California!

We were so happy in freezing cold January to take a trip to California to see our good friends, Nikki and Spencer.  The drive was long, but we made it.  Thankfully, kids were all asleep when we got there.  Will, woke up when we moved him a did his standard freak out.  He insisted that he wanted to go home.  I was getting a little worried but first thing in the morning he was thrilled to be there.  The boys literally ran around in circles making a racket.  They had so much fun with their buddies the whole time we were there.

Traveling is exhausting

Nikki and Spencer showed us a few places in San Francisco.  Not pictured are the two nude men we saw strolling down the street (legally).  Be happy that wasn't documented.   

Golden Gate Bridge

We went to church Sunday and didn't even make it through sacrament meeting (which is first) before we had to head back to the house.  Will loved playing outside.  I was watching him from the couch while feeding Max when I noticed him pull his pants down and pee in the yard.  He didn't bother pulling his pants back up before getting back to playtime.

Naked Bum Boy

We couldn't meet up without staying up way too late playing games.  The boys had a movie night while we played round one.  Joe and Will had never seen Despicable Me and they loved it.

All cozy for the show

After hanging out at with Nikki and Spencer at their house for a couple of days, we head to Southern California.  We headed straight for Newport Beach and went to the pier.  Afterward we were crazy enough to take the boys out to eat some seafood.  I'm pretty sure some of the people there thought we were crazy.

Joe entertaining himself in the restaurant

Max loves chillin with something hanging out of his mouth

At the pier in Newport Beach

We had so much fun!  The boys are still talking about it.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was pretty normal.  The boys didn't even know it was a holiday until the morning of.  I did zero decorating, and we had zero fun plans.  So, we last minute, made some cinnamon rolls to deliver to daddy at work during lunch, and a few other places.  It was fun, but I felt a little guilty that I hadn't really planned anything, or built up any anticipation with the boys for the holiday. 

Will must have known it was Valentine's Day, he decided to wear some mascara for the occasion.

Joe with our Valentine cinnamon rolls.

I remember holidays were one of the best parts of being a kid.  There was always something fun and special about that day.  I don't mean I want to give our kids gifts every holiday, there are ways to made days special without that.  When we lived in Omaha it was so much easier.  There were always parties and activities for playgroup, music time, etc.  And there were tons of kids around so it was easy to throw together an impromptu party.  Now it just take a little more effort, and I need to be willing to put forth that effort to make things fun and exciting for the boys. 

Max at One Year

Oh boy, this baby is so fun and so happy.  Max is almost always smiling.  He has this cheesy grin that he has been doing to almost everyone he sees lately.

He is very social.  He loves people.  He gets a little unsure about a new face, but it doesn't take very long for him to warm up to people.

When someone makes a joke or says something funny and the rest of us are laughing, or even one person is laughing, Max joins in.

I know, I've mentioned it before, but he is pretty patient.  Will loves to "help" him walk these days, and  Joe loves to "cuddle" with him on the floor, Max tolerates a lot of that before he start to complain about it.

Max takes several steps frequently.  His record is eighteen steps, but crawling is still his primary mode of transportation.  And he is a speedy crawler.

He has no idea how to go down stair, or get off a couch etc.  The turning around to get down concept has not clicked yet.

He still loves water.  The bath, the shower, the toilet...  He loves it.  I always have to make sure the bathroom door is shut.

He likes to dance.  Even if you start singing a catchy tune he starts dancing.  He'll sort of bounce up and down for quick songs, and do this sway for slower songs.

Max gets a little intense sometimes.  He will get so excited he'll start shaking.  Usually this excitement is in response to food, or my mom's dog.

He usually takes one nap a day now.

If there is a shelf, cupboard, or drawer within his reach, it will be emptied in no time.

His hair has a little bit of curl to it.  I think I'm going to let it grow out for a while because I love those curls.

He loves to eat.  Some of his favorites are, frozen peas, mandarin oranges, yogurt, cooked carrots, and berries.

He's usually very soft.  He'll softly touch my earrings without being told to be soft.  The other day he was very softly strumming Zach's guitar.

Although he's usually happy crawling around and playing, he loves to be held.  He'll stand at your feet until you pick him up.

Stats:

Weight: 25.73lbs (96%tile)

Height: 30.9 in (87%tile)

Head Circumference: 19.1 in (97%tile)

Will at Three Years Old

Will loves to call people on the phone to talk.  Almost every day he requests we call Babica, Lily, or Dad.  And if I'm not careful where I put my phone, he finds it and calls the most recent person I've talked to.

Has taken more of an interest in books and being read to.

Loves to pretend to be a puppy.  He'll crawl around the house with his tongue out, panting and will play fetch with me.  Licks just like a puppy, I try to tell him to just pretend lick, but he forgets.

Covers his ears if he is scared while watching a movie.

Will is not potty-trained.  We are currently taking a break for my sanity.  A few incidences that have prompted this break:  The other day I walk into his room only to find him with his pants down and peeing into the toy pitcher from his kitchen.  The same thing happened another day but then he poured it into another cup, and then into the dirty clothes hamper.  Another time it was a toy dinosaur on the floor of his bedroom.  

He and Joe have starting playing for longer stretches of time without incident.  They definitely still have their moments, but it's fun to listen to them play together.

Loves to jump on our sectional.  When we first got it, I tried to tell him not to, but he has so much fun doing it, and I figure it's not really that important.

Will still loves to be independent.  I find him on many occasions helping himself to the milk or whatever else he wants in the kitchen.

The other day I heard him cry out from the kitchen.  He had tried to cut himself a granola bar with a sharp knife and cut his hand between his thumb and index finger.  It was bleeding a lot and I thought it might need stitches, but I couldn't really tell.  I took him to the Instacare and they said they could glue it for me if I wanted them to, or I could just bandage and keep a real close eye on it.  So, no stitches, and no glue.

He goes without a nap most days of the week.

He is so sweet.  When Max is crying Will often sings to him, to try to soothe him.

Loves to go to Babica's house.  He tells me often "Mom! Mom!  I have a dea [an idea]!  After we go Babica's house, we watch a show!"  I think that would be his ideal day.

Loves to play pretend.  Tells me or Joe what role to play.  "Mommy, I'm the bad-guy, and your the mom."

Grandma has nick-named him the Tornado.

We love our crazy Will and are so glad he is part of our family.

Happy Birthday Max!

I told Zach that in the future, we'll have to change Will and Max's birthdays up a little bit, or we'll be feeling a little bit a deja vu the first week in February every year.  We put up balloons and streamers, had family over, sang and had cake, and opened gifts, again.

He was so dainty with his cake.  I thought he would be shoveling fistfuls of cake in his mouth.

He eventually ate a piece, once Zach cut a bite for him.

And a few times he bypassed the fork and the hands.

Testing out his new toy

My boys.  I love them.