52 : 43 (part 4)

For months all Ewan could talk about was this dinosaur, he politely asked Santa for it when we visited him, and the old man delivered. He loves that this dinosaur stands, and walks, and growls, and burps... his parents tolerate it for his happiness. His Mama and Daddy also surprised him and his sister with a teepee since he has been so excited about building forts lately. This Christmas he was definitely a spoiled boy, but he was so appreciative of every gift he got, except for the clothes his Mama got him, which elicited a stink eye she did not know he was capable of (and unfortunately it was not captured on film). Ewan is proof that Christmas is for kids and he made the day so special for his Mama and Daddy.

Darby 36/52 v2

This Christmas post requires 2 pictures... gift wrap did not seem cooler than her gifts this year, but Darby was definitely still in to the novelty of the ribbons and bows, and she enjoyed wrestling in the paper with her brother (pictured). Darby asked Santa for a laptop like her brother has and he delivered that along with a matching phone, she was thrilled. She also received a lot of clothes and toys from mama/daddy, friends, and family. This little girl definitely wants for nothing and seemed the most thrilled with her unicorn rain coat (pictured) and matching boots (not pictured).

52 : 42 (part 4)

Ewan does not go on many dates, but when he does he respectfully requests a hand hold from his companion. This week we went to Zoo Lights at the SF Zoo and had so much fun - we got up close and personal with the giraffes, got glowing tigers, took the little puffer, and played on the playground until we got rained out and ran for the carousel. It was a very fun outing and the perfect holiday date.

Darby 35/52 v2

Our special lady celebrated being 20 months on Christmas Eve, and given the holiday we had the pleasure of spending a lot of dedicated days with her. Each day brought a new discovery and a lot of amazement at how quickly she is growing.

Our little baby is more and more like a little girl... her legs are getting long, her hair is getting long, and her brain is obviously getting bigger and bigger. This week we discovered that Darby can accurately count to 3, she understands the timing of "please" and "thank you", she can sing the alphabet (the letters are not all accurate, but she knows the entire tune), her favorite song seems to have shifted from "the wheels on the bus" to "twinkle twinkle" and she quickly grasps how toys work so she plays solo for longer periods now... she also defends those toys vigilantly and screams at an incalculable decibel if her brother tries to snag one, evidently she is not as in to sharing in her 20th month.

It is hard to believe that in 4 months, which we know will pass in a flash, that this girl will be 2!!

Darby Moira - 1 Year 8 Months

52 : 41 (part 4)

Today Mama had a family holiday party at work so Ewan got to go to the office with her all day long. He took BART, attended a meeting with associated video conference, went to the mail room, visited friends, played iPad games, visited Techforce, got hot chocolate at the cafe, explored the city a little, watched "Grinch" on his iPad under Mama's standing desk, did crafts, and snuck a lot of chocolate from the kitchen. Everyone was very impressed by how good he was and are now dreading days when he is not there to lighten the joint up!

Darby 34/52 v2

Last year Darby was a little bit stunned by Santa and did not have anything to say to him. This year she was a bit disgusted at the prospect of being forced to sit on this weird man's lap... her outfit was really cute, but she may never forgive us.

52 : 40 (part 4)

You-You:

You are 3 and 3/4 now and while your comprehension of fractions is not quite there you are still rather excited to be that much closer to the big 4! This last quarter of your life was a big one - you have grown, what seems like a ton, physically and as a person.

You are a good big brother 99% of the time, with your largest problem offering Darby too much love as she doesn't like to cuddle like you and me. You say Darby is your best friend and that you will marry her when your both big, maybe when you are 5 you say. Cuddling is your favorite thing these days, either that or you are becoming an expert at avoiding bed time by pulling mama's heart strings. 

Your Daddy and I have really loved watching you become that much more of a talker over the last few months. You say the funniest things and definitely have some catch phrases -

• Of course I can

• Easy peezie, lemon squeezie 

• Come on!? (when you are questioning something we said)

• I am a little lonely (when you want a cuddle)

• I am on it

You sometimes mix phrases up, I should have written those down when they happened so I could have memorialized them here for you too, but the basic summary is you start one saying and end it with another. You also ask us the funniest questions and make hysterical observations -

• Mama when I get old and have no hair I will have to drink a lot of wine

• Mama when I grow up and am a Daddy will Daddy die? (this may not seem funny, but you genuinely thought that you becoming a Daddy meant that your Daddy could not be one anymore and you have been a little fixated on the concept of death, which we are taking in stride)

We are getting excited to celebrate your 4th birthday with you buddy and I have one request for you. Please decide what you want to have/do sooner rather than later so Mama isn't running around like a crazy person trying to make your wishes come true with no time to spare - your wishes coming true is a top priority for us!

Cuddles, 

Mama

Ewan Porter - 3 years 9 Months

Darby 33/52 v2

This week we celebrated Daddy's 37th Birthday! Darby had not been to the aquarium (that we can remember) since she was 6 weeks old. While she has seen many museums and zoos she was definitely mesmerized by the fish, the crowd, and the wave room. We had a lovely time celebrating our main man.

52 : 39 (part 4)

The process of picking the tree, paying for it, strapping it to the car, putting it in it's stand, bringing it in to the house, and decorating it mesmerized Ewan from start to finish. And as the boy of the house he was responsible for putting the star on!

Darby 32/52 v2

Dee-Dee Darby, you were too busy eating turkey and sunning yourself in the Caribbean last week to take your monthly picture so here it is a week late... 19 months already! Your vocabulary is increasing, your physical skills are terrifying to those responsible for your well-being, and your non-nurtered girliness is sneaking in. Your brother is your biggest fan, but all of your teachers adore you pretty intensely too... and mama and daddy are gonna keep you around. We love taking adventures with you and are so proud to watch you take everything in stride - planes/boats/taxis, strangers, falls, weird food, and mama's new love of styling your longer curls.

Darby Moira - 1 Year 7 Months