We Ain't Getting Any Younger

Meet Kristy and Kylie, our cousins from Andy's side of the family, ages 17 and 13, respectively. Kristy and Kylie love shopping, playing with Jordan, cooking and cleaning (for a reward of fro-yo, who wouldn't?!) and whatever else their sweet cousins (mostly me) suggest.

At first I was intimidated as I was unsure how we would pass the time with two teenagers for ten days, and even more frightened by the fact that we would pale in comparison to the awesome time they had at Tammy's last summer as that trip included lots of restaurants, theme parks, touristy fun stuff and two little girls to nanny. But once they were here, my fears quickly subsided as I elated with joy in the upside of having help and company around and so far, I think (think being the operative word) they are having a good time as well. It actually reminds me of why I want a big family - it's so much more fun with more people around although, I think I'm going to be a bossy mom... haha. I mean, I TRY not to be bossy, but I definitely am not shy about suggesting how we should approach certain things, about asking for help and about waking them up to get the day started (the first couple of days they were here and we got ready for bed at 10 PM, they asked what they were supposed to do now because they usually sleep at 1 AM, 2 AM or 3 AM - but lately, they've been exhausted and turning in at 10 PM, 11 PM and 12 AM- not 1 2 or 3 AM!)

The girls are easily amused with shopping trips and they laugh at almost everything Andy and I say (we're not that funny though.. really...), making us feel quite good about ourselves. We've spent a lot of good quality time teaching them how to play new board games (Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride European version), wasting time on the WII with Super Mario Bros. and comparing our brain capacities with Big Brain Academy, going through Preach My Gospel together for family scripture study, watching movies, swimming in our complex, going on adventures (Korean BBQ, Venice Canals, Manhattan Beach), shopping, eating, and just hanging out. Along the way, it is more and more evident that Andy and I are not getting any younger.

The first indication: In the car, we were educated on the various types of cars one can spot while driving, call out, and punch the other. I only knew of punch buggie, out of state and personalized license plates, but there is a litany of things to call out now. We were advised so matter of factly that all we could do was laugh in response, not even processing what they said but laughing at how ridiculous the game had morphed for this new generation.

The second indication: Sunday afternoon, we were enjoying food with some friends at a Church Break the Fast (we fast once a month and a nice family from Church puts on a huge potluck after the day of fasting - loads of fun and tons of good grub) and exchanging advice on babies with some of the other families who are with child or expecting. As we talked about how tiring it gets to wake up and feed your baby multiple times throughout the night, I mentioned how I had moved the diaper changing pad into my bedroom for an easier walk late at night (Jordan still sleeps in the pack n play in our room for now). Kristy laughed and called me lazy, but quickly rescinded the comment and explained that she could relate since she had a mechanical baby before. . ...

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Seriously?!

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Yes, I said mechanical baby. Remember egg babies? Well, the year of sixth graders above us started to fry their eggs on school property so when I got to sixth grade, we had orange babies. We treated those oranges like our babies until school was out, then left them in a corner until school the next day (except BFF and I took our assignments pretty seriously, when we went to taekwondo class, we advised Master that we had to leave our orange babies at the front of class or it would be neglect and he laughed and said ok... sure we were silly little kids asking if we could put our oranges, safely nestled in the carriers we had created up by the mirrors in the studio). Well apparently, eggs or oranges are not an option anymore, now - they have mechanical babies!

These mechanical babies, as Kristy so kindly informed us, did not interrupt you during the day, but immediately after school, within 15 minutes, the mechanical baby was programmed to wake up, cry if not fed or changed, and required constant supervision. This included night time feedings and all the fatigue that comes with having a baby. I can appreciate technology discouraging teen pregnancy this way but I'm quite glad we didn't have that growing up.

The third indication: We write letters on Sundays and accordingly, Kristy and Kylie joined us. I jokingly asked if they knew how to address an envelope to which Kristy replied "not really... no, why would we need to? We have phones and facebook." Kylie, on the other hand, thought really carefully and hard before answering in "the to address goes in the middle and the return address is in the upper left corner?" I poked fun of her, asking her if she had learned that at school. She said yes and I asked if it was in History class and she told me it was in English class. I guess she didn't get the joke. Later, while I was feeding Jordan, I asked Kristy to please put the stamps on the letters to mail out and she asked me if the stamps went in the upper right corner before she did so.

Those are the first that come to mind, but the reality is we're not getting younger, but how could we be when our tiny tiny baby is now a big big baby?

At only three months, he is in the 90% for weight and height at 14 lbs 5 oz and 25 1/4" and a little more behind in head size with 75% at 42 cm.

It's amazing how quickly he's learning more with each day. He now sleeps from 10 PM - 7 AM (though I sometimes wake him up to feed at 6 AM), still won't take the bottle, loves tummy time, has better head control, grabs a lot more (of clothes and hair - lots of Kristy and Kylie hair, but still won't go after toys or the teething giraffe), is drooling a lot, learned to suck on his entire fist, likes to lick his seatbelts, prefers being held, will have spurts of talking in coos, is fascinated with green trees, smiles a lot more, and is fitting into his clothes from 6, 9 and even 12 months! Ah!!! Big baby!!

his blessing outfit that Nama made.... doesn't button in the back anymore!

but still fits nicely otherwise, and looks good in photos (his feet didn't fit the matching booties since he was a month old so I didn't bother at three months...sad)