MONTAGE!!!

Like every great 80's movie, the past months of my life feel like a montage...without an amazing power ballad providing the music of course! Each day speeds by like a series of images, some moving so fast it is hard to recall them all. SO, here is the montage of our life with Isaac for the past few months (Isaac is almost 4 months old!)

Month 1~

Eating, sleeping, diaper changing, eating, sleeping, diaper changing...you get the idea! Then first of "the firsts"...first bath (sponge bath AND in the bath tub), first playdates (hanging with a ton of adult and kid friends), first sun bathing

experience (per doctors orders because

of a high billirubin count), first tummy time on hisplaymat, first time in the stroller (not

a big fan of this or the car seat at first), first dinner out ( we went to Ciscos with the Knopps), and first road trip

(driving to Norcal to visit Grandparents and attend Grandma Judy and Grandpa Larry's anniversary party).

Month 2~

Eating, sleeping, diaper changing, not napping,

crying... making me very frustrated! Although this was a harder time forIsaac and I getting adjusted, it was amazing seeing all the changes in him daily. Each day when Matt came home from work he said, "You got bigger!".

Isaac started to smile more, but we still were not sure how much was just gas and how many were actual smiles. He began to respond to sounds, music, and voices.

Isaac also began to track movement by moving his eyes and head. This month also brought his

first time swimming (he LOVED it!), the first time at the beach, more play dates with friends, and his first wedding (Bonnie and Jeran's wedding at the Zoo).

Month 3~

Eating, sleeping, diaper changing, and NAPPING! This month I figured

out how to help Isaac take naps during the day. This was something hewas not doing

and it would lead to very frustrating evenings.Isaac now smiles when you smile at him, he loves to play on his playmat and is starting to bat and grab at toys.His hair,

unfortunately fell out, leaving him with "old man hair". He has discovered his hands and loves to shove them in his

mouth.Isaac has started putting his toys in his mouth too!He also went to his first baseball game, had fun at his first birthday parties, sat in his bumbo for the first time, lost a bet, and was

kicked out of a bar! This month was also his first

Halloween!

Month 4~

This next month, I'm sure, will bring many more fun events and activities for all of us. Isaac will continue to bring

happiness and joy to the most ordinary days, AND he is VERY close to sleeping through the night :) We cannot wait to see what new firsts happen this month, but we wouldn'tmind if time would slow down just a little bit... so we could relish in each and every moment.

Baby's First Shopping Trip

Yesterday, Isaac and I had our first big day out. We went to the outlets with our friends Laura, Dellan, and Laney Knopp. We all piled into to their minivan, I crossed my fingers that he wouldn't cry the whole way there, and off we went. Isaac did GREAT on the way there, he slept soundly. We knew with a 1 month old and twin 5 month olds that we were not going to go to many stores. Our goal was to get to Gymboree and Carters. We made it through Gymboree successfully, but then Isaac got very upset. We decided to drive to Carters, where I fed Isaac in the back seat (advantage of the minivan; tons of space). He then calmed down and we tried out the Baby Bjorn for Carters. He was soon asleep, and making cooing noises. After finding WAY too many cute outfits on sale, he started to melt down again. While paying for his clothes, the source of his sadness was made clear; a very full diaper! Again the minivan with it's plentiful space was key in the diaper change. Of course we didn't just have to change the diaper, we also had to change his clothes :) We made it home without any further meltdowns.

All in all it was a great trip. It felt wonderful to get out of the house and it was fin picking out clothes for him, something I haven't done that much of. It was also a learning experience-minivans are wonderful, and being prepared is the key to success! This seemingly quick trip to 2 stores started at 7:00am with his first feeding and nap so I could shower and pack everything we would need; diaper bag, diapers, clothes, wipes, pacifier, toy, blanket, stroller, car seat, Baby Bjorn, and Boppy. Laura arrived at 9:15 so we could load up the van; three car seats, and two strollers (one of them a double). We arrived back home at 12:00, after shopping and spending time in the parking lot breastfeeding and diaper changing. Then Isaac and I both had lunch and a nap. Not your typical trip to the outlets!

I hope that this shopping trip will lead to many more fun outings for Isaac and me! We will have to get out more to show off some of his new clothes!

New Addition!!!

The Huff Family would like to welcome our new addition...Isaac Martin Huff! This adorable bundle of fun was born early Thursday morning 7/22/2010. The previous 36 hours were spent going to and from the hospital deciding whether or not I was really in labor. After discovering kinds of pain I never knew existed, being amazed by the epidural, and then having the epidural go away, Isaac made his entrance. He was very vocal and loud, like his mom, but most people think he looks like his dad. The past week has been spent feeding, wiping, and diaper changing. We have been getting some sleep, but not a lot. Luckily, we are a nap friendly family. Isaac is a great snuggler and a hearty eater. We are amazed everyday by him and his little movements and noises. To quote Matt..."I can't believe we made him!"

The Last Suppers

Summer is officially here; long days, the heat, and of course outdoor cooking! Although most of my stomach is taken up by baby, I still have a great love for cooking and EATING! In the past 9 months I have not really been cooking due to the side effects of pregnancy; nausea and fatigue. But, now that I am not working and have a patio for cooking and eating on hot nights I have rediscovered how much fun cooking yummy meals can be.

Another factor to this rediscovery is the eminent arrival of baby. Once he is here, I do not envision planning out menus for the week...unless they consist of microwaving or reheating casseroles (which Matt hates). So, I am trying to get in a few last minute last suppers for Matt and I to enjoy together.

Here is a sampling of some of our last suppers- all on the grill: carne asada tacos, bulgogi with cucumber salad, grilled chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken, and

fish tacos with mango salsa. Last night's meal was one of my favorites, grilled lamb with mashed potatoes (Matt's favorite side). I feel lucky to have had this time to enjoy cooking and eating outside with Matt. Soon, we will be sharing out meals with a little one...but I don't think he will be eating BBQ any time soon.

Gettin' ready...

My belly is huge, my back hurts, sleeping is becoming difficult, and this is still the easy part!?! Matt and I are less than 10 days away from the due date of our first child. We are happy, excited, nervous, and anxious about his approaching arrival. We have the nursery almost complete; crib, changing table, blankets, diapers, wipes, etc. We have the bags packed for the hospital, although we have repacked them several times already. A contacts list has been made for sending out news and pictures of the little guy. We have bottles, formula, breast pump, and all kinds of feeding accessories ready for use. And we have the Pack N Play with bassinet ready for the first few weeks. All of these things make us feel prepared for bringing a newborn into our home. However, the getting ready does not stop there. Now that we have all the stuff we have to read up on how to use it, what it does, and what we are supposed to do with our new baby once he is home. We have been reading books on eating, sleeping, pooping, and common baby ailments. These books, written by parents and doctors, help us feel even more prepared for baby Huff's arrival. In spite of all of this preparation we still feel a sense of unknown and at times I am filled with anxiety. I have come to the conclusion this is what being a parent is all about. I can "prepare" all I want, but there is no way to be 100% ready for the wonderful change that is about the happen to our family. All we can do from now on is be 100% ready to face the change, and together we will handle all the joys, challenges, excitement, and struggles that this big change brings.

So, I am sure we will repack the bags again, read more books, and do more online research, but I feel better knowing that even though I am still scared and anxious, I have a partner here to help and support our family, and we are "ready" to meet our baby boy.