logan, zachary, and i took 13 adults and 6 doggies out for a stroll along the alameda trail yesterday.  and naturally, we were the leaders of the pack!

but before i tell you about the afternoon walk, lemme tell you about our quest for an all-terrain stroller.  after lots of research and test drives, mommy and daddy decided that we should get a baby jogger city elite.  the problem was, nobody around here carries them.  so on saturday, we took a drive up the peninsula to lullaby lane in san bruno.  i got my luxurious new ride — on sale.  score!  and on the way home, we stopped in burlingame so that daddy could get a burrito and mommy could get some meringues.  it was a good day for all of us.  mommy even shared a meringue with me.  yummy

we were so excited about our new all-terrain vehicle (ATV) that we assembled it right away.  well, daddy assembled, mommy supervised, and i QA’d his work.  good job, daddy.  now that i have my ATV, we can go to koda’s favorite spots without mommy having to carry me the entire time.  she says i’m getting too heavy.  hmph.

so, back to yesterday’s walk…  cesar milan (a.k.a. the dog whisperer) brags about how he rollerblades with his pack of several dozen dogs.  well, me and my buddies cruised in our ATV’s, leading a pack of half a dozen dogs and more than a dozen humans.  cesar ain’t got nothing on us!  (this photo was taken by uncle eric.  mommy took a picture with her phone, but uncle eric said that his would turn out much better.  he was right.)

we all had a great time.  mommy and daddy got to catch up with good friends, koda got to swim and run around, and i got to cruise with my buddies on my ATV’s maiden voyage.  the long walk worked up our appetites, so we all went out to lunch and gorged ourselves on mexican food.  since i gobbled up all the food that mommy brought for me, uncle henry let me try some of his carnitas

koda and i were both so exhausted that we conked out in the car on the way home.  what a great day.

earlier this week, mommy went to texas and left me and daddy and koda all alone. it was the first time that mommy would be away overnight. she was worried.

she worried that i might starve because i didn’t eat much the last time she went away.  she worried that i would be hungry and scared at night if daddy didn’t hear me when i woke up to eat.  she worried that daddy would be tired and grouchy if he did hear me when i woke up at night.

well, guess what really happened.  i went to bed around 7:30pm, as usual.  i woke up to eat around 1am, as usual.  but instead of waking up every 1-2 hours after that, i SLEPT UNTIL MORNING!  mommy couldn’t believe it.  she was sure that i had woken up several more times during the night, and that my cries had fallen on (daddy’s) deaf ears.

so when mommy came home around 11:30pm the next night, she was prepared to feed me in about an hour, like usual.  but 12:30… 1:00… 1:30am rolled around, and i didn’t wake up!  when i finally woke up at 2:30am mommy was so happy to see me.  all she wanted to do was hold me and kiss me, but all i wanted to do was eat.  mommy said i looked like a hungry hippo frantically searching for food in the dark.  i was starving!  it had been 7 hours since my last meal — that’s the longest i’ve slept in my entire life.  and after i ate, i slept straight through until morning.  mommy was completely floored.

mommy said that she doesn’t know what kind of voodoo, torture, bribery, or jedi mind tricks that daddy used on me, but she’s not asking any questions.  he managed to train me to sleep through the night with only one feeding — in just one night!  mommy said that she should go away more often and what other kinds of magic daddy can do.  but she would miss us too much

(ironically, mommy was never all that worried about koda, but maybe she should have been.  he didn’t eat anything for two whole days while mommy was away.  he was so hungry that he gobbled up an entire bowl of food as soon as she got home.  then mommy refilled his bowl, and he scarfed that down too.  poor koda.)

since the beginning of the month, both mommy and daddy have been working. and even though mommy works from home once in awhile (okay… most of the time), she has to concentrate on work and can’t give me her undivided attention. so i got a nanny!

gung-gung told me about a theory that boys who have nannies grow up to be cheaters. apparently, it introduces the concept of the “other woman” who cares for and caters to their physical needs. hmmm… it’ll be a few years before we can validate this theory. but in the meantime, miss denise (our nanny) is here to stay.

here are the top 10 reasons why we love having a nanny:

10)  i get to stay home with mommy and koda. my nap/sleep schedule, meals, and all the developmental changes that i’m going through are a little bit easier because i am in familiar surroundings.

9)  her hours are flexible. so if daddy has to go to work early, or if mommy has a late meeting, miss denise just hangs out with me for a little bit longer. or, if mommy finishes work early, miss denise just goes home early.

8)  i get one-on-one attention. this is especially important now that i am crawling around super fast and trying to walk everywhere (and falling down often, and hard). this also means that i get to go on walks around the neighborhood and to the park.

7)  i make my own schedule. i nap when i’m tired, i eat when i’m hungry, and my diaper gets changed as soon as it’s dirty.

6)  when i am napping, miss denise plays with koda and takes him on walks.

5)  miss denise is a germaphobe. she keeps my exersaucers, my play area, my high chair, and all my toys super clean and free of koda hair.

4)  when mommy is not around, miss denise helps me (and koda) write emails and send text messages to her so that she knows we’re thinking of her.

3)  miss denise is very respectful of the way that mommy and daddy want to raise me, but she offers excellent advice based on her experience raising her own 4 kids (including a set of triplets!).

2)  mommy gets to see all my “firsts”

1)  and most importantly… if i grow up to be a womanizer, it won’t be my fault!

i have been practicing crawling for months now.  i usually end up crawling in place, moving maaaybe 2 inches or so (and sometimes in the wrong direction )  i just can’t figure out how to coordinate the movement between my hands and knees.  but that’s ok, i’ve found other ways to get around.

rolling: i can roll and roll and roll.  i find that this is the most efficient way to visit the four corners of my crib every night.

crab walk: i can get up on my hands and feet, stick my butt up in the air, and “walk” around a little bit.  i don’t move sideways, but mommy says that i look like a crab.

lunging: i can get on my hands and knees, rock back and forth to build momentum, then lunge forward.  i especially like doing this in front of the mirror.  and if you’re wondering…  yes, i do crash my forehead into the mirror.  repeatedly.

rotating: i can rotate around and around like the hands on a clock.

army crawl: i can get around pretty well, dragging myself on my elbows with my belly on the ground.  i learned this trick from koda’s sister, kiara.  she is the best army crawler around.  staying low to the ground, we can sneak around, undetected.  this is also good practice for adventure racing.  logan doesn’t know it yet, but he’s going to be my racing partner.

cruising: i can hold onto chest-high objects (coffee table, ottoman, exersaucer) and cruise around.  in fact, i don’t like to sit in my exersaucer anymore — i just stand and “walk” around the outside of it.  and rather than sit in people’s laps, i roll onto my tummy and slide down to the ground so that i can cruise along the couch.  i usually end up falling to the floor after just a few steps, but sometimes koda is there to break my fall.  how nice of him, huh?

so yeah, yeah, i can’t crawl.  it’s mommy’s fault.  gung-gung says she never crawled.  but i’m tired of being on the ground anyway.   so today, i pulled myself up from the ground and stood up — ALL BY MYSELF!  i think i’ll skip crawling and go straight to walking, just like mommy did.

i hope daddy doesn’t lower my crib mattress.  i’m gonna try to vault myself out of my crib tonight.

i’ve heard that there are ways for babies to tell their parents that they are ready for solids:

• at least 4 months old: check!
• doubled birth weight (or at least 15 lbs):  check!  i think i’m at ~17 lbs.
• head control:  check!  i can do tummy time all day long.
• sitting well when supported:  check!  sure, i can sit, but i’d much rather stand.
• chewing motions:  check!  this is same as smacking my lips, right?
• growing appetite:  check!  i am always hungry.
• curiosity about grown-up food:  check!  i am constantly lunging and grabbing at mommy’s froyo and daddy’s steak.

i’ve been trying to tell mommy and daddy for almost two months now that I WANT REAL FOOD!  i got really excited last night when i got to sit down with a bowl and spoon — i thought i was finally going to get a real meal.  but it turned out to be rice cereal mush

it seems that koda liked it, though.

i am love-love-loooving having koda, mommy, and daddy home with me all day.  for now, at least.  but someone — anyone — better start working soon so that we continue to have money for all my clothes (which i outgrow sooo quickly), diapers (which i continue to consume so many of), and toys (which i need a lot of to keep me entertained).  i vote for koda.  anyone want to hire a crazy puppy?  he’s really good at finding hidden treats, unstuffing plush toys, giving “big hug”s, and he just learned how to “dance”!  is there a market out there for those skills?

anyway, we decided to take advantage of our family time together and took a mid-week trip to monterey/carmel.  it was our first family trip, and we were all super excited.  i am proud to say that of everyone, i packed the most stuff!  (it turned out that i had waaay over packed, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? )

we were bummed out on our first day because it was raining cats and dogs.  but mommy and koda didn’t let that stop them from running around at the carmel dog beach and playing in the surf.  they are crazy!  they got soaking wet, but they had fun.  daddy and i were much more sensible, and we hung out in the car where it was warm and dry.

when we checked in to the mariposa inn in monterey, we were pleasantly surprised with a free upgrade to a room with a fireplace.  yay!  we are a fire-loving family — especially mommy and koda.  we had the fire burning every second that we were in the room (even while we were sleeping).  and there was a nice big bed with plenty of room for all of us.  yup, i slept with mommy and daddy during our trip.  point, kyden!

because it was raining so hard, we didn’t get to stroll around town like we had planned.  but it was a blessing in disguise because we ended up enjoying family time by the fire and catching up on some much-needed sleep. we did, however, make it out for a candlelight dinner at portabella, a quaint little restaurant in carmel by-the-sea.  the food was good (chanterelle risotto, paella valencia, lemon-scented capellini) and the service was outstanding.  but the coolest thing is that koda got to eat with us!  the restaurant accommodates doggie diners in a special room that is completely covered and heated.  they even served koda his own doggie bowl on a fancy dinner plate with a linen napkin!  it was so wonderful to have a dinner out with the entire family.

the next day…  out came the sun and dried up all the rain and itsy bitsy kyden went out to play again.  thank goodness that the weatherman was wrong!  we headed back to the carmel dog beach, but this time, all of us went out to play.  it was my first time at the beach, and i was mesmerized by the waves crashing on the shore.  but i don’t know if it really counts because i didn’t get to build a sand castle or swim in the ocean.  mommy and daddy said it was too cold for me

we spent the rest of the afternoon in carmel valley.  we had a late lunch at allegro gourmet pizzeria where daddy said his pizza was made with the freshest ingredients ever.  that’s saying a lot because daddy has eaten like a kajillion pizzas.  and mommy said her chicken cacciatore tasted like it was homemade.  that’s saying a lot, too, because mommy loooves the chicken cacciatore that she makes.  nobody shared their food with me   after lunch, we stopped at carmel valley coffee roasting company for mommy’s daily latte (mommy said she would rather have had starbucks), and then we were headed home.

so basically, we spent the last couple of days eating, sleeping, and playing at the beach.  that’s my kind of vacation!  it was a perfect way to spend time relaxing with the whole family.  and how nice that it was only a 1.5 hour drive away.  i sure hope that we get to go on more trips like that a lot more often

everyone has been saying that i’m thinning out.  at first, i thought they were just talking about my hair, which is definitely getting thinner.  but mommy says i’m getting skinnier, too.  i guess my daily workout routine (dancing, crawling in place, and core strengthening in the cheater chair) is paying off.

now don’t be mistaken, i am still a chunky monkey.  but instead of 4 chins, i now only have 2.  and mommy used to say that i could smuggle contraband in my neck rolls.  i still can.  but instead of nuclear warheads, i can now only fit a dimebag or two.

to see just how much i’m growing (and because i no longer have monthly doctor’s appointments), daddy went out and bought me a digital scale.  i guess he doesn’t trust the wii fit.  or maybe he just got tired of it telling him that he is overweight.  anyway, daddy tested out the new scale by stepping on it while holding me.  he said that i must weigh 25 pounds because the scale read 25 pounds more than he thought he weighed.  that’s funny, cuz when mommy weighed me today, she said i weigh 15 pounds (62 %ile).  at my last doctor visit i was 75 %ile for weight, so i guess everyone’s right — i am thinning out.

we didn’t measure my length but i must be getting really tall.  for one thing, i am getting too long for the changing table in my pack ‘n play.  mommy and daddy don’t know what they’re gonna do!  and for another thing, i used to be the size of koda’s head, but now i am way taller than him.  it’s obvious from the photo that he only comes up to my shoulders when we lay down side by side

happy new year!

nobody thought i was gonna last until midnight on my first new year’s eve, but mommy and daddy knew that i wasn’t gonna miss out on the action.  no way, not this party animal.  i did, however fall asleep just minutes after the stroke of midnight.

my new years resolution is to learn to walk so that koda and i can go out by ourselves.  besides, mommy and daddy have been saying that they’re not going to be able to carry me for much longer because i am getting too big.

mommy and daddy also had a few things they wanted me to add to my list of new year resolutions:

• stop sucking my fingers.  (they told me to stop sucking my thumb, so i did.  then i started sucking my index finger and they told me to stop that, too.  now that i’m working on my middle finger, mommy and daddy don’t like that either.  i just can’t win!)
• change my own diapers or potty train myself.  (they let me have a choice.)
• learn to drive

needless to say, those things didn’t make the list.

i’m looking forward to lots of new adventures in the new year.  2010, bring it on!

everyone says a baby’s first christmas is special.  i agree.  in fact, my first christmas was doubly special because it happened twice!

we celebrated christmas eve at cousin zoey’s house.  there was a ton of yummy food and a mountain of gifts.

the next day, we went back to cousin zoey’s house to bring her more presents that weren’t ready the day before.  and guess what — i forgot to bring my diaper bag!  i normally keep one in the car, but daddy had brought it into the house to restock the diapers since i am moving up to size 2s.  cousin zoey was  nice enough to let me borrow one of her size 2/3 diapers — it was too big, but better than nothing!  whew.  disaster averted.  (i can’t imagine why, but she didn’t want it back when i was done using it.)

for christmas dinner, the whole tanaka family gathered at grandma and grandpa tanaka’s house.  once again, there was lots of yummy food and even more presents!

everyone got lots of great presents this christmas, even koda.  but i got more than anyone!  i am lucky to have so many aunties and uncles and grandparents who love me so much.  too bad i slept through all the gift opening.  koda, however, was quite adept at unwrapping his gifts – i’m gonna ask him to help me next year.

mommy and daddy say that i am spoiled, but i earned all those gifts.  it’s not easy being this cute, ya know.

lately, i’ve been having lengthy conversations with mommy, daddy, and even koda.  our conversations usually go something like this:

“gaaaaah”

“oooooh”

“aaaaah”

“cooooo”

but for the past couple of days, mommy has been saying the same phrase over and over again.  “mommy, i love you.  mommy, i love you.”  i think she wants me to repeat after her.  she even told daddy that when i say “oooooh”, it really means “mommy, i love you.”

i think i know why mommy has been acting so crazy.  when we went to visit cousin zoey last week, zoey kept saying “dada dada dada”.  mommy doesn’t want me to learn from my cousin — she wants me to say “mama” before “dada”.  mommy is silly.  obviously, my first real word will be “koda-leave-it”!