Now I get it...

I finally understand why I am always swearing up a storm when I am stuck behind a foreign driver going as slow as molasses on the freeway back at home...their max speed on the freeway here is 60 km, or 37.28 mph to be exact...it all makes sense now!! They must think we are kamikazes back in the states with speed limits up to 70 on the freeways!!

No "fast" lanes here!!

At least they have some english on the road signs here!

Say what?!

I hope they are not trying to warn us of a road block ahead or anything!

Thank God for Costco!!!

This is how I keep sane here...we can get just enough American food to keep us going!! This is how we spend every day off Brian has here, literally! They even have the $1.50 hot dogs here, gotta love costco!!

I felt like I was taking a picture for those magazines that post "what not to wear" pics!! LOL! This is what I meant before in an earlier post about the women covering all parts of their skin so they won't be exposed to the sun...mind you it is in the 90's and really humid...kuddos to them for taking care of their skin, but isn't that what sunscreen is for?!! How are they not dying of heat stroke in the hat, sweater, gloves, long pants, socks and umbrella...now this I don't get!!! Whew!!

Our Future Valet Parker...

It's no secret Austin loves to play with his toy cars...the kid literally has thousands of them between our apartment here in Japan and back at home! I swear he suckers us into buying him one every time we go to the store! The thing that cracks me up though is how into playing with them he gets, he is so imaginative, I love watching him to see what he'll do next!

Not only does he make the vroom vroom noises as he's driving them around, he now makes squealing noises as his cars round corners (I promise he does not copy that from my driving! Don't shake your head Brian and both sets of parents!!! LOL!), and he also makes improvised bumps and hills on his car mat by putting his legs under the mat and then driving the cars over them! I have never seen a kid to that before!!

The mat is always all bunched up from Austin creating little bumps in it for his cars to drive over, the OCD in me is always trying to straighten/flatten it out, but it never fails, day after day he makes those bumps! Most recently, he has started "parking" his cars all over the place, his favorite place being on the "geometric" designs on our rug here in our apartment. I always find (usually by tripping over them!) all these little cars lined up in between the lines on the carpet, it's so cute, I swear it won't surprise me if this kid aces all parking procedures on his drivers ed. test one day!

Austin making "hills" on his play mat for his cars to drive over!

Again with the hills...

Austin's parked cars!

He gets his crooked parking skills from his Dad!

Mirror, Mirror...

Someone loves looking at herself in the mirror!!

Brooke just can't get enough of herself, she loves seeing her reflection in the mirror! When I am getting her ready for her bath, she contorts her whole body to twist around and look at the mirror! She always gets a major grin on her face when she sees the "smiling baby" staring back at her! I know, she's a little young to be so conceited, but who can blame her, she is awfully cute ;)

Hey there! She could stare at herself all day it makes her so happy!

Trying to twist around to check herself out...already spending time in front of the mirror, oh no, what's she going to be like at 16?!!

Please excuse my major scary face...Brooke seemed to get a total kick out of it though!!

This is how we spend the time right before and after bath time, making silly faces in the mirror and laughing our chunky butts off! Austin joins in to, but was MIA for this picture.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE!!!

We love you and wish you a very Happy Birthday!!

We sure miss you!!

We are sending you big hugs from Japan!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

We ♥ Daddy...

Austin and Brooke just can't seem to get enough of their Daddy...and I can see why, he's the best ;)

Austin and Brooke love their Daddy!

Austin and Brooke gettin' some cuddle time with Daddy!

Brooke and her Daddy, enjoying a little R & R together (aka: watching the tube!) ;)

We love you Daddy!!!

Brooke at 4 months...

Dear Brooke,

I can't believe another month has gone by!! You are now 4 months old! You are growing so fast, it just amazes me how much you have learned and changed these past few weeks! This past month has been full of lots of new things for you...you found and love grabbing your toes, you have gained so much strength and love sitting in your bumbo seat and excersaucer toy, you started rolling over and never stay still anymore, you like to reach and grab for toys and put them in your mouth (you haven't gotten any teeth yet, but your daddy and I swear you will be getting some soon the way you chew and drool on things!!)...

...you have started laughing more and more, especially when you are being tickled on your tummy (your daddy and I joke that your laugh sounds like when you squeeze one of those rubber chickens, it's more of a honk!!!), you are still quite the eater (you aren't going to have an official 4 month well check until we get back from Japan, but when you were 16 weeks you weighed in at 17.08lbs and were 26.8 inches long at the baby weigh station in the babies r us here), you still sleep in your swaddle blanket at night, but end up wiggling out of it at some point in the middle of the night...so we think it might not be much longer until we say goodbye to the miracle blanket for good, you have gotten much better at getting out of the bath and no longer have a fit when I am getting you dressed like you used too, but I think it's mostly because your brother Austin likes to help me get you into your PJ's and he helps entertain you and you love it!...

...you are such a good baby out and about and at your daddy's baseball games...you sit on my lap for every game, almost the entire game and never make a peep until you are hungry which we go and feed you and then you are fine again!, you still adore your brother and watch his every move, and most importantly, you are just so happy and healthy and our most favorite thing is the big smile you give us when you see us, your whole face just lights up, it's just the greatest gift in the whole world!! We love you Brooke!!

Here are a bunch of our favorite photos of you over the past month...

Brooke at 4 months!

Brooke having fun for her 4 month "photo shoot" with mom!! (Yes, we had a photo shoot for her 4 month birthday!!!)

Brooke is 4 months old today!

Our 4 month old!

Brooke at 4 months showing off her big grin!!

Brooke at 4 months, loving those rolls and chubby thighs!

Brooke at 4 months, she loves her toes!

Brooke at 4 months!

Our little chubbers having fun!

I snuck in this morning to find Brookie and her Daddy snoozin away, too cute!!

Austin showing his sis all the cool toys she can play with now!

Brooke loves her new exersauser!!

Brooke at 17 weeks, holding her favorite rattle so far!

Brooke at 17 weeks!

Brooke at 17 weeks!

Brooke having fun at the park!

...keeping an eye on those toes!!

Our happy little girl!

Brooke loves her big brother!

Brooke at 16 weeks old!

Brooke at 16 weeks old!

Brooke at 15 weeks old!

Brooke at 15 weeks old!

Brooke at 15 weeks old!

Brooke at 14 weeks old!

Fun in the sun...

Brian was on the road for the last 10 days, so we headed out to enjoy the sunshine and keep ourselves busy while he and the team were gone!! We spent a lot of time going on walks by the beach with our friends, playing at the park, having fun in the blow up pool and just enjoying the warm weather!! (Well, enjoying the days that weren't too hot and humid that is!!) We are so glad to have Brian back in town now though and to be going to his games again!

Austin having fun in the sand at the park!

Trying to build a sand castle!

Austin loves watching the little league teams play at the fields by our apartment!

Brooke is so happy to be out on a walk!

Brooke loves being outside! She can't wait to be able to play with her brother at the park!

One of Austin's favorite ways to keep cool in the heat is playing in the blow up pool on our balcony!!

Trying to splash me and Brooke...

...but got himself instead!!

This blow up pool was one of the best things we ever bought ;) Austin has had hours of fun in it!!!