Christmas 2008

We had a quiet Christmas at our home with the kids. Kevin's parents came up for a few hours in the morning and left by noon. We opened presents and watched the kids enjoy opening gifts and playing with their new toys.

Kameron turns ONE!

Our trip to the Bay Area

Kameron's 1st plane ride. My first time traveling on the plane by myself with TWO kids.



Kevin had a business trip to Florida for a week, so we decided to go to my parents house in the Bay for the week. I was a bit nervous traveling with TWO kids, but it went pretty good. Konnor was pretty behaved (surprised!) and Kameron enjoyed every minute. He loved the plane ride.

I'm a big kid now!

My baby boy...Konnor is a BIG KID NOW! He's officially potty trained! YAY!!! What a relief for us. It was a great Thanksgiving gift to us all! He has been in pull ups since May 2008. He had showed us signs of being interested in potty training so I thought it would all come soon. Well, we had some relapses and some days when he did a great job. But on Thanksgiving morning he told me he didn't want to wear pull ups! I was so excited and shocked.

So I put on training underwear (instead of the training pull ups). We had one accident through the day...but that was it! He loved his "big boy" underwear. So I told him that if he did good, by the end of the week we'd go to Target to buy him some more "big boy" underwears. At his request, he wanted "Handy Manny" underwear.

The day went on and he did it!!! By the end of the week....it was over. NO MORE PULL UPS!!

Halloween 2008

Today is the big day. Konnor has been preparing for this day. He has been so excited all month. He was able to wear his costume a few times for the Halloween Spooktakular at SeaWorld, but knew that Halloween Day was the day he could trick or treat for candy.

Being that it was Kameron's 1st Halloween, he was eager too. Although he may not know exactly what's going on, he did like to wear his costume. He was the most adorable COW I've ever seen.

Konnor is 2 years and 8 months old

Our first born Konnor is turning into a KID!

Konnor is such a picky eater and an active kid that he's just 3lbs more than his little brother Kameron. Konnor weighs 30lbs and is 36 inches tall.

Although his vocabulary has broadened and improved through the years, he's got one heck of a brain! He's very smart, bright and has a great memory (except when it comes to me telling him what to do and not to do). Konnor has developed a very big imagination as well. I love to sit back and watch him play with his toys and listen to the conversations he has with himself and his toys. He's still very into music, singing and dancing. We have agreed that he has taken after his Mommy, not Daddy in the talent aspect. :-)

Konnor has taken much interest in his drums still. He also loves his ukelele that his Mama & Papa DeSoto had sent from Kauai a few months back. He has also become a fan of cars and trains.

Halloween Spooktakular at SeaWorld

Today we took advantage of having Mama & Papa with us. We also took Julian and Nicolas (my nephews) to SeaWorld to experience the Spooktakular event SeaWorld was having for the month of October. Although Konnor and Kameron (and I) have gone many times during the month, we thought it would be fun for Julian and Nicolas. The boys all dressed in their costumes..except for Nicolas.

We watched shows, the kids trick or treated, played in Bay of Play and enjoyed the beautiful day at SeaWorld.

Our trip to Arizona Oct 2008

We took a well overdue trip to Arizona this week. It was a blast. It had been sometime since we had seen our Arizona friends. We stayed in Avondale with my best friend Maria and her bf Abel. We didn't have any big plans to do anything, we just wanted to relax and enjoy time spent.
It was Kameron's first trip to Arizona.

More photos to come....

Kameron is 10 months old

It's hard for me to believe Kameron is almost a year old! These past 10 months have gone by very fast. Kameron has grown to quite the toddler. He's eating almost everything, has quite the personality and has taken up a lot of his own activities as well as thoughs taught by Big Brother Konnor.

At 10 months Kameron is weighing 27.7 lbs (only 3lbs less than Konnor) and measures in 28 1/2 inches in length. He shares pants with his Big Brother already and has outgrown a lot of his wardrobe. Though Kameron got his teeth quite early he didn't sprout any new ones for a few months. Total he has 4 on top and 4 on the bottom. He has become much of a biter which is the habit we're really trying to break. He bites HARD!

At 10 months he just started sleeping in his own crib! WHEW! Thought it would never happen. He still has a hard time self soothing, but being in his own crib and room is one step closer to space in my own bed! lol

Though he's not quite walking, he's been cruising a lot for the past 2 months. He can stand on his own for a good few seconds. Everyone keeps telling me he'll lose some weight as he gets more active..and a part of me can't wait because he's quite heavy to lift and carry. As his hair is growing more everyday, he's also starting to get the curls!!! We thought he'd have straight hair while Konnor has the curly hair, but about a month ago, 1 curl appeared at the side of this head...just as Konnor's did early on. Soooo cute!

He understands things very well and had been using sign language and pointing as his best means of communication. He loves dancing and music just like Konnor. He's become a big fan of Blue's Clues and Elmo just like his Big Brother. I guess it's more so that he doesn't have a choice. ha ha

With just 2 more months til he 1 year old, I'm now starting to plan his Big 1st Birthday Party!!!

Sunday Night Football with Friends

Baby Daniel Dominguez...came late and still slept when he got here. :-) But I got a pic of him when he finally woke up wondering.."where the heck am I?"

Pumpkin Picking at Peltzer's Farm

We took the boys to Peltzer's Farm this year, as we did last year with Konnor. Konnor had noticed that the local pumpkin patch had arrived, so he kept asking when we could go. Because we like Peltzer's Farm so much we picked a night to go. The night was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold. We took a ride on the Peltzer's Train, watched a pig race, went to the petting zoo and of course, scrambled the pumpkin patch for the perfect pumpkin.

San Diego Super Chargers!!!

Halloween Wishes from The McMaster Boys

Konnor & Kameron's 1st Theater Show

Theater...as in a play! Yes, the boys saw their first San Diego Junior Theater Show.

Blue's Clues! It could've have been more perfect for them. Kameron loved it just as much as Big Brother Konnor did. As most of you know, Konnor is still a very big fan of Blue's Clues.

Photos Here: http://mcmasterfamily.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album88

A Day at the Park with the Corotan and Brinkerhoff Family

Since we were staying in San Diego for a few days, we decided to spend some time with friends and enjoy the day at the park. The Corotan's and McMaster's decided to go to Coronado for some fun in the sun and to let the kids release some energy (that goes for the 1 Daddy's too).

We grabbed some KFC for lunch and had a great time catching up and letting the kids play. The guys of course had their "male bonding" over a few beers.

Also see some pictures from:

http://ivpstudios.blogspot.com/2008/09/mcmasters-are-in-town-wooohoo.html

Konnor and the Chicken Dance

Kameron's Baptism

Click here for more photos of Kameron's Baptismal: http://mcmasterfamily.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album87

Moonlight Movies in the park (last one of the summer)

So we enjoyed the last one so well...we decided to go again. This time it was the last one of the summer. It was at the Duck Pond park in Temecula. The movie of the night was "Aladdin". Of course because it's the not the Disney that Konnor is used to, he wasn't too interested. However, it's one of my all time favorite Disney movies.

Introducing my new cousin ZOE ELLIOTT DESOTO!

Welcome to the world little cousin. Our newest and youngest cousin in the DeSoto family. My Uncle Jerry and new Auntie Tracy gave birth to a beautiful baby GIRL yesterday, August 20th. We're all excited for a new baby...but especially excited for another little girl! YAY! Although I haven't met her yet, I've seen so many photos. She's adorable. She's got tons of hair and those gorgeous eyes.

Congratulations Uncle Jerry and Auntie Tracy!!!

Zoe Elliot De Soto

August 20, 2008

3:03am

6 lbs 10oz, 20 1/2"

Breakfast with Elmo & Friends at Sea World

We FINALLY took the time to go to Breakfast with Elmo & Friends at Sea World. It was fun! Konnor and Kameron enjoyed it..of course. Kameron has fallen in love with Elmo just as Konnor did when he was that age. And now that Kameron is eating (everything) it was fun to see him to eat like a big boy with us at the table as Elmo and Friends came to each table. Kameron stared and couldn't believe his eyes. He sat there in awe. Konnor enjoyed that Zoe opened his apple juice for him, Bert & Ernie pretended to eat his breakfast and Elmo kept giving him a high-five. After breakfast we picked up our photos we took with Elmo and Big Bird. We of course had to buy one. And we were surprised to get them all...I guess it pays to have Daddy as their Director! LOL





Enjoy our photos of Breakfast with Elmo & Friends: http://mcmasterfamily.myphotoalbum.com/

Doctors Appointments for the Boys

Today we went to the Drs for the boys. Since we have new insurance, it meant we had to leave our favorite Dr/Pediatrician at Rancho Medical Group...to go to Kaiser. (UGH!) Kameron had his 8month check up and Konnor had a physical.

The Nurse and the Dr. was very surprised to see what a "big boy" Kameron was. They didn't believe he was only 8 months. Needless to say..he's in the 97 percentile. He is not gaining as much weight as we thought he was. He actually only gained 1 1/2lbs since his 6 month appointment. He gained 4 1/4 inches in length. Thankfully this will help his weight. Dr. Liu and I spoke about the normal growth and habits of a growing 8month old. He tried to give me advice on how to get Kameron on a sleep schedule and to sleep in his own bed. That is the biggest challenge Kevin and I have these days. Kameron is very clingy still and always wants to be held and cuddled. Kameron has 4 teeth and is eating everything he could get his hands on. He's enjoying eating solids and "people food".

Konnor on the hand...hasn't gained much weight at all. He is getting taller as well. I guess they are both taking after Daddy. (Thank goodness) I spoke to the Dr. about the "terrible twos" and what comes with that saying. Everything from being a picky eater, getting attitude, potty training...etc. Aside from the potty training, eating and attititude, Konnor's been great at learning things. He knows his alphabets when he sees them. He picks up on a lot of things daily. Funniest thing is that he knows stores and commercials. He says the funniest things, just out of the blue. He's still very passionate about playing the drums and guitar. He now has a ukelele as well. He has been starting to sing a lot too.

All in all these boys are wonderful! Yes they can be a bit loud, active, hyper and picky...but they make me laugh everyday and have made my smile permanent! I couldn't ask for anything better!!!

Kameron is 8 Months

He's now eating EVERYTHING! Well, everything he can eat. And anything he can get his hands on. He loves breads, cheese, macaroni and cheese, noodles/pasta, chicken, fruits and peas. He tends to grab anything out of someone else's hands. Sometimes he acts as though I don't feed him. LOL

He weighs: 23 1/2 lbs and is 29 1/2 inches long. He's growing fast and learning so much. I guess it helps when there is an older child for a baby to look up to and learn from. I just hope he doesn't take on Konnor's bad habbits.

Though he's still doing the "army crawl", he can get around quite fast. He's also pulling himself up and trying to cruise a lot. He still hates sleeping in his own room and in his own crib. He needs to be nestled in my chest or my arms.

Kameron currently has 5 teeth total. 3 on top and 2 on the bottom. He's had quite a rough time teething and that probably has a lot to do with his sleepless nights. He bites alot and it actually hurts because the teeth are so sharp! He's bit my leg, my face and my fingers plenty of times! OUCH!

He is very much the "mama's boy" although I'm trying to break that habit. I want him to learn to be independent and play by himself like Konnor did. Instead he's very clingy to me and if he I leave the room he starts to cry. Many times he always wants me to hold him, or just be near him when he plays. It's been so hard hearing him cry as much as he does when he needs me.

Moonlight Movies in the park

The City of Temecula hosts a FREE family night Moonlight Movies in the Park at different parks around the city. We went on Friday to see Shrek the third. It was our first time since we had missed the previous events. It was a great experience for us and the kids...even though they fell asleep an hour into the movie. It was great to see other families get together and enjoy the beautiful summer nights.

Evan's 3rd Birthday

We went to Las Vegas to celebrate our Godson Evan's 3rd Birthday....Mickey Mouse Clubhouse style!

Kameron's 1st Las Vegas Trip

We went to Las Vegas for a few days. It was our Godson Evan's 3rd birthday and it was time to visit some friends and family and have a getaway. We stayed at the Rio, as we always do, since I always get comp rooms. (Guess that means we gamble too much!?). Konnor enjoyed the hotel room. He's become very fond of "hotels" lately since we've stayed at many hotels for our trips. He enjoyed taking a tour of the newly remodled RIO Suite.

The boys looking out of the window at the Rio.

We enjoyed time at the pool in the 100 degree+ weather.

I also was pampered with a spa treatment and facial at the wonderful spa. (Late birthday present from Hubby). We also spent time on the strip as tourists. We visited the Palazzo, The Venetian, Planet Hollywood and South Point. Of course we gambled here and there too. :-)

Best of all we spent time with friends and family!!!!

Knotts Soak City 7.22.08

Since Julian was spending a few days with us at our house w/Mama & Papa, we decided to take the boys to a waterpark. We went to Knotts Soak City in Chula Vista. It was the first time I had been there in all my years living in San Diego.
The boys LOVED it. The weather was HOT...so the waterpark was perfect. I loved watching Konnor enjoy the water. Even Kameron had a good time!

Julian's Kindergarten Graduation

Today Julian (my nephew) graduated from Kindergarten! The boys and I attended this special day, along with Mama & Papa DeSoto. It was so cute to see the kids these days. I can anticipate the day my boys enter into the life of "school". And once they graduate from Kindergarten....it only goes by faster and faster. Nevermind...I don't want my boys going to school! LOL

Congratulations Julian! We love you!

"I wanna be a rockstar"

Ok, so we've noticed how musically inclined Konnor is. He's had a guitar, a keyboard and microphone, a harmonica, maracas and the one thing he kept asking for was a drumset! As cute as I thought it would be...I wasn't ready to tolerate the noise. Well...I finally gave in!! Well, more so we decided to let him have one because we're keep seeing how interested he is in the drums. We also rewarded him for his efforts in the potty training adventure! So for the first day he played for 4 hour straight! That's right...I couldn't get him off the drums! Thankfully they are not as loud and annoying as I thought it would be. Or maybe he's not such bad drummer afterall! He has rhythm! And so here he is...the new "Travis Barker" of all drummers....



And of course Kameron being his big brother's biggest fan..he had to join in on his tambourine.