Sourdough and Rye

Big Girl Room

2010-01-03T21:24:00.000-08:00

We are going to begin cleaning out the guest room/ office & converting it into Ayla's "Big Girl Room". We already have her "Big Girl Furniture" so we are just working on clearing out all of our crap & loading in all of hers. We are planning an organization system for the closet, painting the walls & a bookcase.
I fell in love with this bedding and think that it may be THE ONE... I think it can definitely grow with her over the next few years... whaddya think????????????????????????????

2009-12-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

We're back... well, we never technically left. We've just been busy over on facebook. I do like the blog though & will continue to vow to update it regularly. Whether or not that actually happens remains to be seen but my good intentions are there... and who knows, maybe by the time I'm done in here pretending to be busy on the computer, Ross will have the living room clean! A girl can dream!
We have been keeping busy with all of our Christmakkah festivities. It is our greatest joy to share old & new traditions with Ayla. She is really enjoying Hanukkah & Christmas this year!

Tomorrow we head to Monterey for a much needed & deserved family trip. We are staying in a one bedroom cottage in Pacific Grove, a short walk from the Monarch butterfly sanctuary & Asilomar State Beach. We are also going to take Ayla to the aquarium for the first time. We are SOOOO looking forward to it all! We'll post pics & stories soon!

Happy holidays!!!!!!

Ice House Camping Trip

2009-07-26T19:22:00.001-07:00

This weekend we headed up to Ice House Reservoir for a little camping. Since this was our first big tent camping adventure of the summer, we figured we'd stick close to home in case Ayla wasn't quite up for it. We had intended to stay at the campsite right on the water but got snaked out of the first come first serve spots. So we ended up at the Ice House Resort campground. The ambiance was a little redneck-ish but we love a good story!

Ayla discovered the dirt right away which was the highest quality El Dorado County silt!

Oh yeah!

Ayla enjoying the tent... we upgraded to a 6 person tent! We had room for all our crap + Ayla's crib. We are now ruined!! Next trip... AIR MATTRESS!!! No matter how much it will hurt Ross' heart. Yes, Mr. Backpacker is now a family man with a wife with a bad back! Ahhhh... I can hear the hiss of the air filling the mattress now!

Who's ready for a game of Koosh catch?

Wait a minute! No cell phones allowed camping, Ayla!!!

Whoever is on the phone must be SUPER funny!

Lunchtime at the campsite... on a monkey plate no less!

View looking up from our camp chairs...

View around us...

Story time in the tent...

Morning walk with speed racer...

Ice House Reservoir...

There's still snow on the peaks...

Ayla & Daddy getting ready for a splash...

She did not want to use her pool float but preferred to wade out into chest deep water... she's a water baby for sure!

Creating with mud...

This is serious business folks!

More of the water...

Enjoying a peach break...

Heaven on Earth!

Aside from disgusting bathrooms, numerous rednecks enjoying their gasoline powered sports, and mangy camp dog begging for food, one of the most charming things about our accommodations was the 8:00 p.m. dump truck run. Instead of there being trash receptacles available throughout the campsite, ONE would be delivered to each individual campsite each evening. If you had anything to throw away any other time of day (including in the bathrooms) you just had to wait until Dump Truck Guy showed up! So funny!!!

Ayla helping Daddy find sticks to use as kindling for the fire...

Ahhh... finally! Baby down to sleep & now it's Mommy & Daddy time...

Ross is such a good boy scout... well actually, he only made it to cub scout... but thank God he earned his fire badge!

Moon through the trees from our campsite...

Ayla & Baby all packed up & ready to head home!

We had a great time & may try to squeeze in another trip before Ross starts back back to school in September. Now that I've committed to blogging again, check back often to see what's new!

Yes, Virginia... there really is a Sourdough & Rye blog...

2009-07-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

OK... we REALLY do suck at this blog thing as of late! I have promised Ross & other family members that I will get back into the swing of it!

Please stay posted & we will begin updating again... really... no, seriously!

Update...

2009-05-02T22:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we've been kind of busy, and FB seems to have taken place of the good ol' blog, but things are happening here at the Gimpel Ranch...

So, Ross finally took his GMAT (the standardized test required for business school admission) on the road to working towards his MBA... Well, let's just say I did better than I hoped and now I might have to figure out how to pay for it! I really got myself worked up over this test and now onward and upward!

Ayla had her 1st Birthday on 4/27, but we celebrated on the 25th. The 25th is also Cindy's b-day, so it was a dual celebration.

We set up on the dining room deck, decorations and flowers by Ali. It was simple yet elegant...

Gerber daisies, 75 degrees and perfect, a very nice day!

Blowing out the candle...

Cake!

Ali and Jamie grew up together and had not seen each other in something like 12 years... With Jamie's daughter Kallie. It was a sweet reuniion, Cindy cried (not a huge surprise).

New ball, pink ball, happy girl!

We gave Ayla a new baby, she LOVES her!

Well, it's been an amazing year and more to come. Thanks to everyone we love for all of the support and smiles!!!

Good night!

A "Little Family" fun!

2009-03-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our visit with friends Bob, Kim, Jack & Macy (aka the Little Family). We had a great time & can't wait to be together again!

Macy & Ross

Jack & Ayla

Ross, Ayla, Jack & Bob

Dr. Seuss Day & Other Randomness...

2009-03-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Ayla having breakfast...

She loves to feed me Cheerios & Puffs!

Visiting my classroom on Dr. Seuss Day

Squealing with glee during the story...

Hanging with the first graders...

Giving "100% attentive listening"...

Getting to the good part of the story...

Yay for Dr Seuss!!!!!!

Ayla had lunch with Grammy & new friends Makayla & Ryan the other day...

Makayla & Ryan's mommy, Lee, also joined the fun!

A Very Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Ross & I have never really celebrated Valentine's Day per se. But when Ross accidentally told me he loved me on V-Day 2005 we began calling it "Love Proclamation Day" and we've celebrated ever since. Now we have our own little Valentine to celebrate with! Here's how we spent the day :)

Ross always manages to find my favorite flowers (Stargazer Lillies)!

Our funny Valentine!

After a lovely lunch, we decided to be around some decent folks & get all full of culture 'n stuff... The Crocker Art Museum was having a showing of Buddahs. We didn't know how Ayla would do, but knowing she just LOVES being out & about with people we gave it a try...

She did AMAZING! She was full of giggles & smiles & made a lot of friends at the museum. Of course the ball & teething biscuit did wonders for her ability to hang as well ;)

That night we gave Ayla her very own balloon... she saw them at my classroom party & hasn't been the same since!

Happy Love Proclamation Day <3

Chow Time

2009-02-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

mmmm....

Waving "Hhhhhaaa" to the camera!

"Look lady, I don't take pictures of you while you eat!"

This eating stuff is HILARIOUS!

"I love chow time... well, sometimes... just don't try to shove a spoon in my mouth & nobody gets hurt!"

Big Girl Bath Time & Other Big 9 Month Old Stuff

2009-01-31T21:36:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist posting a picture of Ayla taking her first "Big Girl" bath in the tub... she has out grown her baby bath & has finally graduated to the big tub. She was a little upset in this picture because Mommy isn't allowed to participate in bath time unless she is the one giving the bath... otherwise it's just too upsetting but the "criggles" stop as soon as I leave... according to Ross, she was trying to crawl in the tub too... her new favorite thing is to be on her tummy and/ or up on her hands & knees.

Ayla's also pretty good at taking steps & walking if we hold her hands. She can wave "hi" & says the "hhhhh" sound when she does it, she gives high fives, kisses, & claps her hands when you say "Yay" (or sing Patty Cake & If Your Happy & You Know It)... & I swear she just about said "ball" while playing this morning! She now has her 2 bottom teeth poking out & they are SHARP!!! I think she's working on an upper tooth now.
She laughs constantly & is figuring out that she can make us laugh too. Her goofy little personality is really starting to shine :)

Is she really 9 months old already?????
WOW! Her birthday invites will be going out soon enough!

Back to School...

2009-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not know, Ross has been busy studying for the GMAT & getting his application materials together to return to school next Fall to receive his MBA. This will be a 2- 3 year commitment of going to school at night 2 nights a week while still managing his (over) full time job & being an amazing husband & father.

While there are no specific prerequisites for applying to the business schools of his choice, he has decided to take the plunge & enroll in an accelerated double course this semester in Micro & Macro Economics. This will help give him some useful background knowledge as well as reacquaint him with the world of academia.

Tonight was his first night of school! Ayla & I are so proud of everything our amazing man does for us on a daily basis & this is just another example of his selflessness & dedication to our family... WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now please to enjoy some pictures of the "Dork" on his way out the door... WHAT? Just read his jacket!

A Visit with Grandma & Papa

2009-01-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

Grandma & Papa G came out for a visit over the MLK weekend. We had a nice time hanging out & takin' 'er easy.

Ayla & Papa spending some time in Sutter Creek...

Ayla & grandma G posing pretty for the camera...

We took a little tour of the Folsom Zoo...

Ayla was thrilled that we were back taking her picture through the animal cutouts...

Do NOT feed the bears! They are ferocious!

Ayla ended the weekend by watching the inauguration today...

The future was watching the future...

During the parade Ayla saw all of the people waving their hands so she waved right back!

We had a great visit & miss Grandma & Papa G already! We love you guys!

Extra!!! Extra!!!

2009-01-05T20:09:00.000-08:00

We've got big news in these here parts... Ayla has her first tooth poking out! There are no pictures, of course... she barely lets us get a finger in to feel it... but it's there just the same!

Now she's ready for spare ribs & corn on the cob!

Way to go Baby Girl!

Tiny Dancer

2008-12-28T09:28:00.001-08:00

I couldn't resist posting some pictures of Ayla in her new leg warmers! I've had "She's a maniac..." from Flashdance in my head all morning!

Here are some more pics of her practicing her crawling & standing moves... enjoy!

Ayla's First Christmas

2008-12-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year with our sweet baby girl! She was so excited! For only being 8 months old, she sure shocked us with how into it all she was. She seemed to sense our excitement & got right into the spirit with us!

On Christmas Eve we went up to Grammy & Grandpa's for dinner...

Ayla wrote her note to Santa (with the help of Mommy) and left it out on the deck for the elves to get on Christmas Eve...

That's her signature under her name :)

They took the note to the North Pole & left a little stuffed Santa for Ayla. She, of course, had to immediately kiss it, which is what she does when she makes a new friend :)

We opened up family gifts...

and lit the menorah for the 4th night of Hanukkah...

Christmas morning we woke bright & early & saw that Santa had come!!!

Ayla got into her pretties...

Look at me trying to crawl!

She opened up LOTS of books- her favorite!
There were also some pretty cool blocks, stackers, music CD's and other cool toys...

There was also a BIG HUGE present that Santa left...

She was pretty excited about that box!

And I guess what was IN the box was pretty special too!

We hope everyone's holiday was filled with as much love & laughter as ours was!
Merry Christmas!

Ayla's First Hanukkah

2008-12-22T11:53:00.001-08:00

We had such a lovely evening celebrating Ayla's 1st Hanukkah!

Grammy made Ayla a double sided ornament- the other side says (you guessed it!) Ayla's First Christmas...

Ross lit the menorah while Ayla looked on...

Family chessiness :)

Ayla enjoyed opeing up gifts from her Grandma & Grandpa G...

She absolutely LOVES her new musical stage... in fact, when running errands today, the little microphone HAD to come with us because I could not pry it from her little hands :)

She also got a beautiful sundress to enjoy next summer...

Ayla's Grandma G also made this needle point which we are going to frame & put in her bedroom. If I'm not mistaken, Mama G made this years ago in the hopes that she would some day have a granddaughter to give it too :)

Ross loved his new shirt (from Mama & Papa G) but due to its Mojito theme I think he has been inspired to drink more ;) ...

and new Napoleon Dynomite game (from Hanukkah Harry)...

I received a gorgeous bracelet from Mama & Papa G as well...

Ayla & Ross also have 8 little gifts from Grammy & Mr. Wilford to open each night of Hanukkah! And Uncle Brent & Auntie V also sent 8 gifts for Ayla for each night. Can you say S-P-O-I-L-E-D??? We are definitely feeling all the love!

We finished off our perfect evening with brisket & latkes made by none other than Ross! They were delicious! To top it all off, Ross got to witness his Giants earn home field advantage as they head into the playoffs! As if the night couldn't have gotten any better!

We hope everyone had a very Happy Hanukkah too! I'm sure there will be a million more pictures to follow so stay tuned!

All Aboard!

2008-12-19T18:12:00.001-08:00

Thursday afternoon we went to Old Sacramento & hitched a ride on the Polar Express...

Here we are waiting to begin our journey to the North Pole...

We were joined by our friends Jack, Kim, Macy & Bob...

and Grammy & Grandpa W

Grandpa even wore his Box Car Willie hat! Choo choo!

The train was all decorated for Christmas...

We went chug chugging down the river... but as Jack so astutely observed, why were we traveling south when we're heading to the North Pole... hmmm, boy's too smart for his own good, I say!

On the train they served hot cocoa & cookies and read the story (and played songs) over the loud speakers. All the kids wore their PJ's too!

Ayla sported her bunny feet jammies!

Ayla had such a blast dancing & clapping her hands!

In the movie version, there is a hobo character who doesn't "believe"... so he showed up on the train & tried to convince the kids that there is no Santa... but luckily they all saw through his little act :)

Here's Ayla arriving at the North Pole... pure magic!!! Look how well she can stand on her own!

Santa decided to hitch a ride back into town with us... He told Ayla not to worry, she will grow more hair :)

He passed out silver bells to all the kids... in the story, only the children can hear the bells... the adults could when they were children but can't now that they're grown up...

Ayla loved her bell! It is hanging prominently on the Christmas tree right now!

We had such a great time sharing this experience with Ayla and our family & friends... we can't even describe how much fun we're having creating family traditions that will last for years to come!

Ayla's Christmakah Stocking

2008-12-11T20:12:00.001-08:00

Ayla's Christmakah stocking is now complete!

It's called "Rudy with Menorah"

Now Santa AND Hanukkah Harry can leave little goodies (or coal & gefilte fish) for Ayla's first Christmakah!!! Thank you Grammy!!!!

2008-12-02T19:36:00.001-08:00

This is "Strahan the Dog"...

He and Ayla are best friends...

They are about the same size & they are undeniably, completely & unabashedly IN LOVE...

The best part is that every time Strahan & Ayla are in the same vicinity, Ayla must grab him, pull him forward & give him a big slobbery kiss on the nose!

What a sweet baby girl!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T22:07:00.000-08:00

We headed over to Bodega Bay for our annual Thanksgiving camping trip... well, it isn't so much camping as it is a hotel on wheels. We stayed in my parents trailer complete with heat, cable tv, surround sound, refrigerator, microwave, oven, shower etc. etc. etc. We used to get all dressed up & go out to an upscale restaurant then back to the trailer to lapse into our turkey comas, but this being Ayla's first turkey day, we decided to eat at "HOME".

Our feast...

Ayla's feast...

Trailer play time...

Trailer bath time...

Happy baby...

Staring contest... this could get ugly!

Figuring each other out...

Hiking with Daddy at Bodega Head...

Lookin' all adorable :)

Gotta love the Nor-Cal coast!!!!

We hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!
Happy Turkey Day!!!!

Ayla's last week of being 6 months old!

2008-11-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

We just can't believe how much Ayla is growing & changing every day. She is working hard on crawling & can inch her way across the floor toward a toy by doing a "swimming" motion. She has also discovered the joy of standing up on her own (with the assistance of her toy basket, but shhh... don't let her know that). She's has incorporated more babbles like "ba ba" usually accompanied by a series of raspberries and "ah ma" when she is in need of comfort from Mama.

Here she is demonstrating her new skillz...

Look Ma, no hands!

Kickin' it Thug Baby style... she has also discovered the baby swing at the park... no really, she is having fun... seriously! Nothing is more fun however, than watching all the other people; she is quite the little observer, that one! Of course if we would have turned the camera on ourselves we would of had the same look as Ayla! ;) Damn those genetics!

Check out my mom's knitting blog for more modeling pics of Ayla!

Let's Go Giants!

2008-11-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Ma & Pop G, Ayla now can show her Giants Pride. Ayla helped the Giants beat those stupid Seagulls(Eagles) last week...

#1 Baby!

The proud Papa and his little superfan. They didn't have any little baby cheerleader outfits, and Ali thought she might be mistaken for a little boy. So, when Daddy and Ayla went out shopping we added this accessory -

That's better... Such an adorable little girl! She'll always be daddy's little cheerleader :)

GO BIG BLUE!

Kaya Kln Wilford 1994-2008

2008-11-11T06:30:00.001-08:00

Our family had to say goodbye to Kaya yesterday. Kaya wasn't just a dog to our family, she was a friend & a healer. Kaya had been my brother's dog before his passing & she served as a connection to his memory. We love you Kaya & know that your days are now filled with long rides in the VW with your boy :)

Kaya & Chris having fun in the snow

Kaya in her beloved bus :)

Happy Christmas dog

Meeting Ayla for the first time

Ayla's 1st Halloween

2008-10-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Ayla came to school & partied with the 1st graders... they were sooo excited to see her all dressed up like a ladybug for her 1st Halloween!

She did a great job supervising the festivities ...

She also got to admire Queen Jensen's (our principal) jewelry... ooohhh... sparkles...

On Halloween Ayla donned her costume again & we headed over to the Folsom Zoo for the annual "Treat or Treat", but of course, we forced her to pose with the 'rents along the way... we're already embarrassing her!

My Two Babies

2008-10-31T19:28:00.001-07:00

Here's Henry & Ayla taking a (supervised) nap together right before her 6 month well baby appointment... by the way, Miss Ayla Belle is now 19.6 lbs (99%) and 28 1/2 in. (100%)... um, yeah... she's a tall drink of water!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Gimpel!

2008-10-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our trip to Florida to celebrate Brent & Vanessa's wedded bliss. We had a great time & it was such a happy, beautiful wedding! Ross was the proud Best man & Ayla was the cutest (if I do say so myself) Baby of Honor/ ring bearer... here is just a little taste of the festivities...

Baby saliva on the rings is good luck, right?

Posing with Papa G before the ceremony...

The men...

The glowing bride, Vanessa & her dad, Geoff

Awwww.... it was a beautiful ceremony!

The post wouldn't be complete without an appearance from "Thug Baby"

Congratulations Brent & Vanessa!!!!

The Princess and the Peas

2008-10-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

Ayla had her first taste of peas today! Until now she has had nothing but breast milk and rice cereal mixed with breast milk (& a little water)... needless to say, the new taste was quite a shock! But she managed to finish the entire serving! Kim, look away, I know how you feel about watching children eat!

After dinner she explored Daddy's tattoo...

New PIctures

2008-10-19T08:05:00.001-07:00

Here are some new pics from this weekend... Ayla is enjoying her last week of being 5 months old... next stop: 6 MONTHS! Where does the time go???

I'm sitting up unassisted now!

But I still enjoy the occasional plop as well!

Hanging out with Daddy is FUN!
It's amazing that I let him get this shot because I'm obsessed with trying to grab the camera every chance I get!

Case in point...

I really like to see the digital pictures after they're taken too!

Rice cereal is DELICIOUS!
I'd love to share some with you sometime, but for some reason I can never see where all the extra cereal disappears to!

Baby fingers are still the best dessert in the world!

See ya next time!

First Fall Pics

2008-10-12T15:25:00.001-07:00

Upside down face!

"Thug Baby" returns

Getting ready for fun!

We tried to get a decent family picture...

Oh, my God! Did you see that? How can you stand there so nonchalantly? There are leaves falling from the sky PEOPLE!

A bit dappled... but aren't we cute?!

We love the fall!

Fun times at Grammy & Mr. Wilford's

2008-10-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

mmmmmm.... Beer!

2008-09-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Ah, Squaw Valley! Despite feeling a bit under the weather we joined our friends, The Littles for a bit of Oktoberfest fun in the village... We stayed at The Resort at Squaw Creek (can't beat that friends & family rate)... who could blame us really????

The lovely view of Squaw from the resort...

Ross has fond memories of this mountain :)

Here's our friend Bob... he has fond memories of Squaw himself, having lived in the valley as a young lad... you can see how that experience has warped him, er, I mean shaped him :)

The picture below is the most frightening... Bob looking somewhat lucid... kind of unsettling!

The girls... Kim, Ali & Ayla

Auntie Kim you're so funny!

Ayla was all about grabbing people's beer... hmmm... the acorn doesn't fall very far does it?

The next morning we met up with our friends Scott & Eric at Fire Sign Cafe for breakfast... We had a great time but this was the scene upon our return home...

Yes, I pushed the limits a bit too far in the "What are you crazy, I'm not sick" department only to have my butt handed to me on Sunday afternoon... I'm feeling better today & Ayla is dealing with some sniffles & sneezes but it was all worth it for a great weekend with family, friends & BEER!

The Brainwashing Continues...

2008-09-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, there's a struggle for Ayla's soul, people... and it ain't pretty!

Here's Ayla getting ready to debut the new outfit that Mr. Wilford bought her!

Tada! Hey, Good Lookin'!

Don't let her expression fool you... she just found out that she can't wear the outfit everyday :(

However, there's no mistaking Daddy's expression...
Why so sad??? The Giants won this weekend after all (ahem... so did the Niners!!!)

What are you lookin' at???

2008-09-19T20:10:00.001-07:00

Kickin' it thug (and Al Bundy) style... you gotta problem with that?

A Trip to the Zoo

2008-09-13T16:37:00.001-07:00

Since Ayla was looking so fabulous in her tutu today, we decided to go to Folsom Zoo Sanctuary to see the animals. Most of them were sleeping since we had to go at 2:00 (after Ayla's naps). But there were a few that came out for the fun. We saw tigers, coyotes, wolves, raccoons, chickens, peacocks, horses, pigs, bears, foxes, bobcats and...MONKEYS!!

The cougars were sleeping but Ayla was nice enough to imitate one for us!

ROAR!!!!!!!!

This One's for Auntie Kim... it's Tutu Time!!!!

2008-09-13T11:24:00.001-07:00

The Brainwashing Begins...

2008-09-06T19:52:00.001-07:00

Mmmmm... feet!

2008-09-05T19:26:00.001-07:00

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mama & Papa G flew out for a long weekend. We had a great visit & Ayla had a blast with her Grandma & Grandpa! Saturday we went to Apple Hill to High Hill Ranch then walked to Madrona Winery for some wine tasting. Of course, I have no pictures to document the good times, but trust me, they were had!

Sunday we had a BBQ at our house & invited the other Grandparents, Grammy & Mr. Wilford.

Here is the lucky girl with both of her Grandmas.

I'm so happy that Ayla got to spend time with Grandma & Grandpa G. She had was full of giggles & did not want to go down for her naps in fear of missing any of the fun.

It's hard to tell in this picture, but Ayla was laughing HYSTERICALLY when my mom would roll her ladybug ball toward her. When it hit her feet I would make a silly noise & hilarity would ensue. It was priceless. Ross did it with her this morning & it was the same reaction. She is such a goofball!

Later in the evening, Mama G read her own baby a bedtime story while he finished his big boy "baba" (aka a glass of port).

No folks, it's not "Goodnight Moon", it's even better!

He will surely have good dreams tonight :)

Ayla's 1st Solid Food!!!

2008-08-27T22:33:00.001-07:00

Ayla had her 4 month check up today & is growing like a weed! She is now 16 lbs. (90%) and 26 1/2 in. (99%). The doctor gave the go ahead to introduce solid foods- rice cereal... it's only 1 tbsp. mixed with 3- tbsp. of breast milk. It doesn't replace any of her feedings but gives her practice with a spoon for when she tries pureed baby food in a couple of months. We've been letting her play with her spoons in preparation for this day & let me tell you, she ate like a champ! As my dad would say, "She's sure strapping on the feed bag".

I had to wrestle her for the spoon! She wanted to do it herself!

Mmmm! Thems good eats!

Help has arrived!

2008-08-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got sick of looking at the growing people in the mirror (Ayla's not the only one with baby fat around here), so... Here is our new friend

Isn't she beautiful! We moved the office into the kitchen nook (which has never been used to eat in)
so we could make room for our lovely new NordicTrack C2500. We'll call her Nora (ok, I just made that up, but she has to have a name... Maybe Ali will come up with a man's name for when she uses it...). Now there is NO EXCUSE. We are going to look so hot for Brent & Vanessa's wedding! I never thought I'd be one of those treadmill guys, but whatever it takes, it's cheaper than a year at the gym without the meatheads. Here's to earning my wine!

Can you handle the cuteness???

2008-08-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

Mother/ Daughter Outfits

2008-08-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

Leave it to my mom to find the picture of me as a baby sporting the same look as Ayla... now you see why that outfit reminds me so much of the '70's! You can also see where Ayla gets her voluptuous figure :)

PROOF!

2008-08-09T12:36:00.001-07:00

I now have proof that pregnancy hormones are real!!! I bought this outfit while pregnant with Ayla & thought it was the cutest thing ever. It's a size 6 month so she hasn't been able to model it yet. Since many of her 3 month outfits are beginning to get snug, we decided to take out some of her 6 month clothes to see if they fit yet...

The good news is they are beginning to fit, which expands her fashion repertoire... the bad news is, this little outfit, that my pregnant mind thought was sooo adorable looks like it would be right at home on the Brady Bunch set! I've had "Keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on dancing all through the night, gonna keep on, keep on, keep on doin' it right..." in my head ALL DAY LONG!... and now you have it in your head... sorry about that, but if I must suffer so should you ;)

What was I thinking????

Mystery Savings Bond...

2008-08-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Somebody very generously got Ayla a US Savings Bond that we received in the mail today. The bond came directly from the treasury alone in an envelope with no sign of who the gift was from. If you are the kind soul who gave this gift, we would love to thank you personally... Let us know! Maybe we will get a card in the next day or two, but in the meantime a sincere Thanks to our mysterious benefactor!

Ayla's First Camping Trip

2008-08-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, we were brave & decided it was time to take our 3 month old baby camping for the first time. Since we went to Tahoe last weekend, we chose to head over to the coast to give Ayla her first ocean experience. We stayed in the little town of Olema, on the Point Reyes National Seashore, just north of San Francisco and the epicenter of the 1906 earthquake.

She did really well on the car ride there, just stopping once to eat at a vista point along the way. Once there we set up camp & took a small walk into town...

She enjoyed the walk so much, we didn't have the heart to wake her... so we just went about the business of relaxing at the campsite! That night she slept so well! The other campers would never have known we had a baby with us had they not seen her with their own eyes! She was so good & quiet! Truly she was in her element! WE WERE AMAZED!

The next day we decided to have picnic at the cheese factory. Ayla got to see the geese at the pond for the first time & watch Ma & Pa chow down!

We enjoyed some lovely blue & breakfast cheese along with salami & an extra sourdough baguette with a delicious Sauvignon Blanc... mmmmmmmmm!

Ayla enjoyed some fingers!

After lunch we drove down to Stinson Beach to give Ayla her first view (and feel) of the ocean.

This picture cracks me up! Notice the "Yeah, So?" expression on Ayla's face... I mean, really? What's the big deal? Water, sand, waves... BORING!

Soon enough though, she showed how she really felt about her beach experience!
The shirt says it all!

This beach stuff is pretty cool!

Here's the happy camper that night.

The next day we broke down camp & headed over to the Bear Valley Visitor's Center. We decided to go on a hike out to Arch Rock... An 8 MILE HIKE! Seemed like a good idea to us, but who knew how the baby felt about it? Well, it turns out Ayla could not have been more thrilled! SHE LOVED IT! We did not hear one squeak from her unless she was hungry. She just hung out in her stroller watching the scenery...
The trail was mostly flat, which was good! So we could maneuver the stroller easily. It wound through dark, lush forested areas. It was so dark that our gear showed off it's safety features when the camera flashed!

Here's Ayla, once again in her element!

The trail changed quite a bit as we approached Arch Rock. We were off roading for sure!

Here's our payoff at the end of the trail!
Worth it? I think so!

One camping trip down... about 50,000 more to go! We were absolutely shocked & amazed by how well Ayla did! In fact when we got home she all of a sudden became very fussy... something we did not see at all while camping! I think we may have to move to the backyard & use the house for storage! We feel so fortunate to show Ayla the world around her & make memories together as a family!

Ayla's First Trip To Tahoe

2008-07-26T20:09:00.001-07:00

Today we decided to have a family adventure day & took Ayla up to Tahoe for the first time. We went to the Taylor Creek Visitor Center where we took the Rainbow Trail along Taylor Creek & the Lake of the Sky Trail out towards Tallac Point & the Visitor Center's beach.

Here are some pics of the Rainbow Trail... gorgeous views of marshes & meadows while winding through Aspen groves.

The trail takes you through an educational interpretive center that allows you to see underneath Taylor Creek. It is full of Rainbow Trout & Catfish. We thought Ayla would LOVE this given her recent excursion to the fish tanks at PetSmart!

We were definitely right!

Here's little miss concentration watching the fishes... (btw, she has mastered sucking on 2 fingers, still working on the thumb!)

Ayla also got to go down to the lake for the first time!

The proud papa!

Splashy Splashy! She received her Tahoe baptismal!

Having fun sure takes it out of a girl!

Little Milestones....

2008-07-25T14:24:00.001-07:00

Are BIG news around here...

Did YOU know Ayla had feet? Well, apparently nobody told HER! She had to go find out about it all by herself. Always the last to know! Well, now that she's been let in on the secret, she will be determined to get them into her mouth (where everything else goes, of course!) Yes, this is big news around these parts... FEET! Who knew?!

We also went to PetSmart today, and let me tell you, those fish tanks are a hit!!!! We spent about 20 minutes looking at the fishies and the bubbles... OH, THE BUBBLES!!!!! The parakeets were also mildly entertaining, but they make so much gosh darn (pardon my language) noise! Plus their brightly colored toys are awfully distracting. A LOT TO TAKE IN! We did however spot a fabulous toy for Henry & Wee Wee... when Ayla saw it... we both knew we had to have it!

Random Cutie PIcs

2008-07-21T17:28:00.001-07:00

Ayla goes Hollywood... truly a California girl

And... SCENE!

2008-07-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Ayla and Teryn had a play date today while their mommies enjoyed some lunch!
It was so much fun!

Here are the two crazy girls striking a pose!

Here is Teryn enjoying a ride on the exercise ball... so much fun! She's 13 months old & can do AMAZING things!

They had such a great time (I have to admit that the mommies had a pretty fun time as well ;)

The Happy Haps

2008-07-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

We have been in a sort of "lock down" here at the old Gimpel homestead. If you live in Cali, then you know what I'm talking about. The wildfires that surround us are making breathing very difficult. The temps last week also peaked around 108 degrees... you could literally chew on the air! It is beginning to clear out some & the temps are slowly making their way back to normal... FINALLY!

We are also winding down our annual Gimpel summer extravagnza... we celebrate Papa G's birthday, my birthday, Mama & Papa G's anniversary, Ross' birthday & Mama G's birthday all within a month of each other. Ross celebrated his birthday on Saturday with a BBQ and pecan pie!! Mmmm... pie... and in true party animal style he will continue his celebration on Thursday when he gets his wisdom teeth out! YIKES! He is NOT happy about this but I know everything will go smoothly. Hey, at least it's a couple of days off work!

Ayla continues to grow & change before our very eyes! She amazes us everyday with something new. Her personality is coming out more & more... she has a VERY silly side as well as a concentrated, serious side. I now live for her giggles & belly laughs which come quite often!

Here's Ayla with her ladybug blanket. I LOVE this blanket & would steal it from her if she didn't love it also! It is silky on one side & fuzzy on the other with a big (soft!!) ladybug stuffed animal in the center. It's the PERFECT size & weight for carrying around (someday). She loves to feel it & put it in her mouth.

Here she is grasping her new wooden toy (thanks Auntie Kim). She is definitely doing more reaching & grabbing for things. Some of it is accidental, but the look of surprise on her face from catching something is priceless!

She also loves songs & books (when her mommy isn't distracting her with that darn camera!) We are starting to run out of songs to sing to her. Thank goodness kids love repetition! Among her favorites are our rockin' renditions of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". "Isty Bitsy Spider" & "If You're Happy & You Know It" are close seconds. She is beginning to enjoy Peek-a-Boo games & has a few Peek-a-Boo books that are becoming favorites.

The most exciting news is that last night Ayla slept uninterrupted from 8 p.m. until 4:45 a.m.!!!!
Then she ate & slept again until 7:45 a.m.!!!!! She has been consistently sleeping for 6-7 hours every night, but this is a new record!!! Of course, if I were smart (and that's a BIG if) I would also go to sleep when she does, but as it is I am getting more sleep than I have in months. I don't know what I'm going to do with all this extra sleep! My body has been deprived of REM for so long, it may just go into SHOCK!!!!

Random Cuteness

2008-07-07T08:17:00.001-07:00

Henry gets BUSTED!!

Going for a stroll

The new jogging stroller (and Ayla eating her hands)

Ta Da!!!

Extreme Relaxation

Ayla: 9 weeks, 4 days old

2008-07-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I swear she gets more & more beautiful everyday! And I don't think I'm saying that just because she's our daughter! Here's our gorgeous girl doing some of the things she's been working so hard on...

Now before you judge, please note that while perhaps not the smartest look we've ever captured, blowing spit bubbles is an honest to goodness developmental milestone... REALLY!

Gazing upon her beloved ceiling fan! We should all be so lucky to fall THIS head over heels in love!

Play Mat

She's reaching a lot...

and grasping a lot...

Just today she started pulling things towards her mouth to explore

Tummy Time

Ayla is beginning to spend more and more time on her tummy... she's started doing mini push-ups! Hooray!!!!!

She's nothing if not determined!

Good job baby girl!!!!

Free Bird

2008-07-01T12:19:00.001-07:00

Ayla SO belongs to this family!

Here she is standing... she likes to put her feet down & push off with them... again, genius baby, I tell you! GENIUS!!!!!!

Baby Beluga

2008-06-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

I took Ayla to her 2 month Well Baby appointment today... turns out our little girl has almost doubled her birth weight. She was born weighing 7 lbs. 9 oz. She now weighs 12 lbs. 11 oz. The average weight for babies her age is about 10 lbs. But even though she is a little chubby, she is not overweight because our little princess is also 24 1/2" long... the average for her age is 22". She's in the 91% for weight and the 99% for height. She's also in the 51% for head circumference... so she's a little pinhead like me! I'd hate to see where she is in the foot length percentile!The pediatrician says she is "perfect", which is a nice word to hear in reference to your child :)

She also received immunizations today which traumatized us both... I have never heard my baby girl scream so loudly or turn such a frighteningly bright shade of purplish/ red... I am comforted by the fact that she came home & gave her beloved ceiling fan a huge smile & giggled her way through the rain forest. She is now napping contentedly... whew! I think I was more distraught than she was!

She is one brave, amazing little girl!!!!

Jack Russell Brewery

2008-06-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

Friday night we decided to stop sugar-coating it & show Ayla what her family is really all about... We took her to the brewery of course! We met up with Maugh & Paugh Wilford & our friends Kim, Bob, Jack & Macy to have some good beer & good times! You can check out Kim's blog for more details as well...

Bob & Jack playing disc golf... one of Ross' Father's Day gifts

Kim & Ross had a camera show down...

Mr. Wilford enjoying a brew...

Our babysitter Macy in action...

Who knew Jack was such a ladies man?

Sweet Macy... she was so good with Ayla

I've tacked on some random pics of Ayla at 8 weeks old... we can't believe our baby is 2 months old already. In some ways it seems like she's been with us forever, but in others it feels like it was just yesterday that she joined our world!

Long legs Magoo!

Happy, smiley baby

Cutie pie

Waking up with Daddy... I think she was trying to see herself in the mirror, just one of the activities she's enjoying more & more!

She's reaching for things and beginning to grasp objects. She's also getting better & better at holding her head up on her own. One thing she can't stand though is being on her stomach... it takes us about 20 minutes to calm her down after "tummy time". It's so amazing to see her grow & change, right before our eyes, it seems!

Ayla found her thumb!

2008-06-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

OK, she may have had a little help from Mommy... but she KEPT it there for a minute on her own! She has been working like crazy to get that thing in there & now she's FINALLY getting somewhere! Good job Baby Girl!

More Grins & Giggles

2008-06-16T20:08:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not this is actually a belly laugh & not tears...

The many expressions of Ayla (7 weeks old)

2008-06-14T15:33:00.001-07:00

Those of you who have met Ayla know that she is the queen of facial expressions... over the course of 10 minutes, I was able to capture some of her many looks... hmmm, perhaps we have a future actress on our hands????

This is her "huh?" look

Her "woman about town" look

This was caught while she was in "mid-sentence"

This is the "Mommy, you're so funny" look... she was actually laughing because I was waving the wrist loop on the camera around... highly hilarious!!!!

This is her "what are you talking about" OR her "I didn't do it" look

And finally, her "I'm so over it look"

Goin' on a pic-a-nic

2008-06-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ayla & I met Ross at the Hyatt to meet some of Daddy's coworkers & to have a picnic across the street in Capital Park. She LOVED watching the leaves blowing in the trees overhead- nature's mobile. She was smiling and kicking her feet at the sight.

Before we left Ross' office, Ayla had some pressing business to attend to... Since Ross' asst. director, Anil resigned there's a new sheriff in town- of course she uses her desk a bit differently than he did!

One of Ayla's new skills that she's working on is reaching for objects with her hands... she better be careful! Looks like she caught more than she bargained for!

She loves her daddy!

Why are you pointing that thing at me again?

What fun to see Daddy during the work day all dressed up in his "costume". We can't wait to go do it again someday soon!

Poor Ayla...

2008-06-05T08:39:00.001-07:00

At least we won't ever have to buy her skis

Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary!

2008-06-04T08:52:00.001-07:00

And what an AMAZING 2 years it has been!

We can't wait to see what other adventures the coming years bring!

Boobs Annonymous

2008-06-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Our little milk drunk!
(5 weeks old)

And Why Not?

2008-06-01T12:34:00.001-07:00

We went to our friends Kim & Bob's yesterday to celebrate their 10 year anniversary, Bob's 40th birthday & completion of POST academy for CDF and just to plain HAVE FUN!

I commissioned my mom to make Bob a beer can hat that we have been "threatening" to make him for years. My dad valiantly volunteered to drink the Pabst Blue Ribbon for the project & my mom crocheted away... the result? Well, you can judge for yourself! But the precious look on the birthday boy's face says it all!

What a fruit!
I think it will make a PERFECT 4th of July hat!

I think we're the ones who should be wearing the beer goggles here!

Kim made everyone "pick their nose" for the evening... I guess Ross chose to use a plain cup though (hardy har har).

Everyone brought a summer themed gag gift for a gift exchange. We all picked numbers and could choose a wrapped gift or steal someone else's opened gift. At one point we stole a Napoleon Dynomite clock, but somebody stole it from us :( We ened up with an edible candy pair of underwear & bra... Ross made me pretend to be excited about it...

But this more accurately portrays how I was feeling about the turn of events... Ross however, is a little more optimistic ;)

Good food, good people, good times! Thanks Kim & Bob for a great shindig!

Dancing Duo

2008-05-28T09:14:00.001-07:00

Daddy and Ayla dancing to reggae...

She loved it so much, she went right to sleep :)

Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-27T07:40:00.001-07:00

Ayla got to meet her Uncle Brent & Aunt Vanessa this weekend!

This is the first time Uncle Brent was able to hold her...

He got more practice during his visit :)

Aunt Vanessa (aka Auntie V) also got in on the action...

We went on a walk to Kemp Park here in Folsom

Ayla got her first outdoor diaper change... thanks to Uncle Brent we now have this embarrassing picture to document it!

I think we like her a lot!!!!!!!!

22 Days Old!

2008-05-19T11:38:00.001-07:00

You are NOT going to believe this but Ayla went to the Rainforest today!

There was VERY serious research to be done & data to be collected...

She seemed to like the red froggy on the left the best. He moves up & down, up & down...

Of course, an excursion of this magnitude really takes it out of a girl!

Time to sleep it off & get ready for the next adventure!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

We had another amazing weekend with our family & friends, Friday night, Ayla got to meet her new friend Teryn...

Saturday, Ayla got some professional portraits done then we went on a big outing to Grammy & Grandpa's house in P,ville

Sunday was my first Mother's Day & it could not have been more perfect. Our parents came over & the dads cooked brunch... DELICIOUS!!

Ross presented me with this necklace... our family tree... our birthstones (Alexandrite & Ruby) are at the roots & Ayla's (Diamond) is on the branch. The picture makes it look yellow- but it's really white gold.

As part of my gift from my parents , my mom made this needle point of a dragonfly & a ladybug to represent our little Ayla Bug.

Mama & Papa G gave me the gift of a clean house... all I have to do is call the cleaning service!

Such a perfect day! I'm so pround to be called Ayla's Mommy!

Ayla is having a lot more active time & is becoming so much more alert. We are enjoying every second with our daughter!

More pics from Ayla's first 2 weeks

2008-05-09T08:39:00.001-07:00

Story time with Daddy

A bit blurry, but it shows me in my Peanut Shell sling... I LOVE this! And so does Mommy! But, shhh... don't tell Daddy! He may catch on that Mommy can be hands free & the dishes could, in theory, get done!

Visiting with Auntie Kim & my future babysitter, Jack

Here is a picture of Ayla that Jack (age almost 8) made

His sister Macy (age almost 3) also made one... scarily accurate!

Skin to skin with Daddy

Passed out with Mommy (a very familiar scene around these parts)

This was supposed to be "tummy time" but I passed out again!
Later on, I did, however lift up my head several times AND turned my head to the other side TWICE! Hmmm, genius baby? Perhaps... but since there aren't any unbiased bystanders about we shall never know!

Sweet Baby Girl

8 Days Old!!!

2008-05-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

The puss...

Why do people keep pointing that thing at me?

Snuggle bug time with Mommy

I LOVE snuggle bug time!

Getting ready for a big nap... nighty night!

Kind of a "whack" idea...

2008-05-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Mr. Wilford (aka Grandpa) has been busy in the lab devising new baby carriers for the working baby... hmmm... somehow I don't think this is the BEST idea he's ever had... although the weeds have never looked better!

Here's a Little Story About a Girl Named Ayla

2008-05-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

It all started last Friday, 4/25 when I went outside to do some work in the garden. I saw the most amazing, beautiful dragonfly that I had ever seen on one of our rose bushes. I had been waiting ever so patiently for Ayla to come and took the dragonfly as some sort of sign... dragonflies seem to show up in my world whenever something big is about to happen and when I am thinking about my brother a lot, which I have recently, not to mention that Ayla's room has its fair share of dragonflies adorning it.
That evening Ma & Pa Gimpel and Ma & Pa Wilford came over for dinner... chinese take out. Apparently both Ross' Grandma & my Grandma both went into labor after having chinese food... it couldn't hurt, right? I had already been having sporatic contractions here & there but really nothing to speak of. I can't go any further without mentioning the fact that Mama G happened to spill an entire styrofoam container of sweet & sour sauce all over the carpet in the dining room & we spent the evening on our hands & knees scrubbing it out- we still love you Mama!! Ross finally went & rented a carpet cleaner from Home Depot at about 9 p.m. & that seemed to do the trick! This was the hilarious view of our parents supervising the cleanup...
On Saturday morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. with pretty distinct, regular contractions. All day we timed them & they became more & more regular & strong as the day progressed. I was up all night with contractions that were pretty much 5 minutes apart. At 6 a.m. Sunday morning we decided that it was time to drive to the hospital. By the time we got there I was already 4 cm dialated & 90% effaced. SHOW TIME!
I was still able to smile between contractions until they broke my water... then I went from 5 cm to 10 cm in no time at all! My plan all along had been to have a totally natural birth- absolutely no drugs unless I really just could not handle it anymore. Well, I reached that point and was demanding drugs. I have never felt anything like that in my entire life... for those of you with children there is no need to explain, for those of you without children, there is no way to explain! They were getting me all hooked up on IV fluids & were going to give me IV meds when all of a sudden I NEEDED to push... they checked me & there was no time for meds- Ayla was moments away from her debut! I pushed for about 30- 40 minutes & was rewarded with the most AMAZING creature that was ever put on this earth! Ayla Sierra was here!
Amazingly, that night in our hospital room Ross looked down saw a bug crawling on his arm... after freaking out & trying to hit it away, we inspected it to see what it was... to our absolute SHOCK we saw a tiny gold colored ladybug... in a second story sterile hospital environment! How it got there, we have no idea... our journey began with a dragonfly & ended with a ladybug...
But the most awe inspiring is our own little Ayla- bug- a name we have been affectionately calling her since we found out about her...

Stay tuned to the adventure!

Our Little Sourdough & Rye Baguette

2008-04-29T06:57:00.001-07:00

Ayla Sierra Gimpel
Born April 27, 2008 at 3:11 p.m.
7 lbs 9 ounces

20 inches

Moments after birth

Snuggle bug with Daddy

Voracious sucker

Peaceful

Coming home in my carseat

There are just no words...

She is healthy & beautiful and FINALLY home!

(many) More pictures to come :)

Happy Birthday!!!!

2008-04-25T11:59:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday Mama! Looks like the baby will let you have your own day after all! Of course, she's probably only doing it so that SHE can have HER own day... pfft... Taurus'!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Ooooh...Aaaah...

2008-04-24T06:55:00.001-07:00

The crib FINALLY came in!! I don't know what you were all so worried about? I mean, we only ordered it back in JANUARY... plenty of time to spare!

Pretty, pretty!

We are not going to talk about the fact that the threaded holes that receive the screws used to hold the finishing rails along the head & foot of the bed look like they were mashed into the wood by chimpanzees and you can't even put the screws in them...OK, I guess we'll mention it...

I mean, seriously!

Ross assures me that when he very calmly calls the manufacturer & explains how they will be overnighting new rails and screws, everything will be alright...

You have eluded my wrath for now, "Inspector #2" (if that is even your real name)... but I'm watching... oh, yes, I'm watching!

Happy Passover!

2008-04-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Love, happiness, and peace to everyone!
Happy Passover!

Mini-update...

2008-04-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Went to the doctor yesterday for my 38 week appointment... the baby is very low & in position (the midwife could actually feel her head during the exam). She said that I will most likely have a normal vaginal delivery with very little pushing time :) What does all this mean? Well, it could be any day now... but it could also not be for a couple of weeks... she did recommend however, that Ross NOT go snowboarding this weekend... *sigh* why do babies have to be so unpredictable?! But, for some reason I can't shake the feeling that this little one is not messing around. She was conceived on the first try, the pregnancy has been textbook & healthy, and now she's just waiting for an "open door" through which to get this thing started! I admire that she's a take charge kind of woman with better things to do than stand on her head all day!
tick-tock tick-tock...

Pasta is our co-pilot...

2008-04-17T17:42:00.001-07:00

May you be touched by His noodly appendage.

Ramen.

2008-04-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

So maternity leave is AWESOME! I don't know why I didn't start it sooner! So far this week I have gone shopping with my mom... which, by the way included nothing baby related... (except for nursing pj's & bras, but those are "technically" for me so I don't count them)... yesterday I got an all important pedicure with a gift certificate that I got from a student for our wedding but never used (pink, of course and the lady even put some white flowers on them b/c "the baby will like them"), and today I had a cleaning service come in for 2 1/2 hours and scrub the house clean from top to bottom... that's right! I've decided to outsource my nesting and I don't even feel a little bit bad about it!

On tomorrow's agenda: car seat installation inspection and our 38 week doctor appointment.
The rest of the week consists of spending time with good friends and also picnicking & listening to some good music at a local winery... Ross may even get a day of riding in at Kirkwood this weekend!

Everyone keeps telling us to enjoy it while we can & I think we'll do just that! Never mind that next week is Ross' busiest week of work EVER... the baby & I had a little discussion and if she re negs on our agreement I'll just have to keep my legs crossed until the storm passes... but I'm almost sure that the Hyatt will not implode if Ross suddenly has to leave :)

So, that's the current state of affairs at the old Gimpel homestead... I'm now off to enjoy my nice clean house and wait patiently for my world to turn upside down... SO EXCITED!

FINALLY!!!!!!!!

2008-04-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

I'M ON MATERNITY LEAVE! I'M ON MATERNITY LEAVE!

That is all...

More Baby Shower Fun!

2008-04-05T09:20:00.001-07:00

My students and their moms threw me a baby shower on Thursday afternoon. Each of the kids decorated a onesie for the baby with fabric paint.

They also presented me with a book, "Our Teacher is Having a Baby".

They glued our class picture on it & all signed their names.
Here are some of the finished master pieces drying in the classroom.

Then it was time for gifts... the kids were sooo excited about the baby stuff! Too cute!

All of us (plus a couple of siblings thrown in). They told us to say "Ayla" instead of cheese!

After school that day, the teachers and staff threw me a baby shower too!

Some of my co-workers...
Danica, one of the second grade teachers is also pregnant and expecting a baby boy the day before me (she's the one in the black shirt leaning over, what else? the food)

We played "Guess how big the bump is?" Someone grossly underestimated the size of the mound:) Please excuse the weird mid-expression shot!

Then, can you believe, more gifts?! This girl is already S-P-O-I-L-E-D!

This was the scene for the trip home that day...

Good grief! Our daughter will definitely be the best dressed one in the family!

2008-04-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

We went to the doctor yesterday afternoon. It seems our little girl knows her head from her ass! This is a great thing! Her head is down & has assumed the position in my pelvis. This explains all the pressure and feelings like my pelvis is about to be split into 2. Walking is an adventure in and of itself these days! But I'm so happy it is because that means that everything is going according to plan!! Apparently the thing that is stretching up into my rib cage is her butt. Sorry baby girl, seems Daddy needs to aim a little lower when he talks & sings to you! She LOVES when Daddy talks to her! If she's resting, she usually perks up & starts stretching; if she's active, his singing usually calms her down... lets hope this stays true at 2 a.m. after she's born!

Can I just take a moment to tell everyone how wonderful my husband is??? He has been just AMAZING, well, always, but ESPECIALLY these last 9 months! For the last 2 weeks at work he has been working solo- the day before his assistant director was due to come back from vacation, he phoned to say that his father in law had passed away in Chicago and he would be out the rest of the week and also the following. Our hearts go out to him & his family and as Ross says, he'd rather go crazy at work than have to deal with what Anil is going through. On top of having his assistant out, Ross' only 2 other full time employees were scheduled to be in training all week. This has meant that Ross has been doing all the admin & all of the grunt work on the floor. He has literally been doing the work of 3-4 people! Keep in mind that Ross normally works 10-12 hour days and some weekend hours when all of his employees are in, so you can do the math! He still somehow managed to make it to our doctor appointment. The baby & I took him to Bev-Mo afterwards & let him pick out 4 bottles of wine (they're having their 5 cent sale!!!)

On top of his craziness at work, he has been coming home & taking such ridiculously good care of me & the baby. He has been cooking dinner & doing the dishes. His weekends have been filled with picking up baby furniture and ticking off things on a massive "to-do" list. Last weekend he even scrubbed the kitchen & shower from top to bottom and he has managed to help arrange for our fence to be repaired! All the while watching me lapse into a baby induced coma around 8 p.m. every night. He even leaves me voice mails in the morning telling me that I'm doing a great job incubating and thanking me for going through it all for our baby girl.

He never asks for anything in return & merely tells me that he is just doing his job & it's his honor to do it... I'm writing this early & letting him sleep in. I think when he wakes up I will DEMAND that he go on a nice relaxing bike ride! I love this man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nursery update

2008-04-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Almost all of the furniture is here, the crib gets here in two weeks. We also got the play yard/bassinet so at least she has somewhere to sleep when she gets here. Here are some pics.

This will be her first bed, and then her Kiddy cage... It's 'portable'. This is getting real!

The dresser/changing table. Our unborn daughter already has the nicest piece of furniture in the house!

Nesting instinct in full bloom. Ali has washed, folded and put away all of Ayla's beautiful new clothes... Uhhh, she's only going to be 0-6 months for 6 months, right?!? Ok I'm sure that with all of the natural bodily excretions we will find that we use it all. Plus, it's so damn cute!!!

The happy, yum-yum food-time glider, a must have!

Cindy knitted this adorable combo. Please note the heirloom hanger. The hanger was Cindy's when she was a tot!

Ok, update complete, four weeks to go... give or take!!! Love to all!

I've got wood!

2008-04-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

FENCE that is...
Well the fence has been replaced. As some may know we had some serious wind storms this winter and the fence between our next door neighbors and us was basically destroyed. OK, so it took us awhile to deal with the insurance company, but they very quickly and efficiently cut us a check and we've got a brand new fence... Two very strong uhhh... 'women in comfortable shoes' (as Robin Williams put it) built us a beautiful and sturdy fence. They used steel posts sunk into cement, pretty sweet! Considering there had been wooden posts simply pounded into the ground, it is a major improvement.

In progress while the cement cured...

And here it is...

Detail of the posts, which you can't really see.

So I am psyched! There is another little area that needs some attention, but basically we are good to go... Ok, the man blog is done...more baby info to follow.

Easter Egg-stravaganza

2008-03-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

Pics from our day... an unconventional celebration sprinkled with a little tradition... enjoy!

The boy with no childhood memories of dying eggs... we subject him to this every year!

Um, yep... I'm HUGE!

So huge in fact that I can balance a glass of port on my shelf... for the record, I was not actually drinking the port myself! My family likes to torture me with new and humiliating experiments!
Testing out the old school Gameboys... I've decided to take Tetris into the labor room with me to distract me in between contractions. With any luck I will be seeing shapes fall into place with my eyes closed! Mom's Nintendo DS may also come in handy... I knocked her out of 1st- 8th place in Mah Jong in one evening! Don't even pretend that it doesn't devastate you, mamacita!

Hoping you all had a very happy Easter as well!

Nursery Progress...

2008-03-20T08:47:00.001-07:00

Papa G doing some edging...

The proud future daddy...

Her closet... Grandpa Bud painted her dresser and nightstand. The closet will soon have white sheer curtains with red satin ladybugs on them!

Awaiting her crib! It should be here by the weekend (fingers crossed)!

March Showers... Bring April Babies

2008-03-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Kim & Bob threw us an amazing baby shower last Saturday. We had such a blast! The food was great and there was even a "pink bar" complete with daiquiris and cosmopolitans... well, at least they looked good from afar!!!!! We even got to subject the men folk to shower games. We played match the type of candy to the birthing term, draw what the baby will look like on a plate (with the plate on your head), and my personal favorite, who can drink beer out of a baby bottle the fastest (for men only). I was so proud because the Gimpel men represented! Ross and Papa G came in 1st and 2nd!!! Who knew they were so good at sucking! Everyone also brought a favorite children's book for the baby. I LOVED hearing why people chose the book they chose. Many of them have inscriptions so we can share the stories of the stories with our daughter.

My poor mom; in the almost 18 years Kim & I have been friends, I don't think we've let her get one decent picture of us!

Ross' Diaper Daddy vest- YES! It is a diaper "bag"... and apparently a wine cozy as well!

Grandma G's gorgeous handiwork.

Teryn was nice enough to give us some practice with baby girls!

The infamous beer drinking competition...

The Gimpel men comparing what's left in their baby bottles...

Moses (aka Papa G) posing with the fruits of Kim's baking labor...

Thank you to everyone who could make it! It was WONDERFUL! Our baby girl is so lucky to have so many people who already love her & can't wait to meet her! And thank you to Kim and Bob for throwing us such a fun shower! We love you guys!

Weekend Adventure

2008-03-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

We decided to get away this weekend for some quality time before the baby comes... in fact we should take every opportunity that we can get! We didn't want to spend a lot of time in the car and my stamina just isn't what it used to be, so we opted to stay close to home & stay at a little Inn in Nevada City... cute little town, private cabin, & us... seemed like a PERFECT idea!

Well, the cabin they put us in smelled like someone had been smoking in it... for 30 years! No problem! Ross went to the front desk & they were more than happy to upgrade us to a 2 story chalet complete with gas fireplace, kitchenette & private deck overlooking the creek. GREAT! We drove over to the chalet & lo and behold, it had the same smoke smell... at this point we concurred that the facility was just old & all the rooms probably had that smell from back in the day... as we learned while house hunting, there's just no way to get that smell out no matter how much paint & remodeling you do!

So, we decided to buck up & deal... while Ross went to retrieve our bags from the cabin I had a little look around... the coffee mug with half a cup of old coffee out on the deck was a bit unnerving, the gas fireplace not working was a bit disappointing, BUT the rancid shrimp cocktail in the fridge was a whole lot of UNACCEPTABLE! The point of the whole weekend was not to endure and persevere but to relax and enjoy. I apologize for the lack of pictures.. apparently the woman who used to have the memory of an elephant now only resembles an elephant & left the camera at home... you will just have to use your imagination!

Ross very politely explained to the front desk that we would not be staying and they were more than happy to not charge us. We decided to return to our old stomping ground of Tahoe City & got a room at Sunnyside Lodge (where we had our 1st date). We had a lovely dinner overlooking the lake & enjoyed the view of the lake all bundled up on our balcony. In the morning we hit the continental breakfast, walked around town, and then went over to our friend Scott's house.

All in all it turned out to be a fabulous weekend! What was so wonderful was knowing that the next time we go back there we will be with our daughter; showing her our favorite spots, telling her stories about our courtship and passing along our love of the Sierras.

We are now refreshed and looking forward to finally getting the nursery finished! Mama & Papa G come into town Thursday. We have our shower on Saturday! We are so excited! Kim has worked so hard getting everything planned & prepared! My work is also throwing me a shower the first week of April & the parents of my students are throwing me a shower one afternoon as well. It's getting so close to the time when we finally get to meet Kicky and we are just thrilled & anxious & stressed & excited all at once! It won't be long now!!!!!!!!!

2008-02-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

So, I don't think that I can call it a "bump" anymore... I must think of a more fitting name to describe the mountainous topography that is my belly these days! At least I'm still smiling... I hear fat people are generally more jolly! 31 weeks, today...
We went to our first childbirth class last night (after I got home from my Valentine's Day gift: a VERY relaxing pregnancy massage!)... and yes we watched "THE VIDEO"! Quite, um, enlightening... yes, yes... we'll use the word "enlightening". Ross does a pretty funny impression of what he says my face looked like during the money shot... well, laugh it up now baby; we'll see what your face looks like when you're seeing it happen in real time!
If you leave a comment, please be kind. As one of my first graders said"My mommy told me that you should tell pregnant ladies that they look BEAUTIFUL." So, even though I know she's just saying it, it still makes me smile :)

Last football post for the year...(sniff-sniff)

2008-02-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

My lovely in-laws, Bud and Cindy, had the honor of seeing me as the true fan on Superbowl Sunday. They were kind enough to host, serve up some yummies, and let me watch on their LARGE TV. It's a good thing they are stuck with me (Ali being knocked up and all) because they got to see me at my most fanatic (and I almost broke their lamp after a touchdown!). On top of that, within minutes of the G-men's victory they were (unbeknownst to me) on-line and buying me an official Superbowl XLII Giants victory hat. Thanks to my wonderful in-laws! Here it is in all it's glory...

Ooohhh...

Ahhh...

That's right...we wanted it more! 'Nuff said.

I Love my hat and will wear it with pride! :-)

Camping in Bodega Bay

2008-02-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

FINALLY! A weekend away to get the stink blown off us! We headed over to Bodega this weekend for a much needed three day weekend. We met up with Ma & Pa Wilford (and Maggie & Kaya). Here are a few of the highlights:

On Sunday Ross & Pa W went for a hike... they thought the trail was only about 2.5 miles round trip but discovered that it was closer to 4 or 5. They were nice & tuckered by the time they got back to camp!

Ross discovered a fort... no girls allowed!

Pa W enjoying the view...

Our campsite was right next to the Children's Bell Tower... the tower was designed by a local Norcal artist in memory of a little boy from from Bodega Bay who was tragically killed on a family vacation in Italy. The bells were donated by the people, schools and churches in the town in Italy where he was killed as a tribute & as appreciation to his parents who selflessly donated his organs to 7 Italians. It represents the continuity of life... which especially "rings" true for our family.

On Sunday afternoon we decided to go for a drive and see where the road would take us... Ross looked ready to hit the road!

We ended up at Fort Ross State Park... a Russian & Native Alaskan settlement just north of Bodega... Ross thought he was pretty special to have a whole fort named after him!

View from one of the buildings...

View on the way home... notice all the Harbor Seals lounging on the beach near the water's edge...

Speaking of Harbor Seals... in the evening we decided to have some fun with technology! Our doctor loaned us his "extra" $800 ultrasound heartbeat monitor... WHY? you ask? Good question! He thought it might be fun for me to take it to work & have my class hear the baby's heartbeat... I have not mustered enough courage to subject them to that, but we've been having fun at home. Grammy & Grandpa got to hear their granddaughter's heartbeat for the first time... er, I mean Grammy & "Mr. Wilford" as per my dad's request... he'd like to maintain some sort of formality, after all! ;)

On Monday, Ross & I spent some time at Salmon Creek beach

soggy monkey toes...

Awww... well, it IS Valentine's Day on Thursday!

Our traditional self-portrait pose... we have a million of these!

Hope ya'll had a great weekend too!

Super Bowl Upset!

2008-02-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

An upset? What do you mean by"upset"? No, there isn't anybody UPSET in this house! You must be mistaken! As you can imagine, Ross is a VERY happy boy! New England is crying into their clam chowder and all is right with the world... thank God Tom Brady has Giselle to comfort him in his time of need!
Thought I'd share some priceless pictures of a boy from New Jersey who just had his dreams come true!

Enjoying some tasty Super Bowl munchies on my newly installed "T.V. tray."

Moments after the Giants win the Super Bowl: Ross' uncontrollable jubilation (following the celebratory dance, of course!)

Thanking the good luck Budda belly... a NY championship in the same year as the birth of his first child... someone is obviously smiling on him!

Then the phone started blowing up... so many people (some of whom Ross hasn't talked to in years) called to congratulate the man of the hour on his team's victory.

GO GIANTS!!!!!!

Let's Go GIANTS!!!

2008-02-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've held back so far this season, but in case anyone didn't know I am a lifelong HUGE NY Giants fan! I don't follow many sports but I am a NFL junkie and the G-men are my team. Well, WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!! Eli Manning, after being much maligned in the New York press, has come around and been one of the most consistent QB's in the playoffs this year and the Defense has been its usual dominating force. We've had alot of injuries but have rallied back. We won 8 games on the road during the regular season(!) and have won three more in the playoffs. In the Playoffs we have beaten the Bucs, the Cowboys (booo...hisss) and the Packers (sorry Brett) and now the Evil Empire of the New England Patriots are all that stand in our way of becoming World Champions. So send your good thoughts the G-men's way! I mean c'mon, who wants the Patriots to win again, boooring! Tom Brady is a philanderer anyway, root for the good guys...
The little one is already getting used to my screaming and yelling at the TV, she will be immune at birth I hope. Anyway...
GO GIANTS!!!

To the bump, to the bump, to the bump, bump, bump

2008-01-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, Ok... I know you're all getting tired of looking at my gigantic belly, but it is still infinitely fascinating to me so you'll just have to periodically endure it for the next several months. Next week I hit 28 weeks... for those of you playing along at home that means 7 months! I used to look at pregnant women & could not even fathom how my belly was ever going to get that rotund... now I'm so used to it that I actually have moments where I think I'm still my pre- pregnancy size... funny how the mind protects you & makes you think that everything is normal!
I don't want Ross to feel left out of the embarrassing picture party so I leave you with the father of my child modeling one of her Grammy-made bibs... it seems to fit perfectly! Luckily he was able to keep the coffee in the mug & avert catastrophe... he's such a big boy! God they grow up fast!

Alright! Alright!

2008-01-20T17:35:00.001-08:00

The ladybugs are back in! Quit obsessing about it already, would ya?! Geesh!

We ordered our crib set today too... what do you think of the ladybugs with the "espresso" crib?

Registry, Smegistry

2008-01-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

Our loverly friend Kim is throwing us a baby shower on March 15 and my work shower is sometime thereabouts , so we really have to get a move on this registry stuff... I don't know why but I HATE this process. Not so much hate... it really should be fun, right? A chance to shop around and pick out the things that we need for our bambina... I guess that's the problem... I'm not really a "shopper" per se, more of a "buyer". When I need it, I go get it. Registries are more for anticipating what you will need. On top of that, with baby stuff you must take into account what the Consumer Reports ratings are, how much space will it take up, will the baby even use it, do I need one of those, what the heck is that for........... and so on and so forth. It can really go on forever.

On top of that, I am totally turning into a crazy person when it comes to the nursery. Don't get me wrong, I haven't actually DONE anything in there... it's ALL in my head! I've rethought the bedding/ theme. It was once going to be little red satin ladybugs with green & pink background and black & white gingham... but the baby & I were up at 2:00 one morning discussing (in our heads, mind you) that maybe that wasn't what we wanted... now I am thinking about spring flowers... Pottery Barn Baby has some fabulous sets. I think I am focusing all of my excitement, fears etc. into the perfect choice of bedding... perhaps not that crazy but definitely hugging the line!

In other news, I found someone to do my longterm sub for the end of the year!!! That takes a HUGE load off of my shoulders. I met with her today & she seems really great! I hope I didn't scare her off with tales of my class... they really are good, who cares if I have 3 on behavior contracts and one who's selectively mute!

Baby is doing great! Growing, growing, growing! We can see her kick and roll on the outside now... pretty amazing & trippy! My belly button continues to inch closer & closer to the surface... I don't want to talk about it! The end of February brings the beginning of birthing classes, late pregnancy classes, breastfeeding classes and newborn care... we shood b sooper smrt bout birth'n babies by then... one can only hope!

The Winds of Change...

2008-01-06T13:11:00.001-08:00

So this past Thursday & Friday a huge storm blew through our parts... we're talking wind gusts up to 50- 55 mph... many people lost power & Tahoe got hit with a lot of needed snow. We were smart enough to batten down the hatches here at the old Gimpel homestead, but alas we could not prevent this from happening!

A couple of sections of fence between our neighbor's yard & ours blew over... not a huge deal considering how many people lost trees, etc. It's totally fixable! By the way, our grass is not dead! It goes dormant in the winter & will be back in full effect come spring :) Ross even winterized it in the fall! Don't want you to think we're neglecting our suburban duties!

Even More Christmakah Pictures!

2007-12-31T16:52:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Brent & Vanessa... thanks guys!

Click here for photos

Christmakah Pictures

2007-12-31T10:36:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Maugh W we now have a few more pictures from our holiday... thanks mama!

Vanessa & Brent

Ma Ma & Pa Pa G enjoying some down time

The feats of strength... note to self: my mother in law is surprisingly strong! Better mind my P's & Q's! The airing of grievances will come later in the evening!

Cali & Skylin enjoying the stationary kits we gave them.

Kim & baby Gage

It snowed at my parent's house in Placerville on Thursday night!

Updates & Bumpdates

2007-12-30T17:21:00.000-08:00

We had a WONDERFUL holiday filled with family and friends. Brent & Vanessa flew out from Florida on the 21st. It was really great to see them again & to get the update on all the wedding plans. Vanessa is a fabulous cook, so we definitely reaped some of those benefits during our visit! Ma Ma & Pa Pa G flew out on Christmas Eve and we spent the evening here at our house. We had the traditional Wilford Christmas Eve meal of cheese fondue and then opened up presents! THAT"S RIGHT! We opened them BEFORE Santa even got here! Rebels, we are! Christmas day we headed up to Placerville where Maugh & Paugh W had another delicious spread! I can't believe how much food we consumed over the course of the week! We also got to hook up with the Willoughby's and spend a little time with Todd, Kim, Skylin, Cali & Gage. I can't believe how much the kids have grown!
I would show you TONS of pictures had Ross & I NOT been total morons & actually taken pictures! We are truly dumb asses & there is no excuse for the lack of digital evidence of a time well spent... These are the only pictures that we were brilliant enough to capture...

Sunset in Amador County... we took the kids wine tasting...mmm....wine...I remember it well!

Brent & part of Vanessa... the look says it all... or was that nothing at all... I can't remember!

I know that other participants were not as spastic as we were & hopefully :) they will send some pics our way (wink wink). We'll keep you updated!

Speaking of updates, Ross thought it was time for another "bump-date", as it were. I think I have doubled in size over the last week even! Ross has been feeling her kick & somersault pretty consistently over the past week as well... I also noticed today that she seems to have discovered that my bladder makes a fantastic trampoline... not sure I whole heartedly agree with her on that one! So without further ado I give you the final bump-date of '07.............

I decided to remain fully clothed this time around (in case there are small children out there who read this blog). I look at that first bump photo & it makes me laugh... I thought I was so HUGE! Of course, I think I'm huge now & know that someday soon this photo will also make me giggle!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well & wish everyone the happiest of New Years! Catch ya in '08 suckas!!!

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!

2007-12-17T16:24:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday to Brent! We hope your day was wonderfully wonderful and spectacularly spectacular! We love you!

Another very happy birthday to our friend Chauntel, who was coincidentally born on the same day, in the same year as Brent. We hope your day was fabulously fabulous and magnificently magnificent!

You are both are now officially a year older than me! Ha... Ha Ha... Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!