Carmel

Randy’s good friend is getting married next year….so I agreed to letting him spend the weekend with his friends and taking all three on by myself.  Although I would have loved to see more of this. 
The first day alone I piled our brood into our rented minivan and went to the mall.  I figured it was manageable.  We even made it to Target which everyone loved.  Star wars gloves and silly string helped as well.  After Target I decided to keep it simple and pick up McDonalds…of course Capitola has the only non drive through McDonalds….so i had to get all the kids out and in to pick up our Happy Meals. Maybe to persuade you to go to the Whole Foods next door, but it was too late, promises had been made. 
Day two we decided to get packed into the car and drive to Carmel where Aunt Das and Uncle Nooj and Laurel were waiting for us.  The drive was great.  Miral slept the whole way and the boys occupied themselves.  Here we are living the minivan dream.   
We got there and were so excited to see Aunt Das and Uncle Nooj!  It had been a whole day after all.  We explored all of Carmel Valley Ranch, the farm, the bocce ball court, restaurants, playground, outdoor bath, fireplaces, the smores pit.  It was such a nice day!

Hard to not have a good time somewhere this beautiful! Not to mention the best part, that we got to spend the day with the Jordans.

After a delicious dinner, a whole lot of lot of smores, a comfy bedtime for all four kiddos, and a delicious Windy Oaks Pinot, we had to say goodbye to the Jordans for a few weeks.  They left early Sunday morning.  Randy and his friends weren’t back at the house yet, so I had to decide if we would stop at a coffee shop and get on the road or take advantage of the beautiful restaurant and have breakfast.  I LOVE hotel breakfasts, its always my favorite.  But I was worried about how the kids would be.  Well, I went for it and it was one of those moments that became one of my favorite of the trip. Miral was an angel and slept the whole meal, the boys were super cute and colored and ate every bite of their meal and I had to most delicious farm to table breakfast with the sun streaming in.  We even stopped at the gift shop and found two super cute, cheap ornaments.  Sometimes universe you just nail it. 

Don’t mind the crazy eyes, its the only picture I have. 

Red, Blue and Pokemon

Helium is pretty hard to find in Manila.  After five years here I still don’t really understand why, but it’s something I miss every birthday (I’m sure you are all familiar with my whining about no helium). So for Adam’s birthday I wanted to buy the biggest balloons I could find.  Randy went out the night before to buy them and bought red and blue, Adam’s current two favorite colors.  Randy threw in a Pokemon balloon which the boys have been really into and it was definitely Adam’s favorite balloon. 
I convinced the boys to come outside and take some pics and it was just in time. At the end of the photo session the boys started throwing the balloons around and next thing i knew two had broken free and floated away! Good thing we still had three that lasted the whole rest of the time we were in California. 

17/52

Week 17- You spent a night at a fancy hotel for the first time!  We went to see Laurel and Aunt Das and Uncle Nooj at Carmel Valley Ranch.  We had a fun night and then Laurel had to go home 😦  We’ll see her in a few weeks in New York though!  We did manage to squeeze in one last photo shoot in Carmel in matching tutu dresses.  You also got to meet daddy’s very best friend from college Miguel and mommy’s very best friend from college Gabby!  They came to see us with their families and everyone gave you tons of cuddles.  Your second state was a big success with lots of family and friends!

My six year old!

Adam is six! Six is such a big one.  Adam is on the verge of being a real grown up kid.  He really gets things and is so mature.  There are of course still meltdowns over Legos and TV, but then there are those moments when Malcolm is crying or Miral is hungry that Adam catches my eye and gives me such an adult knowing look and then he tries to shush Miral or calm Malcolm down.  Where did my teeny little baby go! 

I went back and found the first email I wrote Adam about his birth.

Dear Adam,
Before I forget I want to write you emails about how you entered into this world and what happens week to week. You’re changing so fast if i dont write it to you I’ll forget!
We were so excited to get pregnant with you and the whole nine months were so anxious to meet you! Your daddy treated me with such love and kindness, he didn’t want anything to happen to the little pumpkin in my belly!
Here is the story of how you came into our lives.
I had gone to the doctor on Mon, Dec 5th for my last doctors appointment. I was due to be induced on Thur but i was hoping you would come early.  At my last sonogram you were measuing 8 pounds 13 ounces! Daddy came home from work and I felt fine, we had dinner (chicken cutlets and a rocket salad) and went to bed early. I woke up at 3 to go to the bathroom and just had a feeling something was going on! I went back to bed and couldn’t sleep and about an hour later I felt my water break! I leaped up and went to toilet and I was so excited and nervous that you were going to arrive soon! I woke daddy up who leaped out of bed and asked me my water broke. He was ready to go and already getting dressed before I answered! When I said yes he replied well done! 
We got in the car and drove to the hospital. We’re lucky you decided to start coming at 4am cause the hospital was 40 minutes away during the day with traffic. I wasn’t having contractions yet so it was a nice excited ride! We texted grandma gertch and grandma youssey to let them know you were on your way so they could drive down to Washington DC from New York.
We got to hospital and went upstairs to the birthing room.  We were super excited and not even tired! The sun came up and I knew today would be your birthday.  Daddy went to get some breakfast since he would need all his strength to help me! The contractions started around 6 am but not too strong yet. The doctor on call- Dr. Snyder came in little later and said I was still at three centimeters dilated (I was at three the day before) so she started me on pitocin to move things along. Then the contractions started coming for real. Around 11 am they checked me and I was six centimeters dilated so we were excited it was moving along and you were getting closer! By 3 I was nine centimeters dilated and I was really ready for you to come 🙂 the contractions were about two minutes apart. 
Your daddy was amazing and stayed right next to me all day rubbing my back and encouraging me.  I couldn’t imagine not having him next to me and couldn’t wait for him to become a daddy. He loved you so much from the minute we found out you were in my tummy and was so excited to be your daddy.  He used to sing to you and talk to you when you were in my tummy.  Every time you moved in my belly he would get so excited and want to feel every move you made! He would never get bored or move his hand away until you feel asleep and stopped moving.  He used to want to talk all the time about what you would be like and who you would be! He couldn’t wait to find out and I could feel how excited he was all day that he was finally going to get to meet you!
The doctor came and checked me but I hadn’t changed in about two hours and I was still nine centimeters. Your head was too big and we would have to do a c-section. First we tried an epidiral to see if maybe that would help you come out! So I got the epidural and it was awesome actually.  It was nice and relaxed for an hour and this is when we decided on your name- Adam Malek. When the doctor came back there was no change so c-secion time! Now we knew you would be here so soon.  They took me into the room to get me ready and daddy came in right after to sit at my head.  After some tugging they pulled you out and the first thing they said was that you had alot of hair (they never saw your cousin roman’s hair) and then they said it’s a boy! The Adele song- Someone Like You was playing, so now when we hear it we say that Adam’s song is playing. I had tears in my eyes knowing our lives were about to change and we would have a wonderful little boy with us. You let out some healthy cries right away and we were so happy you were here and healthy. They took you over and checked you and then gave you to daddy to hold. Daddy was so happy. We took some pictures and then I finally got to hold you and they wheeled us back to labor room. You wanted to eat right away and were so good at eating from the start!
Your sugar was a little low so they had to take you to the Nicu and daddy went with you and I stayed in the room. I already missed you so much! Grandma Gretch and grandma Yuyu came into the room, they had been waiting all day in the waiting room to see you! Poor grandma gretch was sick so she only got to see me, but grandma Yuyu went to see you. Then then finally brought you back to me and your sugar was fine! I was so happy!! They took us to our room then and we stayed there for four days. Daddy stayed over too and the three of us got to know each other! Mommy and daddy had to learn to change your diaper and to dress you! We were in shock that such a beautiful little baby was all ours and we would get to take you home!
You learned to nurse at the hospital and we learned how to take care of our little pumpkin! We loved spending those first four days all together, our first as a family!!
After four days, we got to take you home on Sat, Dec 10th to our house in Capitol Hill. We were so nervous to put you in the car seat, you were so teeny and it was so cold out! Aunt Sandra had gotten you a take me home outfit, a little white sack and a white hat and blanket that we put you in and then daddy drove super carefully. We had loved our time at the hospital with you, it was like a mini vacation 🙂 with no sleep of course.
Grandma Yuyu was there and Aunt Daphne had come down to meet you! Poor Grandma Gertch was still sick so she had to wait to meet you. Aunt Daphne had taken the train down for the night to meet you. Grandma Yuyu went back to NY that day and Aunt Daphne stayed the night. 
That first day home was so exciting! We had to figure out what we were doing 🙂 but we were so excited to have you home with us and couldnt wait for all the many more days to come! Daddy helped set up some diaper stations and organize things for us. You were sleeping in your bassinet on your carriage so we carried it down and put you in there all swaddled in a blanket.  You slept so much and only woke up to eat and then fell right back asleep. We wanted to hold you all the time.
You were up alot that first night and we weren’t sure what we were doing. I was worried you would be cold and then you managed to poo all over us (and the chair behind us) and right after that you peed on us! It took us a couple days to get settled into life with you, but we loved every second of learning how to make sure you felt loved and taken care of.
We have never loved anyone as much as we loved you right away. From that first day home we couldn’t imagine what our lives could be like without you in it! We love you more than anything!
 

Six years later to this day we were in California for Adam’s sixth birthday. There to celebrate with us was Aunt Das, Uncle Nooj and Laurel!  We let Adam pick what we did and he of course picked fishing! But first Adam woke up to some special balloons we got for him.

Then it was off to fish! There is a beautiful pier right in Capitola and you can rent fishing poles.  We had done it two years ago when we were last in California and Adam loves talking about it so we knew this is what he would want to do!

After fishing we came home and had a party for Adam, cake, presents, poo pinata and all.  All in all a pretty amazing sixth birthday!

Oh Christmas Tree

Before we left for our trip we put our Christmas Tree up!  We had plans to spend Christmas in New York for the first time in five years we decided to decorate our tree early.  We already had a fake tree which was great because we put it up and left it up the whole six weeks we are away!  Then when we get home in January, we’ll have a little bit of Christmas left.  And Christmas tree day is my favorite day so I wanted to make sure the boys had the chance to decorate the tree and Miral got to have her first Christmas tree day.

A fake tree needs to be put together though and these two helped loads.  No really, they did!

And it was this peanuts first Christmas tree day!

(the mark on adam’s face is an ISM robot tattoo)

Miral’s stocking is on the way!

Adam is intrigued that Miral needs to find her hands and feet. So I ordered these little rattles partially for Miral but mostly for Adam.

I’m pretty excited for our first Christmas as a family of five!

We went from fake Christmas trees in 90 degree Manila to enormous redwood trees in a cool 75 degree California.  I have never been anywhere that has parks like California.  Beautiful trees, amazing lights, well kept trails.  They may not have lights and ornaments but nothing like a 50 foot redwood to put you in the Christmas mood.

Santa Barbara or bust

A few days after we got to California we planned to drive to Santa Barbara to see some friends.  It’s a four hour drive so I was a little nervous about Miral, who had been a little fussy on our one hour drives in Hawaii.  But we really wanted to see our friends so we headed out.  In case you were wondering what four hours with three kids in a minivan looks like here you go.

In the end my fears were unfounded and all three kids did great the entire drive down.  We arrived late Friday night and our friend Laith had smoked a huge delicious piece of meat and his mom, whose house we all stayed at, had made a feast for us!  It was hard to see the neighborhood at night, but the next morning I went for a run and was greeted by these views.  Oh California, you never disappoint. 

A week with my BFF- by MIral

When we were in California I FINALLY got to meet Laurel, my cousin twin.  Our moms love to talk about how we’re doing the SAME things at the same time and love to dress us alike.  I guess being three weeks apart there will a lot of that in our future.  She was as fantastic as everyone says she is.  She’s a little older so she taught me things, like how to roll over and how to nibble on my feet.  Here are some of my highlights from our first of many vacations together!  I can’t wait until we’re older and head off on some adventures around the world. 

Our first meeting!

My first cuddle with Aunt Das

Aunt Fo’s cuddles with Laurel

Showing Laurel the worm, oh brothers!

More cuddles with Laurel

Laurel sharing her parents 

Daddy dates, with wine

Cousin love 

I love you Laurel, and I’m pretty lucky to already have my very best BFF  ❤️

The Lost Key

I was so pleased with myself that I managed to wake up early with the boys but still motivate to go for a run.  It was so beautiful out and the views were amazing in Santa Barbara (this is going somewhere and is not just me bragging about the few times I ran on vacation).  We had a fun day planned after with the kids, lunch, the zoo, dinner.  But first some cuddly pajama pics with the kids. 

We got everyone ready and headed to the car to go to the zoo….it was around this point that randy asked me for the rental car keys.  I had taken them earlier to get my sneakers out of the trunk.  I had them taken the easy way out and put them in my sweater.  The minute Randy asked where the key was, I realized I had no idea…two hours of looking later I still had no idea.  Randy and Laith headed out to Ventura where there was a key available.  How do you entertain five kids for hours of searching and hunting down a new key you ask?  Well, thankfully this was Laith’s mom’s specialty!

We had painting.

Baby snuggling.

Walking along my running route hunting for keys.

Piano playing.

Clay making. 

Backyard exploring

Eventually Randy and Laith got back and miraculously the key worked!  We were even able to make it to the zoo like we had promised the kids.  And i learned to never, ever, ever run with keys in my pocket…I wonder what happened to that car key…

16/52

Week 16- This week was a special one.  You finally got to meet your cousin, Laurel, who was born three weeks before you.  I never thought Aunt Daphne and I would have two baby girls so close in age.  It’s pretty amazing and I can only hope you two will be even half as close as Daphne and I are.  Get ready, there are going to be a whole lot of cousin twin photo shoots in your future!  You also got to meet Aunt Das and Uncle Nooj!  Aunt Das and Unclle Nooj have been an awesome aunt and uncle and we can only hope to be as good an aunt to Laurel.  I gave Laurel to Adam…since you are our child I let Malcolm hold you 🙂  And Malcolm did great, although it is physically impossible for him to hold you and not kiss you!

Wintry California

We left Hawaii and headed to California where the temps were a wintry 40 at night and 60-70 during the day.  This was the coldest we’ve been in a long time, so we decided to celebrate with some wintry activities.  First up, a gingerbread house.  Thank you Trader Joes!  As always the Alis love you!

Next up, a chilly ice skating adventure on Santa Cruz Boardwalk.  

It was the boys first time ice skating and they both loved it and did amazing.  I had to hold Malcolm the entire time which was a workout all in itself and even though he spent a lot of time trying to break the ice with his skate he refused to get off the ice and really liked it.  Adam also refused to get off the entire time and also insisted on skating by himself and did great.  He fell a few times but caught on pretty quick.