He's a Mover and Rocker

Our Little Man is 10 1/2 months. It is insane how fast the time has gone and how much he has grown and changed. In the last month he has become much more active, pulling himself up onto everything and pulling everything off of every shelf in the house. He absolutely loves chasing McDuff around as well.

Berkeley finally started eating cereal, the solid version. He doesn't like baby food with chunks in it, but he LOVES eating cereal. I am just so proud of how adorable he is when he picks up his cereal with his little fingers and puts it in his mouth, it is the cutest thing ever!

When I say he is a rocker, I REALLY mean he is a rocker. This kid rocks back and forth any time he hears music, anytime he gets bored in his high chair, anytime he can. The last two weeks he has also been getting up on all fours in his crib when he wakes up in the middle of the night and starts banging his head into his crib. He is sleeping or trying to get back to sleep when he does this. It is very loud, creeps me out, and goes on for sometimes 15 minutes. His doctor assures me he will not be getting brain damage from this action. Some mornings we come into his room to find the crib several feet away from the wall. That is what the picture below is showing. Obviously, Berke is proud of his strength.

Last is a little video that shows Berke's new tricks. He LOVES music and is no doubt his fathers son. He will move any time he hears music and his favorite thing is to play the piano at any time. He also started clapping this week, which we have been working with him on and is so amazing to watch him learn how to do things. Gosh I sure do love this boy!

Thanksgiving 5K

We are visiting Utah this year for Thanksgiving. If anyone wants to run/walk a 5K with us, sign up here: http://www.utahhumanrace.com/

HOSS

My adorable brother Hoss passed away from health complications related to old age on
October 29, 2009. Hoss was the most beautiful brindle English Bulldog around Salt Lake City. He was the best brother a girl could ask for. He was always the favorite child, probably because he was cuter and a little less maintenance. However, he was always the louder sleeper and I definitely got the better looking teeth! Hoss was a brother I always had fun with. When I lived with my father before I got married, my dad would go to bed at 10 p.m. every night. That is when Hoss would head downstairs to have some fun with his favorite sister. He would jump up on my futon bed and we would wrestle around. I would throw a blanket over him and tease him as he would try to bite/mutilate my hand. This guy had a powerful jaw so I had to be very careful. When I was moving out of my dad's house, as I was taking out the futon mattress, ran and jumped on the mattress and refused to get off. It was so sad to know that he realized his sister was moving out and there would be no more fun times at night. Hoss was very bright, when my dad would tell him his sister was coming over, he would sit and the back door and wait for me to show up.
Hoss was a daddy's boy. He loved his dad so much, when my dad would go out of town he would pout around the house and sit by the door each night around the time my dad would normally get home from work and wait for him.

Hoss did get to meet little Berkeley in February and was very proud to be an uncle as you can see below.

He was also very good at sharing with his little nephew McDuff the one time they were able to meet.

This is a family photo of all the siblings. Adorable family aren't we?

Hossy, you will be greatly missed by all those who had the chance to know you. You were such a wonderful member of our family and I cant imaging what it will be like without you.
God be with you till we meet again!
Love you!

All Hallows Eve

I do love me some fun holidays! I truly have been waiting my entire adult life of like 11 years to have a kid to dress up and show off. Holidays are super fun if, 1) you are a kid and 2) if you have a kid. It is great to finally be able to share all these fun family traditions with little Berke man. He was the cutest monkey in all of Somerville/Cambridge this year; this mom could not have been more proud! While I was beyond thrilled to show Berke off in his cute costume, the neighbors seems slightly more entertained by McDuff's costume.

I love Halloween, but I usually lack the creativity to come up with a good costume or else the ability to execute a clever idea. I end up going as something lame like a witch or a devil and call it good. This year however, we really tired to be creative and come up with some fun ideas.

Berkeley and Christian were Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat.

I went as Octomom. Here is our family picture! Cute eh?

Some friends of ours the Wangsgards and the Donigans threw their 2nd annual Halloween Party this year. To say it was a Fabulous party would be an understatement! These folks went to town!! The decorations, fog machine, lighting, haunted house cut out, the spider webs, on and on. GREAT JOB guys! I am not sure anyone can top your Halloween shin dig.

Some of my favorite costumes at the party were:
Lisa and Dan as Polygamist Sister Wives (Dan's bangs were awesome!)

Peter and Eunice as Richie and Margot Tenenbaum

Marci and Adam. This terrorist won "Scariest Costume"

I didn't get a group shot of the ghostbuster clan, but here is little Slimer. Adorable!

Here is Egon Spangler's ghost bustin' pack, which Kate made (HELLO!!!)

Patrick and Bonnie as Beaker and Juno

Andrew and Gwen as the Angel of Death and Life
They get the sexiest Angel award if you ask me! I hope all angels are that awesome.

ET and Elliot arrived as well. The creativity among my friends is always a
bit shocking to me.

I was proud of my costume this year. I was lucky enough to come in Runner Up for
"Best in Show," the Ghostbuster clan beat me out. However, if they are unable to preform their duties as "Best in Show" I can and WILL step up for them.

It was a great night, full of laughs and memories.

In other news, we had a spooky Halloween Party at work on Friday. I went as Octomom and was successful in bringing home "Best in Show" for this costume contest; winning a $50 gift card to a fancy pants restaurant in the area. Having a creative and fun costume pretty much rocks way more than being a dumb costume.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I ate way too much bad for me, but delicious food this weekend.