Happy Baby Pose

This is the first time that Eli got himself into the "Happy Baby" position. He was trying out his new sun tent, which his Momma bought for him for his first real vacation. This has since become his favored pose, I think because it enables him to get his feet in his mouth, which he really enjoys and finds hilarious. Don't ask us why, but apparently they taste great, and serve as good teething toys. We know, it's kinda weird.

TESTING -- ELI AT 4 MONTHS

Blogger has been on the fritz for the Bacons FOREVER, so it's NOT their fault that they're just now able to blog some photos of Eli at 4-months (this is Denise typing - blogging via satellite from my computer in MS, testing to try and fix their issues...)

Here's the little monkey at 4 months, cute as can be: And for good measure, here are a few more pictures of the little cutie:

Meeting Auntie Casey

Eli finally got to meet his Auntie Casey! Poor thing, got lost trying to find us. We had such a great time! Casey got some cuddle time with Eli and we got some girl time over wine. Good times. Wished they would happen more often.

Comparison

We thought we'd give the "side by side" thing a try. I'm on the left at app. 5 months. Taryn is on the right at app. 4 months. Eli is of course in the middle, and he's 4 months on Tuesday the 28th.

Who do you think Eli looks like?

Vogue

After almost 4 months of incessant scolding from his Grambot & Nonni, Eli finally had his picture taken professionally, not only to capture this amazing moment in time, but also to replace my senior year picture on Mom's wall of fame ... shame? (You're next Jamie!) We wish we had Jay nearby to pop over and snap some great shots, but airfare can be a bit pricey nowadays. So instead we went to the Mall. That's right. Sherwood Mall in Stockton, no less - right next to the food court.

Awesome.

Taryn and I lef the Bay Area that Friday afternoon to have a "date night" and leave the Biddles with his Grambot & Grandpa. We saw the new Harry Potter at Stockton's downtown theater. (By the way, it was pretty good: lots of great camera angles, good movement and lighting. The story was adapted well, except for how they wasted too much time on fluff and rushed through the meat of the tale. And my personal gripe: did we forget that this story is not just about the boy Harry? What about the boy Tom Riddle? It's just as much his tale. Anyways ... so be it.) Oh yeah, as for the "date night," we went with Kendall, his friend J.C. and J.C.'s son Adam. Not much of a date, but a lot of fun.

We had been planning the trip so that Eli could spend some quality time with his Great Grandma that Saturday. She's smitten. Especially after she got him to laugh by bouncing him in her lap. Eli loves to stand and has really strong legs and good body control. His Great Grandma had him standing on her legs and was bouncing him up and down making lots of funny falsetto noises. They both had a blast, and as soon as his laugh came out, Great Grandma was melted butter. What a stinker. He even impressed his Great Grandpa. He kept commenting on how quiet and aware Eli is - how great his focus and how even and composed his temperament. Great Grandpa even thought his physical abilities were impressive. They all got to see his teeth, watch him roll back-to-tummy and tummy-to-back, heard him laugh, and best of all, Grambot & Grandpa got to experience him sleep through the night. What an awesome Biddles! Way to keep up a streak, Buddy! But the best comments were about how happy the Lil' Man is.

So anyway ... we ended up spending all day that Saturday at the Bacon's, then stopped by Eli's Nonni's house on our way out of town. Except we never left town. Kendall and I took some time to discuss my story ideas (thanks, Buddy!), and Nonni got to have her some Biddles. When I woke up on Sunday (last, of course, 'cause Kendall doesn't count), Taryn and Cathy had already decided that it was the perfect time to get Eli's picture taken. After a quick search through the phone book, and an even quicker phone call, we were off to the Mall.

Eli was amazing. Even the photographer and his wife were impressed. He's the 1st baby that they've photographed that didn't cry or fuss. We sat him up in a tiny armchair, and Eli held himself up really well. Then we stripped him down and put him on his tummy. He kept his head up perfectly and was smiling, laughing and making faces, with Taryn and me standing behind the photographer. We had his rattle out (thanks Denise!), his Sophie - we pulled out all the stops. And it couldn't have gone better. At one point, he was laying in my arms looking up at me (you'll see the picture of me kissing his face, it was at this time), then gave a good grunt and loaded his pants with gusto. That's probably why there were so many smiles to be had.

Here are the six shots that we picked when all was said and done. We chose not to include any pictures of him in the armchair, because his naked ones were better. And it'll probably be the last time that he let's us take pictures of him naked - or the last time the State does ...

Behold the beautiful Biddles in all his Naked Glory ...

Here we were able to not only get a great shot of him laughing, but you can also see his teeth. He has two on the bottom in the center. The two on the top in the center are right on the verge of poking through.

This one is great because if you look close, you can see all of his drool glistening on his face and hands. Baby's are hilarious. Look into those eyes ...

And here's the shot of Eli and his Daddy. What a Booger. Again, the only reason he looks so happy is because of what he's just done in his diaper ... or maybe I'm just that good ...

Taryn will have these shots posted to Snapfish if anyone would like to order copies.

Independence Day '09

So this Independence Day we had planned on spending a long weekend at the coast, but due to waiting for a new dryer, microwave, and contractors to fix the AC, we ended up having a quiet couple of days at home. On the 4th, Taryn and I spent the afternoon playing Ghostbusters on PS3 (which we beat - yeah!). Because it was so hot, Eli slept most of the afternoon away, which is why we were able to spend our time gaming. After conquering Gozer, I got the BBQ going and grilled some Baby Back Ribs, while Taryn whipped up some Mashed Taters. It was all very relaxing. We almost went to go see some real fireworks, but figured that Eli would either be asleep or wouldn't appreciate the boom boom. So we tuned in to the New York show on the big screen and had some wine. Unfortunately, the one time that we allow Eli to watch TV, he's entirely uninterested, and just wants to "Ah-Goo" in our faces.

Here are a couple fun shots of the Lil Man in his America Onesie (thanks Linze).

Taryn thinks this is a great example of how much Eli looks like me.

Lucky guy ...

We love this picture! Not sure why! Whatta Booger!

Halfway through the day, we gave Eli's Grambot a call to say Happy America. We always put the Grandparents on speaker phone so the Biddles can hear their voices. He does a great job of tracking the phone. Happy America Grambot!

Grandma Rosie's Birthday and Grandpa/Father's Day

So the day after Father's Day was Eli's Great Grandma Rosie's Birthday and we wanted to see Grandpa Jim and Granddaddy and give them our Grandpa/ Father's Day gift, so Eli and I packed up for a trip down to Stockton for the day. Dave had to work :-(

Below Eli's Uncle Kendall is indroducing the Biddles to one of his new toys at his Nonni's house. We noticed that Eli has been putting everything in his mouth and shown a slight increase in fussiness (which really is still not that bad). It is obvious Eli is teething early just like his Mommy and Daddy did before him.

Here is Eli with his Great Grandma Rosie. We took her out to lunch and Eli was a perfect sleepy Biddles like usual, which made lunch a breeze. It was only the 2nd time I had taken Eli to a restaurant!

We headed over to Tita's and Granddaddy's house. It's not like his Great Grandparents aren't enamored with our Lil' Man. Eli changes so much in just a week it was really nice to show off his new talents.

Ya know how I said Eli is teething...this is his teething toy that all Mommies I know swear by. Nonni is trying it out....it vibrates. Eli loves it!

Had to post a picture with his Uncle. It is rare to get a picture of Kendall smiling so I needed to commemorate this occurance. Eli could not sit still and was cracking Kendall up.

I do not know what it is...but everytime Eli gets to spend time with his Grandpa they both smile and crack up! It is so amazing to watch. Eli is showing off his new skill...standing - with assistance of course..but man, does our Biddles have some leg strength!

It was a quick trip, but a fun one! As often as we try to make it down to Stockton...Eli rarely gets to visit with his Great Grandparents, let alone get some real quality time with his Grandpa. By the end of the day we were both exhausted - but it was well worth it!

Father's Day Craziness

This is the twisty/twirly thing I was talking about. Makes you wanna barf. Awesome.

Dave's Daddy Day '09

For my first ever Father's Day, I wasn't sure that I was even going to get the day off, until about 2 nights before. But morning of, Taryn woke up early and went downstairs to start coffee and breakfast with the Biddles. When I finally rolled out of bed, there were already presents and cards waiting for me on the coffee table. I got a card from Eli, which was very cute and very funny. And Taryn of course got me a music card (she loves those) that was also very cute and very funny. It was a really great surprise. I downed the coffee and the breakfast (which was delicious), then dove into the presents like I was 2 years old. Eli (*Taryn) got me a picture of himself with a frame that reads "Daddy's Little Dude." I even got a number of different pictures to swap in & out. Taryn got me an ipod nano. Wicked sick! I ran upstairs almost immediately and put everything from our itunes library onto it - then spent the next 15 minutes trying to trim it down so that things would fit. It was very cool. I take the ipod to work with me every Monday to listen to music as I do my admin.

It's rare that I get to see Eli 1st thing in the morning after he's had a full night's sleep (I'm usually already at work). That's when he's the most talkative and smiley. So for my Daddy's Day I spent the rest of the morning basking in the glory of my Biddles. Notice the shirt he's wearing that says "Daddy's Little Monkey" (his Grambot got that for him). Also notice the frame in the background. Thanks Lil' Man (*Taryn).

I've been lucky enough lately to have developed the ability to really get the Biddles talking. He's a pretty quiet baby for the most part, but when I get in his face and he gets going, he's all "Ah-Goo" and "Whoo-waa." And he makes this gurgling sound in the back of his throat that's kinda funny. I start making basic noises and movements with my tongue, and he does his best to mimmick me, each of us in turn - no joke (or exaggeration Niser!). What I love is how he stares me straight in the face, looking deep into my eyes, so that it seems as if he's really trying to talk to me - that he's trying really hard to communicate something important.

Here's a quick rundown of him trying to say something ...

After finishing breakfast and presents, we got cleaned up and hit the road to check out the park up the street from our house. And the park is freakin' incredible! It has 3 separate play areas, all of which have this special foam instead of bark or sand. It's bouncy and soft. Pretty nifty. They have Bocci Ball courts, a BBQ area, a pond and waterfall, and plenty of grass and trees. But the best parts were the great play areas. They had these crazy twisty/twirly things that make you sick, slides and swings and what not. I'll post the video to show you, but suffice it to say that it was pretty fun.

We sat under a tree and had a picnic with sandwiches, macaroni salad and orange soda. Biddles was asleep when we got there, but woke up halfway through lunch. He was pretty taken with all of the trees and leaves, and really seemed to enjoy the feel of the wind. Here he is lounging in the shade and having fun watching the shadows as the sun played through the leaves above us.

After we finished lunch we hit the playground. Taryn and I did, that is. We have some great videos. 'Nuff said. But when we had our fill we brought the Biddles out to see how he would like it. He was pretty tired, and didn't have much of a reaction. But Taryn and I both took the opportunity to ride the slide with him.

Notice the hat. No Cory, not mine (or yours, I guess, technically). The Biddles still has a pretty small head, and his hat just wouldn't stay on right. But we tried. Adding insult to injury it was pretty sunny out, and we were worried about the exposure. Nevertheless, he didn't really dig on it.

Truly, it was a great 1st Father's Day. Thanks Babe & Biddles!

Quasi-Laugh

We almost got a full laugh out of the Biddles. But not quite ... He was asleep on the couch next to me, and Taryn and I heard what we thought was a full on giggle. So we grabbed the camera and did everything we could to make it happen again. We wish we new what he was dreaming about.

He likes my falsetto. Not sure why.

The Yeagers Get Married!

And it's about damn time!

Finally, Sherry & Jeff went the distance. We think they were technically Common Law already, but now they get the tax benefits. They got married in San Ramon on a Sunday in June. It was a beautiful day and Sherry was a beautiful Bride. Jeff looked ok. Taryn says he looked less pasty than I did, and I told her that's 'cause they're Common Law! Give me another 8 years and I'll be comfortable too!

Eli got to meet all the OT Girls for the 1st time. Here's Heather gettin herself some Lil' Man. Her & Matt are next. Then Matt'll have to pass on his brewery to me. He won't have the time. And since I'm already such an experienced Father, I figure I can take over Brew Master duties.

Poor Dan had to stay home in Texas (which is bad enough, right?) while Sarah had scalloped potatoes and beer and cheese and whatnot. Sorry we missed you Buddy. But Eli loved his Autnie Sarah. He even pooped on her lap! Sure sign of comfort.

Eli really took to Julie. He just couldn't take his eyes off of her.


Here's Biddles & Dad. He had him in his fancy clothes, courtesy of Cookie & Zane. We had to squeeze him in, because at 16 lbs. 8 oz. if we gave it another 2 days, he'd have never worn it.

Even Cathy made it to the party. She's a Harry Potter freak, but hasn't yet stopped by to challenge us at Harry Potter Scene It. She's Scared. See you at the amusement park, 2012.

The lucky Lil' Man got to dance with his Momma for the 1st time. They rocked out to "Baby Got Back" and "Don't Stop Believin." Classic.

Of course Auntie Sarah had to get her some ...

Only 2 months old and already pullin in the girls ...

Eli's 1st Roll

We had been putting Eli on his tummy for Tummy Time since the day we brought him home (not quite literally - I'm a Bacon, we exaggerate). But it wasn't until his Aunt Niser & Uncle Supersonic Jaybird bragged about Lil' James rolling over that we figured we needed to take the pillow out from underneath him to allow him a chance to do his thing. So we ditched the pillow, and he rolled right away. We were happy - Eli was confused.

Workin' Hard for the Money

Had to put this up. Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Shots: Take 1

Poor Biddles had to go in for his first round of immunizations. They gave him three separate shots in his legs, and one in his mouth! Holy Hole in a Doughnut! I was stuck at work and couldn't go, but I heard he took it like a Man.