Giants Game

Last weekend I took Eric to his first Giants game. So that he was properly indoctrinated as a true Giants fan, we went to see them play the Dodgers during a pennant chase and we sat in the left field bleachers. I thought it might be overwhelming for a 3 year old but he loved it. It was kids' backpack night so he got a free Giants backpack which was wayyy to big for him. To get in the right mood, Eric first hit the Coke bottle side for about 20 trips. Loved it.

Once the game started he fit right in with our group (Keith, Joe, BJ, etc.). He chanted "Beat LA" and pumped his fist with the crowd. The most classic moment in my mind was around the 3rd inning. I had given Eric one of those milk boxes to drink and at some point he dropped it and then stepped on it. The milk shot out like a cannon. When you look down any given row in the bleachers, you will see that the ground is wet from spilled beers. In our row it was pure white with spilled milk and covered with the kettle corn that didn't make it to Eric's mouth. He seemed (I hope) not to notice all the people screaming out F-bombs at Dodger fans and at one point a fight erupted about 10 feet from us. Hey it's just part of a Giants/Dodgers game right? Fan for life.

Human Spirit

One of the most amazing things about us people is our resiliency, our ability to heal, and to come back better and stronger.

I have seen the human spirit heal itself over and over and it never ceases to amaze me what strength and courage we all have within us.

We have been gifted the ability to "bounce back" from anything if we choose to. I look to a few friends of mine who have been to the depths of the bottom and eventually return to themselves. My "step-sister" Susan honors her young husband's life, Dan Fritz, after cancer took him from her too young. She carries on each day with courage, grace, and beauty and is an inspiration.


My friend Bobby whose wife was struck with a sudden and life threatening condition that kept him by her bedside day and night until she had a miraculous recovery that brought her home. They moved on from that trauma to have a beautiful baby girl leaving those terrifying moments far behind them.

I watched a co-worker of mine struggle through the loss of his young brother to a major car accident. He too inspired me with his ability to come back from such a loss and go on living his life. He is quoted as saying, "Now I too have a story."

I guess my point is everyone has a story and many more than one. We can not anticipate the joys or struggles life will throw our way but we are inner-wired to handle things as the come. This is where we can find the comfort to live our lives to the fullest each day.

Of course, my story is Eric. My recovery from total take-down and weakness took only time and now I am strong enough to enjoy the brilliant opportunity to bring more life into this world with a sibling for Eric who will grace us with their presence in March. If not, well, we can handle it.

Ok! Everyone with me now! One cheer for FULL TERM!

We are thrilled to be pregnant and are enjoying the experience to the fullest

Happy 3rd Birthday Eric

Eric had a great third birthday! He was so overwhelmed with the response to his birthday he had a very difficult time settling down, for the next two days in fact.


Eric has also graduated with flying colors from the NICU follow-up clinic as they see no need to continue following him because he as doing everything every boy his age is doing (which includes power struggles and tantrums which we happily accept as TOTALLY normal!)

Three years ago today

Three years ago today I went into labor on Labor Day, September 5,2006; at twenty six weeks pregnant with Eric. I had never been so scared and so needy as I was in those moments. Once we figured out what was going on we headed to the emergency room a mile up the street and our journey began.

Aaron found a place to park and says to me, "well this is a good fire drill for the real thing." Me all the while thinking this is more than a fire drill. We arrive in the emergency room. We were greeted with a kind urgency. The nurse confirms my fears. I am having pre term labor contractions. Dr. Lau does an exam, takes a step back and a deep breath before telling us that from this moment forward your pregnancy is going to be different than we may have imagined. I remember his compassionate yet serious delivery of this information. I was centimeter dilated and contractions coming on strong. They admitted me to the hospital and brought in a roll-away bed for Aaron. They immediately shot me with tributalene which made me even more jittery on top of my nerves. Then the hooked me up to an IV drip of magnesium all to try and stop the contractions. It was late now, around 10pm. Aaron asked if he should stay and I told him I had never needed him more than now. They hooked me and Eric up to a heart rate monitor so they could monitor our status. They also tracked my contractions and asked me to hit a button I held in my hand every time I had one. They gave me steroids to increase the development of Eric's lungs and told me to "stay pregnant" for 48 hours at least so the drugs had time to work.

My numbness began here. I was numb with shock, numb with drugs, and with numb with fear. Neither of us had ever been in a place of so much unknown. I couldn't sleep and neither could Aaron. We didn't talk. We laid there in the dark listening to the comforting sounds of Eric's strong and healthy heart beat and the disturbing beep every time I hit the button marking another contraction that was always accompanied by a tear.

Morning came. The contractions slowed over night but did not stop completely. My nurse calmed me by telling me that the contractions were not strong enough to dilate me at this point and I would be fine. Aaron went home to get a few things and the rotating visits from specialists began. I had an ultrasound that determined Eric was head down and weighed 860 grams (1 pound 10 oz). I tried to imagine how the 1lb bag of apples I purchased a few days earlier weighed. They showed me the picture of him. I could see him sitting at what looked to me like the threshold of the birth canal. While the perinatologist said he wasn't impressed because we couldn't see the end of the cervix and it could be quite far, I knew; knew he was on the edge and ready to see this world as much as I wanted him to stay right where he was so I could continue to do my work for him until he was big and strong. He was going to come. I could see it and I could feel it and I was scared. In came the neonatoligist who told us all we could expect should he be born before 28 weeks, 30 weeks, and 32 weeks. Her confidence in the NICU was comforting. They were skillful, compassionate, and could handle whatever surprises Eric was going to throw our way.

My only option was hope. Nothing else but hope. All I could do was breathe and cry. Whenever anyone walked in the door of our hospital room my eyes filled with tears. I could control nothing now but my breath and that was all I intended to focus on.

We stayed pregnant for 48 hours and had a mini celebration with a smile and photo at 10:30pm, that we had given Eric time for the steroids to advance his lung development. Next goal, 28 weeks. The following morning the nurse wrote my goal on the white board in front of my bed and I focused on it and continued to breath. As much as I was willing to convince myself that we would make it to 28 weeks it sure didn't feel like it. Contractions never stopped. Finally Dr. Callan, my ob, said as much as she didn't want to go in there and "muck" things up she needed to do and exam to see where things were at. She did her exam and with an urgency in her voice she said "we have 8 cm and a bulging bag. This baby is coming now." My teeth have never chattered ever in my life and they were chattering so much I could not stop them. I was shaking all over. They moved me back to the delivery bed they head switched me over from (the nurse certain I wouldn't need the delivery bed for a while). Dr. Callan told me she would wait to break my water until my husband got there. I called Aaron and with a shaky voice said, "come back the baby is coming." He had gone home to take care of a few things. When he walked into the room he was white faced. I have never seen a person that color. He was scared.

It took Eric fours to travel through the birth canal. He had a relaxing journey and was never in distress. If I couldn't continue to do the work for him at least I could give him that. They asked if I wanted the epidural and I said why? does it get worse than this? and he is only a little less than 2 lbs. I denied the epidural and later said I needed it but it was only three more pushes before he showed us is tiny face.

Eric was crying and I felt a strange sense of calm and relief. I believe I was merely stunned. Aaron had mind enough to snap pictures like crazy when I wasn't squeezing the blood out of his hand. A team of nurses swarmed Eric and got him ready to move to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit where he would spend the next 96 days. They showed me the swaddled bundle that came from me and rolled him out in and isolet. I still can not call it an incubator to this day because it sounds so sickly to me.

Most women say they experience delivery amnesia. I didn't. I remember every detail. I remember my Dad calling me during labor and the nurse taking my teddy bear out from under my head and saying it is time for business. Most of all I remember thinking quietly to myself as the team of nurses swept Eric away to the NICU that next time I will go full term. I get another chance at this.

It has taken me three years to be able to write this, and in that three years Eric has grown to be a wonderfully perfect three year old boy; and Aaron and I have fully recovered from the trauma of this story.

article in the New York Times

For Parents on NICU, Trauma May Last - NYTimes.com

No kidding!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/health/25trau.html

Running & train tracks

Momma and running have a long-standing relationship. Running is something that I have always prefered to do alone, no music, no gadgets, and especially no gear. The beauty of running is that you can just go and go with nothing but your shoes and your will. When I was pregnant with Eric I stopped running and wasn't able to bring myself to pick it up again until we "re-calibrated" time and energy. I had worried that I could never "get it back" and be as fit as I was prior but I soon found that because of Eric I was a better runner and had a greater appreciation for its simplicity. The break was good for me. I started with a clean slate and had an entirley new appreciation for pounding feet on trails and pavement. It was pure indulgence to escape from the house long enough to run up the hill into the Presidio and look on the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Time kept me from running too much or too far (something I always tended towards). I would run home feeling satisfied and refreshed and still have the energy to play and take care of Eric because I didn't overdue it.

Now Eric is older and I am in the best running shape I have ever been in, which means I can run farther in less time, but Eric still keeps me in check. On the days his 25 pound body leads in the jogging stroller he will shout, "run Momma run, faster Momma faster" all the while knowing we are running to the beach where we will make train tracks in the sand and play like little engines. Running is so much more fun thanks to Eric.



Eric & Momma at the beach



A view of the Palace of Fine arts. One of the many postcard perfect views I am lucky enough to have on one of my favorite solo routes.

First family backpacking trip

Last weekend we dusted off the backpacking and camping supplies and jumped into the great experiment of taking a two year old camping. Eric's pack was filled with wipes and ten diapers for him to carry while Dadda lugged nearly 50 pounds of mosts everything else over the 2.8 mile long Saratoga Gap trail toe Castle Rock campground.

Castle Rock State Park is brilliant with tons of trails and beautiful views of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The park has scents familiar only to the south bay and tree covered canopies for lots of shade.

This trip was a success. Dadda got a great work out carrying 25 pound Eric and a 40 pound pack. We all got time to re-connect to nature. We ate well. It didn't rain on us despite the brief teaser showers. Who expects rain in a near draught year? No one, which is why no one had any rain gear. And, we learned a few things for next time:

1) 2.8 miles is 1.8 miles too long

2) Don't set out on the trail at the start of nap time (why wasn't this obvious in planning?)
3) We need a larger tent
4) Momma absolutely is too old to not pack her pillow - the extra weight is so worth it
5) Natural bug spray doesn't work unless you shower yourself in the stuff every 15 minutes

6) No matter how tired we all are, Eric is not going to sleep until the sun goes down
7) No matter how tired we all are, Eric is going to wake-up with the sun rises

8) Eric needs his own sleeping bag or blanket
9) When Dadda is cooking on the camping stove he is to be referred to as the cooking guy

10) Zippers on tent doors are tough and can withstand multiple openings and closings

Our Papapapapa

Ralph J. Dello Iacono, of Stoneham, formerly of Winchester and Alton Bay, NH died Sunday at the Winchester Hospital. He was 95.

Ralph was born and raised in the North End, the son of the late Ulisso and the late Rosa (Benincasa) Dello Iacono. For nearly 50 years Ralph and his family operated the famed Dello’s Lodge at Alton Bay, New Hampshire. His Lodge, restaurant and lounge was a welcoming place for generations of travelers and vacationers in the lakes region. A member of the North End lodge of the Sons of Italy, Ralph also wrote a regular column in the Post Gazette. He was the beloved husband of Mary (Pescione) with whom he shared 64 years of marriage. He was a loving father to Ralph J. Dello Iacono and his wife Jeanne of Great Falls, MT and Janice Marino of Stoneham. He was a cherished grandfather to Jenine Wright and her husband Brian of Melrose, Tara Thies and her husband Aaron, Sean Dello Iacono and his wife Courtney all of CA. He was a dear great-grandfather to Madison, Dylann, Eric and is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to visit with the family at the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford, Wednesday morning from 8:30 – 9:30 followed by a funeral mass celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 118 High Street, Medford, at 10 AM. Services will conclude with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of flowers contributions may be sent in Ralph's name to the Home for Children, 1125 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

Dear Papa,

I will forever cherish our times together with my memories starting as early as 3 years old to Dello Inn on Alton Bay, to your visits to Great Falls which meant we would be lucky enough to have dessert every night and a new toy each day. The times I spent next to you learning the love and art of a good baseball game are forever in my heart. You once told that you , of all people, were a Yankees fan for a short stint until the team let you down and the greats (Babe, DiMaggio's) were gone. Eleven years you said you stuck it out as a Yankee fan. You found heart with the Red Sox's and brought us all with you.

You were a man of style, an entrepreneur, and a good dancer. You told me stories of your lounge and dance hall in Alton Bay and some of the great Jazz musicians who made their way through your establishment as you referred to it.

It was pure magic for me that you were able to meet your great grandson Eric and that we all celebrated Dad & Janice's birthdays together. Your family is your great legacy. You are part of all of us and now see this world through us. We will go on in your name living our lives safely, with honor, gratitude, and simply, to the fullest.

It is a great tribute to your life that you decided to leave us on Father's Day. It is day to honor always.

We love you dearly. Red Sox's & Papa forever!

Alameda event

The first Sunday of every month Alameda is host to an Antique Fair that is known better to some as a flea market. It is outside on the old naval base runways and it is huge. If you are nostalgic for something in your past you should come here and you will find it. I heard someone say that "this is the world's best garage sale".

I have definitely had some cool finds here some worthy of purchase others worthy of a WOW. This fair is huuuuge too. You will never make it through the whole thing. It is really like rummaging through my Grandma's basement and looking at all her cool old stuff. I also get ideas of ways to display or re-purpose this cool, old, stuff.

Eric and Aaron love the fair as much as I do. Eric found two cool items that we didn't walk away with due to price and space but he always has fun while we are there.

Playgrounds, dinners, museums

Playground time in Manhattan after a break in the rain showers. We had a great time on the teeter-totter and Eric discovered he could balance all on his own.


A sunny afternoon at Dolores Park in San Francisco.

After lunch in Dolores Park Eric helped Dadda gear up for a moutain bike ride.

Dinner date and play time at Kai & Dukes house. Thanks for a great dinner out Betty B!

Kai was teaching Aaron how to take photos with my Blackberry. Aaron still has no idea how to do it and I am wondering why I have 5 pictures of this 5 year old on my phone.

An exhibit at the De Young Museum, a fab Friday night family night complete with a visit to the tour, Yves St Laurent, Bouquet of Arts, and music all crammed into the attention span of a two year old.....fast.

Our first long conversation

Eric and I actually had a quite long -3 maybe 4 minute - conversation about where and when he can get a new computer that works. We were looking at our calendar on my laptop and he says, "need to get Eric's computer". He is referring to the my laptop that took the high dive off podium last summer and now wonders the house frustrating Eric because it doesn't have power.

I reminded Eric that it is broken and out of batteries and he proceeds to tell me it needs new batteries. I tell him that the battery is broken too. He tells me he needs a "new computer." I tell him that maybe Santa will bring him one if he is a good boy and eats his dinner at the table with Momma & Dada. He then says we need our shoes and coats and runs to the door. "Where are we going," I ask. "Santa", he says. Oh of course.

New York May 2009 (53 photos), by Tara DelloIacono

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
http://www1.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=55041244132224512/l=1307316016/g=2562583/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=498832016/a=2562583_2562583/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=53%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Look at that swing

The day we got this Eric play with it for one hour straight, the longest I have ever seen anything hold his attention. Then after dinner he wanted to play more. He kept telling Momma to be the catcher. Little does he know that I am afraid of the ball. As his skills are rapidly advancing, it won't take him long to realize that Momma sucks at baseball and basketball.

More Montana visitors: Grandma Lorraine & Grandpa Jerry

We are coming off a recent visit from Grandma Lorraine and Grandpa Jerry where Eric was fully entertained with a present every day and showing them around town. We gave them a taste of Alameda with a trip to our favorite beach, a Friday morning at Crosstown Community Cafe with Cowboy Jared, shopping on Park street, and a visit to the USS Hornet.

On special request we had lunch a Chipolte, rice and beans are Eric's favorite, and Jerry was anxious to try the burrito that his son-in-law, Dan Fritz, raved about. Dan, if you are listening, he almost couldn't eat the whole thing.

Grandma and Grandpa are deprived a local Trader Joes so it was a treat for Eric and Momma to take them the mere 2 miles from house to TJ's. Grandma found some yummy cookies and said to Eric, " Can we buy them?" Eric's response was, "Can we buy it? Yes we can!" This means he is watching too much Bob the Builder I think.

We also took the ferry over to Pier 39 and pretended to be tourists one day without proper clothing (pants, scarves, and fleece) and Eric got to try his first mini donut. He took one, maybe two, bites and proclaimed, "Umm, good bagel!"

We strolled down the Embarcadero in search of the sun and found it just in time for lunch at the Ferry Building.
This was Grandma and Grandpa's first visit to our new house. A little tidbit is that kaddie-corner to our house is the corner where we sat in January 2006, Eric's first social trip out of the flat, while exploring the possibilities of Alameda. Grandma Lorraine was with us and actually even went into the open house on the corner (600 sq ft for 560k). Two year later when Aaron and I starting looking in Alameda again we kept trying to find this neighborhood to no avail until one day there was this open house and here we are. Some how this street called us back.

We took a trip with Grandma Lorraine and Grandpa Jerry to the plant nursery where the loaded us up with a couple trees for the bare spots in the back and some color for the front. Despite the unsusal 90 degree heat that day Jerry was as eager as Eric to dig a whole and get those trees in! Once Eric found that Jerry and Aaron's were getting muddy he backed off screaming "dirty hands". For the most part we really like clean .

Our trees and plants and new shovel are awesome! Thank you. Next time your in town we can paint:)

My goodness

We have been just a whirlwind of activity around here this spring. Trust me, we have the pictures and stories to prove it. We have had the pleasure of house guests and travel ourselves along with the displeasure of some late spring stomach bugs. We have celebrated birthdays, Easter, and attended one Sox's game.

And guess what? Momma just figured out how to post from her "mobile device". Maybe this means more posts. I wish writing this blog paid the mortgage but alas, it doesn't. If you are interested in reading some blogs that help us out in that area feel free to read up on musings of nutrition at Healthy Child Healthy World
or at CLIF or LUNA


Here is a teaser to the adventures of Eric this spring:

A visit from dear Auntie Susan with a lovely stroll to the beach:



Easter Sunday with the cousins

Papa Ralph and Nana Jeanne pop in for the week and to celebrate Papa Ralph's B-day

Playing in the backyard

Visiting friends and sites of New York city

Eric's friend Spencer

I have been meaning to post this one for a while.

Spencer is working on his ab strength.

Meanwhile, Eric pulls up on Spencer's 4-wheeler (right side of screen) to witness this feat of super Spence strength

Walking home

Each day I drive by Eric's day care on my way home from work so I can park the car and walk back 3 blocks to get him. This may seem counter intuitive to some but it is a no-brainer for Eric & Me.

We have been living in Alameda now for 8 months and these walks not only give Eric and me time to giggle, run, stroll, pick up sticks, look at leaves, point out birds, & catch up the days activities, but they also have helped us settle in to our neighborhood of tree-lined streets and front porches. This is a neighborhood where just about every resident will say hello and then some. Most folks have lived here for years and they have been quite welcoming. This includes the neighborhood cats (which Momma is allergic too).

If we decide to walk the east side of the block we are sure to be greet first by Peechu, a very brave kitty-cat who saunters right up to a two-year old boy who really wants to pull his whiskers. "Nice, pet nice," Eric reminds himself out loud before attempting to pull anything.

Then, a few houses down there is Maytag. He is a much more reserved cat and prefers to perch on his porch and give Eric the stair-down rather than get in his face. Try as Eric may, Maytag sticks to his porch.

As we round the corner to our street we are sometimes greet by the neighbor kids playing basket ball in the street, practice drums in their garage, or racing their bikes through piles of leaves. Kenyan lives on the corn and Mckenna across the street. The both love Eric and love to entertain him. Mckenna actually suggested we invest an basketball hoop Eric's size so she can teach him how to play.

Mckenna is a our 12 year old babysitter in training. She is also our sources of Girl Scout Cookies (now without transfats as she proudly pointed out to her dietitian neighbor) and holiday wrapping paper sold through her school.

Continue on up our street and you will soon be reminded of the season. Monty and Peter never disappoint and have a holiday display in their front yard that rivals any retail store window. Currently Eric and I walk by and practice naming the colors of the Easter egg lights hanging from their white picket fence and count the bunny rabbits in their front yard.

As we arrive home we may also be lucky enough to see our neighborhood dogs out for their later afternoon walks. Robbie and her little dog Jack are usually out. Robbie is a retired scientist and is always up for interesting conversation. Jim and his dog Kiki are sure to be by. Jim is retired military and always has stories of adventures (and women) from far off places. If you pet Kiki nice you may earn yourself your pick of the candies in he keeps in his pocket. Jim is also our source for tennis balls. He thinks all kids should have tennis balls and that Eric can never have too many. Good thing Eric got a racket from Oma & Opa for Christmas.

On the west side of our block there are brothers Cole & Nick, Shari & Brian, Clair & her bird & two dogs, Brendon and his dog Bo. We also have Dean, Emily, & Stacey right over the fence who are always cooking up something in their backyard.

Eight months here and it has pretty much felt like home since the first day.
This is that special time of day where we get to connect before we get home and are both tired and hungry. Some days I bring the stroller and we stroll home. Most days I walk and carry him so we talk and snuggle for the first two blocks after leaving Little Lions family day care. Eric says bye, bye, to Rosanne and Joerson, the husband wife duo, and we begin the walk and talk that usually starts with Eric pointing out Joerson's truck and Cashy's Momma's car.

We have lived in our neighborhood for 7 months and our walk home has definitely helped us get to know the place better. You can expect fun things on both sides of our block. We have Peechu and Maytag, resident cats on patrol on one side and the other side opera music coming from Jim's slightly open door. We will usually see Jim and his dog KiKi on their daily walk once we get around the block. Jim is an older gentlemen who has lived in Alameda his whole life and traveled the world in the Military. Anyone who pets KiKi gets a piece of candy.

Common sentences we hear from Eric

Buy Elmo

Eric turn drive

Dadda ride da bus

Momma make da bars

Dadda cut da nails, Momma get da boogers

Eric's working (says this with his wooden tools in hand)

It hard - how do it?

Dat's a Biiiig one
Dat's a little one

No poopoo (don't believe this one)

Just one. (flashes the #1 sign with index finger when he's requesting/demanding either a cookie or a video.)


Eric has discovered the wonders of the iPod. Also, as we drove down the road the other day he said, " iPod Momma" and there they were right on the billboard in front of us.

Book time with the bunny on the bears
Buddies enjoying a treat with their milk

Very Tidy

It seems that it has already been a nearly a month since my last blog. Folks, family, and friends I would love to make a living blogging away but now just isn't the time. In the last month Aaron and I have been logging some crazy work hours, which really just good fortune in this "economy thing". Between working 12 hour days and helping Eric recover from pneumonia we managed to get some skiing, attend Sam & Maylen's birthday celebration, and almost get the new dishwasher in.

Eric is talking A LOT and we love it. He is putting together sentences (in his own way) and surprises me with how sharp he is. Today he looked at a picture of a "man" he colored at day care and said "dat Barack Obama". Sure enough he had colored the President. Colors aren't yet his strong point but in good time.

He is also very tidy and likes things in their place. For example the wrapper from the juice straw goes immediately in the garbage and all trucks get parked in their garage. Yesterday we were at the store blow-dryer shopping (which is right up there with vacuum shopping on Eric "top things to do when it is raining outside) and he hands me something and says, "trash Momma, put in da trash". What had he just handed me? A booger he picked from his nose. Guess he didn't feel comfortable just dropping the booger in the ground.

Whoa 2009

So I started this post a few weeks ago and here we are approaching the end of January already. So Happy New Year AND Happy Inauguration Day too.

Happy 2009 from Momma, Eric, and Dadda. Seriously folks 2009!

Of course this has Momma reflecting on all that 2008 brought to us and all our family and friends. Eric has made major strides this year and I have attempted to list as many as I can think of (in no specific order because if I have to apply order I will never get this posted) and is by no means all inclusive:

1) Mastered walking
2) Identified every single garbage can within sight in San Francisco
3) Speaking two languages
4) Took two trips on an airplane 1st to Boston & 2nd to Spokane
5) Took a road trip to Portland
6) Saw snow and skiers in Tahoe
7) Met is Great Nana Mary and Great Papa Ralph for the first time
8) Camped overnight at Castle Craggs
9) Got to know his cousins: Sam, Maylen, Dylann, and Madison
10) Went hiking in Glacier Park
11) Attended two weddings that Momma was in
12) Attended his first day care classes in San Francisco (didn't go well)

13) Watched hundreds of garbage truck and Odwalla delivary trucks on 17th avenue
14) Attended the Montana Annual Wood Carvers Convention with Grandma and Grandpa in Glacier Park
15) Played at two different water parks
16) Learned to hold his own against dogs: Semi, Barney, Buffy, Rocky, and Howie. "Down Barney, down
17) Learned to go down the slide all by himself
18) Began enjoying the arts with his first visit to the Chihuly exhibit at the De Young
19) Began particpating in the arts by drawing with crayons
20) Learned to count to ten in English and Spanish
21) Learned his A B C's
22) Reached the 25 pound mark
23) Caught up to his birth age
24) Adjusted to some big changes: new house, new neighborhood, the move, full-time Maria care to full-time day care.
25) His first dental cleaning
26)His first bike ride
27) Saying momma
28) Giving high fives & knuckles
29) Learning the names of all the Thomas the Train characters
30) Sleeping through the night - most of the time
31) Attending his first baseball game
33) Going to the Grocery store for the first time (remember, these are big milestones when you start out being shelter from every cough, sneeze, and runny nose out there)
34) Playing in the snow at Tahoe & riding the gondola at North star
I could go on an on. We have had a really good year and are full of gratitude for every moment. 2008 was a special year of growing and learning and moving on. Eric's energy and enthusiasm for everything, often all at the same time (Jack Karouac fans does this sound familiar?) is precious and us thrust is into 2009 game for more.

"They dance down the streets like dingledodies, and shambled I shambled after them as I’ve shambled after people all my life, after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desires of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a common place thing, but burn burn burn like the fabulous roman candle exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “awww”?!"