Look at that BIG BLUE SKY!

It's that time of year again! I haven't blogged a lot lately largely because I'm trying to avoid complaining about Ryan's busy season (that somehow actually lasts three-quarters of the year). Oh well, a little complaining won't hurt! In fact, it just might help a bit! We do our best, but his work hours definitely strain us. I can handle not seeing him during the week, but I begin to think evil things about his firm when they intrude on our weekends. Now that he's been there longer, it seems that work is always hovering; his work laptop is out at home all too often. And if he's not working, he's pretty darn tired from the previous week. I could go on (and on), but I think I'm already feeling a little better! :)

We did get a little window of freedom on Saturday—Ryan's birthday—and used it to further explore this beautiful area. I LOVE it here! We visited Rodeo Beach (on the northern side of the Golden Gate Bridge), which is where my upcoming half-marathon starts and ends. It was chilly, but the sky was incredibly blue and the views from the surrounding hills are unbeatable.

It's Birthday Time!

Happy, happy birthday to my beautiful one-year-old!

We met Ryan for lunch at a little cafe near the hospital where our boys were born. It's his busy season (officially, this time), so we knew we wouldn't be seeing him for dinner tonight. I brought a couple of gifts, some super simple homemade cupcakes (simple has been my mantra ever since he was born), matches and a candle. We Nielsens really know how to throw a party! haha

The birthday boy getting nuzzled by Dad.


Someone was really excited to "help" blow out the candle.

Chase had no problem putting that cupcake away. It was gone before I knew it!

A few things about our little "Chasee," as Trenton calls him:

• He lives for cords, outlets, toilets, and open doorways. He acts like I have utterly betrayed him any time I take him away from any of these things.
• Between his interests in those things and his big brother's budding desire to wrestle with him, my main job in life is to keep Chase safe.
• Chase's signature sound is "AH!" It is practically the only sound he makes. If you want his attention, just start repeating "AH! AH!" to him, and he will almost definitely stop crawling, find your face, and smile. When I pick him up at the YMCA, I know he's happy to see me because he says, "AH!"
  
• He has known how to open toilet lids since about 11 months. It doesn't help that his big brother is constantly on and off ours. :) He also likes to push up the cover on our piano so he can play the keys. It seems like he realllly likes to do that while Trenton is napping. :)
• He has recently started sleeping 11 hours at night. (Hallelujah!) He usually goes to bed around 6:30 or 7:00pm and wakes around 5:30 or 6, at which point I give him a bottle and he stays quiet or talks to himself for another hour.

And last, a snapshot of me and my boy. Today I'm celebrating his birthday, but I'm also celebrating the fact that I made through the first year of having two kids! Phew!

I also have to mention that Trenton has been adorable about Chase's birthday. In the car, he kept saying, "Happy birthday, Chase!" And when he helps Chase opens presents, he actually shows them to Chase and says, "See?" Pretty good for a two-and-a-half year old!

We love you, little Chase!

Earning their Keep

Trenton spent at least 20 minutes tonight very deliberately vacuuming the entire front of the house. We're borrowing this vacuum from a neighbor who doesn't need it right now (our goliath vacuum is dead again). This baby is so lightweight that Trenton, at age 2 1/2, can actually vacuum the whole house—and he wants to! Happy Valentine's Day to me! :)

I love how one of them is missing a shirt, and the other is missing his pants. To my credit, it was almost bedtime!

Sweet Dreams

If I could, I would tell the whole world, at this very moment, just how much I love my babies. And mostly, I hope they know how much I love them.



Here is a picture of each boy, taken toward the end of naptime, when they sleep side by side in crib and bed. I love you, boys!

The Train to San Fran

We spent another glorious day in San Francisco. (Notice that I didn't blog about last weekend because it was far from glorious—winter colds all around. We're better now, but I wanted to be clear that not allll of our weekends are glorious. :)

We took the train in, to T's utter joy, and just walked around AT&T park (home to the Giants). Trenton had been asking us all week to take him on a train; it was so fun to fulfill his simple wish.








Would you guess it is February 5th by looking at these pictures? We have had the most amazing weather lately.