Green Beans

There is a legend in my family that goes something like this:

Little Genny didn't like vegetables. The most hated vegetable was the green bean.
However, Mom & Dad wanted us to grow up to be healthy, have well-balanced diets, and most of all, be appreciative (this included green beans.)
One night at dinner, with the entire family gathered at the table, my dad suggested Genny try just a few bites of green beans. He traded seats with one of the kids and sat beside her and lifted up the fork with one lone green bean. With tears running down her face, Genny plugged her nose and took the bite, but in an attempt to swallow quickly, she began choking and gagging. With a loud burp, the green bean flew out of her mouth and over the table.
Genny sat back down with a grin; she had beaten the green bean.

Bradshaw is following in his aunt's footsteps:

Yum, yum, green beans!

This outfit is Dustinn's. He used to wear it when he was little and his family lived in Nigeria.

First Solids

The face of anticipation

For a couple of weeks, Dustinn & I have been trying to coordinate a time when 1.Dustinn is not at work & 2.Bradshaw is awake, so that we could give Bradshaw his first taste of food.

Last night, Dustinn called from work and, making a big fatherly sacrifice, told us to go ahead without him (he ended up getting home at 2:30am and was out the door this morning at 6...we miss him.)

Bradshaw LOVED rice cereal. And he was actually a very clean eater. He didn't push any out of his mouth (his face is only messy because he was relentlessly grabbing the spoon.)

"I loved that Mom"

P.S. Bradshaw had his 6-month check-up today and after a short hiatus he's back on the growth chart, weighing in at 22 lbs. and just over 29 inches. He also surprised me by taking 3 shots with nothing more than a grunt. Way to go B-Rad!

First Swim

" SWIMMY PANTS "

We took Bradshaw swimming for the first time in his cousin's pool. Initially, Bradshaw acted frozen and stared at us with saucer eyes. Towards the end of the swim, he relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

"Hi cousin!"

Bradshaw loves his Auntie Elisse Can you see Jack's first tooth?

This towel is from the family home and native land. (Thank you Grams & Gramps!)

Dustinn never misses an opportunity to cocoon his son

Saturday at 11:54pm my sister Genny returned from her mission to South Korea. Welcome home Gens!

Easter Weekend

Cousins:

For weeks, Dustinn & I have been looking forward to go to Phoenix to visit Dani & Seth. It's a 6 hour drive from LA so we arrived at 2 am and went right to sleep. When I walked out of the bedroom the next morning--SURPRISE--Elisse was sitting on the floor (she's at BYU and we had no idea she was going to be there but she got a ride up at the last minute.) Hooray! It was so fun to be all together.

This was our first time to see Seth & Dani's new home. It is spacious, beautifully decorated, immaculately clean & very comfortable. (Dustinn: that's the best I've slept in weeks.)

On Saturday we had a BBQ with Aunt Teri & Uncle Ken (he made delicious steaks.)

Could not get chubby bunny on the right to smile

(This lesser grimace is the best I got)

While we were in Phoenix, Bradshaw also went swimming for the first time. Coming soon...

6 Months: Happy (Half) Birthday Boy!

Countless nights, Dustinn & I have stood beside Bradshaw's crib watching him sleep. We love to talk about how perfect he is--his sweet little mouth, his cherub cheeks, his dark eyelashes, how he sighs in his sleep.

5 am this morning marked Bradshaw's 6-month birthday. Dustinn and I agree it's been the best 26 weeks, or 182 days, or 4,368 hours, or 262,080 minutes, or 15,724,800 seconds of our lives.

M42 and Runningman

My uncle took this picture from his backyard. I think it's pretty amazing.

http://www.pbase.com/ktydeck/astro_images

Snips and snails, and puppy-dog tails

Usually, when Bradshaw wants something, he reaches towards it and grunts. (I love how communication is progressively more direct!) Lately, I'll be carrying Bradshaw and, without warning, he'll dive for what he wants! So far, I've always been able to catch him, but I'm afraid he'll get hurt pulling these stunts!
This is what he most frequently dives towards. He understands that we push the buttons on the keyboard because once I left him near an open computer (to observe) and he filled a word document in a minute or two. That opened a can of worms.Computers are not the only form of technology he loves. He'll sit through the evening news without a peep.
(Sorry this is such a long post...years from now I don't want to forget all his little eccentricities.)
Bradshaw has a music mobile and in the middle of the night he chooses to sporadically turn it off and on (sometimes shutting it off at the first note; other times waiting several measures.) When he wakes us up, we don't know whether to pull our hair out or laugh our heads off.
I have recently begun nannying for a baby girl near Bradshaw's age. Since she is away from home, I want her to use the crib during naptime. Bradshaw has been an absolute gentleman by going down for his naps on the bed pleasantly & without fussing. I have been so proud of him! Also, I was pleased as punch that I got both babies on the same eating & sleeping schedule!
Last but not least, Bradshaw has a lovey (or as my pysch books would say, "an attachment object.")

Whales in Santa Monica

I saw a whale today. I was driving on the PCH (a freeway that runs along the beach), and I saw a whale in the water! (obviously I was not watching where i was going.)

tradition, TRADITION

No, the family tradition is not watching the sunset. The tradition is one Dustinn does not enjoy.....

Every Friday, Dustinn's office has a themed "social hour." They've done things like karaoke, Christmas cookie decorating, Chinese New Year, etc. Today was chocolate tasting.

Each person was presented a tray of chocolates. The leader had everyone taste and rate the chocolate insync and "cleanse their palates" in between each piece. After varying levels of cacao, different varieties of exotic chocolates were set out to sample.

AND Dustinn brought me home a bag of chocolates (how sweet is he?) These are just a few of the ones I tried:

bacon flavored chocolate (eww gross...tasted like fatty meat)

pressed ginger chocolate (ginger is too strong/spicy a flavor for me; soaplike)

almonds and sea salt chocolate (delicious! reminencence of chocolate covered pretzels but so much better)

orange peel chocolate

I Wanna Be...Your Teddy Bear

B has always been a cuddly baby. Dustinn was delighted that even after B could hold his head up, he'd still always rest his head on your shoulder.

Today I thought I'd take a nap and pulled him into bed with me. I was lying there with my eyes closed when I could feel his little fingers exploring my face; then he rolled towards me and pressed his face against mine. What a love. the teddy bear at 3 weeks
The little guy today

DJ Tag

- Where were you born? Provo
- Middle name: Dustinn Michael Jackson
- Nicknames: That’s easy. There isn’t a day that goes by without someone on the street saying: “Gee, that guy sure looks like Mr. Awesome”
- Are you taller than your mother or father? Both, which is why it’s so weird for me to feel short in the Pace family
- Do you cry often during movies? No, never
- Favorite color: green (“verde que te quiero verde”)
- Favorite foods: ice cream, thai food, fruit, eggs, juice, trifle, …
- Favorite beverage: milkshakes, apple juice, and orange juice
- Favorite cold cereal: granola, although there’s a special place in my heart for golden crisp commercials (‘can’t get enough of that golden crisp’… that commercial was so cool)
- Favorite smells: when Val and I first started dating in the spring semester at BYU, there were these bushes with flowers on them that we’d walk past everyday to go to her house… I love smelling that same smell
- Favorite time of day: in the morning when Bradshaw wakes up. He’s so bright and happy
- How many pillows do you sleep with? 1, unless Val steals it and then 0
- Do you play an instrument? Currently the guitar. I used to play bass guitar, drums, tuba, French horn, and piano.
- Have you ever been skinny dipping? A few times…
- Did you do any sports in High School? Dodgeball. We started the high school dodgeball team (Bombardment Society) which became the 2nd largest organization in the school, after the band (we had 200+ members with weekly attendance of 100+)
- What was the last movie you saw in the theater? Bourne ultimatum
- What is your favorite article of clothing? I don’t know?... my socks?
- What is your dream vacation? Egypt… I’d love to spend a few weeks exploring all the pyramids and ruins
- What was your first impression of your spouse? She’s hot, really smart, fun, and way out of my league (and she still is)
- If you could be an animal, what would you be? A pterodactyl
- What is your favorite "me- time" activity? Espn, cnn
- Favorite TV shows: office, 4400, lost
- What is your dream car? Hahaha… in high school I would say one of those half school buses (“think of all the stuff you could put in there!”) - What is one of your weaknesses? I’m too awesome
- What do you fix for dinner when there's nothing to fix? cereal
- If you could live in a different decade/era which one would it be? Either the roaring 20’s (until the great depression) or the 50’s. The optimism seems so refreshing.
- What is the emotion you feel the most? ?... awesomeness?
- Do you consider yourself outgoing? Definitely not.
- What is something you are constantly working on? Being a better husband, getting better at my job
- Any hidden talents? Being awesome
- What is a word or phrase you overuse? Awesome, apparently
- What is the best thing that happened to you this year? Bradshaw!
- What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? … we’ve had a really good year… there’s a pretty steep learning curve at my job

- What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? Learn to surf, keep being awesome

A Hallmark Moment