Baby Bee

Robert the Rose Horse

2009-12-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

This was a favorite book in our house when I was little. It's fun to share the same stories with Bee now.

Trains, Trains Everywhere...

2009-12-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to YouTube on the iPhone, Bee has watched countless preschoolers line their trains up like this and name them off one and a time. He loves doing the same. He's pretty proud of his collection.

Duck Love

2009-12-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

This is the cutest thing you've ever seen and you know it. Go Ducks!

What an adventure! Road trip to grandma's house.

2009-12-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

Bright and early this morning, Bee and I bundled up and left Eugene for grandma's house. I thought I had the sweetest deal worked out. Mike would drive us to Multnomah Falls, where we'd meet my mom & drive with her the rest of the way.

To me that meant I could get some work done (mostly grading papers) in the car. Hurray!

Just outside of Portland, down Interstate 84 and just past all the city exits, Mike & I realized that we needed gas. Oops. Guess we should've stopped "back there." The next exit was for Corbett and the handy road sign claimed gas could be found.

From the floor of the Columbia Gorge, we climbed 1.5 miles to the top and to the smallest gas station I've ever seen. Corbett Country Market has one gas pump that's nestled up against the building. You sort of have to shimmy your car up to it. From there, Multnomah Falls was just an 11 mile drive back down the Gorge along the historic highway.

From Historic Columbia Gorge Highway.

It's been very cold for about a week in Oregon, so the waterfalls along the highway were frozen (mostly) solid. Gorgeous!

We got to Multnomah Falls, we saw that even that was partially frozen. Really spectacular.

Horsetail Falls (just east of Multnomah on Historic Hwy)

The hand-off to Mom's Prius occurred just east of Multnomah Falls & we were off. We pit-stopped for a delicious lunch at Burgerville in The Dalles. Back on I-84 when Mom realized that she needed gas (some sort of theme today...). We stopped in Biggs for gas and then got back on the road.

It wasn't long when Mom noticed a warning light on her dashboard. Turns out is was low tire pressure and we figured we'd stop at the next exit to check. Then...

Flat Tire

The craziest flat tire I've ever seen. You can see the hole in the tire wall, right? It was smoking and smelled like burnt rubber when I got out to check it.

We weren't exactly in the safest place and it was a little bit scary when the semi trucks barreled toward us. There was even one VERY, make-you-heart-pump close call. But we called a tow truck and waited.

This was our parking spot at mile marker 126 on I-84

It only took about 30 minutes for the truck to arrive. Bee thought the process was all pretty fascinating.

The tow truck driver took us to Arlington and a place called Industrial Tire Service. Arlington has a population of 524 (according to the 2000 Census) and its high school mascot is the "Honkers" (as in geese).

Industrial Tire Services tire yard (the rest of the place wasn't this bad... I just thought this was funny)

They didn't have an actual tire we could buy... because they sell big truck tires (duh.), but they put my Mom's spare on. The tiniest little donut tire I've ever seen. So back on the road we went (at no faster than 60 miles an hour).

By this time, Braxton is in TOTAL meltdown mode. Don't tell the cops, but I broke down and held him in the backseat. Eight hours in the car is no fun for anyone, much less for an almost 4 year old. He was a trooper.

We finally made it to the my mom's house about 5:45 pm. That's right, it took nearly 10 hours to get from my door to my mom's door. Yay! And I got very little grading done... figures.

We're recuperated, fed and relaxing now. I know it WILL be a nice break to be away this weekend. Now where's my glass of wine?...

Annual Updates: All Work & Little Play

2009-12-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

In putting together our annual family newsletter - I say that as if it were an annual event - I realized that I don't have nearly enough family and friends stories. Most of my "news" is work related. In an effort to change that, I'm going to restart this blog to track our family adventures.

But to start, I'll share with you our annual newsletter. It's a PDF, so click on the link and download.

Matthews-Graves 2009 Family Newsletter

Happy holidays!

Southern Nevada Railway Excursion

2008-12-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

Tech-Baby

2008-12-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is the Bee watching YouTube videos on my iPod Touch. Pretty tech-savvy, this one. I occasionally have to help get back to "his" videos (most of which are of himself), but overall, he has it pretty well figured out.

I Want a Latte

2008-12-13T20:27:00.001-08:00

It's not a real latte. Although he'd drink that, too, if he could (admittedly, sometimes he does if I'm not watching). He tells me he wants a latte and I put like an ounce of my latte with five or six ounces of milk and he's happy. I suppose he probably has latte in his DNA with as much as I drink. :-)

Turn On the Dark

2008-12-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

Instead of saying, "turn off the light," Braxton says, "turn on the dark." I think that might be the optimistic version. He's just tall enough to turn on the dark himself.

Motorcycle Baby

2008-09-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Braxton is fascinated by his uncle Billy's motorcycle. Some photos from our recent visit to Las Vegas:

He's All Boy

2008-07-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Summer time is Oregon is beautiful. And nothing is more fun in the hot summer days than playing in the sprinkler. Or taking the sprinkler and making a mud hole that's just the right size for your Diego 4x4 to go off-roading in. Whatev.

The Wide, Wide World

2008-06-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

This week, one of the fence boards fell off. And by "fell," I mean was viciously ripped from its home by my dog and the neighbor dog yelling at each other. Anyway, this 1 foot whole opened up a entire new world to Braxton and he spent a lot of time here.

Visit to the Zoo: June 1

2008-06-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

World's Cutest Toddlers

2008-04-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Making Easter Eggs!

2008-04-06T10:30:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Toddler Dialect 101

2008-03-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Bee is talking up a storm - a lot of mimicking, but also communicating his needs and wants and likes. In case you ever need to have a conversation with him, here's a translation:

raff = giraffe
free = tree
strs = monsters (as in Monsters, inc.)
cheese = mac n' cheese (but sometimes just cheese - you have to pay attention to what he's pointing at)
emo = Nemo (as in Finding Nemo)
papa = grandpa
mama = grandma (mommy is for me... it's a different word)
Iffy = Sophie (my parents' dog)
akit = blanket
muk = milk

UPDATES (4/6/08)
afer = pacifier (I've never called it a binky)
ake oo = thank you (such a polite child!)

UPDATES (4/16/08)
if-fly = butterfly
ishin = lotion

Hello?

2008-02-27T19:21:00.001-08:00

Bee crawled up the stairs this evening in search of his father. When he got to the top, he realized the baby gate was up and he couldn't get down the hall.

He let out these little (annoying) whiny noises. "eh. eh. eh."

Me: "Call him!" (telling him to say "daddy!")

Bee looks at me, confused for a second. "eh. eh."

Me: "Bee, call him. Call daddy."

Bee hold his hand to his ear like a phone. "Hello?"

tee. hee.

Bee's First Snow

2008-02-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

I think it's snowed before. In fact, it snowed the day Bee was born. But this is the first one that he meant he got to play in the snow. Unfortunately, our temperate climate means that we're often left unprepared for snow day. So I didn't have gloves or decent boots for him. But we had fun. And now, he knows what snow is (just ask!).

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Belated Christmas Photos

2008-02-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

Bee and I got to spend two weeks in Las Vegas over Christmas and New Year. We had a lot of fun and spent some great time with my folks. Here's proof:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Terrible Twos Have Arrived...

2008-02-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure when it happened. It feels like overnight, but I'm sure it was more gradual.

Baby Bee has a well-developed sense of his own free will, but he has yet to understand my desperate attempts to rationalize with him. When will he understand: "not now, maybe later..." or "how about this, instead of that...?" or "no, and here's why..." Soon I hope.

Case in point. This week we were rushing around on a weekday morning trying to get ready to get out the door. Now, granted, I have it easier than a lot of working moms. I often don't leave the house until 9 or 10.

Bee was having the ultra-nutritious breakfast of Pop Tarts and milk while he watched Finding Nemo (his current obsession...).

Me: "Babe, I'm going to go upstairs and get dressed. Do you want to stay down here or go with me?"

Bee: Looks at the TV, looks at me, looks at the Pop Tart and decides, sure, he'll go with me. He puts the Pop Tart onto the paper towel and tried to fold the towel up.

I help him fold the paper towel and then I leave the Pop Tart on the table, knowing full well that we'll be back downstairs in about 5 minutes. We both go upstairs. As soon as we get to the bedroom, he turns to me and realizes that I don't have the lovingly folded paper towel full of delicious Pop Tart in my hand and that, my friend, is that.

Bee lets out an glass-shattering scream at the very very top of his lungs until he turns red. I think he might've even thrown himself on the ground.

Silly me. I lack the ability to read a 2-year-old's mind.

This goes on at least 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes for reasons that are clear. Sometimes not.

I'm just hoping my ears and my nerves survive this phase.

(photo not of screaming, but reminder of happier time...)

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-21T07:56:00.001-08:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Christmas Photos!

2007-12-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

Braxton's daycare, Li'l Ladybugs, did class photos last week. Look at this cutie! (the whole class, too)

Santa & the Bee

2007-12-13T10:33:00.001-08:00

Took Braxton for photos with Santa. He wasn't sure what to think. He did like the candy cane he got afterward, though!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-20T21:26:00.000-08:00

At Lil' Ladybugs, Braxton always does the cutest craft projects. I feel lucky to have found such an amazing preschool/daycare for Braxton. Share'e and her mom (and Share'e husband, Ben, on occassion) do a great job with the kids. I can tell Braxton is learning things every day.

This is his Turkey Day craft project.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-10T20:40:00.001-08:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-30T09:32:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Beautiful Fall Days

2007-10-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

Babies... REMIXED!

2007-10-09T08:29:00.001-07:00

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2007-10-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

The Life of the Party

2007-08-26T14:57:00.001-07:00

The Life of the Party, originally uploaded by VerveDesign.

Yesterday we went to a Rotary picnic with my fun club of friends. Braxton is carrying an empty beer bottle and going down the line clinking on each person's bottle to a roar of "Cheers!"

He thought it was hilarious and, of course, everyone else did, too.

The Trauma of Daycare

2007-08-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so apparently I'm the only one that's traumatized....

Braxton has started going to daycare one day per week. In the interest of making sure that he's appropriately socialized and not a spoiled-brat-only-child we're forgoing the nanny-esque approach that we've been subscribing to for the 18 months and going with a daycare.

I found the perfect place. Share'e has loads of experience in childcare with more than 10 years as a head teacher at a preschool. She has a terrific system with creative curriculum, fun songs, cool activities and all the right stuff.

It's still hard. It's hard to leave him when he's crying for me to stay. It's hard to leave him in an environment that I don't know inside and out. It's just hard. Why the mommy guilt?

I know it's the right thing to do and Share'e says he plays and laughs and sings and climbs and has a great time when he's here. But it's still hard. And I love that he runs to me and wants me to hug him and hold him when I pick him up.

I'm sure that it will get easier.... right?

First Baseball Game

2007-08-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

We went to the Eugene Emeralds for a Rotary social event a couple of weeks ago. Bee was most interested in the warm-up time. After that, he couldn't really see much and was getting sleepy. But he did seem to enjoy it. And everytime baseball is on TV, he turns and points and says, "bay-ball." He is his father's son, after all.

Just Playing Around

2007-08-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sweet Curiosity

2007-08-15T15:35:00.001-07:00

Sweet Curiosity, originally uploaded by VerveDesign.

At our friends', the Finigans, house last weekend.

My Adorable New Nephew!

2007-08-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Aidrik Daniel

Lazy Day!

2007-07-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

This has been a lazy day. It's been really nice. :)
Bee and I played outside for a bit in his little sprinkler toy. He had a blast. He's going to love Grandma and Grandpa's swimming pool in Las Vegas. Only 5 more weeks until we leave!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

First Time To Sleep All Night ... ALONE

2007-07-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Beach Babies

2007-07-13T18:59:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Photos on Flickr, too.

Playing Ball with Daddy

2007-07-11T21:12:00.001-07:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Baby Bee in Mosaic

2007-06-28T06:57:00.001-07:00

Baby Bee in mosaic, via mosaickr.

New Baby on the Way

2007-06-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

Photos from my sister, Tiffany's, baby shower.

One Year SlideShow

2007-05-29T18:55:00.001-07:00

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Blue Steel

2007-05-23T09:16:00.001-07:00

Blue Steel, originally uploaded by VerveDesign.

Ridiculously good-looking... :)

Sweet Smile

2007-05-23T09:15:00.001-07:00

Sweet Smile, originally uploaded by VerveDesign.

Some outstanding photos taken (and edited) by my brother-in-law, Jason Miller. This is one of my favorites.

I'm Gonna Get Me Some Sugar

2007-04-14T19:58:00.001-07:00

These Mocs are Made for Walkin'

2007-04-01T18:57:00.001-07:00

Make photo slide shows at onetruemedia.com

Inside, Outside

2007-03-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

Just some more pics!

Outside in the sun:

Daddy got Bee an inside basketball hoop. He figured it out in no time flat! A baller in the making:

Unfortunately, the sun was really bright coming in the window, so the photos didn't turn out great. But here are a few more, just toned down to black and white.

Neighborhood Park

2007-03-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

We have a very cute little neighborhood park about a half-mile from our house. This week Braxton and I went with my sister Stacy and her two boys. Here are some great photos.

Surely climbing UP the slide is as fun as sliding down:

Always watching cousin Toby:

Family teeter-totter

Just posin' by the big blue swirly thing

The Simple Joys of Being 1

2007-03-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

Being able to view the world through the eyes of an insatiably curious one-year-old really changes one's perspective.

The joys of spaghetti sauce. This boy can put away the pasta (he is his mother's son, after all). The messier, the better!

The joys of grass stains. The first big lawn mow of the spring and Bee was out with Grandpa G watching daddy mow the lawn and crawling through freshly mowed grass.

The joys of the park. Not sure what to do with the playground equipment yet, but the understanding of a swing, a teeter-totter and a big sandbox is instinctual.

The joys of being naked. Also instinctual. And who knew a crawler could be so fast without a diaper on (photo of naked baby crawling across the floor not shown).

I Get So Excited...

2007-03-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

We went to my brother-in-law's photography studio - he's doing an internship with a local photographer who has a great studio space - and had family photos and birthday photos done. This is my first sneak peek at how they turned out. Yay! Super cute.

Thank You!

2007-03-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to Bee's 1st birthday. He had a blast. Photos to come!

First Year Coming to An End

2007-03-04T11:30:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos from the last couple of months. Enjoy!!

Make an on-line slide show at onetruemedia.com

So fast!

2007-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted... Here are some new photos.

This is what we call "cracker paste." All this mess from a graham cracker:

He learned this from his father:

A boy & his dog:

The Video... He's Mobile!

2007-01-20T14:59:00.001-08:00

WALKING!!!

2007-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Braxton took his first REAL steps today. Six steps. Mike called me on campus and told me... My worst nightmare! I was at work. And I missed a big milestone. That's it! I QUIT! :) More videos and photos to come. Just needed to document to big event.

Quick Photo Fix

2007-01-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

I've been swamped lately with school starting and all. But here's a quick photo fix and links to Bee's videos on YouTube. Sorry the vids are so dark -- they are from my digital camera. Not the best tool for recording video.

Coming...

... and going.

Holiday Photo Re-Cap

2007-01-01T12:19:00.001-08:00

I just love this slide show maker! Can you tell?
We've had a great winter break and spent lots of time with family. Here's a small recap of Baby Bee's holiday.

Photo and video editing at onetruemedia.com

Year in Review

2006-12-25T15:33:00.001-08:00

Make an online slideshow at onetruemedia.com

Christmas with the Family

2006-12-23T21:28:00.000-08:00

We all got together to exchange gifts, hang out and laugh... A LOT. Braxton, of course, was the life of the party.

From Christmas

Mr. Sammy Giggle Box

2006-12-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Sam: 3 1/2 months old

From Sammy

I'm Outta Here!

2006-12-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

Braxton has learned to pull himself up. In the crib, mostly. And mostly when he doesn't want to take a nap.

Barfy little monkey...

2006-12-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

Braxton has some kind of flu bug. What this means to me:
1. I've had to catch or clean up a good deal of baby barf today, starting at about 4 a.m.
2. I've had an infant attached to me all but about 3 hours today (I'm posting at 10 p.m.).
3. Everything to me right now smells like barf or poop. I'm not sure how else to say it.

So, in fond memory of happier times... like yesterday. I post these adorable pictures.

From On the Move

From December

See his new teeth?

From December

From Sit & Spin

More Bounce and Spin!

2006-12-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

More Fun than Grading

2006-12-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

Instead of grading this morning, I've been creating this... enjoy!

Photo and video editing at onetruemedia.com

Rock & Roar!

2006-12-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

From Rock & Roar

Grandma sent Braxton the fabulous Fisher-Price Rock & Roar Dinosaur. He's a tiny bit young for it, but I'm sure he'll catch on very quickly.

From Rock & Roar

Bee is also about to cut his first tooth. He's pretty miserable about it. You can just feel where it's broken the skin, but can't quite SEE it. It's taken so long for him to get his teeth, I am afraid they are all going to come in at once. He'll have a big toothy smile before we know it.

From Rock & Roar

Two Words! And a Move Forward!

2006-11-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Bee will be 9 months old in just a few short days. That means he's officially been out of my belly longer than he was in my belly.

Our first new trick is that Bee now knows how to drink from a straw! Amazing. And, of course, like mother like son... he was motivated by a vanilla milkshake.

From Big Boy!

On a pretty inconsistent basis, Braxton has two whole words in his vocabulary.
"Up!" and "Mama." Now, you'll recall that at 6 months I was sure he was saying mama one day. He continues to say it, and about 20% of the time, it seems intentional.

"Up!" was my first word, according to my mom. So when she was here last week for my brother, she taught Braxton to say it, too. He's said it two or three times on purpose and appropriately to me. And once to Mike.

The other biggie this week is that after several weeks of pivoting on the floor, Braxton has made his first move in a forward scoot. Not quite a crawl, definitely a scoot. But lord have mercy! That means he's mobile.

From Hospital

He's much more interested in walking than crawling. He stands at the ottoman to the glider rocker and pushes it around the room. And, with a little help, stands at his Baby Einstein music table and pushes all the buttons.

From Big Boy!

What a WEEK!

2006-11-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

Not since the day he was born has Braxton spent so much time in the hospital as he has this week. Braxton's Uncle Jon (my younger brother), was in a very serious car accident last Saturday. After two days in ICU and 5 days now in the neurology wing, Jon is doing much better and the doctor's expect a full recovery.

Braxton has been a trooper. He's been with sitters, he's been extended hours with dad and he's been many hours in room 672 at Sacred Heart hospital. Two nights in a row I kept Braxton at the hospital until nearly 9 p.m., which is about an hour past his bedtime. Despite all that, he's kept smiling, giggling and being generally the amazing creature that I'm raising. I gotta say, I'm pretty proud of myself.

I think this week might be a little more difficult in some ways. My mom has gone home, so I'm now mom-runner-up. With 5 sibs in Eugene I often find myself taking on the role of mom. I guess it's a natural fit. Comedian Chris Rock once said in a stand-up routine that in big families, the parents raise the first couple and then the oldest child raises the rest. And I tell ya, sometimes it feels that way. Not that my parents didn't do an amazing job - they did. I wouldn't be able to handle the role that I have without amazing parents. It's obvious that my sibs depend on me a great deal - particularly in times of crisis. Luckily, the crises are few and far between. And luckily, we're a close family who looks after and supports each other.

I know Braxton's not going to have a "mothering" instinct - too much testosterone for his own good. But I hope I raise him to be a caring, generous man who is quick to offer help and slow to give excuses.

Celeb Family

2006-11-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

Myheritage.com has a fun (and fabulous time-wasting) tool where you can upload a photo of yourself and the site determines which celebs you look like. Here's the trick... keep uploading photos until you get a combo you like.

Me: common celeb (regardless of photos) - Christie Brinkley & Jessica Simpson. Apparently I just need to find my inner sexpot.

Mike: common celebs - Carson Daly & Enrique Iglesius. Don't we make an exciting couple?
(disclaimer: this is NOT a good photo of Mike, but it had the most interesting results.)

Braxton: I figured he'd just look like a bunch of old men. But he had some interesting results. Makes ya wonder... Significantly, Braxton apparently looks African-American. And, apparently like a woman.

Kind of fun, huh? Visit www.myheritage.com for your own celeb collage.

Arm Chair Quarterback...already

2006-11-19T09:25:00.000-08:00

Mike bought Braxton a stuffed "armchair" a week or so ago. Braxton clearly thinks it's pretty comfy. You can see more photos here.

(I've aleady given up on Piczo... annoying!! Still not thrilled with Ning, but at least it makes cool slide shows. I'm also trying Google's Picassa).

From Armchair Quar...

New Blog!

2006-11-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

Hello!

This is our new blog!
Unfortunately, MSN Live Spaces isn't working right with my new mac laptop. Pretty disappointing. For a couple of reasons. First, I put a lot of time and effort into that blog. Second, I haven't found a comparable replacement. But life goes on. I will probably not migrate content, just login occasionally so the account stays active.

So... now we're going to post updates and photos in two places. This blog will be our primary journal location and the photos - well, I'm still deciding. I'm trying out some services, and each has some photos posted, so tell me what you think.

Ning: Cool thing about Ning is that it creates these embedded slideshows. However, I'm not sure how the "outside" views the photos...

Picz0: This is, like, totally for teenagers, but it's kinda cool. What I like? you can arrange the photos on the page however you want. What I don't like? A little bit TOO freestyle. No organization or sense of when things were posted. But maybe I'm still learning.

I will probably try to keep them all up to day for a while until I make a decision. If you have feedback, I'd love to hear it!