Julian's 3rd Birthday

Our eldest offspring turned three on January 9, 2012. He's a curious little guy with the brighest of minds. I love him beyond what words can describe and am thankful (sometimes terrified) that I get to shape and mold such a caring and fun little person. Lord help me every single day.

His birthday celebration began at home on Monday. He woke up to balloons and a present waiting for him in the living room. Squealing with delight he riped open his gift to discover a basketball hoop. I think he liked it, especially when Alex plays with him wearing their Blazers shirts and watching a Blazers game. I love when his little voice yells "Go Bazers":) Such a fan.

He has a major sweet tooth, so I spoiled him with hot chocolate topped with whip cream for a breakfast treat and a scoop of strawberry ice cream after lunch. After dinner we sang "Happy Birthday" along with our WA family via Skype and then Julian blew out his three candles (something he has been looking forward to since probably his last birthday, the child loves to blow out candles). So of course after dinner we had birthday cake. Lots of sugar, I know!

On Tuesday, the day after Julian's birthday we went to Playdate PDX to celebrate his birthday with Julian's buddies (and their mom's). The kids had a blast and Julian was all smiles the entire time. The cutest moment that I witnessed was when Julian saw Max (his cousin) and said, "Max, I so happy to see you" and then they both jumped up and down and hugged. It's sweet how much they love each other:)

Olivia's 3 months

Little Olivia turned 3 months so we though it would be fun to let her try some banana baby food.

She wasn't very interested. Julian loved it:)

On the day of her 3 month birthday the guys threw her a little party while I was away at work. It was the cutest thing ever. Alex put a piece of a cream cheese ice cream bar that my mother-in-law brought for Julian the other day in cup cake foil and lit tea light candles. Together they sang "Happy Birthday" to Olivia and then Julian blew out the candles. Alex sent me a video of them singing and it melted my heart mostly because I was so amazed by what an awesome dad that Alex is to our children. I love the great amount of detail and attention he gives to small things like a 3 month birthday. These kids are so blessed!

Notice how Olivia got the pink plate and Julian got the Toy Story napkin:)

Julian always living life on the edge.

Happy 3 month birthday Olivia. We love you.

Laceration, aka "owie"

Julian's stubbornness and fearlessness caught up with him on the 23 of September and resulted in this:

That nasty laceration on the chin happened when Julian slipped from the edge of the bathtub and fell chin first into a metal beam thing that keeps our shower doors in place/water from getting out. Seeing him fall chin first and then flipping backwards into the tub scared me and I panicked. 

Called mom. 

Called Alex at work. 

Called the advice nurse. 

Thought about calling 9-1-1. 

I don't know if it was the combination of seeing him crash land while holding Olivia and not being able to catch him and then Julian screaming out of shock and pain or what?! But I completely freaked. Praise God because the cut was not very deep and Julian didn't seem too bothered by it and it healed quickly. Steri-strips and neosporin was all he needed. 

After the fact.... he still tries to climb up and stand on the edge of the slippery tub like nothing ever happened. He needs an extra guardian angel, maybe three. 

New Job

Pardon my absence on here, I've been busy, busy, busy with my new job. Thank goodness orientation is now over and I can start working my perfect every-other-weekend schedule. It's just too much being gone four days a week.
Here's me all decked out in my scrubs at 5am ready to heal the world, one patient at a time. Not a morning person, never was but duty calls.

And while I'm away, Alex does a swell job keeping himself and the babies entertained.

Jumping

Recently, Julian has gotten very comfortable in the swimming pool. He has gotten over his fear of the deep water (3 feet is deep for him) and his newest thing is jumping into the swimming pool. He also discovered how to float on water. Maybe we'll have him swimming by next summer. 


All you have to do is stand there and catch him so he doesn't dunk under the water (we're still working on learning how to close his mouth/nose/eyes). 


Julian jumps in, you help him swim to the stairs, he gets out, walks to the edge of the pool, and jumps in. 


His life jacket is his new best friend. It's very cute. 

.... on a random note: I got hired as a nurse at Fort Vancouver Convalescent Center (Skilled Nursing Facility- SNF). It's my first job as a nurse and I'm so super excited. 
The schedule couldn't be more family friendly. I work 6 days a month (part-time), on the weekend when Alex is not working, 8 hr shifts.  
Despite the fact that it's a SNF and not my dream job, its a God-send schedule and I'm happy to finally be starting my nursing career. 
Several girls from my graduating class work there too, which will make it all the more fun! 
I'm looking forward to shopping for new scrubs and shoes.

Two months young

Little Olivia turned 2 months on Aug. 27th. She's the cutest and I love her little expressions!

At her 2 month check-up she weighed in at 12 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 23 inches long. Happy 2 months my little one. 

Olivia's Arrival

Since Olivia was born, I actually managed to have my brother Dan take pictures of the kids. He also created a birth announcement for me which I've been trying to get around to printing, gluing on paper, and mailing out to everyone... yeah still hasn't happened yet.


Olivia will be two months young tomorrow and I doubt that I'll ever get around to it so here it is, along with the other pictures that Dan took of Julian and Olivia. Let me tell you, taking pictures of a toddler and a new born was no easy task. Either Julian is not cooperating or Olivia is hungry/ spitting up/ or crying. 

Thank God, labor and delivery were very quick and easy. Olivia was born a few minutes after midnight on a Monday, I spend all day Sunday trying to figure out if I was in labor given that my contractions weren't exactly regular and I was napping through them. Olivia was born 1.5 hrs after we checked in at the hospital. Some say I was born to birth babies, um sure... maybe. She's a very happy and satisfied baby and Julian does seem to love her very much. 

Yeah, this one pretty much sums up our life right now, no time for each other, ourselves, or anything else:) I love our babies.