46/52

Week 46- I wasn’t sure if you were ready for the Cozy Coupe that has been through three kids but turns out you were more than ready and OBSESSED! Luckily Adam and Malcolm are more than happy to push you around and around and around. You sit there laid back with your foot up relaxing and enjoying, and the minute someone stops you sit up and protest. Once the car starts moving again you lay back again and put your foot back up. You also love to try to climb in over the door head first. Luckily Grandma is here and was able to teach you how to open the door and climb in, so now you use the door most of the time. Remind me not to get you a mustang when you grow up, but something sensible like a Volvo!

Street Fighter

You know what surprises me, that after knowing Randy for 33 years(!) and being with him for 13 and married for 8 there are still things about him that I never knew. With three kids who need attention ALL the time, we definitely have less time to talk about everything not kid related, so once a year we try to sneak away for a vacation without the kids when a Grandma is visiting. Last year I was pregnant with Miral and not allowed to travel, so took advantage while Grandma Gertch was here. We headed out to Shangia and coming first circle to what I started with, when we arrived and were out and about on a walk Randy told me he had always wanted to come to Shanghai. I told him I never knew that and he replied with, yeah ever since Street Fighter. What I loved so much about this comment is that I never even knew that Randy wanted to even go to Shanghai  AND i loved that it immediately made me remember 12 year old Randy who would be playing Street Fighter in his childhood home with James Boyce.   
We had a friends birthday party the night before that went a little late, but we didn’t care because we had no kids with us and could sleep the entire flight. 

We checked in and luckily the hotel we were staying at had a gas mask….in all of my travels I’ve never seen this. I still haven’t figured out what this is for.

We changed and headed out for drinks and dinner. Shanghai has the coolest restaurants and bars and great food. We went touristy the first night to a cool place with the best views and it was worth it. 

The next morning we headed out for some Shanghai shopping.

And of course we had to stop for some amazing soup dumplings for lunch. These were the BEST soup dumplings we have ever had and I think this was the best meal we had the whole trip and it was literally a hole in the wall.

We went back to the hotel to get ready and headed to the Waldorf for the best happy hour!

Then we headed to this restaurant in an old home. It was in a beautiful space but we ordered all wrong…the highlight of which was chicken in ice and some fatty belly of an unknown animal… 

The next morning we headed out on a long walk to see as much of Shanghai as we could.

On our Shanghai travels we found an old tea house. It was full of beautiful antiques.

Shanghai has the most beautiful details snuck into a bustling city. 

After a long day of sightseeing we headed back to the Waldorf Long Bar, our favorite place in Shangai.

Then we headed out for a food tour. This was all Randy’s idea. I wasn’t sold. But it ended up being super fun and the food was amazing! The places were all little random small restaurants and they were all so good! We also tried all these new foods, jellyfish, rabbit heads (I skipped this one) and Chinese strawberries.

The next morning we made one final stop before our flight to the Propaganda poster museum. No pictures were allowed. But I snuck these in, lots and lots of Mao. 

Oh and we also made sure to sneak in one last soup dumpling restaurant, because when in Shangai!

45/52

Week 45- I can’t believe we are already only 7 weeks away from a year! When I first started these week by weeks I loved them, then i hit a point around week 26 where I was super behind and wondered how I would finish them all, but now that I am nearing the end I of course am not ready for it to end. It’s so hard to let go, just like it is in real life. It feels like this year flew by even quicker than the rest. 
I wanted to capture some of the moments when Randy was home. when Miral was just under a year and on the cusp of becoming a walking toddler, when Malcolm was still a cuddle, silly bear who likes to give a hundred kisses and before Adam becomes a full fledged elementary school boy. We were lucky Grandma was visiting and could take pictures with us too! Taking pictures is something that I love, I take LOADS of pictures (as you all know) and nothing makes me happier than getting good photos of my family. But I am rarely in them, so this time I had someone come to the house to take pictures. I am so, so happy I took these photos and it makes for a special 45 week post. 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And this is why there are tons more pictures of Miral than the boys…she can’t protest and doesn’t know there is an Ipad in the world.

  

   

 

 

 

 

44/52 and 10 months

Week 44- You are 10 months old this week and it was a good week! Daddy came home to visit and we were all this happy to see him! Daddy was so excited to see your new tricks, standing and so close to taking a step. You also have the cutest new cheese face where you crinkle up your nose that cracks me up.  

Your brothers love getting into your playpen and crib. They were also super happy to see daddy! 

'یوم والد مبارک' Youm-e-Waalid Muba

We were all pretty excited for Randy’s second trip home. He arrived the day after Father’s Day so the boys made Randy some cards and posters. The boys loved making these posters and adding in all these animals. The boys had made all sorts of cards for him at school, all portraits of daddy. I loved seeing their interpretation of daddy. 

Miral was NOT pleased that she didn’t get to use the glitter and glue….

Daddy arrived and we went and picked him up from the airport! For the second trip in a row we headed right to Din Tai Fung. Our favorite dumpling place.

We snuck in some ice cream after at Farmacy. 

Then it was home to see this smiling face after her nap!

Everyone gave daddy all of his awesome Father’s Day presents.

Then it was time for daddy’s presents for everyone! 

Daddy picked out presents for mommy and Miral from Pakistan, we both got pretty bracelets and scarves of course!

We had plans to spend a cabana day at Solaire but I ended up getting sick. Thankfully I felt better by the weekend and we all headed up to Baguio. Poor Malcolm got my virus and had a high fever for part of the trip, but thankfully he felt better the next morning. But he was napping during the horses. 

We went to the Country Club and Miral got to go in the swing for the first time!

43/52

Week 43- This was a busy week for us. The boys ended school and are now around more to hang out with you. You also got to go to your first Ali graduation! You also started standing all on your own and are getting closer to taking a step! I’m hoping you take your first steps next week when daddy is home! It’s hard to catch you standing, but for an Iphone, you’ll do anything! 
Also just to spice things up this week I’m going to throw in a poem, because well why not. I am getting a bit nostalgic that you will be a year in just a few more weeks. This year has gone by so fast and I’m already planning your first birthday! It really feels like just a minute ago I was pregnant. 


E.E. Cumming’s ” I Carry Your Heart with Me”

i carry your heart with me 

(i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it

(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear no fate

(for you are my fate,my sweet)

i want no world

(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart

(i carry it in my heart)

5K

It’s taken me a long time to like running and a long time to get to the place where I am comfortable running 5K. But people, I am finally here. I was partially motivated by Randy who is a much better, faster runner than me. But I try and run and try and run some more and I slowly slowly get better. A few weeks ago there was a 5K at work for adults and a 1K for kids at work. It started at 6 am so at first I say hell no. But I was convinced by my friends at work and I’m so happy we went! The boys loved it and I loved it too. It was so great to run the 5K and run it well and know I could do it. Then it was so fun to watch and cheer the boys run the 1K. I think it’s so good for our kids to grow up seeing Randy and I enjoy running and exercise. On my way to the gym today Adam said- But you already have big muscles! Oh Adam, if only 🙂

 

42/52

Week 42- You are getting to be such a big girl. You love to be right in the center of whatever is going on. Wherever the boys are, you want to be right next to them! You love trying to see what they are doing and get into it. It makes it tricky for the boys to use markers or build stuff with little Legos but it is pretty funny watching you crawl over as fast as you can and watching the boys try to save their lego structure/drawing/book. But when they are playing with stuff you can enjoy it’s great to watch you all play together. I can see the older you get the more the boys can see how much fun you’re going to be!

Last Days

The last week of school was pretty hectic, there were concerts and parties. The same day Adam hasd his end of school Rock-n-roll party, Malcolm had his end of school concert, theme was the greatest show. Both were great and I loved that both boys joined and cheered each other on!
In preparation of the shows we went shopping. Adam picked out a fake leather jacket he felt was perfect for a rock-n-roll party and Malcolm got a blazer so he could look like a real showman!

First up was Adam’s rock n roll party. It was great! The kids had made a photo booth and had a hair coloring and mohawk making station. Adam and some of his friends performed a rock show and everyone had a fun time!

We went home for a snack and to pick up Miral and headed over to Malcolm’s show. Their theme this year was the Greatest Show. Malcolm told a joke which might have been my favorite part of the whole show- Why did the banana go to the doctor? Because he was peeling. They also sang A Million Dreams from the Greatest Showman which made me tear up. 

Malcolm and his best friend Sam posed like superheros.

Then Malcolm was called up to get his diploma. Malcolm has come so far! Just last year he was scared to go up but this year he did it all!

Then it was performance time. Malcolm has been singing this song for weeks, his favorite line is Run., run, run like a cheetah, so I’m happy Malcolm got to be the cheetah.


It was bittersweet for me of course like all milestones. I am so happy that Adam and Malcolm are growing and becoming such sweet little people but I also can’t believe how fast time goes! Every year at this time I pause and tear up thinking about it. This time last year I was pregnant with Miral and on bed rest so Randy had to facetime me in for the boys final show. This year we have an almost one year old and I had to facetime Randy in to the boys show. So many changes but the one constant is our amazing children who grow and mature and who I love more every year.

41/52 and 9 months

Week 41- You turned 9 months this week! You have officially been out of my belly the same amount of time you were inside. This was a big week for you, you started bathing with your brothers. At first they just squeezed into your bath for fun but then I quickly realized that you were old enough to really take a bath with the boys. You LOVE taking baths with your brothers. You love playing with their toys and watching them play. You LOVE it so much you cry when you have to get out. It’s also so much easier to bath you all at once, I love it!

9 months in!

9 months out!