Adrienne Griffin

Running Wild in the Streets

2009-09-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Adrienne had a sleepover with her cousin Sammy during Labor Day weekend. When not watching Elmo or going swimming, they basically ran wild in the streets.

Chef Adrienne

2009-09-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Adrienne is really getting into pretend cooking. She makes the best fake cakes and cookies. Dressing up for the part is the most important step, though.

Coloring with Rowan

2009-08-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Last night Rowan came on over to keep Adrienne up way past her bedtime--which she loved because she was having so much fun. Before Sesame Street was turned on here are the two digging some coloring while their mommies actually sat down and ate food.

Day at (Downtown) Disney

2009-08-23T21:19:00.001-07:00

When your kid is almost two years old, you don't need to go to the official Disneyland to feel the magic of the Magic Kingdom. The mall outside will suffice. And it's way cheaper. We took an impromptu trip to Mickey's big ol' mall on Sunday (and checked out the neighboring hotels, etc.), much to Adrienne's delight and the delight of her parents who came home with one exhausted and happy baby. Some pics:

Who needs the real characters when you can hug some wooden ones?

Crazy pictures under giant stars.

Dude. Bon Jovi. Respect.

A family portrait.

RRROOOAAARRRR! This is when Adrienne pretended to be a bear and roared as tourists passing by.

Carrie's Birthday Ice Cream Special

2009-08-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

After missing the official day of Carrie's birthday, we made up for it with a fun-filled afternoon and evening of hanging out, pizza eating, gifts and ice cream cones shaped like clowns. Adrienne was more than willing to help with the ice cream eating part. (This is post-baby bath, that's why she's all wet.)

Two Hats

2009-08-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Dude, I have on a hat. And I have on another hat.

Adrienne Goes on Vacation

2009-08-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

The family Griffin once again flew across the country for some fun with the family in New Hampshire. Adrienne spent some serious quality time with her cousins and friends, swimming, playing in the sand, blowing bubbles and showing off her cute wardrobe.

Adrienne was great on the flight, that is, as long as you weren't sitting directly in front of Adrienne McKicks-a-lot.

She has a lot of cousins and they're all pretty attractive, so we tried our best to capture Adrienne in some moments of undeniable cuteness. (There were waaaay too many to include here.)

At a lobster bake Adrienne showed off her jumping skills in a bouncy house. (More cute cousins pictured in the background.)

While visiting the Tarbox family, Adrienne showed off her fast running skills with Nolin in the back yard.

Visiting a local farm/petting zoo. Adrienne says, "hey goat, say hello to your mother for me."

Here Adrienne tries to put a hat on baby Zoey or is hitting her on the head with it (and Zoey loves it). Note the concerned mother half an arm's reach away.

Maura and Iris used to hang out at rock shows together. This party was just as loud as the old days, but in a different way.

Big Ol' Beach Day

2009-07-05T13:40:00.001-07:00

We made the most of the 3rd of July by heading to the beach with Sammy and her family. The car ride was brutally long, but Adrienne was in good spirits and it was worth it all for the adorableness that took place on the California coast.

Sunglasses rank right behind her parents and cookies on Adrienne's must-have list.

Adrienne reenacting a slo-mo Baywatch run on the beach. Don't blame us, she asked us to take this picture.

Adrienne and her cousin Sammy try to scoop up all of the sand on the beach.

We just can't get enough of this shot.

Yes, in about five minutes we became those parents who let their kid run around the beach in their diaper. At least she had a shirt on.

Getting a push from her cousin Sammy.

A real beach bum.

Adrienne and Sammy took a moment to do some calisthenics.

This is what it would look like if we had another kid.

Adrienne loved going for a ride. And her dad got a workout pushing and pulling her in the sand.

Getting All Wet With Sammy

2009-07-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Adrienne and her cousin Sam are becoming better and better pals every day. Here the two conspire to empty an entire water feature one tiny plastic cup at a time. Needless to say, they were eventually successful.

Fast Baby

2009-06-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a snap of baby who thinks she's pretty fast.....

Day at the Park With "Caca" and "Jeermie"

2009-06-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like hanging out with Carrie and Jeremy (aka Caca and Jeermie). One, because they are awesome people. Two, because Adrienne loves them and basically ignores her parents so we can sit, eat food and--gasp!--have something resembling a conversation. Here are some shots of our day out rocking Balboa Park in the Valley.

Flying with Jeremy...
Looking for bugs...
Waiting for a bus?

Oh, and they have super-patient cats that are pretty okay with it when Adrienne gets all up in their faces.

And we are not kidding when we say she looooves Jeremy.

These Boots are Made for Rocking

2009-06-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, we've been letting Adrienne pick the shoes she wants to wear. This morning she came out of her room with snow boots. So breakfast looked a lot like this:

Then she did a bunch of stuff like color and play and eat before going to her first music showcase for a band called A Camp, featuring Nina Persson formerly of The Cardigans. This is another in a growing list of famous people she's met or been in the same room with. Needless to say, her demeanor is getting much better during these types of things.

All in all, a pretty good day for a baby.

Yo Gabba Gabba Dance Moves (or, It's All About the Arms)

2009-06-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

After showing off her mad dancing skills to a Black Eyed Peas jam, Adrienne is expanding repertoire. Check out the spastic moves and well-timed arms on this Yo Gabba Gabba favorite "I Like to Dance"...

...then she got dizzy and fell down.

Butterflies and Blue Noses

2009-05-27T22:25:00.001-07:00

So we headed to the Pavilion of Wings at the Natural History Museum...

Where Adrienne looked up...

...and down...

...and all around for butterflies.

Then we sat on the steps outside. (We have way too many pictures of her running up and down these steps. Who needs to go into the actual museum when the stairs are this much fun?)

Then we went home and turned out noses blue with chalk. Sweet.

Swing, Baby, Baby

2009-05-22T17:49:00.001-07:00

If there's a swing nearby, Adrienne is on it. Scenes from a recently trip at the park:

Adrienne Brings the Boom Boom to the Morning Dance Party

2009-05-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

Adrienne is totally all about the new Black Eyed Peas' single "Boom Boom Pow." We knew it when she said "my song!" when it came on the radio one day and then woke up singing it the next morning. Wil.i.am should be proud.

Combine that with the fact that Adrienne now knows how to turn on the stereo in the bedroom and you get this is a scene from today's morning dance party.

Scenes from Target

2009-05-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

Few things beat a day out at Target.

Sweeeem?

2009-05-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Adrienne loooooves swimming--or as she calls it "sweeeem, sweeem." Not quite swimming, but still chilling on a hot Cali day.

Hair Cut

2009-05-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't be able to tell by the lack of tears and screaming in this picture, but this is right after Adrienne's first official out-of-house hair cut.

Hair Stylin'

2009-04-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

We gave Adrienne a fancy new hairstyle for daycare today. It led to an impromptu fashion show where she posed in front of the mirror and checked out her new 'do. American's Next Top Model, Season 32 here we come!

Adrienne Rocks (Near) Coachella

2009-04-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

So Adrienne's parents went to Coachella.

There was high-fiving!

There were fireworks!

And thanks to Andrea, we got to spend the end of the hot day in the VIP area with Paris Hilton and a bunch of other celebrities we didn't actually see but only read about later.

But the point here is that we spent the next day with Rowan, Andrea and Andy's kid playing in a Palm Springs condo. Adrienne loves Rowan's laid-back nature, obviously.

Then we went swimming and forgot to take pictures. But we did get a chunky bum shot on the way to the pool, which is just as good.

Easter with the Cousins

2009-04-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

For Adrienne's first Easter where she kind of knew what was going on, Adrienne got all dressed up like a real girl (her mother couldn't resist) and we headed over to her cousin Samantha's house for a bunch of playtime, good eats, an Easter egg hunt and even a late evening rally into a bouncy house.

It was pretty stinkin' adorable, so watch out.

We started the morning off by opening gifts from grandma. The hit was the pink grass, as one would expect.

Adrienne spent the day playing with Sammy and comparing hats.

And Sammy's friendly dogs who love having food-dropping babies around.

Then there was cuteness.
Then there was more cuteness.

Then the world's easiest Easter egg hunt.

There were so many eggs, Adrienne even shared.

From the video, you can tell Adrienne had a great time with her cousin.

Bunny Business

2009-04-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

We'll post the expected, cute Easter pictures later. But until then, there's this impromptu masked-baby-bunny moment.

More Fun With the iMac!

2009-04-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Adrienne and her mom get handsy. Notice those baby eyes recovering from her recent bout with the dreaded pink eye. Poor baby.

Fun with iMac

2009-04-01T15:55:00.001-07:00

Fun with the iMac!

Adrienne Goes To Spring Training

2009-03-26T22:10:00.001-07:00

Adrienne took her first big road trip all the way to Arizona to catch a spring training baseball game. We stayed with old friends Trent, Elizabeth and Trevor, who are smart enough Arizonians to have a pool.

We "forgot" to take pictures of Adrienne's first quad-puke in her mom's car (and all over herself) and the 10 Freeway pitstop cities like Quartzsite. These pictures are way better.

Uh, did we mention it was totally hot at the game?

Both Trent and Trevor caught balls.

We sat in the field seats where babies could (eventually) run free (once enough people left).

On a totally perfect and lazy Sunday, we all headed to a park near in our friends' neighborhood.

Adrienne loved it.

Trent even got into the action.

Adrienne found a little hideaway playhouse and never wanted to leave it.

Never ever.

On our way out of town, we caught the Dodgers' batting practice at their fancy, new complex. The newness of the place didn't have an effect on Manny's personality as he and his big pants walked right past autograph seekers (who were at batting practice...on a Monday morning).

Luckily, Joe Torre was a sport and stopped for a pic, allowing us to snap Adrienne ignoring yet another famous person .

Some Serious Cuteness

2009-03-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

There's some serious cuteness going on here during Adrienne's recent trip to Palm Springs to hang with some traveling East Coast family members. Seen chilling here with mom and cousin Maggie.

Baby Dating Games

2009-03-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

Adrienne is captivating the boys with her cuteness already.

Oh, baby...

...we're in trouble.

Ok, maybe not.

I'm Going to Disneyland!

2009-03-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Adrienne got her first taste of Disneyland and The Mouse when we went there for Maura's birthday with Rowan and Andrea. Even though Mickey still ranks second in Adrienne's heart to Elmo, she went nuts for the place.

We went on It's a Small World (awesome--both times), Pirates of the Caribbean (not so awesome), Winnie the Pooh ride (kinda freaked Adrienne out), the Dumbo ride (it was a blast once she got used to it) and just generally walked around and looked at stuff. The highlights (aka the pictures we remembered to take):

One of the two pictures you must take when entering Disneyland for the first time. Hey, we didn't make the rules.

Here is what it feels like to ride It's a Small World for the first time.

Adrienne rocked this high-fashion combo at the park.

Disneyland regular and baby companion of the day, Rowan, had fun also.

This cup is full of...nothing. We just thought it was a funny picture.

Texting/blogging breaks for the moms.

It rained, but it didn't matter. Always go to Disneyland on a rainy Monday. The lines just wash away.

Totally rocking Dumbo with dad.

Since it was Maura's birthday we picked up dinner from a place we've had our eye on for a long time--the La Palma Chicken Pie Shop!

As you can see it was totally worth it.

Pajama Poses

2009-03-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

Let's just say Adrienne is "filling out" some of her PJs rather well thanks to a steady diet of meatballs, milk and yogurt. We sure do love that belly--and she loves showing it off. It's like Flashdance meets footie pajamas.

A Day at the Park

2009-03-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

As part of Maura's weekend-long birthday celebration, we gathered the troops, picked up sandwiches at Whole Foods and enjoyed an afternoon in the park. There sure are a lot of kids there. Too bad none of them were as cute as Adrienne.

Everyone got to take turns (pushing Adrienne).

Artistic black and white photography meets bubbles.

Artistic black and white photography meets a cute baby.

Jeremy would only go down the slide if Adrienne went with him and held his hand.

The requisite group shot. It's not that easy getting four adults and one baby looking this good at one moment in time, so enjoy it.

Elmooooooooo!

2009-02-20T23:19:00.000-08:00

Adrienne went to this Sesame Street interactive thingy at Hollywood & Highland. It's all about teaching kids about the body and stuff, but she was in it for one man and one man only: Elmo. She went twice. Once with her baby pal Rowan and then again with mom and pops. The highlights:

Somebody loved going down a (nice, safe) slide. This is Adrienne at the top of it before taking the leap. She was all smiles as she went on it over and over and over and over again.

Rowan also dug it. (Plus, it was padded and safe enough for his mom to enjoy it.)

There was even a little mock grocery store where Adrienne could engage in some dramatic play--which, we hear, is all the rage with 16-month-olds.

This is the moment of truth! On the first day Adrienne wouldn't even get close to the poor teenager in an Elmo outfit. The second time, we got this close and captured a fleeting smile (then it was all tears and running away).

Hey, where'd he go?

Adrienne's New Zoo Revue

2009-02-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

Adrienne went into the wilds of the Los Angeles Zoo with her parents and Jeremy and Carrie for a combo Valentine's Day+Jeremy's birthday+JR's birthday outing. Nothing too gross or weird to speak of, just a whole lotta walking and one baby trying to get a good view at all of these strange beasts. Some highlights:

Playing with perspectives. Jeremy tries to lay one on a camel. We won't speak of what Carrie did to a baboon's butt.

A baby and her monkey friends.

Everything is better upside down--even the zoo.

Taking a break from all of that walking.

Cracker break.

The requisite group shot. Ironically, next to a fake animal.

Babies Have a Lot on Their Minds

2009-02-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Adrienne and her cousin Samantha ponder life's big questions. (Or they just saw something shiny.)

Adrienne Goes to the Hollow Trees Show (or Adrienne Sits in a Room with a Famous Person While Listening to Music)

2009-01-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

Adrienne just went to another (very-kid friendly) concert, this time by The Hollow Trees. They're a bluegrass/Americana-type band/puppet show that is all for the kids. Think O Baby, Where Art Thou? It was smack dab in the middle of nap time, but Adrienne powered through and enjoyed all of the tunes from the comfort of her dad's lap.

Plus, adding to her growing list of famous people she either sleeps through meeting or simply glares at, Adrienne was in the same room with former Daily Show correspondent, Rob Corddry. He got away before we could embarrassingly ask for the picture. We caught him Big Foot-style anyway.

Family Portrait

2009-01-30T18:00:00.001-08:00

Maybe this can be our next holiday card?

Fifteen Month Check-Up (On Adrienne's 16-Month Birthday)

2009-01-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

Happy 16-month birthday! Let's go to the doctor for shots! Adrienne went in for her 15-month check-up on Monday. It's been quite a while since she was only this big.

Height: 32 1/2 inches (90th percentile)*
Weight: 25 lbs., 14 oz. (80th percentile)*
Head Circumference: 18 5/8 inches (88th percentile)*

Pair of Cool Star Sunglasses: 1

*Dad thinks these numbers are skewed because of the 15-16 month thing.

Adrienne's First Adventures in Snow

2009-01-19T12:39:00.001-08:00

Now that we're back in sunny California in 80-degree weather we can all look back on our snowy days with delight. Here's Adrienne's first experience with the white stuff.

Getting all of the gear on really is like that scene from A Christmas Story. At first she wasn't having it.

Then Adrienne realized if she looked cute, she could do anything!

Until we got to the snow, of course. A few timid steps turned into...

...slightly less timid steps.

During another outing at Auntie Ellen's house, Adrienne learned that even with all of that padding it still hurts when you fall on your bum.

This is just a cute picture. No witticisms needed.

Plus video!

Inappropriate Adventures with Baby: Weiner Genie (or The Day We Went to Rhode Island for Hot Dogs with Meat Sauce on Them)

2009-01-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

While back East, we took a trip with Iris, Marc and baby Zoey to one of Marc's favorite hot dog joints: Weiner Genie. Now celebrating 30 years apparently, they've been wowing Rhode Island customers with their specialty dogs, which you have to order "all the way" (aka the "gagga").

Adrienne didn't know what to order, so she stuck with meatballs and peas. Her usual.

But the adults got the dogs: complete with mustard, meat sauce, onions and celery salt. Yum! The dogs were definitely worth the trip.

Baby's Second Christmas: 2008

2009-01-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

A lot sure has changed in a year. For this Christmas we had a whirlwind trip from the warm weather of Hemet, CA to two weeks in the icy/snowy temps of New Hampshire. Yeah, it's been a while since we've posted (but we've been traveling). Here are the holiday highlights (of the stuff we remembered to take pictures of).

First stop: family and friends over at our place on Christmas Eve, where Adrienne got cool gifts like a Dora phone.

Next stop: Hemet for the Griffin/Allen family, with tons of dancing Christmas figures, family, food and fun.

Yes, Adrienne digs getting gifts (and she got a whole bunch of them, all cool, all too many for pics--so thanks y'all).

Next stop: New Hampshire. See, we said it was cold.

Watch out Zsa Zsa Gabor, someone's looking fabulous!

She enjoyed playing around with her cousins.

Then she got jealous when her mom played with other babies like Zoey here. Maybe she was just jealous of Zoey's hardcore binky.

Adrienne Goes Emo

2009-01-11T11:15:00.000-08:00

All of you cool kids with your emo haircuts or whatever better watch it. We're just sayin'.

Adrienne's First Real Rock Show (or Adrienne Almost Sleeps Through Meeting Another Famous Person)

2008-12-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

Today the Little Ones & The Duke Spirit played a benefit show at a local elementary school and Mom decided that it was about time Adrienne went to her first real rock show. (Neil Diamond cover bands and going to SXSW in utero clearly does not count.)

Here are some pictures from our adventure.

Adrienne almost pulled another "Michaela Pereira moment" and slept through meeting another famous person, Leila Moss of The Duke Spirit.

But then she rallied. Rallied, with suspicion.

And who knows what to make of rising Disney star Everette Plen (aka Flip Flopperstein). Adrienne surely didn't, but he was nice enough to autograph some pictures for Adrienne's cousins (who are totally into him, BTW).

A Holiday Message from Adrienne

2008-12-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

What does Santa say? This:

This is Adrienne on Yo Gabba Gabba!

2008-12-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

This is Adrienne.

This is Adrienne on Yo Gabba Gabba!

(With her parents trying to get her to say what Santa says.)

Our Sunday with Carrie and Jeremy

2008-12-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

As you can tell from the picture above, we had quite an exciting Sunday hanging with our friends Carrie and Jeremy. So much so it wore Jeremy and Adrienne out. Pictured highlights include:

Walking down the street to lunch with the whole gang (local hobos not pictured).

Adrienne crossing her arms at lunch, possibly in preparation for rejecting what's to come.

So not being into eating spinach--even if mom tried to hide it in sweet potatoes.

And playing with her new boyfriend, Jeremy, seen here cruising through the tunnel that is Jeremy's legs.

Holiday Card Shoot Attempts

2008-12-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

So we were trying to get the holiday card shot. We eventually did (in the same location as last year: in the Target parking lot). Here are a few that didn't make the cut:

But in the slideshow below, the magical shot is in there...somewhere. And once Costco has its way with the picture and our card selection, off it'll go, spreading holiday joy everywhere (well to those whose addresses we have).

Adrienne's Greatest Hits, 14 Months

2008-12-05T23:06:00.000-08:00

Like an old rock band that puts out a greatest hits album, Adrienne is already collecting her classic jams. On this 14-month-old collection you will hear such hits in rapid succession as: "cow," "fish," "elephant" and even "what does a bunny do." And it's, like, totally for reals this time.

More Sunglasses (Plus Cake Maybe)

2008-11-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

Adrienne's two latest obsessions: pumpkin-date bread (which is basically cake) and her sunglasses. She loves eating that bread and she "loved" her sunglasses to much they're all bent and broken now. But here are some classic moments.

You there. Woman. Go get me some cake!

"I said 'GET ME CAKE!'"

"What if I just looked cute--would I get cake then?"

Baby Sunglasses are Good for Avioding the Paparazzi

2008-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

This is Adrienne avoiding the Hollywood paps (aka dad)--or on the cover of a '70s rock album.

Brushing Teeth

2008-11-11T16:16:00.000-08:00

Now that you have teeth, you must brush them.

Adrienne Wears Her Sunglasses at Night

2008-11-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Since she's so grown up now, Adrienne has found a new appreciation for her first pair of sunglasses.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2008-11-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

Adrienne doesn't watch much TV (unless it's the Olympics or the election), but she does get a controlled dose of one episode of Yo Gabba Gabba! every few days or so. The whole costumed crew was appearing at Amoeba Records, so we had to check out the Yo overload.

Don't know who was more excited, Adrienne or mom.

A few seconds of the madness. (The balding music fan in the middle of the shot is wondering, "What the heck is this?!?! I just want my used Miles Davis CD.")

Real Halloween

2008-11-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Luckily, the real Halloween day went much better (for the most part) during a trip the Americana at Brand.

Checking out the grass.

Investigating the grossness of the public fountain.

Plus, one H&M meltdown (we said it went well, for the most part...).

Happy Halloween?

2008-10-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

We wanted to take a picture of Adrienne in her cute Halloween outfit that she wore to daycare. Of course, this meant putting her down for a minute in the morning before we left for the day. She wasn't having it.

Adrienne Goes Pumpkin Patching

2008-10-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

We went to a Pumpkin Festival thingy at Kidspace with Rowan and Declan and their parents.

Technically, is was the park next to Kidspace, but that just means there was more room for animals, pumpkins, kid-friendly bands, games and room for the now-moible Adrienne to roam. Some highlights (and outtakes from an attempted kid pic).

Adrienne got as close to a pony as her mom would let her.

She dug for (plastic) bones during some kid games. Scaaaary!

She walked by pumpkins with the gross sides showing.

Then we got the kids together for a picture on some hay. It ain't easy, as the past has shown. But we did get them kind of facing the same way all at once for a split second. Oh, the outtakes:

What is Declan thinking?

Feel my Blue Steel!

Adrienne's Walking Music Video

2008-10-26T23:03:00.000-07:00

The video making stuff has admittedly gone a little too far, but it's been awhile and Adrienne is more on the move than ever. This little music video shows the progression--and gave us something to do with all of that footage we shot. Plus, '80s band Was (Not Was)!

(You deserve some sort of friendship medal or something if you make it to the end.)

James Michael McHugh, August 28, 1936 - October 9, 2008

2008-10-17T05:30:00.001-07:00

In loving memory of Adrienne's East Coast Grandpa, Jim.

Adrienne Meets Michaela Pereira

2008-10-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

Adrienne had her first run-in with a legitimate local celebrity. Michaela Pereira from the KTLA Morning Show hosted a walk around the Rose Bowl-type event. Even though we arrived over an hour late (we're still on baby time!) we walked the Bowl and we got the picture. You always have to get the picture.

Hopefully, Adrienne will stay awake for her next celeb encounter.

Adrienne Says "Hi!"

2008-10-06T04:36:00.000-07:00

One of Adrienne's newest tricks is saying "hi" while waving. That's Carrie encouraging her off camera at her b-day party.

Next up: thrilling video of her pretending to blow her nose and ruining our hardwood floors with her toys! Who says parenthood isn't exciting?

Adrienne Rocks the (Eagle) Rock

2008-10-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row Adrienne attended the Eagle Rock Music Festival. This time her pal Cooper (and his parents) came along for the rainy fun.

As you can see Adrienne is already getting her disaffected indie rock snob look down. She's like, "Whatever music festival. Nice try."

But there's nothing like your mom holding you to remind you that you're still a baby!

Here's Adrienne gazing at her boyfriend Cooper.

No night out in Eagle Rock is complete without a top at the Taco Spot. Go Sox, says the sippy cup.

Adrienne's Pink Piggy Bank

2008-09-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

For her birthday Adrienne got this pink piggy bank that makes a magical sound! You're supposed to put money in it, but we're in a recession, so we just keep putting the same piece of paper in the coin slot. She loves it anyway.

Adrienne's First Birthday Party

2008-09-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

September has been a pretty celebratory month, so what better way to end it than with a huge (and we mean huge) birthday party? With a Hawaiian theme, we made sure to have plenty of Spam-etizers and aloha to go around.

If you've every survived through a kid's birthday party, you know that we're waaaay too tired for witty commentary, so just look at the pictures. Slideshow of all the action is also below.

There was cake.

We blew out the candles.

Adrienne took a ride on Uncle Jeff.

She even enjoyed hanging out in the baby octagon.

And practiced standing up.

She played with friends like Jeremy.

Parents stood around.

There was an inflatable pool. It was a big hit with everyone (not just the b-day girl).

Adrienne Goes Brit-Pop-Hip-Hop

2008-09-24T18:15:00.001-07:00

Her hair says "I front Oasis" but her pants say "Why you frontin'"

Hot Times in Palm Springs

2008-09-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

So we went to a wedding in Palm Springs...

This one. It was great and cool and beautiful and all of that.

Not much to say, except that the pool at the Montage has ruined all other hotel pools for us. Adrienne's babysitter was awesome and we wished she lived in L.A., and Adrienne enjoyed the once-hip Palm Springsy style of the room...

...especially the mirrors--her favorite thing to look at.

Oh, and Adrienne wanted room service--badly.

Birthday Girl

2008-09-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

An account of Adrienne's first birthday...

Woke up happy as can be, ready for gifts and good times.

Played with mom at the local coffee shop...

Got some new dolls...

Practiced standing...

Sat on her new car thingy before the wheels were put on...

...all in the day's work for a baby.

Stand and Deliver

2008-09-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

While resorting, Adrienne nearly perfected the art of standing up. Thankfully, there was a full diaper and soft bedding to catch her bum on the way down.

Then when we got home, she totally perfected the fully-evolved upright standing thing. Now, every baby blog needs a video of this momentous occasion. But what music to put to it?

R.E.M., "Stand" - Too predictable.

The Beatles, "I Saw Her Standing There" - Sweet but not totally right.

Bob Marley, "Get Up, Stand Up" - Yeah, but too slow for this exciting moment.

Elton John, "I'm Still Standing" - Fun, but it's basically an f-u song. So no.

Adam Ant, "Stand and Deliver" - Perfect. Just the right amount of edge for this baby.

Adrienne Goes Resorting

2008-09-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

So we got to go on this fancy trip to a sweet resort called the Montage in Laguna Beach. It was Adrienne's first time to really live it up, and, boy did she. Her parents didn't mind it so much either. Some highlights that we remembered to photograph:

Adrienne agrees that complimentary champagne is always nice. (Hint: always tell hotels that it's your anniversary, they love giving you stuff. We didn't have to lie in this case, but we're gonna in the future.)

Adrienne enjoys the high thread count sheets and bounciness of the bed.

Some fine dining outside.

No babies, here, but room service is always a good thing.

The family on the beach.

Taking a morning walk/carry.

We even had a private cabana for a long, relaxing day at the pool. Here's the view from that.

Of course, Adrienne took full advantage of that luxury...by sleeping through most of it.

Adrienne Gets Pigtails

2008-09-12T06:59:00.000-07:00

At her daycare, somehow, they got Adrienne's hair into pigtails. It's certainly a first. We had no idea how they did it, given her reaction when we tried to take them out.

Needless to say, we think they're super-cute, even if they look like little horns in certain light.

Smile! You're On Camera!

2008-08-25T07:46:00.001-07:00

Adrienne has never met a camera she doesn't like. This one, for instance. This is her camera smile...

...and this is her camera smile with a piece of Tupperware in her mouth.

One Day Adrienne Will Eat Chocolate...

2008-08-25T07:45:00.001-07:00

...but until then she will only pretend to eat chocolate out of a giant novelty-size container.

Self-feeding Meatballs, Yes! Self-feeding Applesauce, No!

2008-08-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

Our adventures with trying to get Adrienne to "self-feed" (as they call it in the books), continues. Needless to say, she's not a vegetarian.

The meatball experiment:

"Hi, I'm a cute baby. What's for lunch?"

"What's this thing? A meatball you say?"

"Hey, not bad. I kind of like these."

"Let me change that! I'm totally into these things you call meatballs!"

"How dare you try to sneak in apple sauce! I will get you! Just you wait until you go to sleep! I will get yooooouuuu!"

Look Ma, All Hands

2008-08-20T16:02:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in every baby's life when they have to start eating with their hands. It's not all that easy--or clean--for anyone involved (who wouldn't want to go through life being spoon-fed, if you really think about it).

It's that time for Adrienne. And it's going, uh well, it's going...

There was a spoon involved at some point, but who knows where that went.

Adrienne Pumps Up the Volume with the Fridge DJ

2008-08-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Fridge DJ combines three of Adrienne's favorite things: music, the refrigerator and magnets!

The latest distraction contains a mix of ABC, 123 and other baby tunes with some nutty '80s-type interface that turns into a talking mouth, numbers, letters, cows, weird dancing stickmen--all kinds of crazy stuff. She loves it. The proof:

Adrienne in action pumping up the volume!

Working it behind the back! Solid.

Rocking out freestyle.

The madness in action!

Happy Baby, Mad Baby

2008-08-06T05:53:00.001-07:00

Even though we think she's always adorable, Adrienne isn't always has happy and cheery as you see in the two pictures below (taken with Jeremy's awesome camera).

Oh, no. Sometimes the happiest baby in the world isn't so happy about...something. See some of her more recent expressive pics as proof:

Even though she eventually loved hanging on the boat with auntie Ellen, at first Adrienne wasn't so sure.

And she didn't quite know what to make of Jack.

Grandpa Jim is also one of her favorite people--most of the time.

Adrienne's First Hot August Night

2008-08-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

So there was this Neil Diamond tribute band playing in the local park...

At first maybe Adrienne wasn't so into it (that's Nishith and Mina in the background--Adrienne is hiding Mina's pregnant belly).

She was certainly freaked out about something. This is Adrienne holding on to her dad for dear life, because she was not so comfortable around...

...Nishith. We don't know why. He's such a good guy. This is what Adrienne was trying to get away from in the picture above.

The show was great. All the hits: "Cherry Cherry," "Red Red Wine," "America," etc. There were even...

...costume changes! This is the second of three shiny shirts that "Neil" wore.

Then Adrienne tried to eat some carmel popcorn, but Mina was a good guard and wouldn't let her have any. Baby was not happy.

Adrienne eventually warmed up to Nishith and "Neil Diamond," because everything is better when your mom turns you upside down.

Enter the Dragon Lady

2008-07-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

Adrienne does this face, the face we call The Dragon!! Essentially, it's all of the excitement in her little body coming out of her nose. Recent sightings of the Dragon Lady include:

Dragon Lady on a couch.

Dragon Lady in the kitchen.

Dragon Lady with her mom--and the all-important plastic bottle.

Adrienne Speaks! (Kinda, Sorta, But Not Really)

2008-07-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

We understand his may be no more than the infant equivalent of a "talking" dog that says "I love you," but this is showing signs of, at the very least, the beginning of mimicking words. Or something. Or it's just really cute.

Adrienne Parties in the Name of Carrie's Birthday

2008-07-29T05:49:00.001-07:00

In honor of Carrie Bell's thirtysomething birthday we did what most thirtysomethings do: went out to dinner and watched silly movies. Adrienne took part in the festivities in her own way.

This is when Adrienne wanted all of Carrie's presents. Too bad for you baby, you'll learn all about birthdays soon enough.

Then that baby almost got eaten by a mysterious squishy cat lurking in the darkness.

But they quickly became friends. And by friends we mean Adrienne pointed at the cat and then timidly touched its tail once or twice.

Adrienne partied so hard she needed an outfit change--into her sweet Old Navy PJs.

This is just a cute picture of her bum. Yes, we're parents.

Rick Digby, April 27, 1943 - July 15, 2008

2008-07-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

In loving memory of Adrienne's West Coast Grandpa Rick.

4th of July 2008 Pt. 2: Cousins and Friends

2008-07-27T09:39:00.001-07:00

Adrienne played with so many cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and friends over the 4th of July, it's hard to keep track. But that's what digital cameras and the Internet are for. Adrienne's East Coast adventure continues...

Hanging with her cousins, Billy and Evan. They communicated through the nuances of the word "ba!"

Adrienne and her East Coast Grandparents.

Adrienne is 27% cooler just by being next to Max and Regan.

Amy is about to eat Adrienne's head. "Yum!" says Amy.

Harry and Adrienne share a smile.

One of Adrienne's favorite new things: Chloe the dog.

Adrienne likes boating much more in the arms of her aunt Ellen.

The Floating Car

2008-07-24T22:52:00.001-07:00

Adrienne really, really loves her floating car.

How much? This much:

Nancy vs. the Tattoo

2008-07-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Adrienne's Nana hasn't yet met a tattoo she liked. Here's proof.

Here she is enjoying her granddaughter, but out of the corner of her eye Nancy sees something...

...this! It belongs to Marc, who is Iris' baby's daddy. (That's Zoey there, enjoying the tattooed comfort of her dad's arms.)

4th of July 2008 Pt. 1

2008-07-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's almost August and we're just now posting pictures from a July 4th/baptism trip to New Hampshire. Hey, babies keep you busy, in case you don't know. The highlights, plus an all-inclusive slideshow at the end.

Who knew churches had jacuzzis! Adrienne goes for the big dip.

Then she had a baptism of a different kind in Beaver Lake in her new car. That's a face of pure excitement.

She played around with her cousin Rory...

...and hung with the girls Maggie and Sammy.

This is Teddy doing his best impersonation of an upset baby.

And, naturally, there's always time for a model-esque pose. Ohhh, that Brett Gardner is dreamy!

The slideshow includes a trip to Power Wok, more of that baby in the water, the plane trip and oh, so much more.

Adrienne Likes Boating?

2008-07-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

This one speaks for itself.

Adrienne Goes Swimming

2008-07-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

Even before she's walking, Adrienne has found an appreciation for the water. Here are pics of her day out at her cousin's house enjoying the pool. (Shots from her adventures on Beaver Lake are coming.)

Every baby needs some SPF 2000, just ask mom.

Here Adrienne gets up close with Jim's head.

Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to her cousin's house if she didn't terrorize her a little bit.

1:41 PM, June 30, 2008 (or The Princess and the Peas)

2008-06-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

This is what Adrienne was doing at 1:41 PM PT, June 30, 2008. In the kitchen. With music playing. With the washer going. With the dryer going. Sleeping through that is definitely her Griffin side showing through.

Everything's Better in Slow Motion (Plus the Latest Stats)

2008-06-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Adrienne likes to dance. And chew bottles. It's in slow motion only because it's funnier that way.

The latest baby stats:

Height: 28 7/8 inches (88th percentile)
Weight: 20 lbs., 1 oz. (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18 1/8 inches (90th percentile)

Morning Photo Shoot, Plus This Puzzle Thing We Got (and Carrots!)

2008-06-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Woke up to a relatively slow Saturday, so we took the time for a impromptu morning photo shoot (every day is a photo shoot, we just happen to have the time to actually post it today). The highlights:

Sitting up in her big-girl pajamas.

All happy and playful--right before crashing for nap time.

Somebody loves the camera. Guess who.

Our serious faces.

Then there was picture day at Adrienne's day care. We didn't purchase mounds of the staged pics, but they did give us this crazy baby puzzle for free. We'll try to keep it intact, so she can truly appreciate it when she in her twenties and will hopefully think its a hipster thing to have a puzzle of yourself as a baby.

Plus, Adrienne is slooowly learning how to put actual food in her mouth (as opposed to everything else that isn't food). Yum, carrots!

Inappropriate Adventures with Baby: At Home!

2008-06-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Now that she's fully mobile Adrienne loves to get into just about everything she shouldn't. We're a tad slow on the uptake with the whole baby-proofing thing and trying to gauge where she likes to go and then trying to block the dangerous stuff. From the looks of it, she likes to take things out of bags and throw them on the ground and play with electrical chords. Fun for kids of all ages!

It's no big deal, it's just a surge protector, so it can't possibly shock a baby, right?

One at a time, they all eventually make their way out of the many bags of DVDs and CDs we have laying around.

Who me? What? How do you play this thing?

Air, Ball

2008-06-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

It'll probably break 100 degrees today in Eagle Rock. No wonder Adrienne's two new favorite toys are her (probably totally toxic straight from China via Target) Nemo ball and the air conditioning vent in the dining room.

When Adrienne Attacks! Part Deux (or Look Ma, No Legs!)

2008-06-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

The last time Adrienne went on the offensive we only had photographic evidence of her actions. Now, thanks to the use of a certain shark movie's theme song, her newfound mobility has a certain air of dangerousness. Check out that upper body strength, by the way. We call it the wounded solider crawl.

Adrienne's Trip to NH

2008-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Adrienne made her first bi-coastal jump to New Hampshire in May to play with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. (And yes, it's June and we're finally getting around to putting the pictures up--hey, babies keep parents busy.) Here are some highlights, plus a complete slideshow below (featuring Iris and her little Zoey as well).

A Pigeon Comes for a Visit

2008-05-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

Some of Adrienne's (ok, some of our) favorite books are the "Pigeon" series by Mo Willems, such as "The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!" and "Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!"

She totally digs them. So when we found a talking, plush pigeon doll, we just had to get it. It talks, people! As you can see, it's already a big hit.

Baby on a Plane!

2008-05-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Adrienne just made her first successful flight across the US of A--from LA to Boston and back! And, boy, are her arms tired!

One (Wo)man Baby Band

2008-05-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

The "music" doesn't quite sound like music yet, but Adrienne sure does dig making noise with her tambourine and conga drums. Check out the pics. Plus, all of these shots include her rocking some imported clothing (from our friend Sabine in Germany).

Fast Food (or Fun with Video)

2008-05-10T09:39:00.001-07:00

Who says it takes a long time to feed a baby? Not when you have a hungry girl like ours (and some simple video editing tools).

Into the Wild (Paths of Encino)

2008-05-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

We took Adrienne's extreme sports stroller for a test run in the wild nature trails of Encino. Carrie and Jeremy joined us and luckily we survived the nature/bums that live there.

New TV, Baby

2008-04-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

So we took the giant leap into the HDTV world with a 46-incher. It's about twice as long as Adrienne and almost as adorable. Sure, it's probably too big for our living room, but we'll grow into it. Or something.

Adrienne sure seems happy with the new addition to the family. Here's a picture for perspective.

Still Not Bananas for Bananas, Maybe OK with Coldplay

2008-04-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Don't know if all of the head shaking in this video is because Adrienne still isn't into bananas or she is digging the sound of new Coldplay music in the background. Either way, it's some top-notch baby cinema.

Vistors from the Far East

2008-04-22T20:46:00.001-07:00

Joe, Joey and Janine said they came out to Cali to check out some schools. But we really know they came here to see one baby in particular. Our adventures:

When you're in Cali, you've got to sport cool sunglasses. It took Adrienne a bit to warm up to these shades that Janine got for her, but she eventually rocked them.

We headed off to the beach, where Adrienne got her hands on the Pacific Ocean.

It wouldn't be a beach day without some artistic black and white baby shots.

We held the baby up near all of the major tourist attractions: Mann's Chinese Theater...

...The Hollywood sign...

...where Adrienne's rebellious spirit got the best of her and she was planning on ignoring all warning signs...

...but Joey really did. (Just for a little bit, though.)

Yes, we went to all of the major stops--including Sprinkles and Pinkberry (twice!).

Then we took a family portrait at the place that started it all. And if you come to Cali, we'll force you to go here also.

Here's a slideshow of the whole thing.