Our Big Fat Backyard Remodel

Our backyard remodel is complete! After five years we finally decided to pull the trigger. I've always been embarrassed by our backyard and avoided having play dates here. As the kids get older and more active (especially Colin), they could especially benefit from this new and improved space. We're very pleased with how it turned out and I have to show it off!

Before: ugly, rotting deck that cut off the rest of the backyard, cracked concrete, and no real flat area to hang out and play

During

After: deck torn down, new pavers, new fences, new arbor, vegetable/herb garden to the left. Look at all that open space!

Some more views:

Lawn area before: ugly fake well in the middle, weedy lawn that Brady used entirely as his bathroom, no irrigation system

After: pushed back retaining wall and built a new one, new lawn and irrigation system and new landscaping

Another view of the ugly retaining wall and narrow uneven walkway

Flat and wide!

We now have a meyer lemon, fuji apple, and mandarin orange tree, as well as a pomegranate bush

Now we just need some new patio furniture. Can't wait to throw bbq's and birthday parties here!

February Outings

February went by quickly! Thanks to the President's Day holiday and Ski Week, Colin and I enjoyed a week jam-packed with special outings and activities.

Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito:
Colin LOVED the tot room and spent most of his time in there, while I enjoyed the art studio and playground.

Sunnyvale:

We spent a night at Poh-poh and Goong-goong's house. It was good timing with Chinese New Year. I had a very important job of helping them stuff red envelopes.

Safari Run, Sunnyvale:

This was so close to Poh-poh and Goong-goong's house that Mommy had to take us to check it out. We visited mid-week in the afternoon and it was practically empty. Lots of room for me to run around and for Colin to explore. Best eight bucks she's ever spent. Here's a video of me going down the slide, which I did about a dozen times. (Warning: turn down the noise, unless you want to hear my screaming all the way down).

Hop n' Play, San Bruno:

Another indoor play area that we rarely go to because it's a zoo on weekends. It wasn't that bad on a Friday afternoon and, as expected, Colin loved it. My favorite part is this little area with fans and giant balloons being blown all around.

Another birthday party:

Whenever I have nothing to do at home, I'm usually able to convince Mommy to do a baking project for yet another stuffed animal's birthday. This time, we made monster themed cupcakes for Seal's birthday celebration. Seal actually used to belong to Mommy when she was a little girl!

I created these monster play-doh cookies all by myself!

Our cupcake creations!

Always have to blow out a candle.

Disney on Ice:

Girls' day out with Mommy and Poh-poh! I was sooo excited to see this and it lived up to my expectations. It was a surprisingly good show and we've already bought tickets to see Frozen on Ice next year! 

Eleven Month Update

I'm just a few weeks away from turning the big O-N-E! Where has the time gone?

Developments:
Lots of developments this month in terms of physical, motor, and verbal skills. I reached a huge milestone and took my first steps. I'll be walking on my own any day now. In the meantime, I love using my wheely bug as a walker and can get around the house crazily fast with it.

It's amazing how I can pick things up in a matter of days. Here are some other things I can do:

• use sign language to say I want "more"
• put both hands to my head when somebody says "oh nooo!" (I LOVE doing this)
• put my fingers together when someone sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (trying to form a diamond)
• wave hello and goodbye
• blow kisses
• play with my stacking toys by knocking them down as soon as someone stacks them (is that a skill?)
• repeat the words/sounds no, mama, and dada, although I haven't figured out what they mean yet. Every time I'm doing something I shouldn't be, Mommy will tell me "no no no!" I think it's pretty funny and will just smile and repeat her. 

I also recognize and react to various songs on the radio. My favorite is Taylor Swift's Shake it Off. Kaitlyn loves watching and dancing along to the video on TV so whenever it's played, I'll stop whatever I'm doing, crawl toward the TV, and smile and clap along. Sometimes while Mommy is driving, Shake it Off will come on the radio, and she'll suddenly hear me clapping my hands from the car seat behind her.



Eating:
This month I've been crazy about salmon, broccoli, strawberries, and raspberries. But I pretty much still eat anything and everything. There are some meal times when I even eat more than Kaitlyn!

Teeth:
My top two teeth appeared, bringing the total to four teeth. I have quite a strong bite which is useful for chewing, but not so good for nursing.



Sleep:
Overall I've been a pretty good sleeper, going down for naps and bedtime without a fuss. I typically go to sleep around 7-7:30pm and may wake up between 3-5am for a feeding, then asleep again until 6-7am. In the mornings, Mommy usually brings me to her bed and I will nurse/sleep for up to 45 minutes more while she's holding me, which buys her some extra sleep as well. By the way, sleeping in the Pack n' Play in the spare room was supposed to be temporary, but I've been there almost five months now. I'm never moving back to my crib. 

Activities:
We joined a baby class at Little Wonders, a preschool co-op. Since music class ended a few months ago, this has been the only real interaction I get with other babies during the week. So far I've been loving it. We get to roam freely throughout the classroom and play with all the different toys while the mommies sit and discuss various topics. I've started to recognize the faces each week and always greet everyone with a huge smile.

Now that I don't scream like I used to we have started going back to the gym. Usually my separation/stranger anxiety kicks in as soon as Mommy hands me off, but eventually I get distracted by the other kids and stop crying. We've also been going to various libraries for story time, depending on when I wake up from my naps. Mommy wishes she could take me to more weekly activities, but most of the classes conflict with either my nap times or Kaitlyn's preschool pickup times.



Around the House:
Playtime usually consists of crawling/cruising around the house, pulling things out and making a mess. My favorite toys are those that are not toys, including shoes, toilet paper, magazines, remotes, etc. I especially like anything that Kaitlyn is playing with and am always reaching for her play-doh or her markers and paper. Too bad I'm always trying to put them in my mouth, therefore, they are off limits. I move from one toy to another pretty quickly, so it takes a lot of energy to keep me engaged and out of trouble!

V-Day

We had a little Valentine's Day celebration at preschool and I made homemade valentines for all my friends. I had to write my name on the back of all twenty-six of them! Good thing we started a week early. 

Colin's First Step!

Colin took his first step! This video is maybe the third time we saw him do it, but the first time it's been documented. Darn Brady almost photo-bombed it!

Brady's Second Birthday

Happy 2nd birthday Brady! We had a fantastic birthday celebration for him. Mommy helped me make a birthday cake and cupcakes in shape of a paw print (my idea). I chose yellow frosting because Brady is yellow. And we set up decorations, pictures, and, of course, party hats!

Dog-friendly peanut butter/applesauce/greek yogurt cake with cream cheese frosting.

Brady looks so sad, but he's really eyeing the cake.

Candles blown, and one step closer to that cake!

Yum! He loved it! And we enjoyed some people-cupcakes too.

Here is the birthday card I made for him. 

Outside: Bone on the left, birthday cake on the right.

Inside: Me and Brady.

Another drawing of me and Brady. He was wearing a cone hat that day since he cut his paw, so that circle around him is the cone.

I hope he enjoyed his birthday party. I certainly did!

Ten Month Update

Ten months! This month seemed to whiz by with the holidays and trip down south. 2015 is off to a good start and my first birthday is just around the corner!

Developments:
I can now stand on my own for a few seconds without holding on to anything. It won't be long before I'm walking! I continue to cruise around the house and try to climb up on everything I can possibly climb. I can also walk super-fast across the room using either a chair or a walker. I'm so much more mobile and curious than Kaitlyn was at this age, I really do try to get into anything and everything. Mommy and Daddy had to set up a play area to contain me. Of course I always complain when I'm left alone in there.

I love watching and mimicking my big sister, especially at mealtime. At her prompts, I will shake my head no, clap my hands, bang my hands on the table, and play peekaboo. I'm also starting to recognize songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Open and Shut Them," and smile whenever someone sings them.



Sickness:
I survived my first ear infection while we were down in SoCal. I suffered three nights of really bad sleep before it got better, including spending New Year's sleeping in Mommy's arms. Good thing I liked the taste of the antibiotics - every time I saw that pink-filled syringe coming toward me, I got so excited.

Eating and Drinking: 
New favorite foods this month included tofu, waffles, cheddar cheese slices, and any type of bread. I've gotten pretty good at feeding myself and now prefer that over being spoon-fed, although I tend to shove all the food into my mouth and then just sit there, not swallowing. Oh yeah, I also had my first taste of cheeseburgers from both Five Guys and In-n-Out and finished every bite that was given to me. Daddy was proud.

I never did figure out the sippy cup so have moved on to straw cups, and enjoy drinking ice cold water. I still nurse a few times a day, and will likely continue until I get introduced to cow's milk in a few months.

Sleep:

I am a champion napper, and take up to two hour naps both in the morning and afternoon. I need to replenish that energy from all the moving around I do when I'm awake! Night-time sleep is still pretty solid as well, though we still need to eliminate the middle-of-the-night wakings.

Likes: climbing stairs, unraveling toilet paper, Brady's bed, dog bowl, and toys

Dislikes: wearing shoes, being left alone in the baby jail