Suzanne's 30th Bday Tailgate

We helped our good friend Suzanne ring in her 30s in true NorCal style... at a tailgate before a Giants vs. A's baseball game. We brought Chloe to her first tailgate and baseball game... um, she wasn't quite sure what to make of it all (especially when she saw her favorite buddy Cammy doing a beer bong). But we had a blast nonetheless. Happy 30th Suzanne and ps we're so glad you and Eric will be staying in the Bay Area--many more tailgates ahead :-)

6 Month Doctor Visit & 1st Solid Food

On June 27, Chloe was half a year old and had her six-month appointment with Dr. Noah Simmons. She continues to be sweet and petite but did weigh in at 14 lbs. 11oz. and got a stellar review from her favorite doctor. However, these pictures were taken before receiving multiple shots...but like before, she recovered quickly. Dr. Noah gave us the green light to start solid foods, to supplement her daily breast milk and formula cocktails, um bottles. Chloe was not a fan of the rice cereal, so we switched to oatmeal (and started using a spoon instead of our fingers), which helped immensely. We are also mixing in homemade veggies care of Auntie Lizzy. Chloe loves zucchini and broccoli the best. Chloe now opens wide for every bite and is really into the eating thing...wonder where she gets that from?

Costanoa Getaway

After Jen's first week back to work, we headed south down the San Mateo coast for a little family excursion. On the way down, we stopped at the famous Moss Beach Distillery for lunch and a beer. Costanoa, located only an hour south of the City, between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz, is nestled on an eco-preserve just off Highway One overlooking the undeveloped coast. Costanoa has many different camping options, but we opted for the lodge, since we were traveling with Chloe. Since her bedtime practically became ours, we caught up on lots of sleep and reading. And combined with hiking and massages at the spa, it was the ideal family getaway after Jen's first week back to work. We will definitely return and hope to take advantage of the camping, biking and mountain trails when Chloe is a little older.

Mommy Goes Back to Work!

 

After six months of Chloe-bliss and a few tears, Jen showered-up, strapped on a new power suit and headed back downtown to return to the working world...

 

With a weekly visit from Ms. Chloe and Daddy, the billable hours seem to fly by...

Sometimes Chloe even helps Mommy...

 

Though it has been very hard leaving her little girl, Jen has enjoyed re-engaging in the law, her clients and the partners and colleagues she works with at Duane Morris. After seventeen daily renditions of the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" it's nice to have adult conversations and intelectual stimulation again. Of course, Chloe, her biggest client (and fan) always greets her with big smiles when she gets home (or sometimes at the MUNI stop if Daddy is anxious for some adult conversation himself!)

Happy First Father's Day!

  In Chloe's own words... her Daddy Rocks! We loved celebrating John's first father's day together and the start of his stint as a stay-at-home dad. We all went to Mass together and then came home to open presents... which included "John's Stay-at-Home DAD Survival Guide" [a complete guide to Chloe's favorite toys, songs, games, feeding times, sleeping schedule, developmental milestones, etc.etc.etc.] and some new hip clothes for his days roaming SF, louging in coffee shops, hanging in GG Park and meeting new friends at the playground. It was a great day to celebrate what an AMAZING father John has become and the kick-off to six weeks of bonding time with Chloe Bean.

Picnic in Tilden Park

We spent the weekend before my return to work getting good "family time," which included a picnic in Tilden Park with Chloe. Here she is giggling with Daddy...

 

Flying with Mommy....

 

And making silly faces....

 

Chloe's Pool Party

Chloe hosted her first pool party for all her "City" friends! We invited our friends from my SF Mom's Group out to Danville to Grammy and Poppo's house for a luncheon and pool party to celebrate my last week of maternity leave. The weather was fabulous and Chloe had so much fun introducing her friends to all of her cousins. KGB was the ultimate hostess with the mostess and Auntie Eileen and Auntie Lizzy brought their cuties along for the ride (including Reese!). Each of the babies got dunked under water for the first time... very exciting - but kinda scary! Then we all did bath time together and Chloe got cozy with her boyfriends, Liam and Dash. Thank you to Cassie, Jenny, Melissa & Sarah for making the trip out to the East Bay for a fun afternoon by the pool :-)

A Day with Grammy & Poppo

Chloe hosted a slumber party for her Grammy and Poppo on Saturday night while Mommy and Daddy were out on the town. The next day we hit Sunday Mass at St. Agnes and then we were off to the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair... quite a scene. Grammy and Poppo were sporting their true OBAMA flair and John was reminiscing his DeadHead days. We capped it off with lunch at Zazie, our favorite Cole Valley spot, and afternoon naps (um...for everyone)! Thanks for a great day, Grammy & Poppo!

Chez Panisse Treat

We had TWO huge events to celebrate on Saturday night: (1) our dear friend Brian's birthday and (2) BARACK OBAMA winning the Democratic nomination!!!! We decided to do it up in style and headed across the Bay in a limo to Chez Panisse, the home of famed chef Alice Waters. Delicious food, great wine, wonderful friends -- such a treat.

Hiking Bald Mountain

We met Dan and Alicia and some of their friends for a hike up Bald Mountain in Sonoma this weekend. With Chloe snug in the Bjorn, we climbed up the mountain and took in some awesome views... making only a few pit stops for breaks and snacks. It was quite a workout for John - considering Chloe is now our 14 pounder - but I told him it was good training for his imminent stint as a full-time dad. To reward ourselves for all the hard work, we stopped at KAZ Winery on the way down and were treated to friendly hospitality (they even brought out toys to entertain Chloe while we sipped wine!). All in all, the perfect California day!