Saya's cute moments caught on camera!

Tummy time's not my thing!
This dress is getting too small for me!


Saya's a very smiley baby and she makes very sweet sounds when she's in the mood to "talk". She mostly says "au au" and she squints her nose and opens her month really big when she smiles. She likes to put her whole fist in her mouth and energetically kicks around. She is very calm unless she's hungry, tired or poopy. Otherwise, she can be seen lounging around content in her bouncy or the couch.

Playdate with Hanae, Ayrie and Rion

Noah thought it's too hot to move!
Aly with Ayrie, Rion and Hanae

Aly watching Noah eat dino tail!

My friend Hanae and her two kids came over to play and to cool down from the crazy heat yesterday. Yesterday was also a 100 F plus day but it seems like the worst part is over now. On Wed when the twins insisted going out on the deck despite the unbearable heat, Noah just stood by the door and did not move, overwhelmed by the heat. Yesterday was not too bad so we let the kids play out on the deck with the water table and the pool. The kids had a really good time playing with cool water. Poor Alyson though had stepped on the part of the deck that were hot and cried because her little feet were in pain and she did not know what to do. She was ok though but we'd learned that the composit deck gets really hot when the sunshine's strong as the surface of it is a man-made material. We have to be careful with it. I am glad that the heat wave is over and everyone's life is back to normal!

Videos of Saya

100 F Maddness

Aly takes the measuring cup away from Noah...
She enjoys taking stuff away from him...

Not only that, she starts smacking him with the very thing she'd taken from him!!

I just noticed that the current temp hit the third digit! I certainly hadn't seen it hit that high ever since we moved up from California. We took the kids out in the morning and we were feeling the heat (Sean was at the daycare). The kids' cheeks were bright red and they were looking like they came out from sauna. Luckily, our home is nice and cool thanks to the A/C we installed last summer. We cannot believe it's almost Aug and that Mike's parental leave is going to end soon. The real test is when Mike goes back to work as our Nanny Amy cannot come to work for us after mid Aug. I cannot promise that I will be a Betty Crocker Mom, but I will try to line up a variety of activities for the kids and be the best Mom I can be! But boy it is hot today. Feeling for those without A/C around here...

Nana's Visit

Mike's Mom, Jan (aka Nana), visited us for four days and returned to Minneapolis this afternoon. She got each kids a nice present at Toysrus and kids, especially Sean, were really happy because he has gotten a new set of cars. It's always nice to have her here and we had some special time with her. Thank you for coming, Nana. We are looking forward to your next visit! The photos are from the Chinese place we went this morning~, yummy! Thanks Jan for the treats!!

Water Table a Big Hit!!

Some naked playtime before going inside!
Where's my belly button?

Saya preferred to stay indoors where it is nice and cool. Smart girl!

Mommy, I am having a blast!

Nice activity where all three kids can play together (somewhat).

My pretty dress is wet (matching one with Saya, btw)!

Grandma got the kids a water table for them to splash around and we had set it up yesterday on our deck. They totally love it and spend two straight hours getting soaking wet. We are having a heat wave right now so it's perfect play. It was a very worthwhile purchase and thank you Grandma for the nice present!!

Campbell's Fresh Summer Squeez!

What's up?

Noah thinks he has superman climbing powers!

Alyson pouting

Alyson window shopping

Noah watching dog shampoo demo tape -- almost sold on it.

Saya at Chinese restaurant

Look at me belly!

Saya is going to be three-month old tomorrow! Once wrinkly hands and feet are now plump and dimply, her tummy like a little froggie's and her thighs are french rolls that are asking to be pinched every time I change her diaper. The other day, I took her to grocery shopping for the very first time. She sat in her infant car seat, very content that Mommy is right in front of her all the time. She was smiling and cooing throughout the store. We took her to Dim Sim last Friday at our favorit Chinese place, also. She was really good, listening to hassles and bussels of a busy restaurant.

The twins' cheeks are growing and they jiggle as they run around everywhere. Alyson has mastered the art of jumping and it is her favorite activity these days. Noah has brought out his inner monkey and he's been climbing onto anything that in his baby mind a good target to conquer. We found him on our dinky patio table the other day.

Sean's talking more and we are working with him to minimize his Godzilla tantrums. We bought this visual timer for him to understand how much time he has before moving on to another activity and it is helping. I am trying to read this book titled "1-2-3 Magic" and it has some effective techniques with disciplining children. I am 'trying' because I hardly ever have time to read it and I only can read it while I pump. I have been tucking him into bed and he asks for two kisses on his head. That is very sweet. We have a nice quiet time just Mommy and Sean and we enjoy it a lot. His life is just as stressful hearing all these babies cry and he needs a good one-on-one time to alleviate all his tensions.

Our little peaches are growing very fast, but still soft and very squeezable. Just watching them run around on our new deck, laughing makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Hanging Out

Noah and Sean in matching T-shirt
Saya is a good baby -- she patiently sits while Mommy cooks.
Aly and Noah playing on choochoo

Miss Alyson with her pooch bag

Saya close up!

So, Grandma left last Thursday after almost 3 month of busy stay and Mike and I are scrambling to keep things running smoothly. Thank you so much, Grandma for all your help! It was very sad to see you go, but rest assured we'll bug you by phone and webcam so that you'd remember how your grand kids screams. The first day was pretty hard. I didn't get enough sleep because Saya woke up about three times at night and could not nap in the morning like I used to. By the third day post Grandma, it was starting to turn for the better. Kids are asleep by 9 pm so we have a little time to relax at night. But believe me, it is not easy. Sure all these little people are cute but boy they give you a mental and physical workout! Sometimes I don't want to get up from the couch even though poor little guys are crying. Well, right now for example, Aly and Noah are supposed to be napping but they are both yelling from their cribs. While I have endless to do list always out, we have to slow down and enjoy ourselves in this busy schedule. For now, all I can do is deep breathing and hope things slow down soon!!

Noah laughs every time he sips his milk because it made a funny noise.

New Deck!!

Aly running around -- the deck is huge!
Daddy enjoying dinner on the deck.

Our first meal out on the deck! Kids love it.

The deck is almost finished -- just some minor things are left like attaching gates -- and we were finally able to use it today. The deck extends to where the rocks were and is made of the composit material which does not require any staining. Poor Grandma was looking forward to seeing it completed, all she saw was the deck with some railing on the right side. Well, here it is Grandma! We are very pleased with how it came out and the kids seem to enjoy being out running around. More pics to come later!

Thomas Day

Sean waiting for Thomas to come by.
Thomas rolls by and Sean was terrified!

Our kids with Thomas -- we didn't want to pay $18 per person!!


Today was a particularly a hot and sunny day, but decided to brave ourselves and take all four children to Snoqualmie to see Thomas. Thomas was Sean's obsession before Lightning McQueen came along, but thought he would appreciate it being so large and moving. When Thomas came closer to us, he started to say "go back there!" and wanted to get as far away as possible from the train while other Thomas fans waved at the train. Saya slept on the stroller and missed the action, but Alyson was excited to see him. Noah was just too hot. He was like a little puppy on a hot day. This is the second day after the grandma left us and we felt great to be out and about with the whole family, managing it just fine with Mike and I.

Girls in Kimono Gown

My aunt sent me the kimono my cousin used when she was a baby for Omiyamaii, which is a ceremony where you visit shrine to pray for baby's good health and hapiness. We celebrate it at 30 days after the baby's birth, but we took pictures of the girls just for fun.

Aly can use spoon!

Aly has been eating by herself using a spoon. She eats really fast and lets us know when she is done by throwing food on the floor (okay that's not nice). She also does "All Done" gesture by waving her hands sideway. She's a smart cookie!

Four Peas in a Pod

Sean with his soft serve.
Aly kissing Saya

Noah and Saya sitting together on grandma.

I am the only child and have always envied having a brother or sister (well, wanted an obedient cute little sister or kind big brother -- strictly). I am happy to say that my kids will always have each other to talk to and play with. They seem to fight over toys and attention than hug each other, but they instinctively know that they are a part of an unit. Aly and Noah always come to give Saya kisses and Sean also enjoys some cuddle time with her. Aly thinks her brother Sean is the coolest thing and tries to imitate everything he does (which is a problem actually). Noah thinks Sean is the funniest thing and cracks up at anything Sean does. Sean talks about his brother and sisters at the daycare proudly and asks for them if they are not with him in the room or the car. Saya is fascinated by all the noises and actions in the house and happy to watch her siblings play. Saya is probably the calmest newborn I've ever met because all the kids' tea kettle screams are a perfect BGM for her. It is very interesting to me to see how they are bonding with one another.

Saya's Two Month Well Check

Noah getting cuter and cuter everyday!
Aly with the Tot's Collar (to correct her tilting neck problem)

Saya in her bumbo seat looking cute.

Saya had a two month well check on 6/30 and here are the stats:

Weight 14 lbs exactly

Height 24 inches

She's off the chart over all (except for her head size) and very healthy. She's soft and round just like she's supposed to be.

Saya sleeps these days from 9:00 PM to 3 or 4 AM straight and then sleeps until 7 or 8 AM. Aly and Noah are cutting some teeth and Aly wakes up sometimes during the night screaming. Otherwise, they are doing very well. Aly can say about 20 words or more and she's very sassy. Grandma got her a pooch bag (a bag that is shaped like a doggy) and she likes to carry it around with her. She doesn't like to have her hair done but she knows she looks pretty cute. Noah is pro at running now and he can now run as fast as Alyson. They both chase each other around the living room/kitchen area giggling. It is so cute to see them play together. Come the bed time, hey ran really fast to get away from me. I am surprised those short chubby legs can carry them so fast. Master Sean's in a fairly good mood lately. He really loves his Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks mini cars and he goes to bed with them every night. He really loves his race car bed and very proud of it.