Happy 30th S!

S turned the big 3-0 on Tuesday, finally joining the rest of us in the exiting of his twenties. He has a late birthday, and when I turned 21 6 months before him I held it over his head the whole time I was heading out to the bars and he was staying home. The tables certainly turned when I turned 30 before him, and he has pretty much spent that last few months pointing out to me at every turn that I am older than him.

Not anymore my friend. We are now both officially adults who are 30. I still think its really weird.

I have to say, he entered into his 30's much more gracefully than I did. I pretty much spent my 30th birthday with a bottle of wine lamenting all the things I would never be able to do because i was so old!  I think it's a girl thing, don't judge me. S just wanted things low key so we celebrated with a few small presents and a yummy dinner of lobster and scallops! (Thanks to my in-laws for the Omaha Steak package!) and then spent the night talking and watching Orange is the New Black.

**Total side note, but have you watched Orange is the New Black yet? If not , you need to. Like right now. You'll thank me, I promise!

OK, back to the birthday business. S took today off so we could spend the day together as a family and continue on with the birthday celebrations. I got up early and made us a yummy breakfast of cinnamon rolls, an eggs/sausage/cheese dish and, of course, mimosas. After eating we ran a few errands and then headed into downtown Phoenix to eat a brewery that S has been wanting to try. It as a perfect little day and I love it when we get a day with S outside of the normal weekends.

I wish I had some pictures, but we were too busy just soaking it all in to remember to pick up the camera. But Happy birthday, S! We love you so much!

Anyway, the rest of our week is a little crazy. Tomorrow is going to be L's last day at his current school. That is a whole other blog post, but after a lot of thought we decided to enroll L is a 5 day a week, half day, pre-K program. It's a little sad that to be leaving, he loves his friends and teachers at his current school, but I think this will be a good move for him. We are bringing cupcakes and we got a gift for his teacher so he can have a  good "goodbye day" tomorrow.

Then on Friday we are loading everyone in the car and driving to Reno. This is defiantly a whole another blog post (Hey, I have eleven hours in the car on Friday, I guess I could write then!), but my parents decided to sell their house (My childhood home) and the sale went through last week. That means we had to move our pre-planned labor day trip up to next week so we can help my parents sort through stuff, pack stuff, and claim what we want. I'm having a lot of mixed emotions, mostly sadness, about the thought of them moving out of our house. I'm also excited about going, but it's stressful and I'm trying to get everything organized before we go!

Long summer days

Summer days are officially here. This means the weather is ridiculously hot, so we tend to be a little lazier on the weekends, sticking close to the pool and sometimes venturing to the mall or the movies for some free air-conditioning. The kids get less baths, stay up a little later and get dessert more often. There is just something about summer that seems to make everything more relaxed and we are soaking it all in.

We pretty much always spend at least one day of the weekend at my parents pool. L loves swimming and is doing really well with putting his head under water, although he is still relying on his noodle and kick board more than we would like. R also loves it, he thinks splashing is the most fun thing ever and he thinks it hilarious when we through him up and let him splash in the water when we catch him.

And then there is L2. He does not like the pool. He liked it when he was a baby, so I'm not sure where this hatred came from, but this year he hates it. He cries and yells if you try to take him in and he will only get close to the water slowly and on his own terms. The last two times we've gone he's finally sat on the edge with us and put his feet in, which is a pretty big step. Hopefully this is just a phase and he end up loving the pool as much as the rest of us do!

(He does not, however, hate the Popsicles that are offered after swimming!)

(Sharing his Popsicle with baby brother!)

Monsoon season also started up here this last week. This is probably one of my favorite times of year, I love the rain and the thunder and the lightening! It also means that along with the heat the weather gets humid and muggy, so this weekend we decided to forgo any outdoor activities and hit the movies. There were no "cartoony" movies out that we hadn't seen so we decided to take the kids to see "Earth to Echo". It was a bit of a gamble, because we weren't sure if the boys would sit through a movie that wasn't animated, but besides L2 getting a little restless at the end they all did really well and it was a super cute movie. L actually really liked it, so it's nice to know that he is ready for a little bit more of the "older"  movies.

Hope you all are enjoying these long summer days as much as we are!

8 months

Baby R is 8 months old!!!

I cannot believe how lucky we are to have this little boy as our own. He is seriously the sweetest little thing I have ever met, and we love him so much! These days he is all over the place and very into trying to destroy anything he can get his hands on! He is cruising and crawling and starting to let go and work on balancing with no hands. He loves getting into the recycle and the dishwasher if we accidentally leave it open. He is still exclusively breastfeeding, and we are nursing about 5-6 times a day still. He is now eating a full stage two baby food at lunch and also a full one at dinner, and we've started giving him little bites of whatever food we are eating for dinner. So far he hasn't met a food he doesn't like!

His sleeping is OK. Sometimes we make it  through the night till about 5, sometimes it's more like 2 or 3. Lately it's been 3. It's OK, whenever he wakes up he just comes into bed with me, eats and we both go back to sleep. It's actually kind of cute, because he's in the pack in play right next to my bed, so when he wakes up at night he stands up and reached into the bed for me! I'm still not ready to move him into his own room.

He know has two teeth! As you can see in the pictures, I  got him an amber teething necklace, and I really think it has helped. I know a lot of people who swear by it, and an equal amount of people who say it's a scam, but it seems to be working for us. None of my kids have been awful teethers, but they have all been super drooly and ever since we got the necklace R hasn't had any drooling.

He seems to be having some separation anxiety. He does fine at the daycare in the gym and letting other people hold him, but if I leave the room to go upstairs or something he seems to think I'm abandoning him for life! 

He is getting more and more into playing with his brothers everyday. It's sweet, and for the most part they are very gentle and patient with him, although sometimes they need to be reminded about how little he is! L likes helping to feed him and he also like picking him up, although he is only allowed to do that with our supervision!

I can't believe it's been 8 months. It seems like everyday he is doing something new! I"m sure we will have lots of new updates when we do his 9 month update!

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July friends!

With three kids under 5 I'm at a point in my life where I prefer to be home for these types of holidays, rather than driving around town and being out and about everywhere. So today we  went to an early BBQ at a friends house where we ate lots of good food, hung out, and let the kiddos get in some swim time. We were home with three worn out boys just in time for nap and it was perfect. It was especially nice because S and I both got naps in too!

After everyone was up from naps we set ate some dinner and set up chairs in our front driveway for the fireworks show. S bought some popper and sparkler for the boys and they got a huge kick out of them, and then we watched the stadium show from the comfort of home!

It's impossible to get al three of them to sit still for a photo! This was the best one of the bunch!

It looks like L2 is freaking out because of the fireworks, but he was just mad because he didn't want to sit next to L.

Happy Fourth everyone! Today we are thankful for our freedom and our country and those who fight to give us those things! I'm proud to be raising little boys who will hopefully understand the significance of this holiday, beyond just hot dogs and fireworks!

I hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family!

California trip and Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!!!

Oh, wait….. am I almost a week late?

We spent last weekend (Father's Day weekend) in California, which is the main reason this post is so late.  Originally we were going to Cali this past weekend for Shaun's cousin's wedding, but had ended up having to decline the invitation. (No kids invited) We decided to go anyway to my in-laws house because my SIL and BIL would both be in town.

It was a nice little get-away, especially since the temps here are quickly climbing into the low 100's. The weather was perfect, the kids always love having time at Papa's house, and S and I got a chance to relax together.

One of our first activities was to go to Underwood Family Farms. We've been there a few times, but the kids love it, and this was baby R's first time. It is basically one of those "pick your own fruit" farms, but it has a ton of animals, a petting zoo, train rides and a big park. The big boys had a blast. We even took the "cow" train around all the fields…. L2 was a little unsure about this, so I ended up riding with him, but he ended up really liking it. (I, however, was incredibly squished in a tiny train car meant for a small child…. the things we do for our children!)

Of course we had to do a beach day. I was a little nervous about this. We taken L and L2 to the beach several times and they have never been that into it. They have both always been scared of the water, and as babies they hated the sand. This time was a pretty big success though. L was all about playing in the waves and trying to our run them, and R loved the sand and seemed to think it should be added to his regular eaten foods list. L2 was still not really having it….. but hey, two out of three isn't too bad!

This view….. I just can't get enough. I love the ocean.

My Handsome Hubby!

L2 protesting the beach by refusing to leave the rock he was sitting on. Eventually he did sit on the blanket and play in the sand a bit…. but he wasn't overly happy about it.

L chasing the waves. It was so cool to finally see the progression of him being scared of the waves to him having fun playing in them!

R is definitely our beach baby! By far the best "baby" experience we have had at the beach yet!

The wedding was on Saturday night, so while the rest of the family went our we stayed in, ordered pizza from our favorite place in California and took advantage of my in-laws HBO in-demand to catch up on True Blood. One of S's best friends ended up coming by with his girlfriend and we all hung out well into the night. Usually we try to do a date night out, but this was almost better! 

For Father's Day we gave S his presents, (a nice bottle of Saki and a subscription to a beer magazine from me, and an adorable card "story book" from L and a card from the little boys) and then my MIL and I made eggs Benedict for breakfast. We had talked about going out for dinner, but my FIL is a pretty  amazing cook so he ended up making steak and lobster for everyone. So yummy!

Papa and Daddy opening their Father's Day gifts!

It was a nice little vacation. I always stress out before we go (the packing! the cleaning!) but I always end up really enjoying myself once we were there. And i know it meant a lot to S to be able to see his brother and sister and to celebrate Father's Day with his family.

We're back now and just trying to get back into the swing of things. I'm looking forward to July to celebrate S's 30th birthday and have some family time for the fourth of July!

My family. These people, they are my world. 

Truly the best daddy in the world. My boys are so lucky!

Summer time

Well, summer is officially here in Phoenix. I know the calendar says it is still technically spring, but our 110 degree heat begs to differ. Summer last a long time in Phoenix, and by the end of it, I'm over it. However, the first few weeks still carry that summer feeling, that giddiness, that I remember from when I was a kid. There is just something about summer. Even though our schedules really don't change, the days are longer and we tend to move slower. It's not uncommon to have spontaneous movie dates (like we did today) just to get into someone else's AC and escape the heat. There are Popsicles at lunch and splash pad days and little boys that seem to constantly smell like sunscreen and chlorine. We've been slowly easing into our summer activities around here. The sports season are over for the year and instead of practices and games on the weekend we've been able to have a little more spontaneity, like stopping at the fire house open house on a whim.

It took the boys a bit to warm up, but once they did, L loved the fire trucks and the hats and letting the fireman show him all the hoses. It was free and easy and a total spur of the moment decision when we saw the cardboard sigh on the side of the road, but hopefully one that will be a happy childhood memory for me boys.

Of course, one of our biggest summer activities around here is the pool. From now until September we will spend at least one full day of each weekend splashing and playing and trying desperately to cool off.  L was just starting to swim independently at the end of last summer, and although he is back to relying on his kick board and noodle right now I know he will soon remember those skills. L2 is not liking the pool right now. I don't know if it's possible the water hasn't quite warmed up enough for him yet (He's like his mama, he doesn't like to be cold!) but he freaks out every time we make him go in. I don't think he's scared..... he likes playing on the step and he likes playing around the pool.... he just doesn't like actually going in. I'm hoping this changes as summer goes on. Phoenix kids kind of have to love swimming.... I'm pretty sure it's a rule.

R is a little water baby. (L and L2 both loved the pool at his age too). He loves going out and splashing with mommy and daddy, and he thinks it's pretty hilarious to watch his brothers play!

Pool days are almost always followed by long afternoon naps. R is going through a cuddly stage where he is happiest if he is sleeping on someones chest. It is so sweet and I love these baby cuddles.... but, man, it gets really hot sometimes! That's OK though, I'll take a little sweat if I can have some more cuddles with my sweet baby.

Hhhmmmm.... let's see. What else? Forts. Oh my goodness.... the forts. Anyone else have kiddos (especially boys) who are super into the forts? It's almost getting ridiculous at my house, and I'm pretty sure L has a future as a builder or an architect. His forts lately have been taking up my entire loft, and they are quite involved. I've labeled the picture below, and as you can see, it's pretty intense. And also, he doesn't like if you call it a "fort", it's his house. It's sweet, but I've had to put my foot down about dismantling it and cleaning up at the end of the night because it was getting to the point where I could hardly get through the loft to the boys room!

Next week we will be celebrating Father's Day in California, which should be a nice trip. We are visiting my in-laws and the boys love getting to see their papa and grandma!

7 months

R is seven months! Wow, it's hard to believe it's been over half a year since he joined our family.... I seriously cannot remember a time when he wasn't here!

He has really taken off this last month! I know when I updated his six month stats he was crawling and just starting to tentatively push/pull up on things. Well, he has mastered that skill and is not crawling like an old pro, pulling up on everything, and even cruising! It;s pretty crazy actually, and I feel like I spend 90% of my day chasing him from room to room. (we definitely need to put up some of the baby gates we had taken down once L2 got big enough!)

We are still exclusively breastfeeding and he is eating usually one jar of stage 2 baby food a day. (half at lunch and half at dinner). So far he has liked everything we have given him, including some of the dreaded ones like prunes, peas and chicken and sweet potatoes! What can I say, the kid likes to eat! He must take after his mama! He nurses about 5 or 6 times a day. We're still pretty on demand (as in, when he's hungry I feed him!) but he's gotten on a fairly good schedule which is nice.

He is finally sleeping through the night!! Thank you, thank you! He goes down around 9:30 still and is sleeping all the wait to about 5 usually. Then he moves into bed with me and we side nurse and go back to bed until 6:30-7:00. Every once in awhile we still get a 3 am wake up, but honestly it's not that big of a deal to me. Nursing is so second nature and easy for us now he just comes straight into bed to eat and we both pretty much go right back to sleep! I sometimes miss sleeping with him for more of the night, but he is still in our room and I know we are both ultimately getting better nights sleep. I'm still not ready to move him to his own room, although S is stating the push to move him at 9 months. We will see who wins the battle!

He loves his brothers. He follows them where ever they go and always wants to play what they are playing. I have to monitor this pretty closely because obviously the big boys can play kind of rough, but they are both surprising gentle and patient with him. L prides himself on being able to put R to sleep in his swing and being able to make laugh!

(R likes to sneak up on L2)

Let's see, what else? R has a tooth starting to push through! It hasnt' actually broke through yet, but it's close. He is going through a cuddly stage right now, that i"m sure has something to do with the tooth. He only wants to nap right now sleeping on someones chest, and while it makes it hard to get anything done, I can't deny that I absolutely love it!

Besides that we are just getting ready for the hot weather and summer here! I will post more soon about our summer plans and what we've been up to!