Merry Christmas!

This will be the last post on the blog for a while... I had to take a break from packing to do it!
We remember all of our loved ones - friends and family, far and near, this season and wish you all a Merry Christmas and blessed New Year.
As we embark on the celebration of the birth of Christ, remember...
a little child was humbly born on this cold earth to save us from sin and from ourselves. The Father above knew that each of us needed a savior, and ours is Jesus. It is for this reason that we need to remember the amazing fact that Jesus isn't the "reason for the season".... WE are.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
With love,
The Izadis - Keyoumars, Keri, Bella and Luca

Deck the band...

... with lots of stickers!
Luca spread some holiday cheer with his DOC band, and caught some obvious attention! Sadly, after we cleaned it (with alcohol, like we do every night) the stickers were beginning to peel off. I removed them because I was afraid of them coming loose in his crib, so we're back to the clinical white look for now!
I sent the top picture in to Cranial Technologies' website, and it will be featured in their January photo album! I'll be sure to keep you posted as to when it comes out.
It's off to the pediatrician tomorrow for flu shots and Luca's anemia finger prick... another fun-filled day in toddlerland!

Merry "Almost" Christmas!

It's amazing what Santa will do for a few extra cookies!
Today was our San Diego Christmas for the kids, since we will be leaving to go back east this weekend.
Bella was really excited this year, which was fun. However, her favorite gift was Luca's Drop n' Roar Dinosaur. Luca's favorite, on the other hand, was Bella's Dora house. Doesn't it figure?
I now will be joining the support group for wives of video game-players, as Keith finally got his XBox 360. It's amaing what I will do when I'm desperate for something to get him!
It was a great day, but I am super excited for the real thing... going home for Christmas!

Christmas Cookies

Today was Daddy's Saturday to work for December, so Bella and I stayed busy during Luca's naps by doing a little bit of baking for Santa! The decorating is what she waited all day for (Luca's second nap). Obviously, she was doing a little tasting as well!
Santa will make an early visit to the Izadi house in San Diego tonight, because we will be leaving a week from today to go home.
I hope he likes the cookies! (Bella did.)

Starting Young

Luca loves to have his teeth brushed... which is good, considering his father and I wouldn't have it any other way. He has 3 teeth now, and one more about to poke through.
If you haven't tried a kid's spinbrush on your little ones, it's an excellent way to get them to love getting their teeth tickled, plus it does a great job of cleaning those pearlies in no time flat!
I often would get the question, "when should I start brushing my child's teeth?" And the answer obviously is - as soon as they get them!
That's my little oral hygeine pitch... I guess I have to feel like a professional every now and then.
Happy brushing, everybody!

Presents!

Bella and her cousin (and new best buddy), Garrett exchanged presents tonight. This was Bella's first gift of the season, and when Amie came in holding presents, Bella shouted, "Santa came!" No, she really doesn't get it yet, but she's catching on. Luca got a gift from Garrett, too, but was sleeping when I took this picture. The kids had a blast playing with each other's presents, and it was a great way to kick off the gift-giving for us.
Regrettably, Bella had to say good-bye to her little friend (for now) because they will be leaving to go back east for Christmas on Tuesday. We'll miss you, Griffen family! See you next year!

Say Cheese!

These are a sample of Luca's 9-month and Christmas portraits we had done today. The kids did really well, but it was a little warm here for the festive holiday apparel!
We had to bribe Bella with gummy bears, and as you can see, it worked. I, however, paid the price with the sugar rush she had afterwards!

DOC Band Cutie

Well, here is the latest addition to the "DOC Band cuties." This band is quite different from his old helmet. For one, it's white. We elected that "less is more" for this one. It's lighter and more open, which makes it seem more comfortable. The two curves on the top of his head are over high spots - places where the bones are higher than on the left. The band basically rests on those spots, and it's less constricting than the other one.
Luca is taking it so much better than we were prepared for. We are grateful for those who are praying for him - he will need it over the next few days as he gets adjusted to this again. As for today, we are pleased with how the first 8 hours went. He is sleeping as I write this and went down for the night without a problem! God is good, and we continue to pray for his mercy and grace through this treatment process.

O Christmas Trees

Well, this is what we spent most of today doing! We made the decision to have two trees, because our little old one would have been lost in the living room. We couldn't bear to part with it, so it's upstairs outside of the kid's rooms with a peek view of the ocean! We call it the kid's tree, because it has all of the fun and old ornaments - some handmade by Aunt Ethel, and one that I made when I was little! I love that tree.

Down in the living room we have our formal, sophisticated tree. You can't tell from the picture, but it's in all shades of white, and I love that one, too!

So, yes it's a lot of work, but worth it. We love Christmas and Christmas trees, and all the rest of the Christmas stuff that is occupying every open bit of space in the house! Now if we can only keep Luca away from it....

December Nights

Tonight we decided on a last minute dinner out - Panera, which is our choice for a quick, kid-friendly dinner!

We took these pictures there at the Forum where we saw pretty lights and a beautiful Christmas tree, heard carolers, and watched giant goldfish with the kids.

Yes, those are sweaters and coats we're wearing! The weather here has been a bit on the chilly side (about 50 degrees at night!), so I had to dig out the winter gear. It was actually refreshing! Although this is weird weather for us, we east-coasters really appreciate it - not to mention that it is super helpful for getting into the Christmas spirit!

Casting Crowns

Well, today was the dreaded casting appointment. I was so worried that this would be simply intolerable to Luca. However, the Lord answered our prayers, and the little guy did really well. Aside from a few minutes of crying, Luca handled his casting better than I could have expected.
We decided that Keith would take him, feeling that Bella's presence was really not a good idea. It was probably good that I didn't have to witness it first hand. I made Keith promise to take lots of pictures, and even those made me cry.
Now that the mold of Luca's head has been made, the lab can begin to fabricate the appliance. We expect to have the new Doc Band within two weeks, and then the adjustment period begins again! What an adventure this turned out to be!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Our tummies were filled to the brim after this dinner which Amie and I delightfully pulled off. This was a first for me - the turkey prep was actually pretty funny. Keith and I looked like we were in the OR with our gloves and sterile technique!
We were so glad to have our family here to join us, and we all - Amie, Matt, Garrett, Bella, Luca, Keith and myself - had a great time.
However, Amie and I are homesick for the rest of our families, so we're counting the days until we head home for Christmas!
Let the shopping begin!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to wish our family and friends a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving! We will miss all of you so much, but are truly thankful that we have our cousins Amie, Matt, and Garrett this year to share this special day with! Please keep them in your prayers as they settle in to life here in San Diego!
We are thankful for our wonderful family, who continuously loves and supports us across the miles. We are counting the days until Christmas when we will hit the friendly skies, the night before Santa does!
We are thankful for great friends - old ones who keep in touch, and for new ones God has blessed us with. We love you!
Eat lots, and be merry. And ..."in all things give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

New Tooth

...or soon to be "teeth." I was finally able to get a picture this morning of Luca without something in his mouth! He's got one tooth that's broken through, and one any time now. These teeth have been the only source of annoyance for this usually mild-mannered good boy. He simply does not yet appreciate their existence!
This picture also shows a nice bruise on his head, which resulted from a run-in with the entertainment center in the play room. Yes, we do miss the helmet some days.
Speaking of which, Luca has his casting appointment on Monday for his new Doc Band. We should have some interesting pictures of that experience to share!

Soooo Big!

It's hard to believe how big this little guy is getting! His latest thing is pulling himself up onto anything he can get a grip on. It's amazing to think that Bella was walking at this age... we're thankful that we're going to have a few extra months before Luca hits the open road.
Luca's 2nd tooth is working it's way through, and he doesn't appreciate it at all. Other than that, he likes to get into everything, eats everything, and is still a very good baby.
We're so blessed!

Favorite Things

No, we didn't drop off the face of the earth - it's just that the weeks when I serve on the worship team at church can get a little hectic. I love doing it, but with playing 3 services and rehearsals, it can be hard to get caught up!
Whew... I'm all caught up.
This is what the kids are the most into lately. Luca LOVES his swing! I debated on waiting until they were "in season" again to get one at the local Target, but I had a hunch he would really like it, so I ordered one online. (How can something be "out of season" here?) Anyway, I was right. As soon as I put him in, he gave me the greatest belly laugh, and continues to do so every time he goes in his swing. Plus, he gets a kick out of sitting in it and watching his crazy sister zip around on her little bike.
Bella has rediscovered her 2-year birthday present from Nonna and Pappy - a little motorized trike. Ever since she mastered the tricycle, she has become much better at steering/not crashing into everything in sight. She wants to ride it all waking hours - Keith even took her on the trails with it (much to the delight of the peace-desiring golfers, I'm sure). It really is kind of funny watching that little twig fly around on it... she does pretty well, and whenever she's not just in the back yard, she wears a helmet.... Big Ben should have taken a lesson from this toddler!
Happy Birthday, Chad!

To The Zoo

Yesterday (Monday), Keith was off, so we decided to go to the San Diego Zoo. Surprisingly, it was the first visit for the kids and me.
Since Luca is helmet-free for the time being, we wanted to take advantage of it, since he gets very hot in it - especially when it was as warm as it was yesterday!
We had a great time, and Bella really enjoyed it. Luca did very well and was a good boy, as always.
We have to go back again soon, as we didn't get to see the whole thing. With the kids tiring out, and the heat doing us all in, we were home by 4 and ready to get to bed early!

First Burger

Last night after church we decided to try In-N-Out Burger, which is supposedly a big thing here in Southern California. I, being from the east coast, asked the girl at the drive-thru what they had for kids in the way of chicken fingers. I then found out that this was a true burger joint... no chicken. There was a choice of a double cheeseburger, a hamburger, a cheeseburger, fries, and milkshakes on the menu. So, Bella was forced to get her very first cheeseburger. This isn't your typical McDonalds cheeseburger - This puppy, complete with lettuce, tomato, onion, and special sauce was only $1.69, and very good! As you can see, Bella really enjoyed the experience, but needed Daddy's help to finish it! Now that we're onto one of So Cal's best kept secrets, I think we'll be going there more often. We fed the whole family for under $9, and they were the best fast food burgers I've ever had!

My New Hat

Luca had to blow off some steam after his physical therapy evaluation on Thursday - so he got a bit silly. Since he doesn't have a helmet now, we got him a little (big) hat for when we travel home in December!
However, plans may be changing. Luca will begin physical therapy for his torticollis (tightness/weakness of his right sternocleidomastoid muscle in his neck) in a few weeks. He also has an appointment for an evaluation by another orthotist specializing in cranial remolding bands on Wednesday.
Keith found out today that he probably wasn't being treated by the best people for the last 4 months, so we're going somewhere different, and supposedly better, for a second opinion. We are thinking that Luca will probably be in a different helmet by Christmas.
This does give us hope that he won't have to live with the obvious deformities in his skull. We are thankful that because he is still so young, there is still time to correct it!
To check out the new center and to learn more about Luca's condition, go to www.cranialtech.com. As you will see, the helmets are very different!

Little Star

This is one way to have your head examined.
Luca had an appointment yesterday with the orthotist to check his progress with his cranial remolding helmet. This is a picture of him getting his little head scanned in the "Star Scanner," which eliminates the need for him to have alginate impressions of his skull made.
The results?? No more helmet therapy!
He has come so far and improved so much - however we look at this milestone with mixed emotions. Numerically, Luca is near perfect. Visually and clinically, he still is obviously asymetrical. The plan, therefore, is to continue to monitor and scan him monthly, and reevaluate the need for additional therapy.
At this point, we can no longer put our trust in a helmet, but in the Great Physician - the Almighty God. We pray that the Lord will mold and perfect those little bones as they grow, and that we will continue to see improvement over the next few months!

Where's the Bear?

It was a beautiful night here for taking a walk and getting some candy. Since Bella has no idea it was "Halloween," that's what she assumes we were doing. Bella was so excited to be get dressed up today, that she actually finished dinner in less than an hour!
Trick-or-treating is HUGE here. It all started around 6 pm, and I think they were coming in by the vanloads! At 8:00 I turned off all the lights outside after we had given out 100 popcorn balls and a Costco-sized bag of candy. That's a lot of kids. Oh, and for you 20+ year olds - come on! Isn't it easier just to go and buy your own candy (or take it from your little brother or sister?)
One of our neighbors commented that Bella was a "scary lion." She promptly corrected him by saying, "I'm not a scary lion, I'm a nice lion!" Luca had a great time, too, going for an unusual night-time ride in the stroller - he never made a peep!
Bella had only managed to have one piece of candy by bedtime, so we're calling that a win! Oh, and we quickly nixed the idea of having another little bundle so that we could have a lion, a tiger, and a bear.

Garden Stuff

Keith got home pretty early today, so he hit the back yard to do what he loves to do... garden. While trimming the roses, he saw this neat little spider and called us all out to take a look. Pretty snazzy, huh? I've never seen one like this, but he seems to like hanging out on his three little rose buds.
The second picture is of our lone pomegranite. When we got the trees, there we at least 15 blossoms, but Bella got a hold of them, and picked off all but one. This is that one. We finally picked it this week, and Bella and Daddy enjoyed it together! (We hope to have a bigger crop next year.)

Teething bites....

...everything!
Luca will be 8 months old on November 3. It seems like he's been teething for 4 of them. I've never seen a more "drooly" kid - he can soak a bib in two minutes flat! Lately, his favorite thing to do it to rip them off and crawl around with them like this.
I think tomorrow will finally be the day when O and P peek through (for you non-dental people, that's the two lower middle ones). The good thing is, unlike his sister, the only symptoms he's had is drooling and biting on everything he can get his mouth on.
Oh, this is what he looks like lately without his helmet! I took this picture during his 1 hour off tonight!

A Warm Fall Day

We love fall! Tis the season for cornstalks, pumpkins, mums, and Santa Anas - the winds that blow the warm, dry desert air to the coast. October is a funny month for us... you never know what you're going to get weather-wise, but usually it's one of our warmest months. We've learned that you have to watch the weather this time of year so you know if you'll be needing a sweater or a tank top at the pumpkin patch! We still get to enjoy the season, though. Our trees do change colors ~ the ones with leaves, and we've got plenty of pumpkins to go around!
I took these pictures right after we got off of the trail today, so Luca was half-asleep. The big deal today was finding pine cones. Bella saw a bunch, but we took home two... so they wouldn't fight over them, of course!

Let's Play Doh

This has become Bella's favorite thing to do lately. It all started last Thursday when she was throwing a minor fit at the fact that it was "date night" and she wanted to come with Mommy and Daddy! Honestly, Bella LOVES Miss Cathy, who we inherited when our dear neighbors moved away. However, Bella thinks it necessary to try to change our mind about leaving for our date every week by throwing a crying fit.
Miss Cathy changed all that last week when she asked Bella if she wanted to play with Play Doh. Bella immediately straightened up, and said with tears and a still shaky voice, "night night mommy!" and we were out the door!
Wow... good one Miss Cathy.
Now it's a daily request, so we'll see if it works again tonight!

Sanctuary

Where have all the playpens gone? If you've tried to find one, and I don't mean a tiny pack-and-play thing, but one of the old, big, good ones, you'll be hard-pressed.
Because we have hardwood floors and a brick fireplace hearth, and Luca is constantly on the move, I thought that a playpen might be a good idea. On my internet search for a big one like we had when we were kids, I realized that the only one like that I was going to find would be a truly old one on ebay. I also learned that for some reason, playpens have become "policitally incorrect" in many progressive circles. How dare we pen up our children and forget about them? Would we actually get something done around our house or get dinner prepared, rather than constantly entertain the little lovelies? If any of you have tried making dinner with a 21 lb. infant on your hip, you'll realize that the chiropracter will soon be your best friend, not to mention that the stove probably isn't the best place for your little chef to hang out.
The bottom line is, I found this great 6-sided playpen by Kettler, swiped Luca up as he was about to hit his face off of the brick hearth, and voila.... he was in his own little soft and safe sanctuary. The safety advantage is obvious, but this little guy is actually learning to PLAY. No, I'm not supermom. I can't always entertain my 2-year old and my 7 month old every minute of the day. Hence, the playpen. I have peace of mind knowing if I have to do something for a few minutes, Luca is safe, and he loves it!
Bring back the playpens!

Dessert!

Luca topped off his evening meal of garlic mashed potatoes with a nice bowl of cereal with fruit. Bella, on the other hand, ate about 1/4 of a chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes. We then let her splurge on a halloween cookie our great neighbors bestowed upon us just as we were finishing dinner. How timely! Obviously, we've been blessed with two great eaters. Luca is the one to watch out for... for him, cheeseburgers may be just around the corner!

Ready to Go

About 4 days of the week, I load the kids into the jogger and hit the trails near our house. It's like getting exercise without feeling like you're exercising! We enjoy beautiful views of the mountains and the ocean, and Bella gets a kick out of the lizards, big spiders, and numerous "doggies" we pass on the way. It's a nice way to get us all some fresh air and breaks up the mornings.
Today, Luca was holding Bella's hand in the stroller, and it was really cute. I remember my Dad saying that all he ever wanted was for his children to love each other. Well, we do. But I get it now... it warms my heart every time they play together, hold hands or kiss. It makes the times Bella is trying to kill Luca all the more bearable!
On the same note, we've been studying the book of John, and one big thing Jesus kept teaching his disciples as He was preparing to leave them, was to love one another. We should love one another the way He loves us. Just think how good it makes US feel to see OUR kids loving each other!

Last Day of Ballet

Well, Bella's first 6-week "Tiny Tots Ballet" class came to an end today. I'm not very sad, considering lugging poor Luca along to a class where Bella simply daydreamed in her own little world wasn't something I really looked forward to on Wednesdays. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but Bella was the youngest in the class, and it really showed. If she's still interested (which right now, she says she isn't) we'll give it another shot next year!
Anyway, she actually did get something out of it, probably more than I realize. These are her new friends Karly and Emily playing "ring-around-the-rosey" with Bella. No, it wasn't part of the class. She was actually having fun here!

New Haircut

Bella got her 3rd ever haircut today, and boy is it short! Very cute, though. She was really looking forward to it... not for the haircut, but for the lollipop she knew she would get when she was done! Yes, she was a good girl, and got her lollipop.
Then it was off to the bookstore, and lunch with mommy. Tuesday mornings are girls only, as our sitter, Lily, stays with Luca so he doesn't miss any of his much needed 3 daily naps! It works out very well - Bella loves the one-on-one time with mommy, and Luca adores Lily. Then it's home for Bella's nap, and I get to run around all by myself for a few hours! Thank goodness for Tuesdays!

The Constant Gardener

This is one of our lemon trees. Keith loves to garden, so we're always planting something. We have a second crop of tomatoes that are growing like crazy! We can't wait for them, because we're just about done with the last ones. Besides lemons and tomatoes, we have oranges, pomegranates, guava, figs, apricots, peaches, apples, and cucumbers, and assorted hot peppers.
Speaking of fruit and such, I learned something interesting at church this weekend. John 15:2 says that the Lord cuts away the dead branches, but He also prunes the living, fruitful ones so that they may produce even more excellent fruit. Lately, I've been questioning why I spent more than half my life in school and training, now to be a stay-at-home mom. What I realized is that sometimes the living things that get pruned can be a great career, like I had. However, I am doing something much more fruitful now, which is raising my children up in the way they should go. I have much more assurance and contentment now, knowing I am exactly where God wants me to be.

We Won!

Well, there are at least a few Steeler fans out here in San Diego, and we're really happy that we finally won one - and pretty convincingly! Although we couldn't watch the game on TV, thanks for the wonders of the internet, I was able to listen to the live radio broadcast with our own Bill Hillgrove! Talk about a taste of home!
Besides getting into the Steeler game, Luca has been crawling all over the place, so we brought out the baby gates today! We've also had to replace his baby carrier with a real deal carseat, because I can't carry him in that thing anymore! I think he'll be much more comfortable now, too.
Where did my little peanut go?

Mommy & Me

Luca was enjoying some serious mommy and me playtime while Bella was napping yesterday! He's 7 1/2 months old now, and fascinated with my mouth, nostrils, and eyes. Not to mention anything shiny, for example, my earrings - ouch!
His head continues to slowly improve with his remolding helmet. I've set my goal for Christmas, hoping that we'll beat it by a few weeks. He could possibly need to get another one soon, as he is growing so quickly. We have learned, though, that there are advantages to an infant with a helmet. His big sister is a great reason, for one. Since he's crawling now, we've heard more than a number of cracks of his helmet off of things like the hardwood floors, cabinets, the brick hearth of the fireplace, etc. A blessing in disguise, I'll put it.
Throughout this whole thing, though, I've learned that God really isn't interested in our timetables. Yes, He will do a mighty work through Luca... when it will be complete is up to Him.

One good one

We had a photographer (check out her site at www.photographybyjencox.com) come to the house 2 weekends ago to take pictures of the kids. Luca's 6 month pics at The Picture People didn't go so well, so we thought this would be easier. Plus, we've had numerous requests for a pose with both of them. Anyway, this is the only shot in which both of them cooperated. One out of 75. Cute, huh?

New to this

Okay, so I've been hearing a lot about this blogging stuff, and how it can help families and friends keep in touch, post photos and news, and all that. So here's my attempt at creating our famliy blog. I'll do my best, and we'll see how it goes!