Big Boy Bed

It’s finally time for Adam to sleep in a big boy bed.  Well, it’s time and a new little brother needs the crib. First step, we converted Adam’s crib so he could get in and out.  Everyone I’ve talked to says that when you convert the crib the toddler usually stays in the bed.  Well, not Adam.  He very quickly realized when he wakes up he can get up out of bed.  When his first nap in his newly converted crib was done I heard him knocking on the door.  It’s pretty cute, when he wakes up he knocks on the door and calls for mommy and daddy to come let him out (he can’t reach the doorknobs in our apartment). 
Adam was a great helper.  He loved the tool and sat there turning the screws for hours after we were done. 

Adam was so excited to get into his new bed.  He got in and laid down and then insisted I let Malcolm lay next to him yelling ‘Two boys! Two boys!’

How is Adam this big already?? It really seems like he was just a teeny baby who was so big in this crib.

Next step is to get him in a real bed! 

Ocean Adventure

Last weekend we decided to take the boys and head out of Manila.  We had heard that Subic had a great aquarium so we decided to head out there and depending on how the day went maybe go to the beach for a bit after that. It’s pretty far, two and a half hours, but we decided to give it a try.  Worst case we have two kids crying in the car, we could live with that.

We were trying to leave really early and managed to get on the road at 7:15. Not too bad, considering it takes us an average of forty minutes to get out of the house these days. When I told Randy what I had packed for the day he turned to me and said, wait is that what you’re bringing to Greece (where we’re going for a month)?  Nope, just for the day, just wait until Greece Randy.  I brought four diapers for each child, two extra outfits for each, bathing suits for all and a towel for each of us.  Adam’s swimmies and beach toys (all this in case we made it to the beach after the aquarium).  Tylenol for Adam who had a runny nose, just in case he got a fever.  A bag full of snacks and waters because there is nothing worse than being stuck in a car with a hungry/thirsty toddler and have nothing to offer him. An Ipad and a kindle, our camera, two kids books and three toy cars. We also had two strollers, two car seats and two children.

This little nugget was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

After three hours and fifteen minutes in the car….we finally arrived.  We only stopped once, but with two diaper changes, bathroom trips for the adults, feeding Malcolm and a happy meal for Adam all in it took us thirty minutes to get back on the road.

Here’s Adam enjoying a snack at the rest stop.  He LOVED sitting in the front seat to eat his snack!

First on the agenda a sea lion show.

Oh right, sea lions and ice-cream.  Sorry Randy. You didn’t like that shirt did you? 

Then we headed off to see the sharks and fish.  There weren’t really that many fish or sharks but luckily Adam is still young enough to think that the one shark swimming around was more than one.  There were a lot of jellyfish at least.


 And we all learned a perhaps valuable albeit scary lesson for children. 

Here are the best pictures of me and the boys.  Great photos right?

We had a great day with the boys and both were amazing in the car and in the heat walking around the aquarium.  Adam even went all day without a nap, which is impressive considering we were in the car for seven hours.  But the aquarium was not worth seven hours in the car.  The Manila aquarium is bigger and better and only 25 minutes away.  This aquarium is great for swimming with dolphins but Malcolm and Adam are still a little young for that, although Malcolm really wanted to.  Adam was happy to see sharks and we were happy that no one had a meltdown in the car.

All in, our first road trip a success!  

3 months

3 months of this sweet face.  Who could ask for anything more. 
Malcolm, you are the cuddliest, sweetest baby.  You want nothing more than to be near mommy.  You’ve just started grabbing things and are always grasping my necklace shirt or hair when I put you down.  You love to play with toys and it seems like you’re going to be so playful.  You are a total mamas boy.  You love to sleep and would sleep all day and thankfully are already sleeping well at night.  You are the chunkiest, cutest little baby and I can’t wait to watch you grow!  We all love you so much and you are the perfect addition to our little family. 

New Toys

A new helmet for riding our scooter, twist car and Arlo’s wooden bike. 
Golf clubs from Maria, the best nanny around. 

This is what Adam looks like when he says ‘Bib Bit’, little bit.  He says it with such confidence, as if there is no doubt you’ll let him try a ‘bib bit’, whether its wine, coffee or peanut butter, all the while nodding his head and showing you with his little hand what a bib bit he wants. Then once he gets a bib bit (not of wine, coffee or peanut butter) he looks at you and says big? What a good negotiator!

Lest you think Malcolm was left out.  A new rattle from Kate! 

Conversations with Adam

Randy told me about this conversation Adam and he had yesterday over breakfast.  To set the stage, Randy was in his suit and tie and about to leave for work.

     Adam:  Daddy, where are you going?

     Daddy:  I’m going to work.

     Adam: Why daddy?

     Daddy:  Because everyone has to eventually go to work.

     Adam:  Adam wear tie too?

I love how Adam put together that he one day he will have to go to work and wear a tie 🙂

Slow down pumpkin.  I’m not ready for you to start your first day of school tomorrow let alone head off to work in a suit or tie.

My two boys

Whenever Malcolm is laying on a blanket or his playmat (thanks Gabs- we still love it 🙂 Adam comes right over and lays as close to Malcolm as he can get.  Then he looks at me and says ‘Two Boys’ emphasis on the Two.  It melts my heart every time.  I always ask Adam who my two boys are and he loves it. 
Whenever I’m holding Malcolm and Adam wants to be held too, if I tell Adam no he looks at me and says Mommy, Two Boys! Works like a charm every time.  I’ll bend down and pick him up too.  He loves being close to Malcolm. 
We are so lucky that Adam loves Malcolm so much.   Adam wants to show Malcolm whenever he gets a new toy, or can watch some Nemo or gets a sweet.  he says, ‘Look Alcolm’.  I know he loves him because he even gives him some of his toys, granted he’ll put them right on Malcolm’s face but who doesn’t love a cement truck on the face.   
I can’t wait until these two are old enough to play together.  I know there will be some fights down the road but I’m hoping they become good friends who help each other through life.  

Horses & pools

When Malcolm was in the hospital all we wished for was to be able to have both boys home with us so we could enjoy them.  Last Sunday we were driving in the car with both of our boys after a great weekend and I turned to Randy and we talked about how lucky we are.  Not even two months ago we couldn’t imagine how wonderful this would be.
 
Saturday morning we went for a long walk to the coffee shop.  Then after Adams nap we went to the Manila Polo club to watch Randy play softball.  Added bonus, we got to see horses.  Adam was in heaven.  What is it about horses that little boys LOVE?

 
 

Despite this impressive looking catch,  the US team lost.

But don’t despair, Adam and his friend Sasha got to see a whole cow being cooked.  This was more exciting than the softball game and kept these two entertained the whole game.  Adam spent all week talking about the big cow burning…no worry of a vegetarian here.  

After the game Sasha’s parents invited us over with a few other families for a yummy dinner.  Adam got to watch Frozen with his friends which he loved.  He’s still talking about the big snowman.  He was half excited about it and half terrified. 

Sunday we woke up and headed to a country club our friends belong to. It’s a little outside of central Manila and in a wide open area with clean air.  We all went swimming except for this little peanut.

We had yummy snacks after lots of swimming and sliding.

 
And spent time with friends.

 

We capped off our weekend with yummy pizza at Ginos Brick Oven pizza, a new place in Makati that is delicious!  A perfect weekend with my three guys.

 

Last Day of School

Adam has been going to school at 9th Avenue for a year now.  But the school year is over and he’s moving on to a bigger school in a couple of weeks.  This school was great and we were really lucky to have found it.  The class that Adam took was twice a week for an hour and a parent goes with.  This was a nice and easy way for both Adam and I to start getting used to school. 
 
It’s been amazing watching Adam change and grow in school.  When we started he could hardly say but a few works and just yesterday he pointed to cars in his new favorite ‘book’ the Oriental Trading magazine and said ‘I want to buy this’.   He is talking so much and in full sentences! His grammar is better than mine, he can count to ten, he knows all the major colors and loves to sit and sing songs in school. 
 
 
 
 
Adam had the best teacher, Teacher Tiffany.  Adam LOVED her.  He was so excited to bring her a present on the last day of school. 
 

I’m going to miss 9th avenue and Teacher Tiffany as much as Adam.  It was so nice spending this time with Adam and watching him grow and learn.  His new school is for kids only but I know  Adam will do great there, thanks to 9th avenue and Teacher Tiffany.

 

 

 
 
 
 We’ll miss you Teacher Tiffany and 9th Avenue.
 

 
 
 

Kate did that!

I’ll never run out of reasons why I love Kate but here are my current top five.

1. She flew to Manila from Hong Kong with a three month old alone and never once complained or was anxious about it.   When I was in the hospital with Malcolm she mentioned she wanted to come visit once we were home.  I didn’t want to get my hopes up since I had trouble making it to the coffee shop on the corner when Adam was three months but I should never doubt Kate.  Sure enough once we were home she came straight away.

I was so happy to get to meet her beautiful sweet little boy who is perfect as I knew he would be.

 
Keeping with our long tradition of no good pictures of us, here is the only picture of us together. Kate and George look great, me and Malcolm – not our best look.  
 

2.  We spent the whole glorious four days of the visit soaking up time with the babies, relaxing, and talking.  That is except for when Kate was making us hummous, cooking stuffed grape leaves and updating our Ipad.  A woman of many talents.

 

For Adam, relaxation involves a lawnmower and bubbles.

3.  Even sleep deprived, Kate managed to research the best schedule for babies and get George on it.  Which thanks to Kate and all her advice I now have Malcolm on. 

 
 

4.  We took our babies to the monthly bazaar and I found the best stuff which always happens when I go shopping with Kate. 

5.  Only Kate would spend three hours setting up and helping me take the cutest pictures of all three boys.  This had the added bonus of the air conditioning being turned off to make sure Malcolm didn’t get cold which in midday Manila means the room was about 100 degrees.  It was worth it though, get ready for cuteness overload.  

  

 
I love that our boys are only a couple of weeks apart.

 

 

My number one reason for loving Kate is she makes everyone feel special.  Even Adam felt this love and wouldn’t stop talking about Kate for weeks after she left.  He even thought it was hysterical to point to Malcolm and say this Baby George, when I asked him who this made me he would answer Kate.  We wish Adam 🙂
 

I was putting some paprika on Adam’s hummous the other day and he looked and me and said in his excited little voice- Kate did that! She sure did Adam.

Thanks for coming to visit us Kate! We miss you and Baby George.