Mkaing a gingerbread house

Happy Holidays - 2.5yr Update

Dec 26th - Reed is 2 years 5 months. While making this slideshow I had an opportunity to reflect on this last year. As I have already noted in other blogs, these posts are getting less and less frequent. Not only because life is getting more and more busy, but also, I think, because when I sit down to write it is a little overwhelming to think where to start.

His language is bursting. His motor skills and balance blow me away. His compassion for others and interest in seeing people happy is a gift. He is showing his toddler independence and resistance to following directions. Some days he is picky about what he wears and wants to stay in his pajamas.

He is speaking in full on sentences that actually make sense. The individual words are not always understandable, but in the context of the sentence, they are pretty clear (at least to us). Our favorite word right now is: Suummsy (which is excuse me) and Pweese (please). He is singing all the time - often mixing several songs together. For example, Frere Jaques combined with Baa Baa Black Sheep, with a little BINGO mixed in. It's fun to follow his lead and switch songs as we go.

Everyday when I pick him up from daycare, he runs to the other side of the room and teases "I don't want to go home" my reply is "but if you don't come home I'll miss you so much" then he laughs and laughs and lays down until I lay down and nuzzle him. He loves this game and it warms my heart that a part of him actually feels like he loves it there enough that he truly doesn't want to go home. He is the oldest kid there, and I think he is gaining in confidence as one of the leaders of the group. He is especially sweet with the youngest baby (7 months). Good practice for being an older brother.

He is becoming fascinated with my growing belly and his baby brother inside. Most of the time he likes to kiss my belly and put his ear to it stating emphatically "I hear him." He insists he too has a baby growing in his belly and often asks for me to take mine out. We are talking a lot about him being a big boy - even though much of the time I am not at all ready for him to be a big boy, it seems like time to move in that direction.

We got him a twin bed, he is almost fully potty trained (except when sleeping), and we decided to go cold turkey with his pacifier addiction. Turns out the last point is almost as hard on us as it is him - it really feels like he has lost a good friend and he calls out for him and longs to see him again. At the same time, he is very proud of himself and talks to others about how he doesn't need a baba (pacifier) anymore. Some nights are better than others, and right now is especially bad because he is not feeling well. So, it is process that has it's ups and downs, and we all miss the baba a little.

He is jumping off of higher and higher objects in the house and there is little we can do about it. He seems meant to be a climber, and is pretty sure footed and stable even up several feet on the back of the couch for example. I have learned that it is better to just make sure he is being safe but allow most adventures to happen. He is Billy's son after all.

We are struggling with the typical toddler stuff but overall still feel like we lucked out with this kid. He likes to dump all toys out in a 3 foot square radius of wherever he is in the house and does not like to put them away. He hits when he is tired or upset or doesn't feel well. He tests his limits constantly, like when I told him not to run with a screwdriver he wondered if he put it behind his back if that meant he could run. All in all he is your typical, playful, silly toddler that wants what he wants when he wants it but is also so very kind and loving and one who we think will make a great older brother.

2010 in review

Kika's house!

Reed has been attending a new daycare for the past two weeks - ever since I started working again. So far he seems to be adjusting really well and loving the new adventures he has at Kika's house. We feel very fortunate to have landed him in this loving and fun place. To add to my feeling of gratitude, Kika has sent us several wonderful pictures of "her kids" and she texts me during the day to tell me how Reed is doing. Here he is feeding Kika's chickens and here are a bunch more pictures

Growing up and NYC fun!

[All dressed up after his big job as ring-bearer for our friend's wedding Sept 4]

It's unfortunate that I cannot find more time to post to this blog because there is so much to say. A few things that I simply do not want to forget are happening these days. First off, Reed is almost fully potty trained. He has no problem telling us when he needs to go and can even hold it until we get to a suitable potty (most of the time). Unfortunately, during one trip to a public toilet in a restaurant, he sat on the seat and it automatically flushed before he could get off. This terrified our little guy and since then he is obsessed with the loud noise of a toilet. His words (mimicking me) are "NO loud noise, I thomas" (promise). "Lil potty, no noise". It makes us totally crack up every time he says it, but I try to keep myself together and validate his fear of the big scary toilet.

In other news...His language is exploding right now! He is starting to say sentences of words that he has heard us say that we had no idea he was listening to. For example, he'll go to the front door and say "Tom on (come on) mama or papi", "papi fix house", I'm hungry, thirsty, tired etc." "I wanna walk, run, ride etc."

He has grown attached to two stuffed animals - kind of a odd couple of sorts. One very large stuffed dog (Bidi) who acts as his pillow and one tiny beanbag dog (Mimi) given to him from our neighbors. They come with us anywhere we need him to sleep and he calls out for them if they are not there.

We just got back from a great family trip to NYC and Syracuse, NY for a visit with friends and a big wedding where Reed was the ringbearer. Check out this video of our little dude braving the aisle and all the paparazzi.

Before the wedding, we had a great time in NYC with our dear friends Elizabeth and Carl and their son Edmund (same age) in Manhattan. It was hot, so our days consisted of lots of water play, sitting in the shade, soccer at dusk, and gelato!

[Edmund jumping in the back ground]

Reed ate his first gelato (ice cream) cone on the upper west side of Manhattan on a beautiful summer night. Unfortunately for his naive parents who allowed this to happen at 8:30 a night, the poor kid was wired until 11pm. Was it worth it though? Heck yeah!

Many more pictures here on our smug mug site

"Howa you?"

[Playing soccer with friend Edmund]

It has been so long since we've seen the sun in Berkeley that we were starting to forget what Summer felt like. So yesterday- on one of the only days above 75 degrees- the three of us spent the afternoon at a local lake in Berkeley. It was just what we needed! At this lake a very funny conversation occurred between Reed and a total stranger. Here's approximately how it happened and what was said...

Reed - "Hi"
Nice lady - "Hiiii"
R - "Hi"
NL - "Hello there" (nice lady starts to walk away)
R - "Howa you?"
NL - (nice lady stops, turns around, chuckles a bit) "Well I'm just fine. How are you?"
R - (with most flirtatious smile and head tilt) says nothing for a few seconds, then...."I fi" (which is I'm fine) then "You're funny"
NL- (uncontrollable laughter) Well I think you are funny too and such a sweet polite young boy
R - (still flirtatious smiling) "Bye bye"
NL - "Bye bye"

Billy and I - (laughing and a little proud) "I think that was his first initiated conversation with a complete stranger"

Reed's second year in pictures

Cool man

Reed loves his sunglasses almost as much as he lives trains and being naked


(all of which are demonstrated in this picture). We are working on the early phase if potty training so he is diaper-free quite often at home. It's a process that requires patience and baby steps. We'll keep you posted


-- Post From My iPhone

June Update 2010

It's been way too long since I've posted anything here so here is a brief update on life in Berkeley with our almost two-year-old.
Reed is still as curious and sweet as always, but he is also definitely a toddler.
His most used words (aside from mama and papi) are: "mine", "no", "maya", "buh" for book, "ousai" for outside, "agua or wasa" for water, "hunny" for hungry, "mo" for more, "bie" for bike.

He is testing his and our limits all the time. This means: jumping off higher and higher objects, running confidently, walking toward the street until one of us yells stop, dipping one foot off the curb to see what we do, climbing on anything that resembles a ladder (this can include bookshelves, stairs, and actual ladders), jumping on and off of furniture, selecting books carefully and often choosing the same book over and over and over, pouring and spilling water whenever and wherever possible.

Okay gotta run, Reed's awake but here are a few pictures from a recent day at the botanical gardens and Tilden little farm.

[Throwing rocks in the creek]

[Slobber kisses]

[Maya and Reed at 22 months]

Fun on the coast!

Happy Easter!

As it rained cats and dogs outside (coldest and wettest California Easter I remember) we hosted a cozy and warm Easter brunch in our home for B's family and some of our dearest friends. This was the first year the Easter Bunny came to our home bringing baskets full of real grass, flowers, candy, bubbles and harmonicas! With the smell of fresh of lilacs (a nice memory of home for me), and a delicious potluck meal with contributions from all, we talked, laughed, played with trains, searched for Easter baskets, and continued the Witort tradition of the annual egg-cracking contest. For more pictures check out Jon's photo gallery.

[Birdseye view of the youngest egg-crackers - Maya, Kai and Reed]

A snapshot in videos

I have been really naughty (as my mom would say) about posting any recent stories or pictures so here are two recent videos that capture much of our life here these days. Overall, we are doing really well. Reed is starting to show his jokester side and loves making us laugh. He is finally starting to love reading with us and seems to enjoy going to bed when he is tired and even asks for it along with his pacifier (niii niii and baaa baaa). We are getting along without Samba in part because we are now the #1 go to people for dog sitting and our house has recently been full of em! B has been spending a lot of time under the house with a major plumbing project. This is also the first of many house projects we have in our future. We hope that in a few weeks we will be submitting plans to the city for our addition! More on that as it progresses.

Anyway, I will try to update more often but hope you enjoy these videos as a little taste of our lives these days.

One of Reeds favorite activities these days is pouring things from one container into another. This is especially true for pouring water.

On rainy days when I am home with Reed we often go to the YMCA kinder gym. It is full of indoor climbing structures, slides, bouncy house, and tumbling mats, For the past several times we visited, he has done this for almost the whole time.

Sweet Samba

[Our sweet Samba Oct 2006 - Jan 31, 2010]

There are so many wonderful things to remember about our sweet girl Samba. Here are the things that we will miss most (thanks to Rachael and B's mom for the idea)

Her beginning with us - In March or April 2007 B and I decided it was finally time for us to get our first dog. After several conversations we determined that it had to be 2 things - a rescue dog and a golden retriever - and we thought we would never find both in one because who ever gives up a golden? But B searched and searched and the very first day that Samba was posted on the Napa Valley animal shelter website, B called and we met her a few days later. The moment we met "Candy" (her name at that time) we knew she was the perfect addition to our family. She was shy, sweet and trusting - even after a hard first few months on earth and a neglectful family. We learned that she had been abandoned at the shelter because she had a terrible case of mange - "the worst case the vet had ever seen" and the family expected her to die. But, Samba was not going to die, instead she recovered and appreciated life all that much more. Everyone who worked with her absolutely loved her - truly - and were very particular about her adopted family. But, we passed the test and are so grateful that she was a part of our family for the time we had.

[Samba's first day with her new family]

Her gentle nature - Samba was the most gentle dog I have ever met with adults and kids alike. When we first brought her home in April 2007 and introduced her to B's nephew Elliott (16 mos at the time) she showed us just how gentle she would be with kids - even babies. As she passed a plastic cup back-and-forth between Elliott and her, her mouth would literally quiver because she was trying to be soooo gentle.

[First time we got to see her amazing demeanor with a kid - Elliott. This picture was taken in between the game of passing the plastic cup back and forth. I think E is leaning in for a kiss from Samba.]

Her playfulness - Samba was always ready for a game of tag or a wrestle on the floor. She was so much more like a child than a dog at times. We loved running around the backyard playing chase (us chasing her) with her. She would dodge a tackle and hide behind something and wait for us to make the next move.

Her love for fetch - Samba could play fetch with us for hours and hours if we kept going. She would run her heart out running back and forth until she would collapse for a few minutes, catch her breath and drop the ball back at our feet again for more! It took a little while for her to get fetch down pat, the initial stages mostly consisted of throwing the ball at a park, samba fetching it, then her curiosity would get the best of her on the way back and she'd be off looking for a squirrel up a nearby tree. Even in the early stages of fetch she was 100% into fetch when we would go to the beach or to the nearby shore at Albany Bulb park. She really knew what the moment had to offer!

[This was the more common site over the past few months. The prospect of Reed playing fetch with Samba is one of the things I will miss most.]

Her trusting spirit - We took many great adventures with Samba and some of them even pushed her comfort level. She learned to swim at the Russian River - we waded into the water up to our waists and then called her from the shore. She came right out to us and was in love with the water ever since. On our trips to Big Sur together, Samba showed us how much of an explorer she was. At the campsite, she would explore (on her own) up and down the river. B would wait for Samba to leave camp, then would go and try to stalk and surprise her. He'd find her exploring, sniffing, crossing the river, and just climbing around for the fun of it. On that first trip she went from being a shaky footed river dog to a rock hopping hound. We had many weekend trips on the Big Sur River full of swimming, fishing and exploring. No matter how challenging or scary the adventure was, if B or I wanted her to do it she trusted us that she would be safe.

[B in his favorite spot with his favorite dog]

Her willingness to travel- Samba basically came with us to most places. Whether it was by car, bike or boat. She was a great dog for road trips because she knew her place in the car and didn't mind curling up and resting - always knowing a great adventure or fun time was just ahead. She eventually warmed up to the bike trailer that enabled her to join us on some fun family bike rides. The "usual" trip was to bike down the Berkeley Marina and let Samba Run next to the bike while doing loops up and down the hilltop that views over the bay with sweeping views of SF and the golden gate bridge. We enjoyed many sunsets at Cesar Chavez point sharing a bench and a warm furry cuddle.

[One of her first rides in the bike trailer - she was hesitant at first but quickly realized that riding in it always resulted in a fun adventure once we got there]

[She was totally willing to ride in the boat with us and didn't seem nervous at all]

[One of many many road trips with Samba]

Her mouthiness - Samba liked to hold things in her mouth. Whether it was a soft toy, one of Reed's small utensils, or our socks and underwear, she would gently hold the object in her mouth without damaging it. She had a special fondness for our socks and would bring them to us (from our dirty laundry basket) every time we came home. She also liked to chew her bed which is why we finally gave up on giving her a dog bed - she chewed through at least two! We tried hard to help her differentiate her soft chew toys from Reed's soft toys and as you can imagine, many of Reed's toys became Samba's.

[Proud Samba with a plastic easter egg in her mouth]

Her tail - Her tail would knock anything off of low tables within a four foot diameter of her. It was an incredibly happy tail and always wagging. Reed got used to getting wapped in the
face and started to learn to duck his head when her backside came around. She had a few different distinctive tail wags (1) the fetch tail ---sort of a spinning motion around and around as she ran towards us, happy, with the ball in her mouth; (2) the I've-got-something-in-my-mouth tail --- this was hard to describe but B and I knew it instantly when we heard it; (3) morning tail --- you could hear her tail whapping the floor the moment she knew you were up; (4) all around happy tail ---this was the tail we most often saw around the house. It was just a loving constant motion showing us she was happy.

Her special relationship with Reed - Although her status in our family shifted from the primary "child" to secondary, she welcomed Reed into her pack with love and affection. Samba made us all laugh all the time, and the way she interacted with Reed and his response to her was remarkable. He routinely called out for her from his crib or out the back door. He chased her around the house and had just begun throwing the ball for her. She began laying her head on his lap and he loved it.

[This was a regular site Samba getting just as close to Reed (3mos) as possible without getting on his blanket]

[Hanging on the sunny front porch, Reed (6 mos)]

Her proximity - Samba was always a warm presence in our home and always just underfoot. She would often be seen lying at our feet while we played a board game or watched a movie. Many times I accidentally stepped on her because she was so close to me. She wanted nothing more than to be touched and loved by us - and by our friends and family. Sometimes she came off as a little needy for attention - and of course after Reed was born there was probably good reason for this. But, no matter what her intention was to simply know that she pleased us and that she was loved.

[Like always, she is right at B's feet]

Her smile - Samba would literally smile showing her teeth when she was happy or excited. Some people would feel a little strange because when a dog shows their teeth it is not always a good thing, but Samba did it to show love.

Samba was the most incredible dog and was a wonderful member of our family. She played a very important role in our lives during the years that we were laying the core foundation for our family. She was our first "baby" and the love that we shared with her was returned back 10 fold from her always. In addition, Samba helped me to want to be outdoors more and get active - which in turn brought Billy and I closer together.

She loved all people and was especially sweet with children. Although her relationship with Reed was still forming, it was sure to be long and strong. He would call out for her from his crib in the mornings and look for her out the back door. Without a doubt, she was the gentlest of creatures, completely trustworthy and full of love and joy. Although she was in our lives for less than 3 years, we have many many wonderful memories and, like so many pet owners know, she was a member of our family who will be missed dearly.

Favorite time of evening

Recently our family's favorite time of the evening is just before Reed takes his bath when he dances around the house naked (or in some cases with socks on). He loves being naked and his little rolly naked body is just about the cutest thing ever. It is quite possible I will live to regret posting these but I just can't help myself...

A Very White Christmas

We are back from our trip to Minnesota for Christmas and settling back into our home routine after a really nice week and a half in the winter wonderland. The holiday trip was full of fun visits with family and friends, watching Reed with his sweet older cousins, eating and drinking way too much, enjoying some (brief and chilly) outdoor adventures, and nursing our respective colds. Billy made it at the last minute on Christmas Eve after spending the night in the Denver airport because of a snow storm that blew into MN on the 23rd and covered everything with white powder. This was the first Christmas with all the cousins together and needless to say there was a lot of laughing, games and playing to be had by all - including the parents! For many more pictures check out our smugmug gallery here.

[Nana and Papa and the 5 grand kids - Rio, Eli, Peter, Reed & Sonia]

[K's sister Jenny and niece Sonia demonstrating that there really are some really good
sledding hills in Minn]