When we went to California, weeks and weeks and weeks ago

Ok - Enjoy

This post has been a long time in the making.  You know, five minutes here, five minutes there.

In between dry heaves and my life being lived from the couch.

But that's another story, for another post...

California went something like this:

The kids and I were the first to arrive (around 2am MN time) after 12 hours of traveling, almost missing our connecting flight, and me dry-heaving on the plane.

I let Noah give the exciting news to my parents and little bro.

Yeah, they were pretty surprised.

And excited!

But, as it turned out, the traveling did me in.  I was pretty much bed-ridden for the next 4 days.

The next evening my sister Michele arrived, with her husband and 2 kids.

I shared the news this time.

I thought it would be pretty obvious when she walked in and found me laying on the couch, a puke bowl at my side.  

Nope.

"You're sick?  What are you sick with?"

"A baby."

"WHAT?!?  NO.  ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?"

And so, the cousins got to know each other again.

Boston loved poking Alex's face but was pretty much scared to death of Noah, whose always running around 50mph and making way too much noise

And we finally got to meet Naomi.  

She is so beautiful and we love her (even if she does scream her lungs out every time we're in the car, right Shel?)

Noah was rubbing Naomi's soft cheeks and declared that they are "soft as fruit snacks."

Oh yeah, and "she's the color of a brownie."

Alex was excited to practice being a big sister.

But frankly, watching my kids around Naomi really had me questioning how long Baby #3 can survive in a house with them.

Exhibit A...

The next day, my sister Tiff surprised us all by showing up (against her doctors orders).

Only my dad was in on it.

So Noah got to share our news again.

Tiff thought he was confused.

Didn't believe him - or me!

SHEESH!

And then the fun really began

(ok not really for me yet - I'm still stuck in bed, dry-heaving my freaking guts out - but at least someone was taking care of my kids)

They headed to the Exploratorium in SF.  

The kids loved it but my sisters said it wasn't as cool as they remembered it being.

And of course they stopped at Fentons on the way home.  

And YOU KNOW I was deathly ill to pass up on that one right???

I still can't believe it...

Maybe it was luck, or the sleeping in everyday, or the afternoon naps, or letting everyone else take care of my kids...

But eventually I improved.

Enough to get out and enjoy myself with everyone else

(and the sunny 75 degree weather we had everyday).

We went to lots of parks

This was an awesome playplace - different activities in every room

But everyone's favorite by far was this room, with the balls (for Boston - obsessed) and these bike thingies

Even the grown-ups enjoyed them.

Michele says she wants one.

The kids spent time in the kitchen with Grandma, one of their favorite things to do with her. 

Notice my mom has matching aprons for her and Alex.  How cute is that?

Noah got the manly red one.

The wildlife museum was another huge hit.

And don't forget about Grandma's backyard!

Lots of grass and paths for running, rocks for climbing, lizards for killing, bench for swinging, and crawdads for catching (in the creek).

Noah was in heaven.

One night some family friends came to visit.  Steph has been my friend from birth.

We had quite a few kids all together.  No wonder both of the grandmas disappeared together for the evening.

The house looked like a bomb went off.

Totally worth it.

And this was the looks on my kids faces the whole time

About to explode with happiness!

Not pictured:

LOTS of good food

Lots of treats (including pink velvet cupcakes)

AND

A girls day with my sisters, sans kids

But one of the highlights for me?

Kisses from my nephew Boston.

Given freely, without even asking, by the end of the week

(and he's stingy with his kisses).

I totally won that boy over

(reaching for me instead of his momma)!

I think it was the cookies I fed him for breakfast : )

Or maybe that it was the most consecutive time we've ever spent together.

Thanks for postponing your departure Shel!

Thanks for defying your Doctor Tiff.

Thanks for spending so much time in the creek with Noah, Landon.

And thanks for making it all possible Mom and Dad.

Love you!