Awesome Daddies!

We had a really nice impromptu beach day out on the west side today.  We got some cute pictures of the kids with their dads enjoying the beach.

Always playing some sort of game

The dads and their kids

Matt and his munchkins

Abby and Gavin..again!  It is crazy to see the year age gap between these two become less and less as they near 2 and 3.

Halloween Festivities

We had a pumpkin filled day on Saturday.  Although Matt and I took the kids to the pumpkin patch in San Diego, I thought that it would be fun to take Abby with the Hawaii crew.  I am not sure exactly what I was thinking leaving the house in white shorts to go to a hot, dusty pumpkin patch.  After about 10 minutes I was covered in red dust from Abby's shoes as I carried her off and on around the patch.
Good news is that she picked out a pumpkin for herself and Zack and she enjoyed the first part when I just let her roam.

Abby and Gavin on the way to get some pumpkins

Abby on a mission to find her pumpkin (She said she was going to find one for Grandma too!)

Abby and Makaela

 Bad news was that she wasn't interested in taking a group photo shot..poor uncle Brian!

After Abby and I went to her first actual dentist appointment ( the last one ended up just being a referral for this one) where she got her teeth cleaned and loved it!  She is totally my daughter..I was at the dentist earlier this week and I actual thought..man this is pretty relaxing.  Anyway, we went back home, napped and headed downtown with the family to Kristen and Ron's for a pumpkin carving party.  The kids had a blast and we are still reeling from trying to keep up with them! 

Abby and Gavin

Abby, Gavin and Makaela

Boys' Time

Matt took the kids outside so I could vacuum before they came in and got it dirty 2 seconds later, but hat is beside the point.  I looked out to see what they were doing and I saw Matt and Zack deep on conversation.  Look like a serious father-son talk to me!

 Of course as I took the picture Matt looked up and caught me spying:).

I just think he looks way too cute here!

He Likes It!

I thought about making Abby's baby food and never really made a point of doing it.  The other night I was making dinner (yes, a very seldom occurrence) and I decided as I was making sweet potatoes for the rest of us that I should try and puree some for Zack.  Well, they turned out pretty good and it turns out he liked them.  He is doing great eating solid food even though he is a mess!

MMM...Sweet Potatoes

 

In other news, Z is getting the hang of holding his bottle.  Abby is always near in case he drops it.  Ironically, as Auntie Steph pointed out Princess Abby NEVER held her own bottle.

Family Pictures

This is the last batch of San Diego pictures...  It is a challenge to get a picture of the whole San Diego family.  We had my Uncles over for dinner at my parents and Andy came over also so we seized the moment and got the best shot we could.

Make New Friends but Keep the Old...

I just had flashbacks of girl scout camp singing this song but really it is so true.  I have been very fortunate to make lots of amazing friends in my adult life as well as maintain my very special friendships with friends from my childhood, high school and college.

We drove up north to Temecula and had a perfect picnic at the Wilson Creek Winery with Courtney, who I have known since 8th grade!) and her family.  The kids were able to play on the swing set while the adults got to catch up.  Courtney's Zach is in first grade now and Makenna is 4.

Court and I laughed that the first time the girls met they were both wearing blue, which they rarely wear and they were wearing the same colors again.

Makenna (3) and Abby (3 months), March 2009

Makenna (4) and Abby (22 months), October 2010

Abby, Makenna and Zach holding Zack

                                               
After our picnic, we headed north again to visit the Archard family.  Jen and Jason's wedding was the day before I moved to Hawaii.  I arrived on island with my hair still done the night before!

Jen and I at her Bachelorette part in 2003!

8 years later with 5 beautiful kids!

Finally, we had our must have night out with the my high school girls, Shannen and Candice (Court had some family stuff so couldn't make it).  The four of us have been through it all!!! It is amazing to look back at our friendships over the past 16 or so years.  It makes me want to laugh and cry.  I am very thankful for such great friends and love getting together and feeling like not a moment has passed since we last saw each other. 

Wine tasting in Spring of 2009

Zack's 6th Month Check Up

Zack's 6 month appointment went well except for the 11/2 hour wait and a possible broken collar bone. Yes, I said broken collar bone!  A month ago we thought that Zack had what is referred to as nurse maid elbow, where it pops out and goes back in, after he began screaming when Matt separated him and Abby playing and once he put him down he began screaming.   We called the doctor and he talked us through it and Zack calmed down.  Over the next couple of days he didn't use his left arm as much but we figured it was a symptom of his dislocated elbow.  Over the course of the month we noticed a nodule on his collar bone but didn't think much of it since he was acting fine and I just figured I would bring it up at our 6 month check up.  Well, I told the doctor and he  suspects that it was a broken collar bone since the nodule a typical symptom as it heals ( still really have no idea how it happened. Luckily, there was nothing that we could have done differently and it is actually the most common bone for babies to break ( I guess that is supposed to make me feel a little better?). 

Aside from the drama Zack was such an angel the whole time we where there and I am very thankful because I was about to lose it.   He weighed in at 16 lbs 10 ounces and 27 inches.  He grew 2 pounds and 1 ounce and 3/4 of an inch which accounts for his pudgy thighs!

Abby was her chubbiest at this age and she was a pound lighter and almost the same length but she looked so much bigger.

Zack turned 6 months in San Diego and had his first taste of baby food.  We gave him peas and he looked at me with this, " are you kidding me?!" look.  Becasue he is such a good sport he eats them but he certainly isn't in love with them although you can't tell form his gummy little grin.

Abby a little over 6 months in Pennsylvania having her first taste of either peas or green beans

 Zack has continued "talking" a ton!  He says maammamam etc. and chatters frequently.  He loves rolling over, and over and over!  He sits well on his own and such a joy. 

My little Padres fan

P.S. Don't you love that Zack is in a purple bumbo and Abby is in blue one?