Deja Vu Part Deux

We were trying out the rocking chair at Nonna's house. When I saw the picture of Drew, I had another case of deja vu as I recalled the picture of James in his high chair when he was a baby. Whacky!

Thanksgiving

Each Thanksgiving, we should reflect what we are thankful for. I am most thankful for a loving and healthy family especially James and Andrew...easy enough. I am also very thankful for the rest of my family and friends and for having most everything I really need. Want--now that's another story, of course.

This Turkey Day, it was fun having Peter and Kathryn around and seeing them interact with Andrew. Both kids were very sweet with him. I had to explain to Peter why Andrew too young to chase him around Nonna's house. Kathryn was too generous with sharing toys with him.

Nonna made a super delicious meal. A.J. loved the turkey, dressing, and sweet potatoes and totally "gobbled" them up.

On a silly side note, I wanted also give additional thanks for the Longhorns winning against the Aggies tonight. Here are the pictures from today including two pictures of Andrew with Granddad during the game (taken during commercial as to not disturb any game watching).

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Grandkids

Today marked the first time that all of grandkids on the Lenz side were all together (Stephanie (14); Thomas (11); Peter (5); Kathryn (3); and Andrew (9 mths)). Here are some pictures from the occasion:

The Playground

Daddy, Mommy, Andrew, Aunt Sharon, and Kathryn walked to the playground in Nonna's neighborhood this morning before Thanksgiving festivities. Kathryn loved to play chase while Andrew liked to try to eat the rocks on the ground and go down the slides (accompanied by an adult of course). It was really nice to get out and enjoy the great weather!

Doctor's Visit #5 - Nine Month Check Up

Mommy took Andrew for his Nine Month Check Up this morning. Drew was really cute in the waiting room as he was watching all the other kids and even tried to touch an older boy that was playing with one of the toys they have there. He is so into other kids!! Unfortunately, I guess with Thanksgiving this week and many kids out of school already, the office was quite busy; and we had to wait longer than usual. I tried my best to keep him placated by giving him snacks, playing with toys, and reading books...doing whatever I could. Andrew got a bit anxious, but was good for the most part. I couldn't ask for more. I was a little antsy myself!

Daddy and Mommy have been concerned about A.J.'s weight as he seems to be on the thinner side. So, I asked Dr. Isenhower about our concern; and she was okay with his weight as he is still growing at around the same rate that he has been since birth. She thinks that he could just have a very fast metabolism (I guess like his Papa and Aunt Anh Thu). Dr. Isenhower says he is very active and is still advanced as she was impressed that he was standing and cruising already. So far, so good. Mommy is very happy that Andrew is a healthy baby!!

Here are today's stats with the numbers from his six month check up in parentheses:
- Height: 28 1/4 in (25 1/4 in);
- Weight: 17 lbs 4 oz (15 lbs 4 oz); and
- Head Circumference: 18 1/4 in (17 1/4 in).

Andrew is still around 15% for weight, but is around 50% for height. That makes Daddy and Mommy feel a little better. I do have to add the disclaimer that the height might be inaccurate because Drew wouldn't lie still for the nurse to get his measurements. So, she did the best she could.

I shall leave you all with another video of Andrew and Anh Tuan.

Happy Nine Month Birthday

I don't know where the time goes by, but I can't get over 9 months have come and gone already. We joke that we don't have a little baby anymore, but a little boy. Andrew is still a pretty happy kid, but has learned to cry when he doesn't get his way. Now, if Mommy takes something away or closes the door, Drew will cry to show his displeasure.

He loves to eat non-baby food, but still enjoys his baby food a decent amount. He loves Yo Baby yogurt and Baby Mum-Mums. A.J. can hold the Mum-Mum and feed himself. I am happy to report that I am still breast feeding, but we have thought about moving him to formula, but I have mixed feelings about that. So, we may just wait until he is turns a year old and move him to cow's milk.

Andrew is learning more and more each day. As you can see from the previous blog, he is able to crawl now and can stand up some (the longest was 15 seconds that we counted). He has even tried to take a few steps, so we are just waiting to see how long before he truly walks! He has learned to give 5s and wave, but sometimes doesn't want to do them or gets them confused.

Drew is already starting to get into toy cars and still loves books. Moreover, he is much better about "reading" along instead of just putting the books in his mouth thankfully. He loves the non-traditional toys like many other kids like boxes, lids, and water bottles. Of course, he likes to play with all the techy stuff we have around the house, such as the TV, cell phones, and laptops.

Daddy has been working with Andrew on climbing stairs. We have tried to teach him going down, but that isn't going as well. Here is a clip of Drew going up the stairs at my folks' house.

Happy Nine Month Birthday!!

Real Crawling

Andrew has finally moved from the worm to real crawling!! Hooray! At first, he would real crawl for shorter distances, but if he had to get somewhere fast (like chasing after Mommy or Daddy), he would revert back to his standby. We finally started putting him on the hardwood and tile, which seemed to help the process a bit as he figured that the worm hurt his tummy more. Now, I guess walking is next...

Defense Mechanism

Andrew was playing with Uncle Footon tonight and showed us his new "defense mechanism" against tickling. It cracked us up to see him crouch in an attempt to keep Uncle at bay. I love how much Andrew laughs with and adores my brother. Nobody, not even Daddy or Mommy, can make Drew laugh like Uncle Anh Tuan can. I have to admit it's a little upsetting at times that I can't get him to laugh that much (his own mom for crying out loud), but it's more endearing than anything. I am so happy that they have such a great relationship already!

No Rest for the Weary

There was no rest for the weary (mainly Mommy). After the "high school reunion", we headed back to my parents' house for dinner. Then, we planned on watching a very important game to the Longhorns. What a dismal game it was!? Oh well, the Horns will need some help and need to help themselves against the Aggies on Thanksgiving! But Auntie Monica came over after work to watch the game with us. It was nice just to hang out and watch some football. Andrew was a trooper playing on the floor and sleeping during game time.

Wildcats

We had a semi Clear Creek Wildcat reunion this past weekend as Will and Jill visited Houston from San Diego with their new daugther, Carter. Robby (and his parents) were gracious enough to let us congregate at their house. We joked how 3 of us had babies within the last year (7 months to be exact with Andrew in February, Seline in May, and Carter in August). It was great seeing everyone and catching up. It was just like old times hanging out at the Higgins' residence like we did after tennis practice.

Uncle Anh Tuan and Andrew, the hunter:


Jimmy, Kai (spelling?), and Curtis:


Sheil and Gage:


Will, Carter, and Robby:


Aunt Gabby, Carter, and Jill:


Ma Higgins trying out the beer bong:


The Yaos - Selene, David, and Janie:


Wildcats Class of 2026?:


Jill, Carter, Mommy, and Andrew (I was trying to practice holding 2 kids at once):


Sheil and Damion (taken by Gage):

Cheerios

We have been working on Andrew's pincher grasping skills lately; and he has caught on fairly quickly. It amazes me how fast kids can learn! Thank goodness for Cheerios! Not only does it placate our son when we are on the go as a nutritional snack, but it is an educational tool as well! ;) Who knew!? He he!

Also, check out which hand Drew is using. He loves to use his left when he is in the high chair for some reason. I wonder if he is going to be a southpaw or not. At first, he did everything with his right hand, but now, he uses both. Maybe he will be ambidextrous like his Uncle Anh Tuan and Uncle Johnny!

Bed Head

Andrew had a bad case of bed head this morning. He is so like his daddy and Uncle Anh Tuan!! Pictures were hard to take of the little bugger as he was all over the floor playing.

Also, I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to Auntie Monica! We love you so much! I just got back from her dinner party. James was kind enough to take care of Drew so I could go. And on top of that, he's going to babysit tomorrow night again when Auntie Monica, Aunt Belinda, and Mommy go see Madonna in concert! I am sooooo excited!

The Bright Side

Well, I am sad to say that I blog with a heavy heart tonight. Thanks to the current economic conditions, I was laid off from my job at Deloitte today. James and I had actually discussed how either of us could be laid off at any time and what that would do to our current economic conditions and what our backup plan would be. So, in the back of my head, I was kind of preparing myself for it just in case. But to have it actually happen is still surreal to me. Even though I am sad, I try to keep my spirits up by telling myself things could always be worse and that something good comes out of everything. I am reminded of Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side on Life".

Some of my silver linings: 1) I get to spend more time with Andrew (that's like a platinum lining right there); 2) I was able to learn a lot from my two years at Deloitte; (3) I was fortunate to meet some exceptional people that I hope to keep in touch with; and (4) maybe something even better will come along.

I know that with the economy the way it is with no end in sight and with the holiday season upon us, the job market is still up in the air. Hopefully, some of my connections in my Houston or accounting or law networks can help. However, in the meantime, I will enjoy my severance package and hope to find a new job in 2009!

I don't have any new pictures from today to share, but I am including one from a week ago of my favorite two men. As long as I have them, there is always a bright side!!

Bubbles

Andrew is really getting into playing with bubbles. At first, he would just watch them in amazement. But now, he will try to go after them and pop them. Below are some pictures and a video clip of bubbles time.

Happy Birthday, Thomas

Cousin Thomas celebrated his 11th birthday on Friday. For his party, he wanted to invite some of his family and friends to a Spurs game and luckily, we were part of the guest list. We thought twice about taking Andrew to the game, but thought we would give it a try.

Andrew and I picked up Daddy from work around 4pm; and on the way to Daddy's office, Andrew actually fell asleep in the car and slept for about an hour. About halfway into the trip, we stopped for some BBQ for dinner. A.J. loved eating Mommy's brisket and bread. We got back on the road as Daddy drove and Mommy sat in the back with Drew. Andrew got a little fussy as he was getting tired again. He cried for about 20 minutes before falling asleep. Mommy really wanted him to get that nap in so he wouldn't be so tired as the night wore on. Andrew woke up 10 minutes from the AT&T Center and began crying. We quickly parked; and Andrew was much happier being out of the car seat and in Daddy's arms. He was already busy looking around at all the lights. We found our seats and family shortly after the first quarter started. Drew did so well. He was entralled looking at all the lights and hearing the sounds...though, some was too loud causing him to get a little scared. And he was really looking into the people sitting by us, who were nice to try to play with him as well. He didn't get fussy at all during the whole game. We were so proud of him!! Unfortunately, the Spurs lost the game, but at least made it closer in the 4th quarter.

This morning, we ran some errands and then headed over to Aunt Janine's to hang out for the day. We watched lots of football and got to catch up with the Gonzaleses. Andrew loved Stephanie's dog, Bandit. He wanted to play with him and tried to pet him. And Bandit did really well and was very patient with A.J. even when Drew smacked him in the face once.

Happy Birthday, Thomas!! Thanks again for inviting us to your birthday celebration. We love you very much.

Mommy didn't take any pictures of Andrew at the game because Daddy didn't want to take the big diaper bag into the arena and the camera was in there. :( Mommy is very sad. But here are some pictures of Andrew from Saturday with his cousins.

The Frog Part II

Here's the video of Andrew showing why it was so appropriate for him to dress up as a frog for Halloween this year.

Yes, the mess in the background is our bedroom. It has sorely been neglected in terms of unpacking and organizing. It is the last room we tackled; and is still quite a sight!

Little Rascal

I was organizing Andrew's clothes, i.e., putting away the ones he has outgrown and getting out the ones he has grown into. It always makes Mommy a little sad to put away his old clothes because it is just another sign that he is growing up.

Anyhow, I rediscovered this onesie, which is totally appropriate seeing how Andrew is rascally as Daddy calls him. He is always trying to get into stuff and play with whatever he can. Andrew is truly our little rascal.

Uncle Phi and Aunt Thuy

My cousin, Thuy, and her husband, Phi, came over to see Uncle Anh Tuan and meet Andrew for the first time. We went out to eat some Vietnamese food at Hollywood and then came back to the house to hang out and catch up. Andrew was really into Aunt Thuy and Uncle Phi both and liked playing with them. Thanks to you both for coming over and spending time with us and for lunch as well!!

Weighing In...

Weighing in at 17 lbs...Andrew James Pham Lenz! Ngoai got a new electronic scale and wanted to try it out. We got a good chuckle of him sitting on it. I also thought it was funny that Drew did a much better job staying on top of this scale than the one at the pediatrician's office.