We took caltrain!

Riding caltrain is usually not a headline but when you have two toddler boys, it becomes a huge deal. I've been wanting to take Noah and Nathan on the train but never found time to do it. They get excited seeing the train pass by when we're driving around so riding it was a big treat. My first plan was taking it all the way to SF but being this far along, I didn't want to risk it. Erdy didn't even want me to go but being as stubborn as I am, I did it anyways.

So we started in Sunnyvale and took it to Hillsdale. Noah and Nathan were jumping up and down as they got on the train. They were so excited. All the way there, they were nonstop chattering about everything they saw. Noah was convinced the train was broken every time it made a stop. Nathan patiently kept explaining to him that people were getting in and others were getting off. They kept waiting and looking out the window hoping to catch a glimpse of a horse. The added bonus was that when we got off in Hillsdale, you can actually see Bay Meadows Race track so they did see horses!

They were pooped after our day trip. Nathan got an extra treat because Erdy took him back on caltrain that evening and they went to downtown Mountain View for gelato! What a lucky kid!

2nd week of maternity leave

I didn't think I would make it this far but I did. This week was uneventful when it came to contractions. I was having contractions off and on but nothing consistent. I've been planning my schedule day by day since I don't know when I'll deliver. Maybe he'll wait closer to his due date. I have two weeks to go if that's the case.

The highlight of this week was going to a place called Happy Feet. They massage your feet for an hour. It only cost $20 and it was so worth it. Not only do they massage your feet but they also do your back, neck, arm and leg. It was so relaxing and I'm planning on going again! I wish I can take one of the masseuse with me when I go into labor.

I took the boys to more parks this week. They get all excited because I've been taking them to different ones that they haven't been to. So everything is so new to them. We also went to Chuck E Cheese and story time at the library. I've also been working with Nathan on his printing and some basic math stuff. I don't want him to forget the stuff he learned from preschool. Since Noah is around, he's learning it too. He's pretty quick at picking up stuff.

Erdy and I have been catching up on our Blockbuster movies. He typically puts the kids to bed and then we hang out and watch movies. I also got the chance to do some baking. It's been fun to bake and experiment with different recipes that has been given to me awhile back.

Anyways, on to week #3. We'll see what adventure is in store for us this week.

What an exciting day...

I've been begging baby #3 to hold off making his grand entrance until after Nate's party. So the night of Nate's party, I start having contractions. My contractions were every 5 minutes apart lasting 60 seconds long. That went on for two hours before I decide to call Kaiser. So at 2 in the morning, Erdy and I head off to Kaiser. The doctor examines me and I am only 2.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced. The doctor asked me to stay for two hours, hoping I will dilate more. No luck though so we got to go home. In a way, I was glad. I'm still not quite ready to have the baby. I'm hoping to stretch it out for another two weeks.

But if I had a labor scenario to choose from that would have been it. Labor started in the middle of the night when the two kids were asleep. It happened on the weekend and Erdy wasn't working. It would have been the perfect scenario. Oh well. Let's just hope I'm not stranded somewhere and my water breaks and I have to drive myself to the hospital and I don't have time for an epidural. That would be my worst nightmare.

Nate's 4th bday party celebrated early!

So Nathan celebrated his birthday a month early since baby #3 will arrive around his birthday. We didn't want to neglect his birthday so we decided to have his party at Lemo's Farm in Half Moon Bay. Nate's latest obsession are horses so it was appropriate to have a pony party. We had so much fun. It was so neat to see Nathan so excited about everything. The party package included our own private ponies with a cowboy, petting zoo, our own bounce house and unlimited train rides. What a treat for Nathan--his two favortie things...horses and trains!

Auntie Monica made a beautiful cake for Nathan--a complete barnyard with horses and cupcakes too! I'm still enjoying the barnyard made of a huge chocolate chip cookie...yum! I didn't think Nate will ever get off the pony. He eventually did and enjoyed the train ride and bounce house. Here's some pictures from his party...

1st week of maternity leave

Wow I made it through the first week of maternity leave. When I saw my doctor last week, she told me I was 1 cm dilated and may go into labor early. On Sunday night, I started to have contractions (stronger than previous contractions) and I really thought I was in labor. The good part is that it forced me to pack my hospital bag.

I had to make a deal with the baby. We are celebrating Nathan's party today (it's 2 in the morning and I can't sleep) and I wanted to be there for it so he has to wait until the party is over to make his grand entrance. And thankfully he is waiting...

I remember my pregnancy with Nathan...I was so anxious to meet him. I wanted him out as soon as it was safe for him to come out. With Noah, I was so uncomfortable because he was sitting on my sciatic nerve and it was so painful that I wanted him out. With our third baby, I'm hoping he'll wait a couple more weeks so I can fully rest (what does that mean?) and spend some time with the boys.

So how did I spent my first week off from work? I took the kids to several parks where they can play with water. They had so much fun. We went to the library during story time. I also took them to watch a movie. Every Wednesday during the summer, AMC is running a $1 special for the kid's movie. This week it was Shrek. It was Noah's first time in the theatre. He had fun! I couldn't believe how many kids were there! We ran a lot of errands buying all the stuff for the baby. We also bought Nate's uniform for school. I tried get a lot of things out of the way that will be hard to do with the new baby. Oh and of course, I tried to take it easy. I don't really know what it means to just relax and rest so Erdy has been on my back about it. He won't let me clean, wash the dishes, pick up the kids toys, etc. How nice huh! Don't worry, I'm milking it!

It's been so nice to sleep late and just sit and watch tv. My sister and I were getting a pedicure and I was telling them that it's great to sleep in until 7:30am. They just started laughing at me...they said you call that late!? I definitely think so! So one week down and 14 weeks to go! How nice!

Noah!

Noah is now two years old. He has reached many milestones. He is definitely a talker. First thing in the morning, you can hear him running down the hallway and when he sees you, he happily says good mornin'. Then a second later, he says he wants to eat. He even has special requests...usually he wants eggs, then a banana, then cereal...and he never really finishes. The boy loves to eat so feeding him is never an issue.

Noah loves music. He loves to sing and dance. Most mornings he walks around with his ukelele singing away. If it's not his ukelele, he is banging on his drums. He definitely can entertain you.

He took a parent tot class with my mom. He totally loved it. It was too cute to drop him off. As I pull out, I see him in my rear view mirror, waving at me, carrying his backpack. His teacher is amazed by how much he can say. I guess that's the advantage of having a big brother.

Noah totally looks up to Nathan. They are inseparable although they also love to fight. And now Nate can't bully Noah because Noah fights right back. Sometimes he even makes Nate cry.

Even though Noah is a toddler, I still think of him as a baby. He is so cuddly, always wants to hug or kiss me. And my heart melts when he says, I dub (love) you mommy!

Nathan!

Nathan will be four in August. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were rocking him to bed. Now he's an active and energetic little person. He finished a year of preschool already. He just loved it. His favorite part of the day was art work. Sometimes he would come home with a blob of paint of his shirt. One day he even painted his shoes!

He is obsessed with horses. I don't even know how many he has...way too much. He never seems to get tired with playing with them. It's so cute because he puts them on time out too. What an imagination!

When he's outside he loves to collect roly poly's. He also likes snails and spiders. Sometimes it's embarrassing because he knows to look for spiders at corners so when we go to someone's house, he goes over to the corner and gets excited when he sees spider webs! Of course, whoever's house it is, they get all embarassed that Nate has pointed out spider webs!

He will go to St. Cyprian starting next month. We just bought his school uniforms. Wow he's all grown up. See for yourself.

A lot has gone on...

I totally forgot that I even had this blogger. So much has gone on. Life has been a whirlwind. Here's where we are now....

Nathan will be 4 next month.
Noah is an energetic two year old.
And I'm pregnant with our 3rd son.

Yup you read that right. 3rd boy!!! Baby #3 has come to us by a total surprise. I must admit, I was devastated at first. We were at a point in our lives where we were deciding if our family was complete. Little did we know that was being answered for us. 2008 was suppose to be about me...i had it all planned...lose weight, work out more, have more me time...that's what i get for trying to plan. So baby #3 will arrive in 3 weeks or maybe less. He keeps wanting to make his grand entrance already and since I was never in control in the first place, I have given up trying. He'll come when he pleases...

I am very excited to meet him. I have been trying to enjoy every moment of my pregnancy, knowing this is my last. He has been pretty easy to carry although I have gestational diabetes. So I have had to control my cravings...watermelon and ice cream is all i think about. And my latest craving is krispy kreme donuts. Oh I can't wait to have one!

I will try to post more often now that I'm on maternity leave. It's been so nice to hang out with the two kids and not be in a rush all the time. So this is what it feels like to be a stay at home mom. I'm really liking it (I think because I know it's temporary).