Eric's birthday party video

Uncle Sean & Aunt Courtney did a great job. Thank you

Party Pics

You know it is a good party when your plaids don't match. The Brown's throw a good First Birthday Party pizza, cake, carrots, sippy cups and all.


Eric knows how to treat his friends on their birthday. He is really enjoying playing with Spencer here and all his new toys


Spencer digs into solid sugar. That is what birthday cake is all about. Happy Birthday Spencer.


Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Brown for inviting us to such a fun party. We had a great time meeting your family and putting names to faces.


The Crew celebrating together with their mommies right behind them. We were so excited the morning Mrs. Karbowski (Jennifer) called to say they could make to Eric's party. This was the first all three families were able to hang our since the NICU. The boys loved checking each other out.

What's new

If you haven't noticed, Eric has curls. The curls keep coming. At first this was puzzling because neither Aaron nor have even a single wave in our hair. Looking at the family tree it seems that my dad, Grandpa Ralphy, is the likely source. Uncle Sean also inherited the loopy locks.

Eric has been "combat" crawling, pulling himself forward with his arms, for about 3 weeks. He is starting to make good time with this maneuver and can pretty much get anywhere he chooses to go. Watch out. He is also quite the pivoter and can do a 360 to avoid needing reverse.

He has figured out that his knees bend and has been pulling them underneath himself. Today he has been holding himself on all fours swaying forward and back but hasn't quite figured out what he needs to do to crawl. Meanwhile Aaron and I are babyproofing like crazy.

He has figured out how to get out of the sitting position so no more sitting him down and expecting him to stay there. He does get what Aaron calls the "gravity assist" for this move but he is gaining a little more control.

He has also managed to go from his tummy to sitting a few times but I have yet to catch him in the act. I will turn around for a second and back again he is sitting up. He his quick.

Eric has caught on that food tastes pretty good and his current preference are the carotenoid vegetable sources: butternut squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots. He is a veggie man but his starting to acquire the flavor for fruits. He has no interest in chunking food yet and gags nearly at the sight of it. He will pick up any toy you put in front of him, but put some foreign food on his tray and he won't even touch he. He is definitely telling us he prefers puree at the moment.

Favorite "word" is Ba, Ba, Ba. and he is quite good at adjusting his tone. He is also good with Mumm, Mumm and I am pretty sure I have heard a Momma in there.

He is attentive when we read to him looking every page over as if he is reading it himself and turns the pages when we're ready.

The NICU has a follow-up clinic that Eric will go to every 6 months or so called the Whitney Clinic. His first visit was last week and it went well. He is right with his chronological age for his gross motor skills and responsiveness. He is in perfect health and is growing just has he should. Eric is a go-getter and I have a feeling his determination is going to have him catching up to his birthday age in record time since he is there for most everything already. There is also know doubt that his IQ will be high - because we can tell you that he is very bright.

Our household has also made it through our first cold in over 18 months. Dad got it, then Eric, then me, and of all of us Eric handled it like the best and besides being a little more sleepy only had a bit of a drippy nose, a cough, and possibly a little sore throat. He smiled at the doctors and was quite playful, all good signs that a little cold wasn't slowing him down.

Eric got lots of great toys for his b-day and continues to be spoiled by Aunt Courtney and Uncle Sean. Check out the cood panda all the way from the best toy store, FAO Schwartz. I think he likes him.

Happy, Happy Birthday

Today, Eric, is your first birthday. There is no mistake, September 7th, 2006 at 4:34pm was the first your Dad and I heard your beautiful cry. What a wonderful sound that was. It was the first time we met face to face. Immediately after you were born I felt so calm and at ease. It must have been exhaustion because the feeling didn't last too long. But in that moment I must have known that everything was going to be alright, that you were going to teach us to be strong, patient, and determined, all good training for when you came home, and that we were embarking on a great adventure.

This year feels like a timewharp. It feels neither long nor short. You have brought us more smiles than I can count. When you were still "in the store" as your Dad says when refering to the hospital, your Dad said he could tell you were a good guy, and he was absolutely right on. You are a great guy and people and babies love your company. I must kiss you 10,000 times a day at least.

You are really coming into your own and showing us the personality behind those eyes, those eyes that I new were blue from just about the first day you opened them. Everyone kept telling me it was too soon to tell but knew I could see the bright blue beginings in them. Your Grandma Lorraine and I were there the first moment you opened them. You looked right at me and although you couldn't yet see me, you could feel me holding you close, and hear your Dad's voice and his stories of each day.

On your first birthday I hope you enjoyed your first push in the swing at Alta Vista Park. We know you loved watching the yboy push his red car around the playground. You also met Angela Williamson for the first time and she of course loved your curls.

So you weren't into getting messy with your cupcake. I understand your need to be neat. I am definietly messy Mommy but messes are ok as long as you clean them up. The candle was cool though and Dad helped you blow it out. You got tons of cool presents. The deliveries poored in dropped off by our favorite UPS driver. The phone rang off the hook with Happy Birthday wishes on your special day from friends and family: Bobby fay, Grandpa Ralph, Grandma Lorraine, Aunt Susie. Cards poored in from Gram Jeannie, nurse Kathy, and Great Nana.




I am your Mom and that gives me the right to be sentimental. All these birthday wishes were reminders of all the support that washed over us in waves this time last year. You are blessed with so many wonderful people who care about you.

Party, party, party is what we will do all weekend with your Birthday Buddies Ryan (September 5th) & Spencer (September 8th). Heck, all year. Do you know why? Because things are really good and we are so happy. Yes we are all a little tired in our little family but being tired is really no big thing when we know we get to be tired together. Let's celebrate - All our love, Mom & Dad

All at LWW

Can you believe that we finaly got the California based Aunts, Uncles, cousins, grandma, and grandpa all together for one fun-filled action-packed weekend at Lake Wildwood (LWW)




......and we managed not to wait until the last minute to try and cram in a family photo. Good suggestion Uncle Mike.


Eric had constant entertainment with big cousin Sam running laps in the living room, and baby cousin Maylin flashing those two big teeth of hers. Eric loved the action but was a little harder to get to sleep. Who would blame him with all the activity. Someone was always eating, sleeping, splashing, or rolling around.





Aaron and I were surprisingly treated to a fabulous dinner out in Nevada City for our fifth anniversary. Thanks FIL & MIL. We felt like a king and queen the way the rolled out the red carpet for us at New Moon. I would recommend that restaurant to anyone for special occasions. We even got through dessert before we got called back to the house to calm Eric down. Eric needed a little more adjustment time than we gave him before leaving him for the evening with Grandma and Grandpa. Don't let his constant smiles fool you; it is his party and he will cry if he wants to. He is always a little suspicous of Grandpa Terry at first, but after a good book and a baby massage he is grandpa's boy.


Today was the start of my first 40 hour work week. Well, actually yesterday was. Good to ease into this with a holiday week.