Arthur: 41 Weeks

Arthur had to say goodbye to the twins this past week.  For two days after they left, he kept going into their room.  He definitely misses them.

Likes: Cake and ice cream (just a bit, but he loved it); slides and swings; crawling in grass (and sometimes eating it)

Dislikes: Bedtime (still an issue); bread; when mom leaves (or so I'm told)

Sleeping: Still not in a good place.  He goes down anytime from 8pm to 10pm and still wakes at least once during the night.  Waking time is usually 7am.  Nap times are a joke.  Sometimes I get a good 1 1/2 hour nap from him and other times it's 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there.  I'm afraid that we are going have to start sleep training soon.  And after he was such a good sleeper early on!

Eating: This is one area that we have yet to encounter a problem.  He loves almost everything he's tried (except bread, weird kid!).  He eats a healthy amount at meal times.  Right now we're working on him telling us when he's done...

Playing: So much development lately!  He's learned out to operate a few of his toys (especially his racecar).  He rolls the ball to mom and sometimes even throws it.  He's figured out how much fun swings and slides are.  I help of course, but he loves sliding down.  He also loves anything that makes music.  His tambourine and maraca are current faves.  Today, we're heading out to the splash park.  I can't wait to see what he does there...

Medical Milestones: 

• Showing a preference for specific toys. books, lovies, etc. -- Check!  He has favorite toys (maraca, race car, yellow ball) and an attachment to his two blankets.  He doesn't seem to care about any specific stuffed animal, but he has grabbed his stuffed turtle a few times lately.  No favorite books yet, but he's starting to sit still for storytime.
• Sitting down from a standing position -- Check!  He's getting much more coordinated with his movements lately.
• Waving -- Not yet.  He loves throwing his arms up when we do, but no actual waving yet.
• Experimenting with volume -- Check!  He loves to vary his volume when "talking" to me.
• Biting phase -- Check!  Although I think we are coming out of it.  He was biting when the top teeth were not quite through the gums yet.  He stopped as soon as those popped through this week.

Schedule:Still nothing set...

Out and About: This week was crazy!  We had so many activities!

• Lots of errands to get the boys prepped to head back
• Playdate at Mariposa Park (swing and slide pics)
• Out to eat at multiple places (Gumba's, Panera, Boudin, Tutti Frutti)
• Doctor appointment
• Day Out with Thomas at Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton (near Santa Cruz) -- much better than the event we used to go to in Indiana; will definitely go next year
• Penny and Charlotte's birthday party

Summer 2014 Week 8

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun!

Monday

We had a day of random errands.  The boys got haircuts for back to school.  Two haircuts in one summer!  Their hair is growing so fast right now.  Afterward we dropped off the library books for the last time and then headed to the comic book store.  My friend Pam had gotten them gift certificates to a store in Campbell (a friend of hers works there).  We traveled over and perused the selection.  The boys settled on some Sonic comics and some Yu Gi Oh card packs.  They definitely loved looking at everything.  In the afternoon, Arthur and I headed to baby playdate at Mariposa Park.  The boys got to stay home with J.  After dinner, I headed over to Panera for book club while the boys hung out at home.

Tuesday

Tuesday we didn't have the car, but that didn't stop us from exploring.  We lunched at Gumba's on Murphy (yum pizza!) and then walked over to the doctor's office for Arthur's 9 month appointment.  He had to get a blood draw (anemia check) and didn't even cry.  Such a big boy!  The afternoon was spent back at home enjoying the pool and lounging.  After dinner we all walked over to Tutti Frutti for our last visit.  The twins got chocolate with chocolate and more chocolate.  Big surprise!

Wednesday

Last full day in California.  The boys opted to visit the Golfland arcade one last time.  Of course they took advantage of the unlimited arcade pass and used the rest of their tickets on some candy and mohawked duck.  While they played, Arthur and I popped over to Target for the usual and then grabbed Wendy's for lunch (boys' choice).  After an afternoon of packing, we headed to Panera for dinner (boys' choice).  We made sure to have everything ready and prepped before heading to bed.

Thursday

The twins' plane didn't leave until 12:45pm, so we had a bit of time in the morning.  We double checked the bags and made a big brunch of eggs and cinnamon rolls.  The boys said their goodbyes to Arthur and J and we headed to the airport.  After the usual airport nonsense (really hate the airlines!), we made it to the gate right before boarding started.  Perfect timing!  I got hugs and the boys were off!

Another summer come to a close.  This one was cut short due the twin's school's schedule change.  We only had 8 weeks, but we made sure to hit all our favorite spots and still have time to relax by the pool.

Arthur: 40 Weeks

Still not sleeping regularly.  More mobility (almost walking!).  Lots of joyful times during the day.

Likes: Food, food, and more food; cuddles; running away from mom; his pacifier (need to work on that...)

Dislikes: Sleep times; not being allowed to escape out the front door or balconies

Sleeping: All over the place.  Again we're having trouble with set nap and bed times.  He's definitely on his own schedule right now, and I hate it.  The other night he woke up every hour from 10pm to 2am.  It was stressful...

Eating: Anything and everything.  He loves food.  His current favorites are plain goldfish and watermelon.  He could eat tons of those two foods.  In this past week, he tried peanut butter (not favorite, but no allergic reaction either) and pizza.

Playing: Lots and lots of exploration.  He especially loves when we open the hallway gate.  He scurries down the hallway to explore the hall bath and our bedroom.  We started rolling balls back and forth.  He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it, but it's definitely fun.  We also played on the swings and the slide at the park.  Of course, mom held him to slide, but it was still lots of fun.  We're hoping to make it to the splash park next week for more summer fun.

Doctor Visit Stats: Arthur has his 9 month check up today.  No shots, but he did have an anemia check which requires a blood draw.  He was such a little trooper.  No crying; just a little squirming.  So proud of him!  And such a big boy!

• Height: 30 inches (96th percentile)
• Weight: 22 lbs 3 oz (86th percentile)

Medical Milestones: 

• Practice steps -- Check!  He's been cruising along furniture and behind his walker.  He's also been standing on his own, but no independent steps yet.  So close!
• Better balance -- Check!  He can stand on his own.  He's also gotten very good at reaching out for things while crawling.
• Imitating mom and dad -- Nothing big that I've noticed.
• Pointing for things -- More like reaching for things.  He doesn't really point at things, but he'll attempt to show me what he wants, especially at dinner time.
• "Baby talk" -- Check!  We've had some great "conversations" lately.  And I can tell that he's understanding more and more.

Schedule:This category is becoming laughable.  We have no stinkin' schedule.

Out and About: This past week we visited two libraries (one for music in the park along with books), the waterpark, two park playdates, and a birthday party.  Lots of fun!

Summer 2014 Week 7

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun! Overall this week was pretty quiet in terms of big excursions.  This was a lull before the rush to get ready to go back to school and return in Indiana.  My photo uploader is being very wonky today, so no photos...

Monday

Today was all about catching up on house chores and resting.  The twins played a fair amount of video games.

Tuesday

We finally made it to the Mountain View library's summer song series.  Arthur loved every minute of it.  The twins chose not to sit on the grass and listen to the music.  Instead, they ventured into the library, found some books and a nice quiet spot, and read for awhile.  We got a MV library card to check out some of their selections.  Arthur and I will definitely have to go back.  From there we spent part of the afternoon Back-to-School shopping.  The boys grabbed almost all of their school supplies including new backpacks (a must!).  That night we had dinner at Panera as I had my card swap.  The twins were excited to get their mac and cheese.  I was excited to get my swap cards back.

Wednesday

We finished our school shopping by getting some new shoes at Kohl's.  Without prompting, the twins each picked a pair of classic Vans slip-on skater shoes.  I couldn't be more prouder!  I even found a pair of amazingly comfortable black wedges.  These are definitely going to be the wedding shoes.  Now I just need to find a dress to wear to both of them.

Thursday

J stayed home to work, so the twins got the morning in at home.  Arthur and I ventured out to Shoreline for our usual ~4 mile walk with the mom's group.  It felt nice to get out and exercise.  A very enjoyable morning.  In the afternoon, the boys hit the pool and generally chilled out.

Friday

This was our last Great America day of the season.  We finally made it to the waterpark section.  The twins splashed in the wave pool and the giant play structure filled with cascading water.  Arthur even sat and splashed at the edge of the wading pool.  He wasn't too sure about the waterfall...  After the waterpark, the twins hit their favorite rides for one last time.  Good day!

Saturday

J and I split duties today.  Arthur and I went to another little baby's first birthday party while J and the twins went go-karting.  Yep, they finally made it out to one.  Nick had a blast.  Alex was not as excited, but I figured that would happen.  They had an enjoyable time while I hung out with some other mom's and babies.  J and the twins arrived to pick us up just in time to partake in cupcakes and candy.  Perfect timing!

Sunday

Sunday was another home day: video games and pool time.  We ended the day with our last pizza night.

Arthur: 9 Months / 39 Weeks

After more sleepless nights and days, I think we are starting to get back on track.

Likes: Food, food, and more food! Stealing mom's bagel. Snuggles in the morning.

Dislikes: Sleeping...

Sleeping: Another week with the amazing non-sleeping child.  He has gone multiple days with either no nap or a 20 minute nap.  I can't understand how he's still functioning.  Nighttime sleeping isn't much better.  He refuses to be put in his crib while awake after months and months of it being okay. He wakes up at least once a night (usually twice).  And he still wakes up to play at 6-6:30am.  Ugh! Mom is not liking this at all.

Eating: Everything in sight!  We've completely cut out purees (yeah!) and moved onto eating whatever the family is eating.  The other day he really enjoyed beef stroganoff, kolaches, and grandma's potato salad.

Playing: Loving anything that makes noise: tambourines, maracas, drums.  I think I need to get him some more musical instruments.

Medical Milestones: We don't have our doctor's appointment until next Tuesday.  I'll have definite stats posted then.

• Understands his name and common gestures -- Check!  Although I think "come here" is an invitation to a chasing game instead of a command.
• Clapping and/or "dancing" to music -- No clapping yet, but I have caught him "dancing" to certain music.  He especially loves the Star Trek theme music.  Very adorable.
• Standing alone -- More and more I'm catching him standing by himself.  No independent steps yet.  He even went from a seated position to standing by himself with no help from mom or furniture twice at the summer social.  He was trying to get food when it happened.  Obviously food is a big motivator.
• Drinking from a cup -- Sorta check.  He getting the sippy cup thing down.  He's even occasionally had a drink from an open cup without too much spilling (me holding it of course).  But he's not proficient at either.  I want to try a straw cup next and see what he does...
• Rolling a ball -- He very recently started attempting this.  I think because he saw his friends rolling and throwing balls at playdates.  We'll continue working on this.
• Sitting at table for mealtimes -- Check!  We've been doing this for about two months now.  He sits in his booster high chair right next to me at lunch and dinner.  He's eating habits have improved with having him there.  I think he likes seeing what I'm eating and realizing that it's what he's eating.

Schedule:Ha ha!  I wish!

Out and About: Another week of regular activities (Deer Hollow and Blanket Babies) mixed with a visit to Great America, to Dianna's for board meeting (and baby playdate), and the summer social on Saturday.  We stayed home on Sunday and it was a good thing.  Everyone was played out! The twins have this week and next left in summer vacation, so we'll be hitting Great America and Golfland each one more time and definitely the comic book store and possibly another museum of activity spot.

Summer 2014 Week 6

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun!

Monday

We stayed at home for the morning because we I had a co-op board meeting in the afternoon.  I took Arthur while the twins spent the afternoon playing video games at home with J.

Tuesday

Great America day!  We spent 5 hours riding rides and hanging out at the park.  Nick and I rode The Goldstriker, their big newish wooden roller coaster.  Crazy fun!  The park was pretty dead so the boys rode their rides 5-6 times in a row.  Overall, a good day.

Wednesday

The twins spent the morning at the Golfland arcade while Arthur and I visited Target and the grocery store.  In the afternoon, we went to Rengstorff Park for blanket babies.  Always a fun treat for Arthur.  After dinner we all settled in for movie night: Dune.  Surprisingly, the twins really liked it.

Thursday

The morning was spent at Deer Hollow Farm.  We got to see the cow being milked.  After hitting Chick-fil-a for lunch, we spent the afternoon lounging and at the pool.

Friday

A home day filled with lots of cooking and pool time.

Saturday

Arthur, the twins, and I went to the Co-op's Summer Social at Rengstorff Park.  We tie dyed tshirts, made discovery bottles, ate lots of good food, and played.  A good, but tiring day.

Sunday

A nice day at home playing video games, watching some tv, reading.

Arthur: 38 Weeks

After many days of non-sleeping, I think we've finally turned a corner.  Arthur's slowly getting back to an actual sleep schedule.  Woohoo!

Likes: Food (of any kind), computers, balls, cuddling, grass

Dislikes: Going to bed, missing all the fun

Sleeping: He's still not back on a great sleeping schedule.  Thankfully we are inching our way back to a 7:30-8:00pm bedtime.  Napping is still hit or miss.

Eating: Everything in sight!  After many failed attempts to get Arthur to eat cheese, he finally ate some...  it was feta on a fig, bacon, and feta pizza.  Weird I know!  But at least it's something.

Playing: Lots and lots of playing.  I bought him a walker last week and he's loving exploring that toy.  He's also rediscovering items that make noise (shaker eggs, tambourine, etc).  I will have to get him some more musical type toys.

Medical Milestones: 

• Responding to simple commands -- He acknowledges a few commands, but doesn't always respond correctly.  His new game is to "run away" while naked.  It is a game for him...
• Grasping small objects with thumb and index finger -- Check!  He's got this thing done!
• Becoming attached to a lovey -- Possibly.  He loves having one of two blankets for naps and bedtime, but no specific stuffed animal yet.
• Pulling up at furniture or even standing on his own -- Check on both counts!  He's cruising along furniture.  I've even caught him standing on his own a few times for about 3 seconds.

Schedule: None exists anymore... Ugh!  I am not liking this.

Out and About: We had quite a week at the beach, BBQ, and park visits.  Looking forward to another great week of activities.

Summer 2014 Week 5

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun!

Monday

We road-tripped to the beach for the day.  We usually go to Half Moon Bay about 45 minutes west across the mountains.  The twins really enjoy the drive as it twists and turns through the mountains.  Once we got to the coast, we ate at a small hole-in-the-wall taqueria that was really really good (and pretty cheap).  I will have to remember for next time.  We then drove a few more blocks to the actual beach.  It took Arthur about 30 seconds to try and eat the sand.  One handful, one nasty look and gagging, and he was finished trying to eat the sand.  We ended up spending almost 4 hours hanging out on the beach. The twins ran through the waves.  Arthur and I preferred to hang out on the sand.  The Pacific Ocean is just way too cold by us to actually swim.  After packing up we stopped at Baskin Robbins for our afternoon snack.  Yum yum!

Tuesday

Tuesday was our usual errands day.  Target, grocery, and library visit.  Nothing too exciting, but all weekly events.

Wednesday

Arthur did not sleep well so our morning was shot.  We did make it to Rengstorff Park for blanket babies in the afternoon.

Thursday

We ventured out to Shoreline for the big mom's group walk.  I only subjected the twins to the short trail.  After walking we grabbed lunch at the cafe there.  In the afternoon we walked over to get Tutti Frutti and visit the bookstore.

Friday

Fourth of July!  We celebrated by going to a fellow mom's mom's house (yep, that's right) for a pool party and BBQ.  The twins spent the entire time swimming.  The babies played and even swam a bit.  The adults made sure no one drowned and enjoyed talking about things other than sleep and poo.  Overall, we had a very lovely time.

Saturday

The twins spent the day hanging out at home.  Arthur and I went to the co-op playdate at Rengstroff for a few hours in the afternoon.

Sunday

We had another quiet day at the house.  The twins hit the pool.  I hit the coffeehouse for a few hours to work on my blog.  It was a nice relaxing day before the start of what's bound to be a crazy week.

Arthur: 37 Weeks

This past week was another bad one.  I have no idea what is going on with Arthur, but he has decided to not sleep...

Likes: Standing, being held, eating

Dislikes: Sleeping in his crib, bread (weird, I know), sitting still

Sleeping: For whatever reason, we are yet again completely off our sleep schedule.  Arthur refuses to be put into his crib to nap times and bed times.  He cries and cries.  What happened to my good sleeping baby?  The other night we resorted to allowing him to sleep in our bed.  Everyone's cranky about no sleep.  We're going to keep working on it.

Eating: Still a great eater.  He has eaten everything except for bread (not a big fan).  We're attempting to experiment with more new foods and spices.  So far, so good.

Playing: Lots of interaction between Arthur and the twins.  He loves attempting to "play" with them.  So cute!

Medical Milestones: 

• Waving -- Nope.  Not yet.
• Preference of right or left hand -- Not that I have noticed
• Stranger anxiety -- Not really.  He's never been a fan of random people picking him up.  Those that he gets to know (give him about 20 minutes), he's fine with.

Schedule:What is that?  Everything has gone out the window for the past few weeks.  Here's hoping to reestablish a schedule in the next week or so.

Out and About: Check out my summer wrap up post (yesterday's post) for all the details.

• Oakland Zoo
• Pool
• Rengstorff Park
• Deer Hollow Farm
• Library
• Treasure Island Flea Market

Summer 2014 Week 4

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun!

Monday

We traveled up East Bay to go to the Oakland Zoo.  It was Arthur and I's second time there, the first for the twins.  We saw a ton of animals, ate lunch, and rode the train (N rode the mini roller coaster).  All in all, we had a lovely time and will definitely go again before the summer is up.

Tuesday

Tuesday was a home day.  We lounged, did a ton of house chores, and hit the pool.  Every couple of days, it's nice to just be at home.  Plus, it gives me time for chores and reading, Arthur time to nap, and the boys time to play their video games.  For dinner, I made Chicken Parmesan.  Surprise surprise, the twins loved it and asked for seconds.  They even had it for lunch the next day.  Glad I found another go to recipes for their picky palates.

Wednesday

We had a jam packed schedule of things to do.  We started at the Sunnyvale library picking up holds and new books.  We came home for lunch and a short short nap for Arthur.  Then we jetted over to Rengstorff for blanket babies.  We ended up at Round Table for dinner.  I had a stamp class that night at RT.  The twins ate pizza and played while Arthur and I made a few cards.  We were all exhausted when we got home.

Thursday

The morning was filled with another visit to Deer Hollow Farm with the mom's group.  This time, we just had one other mom and baby join us, but we still had a nice stroll.  Bonus points for the weather being clear and a little cooler.  On Deer Hollow days, the twins know we get Chick-Fil-A on the way home.  Yum yum!

Friday

Friday was another day at home filled with tv, books, and pool time.  That night, I escaped for a few hours to Round Table for crafting night with my stamping friends.  Every once in a while, it's nice to get away.

Saturday

We ventured all the way into San Francisco Bay to go to the Treasure Island Flea Market.  I'd never been to TI or even over the Bay Bridge (new or old).  It was a treat.  We perused the wares (J bought a tee shirt, twins bought some dragons) and grabbed lunch from the food trucks (lobster rolls and fresh lemonade, wood oven pizza, macon bacon donuts, mini strawberry rhubarb pies).  The flea market is open the last weekend of every month.  J and I may have to go back later this fall.  We arrived taking the Bay Bridge from SF and left taking the new Bay Bridge to Oakland.  So pretty!

Sunday

Arthur had a rough night attempting to sleep.  The entire day was basically everyone attempting to get any energy back.  Ugh!  I did get everyone to help out with the house chores.

Arthur: 36 Weeks

This past week has been a struggle.  Arthur caught a cold on Wednesday night and was a cranky baby for the rest of the week.  I spent many hours holding him and rocking in a dark room...  Thankfully he seems to be getting better.  We may actually be able to get out of the house this coming week.

Likes: Laying with mom; cuddles; food

Dislikes: Sleeping; not being able to catch the twins

Sleeping: Ugh!  This week has been ridiculous.  He has no set nap times or bed times.  The other night he was up until 10pm until finally drifting off enough to put into his crib.  I'm looking forward to a healthy baby and a return to normal bed times.

Eating: Such a pig pig lately.  I think he eats more than the twins at this point.  I need to modify our grocery list for more finger-friendly foods.  He's much more interested in feeding himself than being spoon fed.

Playing: Lots of exploration, but his favorite "toys" are magazines and books.  He loves ripping paper; just like a dog.  Thankfully I very rarely leave any paper out that I don't care if he rips.

Medical Milestones: 

• Cutting out the morning (or afternoon) nap -- This week yes, but hopefully not for good.
• Mastering stacking and filling -- Not really.
• Recognizing names, words, daily activities -- Check!  He answers to his name, knows "momma" and "daddy," recognizes but doesn't always listen to "no."

Schedule:Nothing has been set lately.  I am so not amused by this.  Hopefully next week

Out and About: Because of sickness, we didn't really get out of the house much.  We did get out to the pool and to the arcade for a few minutes.

Summer 2014 Week 3

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun! This week has been a strange one.  It started out with such fun plans, but very quickly everything changed.  Arthur got sick and we just couldn't do anything exciting...

Monday

We started our week with a ton of errands.  Grocery, Target, library visit, and Toys R Us.  The boys picked up a few card packs and snacks.  Plus we picked up our library holds and got a few new picture books for Arthur.  In the afternoon, Arthur and I went to Mariposa Park for our playdate.  The boys stayed at home with J and presumably played video games.  After dinner I went to Panera for our makeup book club.  It was nice to get out of the house sans kids for a few hours.

Tuesday

Tuesday we were left without a car, so it was a home and pool day.

Wednesday

Wednesday was our big excursion day.  We had planned on a morning activity and an afternoon playdate.  We got to our morning activity: Golfland, but Arthur decided to nap right through the playdate.  Oh well!  For our first visit to Golfland, the twins opted to take advantage of the arcade deals instead of mini golfing.  Next time we will golf!

Thursday thru Sunday

Arthur was sick with a nasty cold, so no big excursions or plans.  The twins did visit the pool and run a few errands with J.  The little one is getting better so we're hoping to hit up the zoo tomorrow.

Arthur: 8 Months / 35 Weeks

Summer is officially in full swing and Arthur is enjoying all the crazy.

Likes: Following the twins everywhere; standing; his new caterpillar; eating

Dislikes: Not being able to move faster; missing naps; falling down

Sleeping: We've had multiple nights of no wake-ups this past week.  This rested momma is rejoicing!  Hopefully this keeps up.  Unfortunately we aren't doing as well on the nap front.  Some days it's three tiny naps, somedays it's two solid naps, somedays it's one solid nap, some days it's an all day struggle to get him to sleep.  I may be getting sleep at night, but the days are sure busy and stressful sometimes.

Eating: Less and less purees, more and more big people food!  I've resolved to not buy any more purees (we have about 6 pouches left) unless absolutely necessary.  I only use them now if we are on the go at lunch time or if I somehow run out of big people food that's appropriate for baby (i.e. pizza night).  I finally found cheese that he likes: Baby Bells.  Everything else he spits out.  And he still spits out any kind of bread.  I don't understand this.  I could live on bread and cheese.  Oh well... tastes do change over the years.

Playing: When they think I'm not watching, I've caught the twins playing with Arthur.  Too cute!  On his own, he's explored every inch of the kitchen/dining/living room.  He's also tried to escape onto the balcony (someone - not me - left the door open) and ventured under the twins' bunk beds.  He's also rediscovering a ton of his old toys and playing with new ones (cardboard boxes are his favorite).  My next purchase will be a standing push toy.  Now that he's cruising along future, he needs something more mobile.  The jumper is great but only for 15 minutes or less a day.  He gets bored and wants to be able to go now.

Medical Milestones: 

• Lots of babbling -- Check!  His babbling is starting to sound more and more like sentences instead of just repeating syllables.  Very cute.
• Understanding "no" -- Check!  Although he doesn't listen very often.  He clearly stops and looks at me when I say "no."  Sometimes he puts it down, other times he looks at the object, looks at me, and continues doing what he was doing  This one is going to be stubborn.
• Discovery of his penis -- Sorta check!  He's discovered it at bath time, but seems to forgot once I put a diaper on.  I remember this phase from the twins.  Not so much fun...
• Personality development -- Check!  I have a fairly serious stubborn little boy who's cautious around strangers but not around dangers (ledges, steps, sticks, etc).  He's warmed up to mom and dad and even the twins, but seeks the comfort and safety of mom in strange new places.  He loves exploring
• Becoming more mobile -- Check!  He is cruising along furniture.  Every once in awhile he gets overly confident and takes both hands off of the furniture.  Onto his butt he goes.  I imagine he will be walking within two months.

Schedule:I thought we had a schedule in place once the boys arrived, but that has gone out the window.  Everyday is some crazy new adventure.  Thankfully today is a home day.  Maybe I can get a few minutes to catch my breath...

Out and About: Check out my summer wrap week 2 for all our comings and goings.

Summer 2014 Week 2

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun!

Monday

We traveled back into San Jose to visit The Tech Museum.  The twins went there last year as a camp field trip.  This time Arthur and I accompanied them.  Of course I forgot my camera at home so no pictures.  However, the museum has many interactive stations where you can record your results and/or pictures.  I caught a few good ones.  we enjoyed a yummy lunch at the museum and ended up spending most of the day there.

After the museum, we stopped at Target and the post office for a few essentials.

Tuesday

No car today, but we ended up making a few forays outside.  We walked to the library for storytime (Arthur and I) and books (everyone).  Turns out that was the last storytime until September.  Boo!  We'll still make weekly visits to the library, but I guess whenever it's convenient instead of always on Tuesday.

After lunch and a nap for Arthur, we ventured over to Tutti Frutti for an afternoon snack.  The boys got chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.  I got coffee and salted caramel pretzel yogurt with almonds and shortbread.  Being on Murphy St., we had to visit Bookasaurus.  Arthur got a stuffed rainbow caterpillar and an indestructible book.  The twins got a book and a samurai action figure.

Wednesday

In the morning we took care of the errands: grocery store and haircuts.  The boys look so much better cleaned up.  In the afternoon, we headed over to Rengstorff Park for blanket babies.  The twins planned better this week and brought extra toys.

Thursday

The morning was spent at Deer Hollow Farm with members of the mom's group.  The farm is a working farm about 1 mile into the Rancho San Antonio Nature Preserve.  This time the babies seemed much more interested in the animals.  The twins were even entertained for a few minutes.  Thursday evening had dinner at Round Table so I could attend my stamp club.  The twins enjoyed the pizza.  Arthur enjoyed the attention from the other club members.

Friday

In the morning, headed over to a fellow mom's house for her home inspection (for the co-op).  The afternoon was spent lounging at home.  I was tired after the week, so it was nice when J called and said that we would meet some co-workers at the Firehouse for dinner and then board games at our house.  The twins have been begging to go to the Firehouse since arriving.  Of course they got the chicken fingers and fries.

Saturday

We spend a quiet day at home.  Nothing too exciting.

Sunday

Another quiet day at home.  Getting ready to start week 3 with some different activities.

Arthur: 34 Weeks

It's the first week of the twins being here and Arthur is loving it!  He spends so much time watching them play and chasing after them.

Likes: The twins; standing at furniture; Sophie; meal times

Dislikes: Nap time; the heat

Sleeping: We're back to waking two times a night.  It sucks.  I want to go back to either one wake up or even better, sleeping through the night.

Eating: Since the boys have arrived, Arthur's much more interested in eating real food at the table.  He now sits and eats with us at lunch and dinner.  He's tried and loved peas, teriyaki chicken, mashed potatoes, clam chowder, and green beans.  I'm loving this trend and hope it continues.  I would like him to be able to eat off of my plate at all meal times.  I hate making him separate food.

Playing: Lots of exploration and manipulating objects.  He's found the Disney Infinity characters behind the fence.  He figured out how to reach through the fence for them.  And he accidentally turned on the Xbox the other day.  Now he loves messing with it.  I think we may need to move the fence out a bit.  He also loves playing the game of "pull everything off of the ottoman." Usually it's empty but sometimes I forget.

Medical Milestones: 

• Throwing things -- Yep.  Loves to do this although he doesn't have aiming yet.
• Standing at furniture -- Check!  This is his favorite pastime now.  He's even started to cruise along the furniture.
• Fear of strangers -- Nope.  So far, he doesn't exhibit any fear of strangers, but he doesn't smile at them either.

Schedule:Since the boys have arrived, nap times have gone out the window.  I never know when he'll want to go down.  This has been a struggle.  He is getting more predictable when it comes to eating times.  At least that's something.

Out and About: Check out our Summer Wrap post to see all the places we've been this past week.  We have lots of activities planned for the next few weeks.

Summer 2014 Week 1

Music Monday will be going on hiatus for the summer so I can bring you our weekly recaps.  I will be highlighting all the fun pictures and activities we have planned for this summer.  Eight weeks of fun! The twins arrive last Tuesday and we immediately jumped into summer activities.  Before they arrived, I used my Stampin' Up Epic Day This and That Journal to create our summer bucket list notebook.  Each activity has it's own page in the notebook along with any pertinent information (address, price, hours, etc).  As we complete an activity, it will be checked off in the notebook.

Also, I have devised a weekly schedule to help us stay on top of things and attempt to keep my sanity dealing with two 11 year olds and a 7 month old.

• Monday -- Excursion (mini golf, beach, Great America, etc)
• Tuesday -- Library for books (twins) and storytime (Arthur); Errands day
• Wednesday -- Morning at home; Park baby playdate for afternoon
• Thursday -- Walk (Cuesta or Deer Hollow Farm); Errand/home afternoon
• Friday -- Excursion
• Saturday -- Family excursion or home day
• Sunday -- Family excursion or home day

On to the recap...

Tuesday

Their plane was delayed almost 6 hours due to mechanical issues.  A new plane had to be flown in.  They were supposed to arrive at 11am, but got in at 5pm.  We picked up Wendy's for dinner and went home to relax.  I was hoping they would go to bed early.  I had a co-op board meeting so I left at 7pm.  I came home at 10:30 to find the twins still awake!  Needless to say Wednesday morning was a challenge.

Wednesday

Our first day of events!  After dropping J off at work, we set off for Half Price Books in Fremont.  We had four bags of books and cds to sell.  Of course, I let the boys each pick a few books and even snagged a few board books for Arthur.  Unfortunately, HPB took almost 1 1/2 hours to sort our things. I thought we were going to have a meltdown from all three boys.

After checking out, we headed over to Target for shoes.  The boys came with flip flops and crocs.  Neither of which are good for running around or amusement parks.  We found one pair of back strap sandals in their size, but only one.  thankfully there is a Target right next to Chick-Fil-A where we were picking up lunch.

After lunch we headed over to Rengstorff Park for our weekly playdate.  The twins played on the playground or chilled with us.  This will be a weekly event. At 5pm, we headed home for start dinner (ravioli and tortellini) and relax.

Thursday

In the morning we headed to Cuesta Park for our every other week walk with the mom's group.  The twins played on the playground or read/played iPad on the blanket.  We headed home for lunch and an afternoon by the pool.  Even Arthur joined in on our pool visit.  Every time the twins came near the steps, Arthur tried to launch himself into the water.  Pretty cute!

Friday

Friday was our first big excursion day.  The twins chose Great America.  We loaded up, dropped off J, and headed over right at opening time.  Unfortunately we had to get our season passes processed so that ate up about 20 minutes.  After that we circled the park twice, the twins riding their favorites and Arthur and I hanging out and people watching.  We ate lunch at our favorite spot: Joe Cool Cafe.  Before leaving Arthur and I rode the carousel (in one of the chariots) and the twins souvenir shopped (only one got something).  Four hours at Great America and I was beat!

Saturday

After a late start to the day, we headed over to Boudin Bakery for lunch before traveling to San Jose (only a 15 minute trip).  I had printed free passes to the SJ Museum of Art from our library program.  Turns out it was Community Day and the museum was free for everyone.  Oh well!  We toured the small museum of mostly modern art and the twins participated in a few crafts.  We didn't get out of there until almost 3pm causing Arthur's nap schedule to be off and missing the co-op playdate.  Next time...

Sunday

Sunday was to be a chill day at home.  The boys and I ventured over the Sunnyvale Art and Wine festival (one block away!), looked at the art, and grabbed some kettle corn for later.  We hit the festival right when it opened at 10am and good thing.  The temperature kept going up all day.  We stayed in the rest of the day playing video games and hanging out.

Arthur: 33 Weeks

Our last week before the twins arrive.  We filled it with tons of baby activities and lots of housework.  Of course, Arthur made more messes than he cleaned.

Likes: Standing at anything; playing with things he shouldn't; dad; stealing all the other babies' snacks

Dislikes: Sitting; getting paper taken away; napping at his usual times; not eating all the time

Sleeping: We're back to going to bed at around 6:30pm, waking once during the night (usually around midnight), and getting up at 6:00am.  I can deal with this, but I would love for him to go back to sleeping all night.

Eating: Lots more adult food lately.  He tries everything, but definitely has his favorites. He's not a fan of cheese or bread.  I don't think he's my son...

Playing: Our baby playdates have been going very well lately.  Arthur's been socializing more and more with the others.  I love seeing him play.  His new favorite is me (or anyone) rolling a ball toward him.  He doesn't roll it back yet, but still loves it.

Medical Milestones: 

• Understanding "no" -- Check! He definitely understands "no" but does not listen to it.  He's stubborn just like his dad.
• Furniture-assisted standing -- Check!  This is his new trick.  And now it's all he wants to do.
• Playing with more complicated items -- Check!  He's been trying to figure out stacking.  Not quite adept at it, but enjoying the process of learning.
• First words -- Not yet.

Schedule:Wake times and bed times have settled back into a routine, but naps are all over place. It's making our days a bit difficult to plan around.

Out and About:

• Impromptu playdate with friends during crafting open house
• Playdate at Rengstorff
• Visit to Deer Hollow Farm with baby friends
• Impromptu playdate at friend's house
• Mom's group BBQ at Cuesta
• Lunch at La Fiesta

Arthur: 32 Weeks

It was a big week for us.  We went to the Oakland Zoo for the first time.  Arthur tried out a swing for the first time.  And we both got extremely sick with a nasty cold again...

Likes: Swings! Watching other kids! Puffs!  Other people's puffs and snacks! Staying up past his bedtime! His pacifier!

Dislikes: Going to bed on time.  Not being held.  Getting his face wiped.  Not being able to pull and chew on computer cords.

Sleeping: Hit and miss lately.  Being sick really creates sleep complications.  Naps have been especially difficult this week.

Eating: This week I've been giving him more food off of my plate.  We're trying more soft foods that he has to gum. So far we're doing pretty well.

Playing: Arthur's been trying his best to explore all the areas of the house that he isn't allowed to play in.  He even escaped onto the balcony and got himself covered in dust.  We now have to be more vigilant about putting the gate up in the morning.  He's also loving playing with his balls and all the teethers.

Medical Milestones: 

• Repeating sounds -- Sometimes.  He's a pretty serious kid, but every once in awhile he does get to babbling.
• Holding two objects at once -- Check! He often grabs two toys and then doesn't know what to do with them.
• Starting to understand cause and effect -- Check! He loves playing tug of war.  He also tries to grab my computer and then looks at me...  He knows he's not supposed to play with it.
• Lifting arms up when wanting to be picked up -- Check!  All the time!
• Trying to standing -- Check! He loves to pull himself up by using me and then leaning.  Standing is his favorite position now.

Schedule:Being sick really messes with the daily schedule.  Naps are varied.  Bedtime is all over the place.  The only times I can count on are wakeup (6:00am) and cranky time (5:30pm and after).

Out and About:

• Mariposa Park -- Playdate with baby friends
• Cuesta Park -- Walk and playdate
• Oakland Zoo -- First time.  We went with Arthur's friend and his mom.  Tons of fun!
• Lots of walks around the complex, dog run, and neighborhood.

Arthur: 7 Months / 29-31 Weeks

Since my last Arthur update, he's gotten much more mobile and had his first real illness.  The outcome was a moving cranky snotting baby...

Likes: Cardboard to chew on, playing outside, other baby friends, cuddling before bed time, any kind of food, new crocodile stuffed animal

Dislikes: Being sick, waiting to take a bath

Sleeping: Arthur was sleeping from 7pm to 6am until getting sick.  Now he's waking up multiple times a night.  Thankfully he's taking 2-3 naps a day.  This is helping, but I can't wait until he's feeling better and hopefully sleeping through the night.

Eating: We're experimenting with more and more nonpureed foods.  Just last week he tried and loved fish, chicken, oranges, broccoli, potatoes, green beans, and rice.  I'm hoping to move up his solid food intake this coming month.  Plus, I've introduced water in various sippy cups.  He prefers the take and toss simple spouts as opposed to the true sippy cup.  He also drank water out of a regular cup the other day.  Granted he got most of it on himself, but he did swallow some of the water.

Playing: Arthur's main goal this past two weeks was exploration.  He explored all areas of the living room: behind mom's chair (got stuck), the bookcase near his room (need to put those things away), under the dining room table, under dad's ottoman (getting stuck again).  Because of his exploration, we've had to install both fences, blocking off the entertainment center and dining room/kitchen area.  Plus, we now have to put the hall gate up during the day so we don't have to chase him down the hallway every two seconds.  Other than exploration, he's been loving his stuffed animals especially his mini sock monkey and any ball.

Medical Milestones: 

Week 29

• Playing peek-a-boo -- He likes it, but hasn't actively participated in the activity yet.
• Smiling or waving at people in public -- Nope.  Although I think this is due to his fairly serious personality and not his inability to smile at people.  He gives smiles only after getting to know people.
• Frustration when not able to get somewhere on his own -- Check!  he wants to walk and run, but has to settle for crawling right now.

Week 30

• Preference of one parent -- It used to be all mommy all the time, but he's now getting very excited when daddy comes home.  Although while sick, he prefers cuddling with mom.
• Faster and more coordinated crawling -- Double check!  He's almost gotten a hang of proper crawling.  Even without it, he's quick!
• Preference for certain foods -- Check!  He loves sweet potato puffs and most fruits.
• Fascinated by his reflection -- Double check!  Looking at himself in the mirror is his favorite pastime.  A quick way to get Arthur to smile is to show him a mirror.
• Developing a sense of empathy -- Not quite sure if this is happening yet.

Week 31

• Testing limits -- Check! He knows the hallway and computer cords are off limits, but yet he goes straight for one or the other.  The entire time he watches me waiting to be reprimanded.
• Developing the pincer grasp -- Check!  He's getting much better at grabbing small pieces of food.
• Sitting without support -- Check!  He's been fairly stable for a weeks now.  Just this past week, he started moving from crawling to sit up in one fluid motion.
• Clapping or waving -- Not yet.
• Expressing unhappiness when toys are taken away -- Yes, however he hasn't yet developed object permanence so he forgets about the toy pretty quickly.

Schedule:We've settled into a weekly routine of mom's group activities.  We have things to do Monday through Thursday.  Arthur seems to thrive with the social interaction with other babies near his age.  Unfortunately, our schedule will be changing once the twins arrive.  Hopefully we can still attend baby playdates and activities at the park.

Out and About:

• Multiple Parks -- For playdates and a mom friend's surprise sprinkle.
• Library Storytime -- We're now regulars every Tuesday at the Sunnyvale library.
• Friends Jakob's and Luke's houses for playdates (and mommy social planning sessions)
• Sushi dinner with mom and dad
• Book club -- Morning Starbuck's visit for mom's book club
• Stamp club -- Went to mom's stamp club class but was pretty cranky
• Deer Hollow Farm -- We visited the farm with the mom's group last week.  It's a cute little working farm owned by the city of Mountain View.  The farm is in a lovely nature preserve about a one mile walk from the nearest parking lot.  They have cows, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, and geese.  Lots of fun for the babies. We plan on going back soon.

Arthur: 28 Weeks

J came back from Romania this week, but Arthur is still all over the place in terms of mood and schedule.  I hope that since everyone is where they should be he settles down a bit.

Likes: Computer cords (always seems to find them), tags to chew on, splashing in the bathtub

Dislikes: Being barred from crawling into certain areas of the house, not eating what J and I are eating, 5:30pm (his witching hour)

Sleeping: After sleeping 12 hours through the night, he is back to waking up at least once.  Some nights that 11:30pm.  Some nights that 2:30am.

Eating: Anything and everything.  Yesterday, I have give clementine slices and he loved them.  Immediately grabbed them, stuck them in his mouth, and sucked out all the juice.  Since I have an entire bowl on the counter, these will be a daily food for awhile.

Playing: With things that he shouldn't.  But also with a ton of his toys.  Most things he turns into teethers.  He's especially loving having his monkey to sleep with at night.  I can hear him "talking" to his monkey before finally falling asleep.

Doctor Visit Stats: We finally made to to the doctor for his 6 month checkup.  The office had to reschedule us twice because of doctor issues.  Thankfully this time went much better than his 4 month visit.  He only cried during the vaccinations.  And even that only lasted until I picked him up.

• Height: 28 1/4"  (96th percentile)
• Weight: 19lb 10oz (83rd percentile)
• Everything else normal and on track

Medical Milestones:

• Sitting unassisted for longer periods: Check!  He can go about 30 sec to a minute before flopping over.
• Feeding himself finger foods: Check!  Really getting the hang of eating puffs.
• Getting teeth: Check!  He now has both bottom teeth.  I know because he bit me the other day when I was helping him get a puff in his mouth.  Ouch!
• Working on fine motor skills: Check!  He's working on manipulating toys (and not toys).
• Separation anxiety: Check!  He has no problem if I leave him with another adult.  He just hates being left all alone.  Makes it really hard for me to use the restroom.

Schedule:In terms of eating and sleeping, he is all over the place right now.  We still try to get him in bed by 7:00pm, but some nights he talks to himself for at least 30 minutes after that.

Out and About: It was a busy week

• VW Dealership (take care of our key issue)
• Shoreline walks
• Playdate at Mariposa Park
• Sunnyvale Storytime
• Lots of shopping errands
• Doctor's office
• Playdate at Rengstorff Park
• SFO to pick up daddy
• Farmer's Market