slow summer days

I've been really enjoying the boys lately. I find myself looking at them and wanting to capture and remember forever this moment or that feeling. Things feel a bit slower, less chaotic. Maybe because I've found a good rhythm, maybe because the boys have been going through a good phase, or maybe because Oscar is in pre-school a couple mornings a week now. Probably all of the above.

an afternoon at the beach

Some shots from an afternoon at the beach a couple of weekends ago. Oscar had been wanting to go and had a great time playing in the sand and with all the sand crabs Irving caught. The beaches here tend to be on the colder side (by California standards) in the summers, but the weather was pretty perfect that day. I've been trying to let the boys spend more time outside, which I confess isn't natural for me, being a homebody who is sort of afraid of messes and maybe even the heat and the cold. They just seem happier and calmer outside though, and I know it helps me to slow down too.

oscar is 3!

We celebrated Oscar's 3rd birthday this weekend with family and had a great time. We feel so blessed to be near both sides of the family, and that Oscar can grow up with his cousins and be spoiled by his grandparents and aunts and uncles. I figured since I did next to nothing for his 2nd birthday, I should try and make this one a bit more special, especially since he's old enough now to understand what a birthday party means. I tried to keep it simple with just a few decorations but it still took me a couple evenings to prepare, and I'm not so sure Oscar cared all that much about the decor. He hardly noticed or would at most ask why those paper balls were hanging there. Maybe he'll appreciate it when he's older and looking back at pictures, but at least I had fun with it! I loved seeing the expression on his face when we all gathered around to sing him happy birthday. And naturally he was more interested in the frosting than the cake, and his favorite part was opening his presents of course!

snapshots

Just a few favorite instagram snaps from the last month. It seems that most of them are of the food we eat. We do love our food!

Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway for the wall calendar! Congrats to Katie, who said, "October is by far my favorite! I love the fall and Halloween :)"

(Katie, I don't see a way to contact you - please email me with your mailing address so I can ship you the calendar.)

5 months

Ian is 5 months! He's been using his hands a lot more recently and squeals with delight with very little prompting. He's such a happy and easy-going baby and I'm just soaking up all his babyness. Oscar is at the age where he's eager to learn and experience new things. He can be so trying at times but also so silly and sweet too. Life has been full and I've been trying to just enjoy this stage when they are little. It can be such a struggle to just be in the moment when you're tired and always thinking about the next meal or the next thing on the to-do list, but I bet one day I'm going to look back and see that this life stage is one of the best.

summer

Just a few recent Instagrams. We've been enjoying lots of good summer fruit and dinners on the back patio. We're big fruit-eaters and love the Raniers from the farmer's market and the apricots from our neighbors yard.

making things

It's been nice getting back into making things with my hands as life resumes normalcy. I had fun packaging up these cookies as a little thank you for everyone who brought us meals in those early weeks after Ian's arrival. Aren't those beets pretty? I roasted them with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper and we had them with some fish Irving grilled. And that crusty bread - so good and so easy - really! I'm a lazy cook and generally only like to make things that are quick and easy. Recipe found here.

8 weeks

Ian is 8 weeks today, and I feel like I'm getting more used to life with 2 boys. It also helps that Ian started sleeping longer stretches at night (hooray!) so I'm more rested overall. Sometimes things are manageable and everyone is fed and happy, but there are times when both boys are demanding my immediate attention and it's hard not to stress out, though I'm more okay now with letting one of them cry while I settle the other. I'm just doing the bare minimum these days to keep things humming along, and when there is a free moment I just want to eat ice cream and watch TV or flip through blogs or Pinterest. I'm not quite sure how we'll squeeze in packing for the move, but things like that always get done somehow, right? As you can see from the last photo, the house is a mess! I'm so ready to start over back in our old place.

easter

The weather was gorgeous this past weekend so we put together a simple impromptu Easter egg hunt for Oscar in the back yard. We filled the eggs with Cheerios since he had stuffed himself silly with plenty of sugar at Sunday school already. He didn't seem to mind though - the boy loves to eat. It was nice to get some fresh air, as I've been in a sort of lockdown since Ian's birth in keeping with Chinese tradition. My mom's been the enforcer, making sure I eat the proper foods (no salt, lots of protein cooked in sesame oil and cooking wine, and no fruit - this last one is the hardest!), but I can't help but eat some forbidden things when she's not looking!

The jar above is from a trade I did with Shelley from Vitrified Studio - pretty, right? It's sitting on some new tea towels that I need to iron and sew up. Speaking of which.. the shop re-opening probably won't happen until May or June, since we'll be busy packing and moving back to our own house in a couple of weeks. I'm so excited to be back at our own place (we've been living with my mom to keep her company). Things feel very transitional and temporary right now - I can't wait for life to feel a bit more normal again!

meet ian

Well, look who made an early appearance! Ian arrived last Thursday at 9:44pm, 11 days before his due date. Everything happened so fast - contractions started just after 8pm, and we got to the hospital at 9:20pm. I guess someone was in a hurry to come out! All is well - we're all home and healthy and feeling very blessed. Oscar has been a sweet big brother, but sometimes he is a little sad when my arms aren't available. I'm still so amazed by the whole thing -- pregnancy, birth, and now a new life. How he is so fragile yet perfect, and how our lives are now changed forever. The shop will be closed for awhile, but hopefully not too long!

last hurrah

We took another trip up to San Francisco this past weekend as a sort of last hurrah before the baby comes. We tried to go to Tartine but the line was way too long so we went next door to Pizzeria Delphina which was fantastic. It made us wish we had more regular access to great food down in the suburbs of silicon valley! Then we walked over to the Bi-rite market and loaded up on some pints of ice cream (yes, we brought a cooler!). We drove over to the Ferry Building afterwards to walk around for a bit before meeting up with some friends at Gott's for burgers and fries. Oh, and yes, those are swim goggles Oscar has around his neck in the first picture. He's been really into wearing them everywhere.

I've been making a lot of nut milk since the last post, and have been trying to figure out what to do with all the nut pulp. Last week I just threw in a batch of nut pulp while making these shortbread cookies and they actually turned out pretty good. I'm still on the lookout for healthier options though.

december

Just a few photos from the last couple of weeks. I went to the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco and bought a little penguin ornament and some new everyday studs along with a few other things I didn't get to photograph. We had a family gathering the week before so Christmas weekend was fairly quiet which was nice. My brother's family stayed over so we opened gifts together Christmas morning. Oscar actually got tired of opening gifts and refused to open any more about halfway through and just wanted to play with his new toys. We did go up to the city again with my in-laws on Christmas day and walked around Union Square. Oscar went on his first cable car ride and loved it.

I'm 27 weeks along now and am feeling like time is flying by. Just 3 more months 'til our lives are changed again.

thanksgiving weekend

This past weekend we headed up to San Francisco with Traci and her family to take family photos for each other. The weather was perfect, and Traci and her husband Herman got some really great shots. The first two photos above are a just a couple of our favorites from the shoot.



We also celebrated Oscar's 2nd birthday with family this weekend - just a cozy dinner with cake, balloons, and gifts afterwards. I love that he understands more now and seemed to really enjoy things like blowing out his candles and ripping open his presents.