Notice something different?

Finally after all these months of teething, Jonah has the tip of a tooth!

Ryan's Frugalicious Birthday

What do you do when you're low on the dough?
But you hope to celebrate as much as bfoe. (Ebonics for before)
Take the steps devised by a frugal pro:

Step #1- Sleep in. Miss breakfast entirely so you only have to worry about lunch and dinner. And then make a brunch.

Step #2- Make a homemade gift. Or in my case, a mostly finished homemade gift.


Step #3- Get a free video rental from Hollywood Video. We recommend Primer to those who like indie films that make you go, "Wait, what's going on?" Seriously, if you understand it the first time you watch it you are either a genius or lying.


Step #4- Get a free burger and shake from Fudruckers

Step #5- Get a free burger and bottomless fries from Red Robin


Step #6- Get a free yogurt from Yogurtagogo (For a pic see here.)

We can't have birthdays without good food. Good food this year meant free food. And Ryan is to thank for that as he got us those free coupons. Thanks, honey! It was so much fun celebrating the day together as a family, especially when it didn't break the bank! By the way, please be aware that we will be having a huge party on 11/11/11 for Ryan's 30th and you are all invited. (We're saving up for that one!)

October

Sorry, these pictures are just a little late...
For Halloween this year we decided to make our own costumes. Well, 2 out of 3. I had designed a pattern for Jonah's jacket but we ran out of time to sew it. That's why he's wearing an enormous jacket intended for a four year old. Thank you Francesca for letting us use your sewing machine, dr's jacket, and crutch! Sorry, Jonah, next year we'll start with YOUR costume. What kind of parents are we?!


We also got pumpkins from Dave's pumpkin patch, and carved them with our friend, Stan. We bought a $3 carving kit from Walmart and MAN, what a difference good tools and guides make!



Here, in case you can't tell, I'm imitating the carved witch:


And here are all three of our rad pumpkins being admired by our little punkin:

First taste of applesauce

This video needs no explanation...

Solid foods and awesome bibs

This is Jonah's first solid food feeding when he was six months old.

Teething and Hangers

For those who haven't already seen this on facebook, this is when Jonah discovered hangers as an effective teething tool.

Daddy's Tantrum

So I am way behind on posting videos. This is a fun one of Jonah laughing at Daddy.

Look at this boy go!

These videos show how much Jonah has progressed the past few months!

Haircut(s)

Jonah was only three months old when he received his first haircut. I just couldn't stand those interminable wisps another day. And I had to act quickly while Ryan was away in Chicago as I was unofficially forbidden to trim his mane. I didn't do anything too drastic; just a little snip here and there. It took Ryan two days to even notice! He just kept saying, "Jonah, you look older!"



When Jonah started looking shaggy again at six months, Daddy resisted the idea of a haircut. And I think I know why now. According to Ryan's calculations Jonah has a 75% chance of inheriting male pattern baldness!



What do you think? Did we do the right thing?

P.S. Notice how blond he is now? His hair is growing in much lighter!

Happy times in the swing

Ryan got me a terabyte hard drive for our anniversary so I now have space to download and upload our HD videos! YAY! Unfortunately my computer doesn't have a fast video card so it's very difficult to edit videos. (Impossible at the moment but I am going to look into some free software to see if I can get something to work.) But in the meantime, here's a cute video of Jonah enjoying his swing. I think the first 45 seconds are worth watching.

August Rush

No, not the movie; August was simply the busiest month of the summer for us. I'll break it down by weekends. I didn't have my camera for weekends one and two so you'll just have to use your imagination...

Weekend One: a visit from Joey and Elise Crane where we got to show them the great city of Sacramento including a tour of the capital, a gallery stroll, amazing sushi, and the movie Food Inc.

Weekend Two: a quick road trip with Mom and Dad Pettersen to Oregon for Jesse and Amanda Carlisle's wedding. We stayed with the Harris' who lived in our Stake before they moved and they really spoiled us.

Weekend Three: a jam-packed trip to the Bay Area including Julie Nelson's wedding reception, Pettersen family pictures at the Picture People, Grandma Ardie's 80th birthday celebration, and Ashilene Rieta's baby blessing.

Weekend Four: the first Ribeira Reunion at a cabin in Twain Harte including a hike at Pinecrest, rootbeer tasting (I guess A&W is my favorite, Henry Weinhart is Ryan's, and Stuarts is our runner up), lots and lots of games (I was introduced to the Bean game...love it!), and a surprise for Randy and Jill: we made them a scrapbook highlighting events from their 30 years of marriage and wrote them letters.


We are so grateful for our families and that in one month we got to spend time with our entire immediate family on both sides, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, great-grandparents, and great- aunts and uncles on the Miller side. At Grandma Ardie's 80th celebration I saw very clearly that life is really all about family. Grandma Ardie is such a great example to all of us. She has lived a life of service to her family, to her church, and to her community. Rather than judging people she looks for the good in everyone and loves them with a heart wide open. It was wonderful to be able to honor her for the impact she has made on all of us. We are all better people for knowing Ardath Miller. Here's a slide show of pictures from that wonderful day.

The Ribeira Reunion also reminded us of the importance of family. Randy and Jill have been married 30 years and have six amazing children (plus two new daughters and a grandson.) I have learned so much from them. No matter what trials are before them, they trust in the Lord and they don't complain. Enjoy some photos of our time with the Ribeira clan in Twain Harte.

Yes, we have been very blessed. It's been a great month! It's been a great life, really. Many thanks to all of you who have shaped our lives for the better.

The power of the blog

I was surprised to get a call from Dana Howard, a local reporter for Channel 10 News, who stumbled across my post, "Sacramento Staycation" and wanted to interview us about our experience! So Ryan and I were interviewed this week and here is the short clip on Staycations that aired tonight: http://www.news10.net/video/default.aspx?aid=80597&storyid=65486 Be sure to watch for Jonah. We are still laughing about the whole thing! Who knew that blogging could land you a spot on the 11:00 news?!

Fans

This is a slideshow of some of Jonah's fans. I mean, how can we possibly document all of them? Remembering to bring our camera to the Ribeira's would be a good start! ;) Thanks to everyone for your amazing love and support!

Day at the Zoo

Stacy requested pictures so here are a few from our day at the Sacramento Zoo. The zoo is small...we got through the whole thing in less than two hours, but honestly that was more than enough for us! And we only got a little sunburned.

I've been busy...

So busy in fact that I have not had a chance to blog about it! On Saturday I had a show opening at a local gallery and I'm busy getting ready for another one in Park City the end of September. Not to mention two new commissions! Yay! But I do want to record what happened today because I could use more days like this. Normally I sleep until my Jonah alarm goes off (his hunger cry) but for some reason I wasn't tired and got up before he did. (Even though I stayed up until 2:30am last night working out a composition for a new painting.) I was able to eat, run a load of dishes, and put a final coat of gesso on my 30"x40" board before he got up. I fed him at 8:30am and then we played for an hour and a half and then he wanted to sleep again! So I wrapped him up (in hopes that he would sleep longer), put him in his bouncer, and immediately got to work.
I downloaded several weeks worth of pictures from my camera and quickly changed my profile picture on facebook. I then started my 30 min. workout but stopped after 20 to answer a call from Emmalee from my Ghana group and we chatted for a bit. I then showered and studied chapter six of Isaiah. (Are you amazed at how much I got done during Jonah's nap?!) So then at 12:30 I got Jonah up, fed him, and took Ryan to class at 1:00pm.
My plan had been to go straight to the art store to buy a ruler, but I decided to go home and check thoroughly one more time to see if I could find one. Sorry, no miraculous prayer experience, so we got back in the car, picked up a new ruler, and came back home. Over the next several hours I was able to play with Jonah and grid my painting. How I did that is another story for another day.
I picked Ryan up at 4:30pm and Jonah took another short nap so I started on my under drawing for my painting. I also made some yummy chicken and brie sandwiches with honey mustard sauce and a large green salad for dinner. Probably would have made a better lunch than dinner. Oh well. While we ate we caught up on "So You Think You Can Dance." (We don't have a TV so we watch shows online.) Jonah fell asleep halfway through so we took a break so I could work some more on my drawing and Ryan could study. When Jonah woke up we watched the rest of the show.
Now Jonah is down for the night and instead of painting I am actually taking a moment to blog! There. Probably not too exciting to you but I think it's been a great day! Lots of Jonah time and lots of painting time. Okay, time to check blogs and then back to my painting...

Sacramento "Staycation"

Ryan finished his first year of medical school at UC Davis three weeks ago (loud applause) and we are now enjoying a six week break! We decided that instead of spending lots of money to travel somewhere far away, we are going to have a fabulous vacation at home! There are so many beautiful parks, museums, and restaurants all around us that we don't normally visit due to time or money. So we are spending our vacation money here and are gaining a whole new appreciation for Sacramento!

Last Friday was quite eventful. We had an early lunch at La Bonne, a renowned French soup cafe in downtown Sacramento. One man runs the whole shop so there is always a long line, but his sandwiches are true artistry so it's worth the wait. Plus we met a lot of nice people in line and Jonah was a hit with the older ladies (as always!)


After lunch we went to the Sacramento Public Library to see the current Traditional African Art exhibit. We were on the lookout for Ghanaian art and they did have one stool to represent Ghana. (If I had been thinking I would have snapped a picture of it.) While we were there we also decided to look for a good baby sign language book. We found one but had to put it on hold until we bring back proof of residence!

Next we went headed to Discovery Park which is one of many beautiful Sacramento parks within five or ten minutes of our home. This park is where the American River flows into the Sacramento River and is a favorite of local fishermen. It has 275 acres of mature trees and grassland with paved running/biking trails, dirt hiking trails, and plenty of great picnic spots. We went "off-roading" with our City Mini stroller and Jonah seemed to enjoy the scenery (whenever he was awake.) The only time he got upset was when Daddy took him down to the river and let him feel the water with his bare feet! In the future we will bring swimsuits and towels and spend some time at the beach. We'd also love to explore the river by boat!

And finally we ended the day at our new favorite dessert shop, "Yogurtagogo." This place is great because it's a delicious, healthy alternative to icecream. You choose your own frozen yogurt and toppings and pay by the ounce. The fresh fruit was amazing! They have chocolate and candy toppings too but we preferred the fresh fruit. It's a little pricey but it's QUALITY! We will definitely be going back!

Painting again

After a four month hiatus, I'm back at the easel and it feels so good. I've had to make adjustments to the way I paint since Jonah needs to be fed every few hours, but I'm learning to be more productive with the limited time that I have. This most recent commission needed to be finished by Mother's Day which fell during Ryan's finals week.
As you can imagine, Ryan didn't have much time to help with Jonah, so my father-in-law, Randy, graciously offered to watch Jonah for a day so that I could get a good start on my painting and so that Ryan could study. Jonah received his two-month shots the day that Randy came up but you wouldn't know it from all the laughs and smiles that Randy (AKA Papa) got out of him! They had fun and were pretty wiped out by the end of the day! =)
This was probably my most challenging portrait to date. My client only had a 2"x3" photo of his deceased grandma (Nana) which presented some challenges as he wanted a 16"x20" painting. Her lazy eye was also problematic but I managed to fix it in photoshop and then in the final painting. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite painting but I certainly grew a lot through the process!

Ashilene is here!

My sister Merilee called Saturday afternoon and told me she was having serious cramps and was thinking it might be the real thing! This was not at all part of her plan for the day (Ashilene was not due for several more days) but Ashilene couldn't wait any longer! Ashilene Maria Rieta was born May 16th at 9:15pm, 7 lbs 8 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long. Merilee and Rojohn have waited a long time for this angel to join their family and I know they will be fantastic parents. I am so happy that we don't live too far away so that Jonah will get to know his precious cousin! Congratulations Merilee and Rojohn! We are so happy for you and will see you very soon!

Jonah and his Pacifier

Jonah really finds his pacifier comforting, especially when going to sleep. Often if he's really tired and getting fussy we put him in his bouncer, pop in the pacifier, and his whole body seems to relax. This can be helpful if he falls right to sleep. But if he isn't quite tired enough, the pacifier can actually keep him awake longer. Just when he's on the verge of sleep, his pacifier will fall out and he gets really upset! I've often thought, "If only he could figure out how to pop it back in!" In this clip he's napping on the couch and you'll see that he gets pretty close to figuring it out! (And you can see the love he has for his pacifier!)

Pay it Forward

I know I've been a complete blog slacker! This game will help me find out if anyone is still checking my blog! I copied this from my friend Jessica's blog and I already have a fun gift idea so you should play! Pay it FORWARD--How it works: The FIRST THREE people to leave a comment on this post will receive at some point during this year a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive will be a total surprise--to both of us. The CATCH is that YOU MUST PLAY TOO! Before you leave your comment here, write a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (you can cut and paste these instructions). Then come back and let me know that you are going to play, and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift. It's THAT easy! Remember, only the FIRST THREE comments will qualify. Good luck!

Fun Times

I just love my little angel...especially during quiet moments like this when I can hear and feel him breathing on my chest and can enjoy his warmth, his smell, and his occasional sighs of contentment.

My new favorite game to play with him is the "hokie pokie." We don't have a video of it yet but I love to sing and dance with him. Many mornings after he is fed I just put on some music and we dance together in the living room. I know he won't remember dancing with momma but I will always treasure these times.

Ryan also loves his little angel...especially when Jonah is in what we like to call, "Jonah Party Time" mode. Ryan takes him all around the house checking out every painting, picture, and mirror in the house, helps him fly like a super hero (one of my personal favorites), and tries to read him stories.

The key word here is tries!

When Jonah gets fussy we have discovered a fail proof, insta-happy Jonah maker: The Bouncy Ball, a.k.a. Jonah's happy place. No matter how unhappy he is, the bouncy ball works like magic to bring back our calm, happy baby...every time!


(Thank you, Julie, for mentioning how much Henry likes to be bounced on the birthing ball...it's wonderful!)

New Toy

Waking Up

Jonah is becoming a much better sleeper. He still doesn't like to sleep on his back but he sleeps in his car seat just fine. (The angle seems to be easier on his tummy.) Here's our current nightly routine:

I feed Jonah around 9:30pm and then let Ryan burp/change/ and put him down while I go to bed. (Jonah sleeps in his car seat in the living room with daddy while he studies.) Then when Jonah needs to eat (usually between 1-2am) Ryan brings him to me. After I feed him, Ryan burps and changes him and puts him back down to sleep. Then Ryan goes to bed and I'm on Jonah duty the rest of the night. Lately he only needs to be fed again between 6-7am so I get plenty of sleep.

Jonah used to have his party hour between 3-5am so my shift used to be pretty tough. But now that he eats and then goes right back to sleep, I've got it easy! We've decided that Ryan can now go to bed earlier if he needs to, and I can handle the 1-2am shift. We know it sounds crazy to the average person but you must understand that Ryan's internal clock doesn't get tired until after midnight, and he only needs around 6 hours of sleep! So this has been working well for us.

Here are two cute videos of Jonah waking up. (Or of us trying to wake him up!) I took him out of his car seat and laid him in the crib to help him wake up.

Our little model

Here's a link for photos from Week 1:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=225401&id=782935653&l=c2018d09cb

Check out this link for photos from Week 2:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=229219&id=782935653&l=2cc7289179

Videos will soon follow...

Whew...survived the first week!

We were released from the hospital Monday, March 2nd around 6pm and finally got to bring our beautiful baby home. We can't stop staring at him. Like most parents we are convinced that he is the cutest baby we've ever seen! And he is such a good baby! He's not much of a crier yet which we appreciate...he just grunts to let us know he needs help.

The first night went pretty well...Jonah ate every two hours and went right back to sleep! I was so excited! But then for a few nights he didn't want to sleep after his 4pm feeding...his eyes were wide open and he just wanted to play! This wasn't too surprising because he was always kicking around 3-4am when he was in the womb. But it was a little rough. For the last few days it seems like his sleep/wake cycle is on track, but the poor little guy has been having a lot of digestive problems. He's been groaning and straining whenever we lay him on his back. And we don't want to lay him on his stomach, so last night Ryan ended up holding him while he studied until 4am and then I took him until 8am. We had an appointment with our pediatrician today and she gave us some good suggestions. I'm going to try eliminating some gas-causing foods from my diet and we got a little tummy medicine for him. We've also had him nap in his car seat today and that position seems to work a lot better for him. I'll let you know how it works out!

The next two weeks are going to be crazy for us because Ryan has several quizzes and finals. It's just so hard for Ryan to focus because all he wants to do is play with Jonah! (And respond to all the recent comments on his blog.)

We feel so lucky to live close to both of our families. Ryan's parents came up Tuesday and Wednesday to help, and help they did! They cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and in their "spare time" they held and played with Jonah. =) Thank you Jill and Randy! And my Mom was here for almost a week (just left today) and she spoiled us with amazing meals, a clean kitchen, clean clothes, and open arms to take Jonah in the wee morning hours when we are just too exhausted to rock him back to sleep.


All in all, we are loving our new role as parents. We are tired but we know that these first few weeks are always hard. Jonah brings us many more smiles than tears! And he's just so darn cute that it's impossible to be mad at him (for long. =0)