strawberry picking // 25 months

It was almost 90 degrees in the OC yesterday, but that didn't stop us from lathering on the sunscreen and spending some time at Tanaka Farms. During the spring they do strawberry tours, where you climb aboard a tractor, take a tour of the farm and then pick your own fresh berries to take home with you. (In the summer they have watermelon tours, the fall a pumpkin patch and winter Christmas trees.)

The entire tour is about an hour, and Kyle did great! I was actually surprised at how much he enjoyed it. He loved climbing aboard the tractor and sat nicely the entire time, pointing out cool things he saw, like a scarecrow and a hawk. On our way to the strawberry field we made a few pit stops to try some of their home grown veggies - we got to try carrots, cilantro, onion, celery, bok choy and sugar snap peas. And would you believe that my little picky eater took a bite of every single one?! (except the onion - I spared him from that experience). I couldn't believe it! I guess he got caught up in the moment :) He liked the carrots and peas the best, which is no surprise since those are his favorites at home too.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at how much Kyle loved the tractor ride since that's totally up his alley, but what really made me smile was how into the strawberry picking he was. He wanted it to do it all by himself and looked hard to find the good ones that were perfect for his little basket. And he was so, so proud of himself when his basket was full and he carried it back to the tractor. He climbed back in with his basket, opened it up and grubbed! Shoved strawberries in his mouth for the whole ride back.

We bought some sugar snap peas from their market and headed home, where Kyle was really excited to show his dad his basket of berries and eat a few more before dinner. We can't wait to go back this summer for some watermelon fun!

"snow" trip 2015

A few weeks ago we took our 2nd annual trip to Lake Arrowhead with a group of close friends. We look forward to this trip every year, getting all of the kids together and enjoying some time away. Kyle is the youngest kiddo of the bunch and probably the most work since he really, really loves walking up and down stairs all day long (and there were plenty of stairs in our three-story HUGE cabin), but we had fun nonetheless. It was fun comparing to how it was last year, when he was juuuuust about to take his first step and was crawling all around the cabin pulling himself up on everything.

The weather was gorgeous and we were able to play some outdoor games, and on Saturday we drove to Snow Valley for some sledding fun. Kyle loved going down the hill but was not a fan of his gloves or the ski lift (which freaked me out, too, thinking of him squirming out of my arms and falling out), so after his second run he got so worked up that he ended up falling asleep on me for a nice afternoon nap outside.

Instead of bringing the pack n play we just brought along his mattress to sleep on, but the first night he ended up rolling off and sleeping directly on the cabin carpet - which really irritated his poor face. That, combined with the sun/snow day and lack of good naps, really did a number on him and it took him a few days to recover from our vacation.

Next year Kyle will be almost 3 for this trip and I think it will be the most fun yet. Can't wait to go back to the beautiful cabin on the lake and watch him play baseball/soccer outside with all of his friends! Maybe next year he'll actually have fun in the snow, too :)

(You can read about our last year's trip here.)

Knott's Merry Farm

Kyle and I had so much fun at Knott's last week with our friends. He's tall enough now to go on the airplane ride ALL BY HIMSELF (a very stressful 1.5 minutes for mommy). He loved it so much, but I was super nervous. We went on all the Camp Snoopy rides a few times and then stayed for the tree lighting show, which he watched from my shoulders - a first for us! He loved it. It's so cute to watch him interact with his friends. His favorite is holding hands and walking by himself... such a big boy. 

Knott's FTW

I've shared how I don't think we'll be going back to Disneyland until Kyle is a bit older, but we went to Knott's Berry Farm with my good friend and her little girl the other day and we had SO MUCH FUN. Camp Snoopy is awesome for little kids, even as young as 18 months!

There's a few reasons why I think Knott's is a better fit for us right now:

• I bought an annual pass (good for all of 2015) for $76. Their annual passes work differently than Disneyland - they are calendar year passes, so it makes sense to buy them in January, or before the year starts. Since I bought mine early, it was on sale (normally $96). I got in for free the day I got the pass, and if I want to go any time in 2014 before my pass kicks in it's only $9.99 admission. You can't even get into Disneyland once for $76!!! And Kyle is still free, so that's an added bonus.
• It's waaaaaay less crowded. We waited in 0 lines, they let us do the rides twice in a row without getting off, and I feel 100 times better letting Kyle walk around in front of me because I can keep an eye on him without a chance he'll get lost in the crowd. This is a HUGE plus for me because he's at the age that it's just not fun to be cooped up in the stroller all day. 
• He loved all the kiddie rides! They're right up his alley - cars, trucks, boats, airplanes. Super fun for a little boy (and girl!). 
• My friend Heather and I took turns watching the kids so we could ride the big kid rides - not as feasible at Disneyland when you have to wait 45 minutes. Kids would get restless. At Knott's during the week days this time of year, you walk right on!
• It doesn't have to be an ALL DAY thing. When you go to Disneyland, you want to make the most of your day - even if you have an annual pass. It's a process to park, ride the tram in or make the loooong walk into the park through California Adventure. That in itself is 45 minutes. At Knott's, it's easier to spend a couple of hours there doing fun stuff since it's not such a process getting in/out.
• Kyle had a blast and felt like such a big boy!

I'm still a huge fan of Disneyland - I mean, you can't beat the atmosphere, awesome shows, parades, food, characters, history, etc... but at this point in our lives I am team Knott's. I can't wait to go back tons of times this year and next!

cheese!

This morning I held up my iPhone to take a selfie with Kyle at the bike parade. I told him to look at the camera, smile and say "cheese!" - AND HE FREAKING DID IT:

He said "chisssss" and smiled for the camera! This picture makes me so happy, my heart hurts. That smile, those ears, that double chin! My little man.

I hope everyone had a fun 4th of July! I had to go into work at 5:00 (again, the joys of restaurant life), but we made the most of our morning and afternoon. We did the bike parade in the morning, had some bloody marys and beers with friends while Kyle took a nap in his friend's crib (that was a first, and a pretty frustrating experience getting him to go down in a strange room), and BBQ'd at my dad's house for lunch. Jammed packed day with friends & family!

summer days

I'm feeling pretty lucky that our good friends who live just 10 minutes away have a pool, and that I'm able to spend summer days enjoying the sun with my boy. Today was our 2nd time swimming together in their pool, and it was such an improvement from last time! On our first attempt Kyle didn't want to be in the water unless he was clinging to me like a koala - and even then he wasn't really feeling it. But today he was much more comfortable, and had a great time floating in his raft and smiling away! Cheers to an amazing summer ahead!

boom!

It's so funny when Kyle starts laughing at something out of the blue. One day, playing with blocks is mildly entertaining to him. The next day, his friend Sophia knocks them down and he thinks it's hilarious! I love that he's starting to laugh at actions, and not just at tickles or funny faces.

These baby laughs melt my heart!

concert in the park

Nothing says summertime like concert in the park! We were able to go twice this year, and really enjoyed ourselves. Last week an 80s cover band played, and we brought lots of friends and snacks. The perfect Thursday night!

my new fave picture!

children's museum

Today Kyle and I met some friends at the La Habra Children's Museum, where Kyle did his first arts & crafts project, was unfazed by a life-size lion and rode shot gun with a bunch of chicks:

fair play

Today was Kyle's first trip to the Orange County Fair with friends. He loved the zipper, corn on the cob and all the fried food! Oh wait, maybe next year ;) For now, he loved laying in his stroller and taking naps while mommy talked with her friends, sweat like crazy & got sunburned on her neck.

OC Fair tip - park across the street at Orange Coast College! You just need to buy a day permit for $1 and make the short walk across Fairview. Beats the $10 parking fee!

ladies man

Yesterday, Kyle and I hung out with some good friends & their babies... who happen to be all girls! Kyle didn't seem to mind. Ladies man in the making.

besitos from Jocelyn!

Mia, Jocelyn, McKenzie, Emily & Kyle

ABCs

Today, Kyle's friend Sophie taught him his ABCs. He responded with a big smile, rapid leg kicks and lots of drool.

33

And just like that, our crazy month of May is over, ending with my birthday - my first one as a mommy. Being a mom makes birthdays even more special somehow. I had a pretty mellow day compared to some other years (I mean, I was having a private beach dinner in the Bahamas for the big 3-0!), but this year was even more fun because I was with my son.

My mother-in-law made me her yummy enchiladas with green sauce and homemade brownie dessert on my birthday eve, and on my birthday Kyle and I spent the afternoon at the park with my friends Anna & Emily and the evening having dinner and a double dark chocolate shake at Ruby's with Brian. Pretty much the perfect day.

And next week, my mom is taking me to get a massage! I'm one happy mommy.

happy birthday to me!
family pic at Ruby's, flowers from my mother-in-law,
blowing out my candles, and rockin' the party hats!

first mother's day

Mother's Day photo shoot with my handsome boy.

For the past few years, Brian & I have hosted Mother's Day lunch at our house. Since my niece was born in 2008, I've always set the table with 3 special placemats with flowers and gifts: one for my mom, one for Brian's mom and one for my sister. Last year as I was setting the table, I was hoping and praying that in 2013 there would be 4 special placemats - and that one of them would be mine.

So this year, as I was setting up those 4 placemats and getting the house ready with the cutest little boy on my hip, I was smiling from ear to ear. This year, I am a mother! It was an incredible feeling and one that I'll never forget.

My first Mother's Day was perfect. My family (especially my husband) made me feel so loved and special. I think this may be my new favorite holiday :)

Saturday the fam came over for lunch and fun in the park, and Sunday we had a mellow day with just the 3 of us. I had breakfast in bed, snuck away for my first pedicure since Kyle was born, and had some time to take a bath and relax before we headed to a family friend's house for a visit. We ended the day with pizza and Mad Men - heaven!

gift from me & my sis for our mom - her 3 happy grandbabies! ;)

Mams & her grandsons.

we also celebrated Mams & B's birthdays (May 9 & 10).

Aunties & our nephs (Jacob is not loving pictures these days).

my sis brought sunflowers for the mommies! (and my cute niece).

our happy boy.

Kyle meeting B's best friend, Josh.

my loves.

old friends & new babies

Kyle hosted his first houseguest last night - our friend Ana, who is in town for a few days from her new home in Northern California. I was so happy to see her, even for a short time! Today a group of our friends got together for lunch in the park behind our house to catch up before she headed out to her cousin's house.

It's funny to think of what this group of girls was up to 10 years ago, when we worked together at Lucille's and our "play dates" were 21 & over :)

Thanks for staying with us, Ana! And you look cute in this picture! xo

6 weeks

Kyle, you are 6 weeks old!

You had an exciting day today - you went to your first party for Emily's 4th birthday, where you slept in the Baby Bjorn the whole time and wore your first party hat (and made dad wear one too). Later, your cousins, auntie KK and Mammie came over to visit and give you lots of lovin.

party hats!

Every day is a new adventure with you since you're still learning what you like and what you don't. One day you love taking walks in the park, and the next day you cry the entire time! You are starting to like baths, but don't like the lotion part; you seem to like your diaper changed and love to lay on your changing table, where you stare at the picture of the Ferrari on the wall; you sometimes like tummy time and sometimes fight me the whole time; you like it when I sing you songs at night and usually love to take drives. You're starting to notice toys but aren't quite following them with your eyes yet. You still like your big swing, where you'll sleep for a couple hours in the afternoon. We're figuring it out together!

I'm so amazed by how strong you are. It seems like you were born holding your head up, and I can't believe some of the things you try and do. When I'm burping you on my shoulder it's almost like you're standing up on my tummy! You like to push off with your legs and hold up your body and look around. Strong boy! And your eyelashes seem to grow by the day - long and curly. I'm pretty jealous of them, actually.

This week we made a trip to Target and I don't think we'll be doing that again for a little while. Turns out you're not quite ready for shopping trips yet. Or maybe mommy isn't ready :)

Also this week we saw your first tear! You were crying in the car on our way home and a teardrop came out of your eye. Oh so sad.

Penny loves hanging out with her brother. When you're in the swing, she'll lay on the couch near you the entire time. And she loves laying on the blanket/mat with you - wherever you are, she's there keeping her eye on you!

buddies

making friends

Last night, Kyle met his GiGi (great grandma Harlow) for the first time, and mommy forgot to take a picture. Nerds! GiGi brought Kyle some sweet goodies and he loved looking at her glasses when she talked to him. Next time I'll take lots of pictures to make up for it.

__________

Today, Kyle and I ventured out to our friends Anna & Emily's house for a few hours. It was one of those amazing "good baby" days! He fell asleep on me for an hour while I ate lunch, woke up happy, nursed under the hooter hider for the first time, tried out a new swing (and loved it!) and even smiled a couple times. I had the best time hanging out with him and chatting with my friends. Today my mommy confidence got a much needed boost!

Emily promised to teach Kyle how to play and blow bubbles when he's old enough.

showered with love

I felt so much love on my baby shower day! My sister and mom did a perfect job at planning the most special day for me - it was everything I could have hoped for and more. I was truly showered with so much love and support for our family and baby boy. Brian and I are so lucky to have such a supportive group of family and friends and I can't wait to share his arrival with everyone.

The room looked so cute!

My sis (and mom) planned everything perfectly!

They thought of everything! I loved reading everyone's advice - I need it.

super cute centerpieces.

Best. Sister. Ever.

My loves.

35 weeks!

I also have an amazing mother-in-law who happens to make the best cookies in the world.
And Aunt Carol came all the way from Arizona!

Lucy & Elsa

Jill, Jenna and Ana

Anna and Karen

This cutie helped me open presents :)

love my friends!

Obsessed with my beautiful mom. Our baby is going to adore her.

The rest of the day, Brian and I had so much fun going through all the gifts and putting them in nursery. Only a few weeks left until we have a baby in there too! Eeeek!