Christmas #2 and #3

The day after Halloween, Max asked when it would be Halloween, again. He was pretty baffled as the thought of having to wait an entire year. Everyday for the next week, he asked if it were Halloween yet. Then came my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas has been the only holiday that has earned the constant inquiring of it's return. This year, he got to have 3 Christmases. Christmas #2 at Grandma's house combined several of Max's favorite things, Halloween & Hanky. Max loves all of his cousins but holds a special adoration for Hanky (or, Buzz Lightyear).

Then we drove (and by "we," I mean, Eric drove all night) to California to have Christmas #3 with my family. Here is Max and the girls with my mom's cousins.

A cute picture of Kiri making a funny smiling face.

Eric holding the girls tandem.

Max in his ever adorable outfits.

Here is a picture of our first and only excursion out as an entire family to dinner...we left my parents' house at 4 o'clock to try to go to dinner and a walk...we only succeeded in going to dinner and that took 3 hours!!! After that experience, my brother said he was exhausted and was even more grateful to us for driving to visit them.

We were grateful to them for their gifts...particularly Max. He loved getting Mr. Conductor and completing his Dinosaur Train set!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas was quiet this year...but fulfilled all of my hopes. Max could not get over that all of the gifts were for him. He was pretty much content after the first two stocking stuffers. After Christmas at home, we will be partaking of two more Christmases, one in Evanston and one in California. Max won't know what hit him!

I made chocolate truffles for Eric to distribute to his colleagues.

Max, patiently awaiting Santa's arrival.

His loot! Thanks to George and Joan for getting all of the kids their own piggy bank! Max kept asking to take the girls' quarters and put it in his bank, because, 'they're so little, they don't need monies!'

After opening all of his gifts, Max graciously thanked Santa for his presents and then we cruelly told Max to stop playing with his toys and get ready for church...which he did...after many tears were shed.

I got some Justin Bieber perfume...you can mock all you want, but every time I go to the mall, I spray a little, 'Someday' on me and invariably someone comes up to me and compliments my perfume and wants to know what it is...to which I sheepishly reply, 'Someday' without mention of Justin Bieber.

Max said his favorite toy was this Iron Man costume...it's such a shame that Eric hid it underneath the bed and Max found it a few weeks ago and Eric had to tell him that it wasn't for him and that we were just keeping it for the neighbors. Even after opening it, Max asked if it was for him or the neighbor boy.

Max's favorite thing to do is to dress up...here they are as Iron Man and War Machine. Eric got some Kenneth Cole sunglasses, some tap out stuff and a subscription to Entertainment Magazine.

Max picked out this gift for me...so, when I cook, I can still play with him...he referred to me as Captain A-Mom-ica!

He pretty much sat like this the whole day recovering from sensory overload. We are so grateful for all of the blessings in our lives. I could not have received a single gift that would have made me more content than the three most precious gifts we have already been entrusted with. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Max has decided that he likes chocolate ice cream...how can you stay mad at that face?!?! Incidentally this picture was taken at 11:15 at night, we walked out into the dinning room to find Max helping himself to some Chocolate Cherry Amaretto ice cream. Nice parenting, I know!

He is so full of character...he found this miniature 'Joy of cooking' book I have and was enthusiastically showing me how he can read.

He also loved to dress up as every character he sees...here he is being Frosty the Snowman. Notice the measuring cup he's using as a cigar...so creative!!!

For all the adjustments that have had to be made since the girls arrived, I think we're all finally starting to get into a nice groove!

Kiri and Lia. I swear they match a lot...why is it they are always in different outfits when I take pictures?!

...and as a happy side note: how have they not invented Peppermint marshmallows until now?!?!?! Delicious!!!!!!!

Christmas fun...

We decided to get out all of the candy and make some gingerbread houses. Here is Max in candy heaven.

Here is Eric's gingerbread house...

Our finished masterpieces!!!

A picture of Eric holding the girls...so cute. It's crazy how quickly time flies...they are already 2 months old.

...and yesterday had their first outing to the doctor's office for their 2 month vaccinations. They both are gaining weight really well Lia and Kiri are 9lbs 1 oz and 8lbs 15oz and are both charting across the board at 25 and 10 percentiles for height, weight and head respectively. I am loving their sweet personalities and getting to be stay at home with them.

...I also am enjoying going out...Eric is always so supportive of me going out and having adult fun (or, rather fun with adults) and since he had to be away on business, Julie came up to watch the kiddo's while I went to my Ugly sweater Bunco night. You don't get the full effect of the sweater unless you see Eric in his matching ensemble! It was great fun and I'm so grateful for family. Thanks, Julie!!!!

All I want for Christmas is...

Here are some of the Christmas themed pictures we took...

Diamonds and pearls...

I love these stockings I bought at Walmart.

Lia's hand on Kiri's knee...makes my heart melt...

Lia's smile...

I believe Lia's feet...Kiri's feet have the Phillips' second toe...

Max kissing Kiri...so, this year, for our Christmas card, we only had pictures of the kiddo-s because we didn't take pictures of us...oversight on my part...but Eric thinks that's unheard of to only have the kids on the Christmas card...hopefully he's wrong and you won't all judge us when you get your card. Maybe on the birth announcement, we'll just do a picture of me and Eric with a tiny pic of the girls...anyway, enjoy the pics and Merry Christmas!!!

Twin Preciousness

I love this picture...Kiri's smile is so cute, you gotta wonder what she's thinking!!

Lovely Lia

Max's million dollar smile!

Twin preciousness...that's what the photographer kept saying...

Kiri sleeping...I got these two clips from a paparazzi party for $5!

Two little rabbit hats...they're born the year of the rabbit...just like my grandmother, Winnie.

Lia sleeping...you can still see some of her preemie hair...I believe it's called lanugo...she's already lost most of it.

Sugar and spice and everything nice!

My Happy Place...

There are positive and negative aspects of Eric's job...getting calls at midnight on Christmas day is part of the latter group...Eric is pretty patient with his clients, but when we got a call around 11:00 this past Friday, Eric had had it...he was about to pitch a major fit, but to his surprise and delight, it was Chuck calling to tell us that he, Carli and Julie were coming up for the day to hang out, shop and eat!!!

The girls were not happy about me making them wear those crocheted bunny hats...but they're so cute in them! Carli holding Kiri and Julie holding Lia. We had such a fun day and were just sad that they couldn't spend the night...Chuck promised that they will the day after Christmas...and we're holding him to it!

The girls are growing and changing everyday. Last week, Kiri and Lia weighed in at 8lbs 3oz and 8lbs 6oz, respectively. They are also going longer between feedings, they're at about 4 hours. They've had amazing neck control since the first few weeks of life and are still improving each day. The newest development is that they're smiling.

Throughout my life, I can name some of my happy places, being 8 and going to the Temple with my family and then getting ice cream at Sausalito, being on vacation with my family at a friends house in Cape Cop sitting in their ice cream parlor that was attached to their house and watching my parents walking along the shore holding hands, Fentons Ice Creamery after opening night of a musical in high school...wow...I just noticed that all of my happy places have involved ice cream so far...driving to Stinson Beach or Lake Berryessa, wakeboarding with friends during spring break, hanging with Tamara, Curtis, Sarah & Nate and his parents' PhAt house...and most recently...this:

All three of my beloved babies, sleeping, happy and all in one place. I signed Max up for preschool for this upcoming school year...and I have to tell you...my heart can barely take the imminent sadness that will overwhelm me when that day comes...and I will have to find a new happy place...but for, now, I am soaking up the rays of happiness from this happy place! Wishing you all a Christmas season filled with time spent in your own happy places!!!!

December Days

This is just a random post about life...here's a picture of Lia getting her bum changed...

I love both of their big blue eyes.

We started decorating the house for Christmas...Max is so funny...he put on his Santa hat and immediately had to put on his stocking which he referred to as, 'Santa's Shoe."

Here's a picture of Max after we finished decorating our 9ft tree. Max has the cutest excited look on his face.

We had left over ham, so I made a big pot of split pea and ham soup...mmmmm yumm.

Max is funny when he plays...he's so creative...he put his skeleton glove on his foot and told me that it helps him to run super fast. He also taped the easy button on his chest like Iron Man.

Here he is being 'Lotso' from Toy Story 3. You gotta love this kid!!! When Eric asked Max if he loved his sisters, Max's reply was, 'not yet...maybe when they're bigger...maybe then they'll be more fun.' Every day he is learning & adjusting to life with the twins and becoming such a great helper and big brother to the girls.