matching polar bear pajamas

Matching pajamas are just too cute. Here are JP and Tabitha enjoying a morning snack together in theirs.


happy birthday, Olivia!

Tabitha's best friend, Olivia, just celebrated her one-year birthday. Boy, is she cutie!


wake up!

Me: JP, did you wake Mei Mei up?
JP: Yes!!

first 2009 Christmas craft


bath time is FUN!



you are beautiful, boy.

JP still remembers when his Po Po visited in October and they climbed to the top of a haystack and yelled "king of the mountain!" This day, he was "king of the hay bail" at a little outdoor cafe in Griffith Park.


o christmas tree

We are bug fans of live Christmas trees...and a big ones! This year, with a curious two-year-old and a daring one-year old in the house, we decided to do a table-top tree instead. JP and Tab were great helpers, setting it up, and we're hanging only our most favorite ornaments from the boughs.





three brave moms!

Three brave moms, three double strollers, three babies and three toddlers in diapers. We paraded our nontet through Disneyland with minimal meltdowns and lots of happy memories.







Giving Thanks

this girl





playdate with Uncle Peter




oh, nothing!

...just hanging out in Dadd's sock bin.

baking with the babies

Cooking with the kids is fun because they get sooo excited. On this day, we made a package of Trader Joe's pumpkin bread mix. (I highly recommend it!) We brought the finished bread to our church choir on Wednesday night and forgot to tell them that it was mixed by the babies on the kitchen floor!




The next three photos are my favorite because they show Tab dipping her fingers in the batter and then the "oh no" on her face and JP's too!



the best toys are free!


Our kiddos have way too many toys...things that are animated, that beep, that talk, that fly and drive and teach. But, the best teaching toys are free...like the leaves and bugs and dirt and using our bodies to dance and sing and jump and chase. We try to think creatively about ways to recycle free stuff into fun toys, like this "tunnel" for matchbox cars, made out of a sturdy old wrapping paper tube. When I grew tired of holding it for the cars to race down, we punched a hole through an old box and made a stand


The best thing about this toy, besides the literally hours of fun it has been for the babes, is that it has been a great way to practice fine motor skills, sharing, and the importance of taking turns.

turkey hats are in style!

Each morning, while Tabitha is napping, JP and mommy have some one-on-one time and Monday mornings have become craft times at our home.

This week, we made turkey hats. Credit goes to Parent's Magazine for the great idea:
http://www.parents.com/holiday/thanksgiving/crafts/super-cute-thanksgiving-hats/?page=1







fight for preemies

November 17th is the March of Dimes Fight for Preemies Day - a day dedicated to raising awareness about premature birth and to support research that saves precious lives.

We are, of course, especially touched by this effort since our little Tabitha was born at 32 weeks and was in danger of coming much sooner. We are forever thankful for the medical team(s) who supported our family - and for the friends whose prayers we coveted.

I went back and peeked at the blog post Tedd wrote on the day Tab was born and the fear and anxiety came rushing back like it was yesterday. http://teddandjoey.blogspot.com/2008/09/tabithas-here.html

If you want to know more about March of Dimes and the important work they do, or to make a donation - look here: https://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/index.asp