Lauren celebrated her 4 month birthday yesterday, so we decided to take a family picture. I also looked back at what I wrote when Maile turned 4 months old. I would say from a development perspective, Lauren seems pretty close to where Maile was. She is definitely a better sleeper overall, but like Maile, she has been having a night or two a week where she wakes up at 3 AM and just wants to hang out. She’s also VERY smiley, perhaps even more smiley than the original Smiley Maile – so we’ll see where that goes…
In terms of looks, Christine and I still think the girls look quite different. Definitely sisters, and definitely dominated by Mommy and hints of Daddy here and there – but different all the same. Part of it is that Lauren hasn’t lost her hair yet like Maile did around this time.
Maile (3 years, 10 months), Daddy, Mommy and Lauren (4 months)
Mommy and Lauren
Daddy and Lauren
Maile and Lauren
All credit for these wonderful pictures goes to Maile who whipped us into shape...
... and I do mean whipped!
For the past couple of weeks, Maile has been teaching Christine and I a Chinese word each night at dinner. She and one of her teachers decide on the word each day and then at dinner she teaches it to us. Maile LOVES teaching us and it’s a nice way to introduce some Mandarin on the homefront (and get her more comfortable speaking it in front of us).
Tonight Maile taught us her Chinese name. Christine actually worked with her teachers on Maile’s Chinese name last year – but up until tonight we didn’t realize that she knew it. As the video shows, I’m definitely the weak link on the Chinese speaking front…
(Click here for the video.)
The weather as been AMAZING! So on Sunday, Mommy had a great idea to take Maile’s pool out of storage, put the girls in their matching swimsuits and have some fun in the courtyard.
One of the girls was a bit more excited about the water compared to the other...
.
Hmm ... this pool certainly felt a lot bigger last year..
... yep, definitely time for an upgrade!
On Thursday, we flew to Washington, DC to visit Auntie Elyssa and our good friends Ryan and Diana. We’re here for a week and have lots of fun planned – but first, we had some business to attend to. Unfortunately, due to the sequestration, White House tours have been canceled. Uncle Ryan works in the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building and he decided he needed to have a “meeting” with Maile – perhaps due to her budding knowledge of China. We, of course, obliged … and once Maile took care of her business, decided to snap a few pictures as we went along…
Maile and Daddy out front of The White House
The whole family - yes, this could be anywhere, but we swear The White House is right in back 🙂
Maile Girl, patiently waiting for her appointment with Uncle Ryan...
Checking out the library with Uncle Ryan - Maile says the books weren't nearly as cool as the one in San Francisco...
Inside the Old Executive Office Building - e.g., the OEOB if you are down with the lingo or a fan of the West Wing...
Uncle Ryan, Matt and Lauren in the Indian Treaty Room.
On the way out, we stopped in front of the West Wing for a picture. I could lie and say that Maile was just intently focused behind us because Obama walked by - but really she was just tired of taking photos 😉
We had a fun Easter Weekend with Grandma and Papa in town visiting. Even though it rained later in the day, Sunday started out beautiful and we were able to take some family pictures before we headed out to brunch.
Our Family - Easter 2013 (Maile - 3.5, Lauren - 12 weeks)
Mommy and her girls...
Daddy and his girls...
And one more with Grandma Gail and Papa Cal!
Mommy & Lauren (2 months)
Mommy has really been enjoying her time with Lauren. Hard to believe that two of the three months of maternity leave are already in the books. We had Lauren’s two months check up yesterday and despite being sick for a week, she didn’t skip a beat and is still growing and gaining weight at a steady pace. The credit goes to Mommy for sure. At this age, I feel like there is not a whole lot that I do as Daddy – most of it comes down to Mommy (minus a few diapers here or there) and I know I’m a lucky guy to have Christine at the wheel!
by Papa K on February 11, 2013
Mommy, Maile (3.5) and Lauren (5 weeks)
I’m a lucky man!
Today was my 35th birthday and Christine and the girls made it a great celebration from start to finish!
The best way to wake up on your birthday!
My birthday card from Maile Girl
My birthday card from Baby Lauren
Mommy said that Lauren helped her bake the cake 😉
Maile was very excited to bring my cake out to me…
(Thank you to Christine for wrangling the girls and giving me an awesome birthday celebration! I’m a lucky guy indeed … although not quite as old as Maile things I am 😉
(Click here for the video.)
Today was a special day. Yes, it was Inauguration Day and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – but on a more personal note, it was the first time in quite some time that both sets of grandparents were together with us. With one set of grandparents in Hawaii, the other set in Boston and us in San Francisco, it is not too often we all get together. We like to space things out so one set will visit during one of Maile’s holidays from school and the other set will visit during another, etc. Today was the one day they were overlapping for this visit – with Grandma and Papa Boston heading home tomorrow and Grandma and Papa Hawaii arriving to help out for another couple weeks as I head back to work.
Maile was in heaven with all the attention! And Lauren had plenty of welcoming arms to cradle and hold her throughout the day. The weather cooperated as well, so we snuck outside to take some pictures of the whole family together…
Maile, Lauren and BOTH sets of grandparents
Grandma Gail and her (San Francisco) girls...
Grandma Jill and her girls...
Papa Mike jumped in there too 🙂
Family Picture: Mommy, Daddy, Maile (3.5) and Lauren (2 weeks)
Can’t thank both sets of grandparents enough for all the love and support they’ve provided as we’ve settled in with Lauren!
It used to be that Maile had the run of the place – pretty much everything at the apartment was for her. Now there is all this stuff for Lauren and it can get confusing sometimes…
Daddy, I don't think the straps are going to fit...
I used to fit in this?
Hmm... this isn't very fun any more...
(You used to love it, Maile Girl!)
You're never too old to be swaddled.
We call them the Swaddled Sisters:
(Dad note: It’s really weird – all of a sudden it feels like Maile got MUCH older and has basically doubled in weight. I don’t expect her to weigh the same as Lauren, of course, but whenever we pick her up now she feels so heavy. Very strange!)
(Click here for the video.)
