Big Boy!

Our little Rem hit some milestones this week. Something clicked in his head and he now can crawl forward. He also can get himself from laying to sitting and from sitting to STANDING! He shocked Candice by standing in his crib when she came to get him from a nap. He has the walking motion down, all he needs is balance and it's all over. He also has his first tooth coming in. A bottom front tooth is ripping through. He is handling it well, naps are harder while he is in pain but his attitude is still great. It took him some time, but he finally hit a stride. It is so amazing how fast it all happens.

Christmastime

What a lovely Christmas we had! Despite our absence from the majority of our family, we really did enjoy ourselves. We had a Christmas Eve extravaganza with friends from the neighborhood. Keith made his famous turducken (often mistakenly referred to as turDUNKen) and all the fixins. He only allowed me in the kitchen long enough to make Lion House rolls and sweet potatoes. Christmas morning Remi woke up bright and early, and I do mean EARLY. We took our time getting him dressed and fed, then completely overwhelmed him with presents and wrapping paper. We enjoyed a long and lazy afternoon then made our way over to my uncle and aunt's for a nice traditional Christmas dinner. Pretty uneventful holiday and that's just the way we like it!
Remi loved his phone from Grandma Sano:
And his pillow from Mama She She:
He loves to ham it up:
Another gift from Grandma Sano
A delicious Christmas cheesecake, made from scratch by Keith!

What a great day

Keith here, hello. We had a very nice day today, thought I'd share. I got to sleep in for the first time in months, it was great. Then we watched the Sunday news programs and made fun of George Stephanopoulos together, I can't stand him. Candice was nice enough to take the child downstairs so I could get uninterrupted rest. Then we took a drive through the country north of our town just for craps and giggles. It was like most of Texas, Ghetto-Fab. Really beautiful horse ranches and farms with awesome homes right next to run down trailers then another nice house and so on, hence Ghetto-Fab. Very strange. On the way home we stopped at a road side vendor and picked up what they call a Chimenea. They are great for back yard fire pits.
Aint she a doll?

Here is a video of Candice lighting the first of many fires.

From 12-21-08

Then our friends came over and we made s'mores and had hot chocolate. It was very good. After that we had some fun with Ralph Waldo Remmerson. He is learning "So Big" and is getting the assisted walking thing down. Crawling is still a challenge for him, however. He can scoot backward, pivot around and go sideways but he just can't go forward yet. Candice believes that he will walk before he crawls. We'll see. Anyway, hope you all had a good day too.

He is actually a lot better at "So Big" than the video shows, it was late when we recorded this. Sorry about the poor audio, I had my finger over the mic. Oops.

From 12-21-08

Baby steps, he is usually much better than the video shows.

Dumbest thing EVER

Don't ask me how Candice found this ridiculous video. She will walk around with a grin singing "Snape, Snape, Severus Snape, Harry Potter, Harry Potter!" This video has almost 56 million views on YouTube. I just don't get it.
WARNING- VERY CATCHY SONG!

No! No! No!

SNOW!

I forgot to mention that it SNOWED here last week. This was only the 7th December snow in the last 100 years! It made me so homesick. It makes everything beautiful and quiet. We drove around and played Christmas music. Such a nice start to the Christmas season. Only stuck around until morning.

Newsletter: Month Nine

Nicknames: Ralph Waldo Remmerson, Remi-toe, Baby So-so,
New Foods: corn, cauliflower, Cheerios, frozen peas
Visitors: Aunt Katie

Dear Remington,

Today you turn nine months old.

You are currently going through your first cold. It seems to be just the sniffles, but man, has it made you ornery! Not a whole lot of sleep going on around here. The other night was the worst night you have had since you were born. I don't think you have ever needed so much soothing and snuggling.
Besides that, you have had another wonderful month. Much to Daddy's dismay, you tried Cheerios in Sam's Club the other day. At first he insisted that I bite them in half and stop the cart whenever I fed you one. He is so careful with his little boy! Those Cheerios have changed your life! You have a few before every meal, to keep you distracted while I prep your food. Sometimes we eat them together for breakfast. You are becoming very skilled with your finger control and can clear a tray of Cheerios in seconds flat. The dogs benefit from your scraps as you always lose a few when I lift you our of your highchair. Stranger danger was in full force this month! We spent Thanksgiving at John and Vicki's house and you whimpered endlessly when anyone wanted to hold you. As part of this you have started to scream with your mouth closed. I've never seen another baby do this, it sounds like you are under a pile of blankets. Sometimes we worry that you will pass out if it keeps up for too long. But on the bright side, it helps keep me from going deaf, so thank you! Another plus is that you have figured out how to reach for us, one of the best feelings in the world.
You are still not technically crawling but you are the pivoting champion! You can also go from sitting to tummy. You can also roll, but almost never choose to. You scoot backwards and pivot to get around. It is quite efficient in a manner of speaking. You are also experimenting with pulling yourself to your feet. With spending so much time on the floor you need something to occupy your mind, so we usually turn on Baby Einstein or Sesame Street. You are so good and can sit there for an hour or more, playing with toys and watching your shows.

Lately you have been testing your vocals. Your favorite noise to make has been a guttural growl. Where you learned it I'll never know. Another favorite noise is a gurgley noise that sounds like a dentist's suction tool. You have also taken to saying 'goo-goo.' It is so classic and Daddy didn't believe that you learned that on your own.
You have become so curious this month. The look on your face when you discovered my ear was priceless. The expression read, "Huh! What a novelty! How long have you had that!" You also love to grab Daddy's nose and scratch as hard as possible. This month your senses seem to be really sharpening. You are drawn like a moth to a flame every time you hear a commercial geared towards kids. I guess those marketing guys know what they are doing! You respond pretty well to the sound of you name.

You have gotten very serious this month. You don't kick with excitement when I come to get you out of bed and it seems you reserve laughter for the truly funny. You don't laugh the second you see Daddy anymore either. Even with your new found seriousness, you still have a great admirer in Niles. He loves to sit practically on top of you every time you are on the floor. He and Baxter give you cold wet puppy kisses whenever they can. You like to lean over your highchair and exersaucer to get a better look at them whenever they play.


Something excited happened today! It snowed in Houston for the first time in years. It is the first snow you have ever seen. You seemed to be in a trance looking at it. I think you enjoyed being bundled up head to toe. The snow makes everything quiet and beautiful. We probably got over an inch of the stuff.

Your stats from today's doctor appointment:
Weight: 21 lbs 8 oz
Height: 29"
Head Circ: 18 1/2"
Shot up from 50% to 75% in height over the last three months.
No teeth yet!

You are our growing boy and we love you!

Love,
Mama

Sick Day

Remington has his first official cold! Runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, breathing through the mouth, extra whiny, and clingy. So sad yet so sweet. Maybe not so sweet at midnight, 2am, 4am, 6am...you get the picture!

Years ago...

Before we had any fellas, Keith and I lived in San Diego. This is what December looks like from the air...I will always have fond memories of our first home away from Utah.

We tried...

and failed...
So much for trying to take a nice family holiday picture! Baxter was trying to escape from evil Santa (Keith) and refused to be in the picture. He ended up stealing Niles' hat and running around the yard like a crazed beast.

Must See!!!

Keith here. Last year we started what has become, and I hope will continue to be, a new Sano tradition. After Thanksgiving we have a lazy weekend movie marathon. We pick a movie series and try to finish it within a couple days. We almost never leave the house and eat only leftovers. It is fun. Last year we watched Heroes Season 1. Loved it. This year we watched the HBO mini series John Adams. We were blown away. The acting was close to spectacular (some extras sucked). The cinematography and CG was perfect. The show follows David McCullough's Pulitzer prize winning book and was produced by Tom Hanks. It is seven parts, around 8.5 hours total. We were both blown away by the quality of the production and the surprising storyline which follows John and Abigail's inspiring relationship as much or more than it follows the political events of his life. It cuts out all the whitewashing and romanticizing history has bestowed upon our founding fathers and show them as they were, extraordinary men in extraordinary times, but also very human. As historically accurate as is possible with incredible attention to detail, this film should be required viewing for every citizen.

Yes, it's that time of year!

I can't believe it's time for this video again already!

Thanks

Is it cliche to make a list of things you're thankful for this time of year? I hope not!
Keith. He giggles with me at night, reads my thoughts, and will always do what he can to make me happy.
Remington. The first one to give me a snuggle in the morning, has a smile whenever I walk in the room, and brings a joy I've never known.
Roof over my head.
Two silly pups who attack me whenever I have a blanket and entertain us with tricks and puppy kisses.
Health.
Mom and mom-in-law just a phone call away when I need advice.
Family here and everywhere.
Cars that run well.
Raid cockroach spray.
Cold nights.
Recipezaar.
Talk radio.

Mulching Man

Keith is the mulching man around here. This is a big accomplishment considering how much we procrastinate doing our yard work!
Before:
After:

Week 6 of a healthier me!

Week 6 is finally here! I should have posted this on Wednesday, but then I started procrastinating and after that I couldn't think of a good goal. Well, here goes anyway!
Week 6 goal:
Do 50 sit-ups a day!
I started doing this once I felt up to it after Remi was born, then I fell into a slump and started doing it again last week. It's easy to do while Rem has tummy time, and he thinks it's kinda funny. I try to let him participate by incorporating him into the sit-ups, so we both have fun.

It's been a good six weeks. I haven't always stuck to my goals, but it helped open my eyes to what I should be doing to improve my life.
By far the most difficult goal was to be more gracious. It was if I was being tested that particular week.
I encourage everyone to make simple goals to enrich your life!

Newsletter: Month Eight

8 months old!
New tricks: Johnny Jump Up! Slapping legs, splashing in the tub, reaching for Mama, locking hands together, trying to play peek-a-boo, scooting backwards, grabbing Mama's hair and Daddy's chest hair on purpose, bouncing
New foods: avocado, butternut squash, biter biscuits, sweet potato puffs, pears,
New nicknames: Mister, Remmers, Remerson
Physical developments: No teeth yet, learning to chew, trying to understand the whole hand-to-mouth thing with food
Events to remember: The US elected it's first black president, Barack Obama

Dear Remington,

Today you turn eight months old!

This month has flown by.
This month We have been playing hotel for the last three weeks, so you have seen strangers coming and going. You almost always had a smile for them. You are still sweet as can be but becoming more particular about the way things go in your world. You are letting your voice be heard about everything, whether it be whining when you don't want to lay on your back, crying when we take away a toy, or screaming when you are not quite ready to go to bed.
Trying to figure out the subtle nuances of the binki:
Your sleeping schedule has been disrupted by all the commotion in our lives, and you have been waking up frequently in the middle of the night. Sometimes it is because you are hungry or cold, but I think it is mostly because you want to snuggle.
You are quite the snuggler. You need hugs when you get hurt and you like to cozy up after a long nap. This month was the first time you hurt yourself. Once when you dropped a toy phone on your face and again when you got your fingers stuck in a shopping cart. It was so sad and sweet at the same time. Your cry was so genuine and you really needed an extra snuggle.
Lots of new experiences have been so fun. You got a new swing that we hung from the patio. It is relaxing for both of us. You swing while I read or take in some sun. You have started to use your new big boy car seat since learning how to sit in a shopping cart and high chair. It is quite plush and you seem very comfy, but I do miss being able to cart you around in your carrier! Another fun thing for us has been reading a book called Five Noisy Ducks. It 'quacks' when you push a button and sometimes I have to restrain you so I can read without having to scream over quacking. You love all books and pat the pages while Daddy or I read to you.
This month you have shown us your fears. You are starting to experience more stranger danger, but you will smile at them if Mama or Daddy are holding you. Apparently. you are also afraid of large dogs. I have never had you clutching to me the way you did when you met our friend's 2 100lb dogs.
This month has been one of travel. Daddy took us on a business trip to Port O'Connor. It was nearly a four hour drive. You did pretty good. We had to stop at the two hour mark to feed you and change you, but for the most part you were very pleasant. The only time you really cried was when the sun got in your eyes. When we arrived at our destination, you enjoyed playing on the bed at the hotel, taking walks along the pier, and sitting in a highchair in restaurants.
We enjoyed your first Halloween this month. You were the requisite pumpkin. I dressed you up and took you up and down the street with a friend. You were so proud to hold your tin pumpkin pail and shook it so much that your candy would fall out on the street. Trick or treating seems silly at your age, but the little old ladies on our street just loved you and gave you lots of candy that I quickly ate on your behalf.


We also took you to vote this month. Well, you didn't vote, but we did. You were so cute in your 'Vote Now' T-shirt:
Daddy has been enjoying getting to see you every night instead of every two weeks. You always have a big goofy grin for him, and he makes you laugh like no one else can. He has been great in trying to help you learn how to crawl forward, but at this point scooting backwards seems to suit you. You love to play 'Tick Tock Baby Clock' with Daddy. He also lets you 'boing' (bounce) on his lap. You love it when he hangs you upside by the ankles. Your greatest joy seems to come from slapping his face. I think you like the sound of a slap.

Remington, you are getting the independent bug and I look forward to you being on the move. I love to see the look on your face when you are proud. You have a lot to be proud of! You are becoming so curious and your little face is so inquisitive. I love to teach you new things. You are growing at the speed of light and we are loving every minute of it. "Stay golden, Ponyboy!"
Love,
Mama

Congratulations President-Elect Obama

Wow. He actually did it. Let me start off by saying that I voted for John McCain. As you all know, I am about as hard core a conservative as they come. That said, the man won fair and square. We need to suck it up and move on. While I will continue to fight for conservative values and oppose liberal directions our new President may take us, I recognize him as our new Commander in Chief and I will give him the respect the office deserves. I would be very upset and disappointed if conservatives treat President Obama in the same disgusting way that liberals treated President Bush. We should not dig down to their level.

America truly is an amazing nation. In just over 150 years since the enslavement of an entire people was legal in many parts of this country, we now have a man, half born of African ancestry, and who identifies himself as a black American win the highest elected office in our land. We should celebrate this momentous achievement regardless of politics. Although, conservatives should feel vindicated. For years we have been arguing that, while it may exist at the level of individuals, America is not a racist country. Here anyone can be anything they work hard enough to be. I hope that this puts people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton out of business. It is hard to argue that "the man" is keeping you down when "the man" is now black. Oh how I long for the day when skin color differences is regarded the same as eye or hair color differences.

While we should respect the man and the office, we are duty bound to fight for our ideology. After all, that is what America is. Ideas. Individuals do not rule this country. Kings and Queens, Emperors and Caesars have nearly all led their nations to destruction. America being founded upon the principle that the collective, unforced will of the majority dictates the country's path has been the road to our past, present and future success. In this particular election, however, it was not only the ideas or the message, but also the messenger. Barack Obama added a different and unique element to this election. History was ready for a drastic change, not only in ideas, but race as well. (Yes, I am tired of that word too. If I hear Hope or Change one more time I'm gonna lose it)

Republicans have failed. We squandered our time at the helm. We have been horrible at conveying, and especially following, our ideology. Republicans have become democrats with a small "d". They have foolishly led the party further to the left as support began to fade. This has left the party is a crazy bizarro world where the Right and Left are both saying "What are you?" I'll tell you what we are, we are the Stupid party. We have two parties, the Stupid party, of which I am a card carrying member, and the Dangerous party. Leftism and its socialistic agenda is dangerous for our security and future. Apparently people still refuse to learn from history and continue to support the path to socialism and further.

The Republican elites are right now trying to decide how they failed and what to do. I hope that they will return to the Right. Re-embrace all the things that made us great. Freedoms, low taxation, champions of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Peace through strength, individual accountability, small government. The party of Reagan. I wanted to vomit when McCain said he wanted to buy peoples upside down mortgages. How is that a conservative value or even a role of the government? President Bush failed us by signing off on the 700 billion dollar bail out plan, which has done nothing. Now private companies like Ford and GM are pan handling to the feds to save their worthless empires. Hey, American car makers, here's an idea, "BUILD A GOOD PRODUCT!" The Japanese have been doing it for decades. If they build a car that will outlast a Honda or Toyota, their problems will be solved. But no, they and their Democrat supporters want the American taxpayer to pay for them to stay in business for another 6 months when they will fail again and ask for more money. Morons, but I digress.

With our country nearly being split in half ideologically, Republicans must work ever harder to relay their message. Talk radio is not enough when you are going against TV, Hollywood and newspapers. We need to get aggressive with our advertising. Hopefully we can win the House or Senate in two years and act as a stronger check and balance to our new President.

President Obama has a tough job ahead. His followers are expecting him to do acts of God once he moves in to the White house. Republicans will be watching his every move, waiting to exploit a slip up. Russia will challenge him, believing him to be weak on foreign policy and defense. The wars in the Middle East will not be as easy to get out of as he believes. The economy is in a rough spot and unforeseeable challenges will arise. We must stand by the side of President Obama when we can and respectfully resist and oppose policies that go against our core values.

This is still the greatest nation on Earth. Conservatives, be patient, our time will come again.

P.S. Buy them while you can, you know he will ban them soon. You know what I'm talking about.

Week 5 of a healthier me!

Week 4 goal is going pretty well.
This week I personally walked the dogs four times and they were walked a total of six times.

Week 5 goal:
Lift weights 4 times a week.
We have the facilities...I've just been lazy

A little sweetness to take off the bitter edge...

Election day cookies!

Made with the world's most expensive M&Ms:

Chickens

Keith has been toying with the idea of raising chickens ever since we put the gardening idea on hold. It brought to mind a show I saw at 3AM on PBS when I lived in my first apartment. It was titled "The Natural History of the Chicken." It was positively the most heartwarming nature program I've ever seen! My favorite was the story of the chicken that lived without a head for 18 months after his owner (a farmer) had tried to slaughter him but failed. The farmer did a complete 180 and cared for that chicken like a mother would care for her newborn. The farmer would even feed it with an eyedropper. The chicken died by choking on a piece of corn while on the traveling circus circuit.
I won't post the picture because it is kinda graphic, but you can do a google search for 'Mike the headless chicken' if you want to see him.

I would like chickens of the with head variety. My favorite is the Japanese Silkie Bantam:I just found the entire program on You Tube. It's in 6 parts, but if you have time, you should check it out!

The sun will still rise tomorrow...

Well, it looks like you nasty liberals got your way. I'm joking really, but we are sad to see McCain lose. I might be saying this prematurely given that it is only 9:45pm here.
Frustrating evening.
I'm going to bed.

Port O'Connor

Keith, Remington and I packed our bags and headed to Port O'connor for three nights this week. Keith had some business that way, so he brought us along for the ride. It is on the bay but seems to attract purely fisherman. It boasts one gas station, no traffic lights, and maybe 5 little restaurants. We had a great time relaxing, walking the pier, and listening to a Book on CD on the drive. Food choices were very slim for me. I ate two grilled cheese, a cheese enchilada, and a four cheese hot pocket. We ended up driving an hour away just so I could eat at a salad bar. The last day we ate at a tiny sub shop. I was incredibly skeptical, but we ended up having the best meal of our stay there!
Thanks for the mini vaca, Keith!

Not very original...

But we had a fun evening!
We went trick or treating with Brian, Heidi and Alek up and down our street. Remi was so proud to carry his little tin pail!

Tidbits

It's a look that says: "What do you think I am, some kind of idiot?"

Couldn't wait any longer for a nice snack. We pulled over in the middle of nowhere.

Keith helped out at the Fire and Ice Festival loading the helicopter. You gotta love the passenger's shirt...

Freezing at the Fire and Ice BBQ Festival. Four blankets to keep warm! He slept through the chopper taking off and landing about 30 times!

Week 4 of a healthier me

Goal success so far:
Week one of no soda: I did fine for nearly three weeks, then I buckled and had a Diet Pepsi 2 days in a row...
Week two of being gracious: I did really well in some aspects and horribly in others. Still trying really hard.
Week three of 5 servings of fruit/veggies: What a joke! After a week of this goal I MAYBE succeeded two out of seven days. Partly because we spent last Saturday at a BBQ festival and we have spent this week in a little beach town where the only fresh vegetable is iceburg lettuce!

Goal for week 4:
Walk the dogs 5 days a week. This is more for the dogs than me, because they have been extra naughty and Keith threatens to 'send them to a farm' if they don't stop peeing in the house. They are never ignored, but they get vindictive when we leave them alone downstairs for more than 2 minutes. I'll reap the benefits of the exercise and Remi will enjoy the walks, too.

Reminder from Remington

Remington would like to remind everyone to perform their civic duty on or before November 4th! We voted on Thursday. Your vote really does matter, especially in local elections!

Week 3 of a healthier me!

I nearly forgot it is the beginning of week 3 for my very healthy self.
Week 1 goal of no soda is still going, but I feel like a total crack addict. I can't even walk by a soda machine without my mouth watering.
Week 2 goal of being gracious is going okay in some regards and not so well in others, but it might have to do with current situations I cannot avoid. I realize that how I act is entirely up to me, but for some reason I am still having a really hard time.
Week 3 goal:
Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Sounds simple, but I haven't had any yet and it is almost 3pm!