Lazy summer

pj pic

The summer flew by this year. Mommy wasn't working for most of it, but with 3 little guys requiring attention, it was hard getting out of the house to do too many summer activities. We mostly went to the local parks and playgrounds when we got the chance.

School's out for summer!

DT dtops sand on Junior's head.

No pictures!

free wheel

New addition

In March we welcomed new baby boy to the family. We kept baby's gender a surprise, and everyone except for Grandpa Y thought we were having a girl. Even at the very last minute, the OB said she saw a lot of hair so she's also betting it's a girl. When the little one came out and the doctor said "It's a boy!" everyone was surprised and laughed with joy. We've decided his code name will now be "HMC". More on that later.

Jr and DT came to the hospital to visit the following day, and both were so excited to meet their new little brother. Ever since he found out that a new baby was coming, he voiced his preference for wanting a little sister, "because I already have a brother". We tried to prep him beforehand that the baby could still be a boy. He didn't really understand why we couldn't just pick the gender and would say, "but I want a sister." We were a little worried about what Jr would feel once he found out that he has another brother, but thankfully Jr is really attached to HMC. Jr will always come over to give his baby bro a kiss and say "Love ya, Buddy!" DT too will try to kiss him wherever he can, saying "He's so cute!"

DT is very much a little boy now. He can speak much better so that strangers can understand almost everything he says. He and Jr are having full conversations (as much as little boys can have). Not too long ago they were working on a coloring page together. Jr was coloring while DT was picking out the colors. Mommy was eavesdropping and overheard DT complaining, "Don't go out of the lines." Jr retorted, "I'm doing the best that I can!"

We stopped going to Gymboree a few months ago. It was just too busy on the weekends. Both Jr and DT are still going strong with swimming lessons though. Jr is in level 3 and can swim several laps. DT is still in the toddler class but earned his level 1 ribbon a few months ago. He loves the water and gets so excited once he's in the pool.

So HMC means "Hot mess C" because this little guy has trouble keeping his milk down after eating. We basically need to do a full load of baby laundry every day. Despite this, he is still growing like a champ. He was born the smallest of the 3 at 6 lbs 8 oz. By his 2 week appointment he had gained a full pound. At 7 weeks old now, he is starting to coo and smile a little. He especially loves lying on his changing table and kicking his legs. So far we think he's the most relaxed baby of our 3 boys.

closing out 2015

Lego death star

It's been a busy last half of the year for us. In July we took a week long family vacation to pleasant San Diego. The main purpose was to visit LEGOLAND, and it did not disappoint. The boys loved it there. We weren't planning to go for so many days, but we ended up spending 3 days there. There are so many rides and fun lego creations, it was their fantasy world. Junior was tall enough for most of the rides, but he still declined to go on the rollercoasters. DT was too short for all but a handful of rides, but he still had fun. We went on helicopter ride several times as a family, and the kids enjoyed the little kid train ride repeatedly. DT was able to get his afternoon nap in the stroller most days without a problem.

We also spent a day at Sea World and the Zoo Safari Park.

Preschool

Junior is the big kid in preschool now that he's in his second year. Most of his close friends graduated last year, so we were wondering how he would like school. The first week or so, he would mention that he missed his old buddies. He soon got over that and is now having a lot of fun with the other kids. His teachers tell us that all the kids love playing with Junior, since he has the best ideas and is so full of energy. He's also "very independent", which I'm sure can mean both good and bad things.

For his birthday this year, he wanted to have his party at our house so that he could share all his toys with his buddies. We had 5 of his closest preschool friends over for a day of fun.

DT started walking with Junior and Daddy to preschool every morning, and spends a few minutes playing there before the rest of the students arrive. DT absolutely loves preschool. He always wants to stay for longer, and it's often very hard for Daddy to bring him back home. He'll start preschool soon enough, and at least we know it will be an easy transition.

New York

Mommy's cousin got married in NY, so we all took another trip out to the big apple in November. Unfortunately Grandma and Grandpa Y had just opened up their store, so they were really busy with its operations. We still got to spend some time with them, and Junior and DT seemed to like playing at the laundromat. Whenever we see one now, Junior will say "Hey, that's a laundry-mat!"

We stayed at the hotel with Grandma and Grandpa K for a couple of nights. We were able to get 2 connected rooms, so the boys had fun running back and forth and hanging out at the grandparents side. There were 4 full size beds between the 2 rooms, so Junior slept in his own bed in Grandma and Grandpa's room. He enjoyed having a mini sleepover with them.

The wedding was beautiful, and mommy's cousins have a lot of children that are around Junior's age. Junior really loved playing with them and sharing his cars. He was very sad when it was time for us to go. Too bad that they live so far away from us. Every once in a while he will still ask when he can see his new friends again.

The flights this time were much more civilized than our last experience. From now on, we will have to choose flights that depart and arrive during normal waking hours, and make sure to pack a wide variety of movies downloaded onto our laptops.