Preschool

 

 

  Meet and Greet at Preschool

  Checking out some of the puzzles at her new school

Daddy came too!

She loves the dollhouse

First official day of Preschool

Being silly

Excited for her first day!

Off she goes...

... Such a big girl! 

Yellow day at preschool

Natasha has been in school for two weeks now and she loves it.  And to be honest, I love it too!  I do miss her, but it is a nice break and it gives me a little extra one on one time with Nikolaus.  I am also just so excited for her.  I look forward to picking her up and trying to pry out of her what she did and learned.  Thank goodness her teacher posts what they did in school outside of their the classroom, so I have something to work off of.  So far, everyday has been "awesome" (Natasha's words, not mine).  She has already been super helper at school, which consists of setting the table for snack time and ringing the bell.  There is also a class bird, named Boomer.  And next week it will be our turn to take him home for the weekend.  Natasha has quite a few friends in her class that were in our parent and me class last year.  It was nice to see so many familiar faces on the first day of school.  But, Natasha was most excited to have one of her best friends in her class, Noelani!  These two girls get along great and between Stroller Strides and school, they see each other four days a week!  We are looking forward to a fun school year.  I still can't believe my baby girl is in preschool.  

End of Summer Fun

Swinging at the park

Everyone loves the tunnel slide

Water table fun at Mimi's

 

Baby Beach in Balboa

 

Yes, he ate sand and yes, I let him.

 

Train Ride at the Spectrum

 

 Water Park with Kiki

 

 Splash Pads on a hot day

 

Train Ride with Brooks and Auntie Lizzy

at the Irvine Regional Park

Petting goats at the OC Zoo

End of summer means UCLA Football

tailgates at our house!

9 Months

 9 months, already!

 

 

 It was too hard to get a picture of him

 sitting up with the blocks

 And it is even harder to get him to wear his Viking

 hat long enough for a picture

 Riding around in his car

 Playing at the mall

 Accepting his sister's love

 Definitely a dare devil

 I love it when we can get him to wear a hat

 The "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" rules doesn't

apply with our little man

Lunching with Mimi

  

Nikolaus is 9 months old and he definitely keeps us on our toes.  A crawler and a climber, this kid knows how to get around.  He likes to practice walking too, while we hold his hands.  Nikolaus also has four teeth.  One bottom tooth sprouted last month and was all alone until his 9 month appointment.  His pediatrician saw three more coming in at the same time.  Luckily for us, he has been a trooper... Must have a high threshold of pain (like his sister).  Nikolaus continues to thrive and according to Dr. Cox, he has great eye contact and social skills.  Here are his stats from his appointment:

Weight: 19 lbs. 15 oz. (50th percentile)

Length: 28 1/2" (50th percentile)

Head Circumference: 46 1/2 cm. (85-90th percentile)

Nikolaus loves being outside and who doesn't when you have so much to explore (and put into your mouth).  I'm not used to having a baby move this early or put everything in their mouth.  Nikolaus has tried dirt, sand, leaves and sticks.  And he goes back for more!  What can I say, he is all boy. Even though he likes to explore and play with new toys, he still loves to be held.  Especially in the morning when everyone is trying to get ready for the day.  I guess he just wants a little more attention and cuddle time after sleeping 12 hours.  Nikolaus still gets plenty of attention from his sister.  I think she knows he is getting bigger and more durable because she has been tackling him more and pulling him down on herself more.  He doesn't complain, but I continue to warn Natasha that he will be bigger than her one day and he will get his revenge.  Other than that, it warms my heart to watch our two loves play and interact with each other.  And make each other laugh!

7 and 8 Months

 7 Months Old

 

 

 Happy Independence Day!

 

 On the way to the 4th of July Parade
 

 Watching his sister drum

 

 Swinging in the backyard

 

 He has found a hiding place

 First time in the red car...

 ... And he likes it!

Sissy feeding him 

 First time at the fair

I just love our little Viking to pieces

 



 

It is definitely getting harder to take pictures with the blocks

 



Standing man

 

This mama is not ready to have such a mobile child this young.  Time just needs to stop, so I can catch my breath and re-baby proof the house.  Nikolaus is 8 months and can crawl, sit back up from lying down/ or crawl position, he is pulling himself up on everything, and he can climb the stairs!  I guess he is trying to catch up to his big sister, who didn't crawl until she was 10 months old.  Natasha was more the talker (and still is). Nikolaus started to crawl and pull himself up at 7 months (obviously, I missed the 7 month post) and hasn't slowed down since... up goes the baby gate and down goes the crib mattress.  Besides being mobile, Nikolaus has discovered his voice.  He likes to be loud and has started saying da-da and ma-ma.  He is a great eater and a good sleeper and overall a happy, smiley, giggly baby!  We will see how much he has grown when we go to his 9 month well check at the end of the month.