My Night Out

It's been SOOO long since I've gone out for fun times without the kids.  I had a chance to "party" a bit last Friday.  My friend Gail was having a fashion show and after-party at the Supperclub in SF.  The show started at 11:30pm, so it was perfect.  I put Baby B down and headed out to the city (leaving Daddy J and the kiddies at home).  I met up with my friend EW and her friend KRN and started the evening properly (Grey Goose shots with cranberry chasers)...and continued that "theme" all night!

Excuse the quality of the photos, I only had my cellie on me. =)

My friend EW and me on the dance floor.  I don't think we've partied since my bachlorette party!  Oh my!

Me and EW along with her buddy KRN, who is  few years younger, I felt a bit "cougar-ish" that night, but it was all good.

My friend, KC was there too, she was one of the photographers for the shindig.

The fashion show was fab.  Great design and fabrics.  I am so proud of  Gail!  Here is her website and a few shots from the show:

 

  

 

After the fashion show, we tried to dance a bit, but house music was really not our thang, so we ended up leave the Supperclub and walked down the street to Manor West, which played hip hop....oh so much better!  We stayed and danced there for a while and left because we had to move our cars at 2am (annoying!).  We then headed to Japantown for some Korean food (sounds weird, huh?)...and I got home at about 4am.  Whew!  What a night!  It felt refreshing to get out and "cut loose" a bit..even if for a few hours, and forget the mommy responsibilities that have defined me for the past 3.5+ years.  BUT, it also felt good to get home to the fam.  =)

Bento Box Supplies

I can spend hours at this place. Unfortunately, with two kids in tow, I can get maybe 30 minutes max...which I guess it good for my wallet, not good for my sanity! LOL! =)

I've been wanting to get into this Bento Box stuff. We always struggle with getting Baby C to eat, so maybe making her meals "cuter" will help? Or am I just kidding myself? We'll see if I ever get my act together...luckily the supplies are not too expensive, but I guess can add up...!

Happy Birthday NM!

Today we went to a 2nd birthday party for our friends' son, NM.  It was at Studio Grow in Berkeley.  We've been there before but never for a party.  It was nice to have the space all to ourselves.  Here are a few pictures of Baby B&C having a great time.  With two mobile ones, I feel like I need to take Daddy J to parties with me now...because wouldn't you know it, the girls tend to run in separate directions! LOL.

Baby B in the ball pit.

Baby C playing with dinosaurs.  Her current fav show is "Dinosaur Train" on PBS.

 

Baby C playing with the magnetic board, it looks like our fridge!

 

Baby C trying to "learn the ropes".

The birthday boy NM with his Curious George cake.  Happy Birthday!

 

Black Friday

After the T-Day food hype comes the Black Friday sales blitz. Now I've never got up at the crack of dawn for this coveted shopping sport, but I was tempted to do some online shopping since some sales started at midnight...but I resisted, rather, I was just too plain lazy to do the research! Hah! Besides, I am ALMOST done with my holiday shopping, so I thought I'd be practical and just not give into the hype...and save some $$$!...plus there is always Cyber Monday, right?! =)

Instead of doing the BF thing, we met up with our friends KG & FG for lunch at this Afghan place called "Kabul" in Sunnyvale. I ordered the seafood combo kebabs (salmon & prawns) and a yogurt drink called "dough" (blah) and Daddy J ordered the lamb kebabs. Everything was delish (well except my drink).

Afterwards we went over to their house to partake in T-Day leftover drinks & desserts.  We also played some Rock Band and admired a Lego Eiffel Tower that FG just built (see pic).  Baby B's newfound mobility has allowed me a bit more freedom because she is a bit less clingy.  Baby C made herself at home on the couch and watched some TV.  It was a nice treat to hang out with some friends on a gloomy Black Friday.

- Yvonne
- Sent from my Palm Pre

The Second Time Around

 

I find that Baby B is "experiencing" things a lot sooner than Baby C did...especially foods.  With Baby C, I tried to adhere to the guidelines that the pediatrician laid out as far as introducing foods, etc, to reduce the chance of allergies.  With Baby B, it's tough when we are eating all together and the B Monster wants some of what we are eating.

Anyhoo, here is a picture of Baby B with a juice box.  I don't think I gave Baby C full-on juice juice till she was probably 2 years old!  Poor Baby C, I feel like I totally deprived her.  LOL!

Mamas Have To Be Creative!

Forgot a jacket for Baby B today while taking a stroller walk, so I busted out a fleece vest I had in the car and it worked perfectly!  It was in the mid 60's, sunny, and a perfect day for a stroll!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Matchie Matchie

OK, I just looked at my recent posts and almost all the pictures with both girls in it, they are in matchie matchie outfits. I have got to stop this insanity! I feel like a big cheeseball....LOL!

Troublemaker-in-Training

Over the last couple weeks, Baby B has really come into her own and quickly establishing herself as "troublemaker-in-training". She is definitely following in her sister's footsteps. We've since had to bust out the childproofing gear once again and Baby B just giggles in excitement because its just another new thing for her to fiddle with.

She also had a cool language breakthrough the other day. After a challenging trip at Safeway, Baby B was "helping" me unload the groceries when she grabbed the bananas and repeatedly said "Nana, nana, nana!" I finallly figured out she was saying "banana" and she was relentless until I sat her down in her highchair and peeled a banana for her. She then happily and quietly devoured about a quarter of the banana. In that moment, I realized why she was so fussy at the supermarket...I THINK she just wanted a banana to chew on! It was one of the first items I put in my cart. Go figure!

Baby B is pretty proficient at crawling, cruising, yelling at what she wants, and has a serious curiosity streak. Which is all pretty normal at this stage, but when it's your second child, you almost DREAD them becoming mobile (read: two mobile kids, running in opposite directions)...at least that's how I feel. With Baby C, I distinctly remember things getting simultaneously easier AND harder after age one and becoming mobile. The newfound freedom is exilarating for the young toddlers, which means you have to watch them like a hawk. Their language skills are developing, but it can be quite frustrating (for everyone) when they are so vocal, yet have trouble conveying their needs. I know every child is different, and I look forward to getting to know our little Baby B.

Anyways, one thing is for sure, we've got lots of cool adventures ahead!

Sick Days

Germ season is upon us. Both girls have snotty noses and Baby C has a cough too....and now I think I am coming down with whatever virus they have...and of course Daddy J has been out of town for the past couple days...timing is everything! [rolls eyes]

We've been hanging at home for the past couple days just in case - I hate to spread germs! (even though I know some parents are not so cautious, obviously!) Baby C went back to school today (where I am sure is ground zero). Despite being under the weather, the girls have been in good spirits (minus a few challenging Baby B nights), and no fevers at all, so I know they are not contagious.

Here are some pictures from our "sick days" at home:

Baby C wanted to go outside to play, but all the "equipment" was dirty, so I gave her a bucket of soapy water and sponge, put an apron on her and told her to go for it. She made an effort for about 15 minutes and I had to finish the rest. Then she informed me that she wanted to go back inside AFTER I filled the water table up with fresh water (again with the timing)...which then I used to water the plants with, even though we just had a major storm...sigh!



Here's a picture of Baby B playing in the kitchen. Her personality is really coming out and she is becoming more interactive each day. She is also getting around (via crawling) pretty fast. She is also cruising and finger-walking with brief moments of standing unassisted. We recently just put the safety gate back up in the hallway so she can't climb the stairs. Looks like we will be busting out all the childproofing junk again. Fun times! =P

More Baby B Milestones

Oh my, I have been so behind on my blog! To be honest, Facebook has been eating up my time and I find it easier to do quickie updates there, but I really need to LOG my stuff here so I have a record of it...anyhoo...

Baby B is growing up so fast!

She is scooting backwards.

She is also standing while holding onto things...not cruising or crawling yet, but SO on the verge! Believe me, I am in NO hurry!

Sometimes it feels like Baby B eats more than Baby C...
B eats fast, C eats slow, and it always makes for an "interesting"" mealtime.

Baby B eats table food and is not too picky about food.

We also just switched her to a "real" carseat from her infant carrier. Her legs were kinda hanging off the end, and she is almost 19 pounds, so it was time because I it was getting super awkward to carry her in that already awkward contraption. One thing I will miss is using the "snap n go" with the infant carrier. I will not need to either carry her or plop her into a regular stroller. Fun fun fun! =)

Baby C's Three Year Well Check Appointment

OK, so I am a bad mommy and forgot to make her appointment until the day of her birthday ( in July), so her appointment ended up in September! My little girl is growing up so fast! Here are her current stats:

Weight: 27 lbs, 9.6 oz (14%)
Height: 36 in (19%)
Blood Pressure: 86/57 (Whatever that means?? Just interesting because this was the first time they took her blood pressure!)

Baby C continues to hover at the bottom of the percentiles, but she is developing just fine! She is in preschool 2X/week. We started off with half days. but one day at pick up, she flat out refused to come home with me and wanted to stay for nap-time. At that time, she had dropped her nap for the past 6 months, so although it cost us a bit more, it was totally worth it because now, she will take a nap about 50% of the time, otherwise, she will have "quiet time" so she can rest a bit (and give me a break!).

Everyday, she never ceases to amaze me with her language skills and understanding of the world around her. She is a wonderful big sister to Baby B and her capacity to care for others is amazing. Here's an example of how she took care of one of her friends at school: One of her little friends, SP is quite shy, and was new to her preschool. Baby C helped her transition to this new environment by literally holding her hand and showing her around, making sure she was not lonely, etc. It was very cute and all the teachers were impressed with her behavior, which made me and Daddy J very proud!

I have also noticed that she gets a little emotional sometimes...like she will get upset if someone yells at her, will feel sorry if she did something wrong, and will even get upset if you do not accept her apology. I guess she is learning about controlling her feelings, etc.

Anyways, I know I sound like a broken record, but she is growing up so/too fast! =)

The Unofficial End of Summer @ Gilroy Gardens

Where did the summer go? I blinked and it was already Labor Day...sheesh! I feel like we did not really get out much this summer, probably because I was nervous about toting the two littles around in the heat and crowds. We will definitely be hitting the road more this fall, we have a few road trip getaways planned.

So on Labor Day, we hit up Gilroy Gardens armed with a double stroller, sunscreen, and a $9.99 coupon (Thanks TJ!)! This was our first time there and we survived a whopping 7 hours there, we are pretty proud of ourselves. HAH! Sure, we had a few toddler meltdowns, but it was par for the course. =) We'll definitely be back to take advantage of the coupon one more time before it expires! We even had a chance to grab some Sonic on the way back home!

Gilroy Gardens is really geared toward young kids, so Baby C could ride a lot of the rides, some with us, some by herself. Baby B even got to sit by herself on some rides! There was a lot of beautiful foliage everywhere, the lines were not too long, and the weather was decent (high of 82), which we were grateful for because hot weather + long lines + 2 little ones = triple trouble!

We took WAY too many pictures, and I had a tough time deciding, but here are some to share:

We busted out of Joovy Caboose for the occasion. The kids did great in it! Baby B sat still and Baby C hopped on and off to go on rides, etc.

Gilroy is of course known for its Garlic Festival, which we have yet to attend (one of these days we will), but here is a cool ride of spinning bulbs of garlic! HAH Cute!

One of our first rides - Strawberry Sundae or something like that, it was slow moving, and kinda made us (me and Daddy J) dizzy...

Cute little goldfish ride.

Burning rubber on the track.

Baby B napped in the Ergo while waiting in line for a mellow lazy river water ride. It was like a 30 minute wait, not sure if it was worth it, but at least the line was in the shade!

Awake just in time to hop on!

One of the circus trees at Gilroy Gardens. Four trees, graphed into one back in the 1920's! Pretty neat!

Rode the monorail through the greenhouse.

Beautiful (and loud) waterfalls. Daddy J was trying to take a picture of me and the kids at the waterfalls, but this is all he got, Baby C screaming in terror and running back to him! Crazy! Look at her impressive angling and speed around that bend! LOL! I know I should not be laughing, but can't help it! =)

Pictures from the Ferris wheel...

We ended our little adventure at the "water park". It had a lot of waterplay including a tall waterside. The park was closing so we did not go full on swimsuit play, but Baby B did get to splash around a bit. In fact, when she saw the water section, she tried to hop off the stroller as it was still moving and got a little bloody lip! See picture below...

Clap Your Hands!

Latest update on Baby B...she's learned to clap her hands. Sometimes I can even get her to do it on demand, when I say "Yaaaay!" or "clap your hands" in Mandarin. So cute! I forget when kids learn how to do this, but I guess it's just about the right time?!

I feel bad because with Baby C, I kept up with all the milestones, reading my parenting websites, blogs, and magazines, to see what should be coming up next and when. Now, I just don't have the time to do that and when the milestones come, I can barely remember to log them on my blog! Bad Mommy! =P

Cute Little Friends

Today we made it to storytime at the library and my friend JM was there with her 2 daughters (2.5 and 4 months). Here is a cute picture I snapped with my cell phone of the two girls walking.

We don't hang out with JM and her girls much, but I think it is super cute that Baby C has her little set of friends. She asks about her friends all the time. I guess at this age, I can somewhat "choose" her friends, or rather choose the "moms" I hang out with. But there will be a day in the near future that I will not be in control of who she hangs with...yikes!

How To Keep A Toddler Occupied

1. Open up a Gymboree order that was just delivered today.
2. Ask your toddler to open all the little pouches of clothes and match different combination of outfits/accessories!

Good for at least 45-60 minutes of play!

To stretch it out even more:

1. Ask her to clean up all the plastic bags and put them into recycling.
2. Pick up all the clothes and put them in a bag for the laundry.
3. Let her try on all the outfits!

San Jose Kids Discovery Museum

There was a free day at the museum so I thought we'd go check it out. It's a very interactive museum for kids. It was a complete zoo, but we had fun. Here are some pictures from our day:

Real fire truck with knobs, gauges, and hoses!

Baby C in some sort of basket boat thingy.

Real big tire to climb in and out of, also other "circles" to learn about.

Bubble station.

Balls and water, can it be more fun?

Slam-dunking balls into a water tornado/vortex!

Eggs and freshly hatched chicks in the incubator!

Finger painting.

Thank goodness Baby B was well-behaved in the stroller and even took a short nap. This is what I felt like doing after our little adventure at the museum!