The Life & Times of the Halperns

July 4th

2010-07-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

July 4th this year was wet and overcast for most of the day however it didn't stop us from having fun. We started off with a little mini parade on Brooks Street. It was truly a mini parade. It was just the kids walking up a block. It was really cute and fun though. After naps we started the party again over at our friends BBQ and ended the night watching fireworks on our deck with a perfect view. Life couldn't be any better.

Father's Day 2010

2010-07-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

We had a nice little Fathers Day this year. We woke up early and headed to LA to see the Nedelman's and hang out with my parents. We were one of the first family's in the restaurant, only the Nedelman's and the Halpern's get on the road at 7am to go to breakfast. We are morning people for sure. We went to the Santa Monica Farmers Market and bought the first little t shirt for our little boy that will be here in a matter of weeks. I couldn't pass up a shirt for my Piper though. She got a pink Bob Marley shirt that she loves to wear. It was a nice day hanging out together as a family. Derek is a great dadddy and Piper is so lucky to have him around all of the time right now. He really is the most amazing dad. How I got so lucky I don't know.

Piper Turns 2!!!!!

2010-07-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on, okay.... actually not that much has been going on but I have lagged on doing any posts. So....... in a nutshell the last few months have been fun besides the lousy weather we are having.

The biggest thing that has happened is that Piper turned 2! We had a fun little party at the beach here in Laguna and the sun actually came out. To our surprise on the morning of her B-day party they released some seals out into the water from the marine mammal center here in town. It was really a fun surprise and the kids got a kick out of it. All in all is was a great day and Piper enjoyed her curious George birthday cake that she had been talking about for weeks.

Where does the time go......

2010-05-19T14:15:00.001-07:00

Time seriously flies and I figured no one really reads the blog that much so I have been lagging on updating. So much has happened in the last few months......

We moved into a new place to make

room for baby Halpern due in 11 weeks.

We have a new nephew, Henry Walker Nedelman

We went to Palm Springs

We learned how to plant some plants

We think we found a baby name for the little man that is due Aug 4th, see if you can find the name in any of these photos.

We have gone to the beach a ton, have ridden the teacups at Disneyland

Made a lot of tye dye shirts and pants and so much more......

check out a few of the pictures....

Birthday Party Weekend

2010-03-31T22:39:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we helped Kaia celebrate her 2nd B-day. It was perfect weather and so much fun. The kids loved the race cars that drove them around the neighborhood and Piper loved the cake and every other sweet treat there.

It was cute to see Kaia and Piper hug after Kaia opened up her b-day gift gift.

Just Another Great Beach Day in March

2010-03-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

Egg Hunt Fun

2010-03-31T22:34:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday was the Laguna Beach egg hunt. Piper of course had a blast and collected as many eggs as she could. She loved putting eggs in her basket, now we need to work on putting eggs in her mouth.

Marathon Runners Rule

2010-03-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend my amazing husband Derek and my two great friends Lisa and Noelle ran the LA marathon. It was a last minute decision and they all did so great. They finished running in an amazing time, they are all truly inspirational.

Along the course Sarah and Rio Bier cheered them on in West Hollywood. I know they really appreciated the support and thought it was great to see them out there cheering.

Derek around mile 18 was fading fast. Dawn who flew in from Santa Fe, NM last minute to surprise him found the group at Mile 18 and ran them into the finish line. It was really a great sports event to see. The winner was a woman and I saw her finish. Check out her picture. It was truly incredible. Anyone who can run a marathon is pretty bad ass.

Jr. Fire Fighters

2010-03-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

The other day at Starbucks the Newport Beach fire engine happen to pull up. Kids love something about fire engines, maybe the bright red color, the cool sound the engine makes or maybe it's because its a truck, all kids LOVE trucks.

The firemen where happy to give the kids some hats and stickers. It was really cute and Piper was super into her hat, she still wears it around the house.

Sugar Cookies

2010-03-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

Not only have I been obsessed with peoples creative blogs but I have been obsessed with sugar cookies. My friend makes the most amazing sugar cookies in the world and I tried making them for my dad's big 70th B-day. Not only did I spend many hours trying to make the dough several times not to mention money I spent even more time trying to ice them. The cookies turned out, I didn't take a picture because who really wants to see my navy blue sloppy heart shaped sugar cookies.

In my quest for the perfect sugar cookies I stumbled upon an amazing blog called " I Am Baker". This lady is amazing and her sugar cookies are quite an art form.

Very inspirational, maybe one day I will make cookies like these for a party for Piper or something.

Rainbow Pancakes

2010-03-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been obsessed with other peoples blogs and blown away and totally jealous of how amazing and creative people are. Can you believe that a mom actually cooks with food coloring all of the time so her kids will eat the food.

Mom.... I am not going to try this out, not only would it ruin the kitchen, Piper would still not eat them.

They are quite the work of art.

Valentine's Day Crafts and More.....

2010-02-18T12:28:00.000-08:00

Grandpa aka Papa came over for a wonderful Valentines day dinner at home. Piper loved every second of it. She loves he Papa so much she says his name 100 times a day.

Thanks to my great friend Jessica" the professional baker" we made some wonderful sugar cookies this year. I am so excited to learn her famous recipe, the cookies are fabulous and they are so much fun to ice. I think I will be making them for every occasion this year.

Craft day at the park. Jessica and I decided to host a big Valentine's Craft day at the local park for the kids. We made some really cool book marks and cards. The turnout was pretty impressive over 30 or more people. It was really fun for all. We collected all of the Valentine's at the end and the following week we got a large group together and delivered them to the senior center here in Laguna while they were enjoying a lunch. It was really fun to see the seniors faces light up while the kids handed out the valentines.

Huge Thank you to Grandma Linda for helping out that day and making valentines with Piper while I organized it all.

Thank you!!!

Some of the finished products. Pretty cool.

Just Being Piper

2010-02-18T12:17:00.000-08:00

The last few months have been filled with fun, rain, valentines day, sun, Disneyland, barbie car and much more. here are a few picks that represent little Pipes.

Going to the market, one of her favorite places to get a bagel which is really a croissant. She picked this outfit. Up until now she hasn't cared much about what she wears but lately she has been showing me what she wants to wear and it's all great. I love that she wants to wear her rain boots to the market and tutu. I want to too but I think it would look a little strange if we both showed up like that.
Piper and her buddy Kaia. Piper just had to have the same Barbie car as her buddy Kaia. She would kick and scream and want her ride hers so bad that I felt she would love one of her own. Lesson to self, the second she gets something of her own she doesn't want it anymore. I think this is the last time she actually sat on her new barbie car. I guess it's just much more fun when someone has it and you want on it, isn't that always the case in life. She is so over the barbie car it's crazy. Hopefully it's just a phase and she will want to ride it again soon.
This is just one of my favorite photos. I love her in hats and she is just so darn cute.

Baby # 2 on the way

2010-02-18T12:12:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile since my last post. I had a minor issue and I figured it out. A lot has been going on in the Halpern household in the last few months. Baby #2 is on the way!!!!! am 16 weeks pregnant and feeling great. We should know the sex soon so stay tuned. Derek is thinking boy but you never know. These pics are from week 12. The name search will be on soon so start sending me your thoughts, we will need all the help we can get.

Back In action, worked out the bug, stay tuned.

2010-02-17T13:58:00.000-08:00

blog under construction, need to work out a bug, check back later!

2010-02-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Cookies!

2010-02-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Lazy Beach Day

2009-12-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we decided to go play in the sand for a few. It was a perfect afternoon, warm out for December and the ocean as peaceful as can be. We sure are lucky to live so close to the beach. We should never take it for granted. We live in a beautiful town where people come from all over to visit and we are lucky enough to have it at our fingertips every day of the week.

Laguna Sunsets

2009-12-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a snapshot of our deck in Laguna. We are so lucky to live here and the sunsets we get are AMAZING.

Gingerbread House Mania, Derek's 37th B-day

2009-12-17T20:48:00.000-08:00

This week we enjoyed some time with friends making gingerbread houses with Piper. I think the adults enjoyed this more then the kids but Piper sure loved to eat the gum drops that were intended for the rooftop. It was a good time . Nana returned from NYC for a fun evening with Piper and Piper loved every minute of it.

Not only was it a gingerbread fest it was Derek's 37th B-day bash week. We enjoyed a nice night at home, I made some chicken parm and yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. He enjoyed his gift of iron man gym pull up bar that attaches to any door way in our house. He has to keep his 6 pack even after downing 4 cupcakes and 10 hot dogs for the week. hahahaha, because the gym at 4:30 am in the morning isn't enough, why not work out more at home.

New Bike

2009-12-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

Piper got her first bike from her Baba and Papa for Hanukkah. She LOVES it but it's still a little too big for her. She needs to grow a little so she can use it. That being said we just went to the doc for her 18 month appointment and the little pip squeak hasn't gained much weight, she is pushing 20 lbs. She is mini. I know Derek and I are mini but she is mini too, go figure. You would think she would gain weight from all of the grilled cheese she eats but thinking about it, I think I eat her grilled cheese most nights because she she tries to feed it to me. Time to add the protein powder to her smoothies if she ever wants to ride her new amazing radio flyer pink bike.

Happy Hannukkah

2009-12-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah is here and we have been lighting the candles every night. Piper loves the tradition and has learned very quickly that presents are great too. I love that we have a Christmas tree and a menorah and are teaching Piper about everything during the holidays. I can't wait to see her Christmas morning when she opens up even more crap from "Santa" who she is totally freaked out by. When she sees him she absolutely looses it. However when you ask her what Santa says she says " Ho Ho Ho".

Thanksgiving 09

2009-11-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year started off at 5am. Derek and I woke up in the dark, grabbed Piper and headed down to the annual Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K. Last year we we ran it together in the pouring rain but this year it was bright and sunny and cold and crisp out. We joined up with our great friends the Applebaum's and ran like the wind. The day couldn't have started off on a better note. Piper and Reef enjoyed themselves cruising in the strollers watching the 10,000 runners. It was a good way to start the day. We are so thankful for our health and that we are able to run. We know too many people that are sick and can't even run if they wanted to so we are more then thankful for our health.

" Health is wealth"

Thanksgiving 2009 was GREAT!!! Every year we go to my moms, that's just the way it goes. It's close there is great food and family and friends. This year was no exception. We had 23 people. There were mom's, step moms, sisters, bothers, aunts, uncles, friends and dogs. It was a packed house and fun was had by all. It was especially great to get the little cousins together to play. London and Piper had fun going down the small slide 100 times.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, no gifts, great food and family, you can't beat it.

Yes, Derek had to polish off the scotch straight out of the bottle when we arrived, how else would we get the festivities started.

Back In Action

2009-11-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

My computer has been really messed up for the last few weeks. I had no way of getting onto the Internet and it was very frustrating. Finally after years of talking about it I actually purchased my first Mac today. I am so excited and I can't wait to do some crafty stuff with it.
This month has been really fun. I love the holidays!!!!!! First off twinkle lights everywhere, how could you not love it.Twinkle light rule. Starbucks has there red Christmas cups and how can you resist Christmas music, I confess I am already listening to it. I am such a Jewish girl.

This weekend was great, the Winter festival opened in Laguna and we took Piper to see the snow and the petting zoo that was there. It was a great time, it really made it reality that the holidays are really here. Time seriously flies. 2010 around the corner.

Recently on a day at Baba's and Papa's my mom gave me a pair of my cowboy boots from when I was Piper's age. They are adorable and they fit Piper. It's crazy to me that my daughter is wearing my boots from when I was her age. I LOVE that we are already sharing clothes. Pipes loves her new cowboy boots and is hilarious when she walks in them because they have a little heel and they make a tapping sound. She actually wears them in the kitchen and will do a little tap dance in them. Check her out in this picture just digging herself in them.
This is just a normal afternoon at the Halpern house with her millions of toys that we swore would never take up the living room. This is just funny because the dress she has on she wore last Thanksgiving when she was 5 months old. She must have been swimming in it.

Crabby Little Lady

2009-11-04T20:40:00.001-08:00

I feel like Piper has been crabby for a little while now. Maybe it's her teeth, time change, lack of naps. She sure knows how to wake up early and take minimal naps and be pissed. Makes for a lot of fun all day. I'm sure it's a phase..... but don't you always wonder why all of your friends kids take 3 hour plus naps and your kid might sleep for an hour all day if your lucky.

She still is cute when she is angry.

Digging the Laguna Rainbow outfit. She sure fits in here.

Halloween night and sick of the bee costume

2009-11-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

I feel like everyone was a bee this year, even Rocco the dog.

This year we spent the evening at our friends house eating pizza having fun until it was time to hit up the infamous Oak street where they close the street and decorate like crazy, parents are drinking and kids are running around like crazy. A little much for me but a great time.

The Nedelman clan made it down from LA so the cousins could get some holiday face time. It was fun and Derek was home sleeping by 7:30 pm.

P.S. I wasn't the only adult dressed up. However I like Alice in Wonderland so any chance I get why not dress up.

Somehow Piper found some more candy and was eating wrapper and all.

Two of the cutest the bees that I have ever seen.

Halloween Parade 09

2009-11-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

2009 Annual Laguna Beach Parents Club Halloween Parade.

This year I decided to take part in the parade and volunteer myself and my friend Jessica to run the parade. So ambitious of us. It actually turned out great and there probably around 200 people there. Fun was had by all. The costumes were great to see and Piper had a great time drinking every juice box in sight and eating suckers. So she she does like food, pretty much anything that is candy or sugar.

Our band of girls that like to run together.

The fish, devil, skunk, pirate and bee.

Found another juice box somewhere.

I Do Eat

2009-10-28T19:31:00.001-07:00

I know everyone thinks Piper doesn't eat but she does. She is a great eater but she is a picky eater, she LOVES her grilled cheeses. Some might think is a skinny skeleton but she is just petite, you should check out her budda tummy with her shirt off.

" Don't Be Tardy For The Party"

2009-10-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

The annual playgroup Halloween party. So much to do in the life of a 16 month toddler. We have Halloween festivities all week, good thing Piper is cool with her costume and doesn't mind wearing it.

We headed to our playgroup party yesterday for a few hours in the afternoon, something about kids in costumes is the best. I love all of the costumes and it's hilarious when some kids spend most of the time trying to get their wings off or their hats or costume all together. Love the initiative some parents took to even paint their kids faces with blood and stuff. Halloween is the best !!!! Piper had fun,she mostly tried to climb the expensive glass table in the living room or climb the kiddie kitchen set or anything else that she could possibly climb.

More fun tomorrow for it's the annual Laguna Beach Parents Club Halloween parade that I have decided to host. Should be a good time blowing up 100 balloons down at Main Beach while trying to watch Piper. Stay tuned for some fun photos.

October in a nut shell

2009-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

October, what a month. I have been lagging on blogging but I am really going to try to keep up with it. This month has been full of Fall fun with trips to the pumpkin patch, aquarium, Disneyland, Palm Springs and much more.

What a change a year brings. Last year Piper was just a ban bag when we took her to the pumpkin patch in her onsie and orange tutu and this year she has her cool converse on and is running a muck and getting molars and wouldn't wear a tutu for the life of me. Why is it that they grow so fast but we stay the same age?

We had a great time at the pumpkin patch, she looked at little piggys and she went one some 25 cent rides and even bounced in the bounce house. That was her absolute favorite, she likes to bounce and fall and play hard. Thank god she didn't bite a kid in there because I had no way of stopping it standing on the outside snapping photos. Yes, Piper thinks she is a Jack Russell Terrier and has been testing out her new sharp teeth on me and kids. It's a phase and it will stop. YES MOM, I say don't bite..... put my hand over her mouth and give her a time out, so don't worry.

Are You Ready For Some Football!!!!!

2009-09-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Piper and Daddy LOVE them some football. Football is back and I am sure every Sunday is going to look like this one. Piper's Cowboy jersey is on it's way.

September Day's Flying By

2009-09-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

This week has flown by. I can't believe that September is almost gone. The week's are flying by and it's almost time for the fun Fall holiday's where Piper can start dressing up in costume for everyday fun.

We enjoyed some good Jewish food celebrating Rosh Hashanah at Baba's and Grandpas. Piper still didn't eat the brisket and chicken and everything else that Baba tried to feed her but she did eat some pasta and blueberries, her staple food. Despite the eating drama she managed to get into her birthday suit to play some Jewish songs on the piano. Good times had by all.

This week was a fun filled week full of concerts and booze and friends. It was one of our best friend Lauren's B-day so we all celebrated by going to see The Killer's at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a fabulous night filled with dancing, drinks and late night cheeseburgers. I almost forgot we had a kid to take care of the entire next day, not so much fun when you are waiting for your crazy 15 moth old to go to bed from the time they wake up in the morning until it's time for bed. All you need is some sleep to recover from a big night out but that doesn't happen when you have a toddler.

Derek and the ladies.

Grandpa and Piper.

Grandpa did an absolute amazing job on his first mission of babysitting alone last weekend. Grandpa watched Piper while Derek and I went to see Dave Matthews Band in Irvine. Grandpa walked her around town and they listened to some tunes, apparently Grandpa says she loves Bluegrass music. It was such a great time that Piper actually took her bottle and blanket to her room and told him it was time for her to go to bed. Craziest this I have ever heard. I wish she would do that for me once in awhile.

Thanks again dad for an amazing job at babysitting. I now have confidence that we can call you whenever we need a night out.

I just like this photo. Piper loves to sit with her Dada and watch some football before bed. She also loves her red balloons.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend here and gone. The weekend was really great because Aunt Wendi and Auntie Dawn all came to town to visit which is really really rare. We had the best time just hanging out. Piper got to play with her older cousins and help celebrate Hannah's 15th B-day, she brought 8 girls down to lay out at the beach and have fun. Pretty scary that Piper is going to be 15 one day.
Daddy was home for 4 days straight so that was a treat in itself. We had so much fun and Piper can't get enough of her DaDa.

As you can see Piper got a new pair of shoes, some pick croc's to be exact and she has to wear them all of the time. Piper is a shoe fanatic and says shoes 100 times a day. She loves all my shoes and if she isn't wearing shoes she is either holding them or wanting to put them on.

Piper Lovers her mid afternoon smoothies as you can see, it's all over her face.

We went to the doctor today and she is a whopping 19 lbs. It's all that cheese she is eating. Dr said she is healthy as can be and going to be an amazing athlete because she has incredible reflexes. hahahaha just kidding but she did say that jokingly. Maybe it was her climbing onto the swivel chair to a stand that made her think that.

The halpern genetics are extremely strong. They all look so much alike it's weird.

Were Back!!!

2009-09-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile and I figured no one was interested in seeing anymore pictures of Piper and hearing about the daily routine of a baby that eats, sleeps and poops, so we took some time off from blogging but now we are BACK. Stay tuned for some fun photos and tales of the Halpern's crazy adventures.

Here's a recap of what has been going on in the lives of the Halpern's in the last 9 months since you have herd from us.

Over the last 9 months Piper has grown into a toddler with a personality that is bigger then life. Piper is 15 months today and is more fun then ever, she walks and climbs anything and everything in sight. She could very much be 100% monkey. She is a horrible eater and only eats pasta, blueberries and cheese and toast and occasional grilled cheese. She has never even touched a vegetable or a piece of meat. I don't even know how to classify her. She is a carbo,dairy queen but that doesn't stop her from growing or enjoying life to it's fullest.

She will repeat anything you say to her especially the word NO. You can't turn your back for 1 second because she will climb the coffee table and start to dance. I say get down in a stern voice or NO but she will smile and I will have to grab her off the table about 50 times before she gets sick of the game. I don't know if taking a picture and having her smile was the right thing to do the first time she did it but she was just sooooo cute up there.

Other then that the last 9 months have been filled with milestones and all the joy of watching your baby get bigger. She has 8 BIG teeth and many more coming in. Her sleeping is pretty good so we can complain.

The summer has been extremely fun with endless days at the beach in the 75 degree water or at the High School pool. She is a water baby and can't get enough of it. She has zero fear of anything so you have to watch her like a hawk because she will run and dive into the pool if it were up to her or run straight into a crashing wave. She thinks getting tossed around is fun.

The summer has been a good one and Derek and I have had many fun evenings around town with friends or at weddings or at costume party's. The concert's in the park have been fun as well as the beers on our deck. As the summer wines down for most the fun is just beginning for us. The crowds have left Laguna and the beaches are empty. It's the most enjoyable time of year here when the weather is warm but no one is around.

Piper and I even hit up Disneyland yesterday and it wasn't crowded.

Attached are a few photos of the last 9 months. Hope you enjoy.

Stay tuned for a revamp of the blog and the life and times of the Halpern's, coming to a computer near you.

Piper at the bar

2008-11-30T19:13:00.001-08:00

Parents still need to have some cocktails at the bar once in awhile....

Piper eating

2008-11-30T19:12:00.001-08:00

More Thanksgiving Photos

2008-11-30T19:09:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

We woke up at the crack of dawn and ran the Turkey Trot in the pouring rain. Piper had fun sleeping in the stroller but it was serious down pour. We had a great time and it was fun to run the 10k as a family. It was a joke how wet it was but Piper enjoyed it and she was one of the youngest participants

It's been awhile.... check out the big girl

2008-11-30T18:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since I have updated the blog. I will keep on top of it from now on.

Piper is growing fast and is so much fun I can't even begin to describe. She is getting tall and growing out of her footsie Pj's but she is still just a skinny little peanut.She is the happiest baby and throws smiles out at everyone who wants one. She is so much fun. She just started some rice cereal and loves to eat it when Derek is in the room. Check her out in all of her glory.

I can't believe that she will be 6 months in December. Time really flies when you have so much fun everyday.

Pumpkin Piper

2008-10-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Piper is just getting into the spirit of Halloween with her miss pumpkin outfit. Check her out at the pumpkin patch with grandpa and Baba. She was in a quiet mood checking everything out, she was super tired so it was hard to get a smile out of her but I am sure she has many more smiles to come before Halloween.

Palm Springs

2008-10-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

Piper is like her mom and likes to sit by the pool relaxing. We had a great little get away with the Nedelmans and Nana Darlene. Piper chilled by the pool all day and took a dip in the water to get recharged. London her cousin was there and together they had a good time with the perfect weather.

Can't wait to get back out there ASAP. Palm Springs was the best and I know Piper wants to go back soon.

Piper 4 month B-day

2008-10-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it. Piper is already 4 months old. She is getting so big and talking so much and so much fun. She smiles at everyone. She has so many pictures taken she knows to smile at the camera now.

I can't wait for the weather to get colder so she can wear all of her cute sweat suits.

She is so fun, check her out at 4 months.

Pre- Halloween fun

2008-10-03T20:44:00.001-07:00

While Derek is away working, Piper and I like to have fun together playing dress up. She loves to put on all of here fun costumes and giggle. She is just practicing for Halloween.

She is so much fun to hang out with.

On our walk this morning the sun was in her eyes so I figured it was time for her first pair of shades.

Monkey Business

2008-10-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Can you tell which one is the real monkey????

You Surprised me!!!

2008-10-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

Some more September photos of Piper. She is almost 4 months and laughing a ton and smiling and just is such a happy baby. She is gearing up for Halloween with all of her costumes. Check her out in all of her glory!

We didn't cut her hair.....

2008-09-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have been asked several times if I have cut pipers bangs. That's crazy.... like I am going to cut my 3 month old's hair. Check out her hair line, its pretty funny.... Looks like she is growing bangs already. I have a feeling she is going to have Derek's hairline which scares me a little bit. She has his eyes, his feet and now looks like the hairline... Those Halpern's have some dominate genes. Crazy stuff.

Dallas Cowboy Fan

2008-09-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Derek & Piper had a great time watching the Cowboys play their first game last weekend. Piper was all decked out in her Cowboy gear making her Daddy a happy man. She must of partied too hard because she passed out after the game...... maybe too much milk made her drunk.

New Toy

2008-09-05T13:15:00.001-07:00

If we didn't already have enough crap in our living room I decided to take down yet another chair from the attic that Piper wanted to play with. Now that Piper is a big girl and can hold her head up I got out the bebe pod chair to see what she was made of.
Looks to me like she loves the new sit up toy in the living room. That makes 5 sitting apparatus that Piper has to play with.
Check out her video.
She is beginning to grab at stuff and open up her tight fists of furry.
She is a natural genius. The chair box says ages 3 months-14 months and Piper has it down already at the 12 week mark. Must mean she is ahead of the game. Just kidding... she is a pretty smart baby though, she really has been enjoying watching the Democratic & Republican conventions on TV with her daddy in her Obama onsie. She even told me now that I am a mom and future soccer mom & future PTA member that I could be qualified and a good candidate for the Vice Pres. of America. Who knows what the future holds for me. The sky's the limit.

My Mommy Thinks Im Rad

2008-08-29T09:13:00.001-07:00

Tummy Time

2008-08-22T20:15:00.001-07:00

Piper has her tummy time every day to get her neck and triceps stronger, I personally train her, she is my first client.

Piper in her PJ's

2008-08-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

Just another cute picture of my little cupcake.

I think she has Dereks ears from when he was little, they seem to stick out but that are so cute, I love them.

Dave Matthews Band Concert

2008-08-21T17:48:00.001-07:00

Todd Derek & I went to the Dave Matthews Band concert on Tuesday. We had great seats from Todd's friend Kathleen who was a fun and filled with great stories from concerts back in the day.

We left Piper for the first time with a baby sitter and it all went very smooth until I had to wake up at 3am to feed her a bottle and I was still was a bit tipsy.

All I know is that I am done drinking as long as I have to get up to feed the baby. I am sure it only gets worse because when she gets older she is going to want to play all day and that's NO fun when your hung over.

It was a great time though and it was fun to get out with the husband and good old Todd.

Big Cousin Chase

2008-08-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

Big Cousin Chase came down to Laguna with Nana last week and got to spend some quality time with Piper. He loves her so much and made her smile a ton. Chase was a lot of fun to hang out with.

Chase next time you are down here I promise we will take you to Benehana.

Just Chillin

2008-08-09T21:34:00.001-07:00

My favorite outfit yet

Hula Piper

2008-08-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

Piper is 2 months old today and for her B-day we went to the beach and celebrated by chilling in the sand and going in the ocean, she had a great time.

Piper also wanted to celebrate by playing dress up and hanging at home with her mommy & daddy. It was another great day at the Halpern house of costumes.

Piper received this great Hula outfit from her best friend Auntie Sarah Taylor... soon to be Mrs. Sarah Bier.... Can't wait for your wedding Sarah!!!Thanks for the cute outfit,,, keep them coming.

Dinner at the Nedelman's

2008-08-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

WE ventured up to LA last weekend to a little dinner party at the Nedelman's. It was the first time that Piper got to meet her second cousin Noa from Chicago. Jill my cousin flew in to California to hang out for the weekend and it was great to all get together up at Justin's house.

We also had the pleasure to hanging out with Sarah's mom Shelly who is like an honorary grandma to Piper, she is so good with the babies and can answer any question we have about the babies or feeding or sleeping, its like a personal nurse. It was her B-day and we are so glad we got to share it with her.

Yes, Ruben the big dog was there to add some excitement for the night. Ruben always gets a bad rap because he is so big but in reality he is the sweetest dog you will ever meet and by far the best looking. We love Ruben, its just perfect that we get to visit him and we don't have to live with him. It's kind of cool to have him around because when Piper gets big enough we are going to put some reigns on the dog and he can be like a mini horse giving rides around he house to the girls.

GFT.... God Father Todd

2008-08-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

Todd being one of out VERY best friends has claimed the name of GFT.... God Father Todd. We told him he could be the god father of Piper so he better be a good role model to her. However in the Jewish religion I don't think there is such a thing as God Father... We joke that when Piper turns 13 and is sick of us she is going to want to live with the GFT.... that will be a funny day.

Todd is the best and Piper already loves hanging out with him. I told Todd he could baby sit anytime and maybe attract some chicks at the park if he ever wants to bring Piper there.

LOVE you Uncle Todd, or GFT.... xoxoxo Piper

you want some of this!!!

2008-07-27T20:58:00.001-07:00

Perfect Daddy

2008-07-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Derek has now fallen in love with the baby Bjorn, he likes wearing it because he feels close to Piper and he gets some good quality time when he carries her around. This weekend he was a perfect husband as usual and did a little cleaning with the baby hanging off him.

Piper likes to be close to her daddy.

Piper and her smile

2008-07-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

Piper started smiling and it's just too cute. Derek and I are having so much fun with her she is just amazing and such a great baby. I can't set down the camera because I want to capture every moment. We love her so much it's crazy.

Finally the stupid letters for her room arrived after a long anticipated 5 months, never order wood letters off ebay, they suck. I received the letters and they were painted so bad I realized I could have done a better job so I sanded them and painted them white and finally hung them up. The room is finally complete but the letters are nothing great, a cute touch for he room but nothing great. Check them out.

We decided to to family photo shoot this morning and tried the self timer on the camera, it was fun and sure go some great shots of Piper in the morning light. Our house is going to be full of albums because I cant resist printing every picture of her and putting them in albums. I think the first 6 weeks of her life is documented pretty well. I cant believe its only been 6 weeks. I feel like Piper has been around forever but time does fly so I will continue to document every moment until I run out of space for all of the photo albums, she is just tooooooo cute.

Piper and London

2008-07-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

The cousins had a nice play date for " Grandma Idell's B-day" we are still thinking of a name for Grandma Idell, it just doesn't sound right. The two girls got together to hang out and apparently London is already telling Piper secrets. Hopefully the girls can share secrets for the rest of their lives because they are going to be best friends. We can already see that London is going to boss Piper around and Piper will be so mellow she just wont care at all.

Daddy & Piper at work

2008-07-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

when Derek comes home his typical routine is to work some more on the computer and hang out with Piper. They enjoy some quality working time together in the evenings.

She gets a little tired and nods off sometimes.

concert in the park

2008-07-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Piper enjoyed her first Laguna Beach concert in the park last Sunday. She hung out and danced to the music. She sported her hippie tie dyed onsie so she would fit in. It was a great time with all of the other kids at bluebird park.

Nana Darlene & Lou Love Piper

2008-07-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Nana Darlene & Lou came to visit Piper last Sunday. We had a great time at the Laguna art festival and a good dinner at 230 until Piper got hungry herself and I had to walk home to feed her. All in all Piper has been doing great and Nana Darlene can't wait to see her soon. Maybe Piper will be able to visit her in the Hampton's sometime soon, I know Piper said she wanted to go there because she has never been to NYC.

Piper's month B-day

2008-07-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Piper was officially 1 month old. Piper & I went to cousin London's house to celebrate. It was a lot of fun to get the two little ones together, can't wait to watch them grow up together.

They are total opposites already. London is so cute and always wanting to play, its never a dull moment with London, she is just like her crazy daddy and Piper is mellow and just chills. She can lay awake in the crib for hours pondering life staring at her mobile. It's going to fun to watch these two grow up.

Piper the frog

2008-07-13T15:35:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a cute picture of Piper the frog. She is practicing for Halloween already, she is testing out costumes because she cant decide what she wants to be.

Piper at Victoria Beach

2008-07-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Piper went to visit Grandpa Burt at Victoria Beach on Sunday. Grandpa Burt's memory lives on at Victoria Beach. His ashes happen to have been dropped in the water out there. Anytime Derek wants to go hang with his dad or bring Piper down there Burt is down there for them.

Grandpa Burt's memory lives on at Victoria beach. Pipers middle name Bay starts with a B for Burt.

Piper & Daddy

2008-07-06T15:12:00.001-07:00

Just some good quality time with daddy on the floor. He was reading her some old school Curious George books and she was listening and seemed very interested.

July 4th

2008-07-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

July 4th was mellow this year. Sarah T & Rio & Lauren hung out and celebrated July 4th with the Halpern's. We hung out and walked around main beach listening to all the different languages. No one spoke English except for us.

Piper wore her Bob Dylan outfit until she got so excited she soiled it, or she was bumbed she was in a boyish outfit and wanted to put her pink outfit back on.

We BBQ ed and hung out on the deck for fire works.

It was a perfect mellow July 4th with Piper.

Pipers Knit Outfitt

2008-07-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Piper likes to play dress up when she is hanging around the house. Piper loves her knit outfit that grandma Idell made but its a little too warm for summer time but she had to try it on for fun. Grandma Idell has amazing knit outfits and hats. Piper is so excited to wear all of her hats for the different holidays this winter.

Check her out

Piper in her tutu

2008-06-22T13:50:00.001-07:00

Piper in her first tutu. I finally learned to use the camera. Check it out.

Derek's first fathers day

2008-06-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Derek enjoyed his first fathers day with Piper. He got to go running in the morning, hang out with Piper during the day and watch Tiger Woods and and the Lakers. For dinner he ate his favorite meal, hot dogs and chili cheese fries. It was a day to remember.

Piper even got to meet her cousin London and hang out on the deck.

All in all Derek's first Fathers day was perfect and one to remember.

Piper at main beach Laguna

2008-06-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. Piper got to get out of the house and get some fresh air on the boardwalk at main beach with her big cousin Miles. Miles and Uncle D got a buzz cut today together while Piper was watching.

Pipers First Bath

2008-06-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

Piper had her first bath and just looks too cute. She loves to suck and is on the way to sucking her thumb. We don't mind as long as it gets us a few more hours of sleep.

She is just so amazing and so cute. She looks just like her daddy, just as I suspected. Derek has some strong genetics but I don't mind because he is pretty darn cute so hopefully she looks like him.

Piper Bay Halpern June 9th 6;bs 7 oz 19.5 " long

2008-06-14T22:24:00.000-07:00

Piper has finally arrived. She is absolutely perfect and has rocked our world in every way. She is amazing and so much fun.

She arrived at 6:25pm on Monday June 9th. On her due date, she already knows how organized I am and she know just when she was supposed to come out. She was 6lb 7.5 oz and 19.5" long.

The delivery went great and I am already back in action.

The love we have for her is amazing and can't even be put into words.

" Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide to forever have your heart go walking around outside your body."

Elizabeth Stone

Hannah's 8th Grade Graduation

2008-06-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

She did it!!! Hannah graduated from 8th grade and is ready to face the next 4 years of high school. They go by FAST so hopefully she enjoys every minute of them. Before she knows it she will be 30, married and have a kid on the way while working a full time job. Hopefully her job will be in the fashion industry so she can throw some shwag aunt Nicole's way.
Great Job Hannah!!! We are so proud of you and your great achievement.
Check out Hannah's Graduation Video, its not all upside down, its my first video.

Pregnancy Photos

2008-05-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Derek & I did it and we took some real pregnancy photos. We figured we would look back and laugh. We are not going to display them on the mantle piece or anything but they are nice to have in an album.

I guarantee if my daughter is any bit as curious as I am she will find these photos 20 years from now and laugh and probably make fun of what I looked like.

Piper's wardrobe

2008-05-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

Piper has her first tutu. I am sure this will be the first of many tutu's, maybe mom and daughter will wear matching tutu's in the future. She already has more pairs of Vans shoes then I do. Everything is so much cuter in mini size.

Piper's Room

2008-05-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

Piper's room is almost done. The Dr. Suess art is something special that Derek and I bought for our first anniversary. It takes up the whole wall but its well worth it. The title is " Relaxed in spite of it all". Hopefully Piper likes all of the pink!

35 weeks pregnant

2008-05-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's not a pretty sight and the belly is big and white but it will be fun to look back out years from now. I am 35 weeks pregnant and counting down because I am sick of wearing the same two elastic waist skirts every day. I have gained about 15 lbs. the baby was already weighing in at 5 lbs a few weeks ago which makes me think we are going to have a big baby for 2 small people. Other then that feeling great. I hope the labor goes as good as the whole pregnancy.

Stay tuned for pictures of the baby room.

P.S. If anyone has any ideas for a cute middle name that starts with B feel free to let us know.

London 1 week old

2008-04-29T17:03:00.001-07:00

London is 1 week old and cute as can be. Sarah & Justin seem to have it under control as you can see she is sleeping like an angel.