Special Guests

So today we were delighted to have some special guests hang out with us this Saturday. At around 10:30, our really good friend Annie came to visit us. This was the first time that she has seen our new addition to our family and she was very excited to see Derek. She held our baby boy and we caught up. By the way, congratulations again Annie & Kevin on getting married. Next up, kids...hehe. I gave her a tour of our apartment complex and Erica and her exchanged stories of Annie's wedding & honeymoon and Erica & I's birth experience. It was a pleasure to have her over.


As soon as Annie took off, Erica, Derek & I took a quick nap and then heading to Qualcomm Stadium to meet up with David & Michelle. David, his parents and my old high school classmate, Wallace, went to go watch David & Wallace's alma mater, Colorado State play San Diego State in a regular season college football game. It was cool running into Wallace. Small world. Another fact I found out was that Wallace's grandparents used to live in Delano, where Erica is from. It caught us by surprise because usually when either one of us mentions Delano, we have to go into this explanation, or say its near Bakersfield. Also, what are the chances that two dudes would show up to a college football game wearing Boston Celtics jerseys??? By the way, I also own a #5 Kevin Garnett jersey that David (seen below) is wearing. Could you imagine if I rocked that jersey instead of the #34 jersey that I showed up in? We took a few pics, hung out with them at the tailgate, and then Michelle walked back with us to our apartment to chill.


Once we got to the apartment, we headed for some carne asada fries from Super Sergios and some yogurt from Yogurt World. If you guys are not from San Diego and are visiting, carne asada fries are a must! Also, this was the first time Michelle has been to Yogurt World and I must say, it was a success. We went straight home and watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Thanks Michelle & Annie for hanging out with us!!!

and i would walk 500 miles...

it's me, Erica!! Dean hasn't posted in a while, and this blog was getting lonely, so i'm taking over (for today that is). it was my day with Derek today (i have fridays off) and it was a fabulous day indeed.



last night little Derek slept a whole 8 hours straight, which gave us an awesome night's sleep. he slept at 7:45pm and woke up at 3:45am. i fed him and he slept, waking up again at 6:45am. Derek was being extra cute smiling big at his daddy, so Dean didn't want to leave for work this morning. like mother like son, we both wanted him to stay. i knew that the sooner he left, the sooner he'd come home to us, so he went on his way and Derek and i continued with our day.

so this post is gonna be about how much walking i did today. all for the sake of Derek getting some sleep. after having a nice long conversation with Derek about his nose, the squares on the wall, how cute he is, his fingers, and whatever else i could think of in response to his coos and gurgles, i decided to put him in his baby bjorn and take a walk. i wanted to get out of the apartment and show him the trees and all the exciting things to see outside. so off we went. the show-and-tell didn't last long, cause when i got down the stairs and looked down at my son, he was fast asleep. oh well, i thought. i'll just use this to get some exercise.



so it was a nice 45 minute walk as we walked around the pool, weaved around the apartment buildings, up the stairs into escala (the condos up the hill from us), into their doggie park, and back down into portofino (our apartment complex). we got home and i kept him in the baby bjorn and got a quick bite to eat while he slept. i managed to finish more than half my food before he woke up hungry so i fed him and watched him sleep (i could watch him for hours). that didn't last long, cause he was up within five minutes of finishing his meal. so i had another nice long conversation with him and got some baby gym time in.



i saw that he was getting sleepy, and i remembered how well the baby bjorn worked at getting him to sleep earlier that morning, so off we went for another walk. he fell asleep just as fast as before, so this time we went to the clubhouse so i could catch some of an episode of gilmore girls on tv. it was almost over, so there wasn't much to catch. next we headed to the business center, where i checked my email and facebook. then i walked around the apartment complex and back up to the apartment. i kept him in the bjorn again and ate a lunch of ritz crackers and american cheese (super healthy, i know), and poured myself a bowl of cereal for later. i finished my mini meal and feeling quite satisfied, i turned my attention to laying Derek down cause my back was killing me from standing for so long. OMG i love the baby bjorn. i had no problems laying him down. i grabbed a quick nap with him, fed him, ate my cereal and waited for Dean to come home.



we ran errands once Dean came home. we went to old navy to return some stuff and got some deals from the sale they have going on right now. $2 skirts and shirts is all i'm gonna say about that :) then we went to Marshalls, where Dean found a cool jacket (Chargers jacket, of course), and we found an outfit for Derek. then Costco to get dog food and some stuff i'd forgotten to get yesterday, then to one of our favorite restaurants, Chibas, for some takeout sushi.

Derek was great the entire time, i'm so grateful to have such a chill little boy.

RAAAAAAWR!!!

he loved being outside and staring at all the cool lights and new environment.

ok, if you made it to the end of this post, kudos to you cause i know that i write too much. oddly enough i don't talk as much as i write :) anyway, thanks for reading!!

and yes...
...he is my property. forever. :)

Daddy Derek Day 2.0

So today was day 2 for Daddy time with Derek. My work grants me 10 days of parental time to spend with our little newborn and I have to use them up by the end of November. It was a very fun and successful day with the little guy. Lets recap. As soon as Erica fed Derek and went off to work, I tried my best to get in a quick nap to start the day. Unfortunately that didn't happen. He was a sleep for a good 15 minutes and then he was wide awake. We hung out for quite a bit. Derek got some tummy time, jumpies and baby gym time. I joined him under the little contraption.
After his "intense" workout, he took a quick nap. That was prime time for me to make myself a quick meal. I microwaved a Vons Eating Right meal and ate it right before Derek woke up.


Derek took another nap and as soon as he woke up for that one, we visited Erica at her work. He was really good in the car. He only cried for about a minute or two and then he slept through. We got there at around 12:30. According to Erica's coworkers, he grew pretty quick since the last time that they saw him. He woke up for a few minutes and provided some smiles for the crowd. After that, Erica fed baby and he fell right asleep. I took a quick nap while Derek was eating and we headed back home.
When we got home, Derek was still asleep so I let him rest in the car seat. He's starting to not hate the car seat as much. A few weeks ago, he dreaded the thing. After Erica figured out how to loosen the belts, he gets in and doesn't get fussy. We waited not took long until Erica got home. Derek is the happiest baby in the world once he sees his mommy. The rest of the time, we relaxed and called it a night. Derek Daddy Day 2 was awesome!

Happy Birthday Sam & Don!

So today was my twin cousins Sam & Don's birthdays today. Derek, Erica and I headed down to my parents house for a birthday BBQ. We saw everyone in the family, including Mom, Dad, Jay, Joanna, Jalen, Jolene, Ron, Katrina, Grandma, Auntie Baby, Charm, Sam & Don.
We hung out for a bit. This was the first time that Derek was with every single member of my side of the family at one time. He didn't get his afternoon nap so he was a little cranky but overall, he had a good time.

By the way, check out how much Derek has grown. The first pic is of him at 3 weeks and the second pic is him at 7 weeks. Enjoy!

Its Been A While...

...Since I updated you guys on what we've been up to. Last Thursday was the end of Derek's 2nd week with his grandparents and he is fully adjusted to being somewhere other than our apartment. We're so glad that its been successful.

Last Monday was the first of 10 Daddy-Derek days. My work gives me paid parental time for parents with newborn babies. I used my first day to spend it with him. It was great hanging out with the little guy. He didn't cry except for when he was hungry. Other than that, he was good to go. I took him along with Kiwi & Nala for a quick walk around the apartment complex.

Also, Derek is now sleeping in longer than usual. He is out in 5-hour increments. He used to wake up midnight, 3AM & 6AM. Now he sleeps in all the way until 3AM instead of waking up an additional time. Other than that, we've worked and mastered our usual routine. The Grandparents pick up Derek on Tuesdays thru Thursday, we go to work and pick him up after work.

Today (Saturday) was a very fun and eventful. It started with Derek and I waking up at around 4AM. I got plenty of sleep even though it was so early. We slept at 9PM and had a good stretch until around 4. I spent some time with him and couldn't sleep. He fell asleep in on my lap and instead of sleeping, I played some online Madden on PS2(yeah I know its PS2 and not PS3 or Xbox 360, but hey the game was free and its still just as fun. The only difference really is the graphics). Got a couple of games in and Erica got a chance to get some well needed rest. She slept for a good 10 hours. As soon as Erica got up, we gave Derek a bath.

After that, we had soup and a sandwich and watched a bunch of episodes of How I Met Your Mother. After a few episodes, Derek and I fell asleep. Check out the pics of us two that Erica took of us:

After the Derek and I woke up, all of us got ready to go to our Auntie Nedy's Birthday Party. It was Derek's first party and he did really well. He loves party music. It helped a great deal that his grandparents were there. He spent some really great quality time with both of them, especially. Here's a pic with smiling Derek with his grandma, Erica & Derek and our happy family:
Another milestone that happened tonight was Derek's first ever trip to Walmart! We're such dorks that we actually got a pic of him in front of the Eastlake (Chula Vista-South San Diego) Walmart location:

Tomorrow...Charger Football!!!!!

Week 1 Recap & Another Chill Weekend

Wow I've been slacking. The last time I fill you guys in on our journey through family life was last Wednesday. So here's the latest update. Derek spent his first week with his San Diego grandparents and boy it was a success. According to them, DJ did great. He hardly cried(only when he was hungry) and kept his usual sleeping schedule. On Thursday, Erica took a half day on Thursday and picked our boy early. The following day, Erica was off (and will be off every Friday with her new schedule) and spent the whole day with Derek.
Saturday was very laid back. We hung out at the apartment all day. It was great to sleep in and get plenty of rest. I woke up at around 7 and spent some Daddy time with Derek while Erica slept in past 9:30. It was the usual playing with Derek, changing him, feeding him and then rocking him to sleep. We did have a special treat in the evening. San Diego State University played Air Force in a college football game at Qualcomm Stadium, literally less than a mile from our apartment and the same stadium where the Chargers play. After the game, a local radio station, KGB hosted a fire work show. We were able to see the whole show from our 3rd floor apartment. It was just like a 4th of July show, but a little longer.
Sunday was also very chill. This morning, while Derek was crying, I brought him to bed with us and all of a sudden he stopped and fell asleep. It was like magic. It was the first time that we had him in bed with both of us and he knocked out.

Erica went on her usual weekend out-of-the-apartment outing. She picked up some groceries at Costco and some stuff for her and Derek at Target. These trips are her chance to get outdoors while I have some time with Derek. Here's a pic Derek and I during daddy-son time.
After a day of afternoon football came the Charger's Sunday Night football game and once again, Derek fell asleep during the game. Its okay. As soon as he is aware that the Chargers are on, he'll be up with his mommy and daddy decked out in Charger gear.

One last tid bit. We weighed and measured our little man. As of today, he is officially 12.6 pounds and is 23 3/4 inches.

Day 2

So today was the 2nd day for Derek with his grandparents. It was another successful day. Apparently he got up every 20-30 minutes during the day but did not cry. He is doing a lot better than we thought. It looks like he is comfortable away from us during the day. I'm sure that will translate into him being able to enjoy being around others rather than hiding behind his mommy and daddy. Once we got home from work, Erica and I went straight to my parents house to pick up Derek, not before grabbing a bite to eat, courtesy of mom's home cooking. Once we got home, Erica fed DJ and I took the girls for a nice jog. After that, he knocked out for the night.

6 Weeks Old DJ, His First Bath & Back to Work For Erica

Derek turned 6 weeks old today and man is he growing. Happy 6 weeks baby boy! On this special day, we also gave Derek his first baby tub bath. We gave him sponge baths before, but this is the first time we gave him a full-out bath in the baby tub that his Auntie Nora gave him. This first time bath was done at 4AM this morning and he did very well. DJ loves the water.
Also, today was Erica's return back to work after her 6-week long maternity leave. That meant that it was babysitting for Grandpa Ross, Grandma Myrna and the rest of my family at my parents house. It was a the first time that either Erica or I did not spend the day with our baby and we were both a little teary eyed. We both knew that he was in great hands, after all, the raised me and I turned out pretty well ;).

We both got to work at around 630AM and once we were off, we rushed down my parents so pick up our baby boy. Turns out, Derek did a great job at his grandparents house. The only time he cried was when he was hungry. Other than that, mom and dad said that he was a great and in there words, was not a "crybaby." Derek had plenty of baby sitters there, including his grandparents, great grandma, uncles Sam & Don, his auntie Tom Tom, and Auntie Baby. He really enjoyed the time and we have absolute confidence that he will be fine at mom & dad's house. We have nothing to worry about.

Our Little Sleepy Head

So today Erica had a follow-up appointment with her OBGYN (Obstetrician Gynecologist) and all signs were good. While she was at the appointment, I spent the morning with our little man and took a half day for work. Derek was awake for most of the time I was with him, excluding the little 45 minute cat nap. Once Erica got home, I took a shower and went to work. Apparently while I was out, Mr. Derek took a 5 hour nap. That was the longest time he's been asleep since he was born!


After work, I swung by this awesome Mexican Restaurant called El Indio. If you are near the Airport and hefty-portion Mexican food, check this place out. Its a little bit more pricey than the typical taco shops in San Diego, but its well worth it, especially with a buy one get one free coupon you are all set!

Once I got home, Derek was still asleep. We took advantage of him resting by eating our dinner and watching another portion of Iron Man. As soon as he woke up, we put him in his new baby bouncy chair. He's starting to visually pick up objects. We've been spending a lot more time speaking and looking at him face-to-face. He is growing so fast!

A Very Relaxing Weekend

Sorry we missed you guys yesterday. I made it a constant thing to enter a blog entry a day and broke that streak. So here's what we were up to this past weekend. Yesterday, Erica when on a morning outing to Costco, Babies R Us and Jack in the Box. Since I've been working and out of the apartment during the day pretty much since Derek was born, it was Erica's turn to get out. She picked up some groceries at Costco and some cold-weather PJ's for our baby boy. DJ and I hung out while his mommy was out. As soon as she got home, we watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall on DVD. While watching the movie, Derek gave his smile while he was awaking. He smiles in his sleep, but this was the first time that he smiled at us will he was in one of our arms. Also, we dressed him up in a tank top onezie for the very first time. Check out his muscle shirt:
After the movie, we chilled out for a bit. We ate dinner and then watched a little more than half of Iron Man. Apparently Derek likes this movie too. He was all into the parts where Iron Man started flying around for the first time.

On Sunday, we woke up and watched the Charger against the Dolphins. The Chargers looked bad and ended up losing the game. Boo on that! Oh well, they'll beat New England next week. :) After the game, we headed to my boss, Ken Baker's place for a team BBQ. The celebration was in honor of a few things, including a congratulations to Derek's birth, Scott and his wife's soon-to-be first child, Jenn's engagement and our team being in the top 10% of the company for the whole quarter. Lots to celebrate. The main dish was the Bear-Butt Smoked Chicken. It is exactly how it sounds, a can of bear smoked in the butt of a chicken. It was awesome!

Rainbow Relaxation

Today was a better day for both Erica and Derek. Compared to yesterday, DJ took more naps and slept longer, giving Erica the rest and relief that she needed. The restlessness is over for now. One thing that may have helped is this track called Rainbow Relaxation. While Erica was pregnant, we took Hypnobirthing, facilitated by Carol Yeh. One of the tools in the class was using the 20-minute Rainbow Relaxation track to help us relief stress and get relaxed. Before bed, Carol suggested that we play this music. We listened to it every night for the last 3 months of Erica's pregnancy. It seems that Derek remembers the music. While he was crying this morning, Erica played Rainbow for him and he calmed down pretty quick and slept through the morning. We just discovered another tool to help our little family spend happier and less crying days.
So we gave Derek some baby gym time today and he found a new friend, Mr. Elephant. Like a good friend, DJ started eating his trunk, hehe.

Mom, Dad & Tom Pay a Visit

Today was a long day for both Erica and I. For me it was work. For Erica, it was a day of on-and-off waking up and eating by our little baby boy. She could not get him down for his regular nap. He's starting to get more and more unpredictable. That's parenthood for us. Everyday is different and there are challenges thrown our way. Of course was expected.

After work, Mom, Dad and my cousin Tom Tom came by for a quick visit. They were kind enough to swing by Long John Silvers to pick us up some dinner. The closest one to our place is off of Imperial Ave., near Home Depot. I had some fried chicken with french fries and two hush puppies. Erica had the same except she had fish planks instead of chicken.


Today was the first time Tom Tom has ever held a baby. We're so glad that Derek was her first baby. It was also the very first time that she's seen Erica, Derek and I's place.


Also, mom got a chance to hold our baby boy. Usually when mom and dad are around Derek, its dad carrying him. After mom's enjoyment of cleaning our place, she held DJ for a bit.
It was great to see them. Also, it was awesome of them to pick us up some food. Putting Derek in that car seat is like torture for him. He dreads being in there. Whenever we can get help and food, its very much appreciated.