourself from spending another $10 for what could have been an extra piece of luggage.
5. Making your own baby food allows you to bring your own creativity to the table and saves you money. If you find a market that sells cheap produce, buy in bulk and take a free afternoon to have at it. Freeze food and pop into a micro-safe bowl when ready to serve.
* I have found that the best storing for it are the plastic Gerber containers that pre-made food originally comes in. I purchased some food in the beginning to get a feel for what my son liked, since it takes them time to get use to the taste of food. In the mean time I was saving the containers for when I would puree my own.
The Random:
6. If you ever get those moments where anything from motor oil to tree sap might end up on your hands, try removing it with mayonnaise. There are several methods you can use to rid yourself of these sticky substances, but mayo is the item I find most easily at hand. You can even run into a fast food restaurant for a packet.
For the Home:
7. If you ever get candle wax on your carpet... don't fret! Just grab a paper bag or damp paper towl, place over candle wax, and rub a hot iron (start on low) over the bag or towl. Vuala! Gone!
8. Take advantage of the summer heat, line dry your clothes and save the earth
9. Want to garden and not sure what to plant? Start with an herb garden. You can grab your fresh herbs right from your own backyard! They also make great centerpieces and fresh scents for the home.
10. Splurge on that funky Beatles or Japanese art calendar. When you are done for the year, cut out the pictures and make cool wall hangings.

An Amazing Day

The man giving the hug in this picture is my cousin Keenan Chung. For the last four and a half years Keenan has had complete kidney failure and therefore has been on dialysis. Last week, all that changed for Keenan and nine others who underwent a surgery that led to six patients who were in need of a kidney to receive one, and a loved one of each recipent to give one away. This was no doubt an amazing day only because we have a great God.
Watch the video...
http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/Kidney_Donors_and_Recipients_Reunite_20090615

Where has the time gone?

you're 9 months already!

Maggie the Dog

Have you ever seen the movie, Marley and Me? I watched it on a flight from LA to DC this past spring. I like dogs so I watched it, and I really liked it. I liked it because it wasn't a story only about a dog. It was a story about a growing family and how their dog, Marley, played a part in their life. It was also funny, and I like funny movies. The reason I bring up a dog flick is because for the last week we have been watching a neighbors dog. Her name is Maggie. She is a chocolate lab, 7 years old, and has been a most excellent guard dog- barking at every footstep, squirrel, dog, and probably lizard she sees or hears. We don't know how long she will reside with us, since her previous owner has moved and can't take Maggie with her, but she is currently looking for a more permanent home for Maggie. She seems to like living with us in the meantime and we like having her. Jonas has really enjoyed watching her, and she has been a great source of entertainment for him as his sliding door looks right to the backyard. With that being said, it's gotten Christian and I talking about one day having a dog, or a pet, for that matter. Dogs in particular need to be walked, fed, played with, or be given some sort of daily attention. Having Maggie around has made us realize how much attention we can't always give her. She gives us these looks or little whimpers that say, "please come pet me", and it breaks my heart because sometimes I just don't have time to play. The idea of having a dog around seems like such a cool thing sometimes, like you take your dog everywhere you go and he's your best friend. What I forget is that they're also a responsibility and they rely on you too. For instance, Maggie wants to be fed between 5:30-6am every morning, so I've been setting my alarm to feed her, going back to bed, and then getting up and feeding my son a half hour later. I've already forgotten to give Maggie her dinner once, and it wasn't till four hours later that I remembered... she forgave me.
These are just little adjustments adding a dog to the life of a family with a 9 month old. Though many families own animals and babies, I feel that the attention I desire to give that animal and the amount of attention that I can realistically give just don't add up. So in the meantime, we will hold off on becoming permanent dog owners, and enjoy the dogs that surround us and the ones in movies.