...the san francisco treats

George Neil Davidson

2011-07-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Born July 5, 2011 at 11:10am

7 lbs, 1 oz
20.5 inches

It was the quickest labor in history. Probably not, but it sure felt that way. Dad and I walked Walt to daycare around 8:15am. One contraction on the way there, one on the way back. No big deal. Got home, had a cup of tea and some peanut butter toast. Decided that I was in labor and timed a couple of contractions. Ten minutes apart. Called doctor and was told to wait until they were five minutes apart. Immediately, contractions were five minutes apart. We arrived at the hospital around 9:45am and I was pronounced "ready to deliver." We were zipped up to a room, luckily just at the last possible minute to get an epidural. Thirty minutes or so later, George was in my arms.

So glad that my dad was able to be a part of our special day.

The next day, we were super-excited to introduce Walt to his little brother. He is absolutely thrilled with "Bee-bee Jurj" and loves covering him with kisses.

Now we're home and settling into life as a family of four. Thanks so much to our amazing friends and family, who have been so supportive.

Waiting for George...

2011-07-11T09:00:00.001-07:00

First Walt tracked an SF firetruck in Golden Gate Park...no sign of George.

A resting Walt admits he's not sure where George is.

So we headed to the beach and he looked long and far...

Mommy resting in the sun.

Then it was on to the park as the search continued...

A quick break for some home run derby.

The we cooled off poolside after a warm couple of days.

It was a fun week searching for George. Walt was definitely ready to meet his little brother.

Easter 2011

2011-06-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Charlie's Wedding

2011-05-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

2.0 Update

2011-04-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

Am admittedly late in posting pictures from BabyBoyDavidson 2.0's ultrasound back in February, but here they are.

After agonizing about whether or not to find out the sex this time (we decided to) I then began worrying that after all that agonizing, he/she wouldn't be positioned to get a good view. No need to worry, though.

That's a boy.

And a CUTE little boy...I mean, look at this face!

Oops, not this one. Yikes.

So now we just need to decide on a name (ugh, boys' names are HARD), find and evaluate our collection of newborn clothes, pick up a few essentials and we are all set. No worries, 2.0, we will be READY! But take your time, please.

See below for a quick summary of the details.

Baby is due 7/1. This means there is a slight chance that his birthday will be the Fourth of July, which I bet would be pretty awesome--he will always have fireworks on his birthday and never have to work. Even a 7/3 birthday would be pretty cool, he'd always have the day after his birthday off to recover. I am 27 weeks pregnant and not too terribly massive yet. Yet--enjoying it now because I know what is coming. Just like #1, this pregnancy has been easy, uneventful and enjoyable.

Walt is doing great--talking up a storm, and we can actually understand about 25% of it! We switched him to a small family daycare in our neighborhood at the beginning of the year--Heather-the-nanny was pregnant and due in February, and the other family in our share was moving--so we decided to give it a try. He loves being around other kids and really seems to be thriving. It's a bilingual program, which is cool, and who knows...maybe some of that 75% we can't understand is actually Mandarin! He still loves to read, and lately is very into arranging his plastic farm animals in various patterns all over the house. He's becoming quite helpful, too--he will put his dirty clothes in the hamper, take off his shoes/socks and bring something to Mama/Dada when asked--not a bad start!

Happy Sunday

2011-03-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

Another rainy weekend meant lots of fun around the house. Needless to say, we are looking forward to a fun trip to sunny (hopefully) Texas this week for Lisa's wedding...

That's all for now. We've got some calls to make...

More fun with the new camera

2011-03-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

Walt trying out a new sport using a kitchen utensil. Check out our new church pew, complete with working kneeler!

I took the day off Friday and surprised Kate with a day trip down to Half Moon Bay - a great way to spend our anniversary before all our spring travels.

Back in SF for the weekend, we took advantage of a little sunshine and let Walt run wild at Rossi Park.

New Camera!

2011-02-27T14:26:00.001-08:00

We finally upgraded our camera. Here are a few of of our experimental shots as we figure out what all this thing can do...

Maui

2010-11-30T15:05:00.001-08:00

So, this particular post was started at least two months ago...but, well, it's just been impossible to come up with a way to adequately do justice to our brief but blissful Maui vacation.

Our friends Darcy and Bryan did us the favor of choosing Maui as the site of their late September wedding. So we (and by "we" I mean Mike and I) had no choice but to pack up and head to Hawaii. While it was hard to leave Walt behind, going through security without a toddler, stroller and diaper bag was enough to show us we made the right decision.

If we still had doubts, they disappeared when we saw the view from our room at the Royal Lahaina.

And if not then, definitely when we saw our first Maui sunset.

Here is the 5am version of that view...a sight I became quite familiar with since I never quite adjusted to Hawaii-time. This meant I had to sit on the balcony with a cup of tea, reading by moonlight and listening to the crashing waves...boy, I hated that.

Many of our SF friends made the journey as well, and it was such fun to sip mai tais in summer clothes without a chill in the air or a wisp of fog in sight!

The highlight of the trip was, of course, the lovely wedding. Held at Olawalu Plantation House, right on the water, the location was simply stunning.

And here's a shot of the happy couple (with their adorable son, Luke) taken by our talented friend, Jen, who did the photography for the wedding.

At this point, you may be wondering what Walt was doing while we were living it up in Hawaii. Well, he was entertaining his Nana and Grandad who came all the way from Decatur just to keep an eye on him.

(From these pictures, it looks like he was just roaming Golden Gate Park on his own, but I'm assuming the grandparents were close at hand.)

In the course of the long weekend, aside from wedding-related festivities, Mike did some surfing (I did some reading) and we did lots of beach-walking and beach-relaxing, peppered with bits of pool-side lounging. It was rough.

Mike and I also managed to slip away for some much needed alone time...including a delicious dinner at Mama's Fish House.

As we wanted our trip to be as relaxing as possible, we didn't do much advance planning...which is how we ended up with a 4:45pm reservation on a Saturday night. Luckily, having a toddler, this does not seem like an unreasonable time to dine and we were able to score the best table in the house with this lovely view:

One nice thing about dining at 4:45pm in Hawaii--plenty of daylight after dinner to relax and watch the windsurfers at Paia.

On Sunday we joined our friends for a snorkeling trip to Molokini. I had only been snorkeling once before, in the Bahamas when I was fifteen--I HATED it. It awakened a profound fear of the ocean that has haunted me ever since. However...since I'm more than twice as old now and I didn't want to be a spoil-sport, I gave it a try and stayed in long-enough to get this great shot:

I look like I'm enjoying myself, right? This one was actually closer to the truth:

Mike was not afraid at all:

Once we got the snorkeling out the way (phew!) it was time for food and fellowship.

It was such a great trip, a much-needed getaway. Needless to say, though, we were super-excited to see our little boy when we got home!

this is our son.

2010-11-13T09:39:00.000-08:00

Walt's run through the Grocery Store

2010-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

A Proper Summer

2010-10-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Around Labor Day we were able to escape to a proper summer that involved swimming and sandals--not a scarf in sight. Walt and I were in Decatur for a week and a half, and Mike was able to join us for a long weekend. Our flight to Chicago was nearly a nightmare, Walt was so antsy--luckily someone seated next to an empty seat offered to switch with us after takeoff. Without that, I don't know what we would have done...may have to start getting him his own seat soon...or maybe just no more traveling without Mike.

Walt started every day eager to explore his new surroundings.

Two swims a day yielded lusciously long naps--who knew? (Actually, people who live in climates with normal summer weather probably do know this.)

We had lots of visitors during the first weekend of our trip...Grandma and Grandpa Will, Uncle Chuck, Grandad and Cindy, and Uncle Gary and Denise all made the trip up (or over) to see us, which was great. Below is a photo of Walt with Grandma and Grandpa Will.

And one with Uncle Chuck:

And one with Grandad and Cindy:

The highlight of the trip for Walt? Hmm, maybe brushing his teeth on the stool Grandad built for him?

Mom's spaghetti?

Or maybe just showing off his pot-belly in summer clothes.

I ended up having to work a lot more than I had planned to, so I didn't end up getting as much of this (see below) as I would have liked. Oh well.

But we did have the chance to go to the retirement party Dad's work had for him--delayed for a week so we were able to attend. It was so nice to meet Dad's co-workers and I'm glad we were able to celebrate with him.

While I was working, Nana and Grandad had their hands full keeping up with Walt and showing him all Decatur has to offer--a cute zoo, a really great playground and, of course, awesome humidity.

One really super consequence of the humidity? Walt had to take lots more cuddle-breaks, which was a pleasant change of pace.

Near the end of our first week, Mike to flew into O'hare, and we all made the trip to pick him up. Of course, we had to spend the day in the city...lunch at Julius Meinl, a visit with the Butlers, a walk around Bucktown (with shoe shopping at City Soles) and pizza at Piece. It was fun pretending to be Chicagoans again. Walt liked it, too...here's a shot of him playing the role of fun-loving Chicago kid at a Wrigleyville park!

And Mike wouldn't let us leave without getting some pictures at Wrigley.

Now, the real reason for this whole trip was to be immortalized in the 2010 family picture (my side) taken every five years. It was Mike's first!

We headed down to the St. Louis area (where my grandparents live) the day before the picture. That night we hit a Cardinals game, and the nearby casinos, with my uncle/cousins.

We didn't have fun at all.

It was so great to spend the weekend with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Walt got to meet his cousins Madeline and Kennedy, who are just his size, and had a blast running around with all the big kids. He was, to my surprise, an absolute angel during the pictures. Below are a few shots.

All:

Our little family:

Grandkids

Someone made the brilliant decision to make a collage of candids of the great-grandchildren rather than trying to wrangle all twelve (including three toddlers) for a formal picture--so smart.

Following our St. Louis adventure, Walt and I spent a few more days in Decatur before heading home. One day I took him over to my friend Laura's house where Walt and her son, Luke, had a great time tearing around the backyard. (Also, forgot to mention that we were also able to meet up with my dear friend Kristy and her daughter, Evie, while we were in St. Louis--we had so much fun I forgot to take any pictures!)

Really, there was no shortage of new friends.

Thanks to all for making it such a memorable trip, we enjoyed every minute...see you in December!

Summer fun

2010-08-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

What follows is a fairly random collection of photos from our summer outings and activities. Because it is summer (aka winter, in San Francisco) most of these shots include sweatshirts, scarves and fog.

One of our favorite things about our new apartment is the little playground across the street in Golden Gate Park. It is one of many playgrounds in the park, and it is not the biggest or the snazziest and is home to stealthy squirrels that steal snacks out of unattended strollers, but it's perfect for Walt and we love it. Now that he's walking, there's so much he can do!

We also like this park in Pacific Heights (decidedly snazzier):

Also across the street in the park, about a ten minute walk away, is the SF Conservatory. We recently got a family membership and walked over on Sunday to check it out. The balmy humidity inside is the perfect antidote to the chill and fog, and for someone who briefly entertained the idea of majoring in botany (me) it's a pretty fun place to hang out.

Walt's favorite part was running around in the gardens outside, which technically we don't need a membership to do, but he had a ball.

For my birthday last month, we took a day trip to Santa Cruz and spent the day exploring berry farms and vineyards. It was so nice to leave the fog behind for a few hours, and Walt took two excellent naps in the car!

Also, we are now about month into our new nanny-share arrangement with a family in our neighborhood. So exciting...Walt gets a new buddy and I get to work from home in peace! Walt and Aiden have quickly become the best of friends and Heather-the-nanny is readjusting to the art of double-baby-wrangling.

Tired, happy boys on a recent trip to the zoo:

Wishing a happy summer to our friends and family in warmer climes--stay cool!

Walt goes Hollywood....sort of

2010-07-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

My agency was recently casting babies for an upcoming commercial for Sprint, one of our clients. So naturally I thought it would be a good time for Walt to get a taste of life 'on-set', as they say. They shot a couple different babies and are currently selecting which to use. Of course we think the decision is a no-brainer. But even if he doesn't make the final cut, his day rate makes for a nice little deposit in the college fund...

KC

2010-07-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

Shortly after Walt's birthday we went to Kansas City to visit the grandparents. Walt did great on both flights...I'm hoping he is as quiet and well-behaved when we fly back to the midwest later this summer.

Walt got his first true taste of summer heat and humidity and he gave it a go, but he just doesn't have it in his blood yet. So we spent lots of time (and had lots of fun) exploring Grandma and Grandpa's house... especially the staircase.

...and also riding the carousel at the blissfully air-conditioned mall in Overland Park! (So proud of himself on his mer-horse!)

Mike and Roger weren't scared of the heat...they ventured to a Royals game and managed to get in a round of golf.

In the mornings and evenings, we were regulars at the neighborhood park. Walt was happy to see that swings in Kansas are the same as swings in California.

In an effort to see more of Kansas City, we went downtown to the Crossroads Art District's "First Fridays" event...we had lots of fun popping in and out of galleries and taking in the local arts scene.

It was a lovely trip...we had so much fun and look forward to our next visit!

The Birthday

2010-07-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

You may think that the lack of recent postings must mean that we haven't been up to anything interesting. You would be wrong.

We've been doing lots...celebrating Walt's birthday, visiting the Davidsons in Kansas City, playing at several parks, hosting a girls-only dinner party...too many things to mention. But we'll do our best to bring the blog up to date...starting with...Walt's birthday!

Sadly, Walt has yet to reach the age where he gets excited about opening presents. (Luckily, he has reached the age where he adores playing with gifts once they're open.) For this reason, we had to spread the gift-opening over several days.

Walt attacked his first cupcake with a cool nonchalance...and ate the ENTIRE thing.

We'd like to think his favorite gift was the cool bee riding toy we got him. However, his favorite might be the Woody doll he got from Jen and Dave...he loves giving Woody rides on the bee.

All in all, it was a wonderful birthday...and now our baby's on his way to becoming a big kid!

2010-06-18T10:36:00.001-07:00

(sorry for the bad framing...click on the video and watch the youtube page for a better version)

Happy Birthday, Walt!

2010-06-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

2010-06-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Walking Walter! He walks! He yells! He falls and gets back up!

Wish everyone could see this little guy in action--he is so proud of himself. He just can't keep himself from grinning ear-to-ear...and narrating every step! Also, Walt chose a great time to start walking--a team at Mike's agency needed a walking baby for a Sprint banner ad they were filming. So this afternoon Walt, Heather-the-nanny and I all went to a studio in SoMa for Walt's first-ever commercial shoot! He had a ball toddling around the set--can't wait to see the footage!

Speaking of shoots, below are a few shots from our family pictures, taken a few weeks ago in our apartment and across the street in Golden Gate Park. We had a great time hanging out with Erin and can't wait to get the pictures up on our walls.

Daddy!

2010-05-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

So, we are very much delinquent in providing commentary on what we've been up to, what Walt's been up to (we suspect this is the reason most people tune in), etc...but, well...man, this is cute. Whether he actually knows what he's saying is debatable. Enjoy.

Funny as puppies

2010-05-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Whew...we were worried that we'd have to buy a puppy to hear Walt laugh like this again.

11

2010-05-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Look at this big guy--11 months old...and he's already learned how to use oatmeal as hair gel. A more exhaustive account of the eleventh month coming soon...

Somebody likes bath time

2010-05-03T10:29:00.001-07:00

The end of an era...

2010-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Our friends the Stenbergs are moving to Napa and today is the last day of Walt's nanny-share with his buddy, Hannah. We're working on finding a new share family, but for the time being, Walt will have Heather-the-nanny's undivided attention.

Rather than focus on the sorrow of this occasion, we choose instead to remember the good times...

10 months old!

2010-04-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

Only at our house

2010-03-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

The hardest Walt has ever laughed

2010-03-18T07:12:00.001-07:00

Walt with the puppies at Aunt Lisa's last weekend.

(sorry for the bad camera angle...)

Nine Months Old!

2010-03-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Walt is nine months old today! Our big boy has perfected lightning-quick crawling and is pulling up on anything and everything…and subsequently grabbing the one thing you thought was out of his reach. At this stage, our time spent with Walt generally involves following on foot as he crawls through the apartment searching for doors we've forgotten to close, cords we've forgotten to hide and shoes we've forgotten to put away. (He loves eating shoes, gross.) Assisted by the arrival of two shiny (and sharp) little teeth, he is eating all kinds of new foods and is proving to be a curious and adventurous eater, which has been truly entertaining. His nine-month check-up is coming up at the end of the week, so we'll learn how he stacks up against all the other nine-month-olds in height, weight and head circumfrence, but we already know he's aced personality!

2010-03-02T16:54:00.001-08:00

8 months old!

2010-02-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

Various pictures from the last month...including a Tahoe weekend, many trips to the park and other assorted outings. He is fully mobile now...crawling like a champ and pulling up on whatever he can grab. Wish you could all see him in person, he is such fun!

The long overdue Reno wedding post

2010-01-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

We drove over to Reno the first weekend in January for our good friend Katie May's wedding. We had a great time catching up with some old Chicago friends and I managed to not lose any money in the casinos. Success all around!

Our confusing "spa suite" with a bathtub in the middle of the room:

View from said spa suite...very Reno:

Katie's dad manages the National Bowling Stadium in Reno...quite possibly the best rehearsal dinner location ever.

Katie throws her last strikes as a single lady:

Bowling the same lanes 'Big Ern' McCracken made famous

Wedding ceremony:

Our family:

Mr. & Mrs. Marshall:

Walt flirts with the bride:

Reception photo booth pics:

Walt with our friend Ashley:

The long overdue holiday post

2010-01-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

We spent the Christmas holidays in the glorious Midwest. The snow was falling, the air was crisp and Walt was excited to be back in the heartland. But before we left SF behind, we had a gift exchange with Heather-the-nanny who, in additon to super-thoughtful gifts for us and Walt, brought us an enormous platter of delicious homemade cookies and candies that we promptly devoured. In a preview of what was to come on Christmas Day, Walt was only interested in eating the wrapping paper. (By the way--he doesn't usually wear that weird green suit...only when all of his normal clothes are dirty, or packed.)

All things considered, Walt behaved pretty well on our flight to Kansas City...not as much sleeping as we would have liked to see, but no screaming, which was appreciated. It was so nice to get to the Davidsons' house to find that Walt had everything he needed for a comfortable stay--a comfy crib, snug little carseat, a changing table and more.

Walt loved hanging out with his grandparents and Aunt Lisa and Charlie. Here are a few highlights from our stay:

Playing with Grandma

Showing off the super-cute hat he got from Uncle Chuck

Wii-ing with the family

Christmas Eve Dinner

Playing with spoons

Our little family

Fun with Aunt Lisa

Relaxing with Grandpa

Christmas Day

Christmas day impromptu photo shoot

Almost ready for a Christmas nap

Christmas Dinner

Our California baby was a little unsure of the snow.

Chatting with the nutcrackers

A couple days later we headed to my grandparents' new house near St. Louis to celebrate with more family. Walt had no problem chewing on some more presents.

To be honest, Walt wasn't thrilled with spending so much time in the car, but he eventually settled down for a long winter's nap.

As always, Walt could be counted on to provide comic relief. Check out the movie below...he really enjoyed the Davidsons' leather couch. Classy. The only thing that could have made this funnier would be if he was wearing his whoopie cushion costume.

6 months old today!

2009-12-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

More fun with food

2009-12-14T12:28:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving, First Solid Food, Christmas Trees and more

2009-12-08T15:34:00.000-08:00

So, my parents came out to spend Thanksgiving with us. They arrived on Thanksgiving afternoon and I had somehow managed to prepare a passable holiday feast...although Mike is still upset that I didn't make any stuffing. Luckily Mom got there in time to prepare the gravy, which was DELICIOUS as always. We had a turkey breast stuffed with sausage and raisins, among other things--not sure why more people don't make turkey breasts, they are delicious and dead easy. Also had gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, salad, apple tart-cake (a la Orangette). Had to cut out the sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry relish and pumpkin pie--no time, maybe next year.

Walt observing Thanksgiving dinner from the jumperoo:

Of course, it's not Thanksgiving without the A&M-Longhorns match-up. Walt had fun watching with Mike.

Saturday-Monday we rented a house in Sea Ranch, up in Mendocino County. Sea Ranch--doesn't it sound lovely? And boy, was it. On the way up we hit the Anderson Valley wineries along 128, including Goldeneye:

Sunday and Monday were full of lots of relaxing and exploring the gorgeous trails at Sea Ranch.

At lunch in Gualala...too bad, not scenic at all.

On the way home we cut through to Healdsburg, stopping at one of our favorite wineries, Ferrari-Carrano. Walt enjoying his tour of the grounds:

Last week, Walt started solid food! Well, if you can call super-runny rice cereal "solid"...

We were so excited and recorded the event with cameras and video cameras--Walt clearly could not see what the big deal was and acted as though he'd been eating solids his whole life. No big messes, no stubborn refusals. Yesterday I made him some carrots and he gobbled those up, too. So far a good eater! Phew!

We also had fun selecting our Christmas tree:

And some more pics, just for fun...

Been a busy week

2009-12-04T11:16:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving post coming soon, we promise...

Happy Friday

2009-11-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

Halloween and more

2009-11-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

For Halloween, Walt was a whoopie cushion...utterly appropriate since he makes the same sound effects. Kudos to Mike for scoring this um, unique, costume online.

We had quite an eventful evening. First, a couple from our playgroup who live near us hosted a little party at their house. Then we met up with our nanny-share friends, the Stenbergs, to walk the babies around the neighborhood in their costumes.

Walt unfortunately didn't really understand the significance of his first Halloween...nor did he properly appreciate all the attention he was getting for his costume.

We had heard that Belvedere Street in our neighborhood was one of the best Halloween experiences in the city, so we wandered over. We were totally unprepared for the magnitude of Halloween festivity we found there. The street was packed, everyone (parents included) was in costume and all the garages were full of people acting out scary scenes. These people were putting on fully-costumed routines from Madagascar (the movie, not the country) in their windows.

These people set up a toddler dance club in their driveway.

And, of course, there were interesting costumes.

All in all a fun night.

Here are a few pics of our little Bears fan...

...and a few more randoms...

And because, really...who gets tired of a chubby baby sticking his feet in his mouth?

Walt and Hannah

2009-11-06T07:34:00.001-08:00

Our nanny sent us this picture yesterday of Walt with Hannah, his nanny-share friend. I think he just might be a ladies' man.

2009-11-04T15:38:00.001-08:00

New pics, new tricks

2009-10-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

So, Walt is well into his fourth month now and more fun to hang out with every day!

He got a great report at his four-month check up and had a great time ripping up the paper on the examination table. He got the chance to perform most of his tricks (laughing, rolling, grasping) for Dr. Rostek, who was properly appreciative.

He's becoming more and more interested in his surroundings...including Manny

and the constant parade of sports on television.

In honor of Walt's four-month birthday, Mike took the day off and we headed up to Point Reyes for a hike.

Walt looking like we're crossing the Sahara:

We stopped in Tomales Bay to celebrate Walt with clam chowder and platters of oysters at the Marshall Store--delicious!

An altogether lovely day

Great fog shot from Crissy Field last weekend:

Walt's new trick:

Almost 4 months old!

2009-10-14T09:40:00.001-07:00

Just a bit of commentary to go along with the pictures Mike posted below...

Walt will be four months old on Friday...I can't believe it! He is growing and changing so fast...every morning when I get him up I hardly recognize him! It is still looking like he's going to be a redhead, and his eyes are still as blue as can be...ours are brown, so they must be a gift from his grandma and Aunt Lisa!

I went back to work a couple of weeks ago (four days a week) and it has been great--is it okay to say that? It is just lovely to be around adults and have some control over my day, and it's relatively quiet. And I am just so excited to spend time with him on Fridays and weekends. Mornings and evenings are fun, too. Our nanny-share is working out great...Walt and Hannah (the other baby) just love Heather-the-nanny (not to be confused with our friend, Heather)and so do we...we really lucked out. And it is just so cool to see the two babies together...not exactly playing together but they do bump into each other occasionally in their rolls on the floor, which at this age is about as much interaction as we can hope for.

Walt has been rolling all over the place, once he mastered front-to-back and back-to-front there was no stopping him. He is such a good baby...smiley and happy most of the time and so very active. He goes for his four-month check up next week--can't wait to see how much he weighs, he's such a little peanut. He is also starting to get really excited about toys...he seems to be tired of his baby gym, but loves the ball pictured below, his stuffed strawberry and just about anything he can grab onto (especially burp cloths, my hair and Mike's nose). He's been sleeping through the night like a champ since he was about six weeks old, but for the past month or so he's been reliably sleeping a good 10 hours or so, which is great.

Not that parenting hasn't been great so far, but it is really starting to get fun. Past his finicky newborn phase, Walt is so much fun to be with now...and I feel like the three of us have got a good routine going.

Congratulations to our friends Darcy and Anna who both had babies this past week! We can't wait to meet Luke and George!

He's getting silly...

2009-10-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

Fun with Walt

2009-10-05T08:48:00.001-07:00

Recent Fun

2009-09-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

We've been as busy as ever the last couple weeks - Kate went back to work, Walt is hanging with his new nanny and I've been slammed launching my latest project for work - Doritos "Crash the Super Bowl". But we've had a little time for some fun, so we wanted to share some of it.

Walt wakes up each morning declaring victory.

We took Walt to a rooftop bbq at our friends Nikki and Todd's in Russian Hill. He slept through the sunset views. (Walt is in the Moby, under Kate's sweater.)

He loves bath time, but he's still adjusting to the drying phase.

The end of summer brings some pretty spectacular fogs in SF - here's a couple of recent shots from the back porch and down the street from our place.

I had to go down to LA for a couple days for work and I got to spend an evening with an old friend from Chicago - Robbie. You may remember him from the dance floor at our wedding...

Back in SF, Kate's good friend Lauren Wambold paid us a visit and met Walt.

And last Sunday we took Walt to his very first Cubs game - clearly an event more important to his father, as he slept through 7 innings...

No Old Styles were had - but it was fun none the less.

Cubbies lost, but that just made it more of a rite of passage I guess. Oh well, there's always next year.

Our house in 1910

2009-09-25T23:28:00.001-07:00

The many faces of Walt

2009-09-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a hectic couple of weeks between work, traveling and having family in town. We've been terrible lately at keeping up with this thing. Walt is doing amazing and becoming more alert and expressive everyday. Here's a few pics I took the other morning when were playing around. We promise to post more soon...

Busy, busy!

2009-09-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had a busy few weeks...

First, Mike had to go to Indiana for work for five LONG days. Walt and I survived, but just barely. Luckily, we had lots to do as we were in the process of interviewing nannies plus several friends stopped by to give me a hand (thanks especially to Kim and Heather). Every day I would inundate Mike's phone with update pictures like these:

After Mike returned, Walt and I left the next day for a week in Decatur with my parents. Originally, this trip had been planned to coincide with Mike's work trip (which would have been great!) but instead we had just one day with Mike before leaving. Walt, by the way, was a champion flyer--he slept the entire flight both times! Speaking of sleeping, he slept like a log in Decatur...I think it was hearing all the crickets outside.

Being in Decatur was great...my parents were a big help and I got lots of time to myself, which, after being on my own with Walt for a week was GREAT. My parents had borrowed all the baby gear we could need from their neighbors, which was handy; however, they have a little girl so it was all pink! Walt enjoyed it anyway.

He also enjoyed ceiling fans, which I don't think he'd ever seen before...here's a picture of him totally mesmerized.

We had LOTS of visitors...

My friend Laura came by with her baby, Luke

Uncle Chuck came over from Indianapolis

My grandad got to meet Walt and we got this great four-generation picture. Uncle Gary, Denise and Cindy all came by that night as well.

On Friday we went to...CHICAGO! I was so excited, I hadn't been back in a year and a half and, of course, Walt had never been. I think he enjoyed it; I know I did. We were able to visit my good friends the Butlers then Mom, Dad, and I enjoyed the terrific pizza at Piece, just like old times.

The only parking spot we could find in Bucktown was in front of my beloved old apartment on Honore, it was so great to see it!

Then I met up with my college friends Anna and Sarah, who I hadn't seen for years...it was great to catch up. On our way home that night we stopped at Steak and Shake--the perfect end to a great day.

Walt was so tired that he fell asleep in the bath that night.

Throughout the weekend we had more visitors--my cousin Kristi and her daughter, Mae and my dear friend Kristy and her daughter, Evie (below).

We were even able to sneak in a long walk and a game of frisbee.

The day before we came home, we went down to Collinsville to stay with my grandparents. Grandma was so excited to meet Walt!

And so was my cousin, Logan.

After we returned to SF, Mike's sister Lisa and her boyfriend came to stay with us this past weekend. Walt just loves his Aunt Lisa!

In honor of Lisa's birthday I baked a cake

We went up to Sonoma for a little wine-tasting. I got this great picture of Mike and mini-Mike in the Sonoma town square.

Can you believe this little guy is 12 weeks old? I sure can't! We spent Labor Day in the park with friends...here's Walt rolling around under a make-shift tent Mike built.

30th Birthday

2009-08-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Better late than never...below are some pics from my wild and crazy 30th birthday last month. Despite how busy we've been with Walt, Mike still managed to make it special.

The day started like any other...

Then the three of us headed over to Dolores Park for a little picnic lunch.

Walt brought a gift, which was sweet.

Others in the park celebrated the day by putting on a tight-rope demonstration.

After we returned, Walt chilled in his crib while Mike made a delicious dinner...

...the highlight was tasty, tasty ribs.

We ate every. last. one.

The following weekend, in case I'd forgotten about turning thirty, Mike reminded me by having our friends over to celebrate.

Mike had fun decorating with Kate-heads...sweet but creepy.

One difference between this birthday celebration and prior parties...our party boasted FIVE babies! (And three pregnant ladies.) In addition to Walt, John and Heather brought Leo and Neal and Alex and Viki brought Rogan.

Also, our new friends Eric and Kyla were there with their daughter, Hannah. Hannah and Walt will be sharing a nanny when Kyla and I go back to work next month.

All in all, a great send off to my 20s...can't wait to see what the 30s have in store!

Walt at Hippie Hill-Golden Gate Park

2009-08-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

The drum circle keeps him calm...

2009-08-07T08:58:00.001-07:00

Walt and friends

2009-08-01T13:09:00.001-07:00

Trying to look tough while being changed

Good friends Ryan and Maggie were in SF for a day, and they stopped by to meet the little guy

Hanging out with Mags

Having a serious discussion with his new friends

Tour guiding with Ryan, up at Twin Peaks

Hanging out with Mom in the kitchen...

...and with Dad on a beautiful day on the back deck

View from the deck

Looking wide awake after a bath

In his crib, testing out the new iphone camera

Showing off his cool new outfit from Mom

Spending a sunny Sunday in Mill Valley...

...with our good friend Robin Williams

We stopped by our friends Jason and Marsha's house to meet their new daughter Milan. Congrats guys!

Walt and Milan having a little cry

That's all for now - talk to you soon!

Grandma and Grandpa Davidson meet Walt!

2009-07-19T18:06:00.001-07:00

My parents, Roger and Nancy, came to see us just a little over a week ago. We were thrilled to have them here to spend time with Walt and we also had some fun out and about the Bay Area.

Meeting Walt

Sightseeing on Tank Hill, in our neighborhood

More relaxing with the Grandparents

Just one of our great dinner (Thanks to Mom for all the help in the kitchen!).

Opening Walt's Social Security card. He's official.

Grandpa teaching Walt how to complain about the Cubs.

My Dad and I snuck out for a Giants game for his birthday.

Great weather, not so great game.

Relaxing on the back deck.

More help in the kitchen.

After all the hard work, we rewarded them with a little wine tasting in Sonoma.

Walt and Grandpa have the same fashion sense.

At Ft. Point, at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Unsuccessful attempt at firing a cannon.

Then we stopped off in Japantown for some lunch and couldn't resist this photo op...

Then a swing by the Painted Ladies to round off the sightseeing adventure.

And on the last night of their visit, Grandma and Grandpa babysat Walt for a couple hours so Kate and I could go out to dinner. We had a great time and were really thankful for the opportunity.

Week 3

2009-07-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

We've been so busy with the Davidsons' visit that we've been a bit delinquent in posting pictures. Here are a few from Walt's third week--we tried to get him out of the house a bit more...we went shopping in Corte Madera one day and wine-tasting in Sonoma the next with mixed success. He did great strolling around the mall and sleeping so we could enjoy a nice lunch. The next day we had to leave two of the four wineries we visited because he started crying uncontrollably, but it could have been worse, right?

Walt checking out the view from his crib

Lunch in Corte Madera

Getting ready to leave for Sonoma...

Walt is not sure this trip is a good idea

Mobile changing station

A quick picnic lunch in between crying fits

Relaxing at home

No caption needed for this one...

Impromptu Morning Photoshoot

2009-07-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday!

Week 2

2009-07-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, we survived another week! We enjoyed having my parents here and can't wait for the Davidsons to arrive on Sunday.

Mike was able to take four weeks off to be at home with Walt and me, which has been great...I am already dreading when he has to go back. It has been so much fun getting to know Walt together...and between the two of us we're just managing to take care of all his needs!

Testing out the baby gym

Walt loves being swaddled, as long as we're sure to leave his hands free (which sort of defeats the purpose, I know)

Chilling in the papasan chair (thanks, Blackwelders!)

Getting ready for his first trip to see the pediatrician. (During his 15-minute appointment, Walt managed to pee on the nurse and the doctor, as well as the scale and most of the floor.)

Relaxing with Grand-dad

Our little family

Showing off his new Cubs shirt--a present from Grandpa Davidson

Our friends Russ and Nikki showed up on our doorstep with the fixings for an amazing brunch last Saturday. We had sausage, eggs and fruit...and homemade waffles with strawberry-rhubarb compote and marscapone--YUM! The weather (and Walt) cooperated and we were able to have a leisurely meal on the back deck.

Now that we're feeling up to it, we've started taking Walt on some mini-excursions just to get used to leaving the house with him. The first--a quick trip to the Marina last Saturday to run a few errands. Success--Walt slept snug in the Moby the entire time!

Sleeping in on Sunday morning

Outing #2--a stroll in St. Francis Wood on Monday

Chicago Tribune!

2009-06-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Scroll through the gallery here

1 week old!

2009-06-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Last night Walt reached an important milestone--his one week birthday! It has certainly been a crazy week. After a rough couple of days, we seem to have found a schedule that seems to work for Walt and leaves us feeling at least moderately well-rested. My parents have been out here since Saturday, which has been immensely helpful. Mike and I even managed a short date this afternoon--a trip to the post office and a quick stop at Bi-Rite Creamery.

Below are a few pics from Walt's first week--enjoy!

Watching the Cubs with Dad

Walt's freakishly enormous hands

Meeting Nana and Grand-dad

Cat nap for Dad and Walt

Digging into a delicious brunch featuring our friend Nikki's delicious blueberry scones--thanks, Nikki!

A-ok

Walt can't take his eyes off the game

Our friend Kim (due in December!) gets some practice

Visiting with family friend, Kate

Walt's favorite trick--flipping the bird with his gigantic fingers...we try not to take it personally

Last day in the Hospital, then home!

2009-06-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Our friends Nikki, Dave and Jen stopped by to meet Walt...

...and so did Heather and Blair - Thanks so much for coming guys!

Our celebration dinner on the last night in the hospital

Flying the Cubs 'W' flag in our hospital room

A quick rock to sleep on our last morning at the hospital

Packing up our things and Walt in his new San Francisco cap (click to enlarge)

Bye room 457!

The view from our hospital floor (our neighborhood is straight ahead, up the hill)

Time to head home

First family photo

All loaded up, about to take the slowest drive home in history

We're home!

Taking a quick nap in the big bed

It has been a long couple of days - but we wouldn't trade them for the world