The Life and Times of the Hartman Family

Babes

2011-04-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

So for the last year and a half or so there have been 2 animals on Emma's Varsity team...Mama Kitty (lately referred to as "Miss Mama Kitty") and Baby Kitty (Miss Mama's daughter, of course...lately referred to as just "Babes").
Now that Emma's potty trained she has been coming down after we put her to bed for all sorts of reasons, so we're working on encouraging her to stay in bed. But tonight she came down for a decidedly different reason. Apparently she had been giving it some thought and finally felt compelled to come down and let us know that she thought that Babes should go to someone who didn't have any animals.
I followed her back up the stairs to my closet where I keep a bag to drop off at Good Will. She dropped Babes in, told me another little girl could have her, and then hopped back into bed.
Such a proud parenting moment.
I can't tell you how much I love her generous little heart...

Supper Swap

2011-03-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Supper Swap!
The concept of a supper swap was fairly new to me when my friend Sarah invited me to participate. In a nutshell, you find a few like-minded foodie friends to swap meals with through the week. So, I cook a meal for our family and 2 others on Mondays, and 2 dear friends cook on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (the days I work!). No planning, shopping, prepping, cooking and minimal cleaning up on those days...heaven!
So let me share with you a few of the fabulous meals we've dined on since we started last week...

Balsamic-rosemary Roasted Chicken with Red Onions and Potatoes
Gourmet Meatball Subs with Carmelized Onions and Gruyere with Greek Salad
Italian Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Stew
Shrimp Risotto with Roasted Asparagus
3 Cheese Pizza with Lemony Arugula and a Celery/Walnut/Parmesan Salad
Meatloaf, Twice Baked Potatoes and Nonna's Salad

So now I'm a Supper Swap evangelist.
More to come...

Why I have the greatest mother in law in the world.

2011-03-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

This last week my dear friend and college roommate Caitlin got married.
I flew out to Colorado for the wedding (one carry-on and one purse in tow, no diaper bag, pacifiers or baby food), leaving the kids and Andrew at home in the wonderful hands of my mother in law.
The week was amazing and so much fun. I'm pretty sure I don't get out much,...ok, and I'm a mom. So let's just say I enjoyed myself and leave it at that.
And while I LOVED the time away, it was so good to come home to Andrew and the kids. Nothing like going away to appreciate how much you left behind.
The house was spotless, the laundry had been done and my mother in law was planning our (Andrew's and mine) next vacation to Vancouver while she watches the kids.
I'm blessed beyond belief.

Really? On an iPhone?

2011-03-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

I've been holding out, but alas...these latest pics, emailed to me at work by the girl watching Emma and Luke, have pushed me over the edge.
This is the month I finally give in and get an iPhone.

3 Years Ago...

2011-02-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

...our lives were forever changed when our sweet Emma Grace entered the world.
She has grown into a thoughtful, generous, hilarious, passionate, wonderful girl who also happens to be a total goofball (quite possibly our most favorite trait).Here she is just hours after she was born...3 amazing years later she continues to light up our lives.
*As a side note, this is the outfit she chose to wear on her birthday.Andrew the proud father giving Emma the "big girl bike" he worked hard the night before to put together.
"But it looks kind of small," you ask? Continue reading below...Emma's birthday was full of all the things Emma loves...we started the morning with our friends Ana and Mia eating pastries at 85Degrees Bakery and skipping hand in hand around the District.

Emma requested "hamburgers and sweet potatoes" for her special birthday dinner, and we finished the evening with the "strawberry and blueberry" birthday cake that confirmed my career choice in something other than professional cake decorating.Ok, so remember that bike up above that Daddy slaved over? Turns out it was too small for Emma so...here's round two.

My baby girl looks 3 going on 7 in this picture.
And the good news is that the second bike fits with room to grow!

Love you, Sweet Girl.

Luke Months 5 and 6

2011-02-26T15:25:00.001-08:00

Luke Month 5...showing off his 6 pack.

6 Months.

I just had to sneak this one in.

She's growing up...and I'm pretending to like it.

2011-01-17T15:27:00.000-08:00

Today Emma's little neighbor friend was out front, playing with her dog Maggie. Since it was an unusually warm January day I encouraged curious Emma to play outside with her friend and their furry companion.
I found them a few minutes later in our neighbor's side yard, and with as must strength as I could muster I asked Emma to make sure to let me know before she went anywhere, so that I was aware of where she was and also to avoid having our neighbors think my daughter roamed the neighborhood at the ripe old age of 3. I explained that she needed to come straight home when the 2 girls were done playing, or when our neighbor's Mommy said our sweet neighbor girl had to come in. "Yes, Mama," Emma responded.
About 10 minutes later the front door creaked open and my 3 (going on 10) year old baby girl had just walked back (albeit 15 feet) from her playdate.
"How was it?" I asked...
"Fine. Ella had to go so I came home," she said.
I smiled and told her how proud I was of her as she was becoming such a fabulous, responsible little girl...but secretly I thought that maybe putting a dead bolt really high on the front door might slow down these attempts at large leaps in responsibility.

Merry Christmas...Happy New Year!

2011-01-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.
We hope you had a fabulous Christmas. Here's what we've been up to.

Dessert for Andrew's birthday at Bruxie, a gourmet waffle stand in Old Town Orange (and a new favorite!).

Luke turned 4 months. He is so full of joy.

Emma proudly displaying her creatively decorated giant gingerbread man.

Andrew's family came into town to celebrate Christmas and to escape the rainy WA weather...unfortunately our CA Christmas looked a lot like home for them (with the exception of this one sunny day...the day they left).

Emma got an Ikea easel for Christmas, the best $15 we've ever spent. She loves anything artsy or crafty. She got a sweet flower head garland too as you can see.

I'm not sure Emma knew what to do when Santa arrived at this Christmas party we went to.

Christmas morning at my parent's house. We had a great day full of amazing food, family and gifts.

Emma thanking her Granny for a Fancy Nancy doll and matching outfits.

Jumping on beds and other fun things

2010-11-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

Life feels really full these days and here's why:

We took our first trip as a family of 4 to Oceanside. Emma learned all about how to live it up on vacation, including eating lots of yummy food and drinking juice boxes (something we don't do at home). She also enjoyed riding in the luggage carts.

Jumping on the bed was a regular part of this trip. It was vacation after all...

Emma talked for probably 6 months about being a Kitty for Halloween. In the end she picked Minnie.

We had a pizza party with our neighbors before trick or treating. Oh, and Luke was a clown/jester. We're looking forward to his neck getting stronger.

I sprained two toes, my ankle and chipped a bone in my foot while carrying Emma out of Golden Spoon. She's just fine...and I get to wear a really fashionable walking boot.

Luke turned 3 months! He's such a great, easygoing kid. Emma's loving him too. So much so that she wouldn't move to get out of this shot. Oh well.

Loving the fall...

2010-10-22T14:49:00.001-07:00

Ah, the Fall...the Hartmans' favorite season. Usually Andrew gets bitten by the Fall bug over Labor Day weekend and out comes the magical orange, yellow and brown decor.
For our part, Emma and I have been doing lots of baking and making soups. Yum. We also went to the Irvine Park Pumpkin Patch...

Yes, Emma is in fact 2 and a half. Not 5 as this image would lead you to believe.
Exhibit A while Emma is in the 90-something percentile for height.

Luke is 2 months and loves to smile like his Daddy.

Mimi and Papa came to visit and we loved having them here.
Andrew and I got to get out on several dates, including dinner at our new favorite Haven Gastropub and we finally saw Inception (I think we may have been some of the last people on earth to see it).
Happy Fall!

A Month of Firsts

2010-09-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

It was a month of firsts for Luke:

First outing - we met Meghan, Wallace and Skyler at Fashion Island on a beautiful sunny day.First bath - he wasn't so excited about this first - but are they ever?

First picnic dinner at Laguna with Mimi and Papa. We do this about every weekend during the summer.First time being embarrassed by Mom and Dad. I'm sure it won't be the last.

First ride in the Great Park balloon. Nevermind Emma picking her nose.First month of life completed - we love you Luke!

Luke Brandes Hartman

2010-08-20T14:06:00.001-07:00

Welcome Luke Brandes Hartman!
Our precious son arrived at 2:09am on Wednesday, August 11, 2010.
After turning breech and back again, he kept us on our toes through the entire labor and delivery, finally coming (5 days early) face first and sunny side up.
We hear this happens 1 in 800 births - so rare that my midwife had never delivered a baby this way, and half the Kaiser labor and delivery department came to the room to watch the birth (fun!).

The proud parents.

They explained that with facial presentation births there can be a lot of "trauma" to the face. This was sweet Luke right after birth - quite bruised and swollen! but......Here he is the next day - handsome as ever.

So here are the stats for those of you counting at home:
Luke Brandes Hartman
2:09am, August 11, 2010
6 pounds, 13 ounces
20.5 inches

Pre-Luke Balboa Shoot

2010-08-19T14:01:00.001-07:00

A few fun pics from our Pre-Luke Balboa photo shoot with Pops. We had a similar portrait created of Andrew and I when I was pregnant with Emma, so it was fun to bring her back and capture the three of us.

I love this picture, how it captures our family in the busyness of the surroundings.

I can't for the life of me figure out where the last 2.5 years have gone?!

Yeah, we're pretty goofy.

Luke's Roundup

2010-08-19T13:48:00.001-07:00

In July my girlfriends threw Andrew and I the most amazing family 'roundup' shower for Luke - complete with lassos, boots, and cowboy trail mix. It was amazing, and Andrew and I felt so overwhelmed by the love and support of our community.

Emma was excited because the shower included lots of yummy treats and several gifts for her.
The details! I feel like the event could have been out of a magazine.

Here we are with Pops and Granny. I love our family.

The spread.

Many, many thanks to Matt, Carly and Ana for hosting such a beautiful event!!
We are so grateful.

Lake Casitas

2010-07-09T22:05:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went camping with friends.
It was surprisingly enjoyable for being 34 weeks pregnant, with 4 toddlers and a baby in tow, without showers, and being surrounded by complete strangers who downed liquor like water and held spontaneous talent shows.

Here our children are enjoying the wonders of nature...the call of the wild...wait, no, that's Clifford the Big Red Dog on DVD. What you don't see are the parents enjoying a quiet moment around the campfire. God bless the Kennedys for planning ahead.

Here we have sweet Emma, just moments before her fishing world came crashing down as a live nightcrawler afixed itself to her neck. This story is best shared in person, by needless to say Emma's first day of fishing was rather traumatic.Did I mention I was 34 weeks pregnant?

Emma was kind enough to look away from the camera, while Meghan and Jonne did their parts by hiding half their daughters faces.

A final shot with with group, just moments before we were plied by a pleasant group of Palestinians with raw garbanzo beans and apple hookah. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up people.

The Haps

2010-06-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so to recap the last 3 months of our life...

Emma moved from a crib to her bed on a ground to a full on twin bed (it's actually mine from college), which is mostly taken up by about 27 different stuffed animals with which she must sleep every night.

We started a gymnastics class, which she loved...and a swim class, which she isn't so excited about.Getting ready for a mother's day breakfast. She's so girly - I love it.

Mimi came to visit in May and we went to brunch at Las Brisas in Laguna. It was important that Emma's new animal, Kermit, come to brunch also. Andrew and I got away that weekend to the Miramonte in Indian Wells, which I thought was worthwhile to mention even though not a single photo was taken.

Celebrating Mother's Day at Sapphire in Laguna. Emma in her pearls.

Mother's Day. It was 10am. I ordered Eggs Benedict, Andrew ordered a Kobe burger with garlic fries. What's that about men being from venus?...

Also, I'm 30 weeks pregnant and we're getting really excited to welcome Luke to the family, who is due August 16th. More to come later...though let's be honest, it might not be until August that I post to this blog again. Does anyone read this anyway?

Emma turns 2.

2010-03-04T14:34:00.001-08:00

Really? We had Emma 2 years ago?!
At the Hartman house we celebrated Emma's birthday all week...

We had a special birthday breakfast of blueberry pancakes. You can see I attempted to create a mickey mouse pancake for Emma. I don't think they'll be accepting me to food styling school anytime soon.

Mimi and Papa came to celebrate with us.

We went to the Aquarium in Long Beach and met Pops and Granny. Emma loved the "fishies" and "sharks". She even got to pet a few.

Mama stealing a birthday kiss.

We finished the day at George's Greek in Belmont Shores, opening gifts and enjoying So Cal's best greek food. Emma ate the entire birthday cake they brought her in about 3 minutes flat.

One guess...

2010-02-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

Guess what's up at our house these days?

Here's a hint...here's what I've eaten so far today, and it's only 3pm:

1 bowl raisin bran
2 banana muffins
trail mix
turkey sandwich
apple
half a tj's cereal bar (emma was looking at it longingly and I felt guilty so we shared it)
3 glasses lemonade

You're right! We've increased our food budget. Oh, and also...WE'RE PREGNANT! I'm almost 14 weeks, due August 14th.

Check back for (semi) regular updates.

The Christmas Season

2009-12-27T20:52:00.001-08:00

I know, I'm really lame. For all 3 people out there who read our blog, please accept my apologies. Here's a quick recap of our last couple months:

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Oak Harbor, Washington.My latest project - potty training! I think it's safe to say we have a ways to go. Don't worry, Grandparents...I edited the picture. We celebrated Christmas early with the Hartmans. Not even 2 and Emma really gets the concept of gifts - and as the only grandchild/neice there were a bunch for her to open!We celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas with my family in Thousand Oaks and Palm Desert. Emma barely fit into her 24 month Christmas dress...good thing Christmas wasn't any later or we'd be back to the store to buy another one.Andrew snapped one last picture of me and Dylanne, the dog I picked out in 1995. Chances are good this will be that last picture of her - she's headed to doggy heaven soon. Love you Dylanne!

Candy?

2009-11-02T10:48:00.001-08:00

It's so fun watching a 20 month old figure out Halloween. First, we dressed Emma up like a butterfly ("fuh-fly" as she says). Then, we tell her to ring the door of total strangers and ask them for candy. She caught on pretty quick, especially after the first couple houses.

We had a little block party, complete with "spooky" deviled eggs.

My baby girl all dressed up. She was such a ham.

She loved pointing to her wings and saying "Fuh-fly"!

Thanks to Granny for some amazing shots!

The three of us before we took Emma trick or treating. She would stop at every house and point, saying "Candy?" She's a quick study.

I love this picture. It looks like it should be in a magazine.

New York, New York

2009-10-25T21:27:00.001-07:00

So last week Andrew and I went to New York city for our 5 year anniversary while Emma stayed home with Mimi and Papa. We missed her a ton!...but were so thankful for the time away.

Central Park was incredible, especially as the days we spent there were so mild.

We went to the Top of the Rock at sunset. The view was breathtaking (and we enjoyed it with about 500 other people, most of whom didn't speak english).

We went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Andrew found his family that immigrated through Ellis Island in 1904. Well, he didn't actually find them...we found their immigration papers.

Brunch at the Boathouse in Central Park. We needed a break from strolling museums.

See a pattern here? Andrew had never been to New York before so I just HAD to show him all classic NYC places. We saw a show, ate incredible meals, stayed out late, walked all over town, road the subway, made an appearance on TODAY, bought food from street carts...if we ever win the lottery we may just consider a second home in the city.

The OC Fair

2009-08-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

We took Emma to the OC Fair this month while Mimi and Papa were visiting.
Emma loved the gazillion animals in the petting zoo and we enjoyed the people watching and a frozen lemonade on a hot day.

Here's Emma posing at the front entrance.

I'm not kidding...these steers were taller than Andrew. Only at the county fair.

We found a petting zoo with tons of baby animals.

Apparently Emma didn't read the sign...she's such a rulebreaker.

Our Little Patriot

2009-07-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Celebrations

2009-07-09T15:38:00.001-07:00

I pinch myself sometimes when I think about the incredible community we have around us.

Celebrating Father's Day in Laguna Beach.Celebrating the birth of Baby Carson.
Celebrating Matt's Birthday.

Book Club

2009-06-29T15:27:00.001-07:00

So last year I joined an amazing group of Mamas who love to read and talk about life and raising kids and the spiritual journey of being a parent. I'm sure there are a bunch of different things we could call our group - I choose to call us a book club...it makes me feel like a sophisticated and hip Mama...
We get together every week over coffee, after the kiddos are in bed, and by the time I get home Andrew is fast asleep. But I love these women and feel blessed to walk through life with them.
This weekend we met rather spontaneously at the bluffs at Corona Del Mar for a little wine and cheese picnic with our families. It was fun and totally chaotic, but we had a blast.

Around the house...

2009-06-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer!
Here are a few things we've been up to this month:

The three of us at our friend Colby's 30th bday.

Emma has taken to helping out with the dishwasher.

Here she is practicing the piano. As you can see, she is really focused.Andrew split his head open while taking out the trash. I told him to put some ice on it.

Emma and Taylor at Andrew's Summer League Softball Team BBQ.

Emma and Ethan chilling together in someone else's wagon.

Emma and Lucy enjoying the pool. Emma's latest way to pass the time on warm days...stripping down and playing in the water.

Sweet Girl...

2009-05-26T22:28:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Aunt Carly for an adorable shot of our girl.
P.S. Is it just me or is she taking after her dad with the widow's peak?

Best $45 We've Spent in Years

2009-04-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

Okay people, run, don't walk to the Santa Ana zoo for an annual membership. $45 dollars. No joke.

Sure some of the animals are sickly. And lets be honest, that elephant's not gettin' any younger... but the monkies. OH the monkies. So good. Emma loves them.

Who doesn't love a lemur?

Emma mid clap. Notice the delicate interlacing of fingers. Only the best in response to the monkies.

Did we mention they have a petting zoo?!! Forty... five... dollars. Make it happen and call us. We'll go together! P.S. This goat is showing indifference, but he's just playing hard to get. He'll come around. Give him time.

Mia (Emma's buddy*) and Emma on the Merry-Go-Round (COME ON!!!). What does this place not have?!! Don't even get me started about the train. Yeah, that's right.

*By "buddy", we mean casual indifference with the occasional toy share and over-agressive recovery of said toy. 14 month-olds aren't exactly bosum buddies with anybody just yet.

Happy Easter from the Hartmans

2009-04-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

She's Mobile.

2009-03-21T22:22:00.001-07:00

Emma's First Birthday Party

2009-03-05T09:53:00.000-08:00

A year has flown by since our sweet Emma arrived. We decided to mark the milestone birthday with a French-themed party that was inspired by a dress a client gave me for Emma and, of all things, an Eiffel Tower shaped cookie cutter.

As we all know I'm so not creative so my mom added her magical touch to make the party memorable, like creating this banner that hung from the arbor in our courtyard.

Andrew's beachcruiser was turned into a French bike scene with flowers, a Bonjour welcome sign and a basket with breads, fruits and French cookbooks.

I always love cooking for our parties.

The birthday girl.

The proud parents.

Emma's first cake - Chocolate Mousse. She performed well for her crowd of adoring onlookers.

Emma with her Mimi who she LOVES.

Pops usually stays behind the camera at these events. I'm glad we were able to get he and Granny with their messy granddaughter in this shot.

Thanks to our family and friends for your generosity and love!
We're so glad to have you in our, and especially Emma's, lives.

One Year and Counting

2009-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

Fair warning: We love you enough to warn you that this is chocked full with Momma/Papa pride. It's 10 minutes long.

February

2009-02-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

It's a new month...and it's been busy!

Here are a few highlights...

Emma helping me put the bowls away...wait, no...actually she's trying to pull them down.

Emma helping gather a few things around the house, put them on her walker, and bring them to me.

Here she is helping unload the dishwasher.
Her favorite foods vary daily, but this week she's been all about the frozen peas. Who knew.Happy Valentines Day!
We've never been big fans but we did celebrate with wine, cheese and chocolate at the Kershes. Emma loved the wine...just kidding.More milestones - we turned her car seat around and she's drinking regular milk. When did I become that mom who blogged about her daughter sitting forward in her car seat? Seriously though, it's awesome.

Aba!

2009-02-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Go ahead. Call me a slacker.
I haven't updated our blog or taken very many pictures of January's adventures, but then again...if I had documented January's happenings they would have included the following events I'd just as soon forget:
1. Emma getting the stomach flu...twice, and giving it to me, Granny and her Aunt Carly.
2. Emma cutting her top teeth. I now think the homeopathic teething tablets are "cute"...but understand why they make Orajel.
3. An unexpected trip to the ER after Emma fell off her changing table. I'm still working out my guilt issues on this one.

But there are several things worth mentioning:
1. Emma's chattering more than ever, saying Mama, Pup-pup, Baby, Button, Ok, Hi, and her latest favorite...ABA. We're not really sure what it means but it's obviously really important as she uses it for just about everything.
2. Her favorite thing to do these days is to walk around the house (and driveway...and neighborhood) in her walker. I love how much I can get done and she loves the independence. She especially loves to gather things that are her height around the house and bring them to me, including tea towels, candles, cups, bowls, bags, etc. So helpful.
3. I've never seen such a little kid eat so much. Last night for dinner she ate green beans, mixed cereal, a half cup of peas, a peach, 3 slices of cheese, 2 big pretzels and cheerios. Where does it all go?
This month she'll be 1! Stay tuned for more...

11 Months

2009-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

Note: This image has not been doctored in any way. Emma, for the first time on this blog, is not raising the roof.

10 Months

2009-01-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Emma's First Christmas

2009-01-01T14:37:00.001-08:00

I felt so blessed this Christmas. 2008 has certainly had its challenges but it was also a year full of incredible memories, including the birth of our sweet Emma Grace. We are blessed by fantastic friends and family, excellent health, and we continue to be amazed by how the Lord continues to remain faithful to our family. We look forward to seeing where he leads us in 2009!

Obligatory first tree pic. A note to our friends in the Northwest - yes, Andrew is in fact wearing sandals. We celebrated Christmas with both families at the Brandes'. All families agreed ahead of time that it would be a low-key Christmas. Apperantly the Grandparents define "low-key" differently than we do, as evidenced by all of Emma's gifts.Merry Christmas from the Hartmans.

A Brandes Christmas Eve tradition - as a kid I always stood at the fireplace with my mom, all dressed up for Christmas Eve, and when my dad came home we'd take a special "Christmas Eve" picture. This year Emma has replace my first dog, Dylanne.

The Brandes'Our First Christmas.

A very special Thank You to our friends and family this Christmas season. We appreciate your generosity and the love and support you give our family.

Loving Us Some Bakersfield

2008-12-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we met Jeff and Kirsten for a calorie-laden brunch at Mimi's in Bakersfield. Despite the frightened look on her face, Emma really did enjoy her time - especially the Christmas board book the Kruegers got for her. Thanks again!

Little Swinger

2008-11-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

9 Months

2008-11-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

Emma turned 9 months this week! As she gets more and more mobile and curious these monthly photo shoots are becoming increasingly difficult.

I just recently noticed emma always has her hands up in pictures. How come nobody told me about this?

Again, the hands.

We have this daily ritual of walking to get the mail and then Emma plays with/eats all the unwanted catalogs and direct mail pieces. The Pottery Barn and Dean and Deluca catalogs were spared, I'm happy to report.

Cait comes to town!

2008-11-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

My roommate and dearest friend from Biola came out to visit after spending an adventurous 2 years with the Peace Corps in Zambia, Africa. It was so fun having her here - and she doesn't know it yet but I'm officially starting a campaign to get her to move to So Cal.

I couldn't wait to introduce her to Emma.

Caitlin braved the elements to capture this shot of the Brea fire from the 57 freeway as we were headed to Teri Hopper's wedding.

Andrew and I are so excited for Teri and Jacob. Caitlin and I at the wedding.
We took this picture outside of the Summit House in the Santa Ana winds. It was a crazy place to be while the fires were lighting up the hills around us.

We went out to celebrate my 28th birthday in Laguna Beach - martinis and chocolate souffle at French 75. My favorite part was the live music and the 40-somethings getting their groove on the dance floor.

San Diego

2008-11-17T17:38:00.000-08:00

Andrew and I went to San Diego last weekend to celebrate my 28th birthday. Thank you Mimi and Papa for the weekend away!!

We had a picnic lunch overlooking Coronado Island after a relaxing morning downtown.

I'm pretty sure they used a shovel to flip my pancake at this great breakfast restaurant we found called Cafe on Park. Also, didn't I do a great job of hiding my embarrassment that Andrew wanted to take this picture of me?

Ruth came for a week and watched a teething Emma the weekend we were in San Diego. Thank you Mimi!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

We came up against a big dilemma this year regarding Halloween. With an 8 month old who goes to bed at 6:45 and with a significant lack of funding, we figured we could do without the costume even though we realized it meant no First Halloween photo opp. But as it turned out Emma's Granny couldn't stand the thought of her granddaughter not having a costume for her first Halloween. And so, as you can see below, our Emma was magically transformed into a Pixie Fairy Princess for the day and we got the ever-important photo opp. we thought we had missed. I know she's only 8 months but I really think she believed she was a princess that day.

It doesn't get much cuter than this...

Emma Month 6,7, and 8

2008-10-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Through the magic of the internet, we will now age Emma from 6 to 8 months...

The Latest in the Hartman Household...

2008-10-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this last month has been a little nutty. Emma's first TWO teeth came in and we learned why people make such a big deal out of teething. Also, this was a big week - we added avocado and cheerios to Emma's diet! I remember the days when I used to wonder why parents were so excited about these kinds of milestones but here we are...
In the midst of what is has proven to be a seemingly unstable and crazy season, we feel so blessed by Emma and love our growing relationship with her.

Our friend Jordan's Rockband Birthday Party.

Emma loving her Aunt Carly and Uncle Mattie.

Matt and Carly had us over for an incredible fall picnic. We played Sequence on their lawn and Emma particularly enjoyed the game...well, gnawing on the cards and banging the tokens actually.

Andrew likes to make sure to remind Emma that she can't use the "Daddy didn't love me card" down the road...

The 5 of us at Matt and Carly's.

Our Little Girl's Growing Up!

2008-09-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

Our First Family Vacation

2008-09-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

Last week was our very first family vacation to Washington and Canada. We took off for 10 incredible days with Andrew's family and some much-needed time for just the two of us. We were busy - Andrew's 10 year high school reunion (he was President so guess who planned it), lots of time with family and old friends, time away in Victoria, and Andrew's cousin's wedding on one of the San Juan Islands. Emma did great despite spending 10 days in 5 different places. She was a trooper!

This is the "beach" where Andrew grew up. A little different than my days growing up on the sand in Malibu.
Emma LOVED all the toys her Mimi got for her to play with at her house. This was one of many.
Okay, this is my favorite picture so far and I know there will come a day when she hates that we captured this picture of her right after she got rather messy (I won't get into the details...) and we had to strip her down to just her shoes.
Andrew, Emma and I with Andrew's close high school friend Chad and his fiance, Julia. We wish they'd move to Southern California.
Andrew's friend from high school, Josh, and his wife and their son who is several months older than Emma and head-butts anyone who attempts to give him a high five.

Our little family in Victoria. We had a few days away together and then Mimi and Papa brought Emma up for several more days. We were pretty excited to see her. Okay, more like desperate.

Our Family is a Rock Band

2008-08-10T17:23:00.001-07:00

We spent Wednesday night playing Rock Band with our friends Jordan and Courtney. Seriously... this game is awesome.

Courtney on drums, Kelly ripping it up on her ax, and me making a mockery of a Fallout Boy Song. We have no tour plans as of yet, but we'll keep you posted.

Emma bringing it down for a slow jam. Such passion for a 5 month old.

5 Months

2008-08-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

Bummer...

2008-07-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

Of all the times for our digital camera to act up! In light of the fact that our camera isn't working these days I thought I would post a few pics from this last month so you don't completely write off our blog as being totally out of date and irrelevant. And so we begin...So happy!!

Emma's first day at the pool. I think we probably took maybe 25 pictures and she was in the pool for about 5 and 1/2 minutes.

Contrary to what her face might indicate, Emma really did enjoy her time in the pool. She's quite a swimmer!!

Andrew's parents were in town for July 4th and Andrew ran a 5K that day with Kyle. We ate breakfast at The Filling Station (our new favorite) after the run so Andrew and Kyle could fill up on protein and carbs.

Little Giggler

2008-07-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

We're Proud Parents... Deal with it.

2008-06-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

We were looking for a good reason to post and, frankly, we've got nothing. So without further ado, here's some unadulterated Emma Grace loving:

Exhibit A: Come on. How am I supposed to deny this face? Exhibit A is also further reinforcement that we don't have a stone cold sandy on our hands. She does actually smile all the time.

Exhibit B: A great shot by our friend (and incredible Aunt!) Carly. I pretty much put Emma in this little dress as often as Kelly will let me get away with it. I delight in this little one.

Exhibit C: Emma is rocking the bumbo. This is seriously a great invention. Emma loves it. We also discovered she loves pictures of people. In this instance, she's staring and smiling at her Momma and Aunt Caitlin. Nevermind that Emma is right in front of the knife block and leaning precariously close to the edge of the counter. We're good parents, we swear.

Exhibit D: Emma and her daddy went for their first run together. Emma's not sure about this whole running thing, though she was kind enough to indulge me as I ran around Quail Hill and made it a point to run past people. I'm kinda sorta proud of her.

Exhibit E: 4 months already. This weekend also marked the 1 year anniversary to the day that the ER doctors told us we were going to lose the baby and Kelly should go home, "relax and have a glass of wine". Emma says "Irvine Regional can bite me."

Angels Game with the (future) Clemens

2008-06-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with Teri and Jacob at the Angel's game on Friday night. The Angels lost (as always when we are in attendance), but we enjoyed the Beach Pit BBQ (sweet sweet pulled pork) as well as Mormon night in our section. Seriously, is there a reason why Mormons are all good looking? Did the caffeine give me the back hair?

The other image is my new favorite thing to do with Emma. Though this image doesn't show it, she just smiles when I balance her like this in my hand.

Contrary to popular belief from our documentation efforts to date, Emma does actually smile, you just have to sneak up on her.

Family Portrait

2008-06-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

Our latest family portrait...created by Pops.

Perspective

2008-06-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend was significant: I think I can count on one hand the amount of memorial services I've been to in my life. This weekend I went to two. On Saturday we went to a memorial service for my Aunt Marla, who passed away last week after battling ovarian cancer. Her life was marked by joy, service and generosity. Today I went to the memorial service for Joey Johnson, a friend who was like a brother to me in high school and whom the Lord suddenly took home at the age of 28. Joey was adventurous, hilarious, and spontaneous. He lived his life as though he knew it would be short - and filled it with memories, travels, and love for others.

Andrew and I have had some significant conversations this weekend - what it means to make the most of every day, the purpose of life, and how we teach Emma to live in light of eternity. Our lives feel remarkably different today than they did even a week ago. We don't have all the answers, but as my Uncle John wrote in his last letter to my Aunt Marla, "The road to the Lord's house is often bumpy...but it is the right road."

3 Months

2008-05-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

Emma turns 3 months!

A Long Weekend

2008-05-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

Emma looking cool before her 3 month portrait.

Emma and her friend Lucy.

Taking advantage of the warm evening by having dinner on outdoors on our new patio set. I think the point of this image is to show off the patio set...Emma and I just happened to be there.

Kelly and Aunt Jen

Emma's 3-month portrait. I sometimes wonder if she gets tired of having the camera in her face. We stripped her down and told her we wouldn't put her clothes back on unless she was cute. Fortunately she was compliant and the shoot didn't last long.

Emma Says Hello

2008-05-12T22:01:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that Emma has her father wrapped around her finger. She pretty much could have named the price of her wedding after our evening with her on the couch. Luckily (for my wallet) she can only make noises like a cat.
P.S. Is it just me or does she say "Mama" around second :32?

First Mother's Day

2008-05-12T13:10:00.001-07:00

I was so blessed to celebrate my first Mother's Day this last weekend. Emma brings Andrew and I so much joy and I love being her Mama. Andrew planned a great weekend, including breakfast at The Filling Station in Orange.

At The Filling Station.

I couldn't decide what to get so I ordered a piece of Hawaiian French Toast and a Blueberry Cornmeal Pancake...oh, and a Mocha too. But they ended up giving me two entire orders so we had leftovers. Calories don't count on Mother's Day, right?

Did we tell you Emma is a child prodigy? Here she is presenting me with her Mother's Day card.

Bonding with Sophie Lake and 2 Months

2008-04-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite image from the day Emma got to know Sophie Lake...she's almost 4 months younger than Sophie and about the same size. From the look on her face, she's not happy about it.

Emma turned 2 months! Thanks to the Cleary's for the clever sign idea.

Aunt Nell

2008-04-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

Emma's Aunt Janell (Andrew's sister) came to visit this week. She had some sweet time with little Emmers including some of the biggest smiles we've seen yet. Janell introduced us to the wonders of raw food including raw cheese (yum) and kelp noodles (not so yum). We went out for Ethiopian Food for her birthday. Though nobody's knocking down the door to eat their food (the place was empty) and they have zero competition (only Ethiopian restaurant in the OC), it was actually really good and I would even recommend it. Emma is already missing her Aunt Nell!

Spring Party...We're Growing!!

2008-04-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Jones' Annual Spring Pot Luck, hosted by the Kennedys. It was so fun to celebrate the Spring season and our GROWING group of friends!
Thanks for the picture, Meghan.

That Face...

2008-04-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Daddy's Turn with Emma in front of the Camera

2008-04-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

We know, we know: Overkill on the photoshoots. What do you expect when our daughter's Grandpa (Pops) is an incredible photographer? Emma may be a little fed up with it as well as evidenced by image 3 where she pees on me in protest.

Emma's One Month Photoshoot

2008-03-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Emma's second photoshoot! I feel so spoiled having one of the country's best portrait artists as a father...check out some of the pics! He has recently opened an Orange County gallery and has begun creating portraits for clients down here...having a granddaughter is motivating them to make the move south! Check out his site at www.brandesportrait.com.

I can't believe Emma has grown so much already.

Our First Night Out

2008-03-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was our first night out! Our friends, Steve and Victoria, got married at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, so we took the opportunity to have Granny babysit Emma so we could enjoy an evening away. The wedding was beautiful and we had an incredible time just the two of us, though we were anxious to get back to Emma at the end of the night. Emma was on her best behavior for Granny...we wish she would do the same for us!

Along Came Emma - The Major Motion Picture

2008-03-01T17:54:00.000-08:00

By Popular Demand.

2008-02-29T18:33:00.001-08:00

We're in the business of meeting needs (literally with Emma). The people want pictures, we give them pictures:

Our little one rocking out to her hearing test. I like to think she was listening to Angels and Airwaves. The nurse liked to think she was listening to beeping. Either way she passed. Booyah.

Auntie Jen (and Lucy on the way) were our first visitors at the hospital. It was so great for her to come home with us and show us the ropes of all things practical when it comes to taking care of an infant.

Emma's first wound as inflicted upon her by her loving mother during feeding. That'll teach her to talk back...

We decided to start the indoctrination early. She WILL love a hairy man one day (though not necessarily on his head). Say it with me, Emma: "Real men don't need sweaters".

No story. Just plain cute.

Emma Grace Hartman

2008-02-25T21:13:00.001-08:00

Our little warrior princess arrived at 10:22am this morning. She weighed in at 8.5 pounds and measured 21.75 inches (Kelly is currently accepting your sympathies for the labor). It was as it is always described: truly a magical experience. Our little sweetheart is healthy and doing well. She was even gracious enough to fill her pants and allow her father to change his first diaper this evening (a servant already...). Kelly was a champion and did incredible. I was so proud of her. We are still at the hospital as she recovers this evening (God Bless Free Wi-Fi from Kaiser. I feel myself "thriving" with each page I access). We'll post more pictures later this week as well. Thank you all for your blog comments, texts, phonecalls, and prayers. The encouragement was incredible, particularly for Kelly. We're so excited for you all to meet our daughter.

It doesn't hurt having a father-in-law that is a professional photographer.

Coming On Strong

2008-02-24T19:05:00.001-08:00

Two people called us regarding the last post so we decided to keep this live blogging going.

Soooooo... we're still at home. But contractions are near 5 minutes a part, and are definitely increasing in strength. It's looking like Kelly might have serious back labor which is a bummer...

7 Minutes Apart and Counting

2008-02-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

For all of you that check our blog on the hour (read: nobody), Kelly is officially having contractions, now 7 minutes apart. Please provide any solutions to helping these bad boys speed up to 3 minutes apart so we can get this show on the road.

Pregnancy Photoshoot

2008-02-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Last month my dad snapped a few pics of us down at the Balboa Fun Zone to capture this exciting season on camera...and we absolutely LOVED how they turned out (my dad should really consider a professional career in photography!). I think the images accurately reflect our love for life and our value for playfulness with each other.

The Spoiling Continues!

2008-02-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

My aunt Lora threw another incredible shower up in Thousand Oaks for friends and family who live in the area. The weather was perfect, the food was amazing and the decor was absolutely adorable! This baby better not get used to all this spoiling!

Granny and me.

My beautiful cousins.

The soon-to-be Mama.

My amazing family and friends.

Cute new outfits!

OC Shower and Childbirth Graduation

2008-01-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my INCREDIBLE Aunt Suzan through a shower for me at her home in Coto. It was beautiful and I was so blessed by all my friends and family who were able to attend. The weather was perfect so we ate a late lunch outside and then opened gifts...I was overwhelmed and amazed by the generosity of my wonderful friends.
Jen and I will be having our daughters about a month apart! We're working hard even now to make sure they are close friends.

I came home and showed Andrew all the cute gifts we received at the shower...we are still trying to find room for everything!

"MiMi," Kelly and the Baby.

Last weekend Andrew and I graduated from our childbirth class! I think we're the first graduates to only attend half the class (some poor trainee booked us into the second half of a 2 day, 9-4:30 class). Let's hope the baby doesn't come early as our next class isn't for a few weeks.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

This Christmas has been full of great memories, food and time with family and friends! We spent time with family in Palm Desert and enjoyed (the Baby and I, that is) the famous Brandes Pistachio Salad. NOTE: There is in fact no lettuce in Pistachio Salad but we love it anyway.

We received a stoller/car seat from my generous Aunt and Uncle...it only took us 1 1/2 hours to put it together!

My parents started a new Christmas Eve tradition a few years back. We have a big lobster and crab dinner and we all manage to consume at least a half stick of butter in the course of the evening. Tis the season!

Christmas Eve at my parents. We take this shot every year we're in town...only this year I've put on a few pounds.

I'm counting the days until Lisa moves back from D.C.!

Winter Full of Experiences

2007-12-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the season Andrew and I put together a list of all the things we wanted to do at Christmastime. I'm happy to report we've completed nearly all of them! For any of you looking for a few fun Christmas activities, may I recommend the following:
1. Newport/Balboa Boat Parade
2. Eggnog lattes
3. Roger's Gardens
4. Holiday baking
5. Do a puzzle
6. Find a themed Christmas ornament for the year
7. Throw a tacky sweater party
8. Walk around Naples (in Long Beach, not Italy)
9. Decorate the house and the Christmas tree
10. Go Christmas shopping
11. Make peppermint bark
12. Watch A Christmas Story
13. Watch It's a Wonderful Life
14. Sip cider by the lights of the tree
15. Keep warm by the fire (one we have yet to do...without a fireplace, this one's tough)

Andrew's 28th Birthday

2007-12-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

This year for Andrew's birthday we went to Mastro's in Newport Beach - it was incredible! First, this nice couple next to us gave us a half-bottle of wine that was $28/glass (which I had a couple sips of...okay, a "couple" meaning 4 or 5...but it was a special occasion!). The food was amazing. We ordered their signature Lobster Mashed Potatoes and were shocked when the bill came back and they were $35!! But we figured the wine and the free birthday carrot cake made up for it so we'll count it as another successful dining adventure!

I got Andrew an iPod for his gift and with as often as he uses it I think it might live a short life. Our last birthday celebration childless!

4th Annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Party

2007-12-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was our 4th Annual Tacky Christmas Sweater Party! What could be more tacky than Andrew's facial hair?
Every year our guests get tackier and tackier. This year in an amazing feat the Kershes took the award for Ruth Hartman Achievement in the Field of Tackyness, putting an end to the Jones' Christmas tacky dynasty. Andrew was so proud of his Tacky Table, complete with Mac n' Weenies, Pizza Pockets, Funyuns, a Cheeseball and Wine in a Box.
The Gourmet Table

Andrew executed his tacky program flawlessly. We played Write a Tacky Christmas Limerick and exchanged the tackiest ornaments we could find (though the idea was for everyone to take theirs home and somehow we ended up with about 15 hidden throughout our tree...darn them).

Heather, Julie and me

Beautiful Washington

2007-12-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

The Hartman Family at Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving with the Hartmans in Washington this year and it was incredible! Here we are on an afternoon walk (burning off the Holiday calories). Behind us is the Puget Sound - can you believe Larry and Ruth get this view right from their living room?!

Thanksgiving Street Scrabble

2007-11-25T22:12:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving Street Scrabble Rules

1. Anything goes as long as you can sell it and it's funny.

An Oldie But a Goodie

2007-11-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

Bored at Grandma's Remedy:

1. One Digital Camera
2. One Magnifying Glass

I procreated. Should you be worried?

Baby's Momma.

Auntie Nellie.

Kelly's Birthday

2007-11-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

Andrew took me to dinner at Mozambique in Laguna Beach for my 27th birthday. This after he made the most incredible breakfast (complete with an eggnog latte...my first of the season) in the morning. To top it all off he got my NINE pieces of jewelry! I think I married the most incredible man in the world.
Granny and Pops took us out for my birthday and we ate at 230 Forest in Laguna Beach (incredible food...average service). Here we are enjoying our post-dinner cappucino at Starbucks.
Clearly their baristas are paid for their ability to create the perfect latte rather than the perfect photograph.

Well, bring on the belly shots! Here I was at 24 weeks. Note the shirt I have is not a maternity shirt and has since been retired to the "non-pregnancy" section of the closet.

Our Future Babysitter

2007-11-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

We were informed today that we have many hours of this to look forward to.

Unfortunately, we're also told this video is not a joke.

Orange County Fire

2007-10-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Several of you have asked how close we were to the fires so I thought I would post a few pics that Andrew took last weekend when the Orange County fire started. He snapped them from our backyard and though it looks pretty close it was actually about 7 miles away. It rained ash for several days and we're still cleaning it off countertops and sweeping it up in the backyard but we were very fortunate that this was the extent of our being affected.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to our "friendly" milkman. Turns out we're going to be spending a lot more time together!

This was our showing at the annual Jones' Halloween Party. A huge step-up from the Nascar team from 2006. We even worked the Cat Walk! We were only two votes short of the most original costume, losing to a girl in a birdcage. No kidding.

Fall Pancake Breakfast with Ladies Club

2007-10-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I hosted a Fall Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast/Caramel Apple Extravaganza with Meghan, Beth and Sara. Little Wallace came too and was the first boy included in Ladies Club. Here I am as the short order cook.

Enjoying breakfast. I love the fall! I found this pancake mix at Williams-Sonoma that I highly recommend - it's Pumpkin Pecan Spice and it's amazing!

Outside on the fountain. Meghan and I forgot our knee-highs.

Hawaii

2007-09-09T19:08:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to Kauai! It was incredible and after 6 days we still weren't ready to come home.
We rented a Jeep convertible and then traded it in for a PT Cruiser convertible, which was a better fit for the weather which was unpredictable. The Cruiser even came with its own family of cockroaches!
Here we are eating shave ice in Koloa...you can see I have my very own "baby bump."

Here we are at the Princeville Resort overlooking Hanalei Bay. We thought about having dinner here but didn't want to take out a second on our house to do so.

The view from our room in Poipu. This beach had the most incredible snorkeling!

We're Pregnant

2007-08-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

On June 29th we found out we are expecting! It was really a surprise to the both of us, so much so that Andrew made me take a second test just to make sure. We're due February 23rd, 2008!

Our Wedding Day

2006-07-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

September 25, 2004...

What an incredible day.