Meet Guck

"Guck" is Noah's new lovey ... he sleeps with it and carries it around with him wherever he goes. He also loves to read his truck books and point out trucks wherever he can. He came home from Grammy's house with this little truck and he calls it "Guck". We don't know where Grammy got it and she can't remember either. So we live in fear of the day that "Guck" goes missing ...

One night Greg went out for a few hours and I couldn't find "Guck" anywhere. We spent the entire time either texting Greg to tell me where "Guck" could be found or wandering the house searching for "Guck's" whereabouts. This also happened to be around the same time Noah decided that he liked Daddy more than Mommy. Very suspicious if you ask me ...

Dear Sleep ...

The never-ending ear infection saga is hopefully coming to a close. We met with the specialist last week and she has recommended us for tubes. I think she was expecting me to put up more of a fight regarding the surgery. But at this point, I can't stand seeing my little dude in pain and frankly, we all could use some more sleep in our house. (Well, everyone except Gary and Louis, I think they get plenty of sleep). So, while I'm not crazy about Mr. Noah having to go through any kind of medical procedure, the thought of him hearing everything as if he's underwater and trying to sleep while he's in pain, makes me sick ... let's hope this helps, because I could use a few more Zzzzz's if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

Dear Sleep,

I know I didn't appreciate you in the past, but I want you to know that I do now. I miss you and hope that we will meet again one day in the very near future.

Sincerely,

The Himovitz-Ries Family

Mmmmmm ... Coo-Coos!

I love my chocolate-chip coo-coos!

Meet my new cousin ... I love her!

Noah loves his cousin, Molly. He calls her "Ba-beee" and loves to share his toys with her, especially when she's nursing. He gives her kisses and points to her nose. He also loves sitting in her vibratey chair.

The perfect day ...

This past weekend I blew off school on Saturday and decided to see how real people live ... I can't believe what I've been missing. We were almost a normal family! We spent the morning drinking coffee with friends at the house and then we went to lunch with Nana and Papa and then off to the park ... I can't remember the last time the three of us just hung out playing together. Don't get me wrong, we play together at home and we see each other before Noah goes to bed, but this was different. This is what weekends are supposed to be like ... After the park we headed to Ikea and wandered the kid section with what seemed like the rest of Sacramento and then had some friends over for chili and a game of celebrity ...

The day was perfect! On the one hand, it feels like law school is almost over and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. On the other, it doesn't feel like it's going to happen soon enough. Right after graduation I start bar prep and then I have to wait for the results ... I guess it just feels like more hoops and more time away from Noah, Greg and Gary (Louis doesn't really care if I'm there or not).

I'm not a crazy person. I know that life after law school will still require time away from the family. But it will be one thing; one job and it won't require me to spend all of my nights away from home and it won't require me to spend my weekends reading federal income tax law. I will almost be a "normal" person and I seriously can't wait!

Genius Baby

Mr. Noah on Christmas with his new bike!

I don't wanna brag or anything, but my son is becoming quite the smarty pants! Tonight we were looking at his favorite book, "Book of 100 Words" and we were looking at the animal page (animals are his new favorite things, next to trucks, which he calls "gucks") and I pointed to the piggy and said "Noah what noise does a piggy make? Snort snort?" and he looked at me, took out his boppy, and then "snorted" back at me! Then we pointed to all the other animals, he didn't say all of the noises, but he knows cows and says "moo" and he also likes the owls. He's genius I tell you!

The other big thing that he's started to do (and I maybe shouldn't mention anything, because I don't want to jinx it, but I'm too excited I can't help it, so after I say it pretend I knock on wood and say "God for bid poo poo poo", just to be safe) is he has started to learn how to sleep again! Noah slept through the night until he was 4 months old and then the teething started and after the teething came the ear infections and after the ear infections, or was it during I can't remember, we all got the stomach flu ... so, since we've been recovered from the latest wave of ailments, which is has only be the last 4 or 5 days, Mr. Noah has slept through the night 3 out of the last 4 nights. But that's not all! He has finally learned his sleeping routine!

We've been using "Sleep Sheep" since he was a teeny weeny baby and before that we would use the hair dryer, so he's always had some sort of white noise to help him sleep, but on top of the Sleep Sheep we also had to have the boppy and the night light and the rocking chair and then we'd have to rub his back and then we'd have to wait until he stopped opening his eyes so that we could sneak away ... it was a very long and drawn out production. So for the past 2 or 3 nights it's as if the light switch finally turned on in his genius brain. We turn down the lights, turn on sleep sheep, and he reaches for his crib, lies down and closes his eyes. Tonight, after I put him down, he looked up at me for a second, then turned his head and closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Maybe this is just a temporary thing? Or maybe he really gets it? Either way, it's been amazing!!!

December January

December flew by ... Noah met his new cousin Molly and loves pointing to her nose and sharing his toys. Whenever we say her name or he sees her he immediately says "Ba-beee." I think they are going to be fast friends.

Noah celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas and this year he actually was able to help open his presents and play with things. (Last year it just felt like I was opening gifts that I bought and wrapped myself). He got his first bike and helmet, a tent and some very cool instruments. I'm sure he will go through many phases during his lifetime, but right now I'm convinced he's going to be a cycling musician.

When I was pregnant, and even before, I always wondered what traits my child would pick up from me ... I hoped he wouldn't have my thighs, but more importantly would he enjoy my love of soccer or shopping? I hoped he got Greg's creativity and his ability to figure things out and appreciate the process of how something works. Maybe he'd have my determination (which is considered by some to be stubbornness) ... who knows.

Nowadays I love watching him dance and spin and I love seeing notice new things ... when he sees a dance or music performance on TV he immediately stops and watches. Sometimes he even dances along. He even bangs and bobs his head around when he plays his guitar.

Noah has picked up several new words and seems to be talking more and more ... he still says "Mommy", "Daddy", "Nana", "Papa", "Gunk-O", "Doggie", "Kee-gee" (he also says "Noo-Noo" which is "Lou Lou" but he won't say "Gary")...he also says a lot of words related to food: "Ba-ba" (banana), "pasta", "mo" (more). He shakes his head "no" and "yes" and he is able to communicate and express what he wants more clearly than before. He says "out" and "go" and his favorite item is "Bobby" which is a pacifier.

My most favorite thing that Noah does now is that he gives hugs and kisses. It's the sweetest thing in the whole word even though his kisses are always slimy or even blocked by a "bobby" it's my most favoritest feeling in the whole world ...

January 2010 hasn't started out as smoothly as I would have liked ... Greg has another broken shoulder bone, which happened in December, but has continued to bother him into the new year. After the new year I got a cold, an ear infection and strep throat, and Greg and Noah also had colds. Noah had another ear infection and to top it all off, we all got the stomach flu. Started with Mr. Noah and then to Greg, and then to me, Nana, Papa and Grandma ... I'm hopeful that it is on its way out and will not be bothering our family anymore, but this has been a rough new year. Noah gave me a kiss this morning and that made me feel a lot better.