So I've officially learned that when you have number 3.....life doesn't go on hold for 3 weeks like it did previously...nope, Kaitlyn came and held on for the ride...because we weren't stopping! It did help that my recovery was so quick...(and by recovery I don't mean weight loss....yes those 22 1/2 pounds I had left after having the baby haven't gone ANYWHERE for a full month-depressing). So since Kaityln's been born, she's been to Sea World, the pool a handful of times, the beach 4 times (am I crazy? Yes), and has been surrounded by 10 other cousins....now THAT IS crazy...and she's met all her aunts and uncles too! She's just what I prayed for....she takes a binky, has a pretty calm demeanor, and sleeps well...and NO gurgly tummy like Cole--praise the heavens! Obviously, I know things will be different in a few weeks when I have to start getting my butt out the door to take Alli to preschool twice a week (surely we must work out a carpool for that ladies) and then when Kaitlyn gets mobile, I'm sure we'll have some fun then. But I'll have to say, the transition to 3 has been less frightening than I imagined (especially since I didn't quite plan on having her as close to Cole as I did.)
Changing two sets of diapers sucks. Really, the part that bugs me is when Cole is poopy so I get everything ready to change him and then he fights me the whole time I try changing him. I'm like...hey buddy...you think this is fun for me??? Time for potty training. For anyone who has done it before....you know where I come from when I say....I'll start when preschool gets going and the summer gallivanting is over....or maybe I'll start when his diapers run out....or maybe...let's face it-there's really never a good time. Potty training is just not fun all around. We did have a success the other day...if that's what you call it. I'll explain.
After naptime, I let the kids choose a treat from the candy jar. Curse that thing. Cole chose a starburst, Alli chose a tootsie pop. Then Cole, after eating the startburst, saw Alli's sucker and wanted one. I told him no, and debated with him as I cleaned the bathroom. Then as I stared at my clean toilet I thought hmmm....I have an idea. Hey, Cole if you go pee pee in the toilet I'll let you have one. But the pee has to go in the toilet, you can't just sit on it and get one. So he sits on it and I continue my cleaning in the kitchen now. Then Cole starts yelling that the stool is dirty. I'm thinking, ya, you step on it with your feet of course it's dirty. But he insisted I come look. Then Alli unnecessarily points out that it's wet. Yes, he peed on it. But the toilet seat wasn't wet so I asked if he stood up. He said no...then I lifted the seat to finish my cleaning inside the toilet and it has pee on it. Apparently his little peter aimed right between the seats. Well...I had to give the kid credit for sitting on the pot and actually getting it out....we'll have to work on the aiming next time. (And probably for the next few years I'm hearing.)
Well, besides our busy last month with our new addition and a family reunion, and a reunion apparently held at our house for all the ants in Temecula while we were gone, we're feeling pretty settled with the change. I was counting down the days until my 6 weeks were up so I can get rid of this layer of yuck hanging over my pants that don't fit. I'm running out of shirts that hide it...so it's time to hit the gym. Dan's been great about coming home for me to go in the early evenings. I REALLY should not have stepped on the scale this morning, because after 3 days in a row at the gym---the last day being the Boot Camp class which royally kicked my butt...after all that, I've GAINED 2 pounds. This just sucks. But I won't give up...I just have to convince myself that when I want something sweet I just need to eat some fruit...right? Wish me luck ya'll....and for your viewing pleasure, here are some highlights from the last month!
Kacy and Doug made it into town a few days before the rest of our family so we went to Sea World together. Bringing a new born is actually really easy to bring to an amusement park. They just eat and sleep all day long.
After the Mollers left the park, we decided to check out the roller coaster. The line was too long so Dan decided to re-create some fun memories from his childhood...by getting splashed on the bridge where the coaster crashes into the water. The kids had A BLAST! They were freezing in their wet clothes by the end and we looked pretty silly RUNNING from that ride back to the car with dripping wet kids....and husband. That was probably the best part of the day for the kids.
I was a bit worried about Alli feeling like the third wheel with her other two cousings...they are both 2 years older than her and are like two peas in a pod, but they really included her and they all got along great. We didn't plan it but apparently, purple princess jammies are the in thing.
One of our main events during the week was hitting balboa Island. Since this was our family vacation for the year....we splurged. Pizza, ice cream, sunglasses, rides, you name it...we did it. Alli preferred to watch Cole and daddy ride the ferris wheel as usual.
We then headed to the beach. It was a bit windy and unfortunately, not very child friendly. The waves broke hard on the shore because it went deep so quickly...Dan almost broke his neck and then decided to take Cole out with him...I was freaking out. Good thing that didn't last long...he could hardly touch and almost drowned himself trying to keep Cole above water. We were sure we'd have to make another trip to another beach another day.
After the beach, we went to BJ's and had a deliscious dinner. We were sitting right by the window where people could look in from the sidewalk....Kaitlyn was the hit of the show. So many passers by stopped to see her in the window...mouthing questions like how old she was. She looked so beautiful sleeping in her little outfit.
My sister-in-law Tricia put on a little one day joyschool for the kids while the boys had their guys day at the shooting range. They talked about how everyone is unique and then they did some coloring and then made this cool stuff called gunk that starts out as a liquid and then ends up as a solid. They had gunk races but hanging some of it over a chair and watching it as gravity slowly worked on it pulling a string of it to the ground.
Every morning, our family would load up the car and drive down to my parents' in San Diego. Then after our day of activities, we would make the drive home late at night...practically falling asleep at the wheel--yikes!! This picture says it all about how we were feeling by the end of the week.
On the last night we came down, we got this cool ball that you roll around and it makes ice cream.
The trip culminated with the blessing of Kaitlyn and her cousin Jeffrey. The blessings were beautiful and it was soo cool being there altogether as a family. We had so many friends come up as well...for the painful 8:30am church. My sister-in-law, Tricia, planned our lunch and made delicious chicken croissant sandwiches. It couldn't have been a more perfect day.
I lost Cole TWICE!! The first time Dan was boogie boarding and I had just finished nursing the baby and I had been watching him until he was digging in the sand behind this huge 6 person raft sitting on the shore. When I didn't see him pop out from behind it after a while, I got up and he was gone!! I laid the baby down, a nice lady said she'd keep an eye on her, and I started telling everyone I walked by that I was missing my blond two year old boy named Cole. I started yelling his name when I saw him running toward me, searching for me. He apparently got up to come up to our stuff and when he didn't see us, he went searching. So I gave him some landmarks to spot us easier. I pointed to our two umbrellas and what they looked like. We played by the water a bit and this nice lady was chatting with us commenting on how I had my hands full. Next incident, was right as we were packing up to leave. Dan and Matt were out in the water again, and we had both put our umbrellas away...I wasn't even thinking about how that would make us hard to find (I mean he was literally digging in the sand right in front of us, but after loading up most of my stuff, I look up and Cole is gone. By this time, Dan was coming out of the water....I sent him one way, and I went the opposite way. People could see the look on my face and a lady asked if I was looking for a little boy, I told her yes, and she said he was wandering saying, "mommy?" I looked ahead and the lady I was chatting with early was quite a ways ahead of me holding his hand bringing him to me. I was soooo relieved. That was a bit much for me. Both times, I hadn't QUITE hit panic mode. BUT the beach is so frightening to lose a kid at because they could be swiped away in the waves. Cole really doesn't venture into the water too much without one of us, but he could have also been taken! I felt bad that I had removed the landmarks!!! Anyway, we left there and packed up the car....getting to the car, feeding the baby and loading up took FOREVER. Then we headed to Oscars for dinner with the Parks. We love hanging out with them because they always are go with the flow people and they throw everything out the window to be with us.....naptime, bedtime, whatever time, they just take the time to hang out and we love it! 
