Dave's 30th in Stockton

The weekend before my birthday, we took a trip down to Stockton to see everyone. We got to spend time with Tita & Bill, the Clarks, and Grambot & Grandpa. We were REALLY disappointed that we didn't get a chance to see our GGrand Jacksons. But we'll come visit you guys ASAP. We love you!

My Mom had asked what I wanted for a birthday cake, and of course, my response was "cookies & cream ice cream cake in the shape of a Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtle." Mom, being unsure whether that was reasonable or not, asked what my backup was. My response was "something with Mickey Mouse," knowing that Eli is bonkers over Disney. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is on every morning at our house while Eli enjoys his breakfast milkies.

And you're never too old for a cartoon-themed birthday cake.

Mom came through, of course ...

Eli wanted to be on Daddy's lap, helping to blow out the candles.

He does a great job of helping us make sure our soup, fish sticks and tea are at the proper temperature at home.

So, being the resident expert, he thought it was his duty to assist.

He didn't quite have the gusto to get all the candles, so Daddy had to help out.

As soon as he knew it was safe, he jammed his finger into the frosting.

Not sure where he learned that ...

Taryn ...

Thanks Mom & Dad. It was a blast.

Addy's 1st Trip to Stockton

The first weekend after Addisyn came home, we decided to take a quick trip to Stockton so her extended family could have a chance to meet her. We had our day planned pretty tight, but did such a great job of getting out of the house and into the car that morning, that we were able to take our time and really enjoy the day.

Our first stop was Poppy's house, where we spent almost 2 hours watching Eli steal and hoard all of Mcgwire's balls. He threw them a few times, and laughed his face off when Mac either caught them in his mouth, or chased them down and brought them back. We stayed inside, since the new puppies were in the backyard. Being as young as they are, they aren't yet trained well enough to keep from jumping all over the Biddles, which kinda freaks him out. But we got to see all of the damage they'd done to the dry wall in the garage and laundry room. Boogers. Especially Jesse, the Black Lab.

Next stop was Grambot & Grandpa's house. We spent the better part of the afternoon watching Eli run around with his Grandpa, and letting Grambot coo over the baby. We went for a walk after lunch, and even had Casey stop by to say hello.

Here's Grambot loving every minute of holding her Granddaughter.

Grandpa actually got some baby time too. And she was awake and alert enough to make faces.

The start of many that they'll share together, we're sure ...

But never forget the Biddles! He loves coming to Stockton to see family. So much love and attention!


After lunch we headed to Bill & Tita's house. We spent a couple hours showing off our new bundle of joy, and letting Eli play with their antique train set.
Nonni came by to spend time with us and see her parents. Addisyn was in and out of sleep, but had some great moments of being awake and alert for everyone.

The face of a woman who gets to meet her first Great Granddaughter. Bliss.

You're the best Tita! We love you!

Bill got to test her strength by having her grip his fingers. And he was impressed with how blue her eyes were.

Here's a great shot of Miss Addy saying hello to her Tita.

Eli loves his trains, and the set that Bill & Tita have is pretty awesome. It used to be Taryn & Kendall's back when they were young. It's a lot bigger than the one Eli has at home, with more intricate pieces like a tunnel and a bridge. Daddy helped him put it together to get started.

He was fascinated with the tunnel. Looks like we know what the next addition will be for his track at home. And he played so nicely, being very gentle with the pieces.

Although, he did get frustrated when the large track kept coming apart each time his shoes bumped it, so we shortened it for him.

Even his new Cars got a turn around the track and through the tunnel.

Eli's Big Brother Gift

With Addisyn's arrival, Taryn & I wanted to surprise Eli with a Big Brother Gift, so that he had something special just for him amid all of the new-baby craziness.

We were considering one of the red plastic cars that kids can climb inside and "drive". There were a ton of them at SuperFranks - the adventure-time playland that we took Eli to early in January. He spent a lot of time in them, and really seemed to enjoy them. Plus, his daycare has two, and we've caught him driving them around the track when picking him up in the afternoon.

But then Uncle Kendall, Aunt Nicole and Cousin Ariel came by, bringing with them a Disney Princess tent/tunnel. Eli loved crawling through the tunnel and popping in and out of the tent surprising Ariel and the rest of us. Seeing the look on his face, recognizing how much he enjoyed having a space of his own to hide and play - it sealed the deal.

We went looking for a more manly option than the Disney Princess tent. There were Cars-themed tents, Dora the Explorer-themed tents, a tent that looked like a tree ... but as soon as we saw the Buzz Lightyear Spaceship, we knew it was the right choice.

For Christmas, Eli got both Buzz Lightyear and Woody - and he hasn't put them down since. And he's seen the newest Toy Story movie a number of times (making us laugh out loud when, every time, during the opening scene where Woody is on top of the train and starts fighting ninja-style with Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head, he jumps up, points and starts yelling "uh oh! uh oh!")

So here's the Spaceship. There are the two tunnels on the sides (which Eli quickly learned to shut and open by himself, so that he can lock himself in). On the back there are three little holes where we can drop in toys, or reach in to grab him and play. In the front the picture of Buzz Lightyear is a see-through mesh, so that we can make faces. It's pretty cool. We brought it home, set it up, and had it all ready when he walked in the door. His face lit up immediately and he made a run for it - not coming out for a solid 2 hours!

We also bought him a 4-pack of the Disney/Pixar Cars. He has Lightning McQueen, The blue Dinoco Car, and 2 other racers. He takes these everywhere with him too, just like Buzz and Woody ... and Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster ... and his Star Wars Potato Heads ... the list keeps getting longer.

But I guess the Lightyear Spaceship also makes for a great 3-D race track.

A day with the Clarks

Uncle Kendall, Aunt Nicole and cousin Ariel could not wait for us to get home so they could come up and visit to meet Addisyn. Poppy came up with them too, since Nonni has been staying with us over the past week to watch Eli if Addisyn decided to come early. We spent the day watching the kids play and giving Addisyn a chance to spend some cuddle time with her grandparents and Uncle and Auntie. It is always good times when Ariel and Eli get together. It is impossible to capture a picture of the two of them playing because they are running and screaming everywhere. Here is a great shot of Nicole, Kendall and Ariel with Addisyn. Ariel apparently rather be playing with her buddy Eli...

Oh...wait a minute...Ariel realized there is a "real" baby next to her. Ariel has a excellent vocabulary and was able to say baby and point to Addisyn. She became enamored with Addisyn and wanted so badly to touch and hold her. It is so adorable to watch.

Addisyn even got to try on Ariel's hat.


Addisyn even got some face time with her Poppy and Nonni. Although she slept through most of it.

We had a fabulous day with family over for a visit. Nonni went back with them, so tomorrow we brave our first day as a family of four. Wish us luck! We love you guys! Thank you for ll the love and attention you give our kids so freely. They a lucky to have you.

Ya we know...it has been a while....

No one tells you how exhausting it is with a extremely active toddler....let alone trying to keep up with him while pregnant. So our deepest apologies to everyone who checks in on our blog. I know it has been quite a while since we have posted anything...

So what is up with the Bacons...? Eli will be 21 months very soon and man is he into everything and we hopefully will meet Addisyn in 23 days unless she decides to come early. Her scheduled C-Section is January 10th...we will see. She at least has to hold off until January 3rd. Dave has been able to work his schedule so he will be able to get away easily if she comes in January and I will be back at work from our winter break so I do not lose any precious time with our little girl (I hear they would start counting my maternity over the break if she comes then). So yes, I am crazy and plan to work until at least January 5th but I hope to make it to the 7th.

My list to do before Addisyn arrives is quite extensive...we still have a lot to do. One of which is to catch up on this blog...we still have last Xmas, to Eli's 1 year, to learning about Addisyn joining our family and much more. I plan to get it on here but as you all know...don't hold me to it;-)

Addisyn's room at least is close to finished along with Eli's room. He is now on a full size matress on the ground for the time being. My old chest bed is getting a face lift to look more masculine so as soon as the rain stops we will have it ready to go and finally be able to hang everything on Eli's walls and call it a day. I will post pics as soon as we are done.

Dave and I are house hunting in Benicia...nothing has stuck yet by we will see what the new year brings. We love the town and have high hopes that our growing family will be happy and safe there.

So with the promise to hopefully be better at our blog I leave you all with wishes for a happy holiday season. Since I have lost all my addresses...my computer crashed....here is a post with our card this year.

Nude Man Walking

What a difference a day makes!

Just yesterday Taryn and I saw Eli take his 1st steps (and because the girls at Day Care were surprised to hear that this morning, we know for a fact that we really did see it for the 1st time ourselves!). But Eli already seems to be getting pretty comfortable - and bold! He's now letting go and attempting to walk across the room for everything from our prompting, to just wanting his favorite toys. Every time one of us leaves the room, we hear the other scream in excitement as Eli makes another leap. Here's the kiddo walking from the coffee table to the ottoman.

What a champ!

Getting Close ...Scratch that...Eli WALKS!!!!!

Alright guys, we're getting really close over here.

Eli has been standing up for a while now, and doing so pretty comfortably holding on to almost anything. He's even been using a single hand for balance, and has been walking around the house with Taryn and me using just a single hand to hold onto one of our fingers. And he can walk for a pretty good distance without tripping or losing balance. He's been getting more and more bold, and in the last couple days, he's been making moves to take his first unaided steps.

Although there are still plenty of mishaps along the way ...

Biddles vs. the Balloon

Yesterday (Sunday), Taryn and I were out and about picking up things for Eli's 1st Birthday party. We went to a few different stores for cake stuff and frosting stuff and banner stuff and plate stuff and streamer stuff - a lot of stuff. In one of the stores (with the smallest ailes I have ever seen and plenty of clutter to make it that much more claustrophobic), Eli got his hands on a balloon. Now, Eli has never experienced a balloon before. At first he found it thrilling and hilarious. Then he found it threatening and creepy. Watch the progression for yourself.

Big Boy Bath

Eli has always been a water baby. Ever since his 2nd bath experience (certainly not his 1st, we've all seen those pictures - and if you haven't, they're in our Blog archive) he's been a big fan of the water. He splashes around and generally causes a ruckus. Last summer when he was really little, we even got him a blow-up pool for our back yard and put him in a floaty (you can reference those pictures in our archive too). He loved it. Recently, Taryn and I have done away with the plastic tub that Eli had been using for his baths, letting him instead sit in the big tub. We spread his toys out and stick his foamy stuff on the walls. He splashes around and generally causes a ruckus. But we thought it would be fun to show everyone just how excited he gets for bathtime.

Let's hope this continues as he gets older. especially since today he came home from Day Care smelling like puppies (they have a tiny little poodle named Teddy).

(P.S. This is not child porn, so hold the jokes.)

Biddles vs. Johnnie 5 2.0

Here's another good video of the kiddo attacking our Roomba.

No Disassemble!

A while ago, Taryn went out and bought a Roomba for the house. Because I'm a neat freak and borderline OCD (apparently), and because I have a tendency to vacuum at least every other day, she felt that having a machine that could do this for me would be helpful, and potentially less annoying. It's very sweet of her, even in spite of calling me borderline OCD.

Enter Johnnie 5. Yes, we named our vacuum. And not only did we name him, but we call him Johnnie 5 (Short Circuit, anybody?). Unfortunately, because the cats have been locked in our bedroom so that they can't destroy our townhouse, Johnnie has been couped-up in there too - charged with ensuring that no kitty funk is left about.

But recently we brought Johnnie downstairs to do some work, and Eli had a field day! Eli has always been fascinated with our vacuums (as a baby he would sleep through me vacuuming right next to him, and has since done everything possible to be as close as he can get to watch them while in action). But the last few times we put Johnnie 5 to work, Eli started chasing him. We've even caught the kid trying to stand on him.

It's just hilarious. To have such a good time playing chase with a vacuum. Priceless. And literally at no cost to us! Fantastic!

Here's a video I captured on my iPhone of Eli following Johnnie around and playing a bit of chase. I'll try to get a better one where he's trying to ride the poor machine, but this works for now. Enjoy!

The Park

We finally had a couple of days without clouds, wind and rain, so we decided to take advantage of it all and go to the park! Eli had been to the Sycamore Valley park twice (once when he was very little and not really able to appreciate it, and another when it was so cold and wet he couldn't get out of the stroller). But none of us had been to the park right across the street from our townhouse.

From the street it looks like a large park with a baseball field, soccer field, basketball and tennis courts, and even a beach volleyball court. Taryn and I never realized that they also had playgrounds and whatnot. But we took a drive through, made the discovery, then spent the afternoon partying with the Biddles out in the sunshine. Now we know we have a great place to play just a short walk away.

Here we are getting out of the car, with Eli in the sunglasses his Aunt & Uncle got him. He wasn't too sure of them at first, ripped them off twice, then finally accepted them, but felt the need to stick his hand out in front of his face to test reality through this new perspective.

He came to grips and eventually seemed pretty comfortable in them.

We set the kiddo down and the first thing he did was sit immobile on the grass. Since our backyard is a grassless brick patio with potted plants, he'd never really had the experience. I think he was pretty stunned and confused. We're talking about some thick, lush grass here, none of that kid stuff. Within a few seconds he was ready to be picked up again. So instead, we propped him up against a little cement wall, and back in his comfort zone, he went crazy. He loves to stand and is so close to walking unaided that it's almost scary.

Here's Taryn coaxing him towards her.

Which of course he did happily.
(Don't worry, by the end of the day I had him chasing me through the grass!)

This wall is a 3 quarters circle around what in the summer is a water filled pool at the top of a hill. The water trickles down a winding path shaped like a big snake and empties into another pool at the bottom of the hill. Very cool. Looks like it should be in Disneyland.

I played peek-a-boo with him on the other side of the wall, and he loved it.

Best face ever!

Here he is watching the bigger kids playing.

Soon enough kiddo ...

We took him onto one of the smaller playsets and let him mess around. He was hesitant to crawl through the tubes. Not sure why ...

Maybe it's the static effect.

He eventually made it through and was very proud of himself.

Afterwards, we took him to the swings since he loves the movement so much. Really, this is the bounciest kid ever. Again, he was a bit hesitant at first.

But he got into the swing of things soon enough.

Ah, puns. America loves 'em.

Stay tuned for some fun videos.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for the Bacons.

3 weeks ago now, Eli was diagnosed with an ear infection. We caught it early (meaning minimal sleepless nights), and Doc Mullen put the kiddo on a new antibiotic (his second, since he had an allergic reaction to a previous antibiotic, which manifested in hives). That was on a Monday. By that Thursday Eli had developed a horrible diaper rash. He had frequent loose stool (sorry kiddo, saving it for posterity!) which caused blisters and bleeding. It looked like a second degree burn between the cheeks it was so bad. He would scream bloody murder every time we tried to change his diaper. We made multiple calls to our healthcare provider, and were in & out of the clinic multiple times over the next week. We went through 3 different treatments. We started with an anti-fungal ointment, changed to a cortizone cream, then changed again to baking soda baths and an A & D ointment. We were told that the rash and loose stool were from the antibiotic given for the ear infection (a second allergy!). But when things continued to not improve, that theory went out the window.

Instead, last Sunday afternoon, Eli spiked a temperature of over 102. His face was beet red and his entire body felt like it was burning. And for a kid who has more energy than should be legally allowed, he was limp and listless, and his eyes were rolling in a way that could have given a sailor sea sickness. It was the most frightening thing I've ever seen, and the worst experience I think of my entire life. We called our Advice Nurse, and she instructed us to go to the ER immediately, even saying that if we didn't think Eli was going to make it, to pull over and call 911 from the road. Holy Shit, right?!

We left immediately, got to the ER in 15 minutes and then stood in line for a half hour. A call was supposed to have been made on our behalf so that we could be taken back immediately, but I guess that call was lost. While we were waiting, Eli (who hadn't been making any noise or movement) suddenly vomited, and it went everywhere - covering Taryn's left side, soaking both of my feet and shoes, and leaving a large puddle in the ER entry way. We were flipping out.

Thankfully the people in front of us let us through before them and we were brought back to be seen - only to wait an additional hour! Am I the only one who didn't realize that the ER (the sole function of which is to provide immediate medical care) has waiting rooms after their waiting rooms? Ridiculous. Eli, all the while, was still limp and and burning up. I could have killed someone (maybe that would have sped things up a bit). When we were called into an exam room, guess what? That's right, we sat waiting for a Dr. for another 40 minutes. And when the Dr. finally showed up, all he did was take a cursory glance at our baby, then prescribe tylenol and motrin. Again, I could have killed somebody (hint: the Dr.).

All told we were in the ER for 6 hours, and to know that we could have stayed home instead and fed our kid tylenol and motrin (which we have in vast quantities as a rule) almost caused by bladder to burst.

But wait, there's more. That night we called the Advice Nurse again, specifically because the type of distress cry that Eli was making was obviously due to some physical pain, and he had developed a rash on his hands and legs. I made an appointment to see our regular Pediatrician the next afternoon (our 6th visit in 12 days). As soon as we walked through the door that afternoon, our Ped said he knew exactly what the problem was. He gave the kiddo a very thorough once over, and when he was finished announced that he was right, and that if what we wanted was an answer and a solution, he had it for us.

Answer: Hand/Foot&Mouth Disease. Apparently a fairly common virus which causes fever, skin rash and blisering, loose stool, stomach pain and vomiting. Everything.

Solution: Nothing. Because it's a virus there is no medication for it, it simply has to work it's way through the system and out.

Great. Awesome.

But the icing on the cake is that as soon as Eli started feeling better and showing signs of improvement, that's exactly when Taryn, Me and Kendall (who came up to help watch the kiddo since he couldn't go to daycare) started showing signs of illness ourselves. We each spiked a fever of over 101.5 (Taryn had it worst at 104 on Wednesday night). It was a hot mess. Literally.

But everyone is feeling much better. Eli goes back into daycare tomorrow. Taryn and I are feeling fine, just a bit exhausted (but we're not sure if it's more physical or emotional).

Here's a shot of the kiddo with his ER bracelet in the 2nd waiting room of the day.

Dave's iPhone

I had been wanting an iPhone so bad for so long, that when my Palm Centro kicked the bucket, rather than yell and cry, I couldn't have been happier. Then At&t told me that my contract wasn't up for another 6 months, and that a new iPhone would cost me upwards of $400. No Bueno. Then Mom & Dad and Cathy & Jim decided to surprise me for my birthday (using a different contract so as not to pay the crazy $400 pricetag thank Jeebus). And what can I say? This thing is wicked awesome.

I lost all of the photos kept on my Palm Centro, so I've been working to replace them.

Here's a handful ...

1st, here's Eli in his second favorite sleeping position. This is on Taryn's lap, and it's the only way to get the kiddo to fall asleep quickly and without any fuss.

(cool pj's, right?)

And here's Eli in his favorite sleeping position: face planted in the matress, arms tucked underneath, legs tucked underneath and butt up in the air. Whatever works is our motto. Except for the couple ear infections and illnesses, Eli's been sleeping soundly through the night since his third month.

Eli was so proud when he worked out how to stand up.
Look at the sparkle in his eyes.

It took quite some time to get the Biddles to enjoy his solids. We fought long and hard, and he was certainly a worthy opponent, but in the end butternut squash won out. But almost as soon as he started eating as well as his cousin James, he became more interested in the food that Taryn and I were eating. So we let him try a few things, and sure enough, he moved almost directly from formula to finger foods. His favorite's now are pancakes for breakfast with toast, grilled cheese for lunch and pizza or raviolis for dinner. The kid eats better than I do now.

Here he is trying his first quesadilla, which he loved. He also tried his first refried beans (which Mommy & Daddy paid for severely over the next three days).

Here he is enjoying wheat toast and jam at breakfast.

His favorite jellies are raspberry and strawberry.

And here he is having raviolis for his second time. They were from the italian place just across the street (an authentic family-owned place that has been there since the 1930's).

He obviously loved them.

I love this pic. And yes, he got himself into that box. Notice how the sides, which are supposed to be firm, are bent and floppy. We have 5 of these toy boxes, and all 5 look as bad as this one.

My Dad went through his garage recently and found our old Radio Flyer wagon. He took it apart and refurbished it piece by piece. It looks great. He's taken Eli on a few outings, which the kiddo really enjoys. He likes leaning over the side and watching the cracks in the sidewalk fly past. And it's good excersize for Dad.

And finally, maybe my favorite picture yet. Doesn't he look innocent?

He's not.

Don't let him fool you like he's tried fooling us.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of this face as the years progress.

(also, check out the bear - it's freakin huge!)

9th Month Professional Pictures

Taryn and I have been so busy in these first couple months of the new year, that we almost missed getting these pictures taken! Eli hit 10 months on January 28th, and the weekend prior, we made the appointment.

This time around, Eli wasn't as happy-go-silly as usual (due to his ongoing battle against the Almighty Boogers), so it took a lot more noise, funny faces and crazy jumping around by both Mommy & Dadda to get the smiles we were wanting. But our Lil' Man always comes through in the end.

He's so clutch.

We tried for some time to get the kiddo to stand, but really it was all we could do to keep him in one spot. He was trying to crawl EVERYWHERE. Only the power of the Monkey drew his attention long enough for a still shot.

His hair is really starting to come in. We're gonna let it grow into a nice shag before we have it cut. I think we have a while. And we're STILL waiting on his 9th tooth. We know he's been teething hard, and have felt at least two (top left in the back and bottom left in the back) that are right under the surface, but so far no dice. He finally has more months under his belt than teeth in his mouth.

He took a liking to the blocks, and for as much as we tried, we just couldn't keep them out of his mouth. Taryn was having kittens. I think I saw her wiping them off with diaper wipes when she thought no one was looking.

And yes, we think his eyes are definitely gonna stay that blue.


Congugalations on another 3 months of life complete, Buddy!
See how easy it is? How fun?
We love you Biddies!