34 years...how did that happen so quickly?!

john celebrated his 34th birthday last week...which means i'm not far behind!  it seems like we just turned thirty, but alas, that is not the case. neither one of us likes to do anything elaborate for our birthdays, mainly because we don't have the energy and time for it.  however, now that we have kids, we realize we do have two requirements...sing happy birthday and eat something yummy that is preferably chocolate.

leanne was kind enough to watch all three kiddos while we headed out for dinner.  we left lyla her first bottle and crossed our fingers she would drink it, then headed out the door (and didn't look back!).  thankfully, she's just like her sister and brother and will take milk any way you want to serve it...and apparently lyla doesn't care who's behind the bottle - both jacks and livi (who were unbelievably excited for this momentous occasion) insisted on holding the bottle!

i didn't have enough time to bake a cake as intended...
so i brought home the best chocolate chip cookie i could find!

john had some great helpers to blow out the candles

we celebrated at the fanciest (pizza) restaurant we know of

some special visitors arrived on saturday morning...

including our favorite abuelo!

my gift to john...court-side seats at stanford
 (i.e. 6 hours free of kids, hanging out with a buddy, and watching basketball)

we couldn't help but send him pictures (so he remembers to come back!)

the "no dog on couch" rule isn't always followed when i've got all 3 kids

valentine's day was just as unfestive as john's birthday

in addition to my favorite milkshake, i did get a single rose
(thrown from a guy in a cable car promoting his business)

bones left his bully stick under john's pillow as a
valentine's day gift

diana came for a visit and brought the cutest chairs!

lyla and i took diana to our favorite bakery

we were lucky enough to have mackenzie and samantha
come say hi on their visit from new york

the "night owls" in the family
(or that's what we call people who stay up later than 10pm)

ready for her first makena 'podluck'
(something our analysts organize every 6 weeks) 

i managed a nighttime outing with all three!
thanks to the iPad and some m&m's, of course

birthday party jumping
(jacks refuses to get in ever since one collapsed at a previous party...ptsd)

enjoying their party favors

we love this pose

the all-powerful lyla

reminiscing over baby videos of the kids
(and jacks grooming john)

true californians: taking a spoon straight to the avocado
(papa bob must be so proud)

jacks came upstairs to ask for a cookie and
became captivated at the sight of me pumping

the things i send to john at the office
(check out the background...hehe)

off we go

at her first photo shoot....

passport application...cabo here we come!

quick stop at the park on a sunday afternoon

is it all babies or just ours
that look like dr. seuss characters?

getting her groove on

i did a side by side with livi and lyla...
not sure if it's the lighting, but john was convinced lyla was jacks!

getting ready for a nap

hanging at school while the kids tell me they need
10 more minutes to finish playing

i can now see why they say that younger siblings are usually more easy going

helping to clean up after baking "lactation" cookies
(and no, john and jacks did not grow boobs overnight)

snuggle buddies

breakfast with dad

showing off her amazing hair

when he isn't hiding his bully stick around the house,
bones is making sure no preschoolers are playing with it

we walked to lunch after school one day when leanne was out of town...

the main purpose of the outing was to pick up
a tub of ice cream for "ice cream thursdays"

i'm pretty sure they enjoyed it

in his element, savoring every lick
and leaving a little bit on his chin for later

after ice cream lyla needed some lunch - this is my view if i look left....

...and this is my view when i look right

no wonder they love when john puts them to bed

this activity is called "airplane"...they also have other
rituals called "slide", "crane" and "fly"

i always have to remind them that i'm not as strong as
daddy, so i can't do this with them

so now jacks always reminds me that i'm "little mama"