Our Official Schoolboy

Evan started his 3rd week of preschool this morning and he finally got his school uniform last week, so I just had to post a picture of my precious boy in his new gear!! He seems to really enjoy going on Wednesdays and is a little bit more reluctant for me to leave him on Thursdays, but he only cries for a couple of minutes and then he is fine. I know this because I've stayed outside waiting for him to stop crying before I left the last 2 Thursdays. Nothing breaks your heart more than to see your little one come running after you and crying that you are leaving him. It took everything I had to leave him the first time he cried - I had to call Andrew and ask him what I should do....go back in and get him or give him a bit of time to adjust. During my phone call, he had already adjusted and was distracted by some puzzles one of the teachers had him doing. And when I pick him up in the afternoons he is always having a great time and is ready to go back and do it again the next day.....to see his best friend Franco or "Panco" as Evan says (we are still working on those "f"s). I guess I just have to give him a bit more time to adjust to the routine.

Here are a few pictures from this morning.....I know it doesn't look like it, but he really was excited to go to school this morning. He still has that same serious Evan face he's always had when it comes to taking pictures!

As for my littlest one, he is growing up so quickly. We are still struggling with getting good nights, but I try to remind myself this time will pass soon enough and I'll long for the nights where he needs me in the middle of the night for a little bit of snuggling time. Of course, I say this after having a decent night last night :-)

Here are some pictures I took just a few minutes ago:

And here is one of both my angels during a birthday party we went to last week. It was a pajama party for one of my friend's little girls. Evan had a batman mask painted on his face.

E goes to school; Coop rolls over

Evan's 1st day went great! As I thought, I was WAY more nervous about the entire thing than he was. I sat around for a few minutes after setting him in line with the rest of the boys and talked to his teacher a bit about what I had brought for him in his backpack and what time I would pick him up, etc. etc....all the while, E is just sitting there overwhelmed by all the commotion of the noisy kids...but loving every minute of it. So after I began to wear out my welcome, I decided it was time for me to leave and kiss my little one good-bye. He merely said "bye Mom" and that was it....no tears, no "don't make me stay here", no "come back to get me soon"....just a mere "bye Mom"!! I thought I was going to cry! I can't believe my little one is such a big boy now!! When I went to pick him up (of course, 5 minutes before I was suppose to), he was just as happy as could be. The teacher (Ms. Sue Phong....which by the way is darling to hear the way Evan prounounces her name...I can't even begin to type how he says it!!) said he did great. She did say that shortly after I left, he did ask for me a bit, but then after about 5 minutes he was okay with me being gone. When I asked him if he was ready to go back again tomorrow, he said "yes". The only thing I got out of him about his day was that he played with Franco (or Panco as he says it) and "cars". Wow, I can't believe this day is already here when I'm asking my little guy how his day was and what he learned. Before I know it, Cooper will be joining him!!

I'm ready to go, Mom"

Sitting in the boys line, ready for assembly time to start, where they sing songs together....that's "Panco" with the sippy cup, the other 2 year old at the school.

E just checking out what all the older boys are doing (the school is for 2-5 year olds). I can't wait to see what he looks like in his little uniform!!

As for Coop, he reached a milestone yesterday as well....he rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time. I had just written in my Monday posting that he was getting close and sure enough the next day, he did it!! I thought it was just by accident, but I kept putting him on his tummy and he rolled over 3 different times. He actually enjoys tummy time a bit more lately...I think mainly because it gives him more of an opportunity to put his hand...or fist rather...in his mouth. He loves putting his hands in his mouth lately...so much so that he'll take his bink out, just to find his hands. He is also sitting up better in his Bumbo on his 2nd day into it.

Having some fun after naptime

All smiles!! Showing off his cute, little dimple!

Loving that arm!

Looking like a big boy in his Bumbo!

Growing Boys!

So, my little E starts school this Wednesday. I think I’m more nervous than he is. We’ve had 3 different orientation sessions that we’ve attended together so far. The principal of the school encouraged me to go with Evan at 3 different times of the day each time so he could become familiar with their schedule and feel comfortable with me their …which would help him get ready to go on his own. The last session we attended last Thursday, I took him and left him in the classroom for 45 minutes to see how he would do alone. He had no problem taking a seat alongside the other children and telling me bye. It took everything I had not to just linger outside the door to watch him and make sure he was okay. So, I left and ran an errand just down the street so I wouldn’t be hovering. The whole time I kept thinking what if he starts to cry and feels like I’ve just left him. Nope…when I returned he was just as attentive as when I left him and could have cared less that I’d shown back up. The teacher said he did just fine and thought he was more than ready to start on his own this week. He’ll only be going from 8:30 to 12:00 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but for me it is going to seem like an eternity. I feel a bit guilty taking him – feeling as if I’m dropping him off for someone else to care for him. I just have to remind myself it is so he can become more sociable and learn how to interact with other children…..it will be good for him…just worried about me now!! Anyhow, we’ll be sure and let everyone know how the first day goes!! Maybe he'll learn a few things that he can come teach Cooper...because right now he loves "playing" with little brother and "reading" to him! He also loves "reading" the newspaper.
Cooper turned 3 months old today and is starting to get into that fun stage where he smiles all the time and does a lot of cooing (check out the video below). He even chuckled once with his Nana, but both Andrew and I missed it. I haven’t been able to get another one out of him again just yet. We put him on the scale last night and he weighed a whopping 12 lbs 4 oz, just about half a pound over what Evan weighed at 3 months, so they seem to be growing at about the same pace. He still has his good nights and his bad nights, not really any consistency other than he always goes down after his evening bath at about 8:45-9:00 and then wakes somewhere between 1 and 3am. The second half of the night is always the iffy part…..sometime only wakes one more time before we get up in the morning and other times it’s 2 times. The daytime routine is fairly consistent though – always a short 45 minute to 1 hour nap a couple of hours after we get up in the morning and then a really nice 2-3 hour nap at the same time Evan naps (my blogging and internet time!!) and then another short nap during our dinner time. Once he masters the nighttime routine, we’ll be set!! We’re still working on rolling over, but he looks like he is getting close. He also sat in his Bumbo for the first time yesterday….although he is still a bit of a bobble head and gets tired of holding his head up after too long. It was hilarious to see Evan try to play with him while he was in his seat. He would say “Cooper play cars". And then he decided it was his turn to sit (or "tit" as he says it) in the Bumbo and "play cars".



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Nana & Pop's Visit

It’s been about a week and a half since Nana’s and Pop’s visit, so it’s been back to normal at the ol’ Thompson house lately. We had a great time during their visit and really miss having them around. During Nana and Pop’s visit, Cooper got to take his first long roadtrip (3 hours) and his first trip into a new country when we went to Singapore for a few days. It was also his first hotel experience. He did really well given only being 2 ½ months old. We did one of those hop-on / hop-off bus tours so we could show Nana and Pop the whole city. Evan had a fantastic time and enjoyed the part where he got to ride outside of the double decker bus the most. Cooper slept in the Baby Bjorn the majority of the time, but I think he enjoyed being outside for awhile, given that it was such a nice day….cloudy and windy and not so hot. We also did a few days in Kuala Lumpur, where we did some “major shopping” in Chinatown getting all of our knock-off goodies….always a good time!! Pop, Andrew and I also had the chance to get a great massage at the hotel while Nana pulled babysitting duty while the boys napped. I don’t think I’d had a massage since before we left Houston nearly a year and half ago….it was heavenly!! I think Nana and Pop enjoyed seeing how very different things are in this country. When they arrived from the airport the first day, they could not get over how nice the airport was and how beautiful the country was, with all the mountains and palm trees…and beautiful flowers lining the highway. They said they had pictured it much differently from our description....how could a place that looked like what they saw be considered a third world country…..and then we took them through a drive of Melaka on their second day. “Ahhhh, now we see what you’ve described”. The drive through the small villages in Melaka really gave them a feel for exactly how impoverished the country really is in some areas. We did a few other sightseeing things in Melaka, like taking them down to the famous Jonker Street (another sort of Chinatown with a lot of “junk” for sale), but that was about it….other than a day at the pool and some relaxing days just hanging at home. I think more than anything they enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with both boys! They actually said they wanted to come again next year for another visit. We were sure they would see the place and think one time was plenty! We sure hope they do visit again and maybe we can travel to one of the nearby countries next time since both the boys will be at a fun age then.

Here are some pictures from their visit:

This is the sign Evan was holding up for them at the airport when his Dad and him went to pick them up (Nana couldn't get her camera to work at the airport, so she had E hold it up for her again to get a picture of him!).

David and Nita at Jonker Street in Melaka

Everyone ready to "hop-on" the bus to take a tour of Singapore

Evan sitting like a big boy on the tour bus...he enjoyed the top level of the double-decker bus even more!

Cooper on his 1st sight-seeing tour in Singapore

Cooper poses in one of his new monogrammed outfits

Nana and Pop in Singapore's Chinatown

Evan and Cooper hangin' in the hotel in Singapore

Hangin' at the pool at our clubhouse in Melaka

Nana, Pop, Cooper and Evan at our hotel in Kuala Lumpur

Pop in front of the KL twin towers. Nana missed her photo op because she was at the mall helping me shop for a new swimsuit...sorry Nana!!

Pop and Evan hangin' before leaving for the airport

Nana, Pop and Cooper saying their goodbyes....as you can see, Cooper was sad to see them go!!

Evan says his goodbyes as well

Home for the Holidays!!

It's official....we are booked to go home for the holidays! After much debate, we finally decided that this Christmas is probably the best time for us to go home for various reasons. For one, this is one of the only times of year where Andrew can take more than 2 consecutive weeks. The next possible time would be next summer, and rather than going home then and going from one hot place to another, we thought we'd really enjoy the nice cold winter weather instead. And also, the biggest reason we didn't want to travel back home this Christmas...or at all for that matter.... is because we didn't want to endure a 25+ hr trip with 2 kids. But after discussing, we figured if we were going to make the trip at some point, it might be easier to travel with a 7 month old in Decemeber rather than with a 15 month old and 2 1/2 year old, which is how old the boys will be if we wait until next summer. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic and can hardly wait for our trip....although, I'm not sure how we are going to survive it....wish us luck. We've also started organizing a get-together with my mom's side of the family for New Years, so I'm really looking forward to that and having everyone get to meet the boys....one of my aunts and my uncle have never even met Evan. It's always a party when you get all the Robledo's together, so it should be lots of fun!! Hopefully, we'll also get a chance to meet up with some of our friends since we weren't able to last Christmas. We are going for 3 full weeks this year (Dec 14th - Jan 6th) instead of 2 weeks like last year, which didn't leave us much time for getting around to visit everyone. Andrew and I both absolutely love Christmas and spending the holidays with our friends and family....so it was going to be a huge bummer if we would have decided not to go home. What a great Christmas present this year!!

Here are a few of our latest pictures...

Mom and her 2 most precious boys

Evan wants to try on a onesie that John and Kathi Swanson sent for Cooper, but didn't like it once he decided it was too "tight"...which is what he says all the time when his shoes don't go on easily or we have trouble getting a shirt over his big head :-)

Cooper tries to find his thumb to suck on

Cooper is starting to enjoy his playgym more each day....especially after his long afternoon nap. He is also smiling alot more lately, but I've yet to catch him on camera.

And a late Happy 4th of July from Evan and I!!! Cooper was napping and Dad was taking the picture, so hopefully we'll get a family picture soon! We still don't have one of the 4 of us and Cooper is already 2 months old!

Evan Update

Where to begin about my little Evan....or should I say my big boy! He is the absolute most fun right now, saying or doing something new everyday. I'm going to have to start capturing his new little sayings daily. He has been the best big brother, loving and kissing on his little brother all the time. Don't get me wrong, Cooper gets the occasional bonk upside the head every now and then when E gets a little too excited, but for the most part is very gentle and always trying to be a big helper. He automatically goes to get "Cooper diapers" when I lay Cooper on the changing pad, without even having to be asked! Wonder how long he'll keep up the big helper act?!?! He did go through the transition phase in the very beginning where he wanted to do everything and be everywhere Cooper was...like the pictures below where he wanted to be swaddled and lay in Coop's moses basket to sleep. He also tried to sit in his bouncer and lay on his playgym...he even made the occasional attempt to stick Coop's bink in his own mouth. But after a few days, he adjusted and realized there was a new baby in the house and he was now the big boy of the house.
I think part of the reason he adjusted so well to having Cooper with us is that his BeBe and Boss spoiled him from the moment the arrived (giving him everything he wanted and doing everything he wanted to do....just like grandparents do!!), so he never felt like the attention was ever diverted elsewhere. They had the best time together. Evan spent more time outside in the 3+ weeks they were here than he had in the whole time we've been here. They would take a walk each day...sometimes even 2 or 3 a day. By nap time, he was always completely worn out. They even chased each other around the driveway in the rain. They played with his new water toys. They chased butterflies and watched the monkeys, squirrels, and birds. Actually, my dad nearly killed himself when he fell off a ladder while trying to get up to a bird's nest to show Evan the bird eggs! They cleaned the back patio one day, went to the bird park once and then to one of the museums by the mall. They also went to the pool a few days. Needless to say he got quite the tan while they were here...guess his Boss wanted him to look even more like him!! He also managed to get a few nasty mosquito bites (which he is totally allergic to, just like his mother!)...one to his eye that swelled up so bad it looked like he had been in a boxing match! I tried telling Boss he was a "bubble boy" and couldn't play outside without managing to get bitten at least once every other outing. Even though they kept him lathered in mosquito replenant he stilled managed to get bitten about 4 other times. He also got one of his first "real ouchies" by falling in the road while running....skinning up his knee and taking a small chunk out of his thumb. But my little E is a real macho...he only cried for a bit and then it never phased him again. He even seemed enjoy putting on the antibiotic ointment and the Thomas and Friends bandages. I don't think he'd ever had as much fun as he had while his BeBe and Boss were here and we were very sad to see them go. Here are a few pictures from their adventures....and I'm sure my mom would like everyone to know she did all these things with the boys too, but she was the one always taking the pictures!!!

Saying Bye to BeBe and Boss before the leave to Singapore to catch their flight the next morning!

So after the grandparents left, it was life back to "normal"....or as normal as we are going to get for now with a newborn in the house. I started taking Evan to my artist friend's craft day she holds weekly for the expat children. There were 4 other children there plus Evan. He was the youngest in the group, but had a great time with the other kiddos, which ranged from 3 to 4 years old. They would run around chasing each other while yelling and E just stood there and took it all in...as to say "what are these crazy kids doing!!" The craft of the week was to make a mask to wear. E had a good time and enjoyed coloring his. It kept his attention for a good 20 minutes...I was really surprised. He usually can't sit still on one project for longer than 5 or 10 minutes when we are at home. It must have been because all the other kids were sitting there with him. We plan on trying to make it as often as possible from now on since he seemed to really enjoy himself. It looks like we could potentially have a "lefty" on our hands!! He uses it way more often than his right hand to color with and eat with.

Taking a break from coloring to pose with Mom for a picture!

He enjoyed making the mask, but not so fond of actually wearing it!

I managed to get it on him long enough to take a picture at home....note: the coloring near the mouth was his actual work, the rest Mom had to help with!!

We'd been considering enrolling E in a Montessori school and even went and scoped it out back in January to see if it was a place we'd feel safe sending him to. After checking it out and talking with one of the teachers, we decided we would send him, but would wait until he was a bit older (they start accepting children at 18 months, but most usually start at age 2). Since he seems to be enjoying spending more time around other kids lately, I thought it might be time to get him started. He will be the youngest at the school, but I only plan on sending him 1-2 days a week for now...and only for half a day. I just really want him to go for the social aspect. Anyhow, we went back last week to see about getting him officially enrolled, but they now said we had to wait until the new school session starts in September. He seemed totally stoked about going when we asked him if he wanted to go to school and play with the kids. He kept saying "kool...kids". So needless to say, he was a bit disappointed when he couldn't stay and play with the kids. I told him they said we had to wait a bit longer before he started going, so it then turned to "wait...kool...kids!" It was too cute. As you can see in the picture below, he was all ready to go and check it out with his back pack, sunglasses and sippy cup. He'll be off to pre-K before we know it....and this picture will be in front of his elementary school door instead...oh no, my baby is growing up way too fast!