Visit with Uncle Noal

Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day.  We couldn't have picked a better day to meet up with Uncle Noal and Elizabeth for some Golden Gate Park fun. As you can tell by Gabriela's attire, the weather was perfect in the city as well.  Gabriela rode her bike all over the park before playing in the playground.

 We walked to the playground where Gabriela played with her Daddy and Uncle while Elizabeth and Easton and I relaxed.  We had a little picnic and then headed to the Botanical Gardens. They were beautiful, lush, and serene. 

 Gabriela ran around in the meadow collecting daisies and was very excited to hold her little brother too!

 Easton and I agreed that it was quite sunny!

We love this sweet couple. We went to their place for dinner afterwards, enjoyed some wine, and just hung out. Gabriela passed out after an afternoon of bike riding, uncle chasing, and running around at the playground.

Easter

This Easter we had an easy going holiday.  We decorated eggs the weekend before, so we could enjoy eggs all week. I wish I took photos of that. Gabriela was totally enthralled with the process.  I want to try natural egg dying next year, but this year we stuck with the PAAS tried and true egg dying.  Gabriela made a hypothesis for each tablet, guessing what color she thought it would be after we added the water.  And then, we learned about mixing colors. We made a beautiful green egg out of the yellow and blue dyes.  She couldn't wait to check on the progress, and had to inspect her eggs about every 15 seconds or so. This resulted in lots of cracked shells, but there was no shortage of fun. 

Gabriela had to make a countdown calendar for Easter - she asked if it was going to be Easter every day that week! And when the day finally came, it did not disappoint.

 Gabriela got some flower seeds, Hello Kitty bandaids, some new watermelon shampoo, sparkle watercolor paints, paint brushes, Hello Kitty stickers, a Fancy Nancy book, a Fairy Queen game, a chocolate bunny, and a sun hat. 

 Oh, and don't forget about the awesome chocolate covered peanut butter eggs that the Easter Bunny may or may not have scored at Trader Joes. Those are yummy!  Gabriela approved.

Gabriela discovered that there were also Easter eggs hidden all over our house with yummy surprises in them.  She excitedly placed them all in her basket, and then days later still remembered which colored eggs were left where. 

We got all dressed to meet some friends for breakfast at a local restaurant.  Six adults, two babies and two toddlers made for a very exciting meal ;)  

I think next year I will get my act together and host a little brunch.  We've also been doing other fun springy things like growing flowers and little plant starters. We also grew some sprouts, which was really fun. 

Auntie Cynthia Returns

All I have to say is thank goodness for Auntie Cynthia.  It would be an understatement to say we were having a rough morning before she arrived.  But she was on her way up to San Francisco to catch her return flight and asked if she could come by.  Gabriela magically turned back into her sweet self. We enjoyed lunch at the Thai restaurant down the street where I ate my entire meal without holding any kids, or having any kids hang on me. It felt luxurious.

Cynthia and I were toying with the idea of getting pedicures when she suggested that Gabriela and I get them instead while she was on Auntie duty. She said she could have a pedicure anytime and I should enjoy one; bless that woman! I had my first pedicure since Easton was born, and Gabriela had her first ever at the nail salon. 

 She was too short to sit in the pedicure chairs, so the owner fixed a little set up just the right size for Gabriela.

 She picked purple glitter nail polish. Purple is her favorite color, and who can go wrong with sparkles??!

One of the very few pictures of Easton and his mama.  I need a haircut so badly.

 Look at that angel face! Gabriela felt so grown up and pampered!

Thank you, Auntie Cynthia, for saving the day. Gabriela is already talking about when she can return to the nail salon.

Five months old

How can time possibly be going by so quickly?? I feel like I am saying this every month, but only because it's true!! Easton is 5 months old today. 

Here he is, fascinated by a glass of wine our friend Serkan is drinking from.  Look at that concentration!

 Easton has had another busy month, with his first ever road trip to Santa Barbara, his first visit to the UC Berkeley botanical gardens, his first hike up at Mt. Diablo, first carousel ride, in addition to all the zoo and Fairyland and park trips we regularly take.  He is one happy little guy, just see for yourself:

 Easton has become Mr. Grabbypants this month.  He tries to get his hands on everything!! And, wow, I thought he was getting vocal last month! This month he wants to have conversations all the time, and he practices all sorts of different pitches and intonations, waiting to say more until we respond back. He's like a little song bird.

 I've been trying to get these things in my mouth for ages, people!

 

 I really wasn't in any rush to feed Easton solids.  But he would watch us eat like intently watching a ping pong game - looking at the table, looking at our mouths, over and over again.  Then he started grabbing. And when he couldn't grab with his hands, he'd try diving head first into our plates.

I gave him a spoon to hold at dinner time and he devoured it.  I put an empty spoon in his mouth and he opened wide and started chomping (on nothing). Clearly this little guy was ready for something.

So, being the hippie that I am, I toasted some quinoa, pulverized it in the coffee/spice grinder, and gave him some stirred up in trusty ol' breastmilk.  Easton loved it.  In fact, he started getting all fussy and freaking out whenever the spoon wasn't within grabbing reach or in his mouth.  He's had more several times since then. When he gets a little older I will start introducing veggies with his quinoa and b-milk.  Now, it's just about sharing and learning the process of eating something a little thicker than milk.

Easton has taken his last few baths without fussing at all.  We've started filling the regular bathtub with water (for big sister) and then putting his bathtub inside that one (without water). Gabriela knows exactly how to make Easton laugh and giggle, so she distracts him while I wash and rinse him off.

Overall, he's a very happy little guy. He is really interested in his toys, and also the ladies.  The other day, Easton was twisting his head around like an owl trying watch some girls working at a store and flash them his charming gummy grin.  This guy.  Such a little sweetheart.

Aunties in Town

Auntie Theresa and Andrew came for a sleepover the other week and Auntie immediately started snuggling on Easton.  Can you blame her?

 

 The kiddos together. Nana made those darling monkey hats.

 And when they woke up, Auntie Cynthia had arrived from Boston, ready to get her auntie time in, and to meet Easton.   

 

We made eggs and bacon and roasted asparagus for breakfast, smoothies and coffee, too.  Then out for lunch and, most importantly, to Tucker's for ice cream.

The kids needed to run around like crazy, so we went to Lincoln Park for some fun.

 Dresses don't stop this kid from climbing

 This is a super cute pic, but why isn't there one with me????

I think we wore them out. Such a fun day together!

Santa Barbara

About a month ago, Gabriela called Claire and Natalie and informed them (without any prepping or discussion with me) that she would be visiting them in March.  Then the letter exchange started. Letters to and from both girls making all sorts of plans for how they would spend this visit - all the cooking, bike riding, swimming, and fun they would have. How could we not go visit? 

Our trip down took us a little longer than we expected. Even with the car packed full of snacks, drinks, books on CD, other books, and games planned for the road, kids just seem wired to ask "ARE WE THERE YET???" way too many times.  

Easton was an awesome traveler for most of the ride. But toward the end, he was just finished.  At one point, we stopped right after his nap, I nursed and changed him, we played a little and he was the biggest giggle pants baby ever. Until we got back on the road. He screamed. He was just done traveling. Unfortunately, we weren't there yet.  But he was happy as a clam after arriving.

 I wish I had taken more photos.  The girls were all just happy to have fun playing in the house together. But there was a trip to the park, a visit with the Horton boys who Gabriela adores, a popcorn eating and movie watching day in the rain, a trip to the bowling alley, and then off to another park and a ride on the carousel at the beach.

 Gabriela didn't want to have anything to do with me on the visit.  Sometimes, she'd even ask me to leave the room so she could have special time with her cousins.  She slept in bed with Claire and Natalie.  They helped her go potty in the middle of the night, helped fix her breakfast, and kept her completely entertained.  I think they were all in heaven.

Gabriela, amazingly, did not completely break down when we said goodbye.  She waved, said we'd write letters, and totally kept it together.  SEVEN hours later, when we were nearly home, she said she was done driving and ready to get in the bed.  But then the tears came pouring down, and she was clear to say she wanted to go to Claire's bed, not ours. 

In fact, several days later she was a complete and utter sobbing wreck. She missed her cousins so much. She wanted to talk to them and visit them.  Once she stopped crying, we called Auntie Adie, but as soon as she heard her auntie's voice, Gabriela broke down again. She finally started feeling better after we painted and drew pictures and wrote letters for her cousins.

It's so heartbreaking and sweet at the same time how much they love each other.  She is already talking about when we will visit next.  And I think we might need to take the train then too.

Easton meets Weston.

We stopped in Hollister a couple weeks ago to meet our new nephew and cousin, Weston.  So, we decided on Easton's name because my grandfather's middle name is Weston. It was inspiration for the name Easton.  

Little did we know that Tim and Kristie had already secretly picked out the name Weston for their baby, if he was a boy. Also, because of my grandfather's middle name.  So now we have Easton and Weston.  Wes is such a little cutie pie.

 He was still in that stage where he slept all the time, and through anything - even when surrounded by three excited screaming and playing girl cousins. Yet, he somehow managed to make my little baby look like a giant!!! They are 3 months apart, which is going to be like nothing in a few years, but right now it's a world's difference.

 Weston is so sweet.  He has the blondest hair, blonde eyebrows and eyelashes, the bluest breathtaking eyes, and long, slender fingers and toes. 

 Caught him with his eyes open for just a little moment.  Love this little man.

 There was a wardrobe change for the visit.  Matchy-matchy cousins.  Certainly not the last time this will happen!

Can't wait to snuggle that little man again.  And see our boys grow up together.  Every one is saying they will either be best buds or arch nemeses.  Let's just be positive, people. These guys are going to be best of friends.