And It Clicked!

While Beebles & Daddo were in town for Thanksgiving (more to come on that later!), we took Miles out to the park to practice his bike, and it seemed to click. On one ride, he went about 100 yards!! He had an audience of an old Mamma Sue kid, and the attention of a lot of encouraging moms and kids, and I think it made all the difference. I am so proud of our little man, and can't believe just how fast he has grown up - makes me a bit sad, actually.

Our Little Miss Update

We've been talking (semi-regularly) with a doctor at Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) re: Amelia's index finger nail abnormalities. She invited us to attend a conference of Dermatologists at Standford on Sat. 11/19. So we're taking Amelia to her first conference! The goal and plan is to get a discussion started between attending Dermatologists regarding options for treatment. A lot of dermatologists will examine her and later discuss her diagnosis and treatment options with our doctors at PAMF, who will then follow up with us.

Last week, in preparation of the conference, we went into Stanford for Xrays on Amelia's fingers. This is to help inform the dermatologists prior to meeting Amelia at the conference.

Having done some research ourselves, we thought her nails closely resembled Congenital onychodystrophy of the index fingers (COIF). From the review of the XRays, it looks as though our diagnosis was correct. Below is the direct quote from the review of Amelia's XRays.

"Identical anomaly involving the distal phalanx of the left index finger to the anomaly of the distal phalanx of the right index finger.

There is a slightly larger exostosis arising from the base of the tuft of the terminal phalanx dorsally extending into the subungual region. This exostosis measures slightly less than 2 mm
in height. It is presumably congenital and due to bifid development."

Translated and abridged - this means she has bone spurs on the last bone digit of each of her index fingers. The spurs pushed into the nail matrix/bed, which is the cause of the abnormality.

This is a very rare abnormality, only cosmetic and has no known health issues associated. There are surgical options, where a matrix transplant from the toe could be done to correct the condition. Timing is flexible and waiting until Amelia is older allows for larger structures to operate on. This makes for an easier operation with a more predictable outcome. Waiting until Amelia is in her teens would also allow for more advancements in the field of tissue engineering and in the surgical procedures themselves.

We will also start meeting with pediatric hand surgeons based off recommendations we hope to get from the conference. We'd like to learn as much as we can about various options, rates of success etc.

Included are Amelia's XRays (I annotated).

Now we know how much 'chubb' surrounds baby bones.

Mia giving the finger...twice.

Amelia is a beauty and we're looking forward to her charming the doctors at her first conference.

SO much to love about her

Amelia is a wonderful girl. There have been so many stories over so many months, few of which we have actually captured for posterity. We've always called her "determined" - I think going back as far as when she was 3 months old. But as she gets bigger, she is also tough and funny, and a little bit of a nudge like any second child should be.

Last night I was reading to Miles and Amelia before bed. They were sitting side by side on the chair while I sat on the ottoman and read upside down. Amelia started to wiggle. So Miles started to wiggle. Amelia started to touch the book, so Miles started to touch the book. So there I was with one hand on the book, one hand on Miles and one hand on Amelia.

I guess Amelia then decided she was done sitting on the chair, and launched herself off of it. I think she hit her feet before she hit her face, but if so, it was only to slow herself down a bit. Tim after hearing the thump and my pleading"AMELIA" - came to see what the fuss was about.

She picked herself up. Dusted herself off. Looked at me and said, "I did it."
Looked at Tim, "I did it, Daddy."
The looked back at me, "Owwww".

I just love that her first response is pride and the second one was pain - tough little cookie!!!

"Menah Saahd"

Amelia and Miles have not gone back to school since Halloween - they've both been home sick with the Croup - complete with awful sounding coughs and waking their parents up alternately all night long.

Of note: weeks ago, Amelia started calling herself "Menah". This has been an odd term of endearment between me and Tim since we fell in love, so I have been supporting this happy coincidence and I call her Menah right back sometimes.

Yesterday morning, after a fitful night, we kept both kids home, and I captured this video. I just think it is too dang cute.

Happy Halloween

Pumpkins carved by Mommy.

Another fun Halloween has come and gone. Miles and Amelia went as Crayola crayons, red and pink respectively. We had a Halloween costume magazine delivered to the house. About 3 weeks ago we sat down with Miles and let him look through it to pick out his costume. "Pick whatever you want." After 5mins of leafing through the pages, Miles declared he wanted to be a crayon. Welp, there were no crayon costumes in the magazine, so it was obviously a very thoughtful and intentional request. Just to be sure, several times over the following days we asked Miles what he wanted to be. Without once wavering, he kept with a crayon. Mia "What do you want to be?" "A crayon" she informed us. Done and done.

Rather than search to purchase costumes, Lina and I headed to Michael's to pick up the materials needed to make our own. 90% of the fun of the costumes (for us) is making them. We bought the matching shirts and pants, iron on sheets to print the logo, some felt and double sided sticky tape. In one evening and one bottle of wine, we made the outfits; having only the hats to finish. The following day I spent several hours cutting, shaping and glueing cardboard from the garage into hats.

Miles and Mia at the Burlingame Halloween Parade.

Mia kicking back in wagon.

We had painted their cheeks with some costume make-up, but that proved to only make a mess as Miles and Mia both found ways of inadvertently rubbing their faces on laps, chairs, each other.

Monday morning Miles had a school parade. Mommy swapped out the red cheek paint for circle cut felt and double sided stick tape. 10mins to make and 2mins for Miles to reject them.

Miles finds his Fair Maiden.

Miles had a half day at his school, so we picked him up at 12:30 and played with him the rest of the afternoon until it was time to go pick up Mia. Mia had Halloween party at Momma Sue at 4pm. As if making two crayon costumes and decorating the house wasn't enough, Lina made a few dozen monster themed cupcakes for both Miles and Amelia's parties.


The hats used elastic string from party hats to (try) keep them on their heads. Proved to be ineffective and annoying ("too tight") for the kids. So Mommy made new felt ties for the hats in time for Halloween night; these worked much better and Miles kept his hat on all night. Miles loved his costume, despite being mistaken, on one occasion, for Ketchup.

Glow sticks in hand and ready to rock the scene.

Miles visiting his first house of the night.

Sadly Mia was a bit under the weather, so after only 3 homes, Mia packed it up and went to bed. She had a little fever and a cough. Miles and Daddy would be out for another 90mins, getting our fill of spooky experiences. I was quite surprised at how brave Miles was. There were a few home really setup to scare, but Miles went straight up to each. It was a great night, despite not having Mommy and Mia out with us.

Big Boy Bike

About 2 weeks ago, we bought Miles a "Big Boy Bike". We were going to ask Santa for it, but thought it better to give him a few months before the rain/snow comes to practice.

Last year, for Christmas, Miles got a balance bike, which is a small bike without peddles. The theory is easier to start kids learning how to balance on two wheels first. Once able, the transition to a peddle bike is easier. We left the training wheels on for the first two trips out; allowing Miles to get use to peddling and braking. After getting Miles comfortable with peddling, we headed to the park for some practice without training wheels support. To our amazement on his first attempt, he was able to cover several feet on his own. Starting is the hard part, so Daddy acts as a stabilizer and accelerant until optimum speed is reached, then....lets go.

"I did it!"

It probably helped that there was a 4.5 year old boy racing around on his big boy bike there also. Safe to say Miles knew that if that boy could do it, so could he.

Next we go hunting for big mud puddles!

Family "Adventure"

** Quick note - we updated the previous post with a bit more detail from our trip east. So if you already read it, go back and take a peek. **

The weekend of Oct. 10th was Lina's birthday. She had said for her birthday she wanted to take a family trip; an "adventure". Both kids had Monday off from day care and pre-school, Lina and I also took Monday off, giving us a three day weekend to do something(s) fun.

Saturday morning we left for the Monterey region, via Gilroy Gardens. We were there when they opened and let the kids run it out for a good 3hours. We went on rides, had lunch, played in a water park section...etc.

Picking out animal shaped shrubbery.

Amelia so happy to have her own car to drive.

Get use to it Mia, Miles will be your personal chauffeur for years to come.

We were hoping the kids would take their nap in the car on the way to Watsonville. Mia got 30 mins or so, Miles got exactly 0 mins. Watsonville had, literally, the only vacancy in the area. So we book a night there with plans to bounce to a new location for Sunday night. The hotel was conveniently tucked behind a convenient store/gas station. Not the most exotic location, but would be fine for the night. They did have an indoor pool, so after arriving, we dashed down for an hour or so of swimming and splashing. During our swim session, Daddy, while tossing Miles into the air and catching him, misjudged weight, velocity and his own strength, resulting in Miles being briefly and only partly dunked. The expectation was that Miles would be upset, scared and totally not interested in playing in the pool any longer. To our surprise and relief, he was fine with it, laughing and immediately said "again". So, we went over the steps of holding his breath, wiping his eyes, etc. and for then next 5 or so tosses, he went up, down and under.

After the pool, we all washed up and head out for dinner in Watsonville. Lina had her tooth set on Sushi, so we hit the top rated place in the area. The kids were incredibly well behaved. They ate Miso soup mixed with rice and tofu and some vegetable tempura.

Sunday Morning we checked out and went to Santa Cruz for the day and to spend the night. On the way, we stopped in Capitola for coffees and some looking around while we waited the restaurant in Santa Cruz to open...yes, we were "up and at 'em" that early.

With coffees in hand, we watched Miles play on the beach; Mia was on Daddy's "shouldies", not interested in the sand or surf. Miles would run out with the receding waves, then run back (barely) ahead of the water as it rushed back in. A few times we thought he'd get caught.

The end result was a sandy, salty wet Miles by 9am.

Mia taking to higher ground.

Braving the waves. They have nothing on his little legs.

"I love the feel of salt water on my toes in the morning."

Birds? Heck yeah I want to chase them!

After the beach, it was time for some Boardwalk fun in Santa Cruz, but first, breakfast. Breakfast was in a hole in the wall called "The Hole in the Wall". Never a more accurate name for a place. To Daddy's delight there was a car show at the boardwalk. The model years were mostly 60's and 70's muscle cars - right in Daddy's wheelhouse of interest. But the day was fo the kids and Mommy, so after a partial peruse, we were inside on the rides.

Miles instructing Mia on what to expect.

"Whiplash" I don't think he mentioned.

Waiting for the ride to begin.

After a full and wonderful day in Santa Cruz, we headed to Monterey for dinner and to sleep. The following morning, Monday, we got up and headed to the Monterey Aquarium. We spent 98% of the time playing in various discovery sections of the aquarium. Fish had nothing on slides, tunnels and various items to lift, drop, twist, carry, drop again.

We headed back home after lunch in Monterey and the kids napped as we drove. Once home, we just played in the yard until the sun was as low as our energy.

Happy Birthday Mommy, thank you for the wonderful adventure!
~Miles and Amelia.