Little guy turns 1

Brothers

Baby's first year flew by so quickly. We can't believe he's already 1! For his 1 year check-up, he shot up to 85th percentile in weight. This was not surprising since he loves to eat real food. We never really made separate baby food for him, but ground up the food we made for the rest of us. This meant he got the good flavorful food earlier than his brothers. By his birthday he had 8 teeth already, so had graduated to small pieces of food he could pickup and chew. He kept going with breastfeeding until after 13 months old, but had to stop because Mommy's milk supply just couldn't keep up with his demand.

He started walking before 13 months old. Within a span of 2 weeks, he went from taking a few timid steps to speed walking. Now at 14 months he is so fast on his feet that it's challenging to keep up. He loves to dance too.

Speech is coming along. He started saying "bye bye" before his birthday. Now he'll pretend to talk on the phone and say "hi". He can say "baby" for Baby Margaret, and will find her if you ask him "Where's Baby Margaret?"

His lovey "blanket" is actually a plain white hand towel. In fact he likes any kind of towel. If he sees one lying around, he will bury his face in it. If there's one in the clean laundry basket, he'll dig it out and start chewing on it.

One area for improvement is his sleeping. He doesn't sleep as well as his brothers did at this age. Somehow he's turned into a very light sleeper. He'll wake up to the sound of us coming into the room. This has led Mommy and Daddy to retreat to sleeping in the living room on sleeping blankets. HMC gets the whole master bedroom to himself. He is the Boss Baby.

Disneyland!!

Mickey's Paradise Pier breakfast

In February we took our first major road trip as a family of 5. We went to Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa. The kids had a great time. We first stayed at a house not too far from Disneyland. The first day there was raining. We met Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Pluto and Stitch at the character breakfast. DT was the most excited. When he saw the first Disney character Daisy walk up to our table, he quickly ran up with a huge smile to give her a hug. After a couple of pictures, Junior mostly just wanted to eat his breakfast in piece. After breakfast we spent a couple of hours walking around downtown Disney. The highlight of that area is the huge Disney-themed Lego store.

We picked a great time with low crowds, so we were able to enjoy our favorite rides multiple times a day. Junior really loved the Goofy Sky School ride. DT was still too short for many of the rides, but he loved the Mater's tractor ride. He would raise his little arms over his head during the fast spinning parts. Junior actually rode Hyperspace Mountain with Grandpa. Afterwards he said, "It was scary, but not that scary."

Whee!!

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy got to sneak away on their own to ride Hyperspace Mountain and Radiator Springs Racers.

Little HMC was too small to ride most of the attractions except for a few. He got special attention from a beautiful princess Cinderella so his trip was also a success.

Up close with Cinderella

Junior turns 5!

Legos!

Our Junior is already 5 years old! We threw a great lego birthday party at the duck pond. We were able to buy a huge tub of used legos for cheap, and Junior was able to wait very patiently until his party to start playing with them. He was very excited to share his new treasure trove legos with his buddies.

Just a couple of weeks before his birthday, Junior lost his first tooth. A few days later another one fell out. So far he's lost a total of 3 teeth. The tooth fairy left $1 bill for his first two teeth. The third one fell out at preschool and was never recovered.

At preschool, he's the big man on campus. Teacher Debbie says that he helps teach new kids and even the new teacher the rules or where things belong. Many of his closest buddies from last year moved to different schools, but Junior never really complained and has been able to get along with the other kids at preschool.

Original lego creation

DT turns 3!

Admittedly we're a little behind with posting this, but our handsome DT turned 3 this summer. We had a fun birthday party at the duck pond, and GM & GP Y happened to be visiting also. For his birthday all he asked for was 2 more each of his "favorite red car" and "favorite green car" hotwheels. Mommy and Daddy were happy to oblige.

little gymnast

He's matured quite a bit since turning 3. He start preschool in the fall, and the teachers have been really impressed with how well he is getting along with his friends and teachers. He even started the routine of hugging everyone hello and goodbye, so now everyone in school does it. We have him go to preschool by himself without Junior on Mondays. At first he didn't like going alone without Junior and would complain. Now Teacher Debbie thinks he's really grown as an individual little person thanks to those solo days.

First day of preschool

Getting tall

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.

Daddy, make the car loud!

"Daddy, make the car loud!"  I heard this from the back of the minivan on our way to the library.

"What do you mean Jr, turn the radio louder?", I ask.

"No, make the car LOUD."

"I don't understand; what do you mean?"

"LOUD like the convertible!"  He must have heard a loudish convertible earlier.

So I asked "Do you mean like this?" as I rolled on the gas as the light turns green, hoping for some sweet Sienna V6 engine notes; I wasn't expecting what really happened.  The engine roared, and the tires spun with a loud squealing sound, shaking the van as we laid down some rubber.  Jr and DT loved it, and now they ask to make the car loud every time we ride in the van.

East coast visit

We spent two weeks in the east coast again visiting grandparents. First we flew into DC on a direct flight from SFO leaving in the early hours of the morning. The kids were so excited to travel that they didn't even complain when we woke them up before 6am. Their excitement turned against us when they refused to sleep on the flight. We survived, and landed in a hot and humid DC area. Grandma and Grandpa K picked us up from the airport, and we had dinner with Mommy's aunts, uncles and cousin before driving back to DE. We spent almost a week at Grandma and Grandpa K's house, where the first activity was getting haircuts by Grandma. The week was filled with other day trips and activities like going to church, the mall, the childrens museum, Thomas the train in Amish country. The kids also spent a lot of time just playing at the house. Grandma K had borrowed so many toys from her friends in anticipation of our visit. The kids especially enjoyed the train set.

DT's haircut

Strasburg, PA

The Please Touch Me Museum, Philly

The second half of the trip was spent with Grandma and Grandpa Y in NY. We ended up renting a car to drive up this time, because it was cheaper than taking the amtrak and we needed the extra car to get everyone around while in NY. The first agenda here was getting everyone's teeth checked by Grandpa. The rest of the time was spent playing in the sand, running around in the house, eating popsicles.

summer treat

Auntie M and cousin DD came a few days after we arrived, just in time for the July 4th celebrations. We watched fireworks from the backyard and went to bed late that night. Mommy and Daddy broke away from the group for a few hours one of the days to go watch Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. It was a nice date. We met up with Mommy's friend for dinner and Grandpa's brothers for dimsum and then the time to go back home came all too quickly.

The flight back home was even more challenging than the first. This time the departure time was too late, and again the kids were too excited to sleep. DT didn't understand why he couldn't run around when he wanted. He ended up crying so much he puked all over himself and Mommy. Luckily there was a change of clothes for him, but poor Mommy wasn't so lucky. All in all, the trip was a fantastic one. We will just plan better next time for the flights. 

DT turns 2 and Train weekend

Our little guy turned 2 last month. He is so active and talkative now. He loves to copy whatever Jr does or says. They both love to run naked around and around the house before getting in the shower. Their favorite bath toys are bottles to keep filling up and dumping out at bath time. DT loves to dance and sing his favorite Chinese song. His favorite song to dance to is the gymboree song.

kid's table

DT blows out his candle

For father's day weekend we went on a weekend getaway to Sacramento to check out the train museum. We decided to make it all about trains. We took the amtrak train from Fremont to Sacramento early Saturday morning. The train ride was 2.5 hours and comfortable. The weather was hot and dry in Sacramento, but manageable. The train museum was very nicely done. We saw all sorts of trains both big and small. The kids loved staying at the holiday inn, especially jumping from bed to bed. DT ended up peeing on the carpet, which was Mommy's fault for letting him run around without his diaper.

on amtrak

Old town Sacramento

train museum

Brothers

Junior is learning so many things at preschool. They started the alphabet weeks after winter break. Each week they have a new "letter of the week". This basically means that they learn to recognize different words that start with that letter, and bring an item on their sharing day that starts with that letter. Junior is getting pretty good at sounding out which letter a words starts with.
DT is trying to participate with the alphabet too, but he doesn't quite grasp the concept of letters yet. He thinks every letter is a "B". He is getting better at communicating though. If he wants something that Junior has, then DT will say "too!" (meaning "me too"). He can say "who's that?" or "that one" and point to the object or person.
Junior and DT's new favorite thing to do with Mommy after she gets home from work is color. Junior has gotten quite good and coloring. DT is still mostly scribbling or lining up the crayons and pretending they are trains.
It is fun to watch the two interacting with each other. They get into fights of course, but they also try to make each other feel better if the other one is sad. DT will run over to give Junior a hug and kiss if he is crying and upset. Junior will say that he feels lonely if DT does not play with him or if DT is not sleeping in the same room with him. They are both usually very good about sharing with each other, whether it is crayons, trains, legos, strawberries or cookies.
Junior can recite books after we've read them a few times. The first time he did that was with The Giving Tree. Another favorite of his is one of the Thomas the Train library books.
DT's favorite color is "Ohnj" or orange. He loves the orange crayon, his orange shoes, and his orange shirts.

Sharing a seat on Caltrain

Poor DT (at 20 months)

DT has not yet learned how to control his excitement. Every time he runs too much after eating, he will puke everything up. He doesn't quite understand that one thing is related to the other, so he keeps running around after every meal.

He sort of gets things, but not fully. For example, he knows that certain things can be loud, like the train or sometimes the music, so he will try to plug his ears. The only problem is that he sticks his fingers at the top of his ear and completely misses the ear canal.

He loves gymboree. He loves running around and climbing things. He loves Gymbo the clown and likes to go hug him when he's out. There is a song that we dance to at the end of every class, and DT knows how to react to all the parts to the song, including the hug, peekaboo and sleep. Before we leave, the teacher will tell the kids to march to get stamps. DT tries his best to march but it ends up being more like a lopsided stomping.

He is still pretty chubby and bald. Most people think he is much younger than his actual age. One Chinese waitress from dimsum asked us if he had turned 1 yet.

Grandparents visit

At the duck pond

Things have been chaotic in the household, so it just occurred to me that it's been several months since the last post. Over New Years holiday, Grandma and Grandpa K came to visit our house. The kids really enjoyed having so many people around all day. We spent most of the days playing around the house since we would need to take 2 cars to get anywhere. It was a great time together with family. Grandma and Grandpa are now wanting to move out here for retirement, and we really hope that they do!

Favorite activities

Taking things apart

Jumping off things

More jumping off things

Legos

Eating "yo-yo" (cheerios)

Eating "jju-jju"

Thanksgiving

We had an early Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. It was a bit chaotic with 3 little boys running around such a small house. We didn't really get to take any pictures, but we did get one short video of the madness.

Halloween and Thomas and Percy

Ready to trick-or-treat

This year the boys were characters from Thomas the Train for Halloween. Mommy made Junior's Thomas costume and Daddy turned DT's buggy into Percy. This year was Junior's first time trick-or-treating. Of course he really enjoyed it. We didn't go down to the popular street, but stayed close to home. DT tagged along but did not get any candy of his own. It didn't seem to bother him though.

The next day we went to Roaring Camp railroad to see Thomas and Percy. Jr and DT's cousin DD and parents joined us this time. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, and it rained on us the whole time.

This pretty much captures their relationship.

We all got to ride inside Thomas and Percy's coaches, but the kids seemed to be more interested in the box of cheese crackers that Mommy brought along in case of meltdowns.

Mmmm cheesy

We didn't spend too much time exploring the camp because of the rain. We stayed just long enough to let Jr play on the tractor which he seemed to enjoy more than the train ride.

Farmer Junior

Santa Cruz summer vacation late post

at the beach next to the house

I just realized that we haven't posted anything about our summer vacation. We rented a house in Santa Cruz this year with a few other families. It was a week of relaxing at the house and cooking and eating lots of food. We had fun playing in the sand at the beach and visiting the board walk. The water was too cold for swimming, and the little guys are too young of course. The kids were more interested in playing in the sand anyway. We saw dolphins off the shore and schools of fish with flocks of birds trying to catch them. Maybe when the kids are a little older we can go back and make bonfires on the beach.

 on the balcony

Junior mostly played with KS since DT was still trying to get used to the sand.

face full of sand

Junior and KS

DT still had fun though. His girlfriend FL came for part of the trip.

DT and FL

future MIT grads? - Jr, KS, and FL