The Summer of Love

Snooze and dream, dream and snooze

Ah, summer. Now that things have slowed down for me work-wise, I'm trying to relax and just enjoy the summer with the boys. My guilty pleasure is sleeping with Tristan during nap time. As Tyler would say, "he's so cuddly!" We've been getting out quite a bit and I'm learning how to handle our excursions better (Tristan HATES the car). I think there is nothing worse than having an infant screaming in that hysterical rage cry and not being able to do anything about it because you are driving. One minute of that seems like 20. And, to make matters worse then you've got a toddler screaming at you as well, "Tristan's crying!" As if I couldn't tell. But, like I said, I'm learning how to manage it a little better. This summer Tyler has classes - Pint Sized Sports, Pee Wee Picasso, and Music Together - all down at the rec center which is walking distance from our house. Then we'll toodle on down to the beach for some sand time. And, we've also picked up a new friend! Thimila (pronounced chimeeela) came to live with us as our au pair in May. She is wonderful and we love her and hope she never goes back to Brazil! Tristan is completely in love with her and Tyler is, too, most of the time. It warms my heart to hear him giggling madly out on the deck with her while I tend to Tristan. It's going to be a good summer!
Mutual curiosity.
Tyto and Thimila, they both have so much energy!
Katie Shea visits us from Las Vegas and....
coaxes out a big smile from Tristan!
Tyler and Grandma having fun in the playroom.
Wide eyed and bushy tailed.
The pouty chef king. The only way I could get his picture was by asking if I could take a picture of his oven mits!

Cute and cuddly, boys. Cute and cuddly.
Tyto, Kookie, Grandpa and Tristan (in the sling) at the beach.
Tyto and Thimila at the aquarium.
Some how shaving cream and finger paints have become a daily ritual, and painting his body is the first thing Tyler likes to do!
With Daddy on the train in Torrance.

Chaos and Cookie Crumb Kisses

Our household is, to me, in chaos. There are toys everywhere. Baby blankets are all over the dining room table. Baby clothes are all over the sofa in various stacks of "too small, fits, and will eventually fit." Hats and socks are on the end tables. Playdough squishes under my toes when I walk into the kitchen. Bottles and sippy cups have taken over the kitchen counter along with cookies and Lysol wipes. There isn't a corner of living space in this house that doesn't include evidence that we have small children and I'm relishing it for I know it's fleeting and this time is going to go by so fast. "Everything is perfect, just as it is" is a saying my yoga friend once told me when I was complaining about the mess and she's right. So, as I sat down to do this post I found a ton of pictures I wanted to include that didn't exactly fit into a cohesive outline or story. Most are of my adorable boys and while I know that most parents think their kids are the most beautiful kids in the world (thank God we all do), I'm pretty sure that mine really are. Tristan at 3 weeks - I love this photo! He wore this outfit once and then outgrew it the next day.
This child gets a ton of kisses on his beautiful dark hair. The ones from Tyler usually leave behind cookie crumbs.
Tyler gives Elton John a run for his money.
Tyler had to give Tristan a hug - what a sweet boy!
Tyto greets me from preschool with a mustache, beard and glasses. What a great disguise!
Breakfast with the firetrucks. Let's not waste one second of the day staying dry.
Loving sharing the backseat with his new bro on the way home from the hospital.
Papa and Tristan!
Tiny tootsies!
Tyler insists Tristan join the picnic.

Adorable!
I can't stop kissing this head!
Elf?
Tyto's pineapple "wand."
Nana and Tristan!

Our Newest Arrival

10 fingers, 10 toes, dark blue eyes, a perfect nose!

He's here! And what an incredible anniversary present he makes (no forgetting our anniversary now, John!). We didn't have him scheduled to arrive until May 1st, a few days after my due date. But, he'd been giving us some signs that he was going to arrive early for the past few weeks. I was trying to push it to May 1st to get some real estate deals closed, but Tristan was having no part of it. On Tuesday I had some pretty major contractions so after we got Tyler to sleep that night, we got a sitter and went to the hospital, bag packed "just in case." Luckily my contractions weren't close enough together and they sent us home. That little episode was enough to make Nana and Papa get on a plane two weeks early and they arrived Wednesday night. Thursday morning at 6:30a.m. I felt a contraction and then my water broke. We all got Tyler ready for preschool, dropped him off and John and I went to the hospital where they confirmed my water did indeed break and that we were going to have a baby in two hours! John's eyes got as wide as saucers at that news and he went to go call everyone. The c-section went really well and at 1:20p.m. on our fourth anniversary, we had a new, beautiful, sweet baby boy! Tristan weighed in at 7 lbs, 10 oz and was 21 inches long. He was such a sweetie in the hospital, too. They would bring him to me at night for his feedings and he wouldn't even be crying (he snapped out of that in a hurry once we got home). I cherished that time in the hospital when everything was just still and we could watch the palm trees swaying in the breeze and wait for our daily visit from Tyto, Daddy and Nana and Papa. What a priceless moment in our lives.

Welcome to the world, baby Tristan!

Let me plant a sloppy big brother kiss on ya!

Big brother Tyto LOVES his baby! He wants to snuggle up so close I have to tell him to get off the baby. "He's so coot! He's so cuddy! He's so sweet! He's so tiny!" He says in this high-pitched baby voice. He truly is in love with his baby brother, it is adorable!

Flapjack and Tristan, snoozin' away the day.

When Tyler was a baby I practically sealed him inside for an entire month. Tristan is going to have a completely different experience, mostly out of necessity for Tyto. Here we are at the Hermosa Farmer's Market, roughly a week after Tristan was born. His first major outing! Hooray!

Nana, Papa, Uncle Rob, Tyto, Daddy and Tristan enjoying the farmer's market

Whoosh. This first outing is making me sleepy!