Brooklyn's Blog

What a Difference a Month Makes...

2009-12-14T13:09:00.001-08:00

Last month this time, we took this photo at 6:30am on California Street:

Two days later, we were here!:

Cal Rearden Bryand was born on Saturday, November 14th at 2:18pm. He weighed 7lbs, 14oz and was 18 inches long.

The labor experience was actually - gasp - awesome! I should rephrase...the labor experience once I got the drugs was awesome! It was so much different than either of us expected. Our vast experience included seeing TV shows and movies where the woman in labor is screaming at the nurses, sweating, cursing, blaming her husband, and general chaos ensuing. Instead, I started labor at home around 4:00am, when I thought I had a stomach ache. Then...it hit me. The pain jumped from "hmm...that feels a bit uncomfortable" to "holy F...there is an alien trying to escape my stomach and the beast ain't happy." Needless to say, I then woke Dave up and we realized this was indeed labor and started timing contractions! I was already about 5 mins apart, so we called the hospital and they told us to come on in. We walked around there for 45 mins until the pain was unbearable and I resembled a banshee wailing as I gripped the hospital walls and asked for the 10,000th time when I could get the epidural. I couldn't manage to sit through a contraction so they could get an IV in me, so they gave me a pre-epidural drug (can't remember what it's called, but I later told Dave I wanted to write the inventors of it a thank you note). Needless to say, the drugs were a lifesaver and from then on (about 9:00am), it was smooth sailing! My mom came to the hospital and the three of us hung out as the contractions came and went...me not feeling a thing, but loving hanging out with Dave and Mom as we watched the monitor. Next thing we knew, the nurse said it was time to push and it was just a few pushes after that when the doctor came in to pull Cal out! All in all, I had about 10 hours of labor, but only 5 of them were painful and both Dave and I thought the experience was amazing!

Fresh into the world...

Sound sleepers in the hospital

We were in the hospital for two days and then grateful to come home to our own space. Cal seems to take after his mommy in that he is narcoleptic (we have had 3 stretches at night of 5 hours of sleep straight...go ahead...be jealous!) and he is a solid eater. Breastfeeding has been the biggest learning curve, but we're finally getting the hang of it and things are coming along. I changed the 2nd diaper of my life (Meg forced me to change Dino once...which was an awkward experience to say the least and I think Dino still holds a grudge because it took me about 20 mins to do it). Dave did all the diapers for the first 5 days (bless that man). Before Cal was born, we did a parenting class called the McMoyler Method (amazing, amazing, amazing...if you've got a bun in the oven and live in SF, you must take this class). In that class, the instructor is very clear that the mom's job in the first two weeks is to feed the baby. The dad's job is...everything else. And she means everything. Changing the baby, feeding the baby, feeding the mama, getting mama pillows, and on and on. We took this to heart and Dave was my saving grace as Cal & I worked on learning to breastfeed (dude...it's not as easy as it looks...at least not for us) and I learned to try and keep my hormones in check (also not as easy as it may seem!).

Cal turns ONE MONTH OLD today! Life has obviously changed dramatically. Bedtime is as close to 8pm as possible for me (okay, so maybe that isn't such a huge change!) and staying in has a whole new meaning.

Here are a few pics we've snapped over the last month:

Cal and Daddy his first days home

Our smiley guy...is that a DIMPLE we see?

Proud Nana and her grandsons

Sisters bonding in a whole new way

Grandma & Grandpa Bryand checking out their grandson!

I snapped a couple of him yesterday...at a month old. His cheeks are chubbier (so cute!), he makes eye contact and he gives us many more smiles (and NO, it's not gaaaaas! at least not all the time...or that's what we tell ourselves).

Oh yeah...and his lungs work. Really, really well.

So that is the update! We have been loving every moment of getting to know Cal. He is a JOY and such a good baby! Now...who wants to babysit???

"Motown Madness" = Motown Sadness

2009-11-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, no baby yet. Due date is a mere 2 days away and it doesn't seem Baby Bryand has moved an inch. In the meantime, Mom is here and we're taking advantage of freedom while we can!

Growing up, we had four types of music in our household: 1) Classical (Dad), 2) Beach Music (Mom), 3) Jazz (Compromise) and 4) Motown (Mom). As I think I've mentioned, Lindsay and I grew up not on "The Wizard of Oz", but on "The Wiz"...the version with Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Sure, we have seen the original our fair share, but the go-to VHS tape (taped off television of course) was The Wiz. So imagine my delight when my beloved Goldstar (half-price tickets to various activities in SF and other major cities...tours, shows, restaurants, etc.) highlighted a show called MOTOWN MADNESS in SF?!?!?! It was described as a musical that would take the audience through the ages of Motown. I could hardly click "PURCHASE!" "PURCHASE!" "PURCHASE!" fast enough. Dave agreed to give it a shot, so we got 3 tickets for Dave, Mom and me.

That was 2 months ago. Last Saturday, the day arrived to see the show and we went down to Fisherman's Wharf (which Dave won't let me live down as that should have been our first clue that this would be a total dud...Fish Wharf is the #1 tourist destination in SF...so sad as it is AWFUL...but I digress). We got our tickets at will call and were pleasantly surprised to see we were FRONT ROW! Well, then we entered the theater and saw that our compadres were all of 40 people (in a theater of about 250 or so) that spanned the sophistication plane from "I HEART SAN FRANCISCO" shirts to Fanny Packs to stark white Air Force Ones (not the cool kind either). Dave gave me "the look" and immediately asked for a free pass to get a cocktail to help him through the next 90 minutes. Mom joined him and we spent the next 45 minutes smiling politely at the performers on stage (who kept making real eye contact, which is rather creepy when you're in an audience and just want to be incognito). There was one singer that was certainly the highlight of the performance and we could listen to her all afternoon. Other than that, there were cheap costumes (which is kind of kitch, but just didn't work for us) and moderate vocals at best. Needless to say, at the intermission, we bolted. We felt a tad guilty, wondering if the performers would notice that 10% of the audience disappeared, but at the same time, as Dave pointed out, we didn't want to use up any of our last moments pre-parenthood doing anything but be happy doing what WE wanted!

Mom and I took a moment to pose outside of the theater. The plus side is that we got to listen to our favorite music...the downside is that Mom & I may have been able to karaoke better than them (which is scary since I have only done karaoke once...wasted at a wedding and if I have any true friends, they'll never let me do that again).

So, we came home and decided we were grateful to have some time back in our day to just relax at home. All was not lost - Mom got to see Fisherman's Wharf and got to get GREAT people-watching in during our walk to/from the car (mostly consisting of, "Y'all! Do you see that man over there? His fanny is hanging out of his pants!" and "Brooke! Look at that woman's dress! I think she is a pros-ti-tute!" (drawn out with Southern accent).

Fortunately, Dave and Mom did forgive me for my misjudgment of the performance. Mom and I are going to see MJ's "This Is It" movie tomorrow afternoon and hopefully that will help us get our music fix!

Baby news to follow soon (???), but all is well here on the homefront.

Proud Auntie...Riggs is CRAWLING!

2009-10-27T07:01:00.000-07:00

No offense to the parents out there, nor to my yet-to-be-born child, but in my 100% unbiased opinion, Riggs is gosh darn the CUTEST BABY!!!! I just want to eat him up. Lindsay & Jon just sent this video, which means I'll hit replay about 1,000 times today:

I mean, check out that mega-watt smile at the end! I told Jon that, while he gets to take credit that Riggs is a MiniMe of him, he also must take credit for the large dome that forces Riggs to topple over while he's crawling commando-style.

OMG...It Happened....

2009-10-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

So I was walking to the bathroom the other night (I still only do 0-2 trips per night...from what I understand, most preggo women are closer to 4-5 visits per night) and...it happened...I realized I was WADDLING. Whaaaaat? How did this happen??? I don't want to be a "waddler"!!! I have gone through this pregnancy escaping almost all of its downsides...my bladder is intact, I have taken approximately 10 Tums in the last 9 months (some women are at 10 Tums per day for Acid Reflux, Heartburn, Nausea, etc.), I just realized I have the slightest, slightest Sciatica (not even enough to be called "mild"...more like a touch of it a few times in the last couple of weeks), etc., etc. My point is, I have actually really enjoyed being pregnant. I kept waiting for the really hard part to hit me and it just hasn't! I have 3 weeks to go, so I don't want to get too cocky, but I can't imagine it all goes downhill from here. Now labor, that's a whole different story. But pregnancy, I have enjoyed!

So here we are - 37 WEEKS! Here is what The Bump has to say about 37 Weeks:

Your Pregnancy: Week 37
Today brings two beautiful words: full-term. Now, whenever baby's born, he's likely to thrive. Also thriving? Your nesting instincts, which are behind those sudden urges to bake, clean, or embroider a onesie. (Feminists, take your issue up with nature, not with us.)

I read this to Dave today and he started laughing and asked me to give him the heads up when the "nesting" kicked in. Hmmm....I hired a housecleaner, bought a bag of the premade cookie dough and I won't even touch the "embroider" concept. I attempted a grilled cheese twice this week and burnt it both times. What can I say? I guess I am just not the nesting type. I am, however, looking forward to my mini-retirement that starts in a week! My last day of work before Maternity Leave is next Friday (Oct. 30th) and then I am looking forward to a couple of weeks of nothingness before Baby Bryand arrives!

Here are a couple of pics Dave snapped today of The Belly:

THREE WEEKS TO GO!!!

One Month from Today...

2009-10-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been MIA. Beyond MIA...I have dropped off the blogosphere roadmap.

BUT - I do have reason! One month. One month from today, Baby Bryand is due! Granted, I realize he will likely take his sweet time and arrive a week later so he can be greeted by his Aunt Lindsay, Uncle Jonny-Cakes and Cousin Riggs when they arrive to SF for Thanksgiving, but I am still counting down the due-date weeks with the expectation of ONE MONTH.

-- One month from now, we will get used to being awoken by baby wails rather than drunken party-goers.
-- One month from now, we'll hit the realization that we can't both go work out at the gym at the same time.
-- One month from now, we'll wish we did more date nights.
-- One month from now, we'll come to grips that it's no longer all-about-us.

Though I think all of these updates will take their toll on us, we also realize that:
-- One month from now, we'll have a bundle of joy in our arms...that we made.
-- One month from now, we will be a Mom and a Dad.
-- One month from now, we'll wonder what life was like before this baby existed in our lives.

In short, WE ARE EXCITED!!!! Today is October 12th and Baby Bryand is due to enter this world on November 12th. So where have we been for the last couple of months? We have been doing everything on our lists that we know are about to become luxury tasks in no time at all!

* I went to Raleigh for a Girls' Weekend where they threw me a fantastic baby shower. I ate Goodberry's every single day. DELIGHTFUL!
* Dad & Carolyn took a road trip from San Diego to San Francisco! We had a few days with them and it was AWESOME! I love having them here...next trip is New Years when the baby is here!
* We went to Connecticut to visit Dave's family, then went to Rhode Island to spend Labor Day celebrating two of our dearest cousins' 30th birthdays.
* Mom, Lindsay, Jon and Riggs came to SF for Riggs' first visit! Our fantastic SF girlfriends threw an awesome baby shower here at our place and didn't allow me to lift a finger. They surrounded us with love and we spent a wonderful weekend fawning over my smiley nephew!!!
* We took Babymoon Part 2 with Jaime & Jess to The Four Seasons Punta Mita (yep, 'cause we are that fancy). We had a dream trip and were pampered beyond belief.
* We spent a week in my favorite place on Earth...Lake Tahoe. The first weekend included a rental house with a dozen of our dearest friends in SF, the second weekend was celebrating the nuptials of one of the most beautiful brides I've ever seen (aka my manager and one of the sweetest, smartest women I know), and the week in-between was in my version of heaven....Jon's grandparents' house on the lake. Dave and I stayed in the guest cottage...approximately 300 square feet of perfectly laid out space that gives you everything you could possibly need and more. We had fires each night, remarked at how crazy it is to sleep in such quietude and just had a fantastic, relaxing week.
* Finally, we came HOME to San Francisco. I have been doing photo shoots, starting the "nesting" phase of pregnancy and just settling back into "normal" life (does it still count as "normal" if you spend more time in the abnormal than the routine??? not sure).

Regardless, we are thrilled to start in on the final month of my pregnancy! I have done my duty of eating daily ice cream, walking a lot and trying to fight off the "crazies" of crying for no apparent reason (reading a sweet card from a friend, doing laundry, hearing an excruciating birthing story...anything can set me off these days in a tear-fest!). Dave has done his duty of nightly footrubs, getting me aforementioned ice cream, and allowing the words, 'yes, dear' to become his favorite vocabulary terms. Tonight we are heading to the hospital for a tour and next week we take two classes on Infant CPR and breastfeeding...life has already changed!!!

Oh...and I almost forgot...also one month from now?? A HUGE Ketel One Martini with one olive and one onion for MAMA!!!!!

More posts to follow, I promise!

Best $49 Fried Chicken of My Life

2009-08-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

There's only one place notorious for their $49 fried chicken in NorCal...none other than Ad Hoc of Thomas Keller fame (the dude who also created French Laundry and Bouchon). Ad Hoc is known for their $49 4-course meals...the concept is that guests don't know until the day they arrive what will be served. So while it's not for the unadventurous eater, it is for foodies all around. Mondays are the exception to the mystery-meal in that every-other-Monday they serve FRIED CHICKEN!!!

Keeping in mind that Yountville (Napa) is about 1 1/2 hours away from SF, six of us made the journey on Monday night up there to experience a little bit of Fried Heaven.

First course: Watermelon with cole slaw
Second course: Fried Chicken, Mashed potatoes with mushrooms and roasted veggies from their garden
Third course: Cheese deliciousness with pluots and nuts
Fourth course: Lemon tart with raspberry yummyness on top

Meals are served family-style and you can ask for more of anything. Our goal going into the evening was to get seconds of the famed fried chicken, but we disappointed ourselves in filling up on all of the other courses and unable to down even one more gloriously salty bite.

The Famous Chicken...

Cheese course...

The crew...

The dinner was a birthday celebration for Davey (turning 31 this Friday). Thank you, ladies, for such a terrific night!

26 Weeks - Cucumber?

2009-08-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

What a lame-o description. I mean, I love cucumber as much as the next gal, but I don't quite get how the baby can be a cucumber this week and a cauliflower next week:

26 Weeks

27 Weeks (next week)

Regardless, I look forward to my weekly updates of what the baby is doing! This week, BabyCenter told me about the baby's increased hearing capabilities amongst other things. I feel him move a ton and it's become a nightly ritual for Dave to feel the baby kick while we are relaxing in the evenings or heading to bed. I love sharing it with him!

And...drumroll....pics of me. I have not yet become the size of a house and am feeling really, really great! We went to AQUACISE twice this week (yep, Dave the trooper came WITH ME!!!). It was us, 1 "portly" young woman, and 4 geezers who basically chatted it up for the entire hour...it was really cute! Yesterday's class I even had to stop and just walk in the shallow end - it was too intense!!! Who ever thought that Aquacise could be too intense??? Hey...don't knock it 'til you try it!

6+ months in and just 3 months and a week until the due date of November 12th!!!

Babymoon 2009...aka "Our Last Hurrah"

2009-08-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

The end is near, y'all! With 3 1/2 months to go before Baby Bryand arrives, Dave and I decided to take what is called a "Babymoon" (honeymoon before the baby arrives) to Hawaii! We went for one glorious, amazing week and didn't want it to end!

We spent 4 days on the Big Island and 4 days on Maui. We thought the Big Island was just okay but we l-o-v-e-d Maui! I have to give a huge caveat as our goal for the trip was to do...nothing. So part of the highlights of the Big Island are the volcanoes and the coffee plantations...we visited neither! Here is a slight recap:

The Big Island: Marriott
Thanks to the company I work for, I won an award last year and it paid for our ENTIRE Marriott stay of 4 nights!!! Awesome. Our bill when we left was a whopping $150 for coffee, room service, etc. YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!

Our first stop was of course to hit the BEACH!

Try to not get too blinded by our whitey-white bods!

We each had our treats...Dave's was poolside beers, while mine was ice cream in bed!

Dave jumping the kids in line to go down the slide

Haagen Daas...yummy!

We rented a car on both islands...a Mustang Convertible for both of them! We loved having the flexibility to cruise around the island and check out different beaches and restaurants.

I love this pic of Davey...so cute and "island-y"!

I also loved our matching-ish hats that we rocked...so fun!

...and that giant waxy flower in Dave's mouth fell from a banana tree...whacky!

Next, we went to MAUI!
Maui: Sheraton in Lahaina
We loved the beach feel of the island, the lush GREEN-NESS (the Big Island has a LOT of volcanic remnants, making it very black and brown). The hotel location was great for us and we enjoyed every moment.

The Sheraton had a cliff where people jumped off...so Dave had to check it out:

Jumping and Diving

We walked to dinner two nights (Leilani's and Hula Grill) and I looked forward to seeing what flower Dave would pick for my hair...yep, life was pretty easy!

Dinners were fun and delish. We had lots of fruit and fish every day (and ice cream...did I mention ice cream??? ahhhh). We stayed in two nights during the trip and had dinner and a movie in the room - loved it!

Heading to dinner one night while catching a luau

Outside of Hula Grill

We went snorkeling at Molokini one day, and debated the famous Road to Hana for another day. We decided to only go to the first stop - waterfalls - and were glad that we vegged out at the hotel as we later found out what a loooong day the Road to Hana is. The waterfall hike was moderate and beautiful...and Dave got up with the 16-year-olds and jumped!

Casually walking as if we have paparazzi with us...the usual...

While we did those few activities, most of our time was spent at the hotel beach & pool.

Dave checking out Paddle Boarding for the first time!

I spent 90% of my pool time reading...4 books = heaven!

Dave swimming away!

Thank you, lovey, for such an amazing trip together!!! I love you more than I can possibly tell you...and am so grateful for all that you are.

Here are a few more pics from the trip....

Riggles Update!

2009-08-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

Riggs is already 2 1/2 months old!!!! Time is FLYING by and Lindsay and Jon are doing great!

How ADORABLE is he???

We went to San Diego for the weekend (July 10-12...I'm just late!) and have been thinking about my sweet nephew ever since. He was just starting to learn to smile (not quite on command...more like we just got lucky here and there) and is just too cute!

Who could say no to this face??

Oh, I get it...easier to say no when THIS is the face!

I still can't get over how IDENTICAL he looks to Lindsay yawning here. I wish I had a picture of her yawning for a side-by-side comparison...I'll work on it!

Riggs...after his narcoleptic auntie's heart

Miss you, Riggs!

xoxo
Auntie B

21 Weeks!

2009-07-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

Baby Bryand is chuggin' along over here! I am now 21 weeks - over halfway!

I can feel lots and lots of kicking now, which is really fun (and reassuring)! The body is definitely changing...I am more out of breath, my old bras laugh at me and I finally discovered the joy and magic of MATERNITY JEANS!!! I haven't worn my own jeans for well over a month now and went to Old Navy and H&M to check out their maternity section. I wish I took a picture of each as they were a JOKE. I was so excited and we went out of our way to go there, only to find that each store had a mere CORNER of maternity wear. Old Navy had a total of 8 pairs of jeans...not 8 styles, but 8 pairs. They had one Size 8, so I snagged that and ran before anyone else could grab them! I am officially in heaven and understand why women have such a hard time giving up these pants post-pregnancy.

The new apartment is coming along great and I will post photos soon of the new digs!

The New 'Hood...Pacific Heights

2009-06-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

We are leaving the Marina and venturing 1.5 miles south (towards downtown). Dave was mentioning to a girlfriend of ours the other day that we'll likely start saving a lot of money on eating out since we "don't have anything" in our new neighborhood. The response from the friend was, "You're moving to Pac Heights - not the DESERT!"

And by the way...when Dave says there is "nothing" around...here is the Google Maps view when you type our new address and then type "search nearby restaurants":

Red Dots = Restaurants...that is Dave's equivalent of "nothing around"

Needless to say, I have a feeling we may not starve to death. Plus there is a Whole Foods, a Mollie Stone's (another small market) and a Safeway (giant grocery store) all within walking distance.

I also pulled up my trusty "BlackBook Guide to San Francisco" for their witty description of the new 'hood:

Clipped hedges, maids in uniform, and chauffeured Bentleys say it all. Just in case you were wondering how the other half lives, Pac Heights is here to show you.... Here we've got the Spreckels Mansion, home to Danielle Steel and her fashionista brood rocking the Proenza Schouler and Chanel couture. There we've got the usual private-school brats cutting calculus and brown-bagging it on the Lyon Street Steps. Upper Fillmore is the boutique strip, drawing tank-topped yoga hotties to the sundeck at Int'l Orange and blueblood playboys in crested blazers swirling their Pernods at Florio.

I'm not sure I completely agree with the description (seriously...it's a pretty chill neighborhood). Yes, it's well-off (for those who OWN...then there are us RENTERS-4-LIFE, but it's not snooty like the description says. Just people enjoying their lives...from a Hefeweizen beer on the sidewalk at The Grove to several clothing resale shops (granted, they sell Prada and Gucci), I for one, am looking forward to the change!

The big move is on Sunday. Mom arrives this morning and I am concerned she may have a heart attack when she walks into our apartment and sees the 2 boxes that we have packed thus far.... But hey...we are basically pros at moving at this point in our lives! I counted this as our 7th move in the last 9 years (yikes). We've got this process down pat!

Anything for The BOB...Stroller, That Is...

2009-06-22T07:01:00.001-07:00

My how life is already changed.

This weekend, with our girlfriend Jenn in town, I found myself doing a "photo shoot", but this time with ME as the subject. There is a stroller called The BOB that is super-popular. They hold a contest every month where they give away one BOB stroller and I was determined that this could be "my month".

The topic changes every month, and this month was, "Best Workout Outfit". I hiked up and down the Lyon Street Stairs while Jenn snapped away on the camera (on a tripod), then Dave did PhotoShop magic and here is the final submission!

"How many times do I have to do this???"

Entries are posted on their website for the month. Check out #16 on there now - Lindsay has entered too! She already has a BOB, but was a team player to get an extra creative entry in with ours.

Lindsay and Riggs Gettin' Buff

Fingers crossed!

The Proof Is In The Penis....

2009-06-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

We're having a BOY!!!!!

We had our 18-week ultrasound on Friday and got the fantastic news that Baby Bryand is a BOY!!!! No more worries of how I could suffer through hours of playing Barbie Dress-Up (considering at 31-years-old, I just emailed two dear friends to help me shop for a purse because I can't even do that myself), and excited to substitute that with teaching Baby Bryand how to properly throw a football and dunk on his daddy.

We have some pics (these days, they burn a full CD of the ultrasound images - very cool), so here are the pics where the technician labeled what you're looking at, and we took a quick (40 second) video of the experience!

Profile of Baby Bryand

The Proof

We haven't thought of names yet (we had a few girl names lined up, but no boy names), but are open for suggestions! Well, I shouldn't say "no" boy names...Dave has offered up the name "Aristotle" (as in the superhero of philosophy), but I shot that down when he barely got out, "How about Ar....". :-)

The other fun news in 18 weeks was that I finally felt the baby!!! As our friend Jen described, it's like POPCORN! Very, very cool feeling and rewarding to finally FEEL something! Now I get to feel the popcorn every 5-10 minutes and absolutely love knowing there is a little moving pomegranate-sized boy in there.

xoxo

The New Pad (can you keep up?)

2009-06-10T23:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are moving again!!! This will be our 3rd apartment in less than 3 years in San Francisco, but this one is here to stay (at least for the next 4 or so years we think!!!).

A friend-of-a-friend lived at our new abode for the last 6 years, leaving only because they decided to buy a home and therefore are moving to the 'burbs. We jumped (i.e. did everything but accost the property manager and owner) at the opportunity to apply for the apartment. Let me expand on the features:

* 2 BR (we are in a 1 BR now)
* Dishwasher (and I don't mean the elbow grease hands we have now! a REAL one!)
* Washer/Dryer (that we share with 1 other family - and NO QUARTERS!!!)
* Garage and therefore PARKING (whaaaaat? We have done street parking for the last 7 years - this is the true vision of luxury! No more parking tickets! No more racing around reading the Street Cleaning signs to determine if we are going to be towed that day from 10am-12pm! Yessss!). Although very, very tight space, we can hang our bike (we only have 1) from the ceiling...no more storing it in the living room, then rolling it into the bedroom when we have people over!
* Living Room AND Dining Room (they are separated by pocket doors...as in, there are two separate rooms that we can open as one or separate!
* Private Deck! It's on the south side and appears to get all of the sun - it's HUGE!
* Side area for storage and - gasp - our own grill! We've had one of those travel-grills (the kind that fit 2 burgers comfortably or 4 if you really crowd them). Now we have room (and can legally use) a real, grown-up grill!

Here are some pics:

Front door...2-unit building

Living Room

Dining Room

Private Deck!

Nursery...awwww!

As you can see, this is a complete dream in San Francisco apartment-land. The process was slightly stressful (it always is):
1) Get email from friend-of-friend stating they are going to move and the apartment is not yet on CraigsList!
2) Contact friend-of-friend immediately and set up time to see the apartment that day (giving little to no consideration to mom-group that was over at apartment at the same time...not worry, I'll just crawl over the cute little munchkins)
3) Fall in love and contact property manager the next morning via phone and email to get rental application Word doc.
4) Submit application the same day including "extras":
-- Bank statements (savings & checking)
-- Credit reports
-- Salary history
-- References
-- Personal plea as to why we are fantastic tenants, referencing stories from previous apartments where we "saved the day" by working from home and being available to deal with building crises.
5) Wait.
6) Wait.
7) Wait.
8) 9 days after submission: Get call that we were approved for an INTERVIEW!!!! Nervously stumble through interview with owner and property manager, again emphasizing how much we are looking forward to making this a true home for us. We are asked if they may come to our current apartment to see it. This was new to us, but refreshing that an owner actually cares who his tenants are!
9) Send link to photos of our current apartment within 10 minutes of arriving home (thank you, Blog!)
10) Wait.
11) Wait.
12) Panic.
13) Wait.
14) 2 weeks and 2 days pass and it's the last day they say they will make a decision. Gather confidence and CALL to find out status. Voicemail.
15) Receive call back within 10 minutes - WE ARE IN!!!
16) Freak out and celebrate for the next 24 hours, toasting water, champagne and everything else that arrives in a glass.

So, we are leaving the Marina (our current neighborhood) for Pacific Heights (equally as yuppy, but closer to mid-30s rather than early-30s for age-range...strollers abound). We move on July 1st!

Brooke Bryand Photography: Updates!

2009-06-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

Could I be more grateful for a husband who is a fellow photographer AND website designer AND graphic designer??? I am beyond words of gratitude for Dave's work on my kick-a$$ brand spankin' new Brooke Bryand Photography logo and business cards!!!

Check it out - logo (ignore the border around it)!

And the business cards - 6 different designs featuring the various types of photos I specialize in...and that is Riggs in the upper-left! And Lindsay's belly in the maternity one....

I am donating a photog session to a silent auction fundraiser and needed some print collateral, so Dave stepped in and I love them! Next steps? Postcards and my very first print advertisement (for www.thebump.com)!

One to Grow On....

2009-06-08T08:17:00.001-07:00

I am 17 weeks and some change! In fact, it will be 18 this Thursday...time is flying by!

We have taken pics each week, but they really aren't that dramatic of changes yet. I think the ice cream is catching up with me, but the growing baby is also the size of a pomegranate this week, which makes me feel a little better about myself (since it's all about me, right?).

15 weeks and 17 weeks

We find out on June 15th if it's a BOY or GIRL - can't wait! Our last check-up was about 1 1/2 weeks ago...the quick 5-minute appointment where we get to hear the heartbeat and head home.

I still don't "feel" pregnant (other than the demonic look I get in my eyes if I don't have ice cream each day...but that's normal, right?). My normal running routine of 3-4 times/week at 4.5 miles each time has cut down to...well...nothing. I attempted a run a week ago and was exhausted, so I ran about 20% and walked the rest of the route. I have been doing more Bar Method workouts. They even let you do a 1/2 class (and pay 1/2) for preggo-girls. So you get the arm, leg and butt workout for the first 30 minutes, then smile broadly and say, "see ya, suckahs" as you stroll out early.

The no-drinking thing has actually been not-so-bad! I can't say "GOOD" because it would be a lie if I didn't admit I'd love a Ketel One Martini any day of the week, but I definitely look forward to my 2-3 glasses per week that I'm allocated and treasure them like liquid gold. Dave got on the sobriety train with me over a month ago and that has been AMAZING. It has been such a tremendous help to have him go through (at least part of) this with me. He has some "freebies" thrown in, such as whenever we go to Napa or if he's with my bro-in-law, Jon, or a few other key events. All in all though, it's been the best gift he could possibly give me...truly.

I do listen to two podcasts that I should pass along for anyone else in my boat. One is Bounty's Preg Podcast and the other is Pea in the Podcast (both available FREE on iTunes). They are a week-by-week 5-minute recap of what is happening to the baby and to your body. I love them because they are so quick and I look forward to hearing them every week!

TAL: "Bad Bank"

2009-05-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

On non-baby news, This American Life (TAL) has put out another great podcast about the current economic situation. They break down what's up with the banks in a way ALL OF US can understand. I found it really interesting. As Ira Glass (the show host) mentions, if you think you're going to just sit on the sidelines for this news story and not actually get involved, you are mistaken.

Check it out here or download on iTunes.

Riggs' Flow Chart

2009-05-17T09:18:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of being a brother-in-law after my own heart, Jon has done the most adorable thing...he actually made a FLOW CHART of Riggs' "activities" in order to better read the mind of a 6-day-old that can't yet truly communicate.

It was too cute not to share:

xoxo
Auntie B

Riggles Wiggles...Day 4

2009-05-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

He's just so darn CUTE!!!

Lindsay & Jon & Riggs came home from the hospital yesterday! They are adjusting (to say the least) and are still on about 3 hours of sleep over the last 4 days. Dave is concerned that my narcoleptic butt won't be able to hang with this kind of schedule when our baby arrives and I have a feeling he is right! Poor baby...wake me up when you're 18.

Lindsay, Jon & Riggs with his first baby gift in the hospital...thanks, J!

When my girlfriend, Elizabeth, started her baby blog two years ago, I remember her posting a video of her son sleeping. As the non-parent, I laughed out loud as I kept watching it, waiting for something to happen! Finally, I GET IT!!! Here I am, doing the same exact thing...finding myself in awe of Baby Riggs doing...more or less...nothing. I could stare for hours.

Without further ado, I present..."Riggles Wiggles":

(Don't say I didn't warn you...it is literally Riggs being...well...a 4-day-old!)

I'm such a loser...but here is a 10-sec clip of Riggs yawning...he looks EXACTLY like Lindsay!

xoxo,
Auntie B

Riggs Update: Day 2!

2009-05-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

I know I'm biased. But seriously. He's the CUTEST!

Here is a quick video we got last night. Riggs is just getting comfortable and fussing a bit, but in his first 36 hours, he has been a great, active little boy.

We celebrated with some Mumm sparkling wine and "Big Daddy" IPA brewskies that Lindsay & Jon bought in advance. YUM!

We also dropped off a framed 8x10 photo and a little starter "brag book" of photos from yesterday for Lindsay & Jon to enjoy while they are in the hospital. Lindsay and Jon both look slightly more rested today, though even during my two 30 minute-visits, they must have had 10 visitors...a constant flow of in-and-out for food, vitals, updates, etc. Wow. I mean, don't they get that I'm trying to shoot VIDEO in here??? Some people....

Here are the proud parents checking out the goods:

xoxo
Auntie Brooke

Introducing...RIGGS RYNEARSON!

2009-05-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, he took his sweet time entering this world (due May 6th, arriving May 11th), but we are SO ELATED he is here!!!

Lindsay & Jon welcomed their first son, Riggs Rynearson, this morning at 9:45am. It has been a long, long 36 hours for us, the bystanders...so I can only imagine what it's been like for Lindsay & Jon!

On Saturday night, Mom, Tammy (Jon's mom), Dave and I went to Lindsay & Jon's where we played cards and hung out. Lindsay's stomach kept getting really tight and - this is where you'll realize how absolutely new at this we are - we said to each other...scratch that - CONVINCED each other that the "tightness" must be what contractions are and that Lindsay just deals with pain better than the average woman. The contractions didn't hurt at all, just had a tightness in her belly for 15-30 seconds, then went away. Silly, silly sisters...how wrong you were.

About 1:30am, Lindsay got a taste of the REAL contractions. She and Jon were up all night timing them and they continued every 5-15 minutes until 7:00pm Sunday night, when they finally headed to the hospital!

Backing up a moment, Sunday (Mother's Day), Lindsay & Jon came over to Mom's place for about an hour in-between bouts of pain, where Tammy & Mom opened gifts and Lindsay even got one a little early from us:

Riggs' First Superstar Outfit

Then...the real fun began (for Lindsay at least...Mom, Tammy, Dave and I spent the afternoon shopping and reading in the sun). The contractions continued throughout the day and they held out until they were 5 mins apart and approximately 1 minute each before going to the hospital at 7:00pm. The doctors and nurses were all proud of them for holding out the appropriate time. She was 5cm dilated, which was "perfect". Mom, Tammy, Dave and I went down to the hospital to wait it out, holding out hope for a possible Mother's Day birth. Again, how very wrong we were! 9:00....10:00...11:00...12:00...the clock seemed to be frozen. Dave and I went back to Kitty's house and slept in a real bed from 1am-6am, then came back as Lindsay was finally ready to push! 3 hours and 45 mins later, Riggs FINALLY arrived!!!

We (of course) snapped some pics as we bombarded their room about an hour later and were all overjoyed at this amazing creation they made.

And a slideshow of about 14 pics from the event....

Weighing in at 9lbs, 3oz and 21 inches, I was astounded that Lindsay could a) carry this being to term and b) could get it OUT of her when the time came. I am in complete awe, and slightly scared of what my November due date is about to bring us!

Riggs is absolutely precious and I promise more photos very, very soon as proud Auntie!

Riggs Watch 2009 Continues

2009-05-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lindsay & Jon's son, Riggs, was due earlier this week. Dave and I flew down to San Diego on Thursday morning "just in case" and figured we'd work from here Thurs/Fri and SURELY he would make his appearance the moment our plane touched the ground.

Clearly, this is LINDSAY'S son...coming in his own sweet time and not held to the Almighty Google Calendar that I adhere to (our baby better arrive on November 12th and not a moment later...I plan to have a Ketel One Martini delivered to the hospital and if that kid makes me wait one extra moment...well, let's just say, Dave might have to strap on the Man-Boob from "Meet the Fockers" for the sake of the development of our child).

So the GOOD news, and most important, is that Lindsay is feeling great! She's been swimming at the Y for the last few days and loves feeling a little lighter in her loafers. She rocks a bikini (which is amazing that she can still FIT in a bikini, but I guess that's what happens when you limit yourself to just one ice cream cone a night...perhaps I should consider learning from her and put down the chocolate chip cookie in my hand...naaaaah) and I'm sure she gets some interesting looks from the other swimmers (little did the 80-year-olds also swimming at the Y know they could be a part of a surprise water birth at any time), but she just floats along (with flotation device assistance)...I mean she is 9 1/2 MONTHS PREGNANT, Y'ALL!!!

Jon's mom arrives today from Texas. I wish everyone could meet her...seriously one of the neatest women I've ever met. One of those people that just makes you feel GOOD by standing next to her (well, except that - at 31 years old - they will ask her if I'm her older sister because she looks so fantastic...and I'm not exaggerating). Can't wait to see her!

In the meantime, in case you haven't had the pleasure of seeing this, I have decided to ditch Baby Einstein for our child and instead put this on...over...and over...and over in hopes that our child can rock some serious rhythm by the time he/she is 6 months old.

I mean, the little red-head SLAPPING HIS OWN A$$?!?!? HILARIOUS!!!! I love these kids. And I love their parents for exposing them to the real American culture at such a young, impressionable age. I might have to write them a fan letter for this stroke of genius, as they are my new idols.

xoxo,
Anxiously Awaiting,
Auntie Brooke

We're Having a BABY!!!!

2009-05-02T13:32:00.001-07:00

Yes, we've done it. We are giving up our nights of Jaeger Bombs and 2am Dance Parties and trading them in for 2am Diaper Duty and Friday Night Movies! I am 12 weeks pregnant and due November 12th!

We had an ultrasound on Friday (also our 5-year wedding anniversary) where the doc gave us the all-clear to finally share the news with the world! Here is a short video of the ultrasound (yes...I do realize this is exciting only to us, so feel free to skip the clicking...but it is cool to see it kick even though I don't feel a thing!):

Things have been going really well...no sickness, I can continue running (until I can't see my feet, says my doctor) and - this is the biggie - I can take down 2 glasses of wine per week. PHEW. The doc even blessed sushi (which I had heard was a no-no...but that's basically if you eat it off a street cart...as long as you know it's from a reputable place, it's as safe as anything else). I successfully made it through the "Crazies Phase" without too much carnage (on Dave's behalf...though, he is a saint...let's admit it) and am now feeling much more awake and myself again!

More to follow soon with the shenanigans (or lack thereof) of a Sober Pregnant Woman. 3 months down, 6 1/2 to go!

With our anniversary yesterday, Dave also surprised me with special Alton Brown blueberry & banana pancakes on a new griddle he got us and he covered the chalkboard with pics of us through the years and a sweet note! We watched our wedding DVD (it's about 5-10 mins...we edited it ourselves back in the day) and had such a great day! We cancelled our fancy reservations at Acquerello and opted for a solid 8 hours on the couch watching TV/movies instead with dirty take-out Chinese food followed by an It's-It. HEAVEN!

I am OFFICIAL, y'all!

2009-04-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

I did it. Took the plunge. Pulled the plug (as my sis likes to say). I launched my very own website for photography!

Welcome to.....Brooke Bryand Photography

CHECK IT OUT!!! *
http://brookebryand.com/

* Caution: Music plays!

I am so very excited to make this "professional" step. In the past, I have emailed photo samples to people who wanted me to take pictures for them...very antiquated for the wife-of-a-website-designer! At long last, my very own.

Lindsay's Lookin' PREG-NANT!!!

2009-04-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Lindsay is due in just a couple of weeks (May 5th, 2009) with their first baby...a BOY! We are all beside ourselves with excitement and ready to jump on a plane at any moment!

Dave and I flew to San Diego a couple of weeks ago for her baby shower and I got a chance to take some maternity pictures of Lindsay while we were there. Here are a few of my favorites...she looks absolutely fantastic!

Their dog, Jack, snuck in for one too

We went down to La Jolla Cove for a second shoot

Sis and Me Hammin' it up

Can't wait to welcome our nephew into this world!!!