Pictures from the last few weeks...

May continued to be a busy month, filled with more memories and fun time with family and friends. We continue to feel so blessed!

Michael took Connor to a Giants games with our friends Josh and Ben

Connor at his 2nd dentist appointment. He did great during his teeth cleaning and x-rays. He made friends with all the dentists and hygenists!

Showing off his beautiful pearly whites!

We took a weekend trip to Tahoe and Mallory came too so she could watch the kiddos at night.

Mallory and Connor building sandcastles at Camp Richardson.

Grandma Jill brought her girlfriends, Pat and Sherry, to meet Madeline and see Connor. It was great to see these lovely ladies and Connor really enjoyed showing them around our home.

We got to attend Sophia's 2nd Birthday. It was a "Milk and Cookies" theme and Connor LOVED decorating (and eating) all the yummy cookies.

Celebrating Poppy's birthday! Happy Birthday to the World's Best Dad and Poppy!

We had a blast going to the Sacramento County Fair with my parents. Connor loved petting the goats!

Connor petting the largest rabbit I've ever seen! We liked the animals, but this year, he seemed more interested in the rides! He has no fear... he enjoyed all the rides, even the kiddy roller coaster!

Sweet Maddie, laughing for the camera!

She LOVES bathtime. She often giggles, coos, and tries to suck on her toes during bath.          

My precious girl... still in awe of her beauty and perfection!

We had a busy weekend celebrating Mother’s Day. On Saturday, Michael planned an outing to Color Me Mine where we got to paint pottery together. Connor painted a bowl for me for Mother’s Day, I painted a plate with the kids' footprints on it, and Michael painted a baseball piggy bank for Connor. We then went out to lunch and got Pinkberry for dessert! That night, Dave and Jill came up and we went to the River Cats game. We had a great time with them and the River Cats won! We stayed late to see the fireworks show. Taking a baby to a baseball game has it’s challenges, but it was fun to take Maddie to her first baseball game. The next morning, Michael and Connor made a Starbucks run  to bring me a mocha on my special day. We then got ready and headed to church for Cayden’s dedication. It was emotional to see him be dedicated to the Lord since he is such a little miracle and has overcome so much already. I was glad I could see my mom there, since we’re celebrating Mother’s Day later by taking her to tea time at a tea shop in Sacramento. Tea time is something we used to do often with my nana, so it’s a fun way to remember her during Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. I certainly am blessed with an amazing mom and mother-in law. They have taught me how to be a good mom. To me, being a mom is the best job in the world!

I'm 30!

I had to blog about my birthday, just so I could remember all the great details of my 30th! We first celebrated with a weekend away in Monterey and Santa Cruz, which is how I requested to celebrate my birthday. I wanted some family time away with quality time with Michael away from work! On my actual birthday, I woke up to flowers from Michael and another bouquet from my mom and dad. I had a training for NUSD and my sweet girlfriends brought this delicious cake and threw me a mini birthday party during the break. My mom watched Maddie during the training and also long enough for me to go get a pedicure! That night, my dad joined us and we went to Paesano's for dinner. Later that week, my girlfriends planned a happy hour at Ella's downtown. Jill so graciously watched the kiddos so both Mallory and I could go. We had a great time visiting and enjoying delicious drinks and appetizers. A few of us stayed out and had dinner at Esquire Grill. I came home that night feeling very blessed and content with turning 30! Little did I know, Michael still had something up his sleeve! The next morning I woke up and Michael asked if I'd like to go out to breakfast. We drove across town to what Michael said was a new spot he wanted to try. I wasn't suspicious in the least... just looking forward to a breakfast date with my hubby! We arrived at a day spa where five of my closest girlfriends were waiting to surprise me with balloons and flowers! I was so shocked and surprised!! Michael had arranged for us all to have a day of beauty and we each got to choose 3 services to have done. I had a massage, pedicure and facial. It was delightful! We then went out to lunch at Piatti's and enjoyed more girl talk. Michael won the best husband award by far! He spoils me beyond belief and makes me feel so loved and appreciated all the time. I am so very blessed to have a wonderful husband and amazing friends. My 30th couldn't have been better! 

Enjoying the warm weather!

We had a play date this last week with our friends Lilliana, Mallory, and Sophia. We're so lucky to have close friends to create memories like this with!

Michael and Connor have been playing lots of baseball in the park. It's so special to see Michael "coaching" Connor. Connor listens intently to Michael and seems very interested in batting and pitching. Melts my heart o see them spend time together like this!

We continue to be blessed with Auntie Mallory. She is such a big help and my babies just adore her. Maddie loves to snuggle with Mal and Connor enjoys climbing on her, chasing her, teasing her, etc. He treats her more like a sister than an aunt. Most recently, they've been doing yoga together which is hilarious to watch and usually ends with Connor attacking Mal and using her as a human jungle gym. Connor calls it "yoga poos" instead of a "yoga pose." He'll ask Mallory "lets do some yoga poos!" Cracks me up every time. Thank you Mal for helping so much!

Madeline is 4 Months Old!

Where does the time go? I can hardly believe our baby girl is already 4 months old. It seems like she is still so new, and yet it's hard to remember a time without her. She has so totally consumed our hearts already. Connor is in love with his baby sister. He loves to hold her, play "tummy time" with her and sing to her. Often if she's fussy in the car, he'll sing to her or talk to her to calm her down. She's stolen his heart already. Maddie changes every day. Most notable this month has been her growth. She seemed so skinny and petite up until her third month, but now she's developing that adorable chunky baby look. Maddie's eyes seem to be getting a darker blue and her hair is lightening. She hasn't lost much hair, but the longer parts seem to be curling more. Looks like she might have curls like her mama. She's happy all the time... smiling, cooing, and laughing. Her giggle is hilarious! Connor is often the one to get the best giggles from her. She's still nursing like a champ and consistently sleeps from around 8pm to 5:30am in a cradle next to our bed. She wakes up with the biggest smile- so energetic to start the day. We're starting to talk about transitioning her to her crib, but we're hesitant to mess with something that's working so well!  Napping is not completely consistent yet- she sometimes sleeps 20 minutes at a time, but then will surprise me with a 90 minute nap every now and then. She enjoys watching Connor play, being sang to, and playing on her play mat. She's at the stage of sucking and chewing on everything within her grasp and she drools a ton. She likes to go on walks and be out and about during the day, but is also content when we're at home. Lately, she's enjoyed sitting in her bouncy seat outside while watching Connor play in the pool. She's experienced her first cold throughout this past month. She woke up Easter weekend with a cough and congestion and it's slowly lingered throughout this month. I took her in to Dr. Jain's just to make sure everything was okay, and she said her ears looked great and her lungs sounded great. Just a lingering cough from the cold. I'm beginning to wonder if it's allergies, because she often sneezes when we're outside. Even with a cold, she has been her happy, glowing self! We are just completely blessed with her... I think we're all head over heels in love and enjoy every minute with her. Maddie Girl, thank you for blessing our family so much!

Monterey Birthday Trip

This year, we decided to take a trip to Monterey to celebrate our birthdays. We've been wanting to take Connor to the beach and the aquarium for some time now, and it turned out to be a wonderful trip. This trip had special meaning to me, because I spent a lot of time in the Santa Cruz area as a kid since my grandma lived in Aptos. It brought back so many memories to be back there and it was very surreal to get to bring my kids to my favorite spots. We left Thursday morning and after a couple stops to nurse Maddie, we arrived at the Portola Hotel and Spa. After a quick rest, we went on a walk to Dennis the Menace Park. This is a magical park that has been updated since I was a kid, but many of the original things were still there. Connor had a blast and Maddie enjoyed walking around and breathing in the fresh ocean air.

We then walked around Fisherman's Wharf which was right outside our hotel. We enjoyed watching the sea lions swim, ate fish and chips, and then got some ice cream cones. That night, we went swimming in the hotel pool and spa. Maddie joined us for her first swim, but didn't last long since it was a little cold. Mommy and Maddie cuddled and warmed up while watching Daddy and Connor soak in the hot tub.

The next day, we took a walk along the Monterey Trail to Cannery Row (a little over a mile). It was a gorgeous walk. We ate breakfast at First Awakenings, which was recommended to us by a few friends. Then we walked to the Aquarium. We really enjoyed our time there- Connor loved the sharks, jellyfish, seahorses, and all the colorful fish. I think he especially liked the touch pools where he pet starfish, sea cucumbers, kelp, and sea urchins.

After the aquarium, we had a late lunch at the Trailside Cafe followed by a Pinkberry frozen yogurt (yes... right in front of our hotel was our favorite fro yo spot!) Later, we had dinner at the hotel pub, before I had a relaxing trip to the spa as a surprise from Michael. I got to soak in a tub before my 80 minute massage... it was pure bliss. What made the night even better, was returning to the hotel room to 2 sleeping babies. Michael is an awesome father and husband!

The next day we went to Carmel at Katy's Place for breakfast (another recommendation from a friend). We then drove to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Connor loved the rides and was even brave enough to go on the log ride with me... we got soaked!! Michael played a few carnival games and won Connor 2 prizes... he's mighty talented! After the Boardwalk, we drove to Capitola and hung out on the beach. Connor had a blast splashing in the water. Michael walked to Pizza My Heart and brought back pizza for us and we enjoyed a picnic on the beach. Maddie even enjoyed watching her brother play and watching the waves. It was extra special because Michael and I had the same pizza on this exact beach many years ago, long before we married or had kiddos. 

Overall, we had a wonderful trip. We made the most out of every minute and made many memories together as a family. As we walked along the beach, a man stopped and gave Connor a high five and then looked up at Michael and asked, "You know you're blessed, don't you?" Why yes we do sir. Blessed indeed!

Happy Birthday Michael!

Happy Birthday to my dearest husband. You are such an amazing husband and you take such good care of our family. You're an amazing father and seeing you with our children is magical. Connor and Maddie go to bed each night knowing they are loved and adored by you. Thank you for all that you do for us. We are so blessed to have you to warm our home and fill our lives with laughter. Wishing you health and continued happiness in this next year. I love you dear.

Snuggling with Daddy

At the SF Giants stadium during our tour.

Busy, fun-filled weekend!

We started the weekend by relaxing and playing boardgames at home on Saturday. Then Saturday night, Dave and Jill came over and took us out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Michael's 31st birthday.

Sunday morning, we headed to Modesto to celebrate a belated birthday with my mom. Poppy and Mimi had set the backyard up with all sorts of fun water toys for Connor to play in, including a big pool, mini pool to slide into, and a sprinkler. He had a blast and stayed out there playing with them for hours! Even Maddie got her feet wet in the pool. We had a fiesta lunch which was delicious, followed by cake an ice cream. Happy Birthday Mom! You bless us each and everyday and we are so very thankful for you!

One blessed Mama!

Pictures of Maddie

This is a hand-me-down outfit from Sophia Christy. Maddie looks so cute in it!

Maddie is loving sitting in the Bumbo (another item borrowed from a friend).  We often put it on top of our dining table and she sits with us at dinner time. She's such a happy girl!

Being Creative At Art Beast

On the days that Connor is home with me instead of going to preschool (usually Mondays and Fridays), I try to do at least one outing that is geared towards his interests. Sometimes it's the zoo, the Children's Museum, Fairytale Town, The Bounce Spot, or the park, but this last Friday was a trip to Art Beast. Auntie Mal came along too and we had a great time. Madeline came along and participated in her own way, mainly watching Connor. She did enjoy playing dress up and playing with the musical instruments. We left with our hands full of Connor's creative masterpieces, including paintings, abstract glue art, and painted garden stones. He's very creative and seems to enjoy crafty things... must get that from his mama!