Growing So Fast

Here are a couple new pics of the boys. Just tonight Chad said to me "they are growing so fast." It's like we turn around and all of the sudden Kyle is almost 2 1/2 and Sean is nearly 6 months! The boys are just so much fun and SO happy. I love that they both smile all the time.

What's new for Kyle? Obsessed with riding his bike (it has no pedals and no training wheels), is starting to talk in sentences, struggling with potty training, very attached to mom, loves the Upside Down Show, favorite movies are Monsters Inc, Bolt and Cars, is showing a lot more affection towards his brother, is eating us out of house and home and growing like a weed.

What's new for Sean? He drives his daycare providers nuts because of his shrill cry (that we rarely hear at home), is eating pears, apples, bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes and peas, smiles and laughs constantly, can roll over, push himself backwards, is making moves towards crawling, loves staring at his hands (mostly the right one as he opens and closes it), is already in 9 month clothes, is always sick with a cold and on antibiotics and best of all, goes to sleep without fussing - I just lay him down in his crib and he eventually falls asleep. He still wakes up at 2am though.

This weekend we're off to visit my mom in Nipomo and Chads parents will come down from Oregon in a week or so as well. Looking forward to it!

So simple, yet so perfect!

I promise I'll post more pics soon, but in the meantime, just want to share my day with you. So today was the big 37. Birthdays are so different than they used to be. You wake up, acknowledge it, spend a busy day at work....and all day, it's all the little things that make it a day different than most.
It was the big hug Kyle gave me as I left him at daycare, the call from a friend/coworker this morning letting me know she was buying me a latte and it would be waiting on my desk at work, the flowers and card at my office door from another good friend, the bazillion facebook birthday greetings, the voicemails, the birthday song from my partners at work (although very embarrassing), the well wishes from my awesome work team, the amazing most loving email I received from my hubby, the pizza party with friends Chad arranged for me (the kids were so good while we were out), the homeade card Chad/the boys made for me, the lovely cards my mom, Chad's parents and other family sent to me. It all made a very busy "normal" day, seem extremely special. I'm truly blessed.

Blog Worthy

Couple thoughts tonight that seem blog worthy. So tonight, clear as day, I hear Kyle yell "Mom, I need you!" His speech has been a little slow to come (in terms of full sentences), but now it seems to be totally taking off. As he was going to bed tonight he says, "Mom, come lay down."

Work. So it's quite a transition. The main difference I find between being a working mom of 1 vs 2, is it seems the minute I get home, it's a long process to get dinner, bath, bedtime done and then begin the process to get ready for the next day. Not enough time.

Looking forward to my moms arrival tomorrow, and Baby Lily's birthday party on Saturday. I guess we'll have to stop calling her "baby" Lily soon, she's getting to be a big girl. Off to bed.

Valentines Weekend

We had a nice weekend together despite a few challenges. Poor Kyle was getting out of the car (excited as usual), jammed his foot and fell out of the car with the rest of his body. He is unable to put any pressure on his foot, but no swelling and it doesn't seem too painful for him. He hams it up with his limp though - we call him the gimp. I'll be taking him to the Dr's tomorrow to have it looked at.
Sean is sick with another bad cold/cough. Not surprising since he just started daycare and is surrounded by germs, but sad because he just got over one. Nothing more pathetic than a sick baby. He's not eating/sleeping well which is hard.
Yesterday we drove over the hill to Santa Cruz, played on the beach, took some great photos and had dinner at Crow's Nest (our favorite). This was all Chad's idea, and it was a great one.
This morning I gave Kyle a book for Valentines day that had my voice recorded on each page telling the story. He was underwhelmed at first (I think he was hoping the wrapped gift was a toy) but seemed interested this evening. Chad and I exchanged gifts - we both gave each other framed pictures of the kids, which was perfect (two great minds think alike). Chad made a neat card for me on the computer - I love homemade cards.
The kids received cards/goodies from grandparents and Aunts/Uncles, and it was all appreciated and very fun to get (THANK YOU!!!)
Back to the grind this week. I'm sure I'll be spending the morning in the pediatricians office.
Thank you faithful blog readers, I really enjoy writing for you. Although Valentines Day is a Hallmark holiday, it's nice to reflect on all the wonderful people we have in our lives.

Be My Valentine

Now this is a special Valentine. Kyle handed me this picture in a frame he made at school. The timing was perfect, at the end of my first day back to work. I can't get over what a little man he is now. So special, and the outfit and expression are priceless.
Work went well. I am fairly sure I will be getting up at 6/6:30 for a while; it takes a good 1 1/2 hrs to get myself and 2 kids out the door in the morning. Sean is still not taking a bottle, but they are getting him some milk in the cereal he's gobbling down. You should see how excited he is when he's reunited with me in the evening, and demands non stop nursing. Kyle's only breakdown was the fact that we had to rush out and he didn't have any Dora watching time this morning. I guess I forgot to prepare him for the fact that starting today, TV watching time in the morning would be limited - no more easing into the day. All in all, we made it work and I'm confident we'll get more efficient.

Day 1

So I dropped Kyle and Sean off at daycare. I spent the first hour in the room with Sean, and nursed him/put him to sleep. There are 12 other babies in the room - a little chaotic. Sean will have Erika taking care of him, the same woman that took care of Kyle while he stayed in the infant facility.
To pass the time today I needed to keep busy and do something for Sean, so I (for the first time) made baby food. It's actually easier than I thought, and I'm hoping to keep it up. I pureed and froze sweet potatoes, peas and apples. It made more than I thought so I feel like I've got a months supply on hand (kind of cool).
Talk to you soon.

Tomorrow

I just pulled out and labeled all the supplies Sean needs for daycare tomorrow. I actually feel sick to my stomach. It seems even harder this time around because I know what those first few days are like...they are miserable. I haven't been separated from Sean since he was born, and he's my baby. He'll only be there a few hours, this is his "trial week", but it doesn't make it any easier. Giving your baby up to someone else is one of the hardest things. Sigh......

Road Trips

This has been a big week. Last weekend the boys and I drove down to Nipomo to spend a few days with my mom. We took a day trip to Santa Barbara, and also did an overnight at my sisters house in San Luis Obispo. We were then back home 2 days (long enough to do laundry) and then decided to drive (with dad) to Oregon to visit Chad's parents. Kyle absolutely loves all the adventures and both kids do very well in the car.
Kyle woke up this morning talking a mile a minute with every other word "Grandma...and Grandpa." He is obsessed with their automatic gate and also got a ride on the ATV.
Chad and I got away for an afternoon of Wine Tasting in Elkton, OR and discovered there is a wine tasting mecca in this region. We only hit 2, but I've got my eye on a few more for our next trip.
I got what I thought was a 4 mile run in this morning, but Chad felt obligated to map it with his navigation system, just to tell me that it's actually short 4 miles and closer to 3.5 (didn't need to know that).
We return home tomorrow and the kids spend next week adjusting to their daycare routine. I return to work 2/10. It is hard to comprehend, but the time has come.
Sean had his 4 month doctors visit. He checked out just fine and is over his bad cough too. He weighs just shy of 15 pounds and is in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th for height. He had to get 2 shots (boo) but recovered quickly. He's just starting to roll over and is loving his rice cereal. Next week we try some veggies.

First Cereal

Sean has been looking very eager to eat, so we decided to give him a little rice cereal tonight. Similar to Kyle, he took to it very quickly. He actually sucked it down, it was pretty funny. He turns 4 months this week, and I've got his 4 month appointment on Thursday, so we figured it was probably ok timing to go ahead and experiment a little.
It is pouring down rain today. Kyle enjoyed running around out in the rain earlier today. We also met Vicki, Lori and the kids at the mall for lunch, to celebrate Hannah's birthday a little early. Kyle has really taken to his cousin Jake, they are so cute together. Jake is so tall now (he's 11), and when he holds hands with Kyle, the drastic height difference just cracks me up.
That's all for now. I'm off to study and hopefully pass my exam on Friday (wish me luck!)

Sean

Sean is getting so big, here are some snapshots I took today. It was very cool, we got a package in the mail from Aunt Ruth and it had a framed photo of Chad at about 6 months of age. I couldn't believe how much Sean and Chad look alike (thanks Ruth!) Sean is literally a replica.

The photo of Kyle (below) is a result of Kyle handing me the camera and saying "cheese" as he ran to the couch and posed (what a ham!).
I have to laugh, I left the house for a 1/2 hr this evening to pick up a book from my friend Shawna (a study book - of course) and get a Pete's coffee (to stay up and study) and when I get home, Chad goes into a "both kids were crying"....."you didn't take your phone"...... "Sean was starving".......it just made me smile, and want to strangle him.
Talk to ya later!

Quiet

It's 7 AM, still a little dark outside and the house is silent. So nice and so rare. Sean slept well, did not wake up until 4:30 and then went back to sleep, allowing me to work out at FitVibe (6 am class). It's so hard to get up, but so worth it when I do. I'm just amazed at how the boys are growing so quickly. Kyle has been such a good boy, seems to be growing out of terrible 2's a bit and wanting to help Mommy with everything. He gives me these funny looks and we just smile at each other - it's so fun. Sean is grinning ear to ear and giggling. He eats well, sleeps well and is generally happy. He's grown out of the bad tummy stage and so much easier now. He's using his "Johnny jumper" and likes his play mat. He loves sitting in the chair and watching Dora with big brother Kyle.
Friday night we took the boys to Roundtable with the Burgs and stayed 2 1/2 hrs while all 3 boys played in the play area and Sean hung out with us; it was really relaxing and fun to catch up. Kyle played hard and passed out when we got home.
Yesterday (Sunday) Chad took Kyle on a field trip. They road the bike to the light rail station, then took lightrail ("the train") to downtown San Jose and went to the park. Kyle loved it because his 2 favorite things are riding on the bike and trains in general (any form they come in).
Sean and I met up with "the girls" and went for a 4 mile training run at Vasona.
I spend spare time studying for my SHRM exam and preparing for my inevitable return to work in February.
Oh - did I mention Kyle is now 30 pounds and Sean has hit 15 pounds!
That's all for now. Just thought I'd spend a few quiet minutes typing up the latest for you. Take
care. Attached are various pics from our recent Reno trip, and also a video of Sean's first giggle (at his brother in the bath tub).

The Holidays

I'm pretty sure time has never passed so quickly. They say that happens with age...and children. Looking back, it was a wonderful holiday. Ron and Lynn arrived mid month and helped us prepare for Christmas. The kids (and Chad & I) love having them around. They also helped Chad and I get out for a few date nights. My mom also joined us for Christmas, so the kids were spoiled to death with all of their grandparents here (minus Grandpa Howard - but as always, he was with us in spirit).
Christmas Eve was spent at Uncle Chris and Auntie Shannon's. We did our usual appetizer/dessert menu and it was overly indulgent but amazing. We enjoyed Christmas morning with Ron, Lynn and the Chiala's and then moved on over to Aunt Vicki's in San Martin for the rest of the day (with all of the Rathbun clan). You should have seen the loads of presents. Ron & Lynn surprised us with a new Kitchen window (Ron installed) and lots of other goodies. Chad surprised Traci with a new Blackberry - total surprise, ringing in the tree and everything.
Kyle's big hits were the Garbage Truck from Grandpa, the bulldozer from my mom, and all the Thomas the train paraphernalia he received (all about trains right now).
Sean was a little oblivious to it all but flashed his smile - he's very smiley. Incredible how much Sean has changed, he has so much expression now and even gave a little giggle for Chad the other night when he was tickling him.
Chad, the kids and I got away to Reno for New Years. We did a 3 nighter, Chad skied and we played in the arcade and kids area - they had an incredible place for the kids to play (like pump it up) at the Grand Sierra (where we stayed). We took Kyle bowling in the casino bowling alley - very fun, he loved it. Upon our return, Chad and I even made it out to see Avatar, while Ron & Lynn babysat again.
All in all, great holiday, spent with both our families. All the grandparents have returned home, and will be missed.
I return to work in a few weeks. We're hoping to get one more quick getaway in after I take my HR Certification Exam. Unbelievable that Sean will go into daycare very soon (very sad). Wishing everyone a Happy 2010. We're off to a good start. Keep your fingers crossed that my mom gets her house sold and gets moved out here soon. In the meantime we will enjoy our trips to Nipomo to see her.

Sean Update

All I can say is - Sean slept thru the night! 9PM to 6AM

Naughty Boy

I just had to type this up while I remember the details. So I'm sitting in the family room just after I put Kyle to bed, and watching the "Biggest Loser" grand finale (my favorite show), and I hear a lot of giggling going on (in Kyle's room). I chose to ignore it for 10 mins or so, but it continued. I walked in, and in the dark I could see Kyle sitting up and shaking something. I flip on the light and with a huge grin on his face, I see him shaking his juice cup (filled with grape juice - dad's mistake) on the cat, while the cat is licking/cleaning himself as quickly as he can. They had quite a thing going in there. Grape juice all over Kyle, the cat "fat cat" and the bed. He knew he was in trouble, but boy was he proud of himself. As a result, Kyle is sleeping on a towel, in new pajamas, with a new blanket, and a very sticky cat by his side. The "juice cup" as Kyle calls it, has since been removed. Above is a picture I took of the boys this evening. Wow, never a dull moment!
I also posted a few pics from the Los Gatos Tree Lighting and Christmas Parade. We had a lot of fun, Kyle really got a kick out of it and waved at everyone in the parade. He's really into the Christmas lights. More later...

Thankful

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving. Ron and Lynn were with us in San Jose, and then myself and the kids drove back to Oregon with them for a week. Chad met us, we did an overnight in Portland (Chad, the Kids and I) and then made the drive home together. Lynn cooked us a wonderful pre Thanksgiving meal before we left. It was a ton of fun. We worked on potty training, and broke Kyle of his "ba ba" (milk bottle) - thanks to Lynn for that. Kyle was obsessed with Grandpa's big magical gate and loved riding the ATV. Sean was a good boy with only a few fussy melt downs.
While in Portland we enjoyed visiting with my friend Meighan and her kids - we spent a great day together while Chad ski'd up at Mt. Hood. Kyle went nuts over their toy room and got along fabulously with little Georgia and Alex.
For Thanksgiving my mom was with us. We made a nice but fairly casual Thanksgiving meal and spent the day watching the movie Twilight and cooking up our feast.
Over the last month the kids have changed a lot. Kyle is less baby faced and talking in sentences (at times). He also plays with his trains, trucks and animals. He has a lot more imagination in his play now and makes all kinds of train and trucks noises. Sean is less new baby looking. He had his 2 month check up and was at the 75th percentile in height and weight. He's a little over 12 pounds now, smiles and coo's. He's really responsive and has a really strong head / neck. Dr. Safir was very impressed with this strength and said he thinks Sean may be a little bigger than Kyle. We also think Sean will keep his blue eyes and dark hair - we'll see. He's a cutie! Kyle still loves holding and kissing Sean. He's more into him now that Sean is responding to him. We still have to watch them together - Kyle gets excited and a bit overwhelming.
So much to be thankful for. We do miss Howard (my dad) so much and thought about him on this Thanksgiving day. Just not the same without his pround dad/grandpa smile. The time is going by so fast - starting to really think about the return to work....and enjoying my time at home with my family. Oh, forgot to add that Chad made a fabulous Turkey today (also thanks to Los Gatos Meats! - can't beat the Tumbled Turkey)