INTRODUCING...

Jacob Christopher

8 lbs. 5 oz, 20 1/2 inches
Born December 19, 2007 at 4:49 pm

Ready for my first meal!

Time to meet Big Brother.

Santa's littlest helper.

The next day with the Daddy.

Home at Last!

Attempt # 999 - Now, What am I Looking at, Again?

Okay, once more, we are attempting to post this video... Crossing my fingers!

The Results...

Home ... Bar Exam > Examination Pass List > Lookup > Results
July 2007 California Bar Examination
Application Number: 52xx
File Number: 3xxxxx
Name: CHRISTY LEIGH
The name above appears on the pass list for the July 2007 California Bar Examination.

Information for Successful and Unsuccessful Applicants

All I can say at this point is YAHOO!! YAHOO!! YAHOO!!

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© Copyright 2007 The State Bar of California

Joshua Loves Straws

Seriously, my son as a real thing for straws. I actually keep a few wrapped straws in the car to occupy him when he is fussy - give him one, he steadily works to unwrap and is quite the happy camper. We recently had a fabulous family outing to the Arcadia Mall. Joshua and his daddy rode the carousel and the train, and then we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. (YUM!! Is there anything The Cheesecake Factory doesn't do well? Angela and I even ordered desserts to go this past weekend...delicious!) While there, the waiter was astute enough to realize our kiddo loved the straws and gave Joshua as many as he could handle. Fun!

Actual Videos

Okay, so we had the videos posted but I ended up having to delete them from you tube because I realized we had too much confidential information on them...thanks for letting me know, Danielle! So, once we figure out how to get rid of the information we don't want broadcasted on youtube, we will try again. Sorry!

The Ultrasound Pics - FINALLY!

Here are some of the pictures of the new baby. I think this face looks quite a bit like the big brother Joshua, but who can really tell???

Ummm, about the Ultrasound...

Sooo, clearly, we still haven't posted the ultrasound. To be fair, Brad has been extraordinarily busy lately in preparation for our week long trip back to Texas over the Thanksgiving holiday. I think he is trying to work that week's hours in the weeks preceding! He is also busy working on a few research projects, so his nights are taken even when he does make it home. All that to say, we are trying to get the ultrasound posted, and hopefully will sometime this week???

Angela Comes to Town!

My very good friend from Texas, Angela Kitchen, came to visit this past weekend. She has been such a faithful friend, coming to visit us everywhere we have gone. (Except Korea!!) We had such a great time. Thanks to Angela, Joshua and I have now seen the Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach, and the famed Muscle Beach. We had a great time! These are some of the pictures she sent me.

Ultrasound Video Coming Soon!

We have been seriously delayed in the posting the 3D ultrasound due to our lack of computer skills. However, we may have had a breakthrough - I now know how to post videos, and Brad knows how to make a long movie shorter, so...when he gets home from work tonight we will try to collaborate and get this thing posted. Keeping my fingers crossed...!

Joshua in the Box

Our Littlest Cowboy

Joshua was a rough and tumble little cowboy for Halloween this year. We spent the evening at Old Town Pasadena, the Paseo, trick or treating from store to store with his buddy Nolan. Nolan was good Spidey when the boys played at Amy's Indoor Playground during the day, but he became black Spidey that night. Nolan was really good at saying "Trick or treat," but Joshua was not all that interested. He did manage a few "thank yous" ("dat you") and became quite adept at sucking chocolate through the wrappers pierced by his new vampire teeth. Those latest few teeth that were so very painful coming in have turned out to be pretty handy given how sharp they are!! The boys had a great time with each other, and only had one real issue - who was going to push the stroller. This was solved with Joshua riding, and Nolan pushing. Maybe he should have been good Spidey after all?? We all went to dinner at the Yardhouse afterwards, and the boys were really sweet to each other and had a great time.

Here are a few pics of our cowboy and his friend Spidey.

Joshua Learning to Jump

Pics of Joshua

Here are some recent pictures of Joshua, including some of him sleeping and one of him with his daddy drinking. I have no idea when babies stop sleeping in the "bottom in the air" pose, so I take as many pics of this as I can. I love it.

Joshua Today

I am not as quick to post on the blog when I don't have accompanying pictures. And, since the camera is on the fritz, I have no new pics. But, Joshua is doing so many cool new things, it is time I blogged about the little man, with or without pictures!

He has really been trying to talk lately, and as of last count has a working vocabulary of over 25 words. He understands many more than that, of course, but those are the words he can clearly say and use appropriately. He is still really enjoying playing with balls - he can dribble the soccer ball across the room with no problem, and can throw a ball exactly where he wants, and quite a distance. He responds well to the word no, and is really good about doing what I ask - as in, "Lay down so I can change your diaper," or "Put up your pacy and turn off your sound machine," or "Close the door," or "Take off your shoes and put them in the closet." He delights in putting his puzzles together and can consistently do a shape puzzle - each time he gets a piece in correctly he claps for himself! He also LOVES babies. Amy's baby girl Allison - 6 mths old - was here the week before last and he wanted to so much to play with her. He would give her a pacy, or a toy, or anything he could find to put in her mouth. He would clap his hands and hold them out to her as if to say, "Come here baby, I will hold you!" And if she was on the floor on her blanket, he would lay beside her and inevitably would roll on her. He also loves the babies at the Make and Take play group we are in on Fridays. One particular baby, Karissa's little girl Keira, (I don't think she is 3 mths yet) he particularly loves. Yesterday Karissa let him "hold" Keira, and he loved it. He tickled her, played with her feet and hands, and laid his head on her chest. He doesn't have the best control, but he is so sweet and tries to be gentle. He is going to be such a great big brother!

Joshua also loves his bath, and will get into the bathtub fully clothed if I don't get to him fast enough. He doesn't like to leave the bath, however, and can only be consoled by looking at the crying baby in the mirror - then he laughs at himself and stops crying. He really enjoys toilets, particularly flushing them and flushing things down them. Luckily, so far he has only flushed toilet paper (lots and lots of toilet paper). We have begun locking all the bathroom doors, though. This does not make him happy. He is also a big fan of throwing his toys off the balcony. The balcony is just off the ground, and there is nobody under us, so other than the hassle of retrieving the toys it really isn't a problem.

While there are many, many other things our little guys is doing, that is a brief overview. He is such a sweet little man, and a ton of fun. Each day just gets better and better!

Things We Love...

I have recently been introduced to a beautiful device called the Swivel Sweeper. This product has changed my life. In less than 3 minutes, with minimal effort and inconvenience, my floors look nicely swept. The sheer joy I experience every time I use it has made me think about what products have made life easier, more enjoyable, and live up to their billing. I whole- heartedly recommend the swivel sweeper, and want to know what products have made my friends' lives easier. Brianna recommended the Swivel Sweeper (thank you!) and her friend Cathy recommended Downy's Wrinkle Releaser - which I have purchased and am dying to try out. Any other recommendations on products that make your life easier/ better?? I would love to know!

Floors!

The wood floors are being put in, as we speak. I am in my bedroom and Joshua is supposedly down for a nap. There is dust everywhere. We are having the floors put in the living room, dining area, and hallways. And with Mom, Dad, Amy and her girls (Abi and Ali) coming to visit first thing in the morning, there is no time like the last minute! Once the floors are finished - and they expect to be done in 4 hours believe it or not - then we have all the clean up left. But, the house is slowly starting to resemble a home! There is still way too much stuff - we are going to have to load up Joshua's patio just to clear out the guest bedroom for the next week, but...yahoo! It is all coming along nicely. We have a ton of work ahead of us.

Today's Doctor Visit

Good news on the baby front! We are all very healthy and doing great. The doctor said the baby is fabulous and all is well. We were able to see and hear the heartbeat - strong and right on track! As of right now, the baby is in the breech position, but the doctor is not at all concerned. (Joshua was, too, so I am not worried either.) Plenty of room and time to move around. And considering how often this baby is moving, I think all will be well. I had the rhogam shot and we were scheduled for the glucose testing and other lab work. So, thank you to those who were concerned and thinking about us while we were in search of a caregiver. Exciting times!

And yes, we found out the sex of the baby. The plan is to wait until we have the 4-D ultrasound, post that on the blog and let you see if you can tell from that and have another poll at that time. Then we will let you know if you were right!! I know, long and drawn out - but at least this time I was able to find out! I had to make a few concessions in order to get Brad to agree...

Seeing a doctor on Monday!

For those of you who have been concerned about my lack of prenatal care...I have a Doctor's appointment Monday at 8:45 am! Yahoo! I probably sound like one of the most irresponsible people you know, but we are finally on track with the OB. I went to the office this past week to fill out paperwork and everyone was very kind and considerate - they didn't let me know if they thought I was a horrible mommy or not for starting my doctor visits so late in the pregnancy, which I took that as a good sign. So, I am roughly 27 weeks pregnant and I go for my first appointment in two days. I did have an ultrasound, though, at 8 weeks. And hubby checks my blood pressure regularly. Does that get me off the hook??

Household goods have arrived!

The movers with our Texas household goods came on Monday. We hadn't seen these items in over two years, so I was very excited to say the least. I just knew it was going to be like Christmas - unwrapping things I had forgotten we owned! The day started as one of pure sweet joy - finally, I would have a kitchen table, kitchenware, a bed, maternity clothes, etc. After the first three hours, though, I was completely overwhelmed. And the movers just kept coming in with more and more stuff. I think we have twice as much stuff as we have house. I guess that makes sense. We used to have a garage, a yard, and an attic and two extra rooms at our disposal. (No baby room in the Mississippi house.) Now, we just have the stuff for those extra areas, but no place to put it. The poor movers kept asking me where I wanted such and such, and eventually all I could say was, "Pick a spot, any spot...". Joshua took two solid naps during the commotion, thank goodness, but when he was awake he was a force to be reckoned with. He did not like being cooped up inside the house all day, wanted my undivided attention, and wanted very badly to follow the movers everywhere. I eventually trapped him in the kitchen using my body and the door as a barrier - yes, our kitchen is that small and yes, my belly is that big. He was not happy. We currently have floor to ceiling boxes in the office that I have not even begun to unpack, boxes on the patio, and the remnants of boxes and the items they contained strewn throughout every other room in the house. Except Joshua's. I thought we should give him a bit of a sanctuary for the time being. Now, to find one for me...

I have video footage of the place before the movers came and after the movers came. Once I fix the camera...ugh...I will post it. In the meantime, take my word for it that the house is in crazy disarray. I have been getting through a few boxes each day, but finding a place to put everything. Goodwill is going to love me this year!

Getting Organized

It is Monday. For me, Mondays seem to be my "go for it" days - the day of the week where I attempt to give our family a good start with a clean house, laundry, etc. We still have no date for when the movers will be bringing the rest of our household goods - you know, the shipment containing our actual furniture. However, I am not letting that stop me from my attempt to organize this place. I am not touching the office/ guest room, though. The past 3 hours of my life have been spent doing laundry (in our apartment complex's laundry facilities), taking care of/ playing with/ feeding Joshua, and organizing the mess we are currently calling a closet. As of right now, it isn't really all that easy to see the progress. Mostly a huge pile of stuff on the floor. The hanging clothes, however, look terrific. They are in order by clothing type, shirts on top, slacks/ pants on bottom, with an entire rack just waiting for long clothing. If you don't look down, the closet actually seems pretty organized, spacious and nice. Unfortunately, I have to look down. So, I am off. Back to organizing. But, it will be GREAT when I finish. I can't decide whether or not to post the before pictures, but count on afters!

Discipline...

The past two days have been very challenging around our household. Joshua has been teething - now four teeth at once - and has the accompanying runny nose and fever. His sleep is all off. He has been waking at night or very early morning, naps are off kilter, and to make matters worse, his daddy has been working so much Joshua's only glimpse is for the 5 minute overlap in the morning before Brad rushes off and after Joshua wakes up. Bring in my child's recent desire to test boundaries, and you can see why life is a bit of a challenge these days. He learned on Monday that he could climb up on the toilet and sit on the side of the sink. He apparently loves to sit with his feet IN the sink and the water running. I have told him time and again not to do this, I remove him each time (and most of the time before he can get all the way to the top) and I have tried distraction. He has also begun to protest when I tell him "no". So, now, the question is - what to do to discipline? It is clear he needs consistent guidance and feedback, but to what do I respond and what is the appropriate response? When he laughingly goes the other way when I tell him to come, what is the appropriate discipline? When he yells when I tell him no, again, what is the appropriate discipline? I know this is one of the biggest struggles we have as parents, something every parent struggles with. Suggestions appreciated...!!!

August Update

The past few months have been very exciting and adventurous. I am beginning to learn, however, that excitement and adventure are par for the course for our household. Let’s begin with May.

May was exciting for many reasons. Brad’s brother Jeff, Jeff’s wife Danielle and their daughter Emma, along with Brad’s mom Sheri came to visit us in Korea. It was really nice having family fly all the way over to visit, and we had a great time showing them Korea – even the parts of the Korean lifestyle we aren’t always thrilled with. (Think: stinky bus rides, long walks through and to subways, and some of the food…) There were some really great parts of Korea we were thrilled to show off, however. Sheri and Danielle were especially enthralled with the landscaping. Since I had not even noticed the landscaping until their visit (!!!), it was an eye opening experience to hear their perspectives. We visited several palaces, and Emma was held by a famous Korean actress. Emma and Joshua played really well together, and he did his best to teach her all his bad habits.

In addition to the fam visiting, at the beginning of May we also found out that the stork will once again be paying us a visit in December sometime. Yahoo! We are not exactly sure of the due date, but hope to find out as soon as we establish a relationship with an OB here in the Pasadena/ Los Angeles area.

In making the move from East to West, we found ourselves back in the nomadic life; at least until we closed on our condo in mid-August. We were very sad to leave Korea – we had made some close friends while there, enjoyed our church, and dreaded the thought of moving once more. I had a wonderful send off from my MOPS and PWOC buddies – they threw baby #2 a “virtual shower” and did their best to make me cry with their sweet cards and kind words. (Thank you, Jamie, for organizing the shower!!) We are using the shower funds to buy the best, most tricked out playpen we can find… and do we need it!!

We left Korea the 21st and landed in L.A., where Brad had managed to score us a 4-day layover so we could house hunt. Those of you familiar with the California housing market understand what a daunting task it was trying to find a home. After a long weekend of frustration and no real luck, we headed to Lake Jackson, Texas, where movers met us to pack up all the post-Hurricane Katrina items that were still in storage. From there, Brad headed back to L.A. while Joshua and I stayed in Lake Jackson with my sister Amy and her family. My family and Brad’s dad and brother, Brian, did their best to pitch in and watch Joshua while I studied for the California bar, scheduled for July 24th – 26th. After an unproductive week, however, I decided it was best to impose on Sheri in Dallas, and she graciously agreed to watch the kiddo while I studied.
To make a long, long story short, Joshua and I stayed with Sheri and Gary while I studied. I took the bar in Long Beach, CA while Joshua stayed with Sheri, then headed back to Dallas, stayed for a few days, then on down back to LJ while Sheri and Gary went on vacation. We thought it would be best to stay with family while Brad house hunted and slept on the couch at our good friend Joe’s apartment.

It was very hard being apart for so long, but as of Friday the 17th of August we are all in one place – a condo in Pasadena – and Joshua is getting used to once more having to change his schedule. He really has been so very flexible despite all the different times and places to which he has had to adjust, and he seems to really enjoy exploring our new little home. We have had our Korean goods delivered, and we are waiting for some subcontractor work to finish before our stuff from Texas comes. Our fridge is on its way (the first one did everything but make things cold), Brad is getting a cell phone, and we finally have a new car. Whew! Always, always soooo much to do!

This pregnancy is going very well. The baby is moving all over the place and Joshua just loves to lay on my big belly. We are touring hospitals next week, and hopefully will have an OB very soon.

So, there is our quick update. Thank you to everyone who made our transition so smooth. We know how fortunate we are to have such wonderful friends and family. For those friends from Korea, we miss you. And for everyone, please stay in touch and send your updates when you get a chance!

We will try to keep this blog updated and we will soon post pics. Check back!!

No longer a baby...

It is a sad, sad day. Sort of. Joshua had a haircut this morning and he looks like a little boy - not the little baby he was just a few short hours ago! He still talks the same, walks the same, blah, blah, blah, but he looks, well, different. This is actually his second haircut, the first one was done in Korea before our second visit to the states. But, he was barely a year old then, and even with the haircut still looked very babyish to my eyes. Today, though, he is a little man, and I am getting small glimpses of what he will look like when he actually IS a man. While I am happy, elated even, to watch every step of his growth, there is a HUGE part of me that is saddened with every small step he makes towards adulthood. So for now, I will just cherish each moment and praise God that He has given me, us, this time.

Teething, revisited

Joshua was up all night Wednesday night (which of course means Brad and I were up all night Wednesday...). He just cried and cried. Brad and I were beside ourselves with worry and concern, and that helpless feeling all parents experience of just NOT KNOWING HOW TO FIX IT. Joshua's day sleep has been changing lately from two naps a day to one, and we don't quite have it figured out just yet. So Thursday I had no idea how to proceed. Let him sleep and catch up on all that lost sleep? Keep him awake and try to make him sleep during what I have decided should be his nap time? We were worried about getting him off his night sleep schedule, so I finally decided to keep him up and active until nap time. After a short morning nap, we went to our friends' house - Dylan and his mom Briana - and played. Joshua made it until 1:30, then I put him down for a nap. He only slept an hour, when he is used to sleeping at least 3 hours during the day. He was so sad and unhappy all day and I was still worried. I gave him Tylenol before putting him to bed Thursday night, and, miracle of miracles, he slept all night. Friday morning, I saw the culprits to my kiddo's discomfort. Teeth where there were none. Yep, teething is back, and it never even occurred to us. But at least now we know the "cure."

Following in Daddy's Footsteps

Joshua is following his daddy very closely these days. He goes where Daddy goes, brushes his teeth when Daddy brushes his, and this morning, felt the need to put on socks when Daddy did. Brad was getting ready for work this morning with Joshua following closely when Brad went into the closet to put on his socks. Joshua decided he needed socks, too, and grabbed a pair of mine. While he lacks the dexterity to put them on himself, he was determined and Brad was there to help. Joshua looked so cute padding around the house with the too big socks all morning, but he refused to take them off. He just wants to be like his daddy.

Little Surprises

One of the best things about having our little man is the sweet surprises - the little reminders he was "here" when you least expect them. Tonight, for example, I had a sweet little reminder of our little guy. His Grandma Sheri sent a huge package of toys, clothing and books from Texas, and one of the toys was a Little People Bus Uncle Chris and Aunt Angi gave Joshua the last time we were in Dallas. Joshua was excited all day about the "new" toys, and just couldn't play with each thing enough - he would go from toy to toy, then back again. I was trying to clean house and take care of some MORE unpacking, so I noticed him playing with the bus, but he eventually took it to the back of the house, and I lost track. Tonight, as I went to take a shower, I found the bus. It was squarely situated over the drain of the shower, just where Joshua left it. Joshua was sound asleep (finally, after noooo sleep last night or today) and as always, when he is asleep, I missed him!! Seeing this little reminder of where he was, what he was doing just made me think on all the little, good surprises he gives us each day. His smile, his laugh, his clapping, his everything.