Ebay . . . $16.50

Drew is obsessed with cars, trucks, motorcycles, and most of all tractors, "track-o." After several bidding wars with people on ebay, I finally won my boy some toys!!! I got him a huge lot of matchbox cars, tonka cars, airplanes, motorcycles, and tractors. They arrived today and let me tell you, it is Christmas at the Stephens. Drew has never been more entertained by a group of toys EVER!!!! This has also given me some time to post this update. Check out the collection of cars he got!!




Just after he discovered them!




I thought this was great. He pulled out all of the "track-o's" and put them right in front of him. Anything yellow, and construction like is a tractor in this household. Mostly because Mommy doesn't know any different.



Then we had to transfer them all to the table where he could get a closer look at them



Sharing his toys with Mommy. Note little Lyla sleeping on the couch.


P.S. Yes Mom, I did wash AND bleach every car before I gave it to Drew!!

It's Summer Time

I know summer hasn't officially stated, but it sure feels like it. We've been filling our warm days with plenty of pool time, great friends, and even a "field trip" to the zoo. Let's take a look at this week in pictures:



We had our good friends Joe and Jillian over to dinner one night. Their eldest daughter is Drew's girlfriend, Ceinwen. Here are the dads with their babies. Baby Emma is only 9 days older than our Lyla. They are destined to be great friends, they just don't know it yet. It was so nice being pregnant with Jillian and its been even more fun to share baby stories with each other. I think as far as Drew and Ceinwen are concerned, when we get a new baby so do our friends.



Drew "holding" Lyla. He is really starting to open up to the idea of having her around. . . for the most part. His favorite thing to do with her is point out her body parts and then point to his own.



On Friday we took the kids to CALM (California Living Museum). It is the closest thing to a zoo that we have. The kids had a great time pointing out all of the animals. Lyla is under the blanket in the baby carrier. We carpooled over there that day because my car was getting detailed and we couldn't take our double strollers so both Jillin and I had to "wear" our babies all mornig long. It was so hot!! After making our rounds we set up our picnic under a tree, had sandwiches, and let the kids run around. Poor Lyla was under the blanket the whole time too because the sun was so intense it would have fried her. Needless to say, we were both shower worthy by the time we got home.



After learning, the hard way, that Drew is completely fearless of the water we put him in water wings. Just a day earlier I got some alone time with him at one of our friends birthday party and Drew was having a great time in the pool. I have never had to work so hard at keeping my kid alive..... seriously. One minute he would be playing on the steps, and then the next he is running across the cement and jumps into the pool by himself. I can't tell you how many time I had to scream "DREW... NO!!" in those two hours we spend by the pool. It was so hard not to laugh at what he was doing, but the reality of it is that he could have easily drowned had we not been right there. Overrall I am glad that he is not scared of the water, and foresee us spending many hours by the pool at Gigi's house over the next fw months. What this means for me??? I gotta hurry up an lose weight because my body is no where near swimsuit ready!! YIKES!!



Daddy tossing Drew in the air!!

Just call me soccer mom

I wanted to have a whole separate entry for this update. On Saturday we traded in out VW Passat for a family friendly, old lady, soccer mom Nissan Quest mini van. Believe it or not, it was my idea. It is so practical for me as a mother of two little ones. It is also really pretty!! Its white with gray interior, good on gas, and really nice to drive. Check it out!






Its white like this


This is the dashoard. It pretty cool


SOOOOOO much room. Huge trunk even with the third row up

Well she made it... to one month that is. I can't believe my little tiny baby is already one month old. Saying "It feels like just yesterday..." sounds so cliche, but its true! It really feels like I was still pregnant yesterday, and although I may still be sporting a little bit of a pregnant belly I am definitely not pregnant. Just a couple of days ago I took her in to the doctor for her one month check up and the little squirt is only 7lbs. 11oz. and measure 20 3/4 in. long. Drew was longer and heavier than her at birth than she is now and she is already one month old. Drew wore newborn size diapers for 3 days, she is still in them. Drew wore newborn size clothes for a week, they still fall off of her. Drew weight 11 pounds at one month, and she will when she's 2. I always felt like I never really got a newborn baby with Drew, but I definitely have one now. I love it though, she is so easy to tote around and I feel like I am really getting to enjoy the newborn phase with her, although I am really looking forward to that first voluntary smile

Life is returning back to normal here at the Stephens residence. We had so much fun having Bela in town and really truly appreciate all of her help. Just the smallest details meant so much. It was so nice having someone get Drew up every morning so I could have a few more minutes in bed with Lyla, having her stay at home and watch the kids so I could go run my errands alone or take a shower, and having her make dinner EVERY night so I would have one less thing to worry about. She even bought us all of our groceries. One day I'll do the same for Lyla when she has her kids. Grandpa Andy even made it over here for a week. Drew really enjoyed having "pa-pa" around. He cried and cried when we dropped them off at the airport. Two days later he still knocks on heir bedroom door asking for them. Its kind of sad. They should move here. :)

That's it for now... enjoy the pictures....







Looking right at the camera


All balled up


Perfect.... in every way



and she rolled to her side

New Pictures

I don't really have much to say, just staying really busy. Lyla is doing great and is overall a really happy baby. I just wanted to post some new pictures we've taken. My friend, Heather, did some really cute newborn pictures of her a week ago. . . I will post those as soon as I get the CD. Will update soon.



Drew really enjoyed watching his sister take a bath. Lyla absolutely loves bath time. I remember Drew at her age screaming any time he got near the tub, er. . sink.



He is such a handsome little man.



Sporting her headband and bow.



I love this picture. We actually caught her mid dream and her eyes were moving back and forth in her head. She happen to open her eyes right at this very moment. We call them her bedroom eyes.... :)



Bela bought Drew the Lawn mower "mow-mow" and he loves it. The more he mowes, the more the bubbles come out.

Drew's new playground

Really quick. . . Just wanted to show everyone's Drew new play area in our backyard. My parents got Drew a bunch of outside toys for Christmas and we have finally put them up in the backyard. Dad and Drew had so much fun getting it all put together. Note the wood borders around the play area. We plan on filling it with some kind of synthetic material in the future. Drew loves it! Thanks Mom and Dad!





Drew with his tool belt on, and ready to help Daddy get his equipment set up



Looking like he know what he's doing


The finished product. So cute!



Picnic table and all!!

Life is chaotic!

It is amazing how one tiny little person can turn your life upside down. I have said it a million times in the last week and continue to say that if my Mom wasn't here I would be curled under my bed in the fetal position. Between diaper changes and feedings alone I barely have time to use the restroom myself let alone update my blog.

Lyla does have a little bit of Jaundice that we are working through, although the weather here has not been staying very sunny. She also is tongue tied. Drew was tongue-tied and had to have surgery at the age of 14 months to resolve it. For those that may not know, a tongue tied baby does not have the ability to properly move the tongue because the frenulum (that little piece of skin under the tongue that attaches to the bottom of the mouth) extends all the way to the tip of her tongue. This has made nursing her virtually impossible, but we are working through it. She is getting her tongue clipped on Tuesday and the problem will be completely fixed!! I am so glad that we caught hers as early as we did because if not she would have to face a surgery just like Drew. Other than those two tiny glitches she is as healthy and happy as can be. In fact, let me just take a moment to brag about my tiny little acrobat. She has already rolled over 3 times from her belly to her back, and scoots herself on her belly with her strong little legs. Its so cute!!

Big brother Drew is adjusting. . . SLOWLY! The first couple of days he didn't even want to come near her, or touch her. Now he gives her kisses, shares his cheerios with her, and pets her as gently as Drew knows how. They really weren't joking when they said the second child is built tougher. . . its cause they have to SURVIVE!!!

That's about it for now, but expect an update soon!





We were going to grow Drew's hair out, but it just got so out of control we decided to chop it all of today. Maybe we'll regrow it in the winter, but he looks so darn cute without hair!!


Lyla fast asleep. She always throws that arm over her head when she's on her belly



My failed attempt to wake her up. It was time to eat, but she had other plans


I don't know how to rotate this, but its cute none the less. She looks pensive.


Sleeping on Mommy, note the arms over her head :)