Desktop Backgrounds - Ocean Beach and the Golden Gate Bridge

Just a few beautiful pictures of San Francisco's northwest corner in September.

At play

First it was pulling his head up. Next Taiyo smiled as he managed to sit. Soon he was climbing the legs of the furniture and the stairs of the house.

I believe climbing and pulling himself up into interesting spaces is deepening his awareness of the possible.

Favorites

Taiyo's favorite: Playing with a cell phone

Poppa's favorite: That sleepy smile

Discovering how to slide

WHOOSH - One moment your at the top and the next your flying towards the ground at a rather sharp angle. This doesn't appear to be fun the first time, but Taiyo quickly starting seeing the positives.

I'm too scared to let go of his hands yet...

New Angle

Momma got a new camera for her birthday. Now it is up to us to live up to possibilities it offers.

We stopped by the park in San Mateo today as the setting sun was casting warm light over a rose garden. Here's some examples of our first trials with the camera.

Happy eleven months!

At eleven months I'm noticing that he is getting better at milestones he's reach in the past couple of months- things like:

• feeding himself
• crawling faster
• walking with better balance
• improving in coordination and general dexterity
• waving "bye-bye"

Taiyo, I will try to enjoy and be thankful for every day this final month before your birthday as I think back with pride over all that you have accomplished in one short year.

You fill me with joy.

Our new TV

We got this awesome replacement for our TV when we moved into our new place earlier this year. It has become part of our daily lives and we really are glad we upgraded.

Closing the Cabin and first snow

We made one final trip to the Cabin for this year in order to close everything up. We were not expecting the snow that we found, but it made for a fun introduction to the cold wet stuff for Taiyo.

We held it out for him to touch and poke at and he wasn't at all sure that he liked it.

I like to swing

Taiyo goes to the playground every week now. He can't walk yet, but he can slide and he can swing. He's enjoying both more and more. Soon he'll figure out he can kick and pull with his arms to up the speed.

Facing Forward

When you first go into the car seat as a newborn, it doesn't mean very much to you. Things are still way too bright and nothing feels normal and you still don't have any idea what is going on.

But over the next few months, you start to gain awareness. At some point, you realize that you keep getting stuffed into the same seat in the same surroundings and then one day, POOF, awareness dawns and you get that you are in a car...facing backwards.

From watching Taiyo go through this, I get the feeling that this starts to suck. You can't see much although you know there is a lot of action out the window. You crane your next to try to see but it just doesn't work out.

And then one day, as if answering your prayers, those wacky parents decide to start putting you face first in the car, and an entire world unfolds before your eyes.

Enjoy the view, Taiyo.