At the Pumpkin Patch

Ok, last update for a few days. We went to the pumpkin patch today. It was great fun...

a hay ride to and from the pumpkins, hot cider and fresh donuts, a big hay stack to play on, and a corn maze. It was a gorgeous day and we all really enjoyed being out.






We also had a little crack viewing :-)

Look who's THREE and up-to-date on October

Our first big event in October was the celebration of Kahlil's third complete trip around the sun. That's right, Kahlil is THREE. The party was held at Pappa's Pizza, a favorite with the younger set because of the pizza and play area. (Pappa's Pizza is dreaded by parents because of the less than yummy pizza and the germ incubator know as the play area. But this time we had just gotten over pink eye and were still coughing from our most recent colds so we were the germ distributors rather than collectors.) Kahlil and his friends - Tivi, Cruz, Sean, Leo, Annika, Wren, TJ, Valerie, and Maggie - had a great time.
The other big event for the first half of October was the arrival of Grandma Dolores. She came to meet Langston and the spend some time with Kahlil. She will be here for a month. She is the reason I have a little extra time to do these updates! She generally keeps Langston happy and entertained. It's been especially helpful at work where she and Langston have been going for walks and letting me work for more than five minutes at a time.

Last week the Soft Star crew went bowling for a little break. We've been working hard the last few months and wanted to knock a few things down. It was the first time bowling for the youngest elves - Tivi, Kahlil, and Cruz. They really got into it! Of course their bowling etiquette is a little lacking as they liked to lay down at the end of the ally and wait for their balls to knock down the pins.

Look who's MARRIED and a general September update

Over the last few weeks I've had several people tell me they wanted new updates on this blog... and since I have a little extra time (I'll explain later) I thought I should get to it.

We were in the Bay Area last month for Morgan's wedding - my Baby Brother is getting all grown up! Here he is with his beautiful new wife, Kataneh:

The rehearsal dinner was held at a restaurant that has a belly dancer. Kahlil was quite taken by the dancer (although his cousin, Colin was VERY taken and kept asking for her to come back after the show). Kahlil asked two questions about her... 1) is she a girl?, and 2) why don't her clothes fit right? I guess puberty is a ways off. Since we were there for a wedding we were talking a lot about love and marriage. Kahlil told us he knew who he is going to marry... Tivi. We told him there are lots of girls in the sea and he might want to wait a while before making that decision. But he told us "she's the one for me" - so there you go, the next wedding is on the schedule!

While in the Bay Area, we also spent a day with Mike / Heather and Jess / Jessica. It was great to meet Baby Baxter. He was super cute. Here's four of the six Cal Poly boys: Eli, Baxter, Kahlil, and Langston.

Other developments last month were Langston starting on solids. He seems pretty into it which isn't surprising given his girth. I think Jay and I will need to consider a second mortgage for groceries when the boys are teens.

Kahlil and Langston have started doing bath time together. It's VERY entertaining for both of them.

And finally is the pink eye outbreak that hit home. Kahlil and Jay were affected here... thank goodness Langston didn't get it. Several friends came down with it as well. Luck for us Kahlil actually likes getting eye drops - weird kid!! He was easier to medicate than Jay.

Big Boys

All three boys in the house are having a big time lately. The biggest boy, Jay, had a good Father's Day. The best gift was a personalized hat given to him by Kahlil. It's hard to see in the picture, but there are Kahlil hand prints and 'Best Dad' written on it.

Kahlil's big news is that he is potty trained (mostly). YEAH!!!! We just decided it was time and put him in big boy underwear. The first few days were pretty rocky... no successes. But then he seemed to just get it. Of course the Cars cars were a big help. It's been a little over a week now and he is still having accidents, but the process is definitely under way.

And finally the newest boy... and his big news it that he is just plain big. He was weighed at the midwife yesterday and he topped the scales at 14 pounds, 7 ounces. That's a lot of heft for one not even two months old!

Busy Weekend

We had a busy weekend...

Friday started with a hike in the forest. It was Langston's first time in nature and the first time both boys rode in the bike trailer turned stroller.






















Saturday we went to the second birthday of a friend, Sylvia. It was a fantastic BBQ with lots of room to run and play. Including a fire pit that kept us up late.

Sunday we went to a BBQ at Kris and Paul's house. They have a LARGE chess board. Kahlil helped his dad play by moving pieces that were nearly life size for him. It was entertaining.















We were all tired out. Kahlil and Jay and Langston spent a little extra time in bed.

Langston has been working on smiling. Here is a good one I got on film.

Heft, hips, and hickeys

We had a busy day yesterday... Langston had two appointments; a four week checkup with the midwife and a hip ultrasound.

At the midwife, all was fine. He just has a little bit of congestion, compliments of his older brother and Kahlil's daycare. But the 'big' news is his weight... He is now 12 pounds, 4 ounces!!! I knew he was approaching the 12 pound barrier but apparently he zipped right by it.

In the afternoon we went to the hospital for a hip ultrasound. The pediatrician wants to make sure there are no hip displasia problems from his breach birth. The ultrasound found no issues - everything is where it should be. yeah!

And finally, a mystery was solved. Shortly after coming home from the hospital, Mom and I noticed a little red mark on Langston's wrist. It went a way after a day or two so I didn't worry about it. Then the mark came back, but I was pretty sure it was on the other wrist... but maybe I was mistaken. Then a mark showed up on both wrists. Now I'm starting to get a little interested in what's going on. Then I see a mark further up on his arm... now I'm getting concerned so I go to Jay. He looks at it and asks if Langston bit himself... AH-HA!!!! He solved the mystery... Langston likes to hang out with his arms and head up on our shoulders and while up there he often sucks on his hands and wrists. Apparently he's giving himself hickeys. Crisis avoided.

Happy Birthday Langston... one month old today.

Four Week Update

Today is Langston's four week birthday. I can't believe it's been four weeks already! He is still doing great... eating, sleeping, growing. Jay and I are getting better at NOT getting peed on... yeah.

We went on our first road trip as a family. We headed to the coast for the night on Friday (5/16). It was beautiful there - sunny, clear and not too windy. While Langston and I hung out in the shady grass, Kahlil and Jay played in the sand and water. It was very nice.

Here are some close-ups of Langston...






















here is one to make you smile...
















and one to make laugh...