Hollywood Walk of Fame

We saw Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Dr. Seuss, George Burns, etc. Of course, I had to take a picture with my first love (back in the days of Grease) John Travolta.

Gross samples
Grauman's Chinese Theatre (all the celebrity handprints, foot prints etc.)
Home of the Oscars

Chinatown

Katy, Joe & Lindy came from Utah to visit us over President's Day weekend (I took a bizillion pictures so there will be several posts). Did you know LA has Chinatown, Koreatown, Fillipinotown, Thaitown, etc?

The girls 女孩

The boys 男孩

Ho Tai will grant your wish.
他祝愿了什么?

Just playing around....

The dastardly deed: Puke on Face

The guilty culprit

Cupid, Draw Back Your Bow

Happy Valentines Day!

On a serious note, my cousin has a baby boy who is a little over a year old. He was born without being able to hear. He just received a cochlear transplant. After the surgery, his sweet mother held him and softly whispered to him--and he began screaming!! The family celebrated all evening playing the piano and singing to their little guy. Dustinn and I are so happy for this wonderful family that is deserving of every blessing.

Living the High Life

Once a year, the finest restaurants in LA offer 3-course menus at significantly discounted prices as a thank-you to the city. Dustinn and I thought we would take advantage of this and went last Friday. The restaurant we chose was on the 17th floor of a fancy hotel and overlooked the city (our table was the second from the left.) It was so romantic. (Bradshaw was very cooperative and slept beside us in his carrier.) For the main course, Dustinn got lobster and I got steak. We're definitely going to do this again next year!

Scream II

My brother & sisters are coming to visit this weekend and I've tried to warn them that Bradshaw has become very audible lately:

The video makes it look like he is cantankerous, but he is still sweet.

Tagged

Cyndi & Julie tagged me. This one is about my husband.

What is his name? Dustinn Michael Jackson (named before Michael Jackson became infamous)
How long did you date? 1 year 3 months
How old is he? 26
How old are you? 26
Who eats more sweets? Me…definitely. To my ruin, I’m fueled by sugar.
Who said I love you first? Dustinn
Who can sing better? Dustinn has an amazing voice! When we were dating, he learned several songs on the guitar to sing to me. Oh, and when we found out we were pregnant he surprised me with Danny’s Song.
Who is smarter? Dustinn =). This was a prerequisite for the person I married.
Who does the laundry? Mostly me; sometimes Dustinn. He feels badly when I do it because it’s difficult to lock up and get there carrying the baby, baskets, soap, etc.
Who does the dishes? Hehehe we don’t have a dishwasher but I enjoy cooking so we always have plenty of dishes to be washed. Dustinn works really long hours but when he can he does them.
Who pays the bills? I pay rent & tithing and Dustinn pays cell phone, electricity, and Internet (because I’m unreasonable about these costs.)
His guilty pleasure? He devours ESPN.com
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Weird question…I sleep on the right side to be next to the crib.
Who mows the lawn? In my dreams we have a little house and a yard…but nothing to mow for now.
Besides you, who is his best friend? His mum
Who cooks dinner? Me! I like to. Our latest obsession is various quiches.
Who is more stubborn? It’s a tie. We’re both pretty stubborn.
Who kissed who first? Dustinn kissed me first. I had a boyfriend at the time—so it was really bold of him. But he had told me previously that if I didn’t see myself with this other guy he wanted a chance (which was very romantic to me.)
Who asked who out first? Dustinn asked me out right after I met him. Also bold.
Who has more siblings? I have 7. He has 4.
Who wears the pants? We both have things we are controlling about; but I would say Dustinn wears the pants because he ultimately takes care of Bradshaw & I.
What is your favorite thing about him? I can be 100% myself around him. I don’t have to fear that he’ll stop loving me when I’m bratty. When I tell him my worries (no matter how many times I’ve told him the same thing before) he doesn’t brush them off but he listens and understands. Magically, he makes better. It’s these moments that I am completely, crazily, girlishly in love with him.

I tag Erika, Dani, Angie, Deanna, & Aya

I heart craigslist

I'm addicted to skimming the free section in craigslist. I pick out what furniture I would get if I had a truck...and apartment space. (What's better than free?) Yesterday, I saw a posting for a high chair. Dustinn & I were planning on getting one for Bradshaw anyway and the owner lived only a few minutes from us. Perfect.
However, it was the epitome of "saving pennies to lose dollars" because on the way to get it our car broke down. =(
But the high chair's a hit! Today Bradshaw sat in it for over an hour playing:

Super Tuesday

I really don't like to draw attention to myself, but this is a worthy cause.

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Since Californians are voting in the primaries today, Bradshaw and I went out walking all over Santa Monica yesterday.

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I nervously anticipated that someone would ask me about an issue I am not familiar with...or at least ask why I think Mitt Romney should be our next president...but everyone just smiled at us (or maybe at Bradshaw, who dutifully filling his role, was smiling and making puppy-dog eyes.)

Teeny Fingerprints

Mid-diaper change, Bradshaw pulled Dustinn's glasses right off. Dustinn's been dreading this day...it was hIlariOUS!

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

Bradshaw rarely makes a peep outside the house but when it's just Dustinn & I, the boy jabbertalks to himself nonstop.
For instance, he gets the hiccups a lot. He has taken up commenting on each one. [Hiccup] sigh [Hiccup] ahhh [Hiccup] oh! [Hiccup] YA!
On that note, we're on the same block as a medical center. Whenever, Bradshaw hears a ambulance he immediately says "oh!" (as if to alert me to the new noise) and freezes to listen.

Baby bloggin'

I feel bad that I am always 'baby blogging'...and I know I should give a well-rounded perspective with updates on Dustinn & me. But Bradshaw is our life. He makes us happier than we ever could have imagined. So on I go; baby time:

My brother Nelson is very lean but can contort his stomach muscles in crazy ways. Does anyone remember how Nelson could look emaciated one second and rotund the next? Well, Bradshaw has learned this trick. We don't know how/why but he has started puffing out his gut and further accentuating his delightfully round little shape.

Today Bradshaw had an appointment with our beloved pediatrician Jenna Roberts. We had several surprises:

1. We did not expect to introduce solids until he is at least 6 months old. However, the Dr. pointed out how most babies his size have had their diet supplemented with solids for several months. She said it is unlikely that nursing alone is able to provide all the nutrients he now needs and she recommended that we introduce some solids right away. So he's still going to be on the same nursing schedule but he'll have two cereal meals in addition.

2. He has started teething. Hence, his constant slobbering.

He also got 5 vaccinations today. (Last time he received shots he took it like quite a little man. He yelled during the shots but was calm afterwards.) Today was a different story. He tensed up terribly and did not stop screaming for nearly 30 minutes afterwards. He even whimpered in his sleep.
Although it is likely designed this way for survival purposes, I don't think there is a more disturbing or terrifying sound than hearing your own baby cry.

San Carlos or Bust!

We just applied for Bradshaw's first passport! In June, my grandparents, aunts, uncles and 70+ cousins will be caravaning down to San Carlos, Mexico. My Grandfather used to spend summers here and the tradition has continued through several generations. We stay in condos on the beach and spend the day playing in the waves. Each night, a different family takes a turn hosting dinner/entertainment for everyone. My Grandmother always hosts a traditional luau and during the week my mom teaches hula in preparation for this evening. I have precious & hilarious memories of family togetherness in Mexico BUT Dustinn has never been! We are crossing our fingers that we'll be able to work everything out so he can come this year. So, in good faith, we got Bradshaw a passport.

(Below: A few of the older girl cousins...there are 15 about my age.)

(My Grandfather usually leads an expedition to "Las Titas" mountains.)

Mom & Dad: This is the quilt that Aunt Jane sent Bradshaw. The picture really doesn't do it justice because you can't see the intricate stitches. There are dragonflys, butterflies, leaves, clouds and much more stitched in (she is SO artistic!)

And Bradshaw fell asleep in my lap this afternoon; mmmmm what a good feeling.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 4 years ago, Dustinn & I met. Thank you for the beautiful tulips Dustinn!

Last night, I put Bradshaw in the stroller to run a few errands before Dustinn came home. My timing was perfect for a colorful sunset. (This is the view from our street.)

[Below] And this is where Dustinn works.

4 Months: Happy Birthdays!

Today Bradshaw is 4 months old and my sis Polly is 12 years old!

Like Father, Like Son

An Obsession With Dung

My little sister Genny is serving a mission in South Korea. She recently sent a book entitled "Who Pooed On My Head?" Here is her translation:

One day a little mole popped his head out of his hole to see if there was trouble. And just then, something very weird happened. (All of a sudden, a long brown squishy thing fell on the mole's head. Kerplunk! It looked just like a sausage.) "Aah! What's this? Who pooed on my head?" The mole cried. (But the near-sighted mole couldn't find a single thing.)

"Hey you! You pooed on my head, right?" The more asked the pigeon as it flew by. "Who me"... No it wasn't me!" The pigeon replied. "My poo looks like this." (Right then, liquid white poo fell and went splat, right in front of the mole's feet. The mole got white spots on his right leg.)

"Hey you! You pooed on my head , right?" The mole asked the horse as it was eating grass in the field."Who me? No, it wasn't me !" The giant horse replied. "My poo looks like this." (Right then, kadunk, 5 big burly horse poos fell in front of the mole. They were like dark-colored apples. It was truly amazing, spectacular)

"Hey you! You pooed on my head , right?" The mole asked the rabbit. "Who me? No, it wasn't me!" The rabbit answered back. "My poo looks like this."(And at that moment, tink tink tink, 15 rabbit poos that looked like dark-colored peas spouted at the mole. The mole yelled, "Oh crap!" and nimbly dodged the poo.)

"Hey you! You pooed on my head , right?" The mole asked the goat who looked like he had just woken up from a dream."Who me? No, it wasn't me !" The goat replied. "My poo looks like this." (Right then, plicket plunk and poo that looked like chocolate eggs tumbled down on top of the grass. This pleased the mole very much.)

"Hey you! You pooed on my head , right?" The mole asked the cow as it finished chewing it's cud. "Who me? No, it wasn't me !" The cow answered. "My poo looks like this."(Suddenly splurt, and a yellowish green colossal pile of cow poo fell right next to the mole as it gushed onto the grass. The mole rejoiced that the chap who pooed on his head was not the cow.)

"Hey you! You pooed on my head , right?" The mole asked the pig."Who me? No, it wasn't me !" The replied the pig. "My poo looks like this."(Right then a pasty poo pile went plop and fell on the grass. The mole plugged his nose.)

"Hey, you two pooed on my head ...." The mole intended to ask but did not as he got closer. He saw two flies sitting on two big pieces of poo, eating and getting very plump. "Finally I met some friends who can help me out." thought the mole to himself. "Hello, my boys, could you maybe tell me who pooed on my head?" The mole asked. "Hold your horses and say still." The two flies buzzed around, took a sniff of the poo on the mole 's head and said.... "Ah, this is the deed of none other than the DOG!"Finally the little mole found out who pooed on his head.

CHUBBY HANS! The butcher's dog.The mole quickly scrambled on to the top of Chubby Hans' doghouse. (A moment later, a little raisin-like poo went schwink and fell onto chubby Hans' broad forehead.) Only then could the little mole happily smile and vanish into the ground.

I Wonder...

Shout out to my sister Kate! I sat next to this painting at church on Sunday and it reminded me of her. When she was little she said the first thing she would do after the Savior comes is run to the zoo to pet the lions. Hehehe. Or in Nelson's words "teeheehee."

I haven't listened to I Wonder When He Comes Again since I was in primary but I pulled it up today; it made me quite emotional.

Prepare every needful thing...

I play a little game with Bradshaw: I don't pick him up out of his crib until he smiles.

Some days, he'll want me to ask about his nap or sing a song before he'll reward me with a smile but usually the boy is squealing with delight and grinning ear-to-ear.

Last night, Dustinn & I talked about how good our home feels when it's clean and tidy. (Dilworth Young said, "the dusty, ill-kept room with its unmade bed is the devil’s best means of discouragement") I really want to have a "house of order" but this is not one of my talents. I've started a schedule to keep me on task:

Monday-laundry

Tuesday-floors

Wednesday-bathroom

Thursday-kitchen

Things change a little bit. Like, nowadays I'm scrubbing the tub every day (thank you Mom for being such a good teacher) cause the little guy loves to bathe. And when he's crawling I'm sure I'll have to do the floors a lot more.

Okay, the point of my rambling is to find out: WHAT WORKS FOR YOU? Tips? Comments? Suggestions?

How cute is the baby?

When my brother Colton was little, we’d play this game with him:
Val: How cute is the baby?
[Colton would put his hands on his cheeks and blink] Sooooo cute!
Val: How smart is the baby?
[Colton would tap the side of his head with his finger] Sooooo smart!
Val: How strong is the baby?
[He’d flex both his arms above his head and scowl] Sooooo strong!

In Colton’s honor, we are going to play the same game with Bradshaw.How cute is the baby?
Bradshaw loves “blankies.” To soothe himself, he’ll twist a blanket around his fist and rub the blanket against his cheek. We think its sooooo cute!

How smart is the baby?
Bradshaw was sitting in his baby carrier during church and dropped his binkie. He reached down, grabbed it, held it right to his mouth and started sucking! (He grabbed it backwards…so he was sucking on the handle but, hey, he’s less than 4 months old.) We think he’s sooooo smart!

How strong is the baby?
Now that the boy’s got his neck and head under control he’s moving on to bigger and better things. He’s trying to sit on his own as this little video demonstrates. He doesn’t last for long but we think he’s sooooo strong!

Happy Little Boy

Christmas: Part II

This is the 1st time I have returned to the cabin since Bradshaw was born. Naturally, the entire cabin and everything in it reminds me of those first few days with newborn Bradshaw. ...Dustinn had to leave for work in Boston the day before the hospital discharged me. My mom volunteered to stay with me, drive me to LA and help me move into an apartment.
BUT since I had an emergency c-section after complicated labor, we decided to rest and recover for a few days at the family cabin (in Utah, near the hospital.)
There was no difference between day and night because Bradshaw never slept more than an hour. I felt like the gift of his life was so unbelievable that it was probably too good to be true. I was in a hyper-vigilant state; constantly worrying if I was giving him the proper care he needed. He was little, fragile and infinitely precious.
My mom said every time she turned around I was crying. Panicked, she'd ask, "what's wrong Valery?" Each time I replied, "he's just so perfect."
I remember discovering Bradshaw preferred to sleep with his legs pulled up to his body. I was ecstatic! I thought, "I understand him! I can tell what he needs! I can be a mom!"

Okay...now that I'm done reminiscing, here are pictures from last week at the cabin:

The cabin, all snowed in.
My sister KT & B-Rad
All of us were lying under blankets together until the heat kicked in
Our little family
The next day, my mom & Bradshaw napping

Bradshaw's introduction to snow

All my siblings (plus Dustinn) spent most of the day building this awesome tubing run

This picture makes me laugh (do you see how Bradshaw poses just like me? head tilt & all!)

At night, Colton used the tubing trail for snowboarding...lucky I caught this moment since I couldn't actually see through the camera's view finder.