Storytime with Spencer's Teddy Bears

Lately, Spencer has been personifying his stuffed animals, helping them get dressed in diapers and pajamas and pretending to put them to sleep. This morning, he really wanted to read some books to his bears...


So, he hoisted the bears up next to him on our living room sofa and "read" them one of his favorite books ("I'm a Big Brother Now!").


Hopefully, this is a sign of the kind of big brother Spencer is going to be in just a few weeks...


Even though Spencer is turning into a pretty good storyteller, there's still nothing quite like having dad read to him (and his bears).

Lake Del Valle

We were hankering for a fun day out on the water but wanted a guarantee of HOT weather, so we ditched our plans to hang out in Half Moon Bay and headed instead to one of Ryan's childhood hangouts: Lake Del Valle!


Roping Grace, Alonzo, and Theo into our adventure, we made the trek out to the Lake (just south of Livermore) and were rewarded by some serious heat, tons of kids playing in the cool lake water, a voyage maxing out the weight-limit of our trusty inflatable kayak, and yummy picnic eats while listening to a wandering mariachi band!

Click here for more photos from Lake Del Valle.

Brunch at Mimi's

This Saturday, we headed up to Marin to hang out at great grandma Mimi's lakeside house in Corte Madera. We could not have asked for better weather or a more perfect setting for an outdoor brunch.


Spencer and Uncle Adam strike a pose with purple flowers in their hair.


Spencer spent most of the morning throwing rocks into the lake, pointing out "quack quacks" (ducks), eating berries off of everyone's plates, banging away on Mimi's piano, and playing hide-and-seek with Nancy in the house.


Spencer with our hostesses: Donna, Nani, and Mimi.

Ryan's 33rd Birthday - Part 2

With Spencer in daycare on Ryan's actual birthday (April 21), we headed to Half Moon Bay for sunshine, ocean views, and tasty lobster rolls on the outdoor patio of Sam's Chowder House. Later that day, Nancy came over for dinner and to hang out with Spencer (blowing bubbles in our backyard) while we snuck off to watch a movie - a real birthday treat! :)


Click here for more photos from Ryan's birthday and some great videos of Spencer's first attempts at blowing bubbles!

Ryan's 33rd Birthday - Part 1

We had a small family celebration in San Francisco on Sunday as an early kick-off to Ryan's 33rd birthday with Ryan's dad, Adam, Rachel, and Rachel's cousin Emma (visiting from New York). We had a great time lounging in the sun, taking a 2-mile stroll through the Presidio, enjoying good conversations, and whipping up a delicious home-made meal of grilled steak with salsa verde, a tasty salad, and Rachel's quinoa concoction with avocado dressing. The evening ended with vanilla ice cream, chocolate fudge cake, and some decadent chocolate peanut butter cookies fresh off the plane from Levain Bakery in New York!


Ryan makes a wish!


Hanging out with family after a perfect meal. Left to right: Adam, Ryan, Rachel, Eunice, Spencer, Michael, and Emma.


Spencer had a great time hanging out with dad on this special day!

Spencer's First Real Bed

Our little boy is growing up! We went to Ikea this weekend and battled the mobs to pick out a real bed for Spencer. We weren't sure we would find something that would work, but ended up with something that's just about perfect: low to the ground so he can climb on and off on his own, several settings that allow it to be as small as a crib or as large as a twin bed, and a cool leaf canopy that makes it a fun and cozy space for Spencer to hang out.


Spencer tests out his new bed, where he now spends lots of time reading books and taking naps. Won't be long (we hope) before he gives up his crib for good and passes it willingly on to little brother...

Eunice's Baby Shower

Nikki coordinated a fabulous baby shower for Eunice. A group of girlfriends whisked Eunice away for a fancy dinner at Le Colonial in San Francisco where they sampled delicious French-Vietnamese cuisine, shared humorous stories from their past, opened gifts, and celebrated a night out without men or kids - something Eunice might not get again for quite a while once baby #2 arrives in a few weeks... Thank you for a perfect night out, ladies!


From left to right: Julia, Amber, Grace, Eunice, Maggie, Blanca, and Nikki.

Jesse and Eileen's April Visit

Despite now living on the opposite coast as Jesse and Eileen, we have somehow managed to see each other every few months. This time, the Brackenburys made the trek out to the Bay Area for a weekend visit. We had a chance to play with Spencer in Dolores Park, sample burritos in the Mission, grab afterwork drinks with old friends, visit a local San Mateo farmer's market, check out baby equipment at Lullaby Lane, and eat a fancy meal at Coi - a new North Beach restaurant.


This trip was particularly memorable, in part because both Eunice and Eileen were sporting large bellies (though admittedly Eunice has several inches on Eileen!!!).


Thanks for coming out to visit us, guys! The next time we see each other, we'll have two newborns to add to the mix. :)