Family visits

This week we had lots of family in town visiting.  Because I have so many pictures to share I am going to divide my updates.  First we had Steve and Elza in town visiting for a week.  The kids had lots of fun playing with grandparents.   Let's take a look!

On their last night here.  We all went out to eat at Roadhouse and the kids had so much fun playing with Steve.  We told Drew to say cheese, and well, this is what we got!!  He makes such goofy faces every time I bring out the camera.  Then he likes to look at the pictures with me and says "Doo," for Drew.

Making faces with his cousin J.J.

You got caught..... 

On 4th of July with the grandparents

Lyla smiled so so so big for her grandpa.  It was the sweetest thing ever!

Thank you guys for coming to visit.  We had a wonderful time!

A visit with old friends

By old I mean cherished and loved, and not literally old! We got to go over to Kathy Stamp's house a couple weeks ago and we took some cute pictures that I wanted to share.  A long, long time ago I made a wonderful friend, Dawn, while living here in Bakersfield and we have been great friends ever since.  I remember being kids and spending countless nights at her house for sleep overs.  Well, every morning we would have the yummiest french toast you have ever tried made by her mom, Kathy.  So just for old times sake we went over there for breakfast an play.   This time not only did she feed me, but also Drew.  He loved the french toast just as much as I did.   Thank you guys for that wonderful morning, we had a great time!!

This is Dawn holding Lyla.  We had literally been there 3 minutes when Lyla decided to explode out of her diaper.  This was also the first time I'd forgotten to pack Lyla a change of clothes, isn't that how life works!?  

Drew was stirring Kathy's coffee and then blowing on the spoon because it was "ot" (hot)

Being his usual ornery self, he kept going to the side yard and grabbing these sponges which he proceeded to throw into the pool several times even after I told him no

So he sat in time out for not listening.  I'm pretty sure our time-out corner at home has Drew's permanent butt imprint from all the time he spends there.  I'm such a mean Mommy

Helping Kathy get all the bugs out of the pool.  What a good little helper, and what a patient lady.  You can tell she has grandkids.

Long overdue

Well its about time!!!  I'm not exactly sure where I have been for the last two weeks, but I can say with certainty that it included two kids.  Half the time I don't know if I'm coming or going, which way is up or down, or what my kids names are.  From what I hear, things aren't going to get easier any time soon.  Becoming a mother has certainly been quite the undertaking, but I honestly can't imagine my life without them.  I have known little Lyla for almost 9 weeks now, and I don't remember what I did with my time without her.  I know I had more time.... I just don't know how I filled it.  Its amazing how two little people can consume your every action, thought, and emotion every waking (and sleeping) moment of every day.  

The weather in bakersfield has been unseasonably cool considering its June so we have been spending ample amount of time at the park.  Yesterday we went over to our friends Dad's house and swam all morning long.  Her Dad lives in what looks like a Hollywood mansion with the most extraordinary backyard and I tell you what... it really feels like you're on vacation!  I should have taken pictures, but I didn't.  I'll remember next time if they are so gracious as to have us over again.  

Drew has jumped right in, head first, without a life jacket on into the terrible two's.  One minute he is playing quietly with his toys, the next he is screaming down the hallway chunking toys at the wall.  He is an impulsive creature with ideas and wants all of his own and boy does he get mad when I don't understand.    I have taken to telling him, "use your words" when he wants something because the pointing just isn't cutting it anymore.  His vocabulary is in the normal range for his age, but he just doesn't talk as much as I expect him to be able to.  We spend a lot of time with Drew's previously introduced girlfriend and her vocabulary is incredible that I don't think I give Drew enough slack.  I am already looking into speech therapists even though he isn't even 2 yet.  There is a part of me that thinks that he may already have a speech impediment from being tongue tied for so long because he doesn't make certain sounds that require tongue movement.  You know what he can do though. . . . the kid can whistle!  Really!  Better that Tim can. 

That's about it for now. . . really need to stay on top of my updates.  I notice the longer I go without posting anything new, the more I put it off.  

Not the cutest picture of Lyla, but I wanted you to see her outfit!!  doesn't she look 

adorably gaudy???

Once again, not the best picture of Lyla, but I though Drew looked like such a stud here

Loving. . er. . . squashing his beh beh (baby)

Now here she looks adorable, and no I do not have a biased opinion 

Oh, one last thing.  Lyla definitely has dimples.  Where they came from, we don't know, but they are definitely there.  More pronounced on her right side than her left.  So cute. . . Tim is demanding a paternity test :)

Drew has a pony

This just confirms our belief that Jeffy really is #1 Doggie in the world!

He says I Love you. . . really!

Don't believe me?? See for yourself.

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!!