Wow! like, OMG! I can’t believe that a year has passed. It felt like the blink of an eye. I duly hope that the rest of my life doesn’t flash by so quickly. It has been the most amazing, yet challenging year. And as we reach this milestone, I am grateful for how everything has gone so well: we survived and are getting lots of sleep. Nico and Olive are alive and happy and healthy. We are alive and happy and healthy. In fact, right now, everything is perfect. I will try to seize the day before any potential storms!

We celebrated their first birthday with 45 family/friends and 10 babies, including 4 sets of twins. I made Nico and Olive individual apple spice cakes and although everything was a little overwhelming for them, they held up really well, little troopers. I love these little guys so much it sometimes hurts … Is the age of one truly the most perfect? Babies at this stage possess a lust for life that even the most-jaded have to admire.

P.S. Nico is starting to climb and Olive is taking her first steps.

As I’ve already observed months ago, It is pretty clear to me that my Nico and Olive were not born in a some sort of state of “uncorrupted morals” since they feel entitled to take what they want even when the other has it; and they *always* want what the other one has. So yeah I guess it’s our duty to socialize them and curb their natural instincts through years of modeling, rewarding, and punishment. I also have to allow them to figure it out themselves, as long as no one is getting hurt. After all, they have this perpetual peer in their life at the same age/level, to which they have to constantly adapt.

So it’s no surprise that Nico and Olive wouldn’t naturally want to share all the toys that we bought for both like darling little angels. We are finally encountering them taking total ownership of ONE object. So enter the annoying doll in an elephant suit who sings songs when you squeeze her. A month ago, Olive became very attached to this doll. She has to have it near her. The most annoying part is that Olive is unable to do the actually squeezing properly so that the toy can make its infernal plastic doll-nightmare racket. Instead, all day she holds the doll out like an offering while grunting “uh uh uh” for us to squeeze it or, worse, she whines and cries until we do. But lo! when that stinking doll gets going, Olive starts to “dance” by jerking her torso back and forth. Cute city!!

However, Olive also gets absolutely HYSTERICAL when Nico goes anywhere near the doll, which only happens like 100 times per day. Now I’m not even saying that Nico is taunting her on purpose….

They’ve started making sounds, emulating certain words and copying everything that we do. Olive is close to saying “ball” properly and points at any round object saying “bah.. bah..”. She also loves the game of dropping stuff off her high chair just to be able to say “uh oh”… or maybe it’s just gravity experiments.

Now, going to the grocery store is such a treat. They can sit up in carriages and enjoy all the interesting objects and people. They are very social, not shy at all. Sometimes almost too friendly as Olive will crawl onto stranger’s laps.

This is what happens when we put it on. Yes, the cuteness level is off the charts I know.

We spent Christmas with Owen’s family, staying in Newport Beach for a few days with his mom’s family (many traveled down from Alaska!) and then in Manhattan Beach with his dad’s.

Although I’ve always had a hard time getting in the holiday spirit when in warmer climates (sorry, snowmen and other xmas decorations just seem so tawdry wherever there are palm trees), the mild weather and being by the ocean was enjoyable.

Nico and Olive behaved like champs during the long drives (excluding the 3 hours in LA traffic on the first leg). Now that I’m a parent, I’m shocked to discover that there are not decent facilities for families off highways. The most you can hope for is a McDonald’s with a play area. Unfortunately, this meant introducing my babies to fast food too young.

With grandpa Alan and nanna. Olive digs for gold. Nico is sick of photographs.

Nico is not walking yet, but almost! She got a kick out of taking great-grandma Carolyn’s walker for a spin.

Staring at great-grandpa Ron

Sunset on the beach

With great-grandma Becca and cousin Anna.

before:

after:

I apologize for the perfunctory nature of this blog. I wish I could devote more time to writing better. If I could just find time between work and babies.