Noah the Hermit Crab

Noah was having fun being under that push walker like a hermit crab. He was under there for a long time...

White Out

The storm last night wasn't bad at all. We still have power and content that we can stay warm inside. However, it's still snowing outside! Our neighborhood looks like a suburb of Lake Tahoe with tall evergreen trees covered in snow. It's absolutely gorgeous! I don't see too many cars driving out the window but for those that are out there, I see them sliding around. The snow is pretty deep and no snow truck has come by yet, so the road is pretty much like a ski slope, covered with fluffy fresh snow. Too bad we don't have any snow shoes for Sean.

Snow Snow and More Snow!

We are snowed in! The Pacific Northwest had the biggest snow storm of the season and this is certainly the heaviest snow fall we have seen around here. We got about six inches of snow and it is still snowing out there. Everything is white and it is very pretty, but not very livable. Poor Mike has been sent out everyday on his little CRV to stock up on food, daipers, and some emergency items. The weather is supposed to turn stormy tonight and we are hoping our neighborhood power stays intact.

On top of that, Sean seems to be sick. He threw up this morning when he woke up and he is not as energetic. The babies are fine, though. They eat and sleep very well. Aly has been pulling up and cruising all over the house. Noah is starting to take an interesting in crawling finally and he is practising most of the waking hour. Our nanny, Amy, is vacationing in Las Vegas however they are also having a rare snow storm. Poor Amy. I guess she could not get away.

The coming week should be interesting with all this snow we had. We live on a slopy neighborhood, so just to get out of the hood will be a little challenging. Mike was sent to Fred Meyer this afternoon and it took him about three hours to do all the driving and shopping. He said the stores were packed and he had to wait in line just to get a shopping cart!

It's been too cold (high around 25 degrees) and we cannot wait for the warmer rain weather to come back! I guess I shouldn't have complained about the rain... I will not complain anymore so rain, please come back!!

Setting up the Christmas Tree

The tradition in the Campbell's house hold is to setup the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving. This year, we put it in the entry way so that Alyson won't try to tear it down. Sean remembered the tree from last year and was very excited to have it out again. He helped hang the ornaments but mostly on one spot at his eye level. When he was napping, I hang more ornaments and re-distributed the ones Sean hang to balance things out.

We took pictures of the kids in front of the tree yesterday, but it didn't go so well. The twins were terrified and Sean was in a funny mood. The babies cried and Sean was screaming... You can just imagine how it was! But they did look adorable in a dress-up outfit. All these bad pictures we took have more character than perfect looking smiley pictures, I suppose!

Sean Day

Mike and I were both off work on Friday and Amy watched the twins, so Sean, Mike and I went to the Pacific Science Center to spend some alone time. There was a butterfly exhibit and we were able to see the colorful butterflies flying around in a warm walk-in enclosure. Sean thought it was so neat to see so many of them flapping around. He basically was ecstatic running around the center at his will. We went to see the dinosaurs again and he was a little scared so clung to Mike. Afterwards, we went to have some Italian food at a restaurant nearby. He was so tired by the time we got home but had a very fun outing.

Bed Fight

Sean, Daddy, Noah and Aly were on the bed playing. Noah sat with Daddy, but Aly and Sean were playing rough!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is Noah and Aly's first and Sean's third Thanksgiving. We always have dinner with friends but this year we are spending time at home because most of us have cold. Mike and Sean went to pick up Chinese duck and roasted pork at Chinatown downtown. Sean loves the fried rice from Uwajimaya's deli, so they picked that up, too. We had the dinner around 1:00 pm and it was delicious, I heard. Too bad I couldn't taste anything due to my cold! All of the kids and Mike are napping right now and I wish I were, too! It's a lazy Thanksgiving day for us this year!

Kids Sick

All of us except Mike is sick with cold. Poor babies are having the hardest time with it. They have so much mucus that their nose is always wet and constantly coughing... Now the babysitter, Amy, is getting sick, too, poor girl. I've had congestion and coughs also and my voice sounds horrible. I think the worst part is over though, hopefully!

We were planning to go to our friend's Kumiko's house for Thanksgiving, but we decided to stay home due to kids being sick. Instead, Mike and Sean went to Chinatown to pick up roast duck and pork. We just won't tell Sean that it's duckie. It's a gorgeous day out here with sunshine, but very cold. We'll keep the babies indoors for a little while so that they can recover quickly.

Will post some more photos of Thanksgiving later today!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Twins 9 months!

Aly and Noah had their 9 month well check with Dr. Uyeno. Our nanny, Amy, came along to help out. On the way to the clinic, I got a speeding ticket! The police must have been aiming to ticket as many people as possible because when I was stopped, two other cars were stopped as well. A big bummer!! But then, this is my very first traffic violation in my 18 years driving history, so it's not so bad. So, I am convincing myself so!!

The appointment went very well!

Here are the stats:

Alyson

Height 29 inches 95%

Weight 21 lbs and 13 ounces 90%

Noah

Height 29 3/4 inches 90%

Weight 21 lb 6 ounces

I can't believe Aly is heavier than Noah, especially because she is more active than him. She feels lighter to me but I guess she must shift her weight better when being held. Who knows.

Aly has to have a follow up appointment with Orthopedist for her spine, but other than that they are both healthy. They both got four shots including the flu vaccine and they were not too happy about that. They did great though, flashing smiles at everyone.

Will attach Sean's baby picture at his 9 mos appointment for comparison. He was more than an inch taller than the twins and weight-wise the same.

Adventure with the News

Aly and Noah are experimenting with food at the moment. They are starting to eat chunkier food like cubed sweet potatoes, biter cookies, cereal snacks, bananas and crackers. Aly has mastered to self-feed very well and Noah is still working on pincer grasp. They were introduced to the sippy cups and although they have not figured out how to use it, they think it's a fun thing to bang on the table.

Alyson, whenever we are in the kitchen, pops in and say hello by crawling all the way from the living room. Noah wishes he could move, I can see it in his eyes! But we do like the idea of one moving baby, not two. Aly also has mastered the art of waving bye-bye and saying "mama" for Mommy. She also was showing off her clapping skills in front of a large mirror in our bedroom. Is she ever going to slow down? She will be always on the go and up to something new, we figure.

So, we started to get "congratulations" from friends and family about my pregnancy. It is starting to hit me that we are going to have a fourth, a fourth!!!, child. I am an only child and never had to share a room or anything with anyone. So, it is going to be a learning experience for me, what it is like to have a large family. Personally, I like the idea always having enough number of people to play card or board games!

Alyson Crawling!

On Friday evening while I was on the phone with my Mom in Japan, Alyson started to crawl! We knew it was coming very soon but once that happened, we were so excited. She still moves very slowly but I know she'll be zooming by in a few days. We are very excited, but now we have to baby proof the house again. Unlike Sean who never put anything in his mouth, my twins are the total oposit. They have to check everything out first by putting them in their mouth. So, we really have to watch them carefully. We are very proud of Alyson for achieving another milestone!

I will post some random pictures taken recently. On weekends, we take Sean out in the mornings so that he can get some alone time with either Mommy or Daddy. Daddy took him to the mall's new play area and he loved it. On a rainy day, a facility like that gets packed around here!

Alyson and Noah can play together but Alyson always takes toys away from Noah. Noah of course cries for help. Anything Noah has, Alyson wants it. I guess this is probably the case for many years to come. Hopefully, they will develop different tastes in toys.

Announcement

Hi Everyone,
Today, we have a special announcement. Mike and I are expecting another baby next May. I am currently 14 weeks and everything is progressing very well. I recently took a blood test and gone through an ultrasound examination. Everything is normal thus far and we are very excited to welcome this new baby. We are so busy we sometimes forget that we are pregnant again, however the little one, who is already shaped like a human being - kicking and sucking thumb, is any less special to us. In a time like this, we are really fortunate to have a house full of kids and a cozy home. I am sure it will be a little difficult in the first two years, but we are psyched up and determined to get through it with lots of love and patience! Loe Mike & Kimi

Halloween Kids

Halloween was a little caotic sice we now have three little ones, but we had fun. We went to the Factoria mall since it was raining. In the mall there is a small kid's museum and the entrace fee was free last night. They have several play areas with interesting displays and Sean had a wonderful time exploring. He paticularly liked the water display and he made his costume soaking wet on the arms! The bumble bee twins had a bottle while Sean played and were very curious. Sean was a chicken again this year since the costume still fit. He wasn't particularly corperative with pictures so we only have one picture of him. The twins were excellent models and we've gotten some cute ones.

Once we got home, neighborhood kids came knocking on the door for some candies. We had a good turn out this year and glad we bought some extra candies. But still, we have a bowl full of chocolates and Mommy is pleading Daddy to just take them to work, out of this home!

Pumpkin Patch Kids

This morning, we all went to a pumpkin patch in Kirkland. We've always gone to the one in Fall City/Carnation, but decided to try a new place this year. There were alpacas and goats and Sean enjoyed feeding them by hand. Aly and Noah stayed in the stroller, half drowsy since it was near their nap time. It was a sunny and gorgeous day but the wind was a little chilly. After feeding the animals, Sean just ran and took off to the pumpkin field. He was so excited to be able to ran in a big open space. He ran so far that he was about the size of the pumpkins laying around. Once Daddy went and retrieved him, we looked for the pumpkin to adopt. He could not decide which one, so Mommy picked one for him. All in all we had a good time at the new pumpkin patch. Perhaps we'll return again next year since it's closer.

Daddy carved the Mr. Pumpkin in the garage. We did it without Sean since it involved knife and didn't want Sean to insist on swinging around a weapon. It turns out, Sean is scared of Mr. Pumpkin. He wouldn't even let Mommy touch it. We made sure Mr. Pumpkin has a friendly face, but still it was too different for Sean. He's still two after all!

Maybe next year, Aly and Noah will be running around in the pumpkin patch. Granted, I bet they will run towards different directions. Our lives will be so much fun as the kids get older.

Twins Sitting Up

Alyson and Noah can now sit side by side, giggling, bothering and stealing each other's socks. It's so funny to see them interact. They know they belong to each other and they feel very comfortable being so close. That is an unique sentiment between twins, which we are so fortunate to be a part of. Alyson can entertain herself by sitting up all by herself playing with toys for a long time. Noah sometimes still loses balance, but getting so much better.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Today, Grandma turns 70!! Happy Birthday, Grandma! She's still young looking and very very active that this old Mommy here cannot keep up with her. Wishing you a good health and happiness, Grandma! Sorry for the late birthday card (as always)!

Daddy's gone to Hong Kong since Sunday. The Campbell household is in order, however things can be very stressful at night. Sean woke up frequently last night just screaming and he won't tell me what he wanted. Perhaps he was warm, but he kept hitting his face. Maybe his teeth... It's no fun playing the guessing game with a screaming toddler at 2 am when you have to get up at 4:50 am. Luckily, our wonderful nanny comes in at 8:30 am and I got a permission to work half day everyday this week, so I get off at 9 am. We cannot wait for Daddy to come home. We are all in the war zone with time and one's patience and physical endurance. He is coming back on Saturday morning. Four more days to go...

Alyson is sitting up very well now and she can play with toys with better control and view. Noah is also sitting up better but he occasionally leans back and falls. He should sit up nicely in a couple of weeks or so. Alyson's personality is coming through very strongly now. Whenever she throws or drops a toy she was playing with and she cannot reach it anymore, she gets very frustrated! Oh boy, watch out! She's another fierily one!! Noah's just so happy to be Noah. His cutest moment is when he falls a sleep smiling. He also gets tickled when I kiss him on his cheeks.

Hopefully tonight goes better than last night! Hopefully Daddy is having a good time over in Hong Kong!!

Happy Children

Alyson started to grow two bottom teeth. She was a little fussy but has been a trooper and coping very well. Both of them came out at the same time and they look fancy in her little mouth. She is having a little sore bottom so the diaper change can be a battle. Poor Aly.

Noah has been having runny nose and problems breathing at times. He doesn't like having his nose cleaned, well who doesn't!? He's been pretty happy though despite his sickness. He smiles all day long from the moment he wakes up in the morning. What an adorable little boy.

Sean started his daycare today. He cried a lot at first, but soon started to enjoy himself with his old buddies. He ate his lunch fine but didn't nap. Maybe he'll be able to nap from tomorrow. We opted the daycare option instead of staying home with the twins because we wanted him enjoy playing with his friends and participate in different activities. We think it will be good for him even though he may feel sad at first.

Nana's Visit

It was really nice to see Nana. Sean enjoyed the time with her and he asked for her after she left. Daddy and Mommy had a good time visiting with her. She's lost a lot of weight and looked great. She says she is going to lose more and we are very proud of her. Looking forward to her next visit!

We went to the Children's Museum on Sunday, Daddy and Nana went to the Redhook Brewery on Monday and became very naughty and we relaxed on Tuesday. It's always fun to have her around and thanks so much for coming, Nana!