2008 started out with big news... we're having another boy! What better way to celebrate than with a wonderful week in Hawaii. We flew out for Eunice's childhood friend Jerry's wedding, and stayed at the wonderful home of Susan and Steve.
Then it was back to life in the Bay Area: We continued to bond with our community of friends with kids, including hikes with Grace and Alonzo, date night swaps with the Wangs, trips to the zoo (many zoos!), museums, and visits from our old friends Brian, Cora, and Spencer.
Our next big trip was in March to Venice Beach-- another "Kibbutz" weekend with Jesse, Eileen, KB, and Lee. Po Po (Eunice' mom) came out for a solo weekend with Spencer, a welcome break for the expectant parents.
We spent Easter in Dallas, visiting Jennifer and David and agonizing over the right career move for Ryan. He came back, gave notice at SAP after 3 1/2 years, and joined a startup called Appirio to run product management. An exciting switch... no more trips to Germany! Ryan's other big milestone was his 33rd birthday, celebrated with a great dinner in the Marina and a romantic lunch with Eunice in Half Moon Bay.
April was our final month with 1 baby: a baby shower for us, a baby shower for Jesse and Eileen, some quality time at the lake, and lots of preparation for Spencer.... his first real bed and training for being a big brother. Here's our last dinner before Tyler arrived...
And then we were four! Tyler Lin Nichols was born at 6:51 on May 16 through natural childbirth (no epidural for poor Eunice) after 2.5 hours of labor, only 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital - we barely made it in time! Tyler's first moments included a wonderful day at Sequoia Hospital with mom and dad, meeting his big brother, and meeting all of our family in the area.
Back at home, Tyler had his first real bath , time hanging around the house, and lots and lots of weight gain. The big question: can you tell Spencer and Tyler apart?
It was so special to have Terry in town for the summer, plus Jennifer and David and all the grandkids! We spent a weekend with the entire Lin family in Napa. (Tyler's first trip @ 1 week!) Saying farewell to Eunice' mother at the end of the summer was tough... goodbye Po Po!
Spencer had a pretty good summer himself, for a 2 year old: his first backpacking trip with Adam and Ryan in Desolation Wilderness, a visit to a fire house, joy rides at the supermarket, pajama parties with Gaby and Theo, massive "mega bloks" creations, his first sleep away with friends, singing and hanging out with his little brother, concerts in Central Park, time at the beach, exploring the tide pools, time in the kiddie pool, time at the zoo, time at the farm, foosball and pizza at Dad's office, a very cool RC car from Juanita, and a great birthday party with our community group... complete with fireworks!
3 milestones in July: Spencer turned 2, Eunice turned 33, and our beloved Gong Gong passed away.
We ended our summer with a marathon trip: Labor day weekend with the Hills in Twain Harte, a week in San Diego for the Joyce family reunion and to see Ryan's Family, and a week in Boston and Martha's Vineyard to visit some friends and attend Jon and Alison's wedding. We came back and needed a break!
Our boys are growing up so quickly: Tyler is already rolling over, trying out his swing, sleeping at night, trying solid food .... even went on his first camping trip, with our community group at Casini Ranch. Spencer is a "big boy" in so many ways now. He loves singing happy birthday to Po Po, riding trains with his Uncle Morgan, and wearing his own backpack when we travel.
Fall arrived in earnest, starting with our church retreat in the mountains above Santa Cruz, Halloween with Cora, Thanksgiving with the Nichols, and an only-in-California sunny trip to the beach. We also worked on the less tangible things: deepening friendships, learning how to draw and make-believe (Spencer), and learning how to sit, laugh, and take a bath with his brother (Tyler).
How did it get to be the holidays so soon? To prepare, we did a family photo shoot for gifts to the grandparents, and picked out a christmas tree at Fort Mason. Then let the parties begin! The Gates, the Canadas, IDEO, and SNBC were highlights. We spent Christmas itself on a grand tour of the Bay Area-- Christmas Eve at the Hills, Christmas morning at home with Susan and Jim, brunch at Dad's place in the Marina, and dinner at Nancy's in Marin. Then it was off to a week in Lake Tahoe with the Nichols to celebrate New Year.
2008 was a year of great change, great challenge, and great joy for our family. We're finally getting the hang of balancing work and being parents of two little boys. Here's hoping for a slightly more RESTful 2009... [Though the RESTless side of us is kicking off the new year with a trip to Mexico. Oh well!]
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