Kern Machinery

Up until recently I had no idea that Grandpa Frank sold John Deere tractors for 30 years.  All along I thought Drew's obsession with these powerful machines was a fluke, but it's genetic!!   We spent a good hour and a half in and out of every tractor, bull dozer and front loader.  Here are the pictures.

Drew on the first tractor...  He probably sat on twenty of the exact same tractors.  This is Drew heaven

Not entirely sure what this is, but its a John Deere... 

The three of us a bulldozer.. even Lyla was getting excited!

Drew with Grandpa.  Thanks to him we were able to come out to this cool place and get on all of the tractors.

He had so much fun!

Cayucos, CA

Our wonderful friends, Anna and Lido, invited us to their beach house for the weekend.  This isn't just any old beach house, it is absolutely gorgeous!!!  We had one whole floor to ourselves with three bedrooms and two bathrooms!!  Every single room had its own TV, and amazing views of the ocean.  The whole weekend it was foggy, cloudy, and cold.  It was the perfect getaway from the hot sunny days of Bako.  

This was the view from the balcony at the house.  Absolutely gorgeous.  To the left of this picture is Morro rock.  We walked just about everyday right round the neighborhood and it was a seriously good workout climbing up and down these streets.  

Mommy and baby Lyla on the balcony.  This was one of those self taken photographs, not so pretty.  Love Lyla's hat though and I hope it fits her through this winter.  

Drew running on the beach.  This was the day we left.  Keep in mind it was about 55 degrees right there and the water is that temperature just before it turns to ice!!  Drew ran straight into the water and after playing at the beach for about an hour his lips turned blue.  I am pretty sure he was n some stage of hypothermia.  As soon as we got home he stood under the warm spout in the shower for about 10 minutes straight.  It took him about 45 minutes to get color back in his lips.  Poor baby!!  I was actually starting to get worried.

Yup, we even brought Jeffy.  He had so much fun too!  

Mommy and baby Lyla.... She was asleep in the baby bjorn here..  She basically lived in that carrier all weekend long.  

This was the first trip since I've had kids that I actually felt like I was on vacation.  We had such an amazing time!!  One day, when we own our own beach house, we'll return the favor!

Exactly where has the time gone??

Ok... officially back in the swing of things... I think.  I seem to have fallen off the face of the earth lately and am having a hard time getting back in the swing of things.  Because I feel so far behind I am just going to post a bunch of new pictures and tell the story behind them....

Oh, a couple more things..... Drew is talking so much now!!  I am so proud of him, just in the last three weeks he is saying things like. door, here, there....wow and I'm a bad Mom for not remembering anymore than that...... Also, drum roll please. . . . He is potty trained!!!!  I am not kidding. . . asking to go and all.   I am so impressed by him.  

Like I said I feel overwhelmed with all of the things that have happened that after these couple of entries of pictures I swear I'll get into specific stories.  I talked to a friend who is an avid blogger and she told me to just pick two stories a week to share.... from now on, that's what I'll do!!

This is Drew's new thing.... he steals shoes from our closet and walks around in them.  It is really cute.  He actually got a hold of a pair of my heels one day and was cruising around the house in them.  I posted this picture to tell you the story, but really so you guys can check out his adorable little underwear, so cute!!  He even has a couple of pairs of boxer briefs. 

Bela cam to visit us again.  She just can't stay away from these two adorable babies here in Cali.  It is so great to have her come visit so often.  She misses little parts of their lives, but is here as often as she can.  She has obviously made enough of an impression though because Drew constantly asks for her, and recognizes her voice when she calls.  In fact, we already miss her.  When are you coming back, Mom?

Daddy and Drew were pulling weeds and laying down fresh compost (VEGETABLE COMPOST).  Drew got a hold of a little shovel and proceeded to dump a bunch of dirt over his head.... He looked so cute covered in compost.  

If you turn you head just right, you can make out two adorable little babies in this photo.  This is Lyla and her cousin Piper meeting for the first time.  They are one month apart, Lyla is older, although you would never know it from this picture.  My little Lyla is so tiny.... absolutely perfect though!!!

Once again, if you turn your head just right... you can see my beautiful baby smiling at Bela.... she gets her giggling so loud!!  

Catch up soon!!

Lyla Laughs!!!!

This is so cute.  I finally caught her laughing on camera.  I kid you not I have been trying for a week to get her to cooperate!!  Looks a little bit violent, but she thinks its loads of fun!

Juan Jo and Valeria visit

Juan Jo teaching Lyla about cars

Me taking a picture of them as they were taking a pictures of themselves.  Say that three times fast.

Valeria catching the cray boy as he jumped into the pool.  It is so hard to keep him out of the water! 

Chit chatting with Becky

Lyla laughing with Valeria

Family visits

This week we had lots of family in town visiting.  Because I have so many pictures to share I am going to divide my updates.  First we had Steve and Elza in town visiting for a week.  The kids had lots of fun playing with grandparents.   Let's take a look!

On their last night here.  We all went out to eat at Roadhouse and the kids had so much fun playing with Steve.  We told Drew to say cheese, and well, this is what we got!!  He makes such goofy faces every time I bring out the camera.  Then he likes to look at the pictures with me and says "Doo," for Drew.

Making faces with his cousin J.J.

You got caught..... 

On 4th of July with the grandparents

Lyla smiled so so so big for her grandpa.  It was the sweetest thing ever!

Thank you guys for coming to visit.  We had a wonderful time!

A visit with old friends

By old I mean cherished and loved, and not literally old! We got to go over to Kathy Stamp's house a couple weeks ago and we took some cute pictures that I wanted to share.  A long, long time ago I made a wonderful friend, Dawn, while living here in Bakersfield and we have been great friends ever since.  I remember being kids and spending countless nights at her house for sleep overs.  Well, every morning we would have the yummiest french toast you have ever tried made by her mom, Kathy.  So just for old times sake we went over there for breakfast an play.   This time not only did she feed me, but also Drew.  He loved the french toast just as much as I did.   Thank you guys for that wonderful morning, we had a great time!!

This is Dawn holding Lyla.  We had literally been there 3 minutes when Lyla decided to explode out of her diaper.  This was also the first time I'd forgotten to pack Lyla a change of clothes, isn't that how life works!?  

Drew was stirring Kathy's coffee and then blowing on the spoon because it was "ot" (hot)

Being his usual ornery self, he kept going to the side yard and grabbing these sponges which he proceeded to throw into the pool several times even after I told him no

So he sat in time out for not listening.  I'm pretty sure our time-out corner at home has Drew's permanent butt imprint from all the time he spends there.  I'm such a mean Mommy

Helping Kathy get all the bugs out of the pool.  What a good little helper, and what a patient lady.  You can tell she has grandkids.

Long overdue

Well its about time!!!  I'm not exactly sure where I have been for the last two weeks, but I can say with certainty that it included two kids.  Half the time I don't know if I'm coming or going, which way is up or down, or what my kids names are.  From what I hear, things aren't going to get easier any time soon.  Becoming a mother has certainly been quite the undertaking, but I honestly can't imagine my life without them.  I have known little Lyla for almost 9 weeks now, and I don't remember what I did with my time without her.  I know I had more time.... I just don't know how I filled it.  Its amazing how two little people can consume your every action, thought, and emotion every waking (and sleeping) moment of every day.  

The weather in bakersfield has been unseasonably cool considering its June so we have been spending ample amount of time at the park.  Yesterday we went over to our friends Dad's house and swam all morning long.  Her Dad lives in what looks like a Hollywood mansion with the most extraordinary backyard and I tell you what... it really feels like you're on vacation!  I should have taken pictures, but I didn't.  I'll remember next time if they are so gracious as to have us over again.  

Drew has jumped right in, head first, without a life jacket on into the terrible two's.  One minute he is playing quietly with his toys, the next he is screaming down the hallway chunking toys at the wall.  He is an impulsive creature with ideas and wants all of his own and boy does he get mad when I don't understand.    I have taken to telling him, "use your words" when he wants something because the pointing just isn't cutting it anymore.  His vocabulary is in the normal range for his age, but he just doesn't talk as much as I expect him to be able to.  We spend a lot of time with Drew's previously introduced girlfriend and her vocabulary is incredible that I don't think I give Drew enough slack.  I am already looking into speech therapists even though he isn't even 2 yet.  There is a part of me that thinks that he may already have a speech impediment from being tongue tied for so long because he doesn't make certain sounds that require tongue movement.  You know what he can do though. . . . the kid can whistle!  Really!  Better that Tim can. 

That's about it for now. . . really need to stay on top of my updates.  I notice the longer I go without posting anything new, the more I put it off.  

Not the cutest picture of Lyla, but I wanted you to see her outfit!!  doesn't she look 

adorably gaudy???

Once again, not the best picture of Lyla, but I though Drew looked like such a stud here

Loving. . er. . . squashing his beh beh (baby)

Now here she looks adorable, and no I do not have a biased opinion 

Oh, one last thing.  Lyla definitely has dimples.  Where they came from, we don't know, but they are definitely there.  More pronounced on her right side than her left.  So cute. . . Tim is demanding a paternity test :)

Drew has a pony

This just confirms our belief that Jeffy really is #1 Doggie in the world!

He says I Love you. . . really!

Don't believe me?? See for yourself.

Ebay . . . $16.50

Drew is obsessed with cars, trucks, motorcycles, and most of all tractors, "track-o." After several bidding wars with people on ebay, I finally won my boy some toys!!! I got him a huge lot of matchbox cars, tonka cars, airplanes, motorcycles, and tractors. They arrived today and let me tell you, it is Christmas at the Stephens. Drew has never been more entertained by a group of toys EVER!!!! This has also given me some time to post this update. Check out the collection of cars he got!!




Just after he discovered them!




I thought this was great. He pulled out all of the "track-o's" and put them right in front of him. Anything yellow, and construction like is a tractor in this household. Mostly because Mommy doesn't know any different.



Then we had to transfer them all to the table where he could get a closer look at them



Sharing his toys with Mommy. Note little Lyla sleeping on the couch.


P.S. Yes Mom, I did wash AND bleach every car before I gave it to Drew!!

It's Summer Time

I know summer hasn't officially stated, but it sure feels like it. We've been filling our warm days with plenty of pool time, great friends, and even a "field trip" to the zoo. Let's take a look at this week in pictures:



We had our good friends Joe and Jillian over to dinner one night. Their eldest daughter is Drew's girlfriend, Ceinwen. Here are the dads with their babies. Baby Emma is only 9 days older than our Lyla. They are destined to be great friends, they just don't know it yet. It was so nice being pregnant with Jillian and its been even more fun to share baby stories with each other. I think as far as Drew and Ceinwen are concerned, when we get a new baby so do our friends.



Drew "holding" Lyla. He is really starting to open up to the idea of having her around. . . for the most part. His favorite thing to do with her is point out her body parts and then point to his own.



On Friday we took the kids to CALM (California Living Museum). It is the closest thing to a zoo that we have. The kids had a great time pointing out all of the animals. Lyla is under the blanket in the baby carrier. We carpooled over there that day because my car was getting detailed and we couldn't take our double strollers so both Jillin and I had to "wear" our babies all mornig long. It was so hot!! After making our rounds we set up our picnic under a tree, had sandwiches, and let the kids run around. Poor Lyla was under the blanket the whole time too because the sun was so intense it would have fried her. Needless to say, we were both shower worthy by the time we got home.



After learning, the hard way, that Drew is completely fearless of the water we put him in water wings. Just a day earlier I got some alone time with him at one of our friends birthday party and Drew was having a great time in the pool. I have never had to work so hard at keeping my kid alive..... seriously. One minute he would be playing on the steps, and then the next he is running across the cement and jumps into the pool by himself. I can't tell you how many time I had to scream "DREW... NO!!" in those two hours we spend by the pool. It was so hard not to laugh at what he was doing, but the reality of it is that he could have easily drowned had we not been right there. Overrall I am glad that he is not scared of the water, and foresee us spending many hours by the pool at Gigi's house over the next fw months. What this means for me??? I gotta hurry up an lose weight because my body is no where near swimsuit ready!! YIKES!!



Daddy tossing Drew in the air!!

Just call me soccer mom

I wanted to have a whole separate entry for this update. On Saturday we traded in out VW Passat for a family friendly, old lady, soccer mom Nissan Quest mini van. Believe it or not, it was my idea. It is so practical for me as a mother of two little ones. It is also really pretty!! Its white with gray interior, good on gas, and really nice to drive. Check it out!






Its white like this


This is the dashoard. It pretty cool


SOOOOOO much room. Huge trunk even with the third row up

Well she made it... to one month that is. I can't believe my little tiny baby is already one month old. Saying "It feels like just yesterday..." sounds so cliche, but its true! It really feels like I was still pregnant yesterday, and although I may still be sporting a little bit of a pregnant belly I am definitely not pregnant. Just a couple of days ago I took her in to the doctor for her one month check up and the little squirt is only 7lbs. 11oz. and measure 20 3/4 in. long. Drew was longer and heavier than her at birth than she is now and she is already one month old. Drew wore newborn size diapers for 3 days, she is still in them. Drew wore newborn size clothes for a week, they still fall off of her. Drew weight 11 pounds at one month, and she will when she's 2. I always felt like I never really got a newborn baby with Drew, but I definitely have one now. I love it though, she is so easy to tote around and I feel like I am really getting to enjoy the newborn phase with her, although I am really looking forward to that first voluntary smile

Life is returning back to normal here at the Stephens residence. We had so much fun having Bela in town and really truly appreciate all of her help. Just the smallest details meant so much. It was so nice having someone get Drew up every morning so I could have a few more minutes in bed with Lyla, having her stay at home and watch the kids so I could go run my errands alone or take a shower, and having her make dinner EVERY night so I would have one less thing to worry about. She even bought us all of our groceries. One day I'll do the same for Lyla when she has her kids. Grandpa Andy even made it over here for a week. Drew really enjoyed having "pa-pa" around. He cried and cried when we dropped them off at the airport. Two days later he still knocks on heir bedroom door asking for them. Its kind of sad. They should move here. :)

That's it for now... enjoy the pictures....







Looking right at the camera


All balled up


Perfect.... in every way



and she rolled to her side