Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

I'm not gonna lie, this year has been a bit rough.  But I still have plenty to be thankful for.  Let me just preface this post by saying that I pretty much had this entire post written in my mind late last night when I was trying to sleep but of course, I'm sure I won't remember half of it.  

First off, this year was Elizabeth's first year and it was the best.  She is so wonderful and joyful and perfect.  Everyone loves her.  Aaron loves her and she is so in love with him.  I am thankful for my daughter for sure.

Aaron has started preschool with the Head Start program and it's really been great for him.  AND for me, of course.  He's growing so much and so fast.  This past year has been a bit difficult for him too.  He's started a new school, has had to realize that he's not the only baby anymore and has had to deal with his dad's new job.  But I'm hoping his new found attitude this year is a phase.  He's learning new things at school though, including how to socialize.  But he's my big boy now and I'm thankful for my son.  

If you've been keeping up, you'll know that Josh lost his job earlier this year because his plant closed.  When he couldn't find a job in Sacramento after a few months and we were in a pretty bad spot, I encouraged him to look outside of Sacramento.  We've been talking about living close to the water, so why not look, right?  

Josh applied for a job with Tesla and he was really wanting to get it.  For the first time in the 10+ years I've known him he was actually excited about a job!  We were all rooting for him and he got it!  Josh got a job with Tesla in Fremont, CA which is 2 hours out of Sacramento.

At first the job was temporary and we agreed that we wouldn't think about moving until he was brought on permanently.  He stayed in Fremont during the week and because we need the money, he has also been working the overtime on Saturdays.  So he comes home for basically a day and a half before he heads back again.  This has been hard on all of us, but Aaron the most (hence the new found attitude mentioned earlier).  Of course seeing this and also the fact that I knew Josh would be brought on permanently, I was looking at places anyway.  

And then we realized that the South Bay Area and the East Bay Area are both double in rent than what Sacramento is.  So the search has been tougher than expected.  We've not only tried Fremont but Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Mountain View, Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, Concord and Palo Alto.  We even applied for a place a few weeks ago but they gave it to someone else.  

Honestly, the whole process has been rather discouraging.  But I still have faith that things will work out for us and for that, I'm thankful.  And I'm thankful for my husband Josh and that he has a job in the first place to give us this issue to work on!  And so the search continues......

I am so happy to have my little family.  We have issues and fights and bad days just like anyone else, but at the end of the day we love each other - Josh and I are best friends - and we both love, love, love our babies.  And the dog.  Don't forget our first baby!

So while we've had some bumps in the road this year, like I said earlier, I still have plenty to be thankful for.  

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and yours!  I hope you are all having a year to be thankful for as well.

 

Valentine's Day in Pictures

Valentine's Day Card from us to Aaron.  It read: I love you with every appendage I have.

Aaron's Valentine's Day Lunch.  Heart-shaped PB&J and some of his favorite fruit.

Aaron enjoying his lunch.  His card and Sweetheart Candies (from Elizabeth) are waiting to be opened!

Elizabeth Grace wore her Valentine outfit for Daddy!  Isn't she the cutest?!

And after a wonderful afternoon, I dropped the kiddos off to spend the rest of their Valentine's Day with their grandparents.  Josh and I had a date to see A Good Day to Die Hard (my choice!) and eat some yummy dinner at Romano's Macaroni Grill.  Yeah, I know it's basically a step up from the Olive Garden but .... we poor, y'all.  And you know what?  It was the best date we've had in a super, super long time!  

The movie was kick-ass and the theater basically empty (bonus!).  And after we were told the wait at the restaurant would be an hour and a half, I situated us right between the front door and the bar seating area (first come, first serve of course).  After 10 minutes of using my super awesome stealthy observation skills, we had procured ourselves a small booth!  Seriously, bar seating is like a sport to me!  And I rarely lose!!  Haha!  

We had a really good appetizer of fried mac n' cheese with truffle sauce & fresh bruschetta.  Josh had a beer and the chicken parmesan and I had a peach bellini (yum!) and the lobster ravioli.  Then we split the quattro cannoli for dessert and I had a vanilla latte.  Everything was delish and our waiter was pretty awesome considering he had some douchebag asshat who had been sitting by the bar waiting for his own table (drinking the entire time) who decided he wanted to yell at our waiter because it was taking so long for OTHER RANDOM PEOPLE HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW to be served.  He went on about he could "run the joint", etc.  You know - that guy.  PS - we got our table at the bar while this guy was busy being an asshole.  So there!

Then we went to pick up our munchkins and I was able (ok, I tried) to take this fun family photo before everyone was sent to bed!  

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope your Valentine's Day was just as awesome!  

December's Whirlwind

Super Aaron!

The month of December is always crazy for us.  With the holidays, our anniversary and Aarons' birthday it's a lot for us to try and get done!  Especially when one of you is sick. 

There was a point earlier this month when we had a doctor appointment every day for 3 days in a row.  Aaron, then Elizabeth, then Aaron again.  Aaron had another round of high fevers and was waking up every morning with 103 or 104 degree temp.  We took him to his pediatrician and had a chest x-ray done.  Turns out he had pneumonia!  We had to do another round of antibiotics and at first it didn't seem like it was helping, but around the 4th day, he finally woke up without a temperature and his appetite seemed to have come back a bit.  Not to mention his mood improvement!  He is done with the antibiotics for now and seems to be much improved and we all hope it stays that way!  We follow up with the doctor sometime next week.

Because Aaron had not been feeling well and his temp was so high, we didn't really do much for his birthday.  Josh and I decided to just have cake and ice cream at the house with family.  We didn't invite other families because we didn't want other kids getting sick. 

Aaron wanted his birthday theme to be "Minion" themed since he couldn't be a minion for Halloween.  We had a minion cake for him and minion toys and shirts from both us and Grandpa & Grandma Coblentz.  He loved his cake and his toys.  

Happy 4th Birthday Aaron!

Elizabeth Grace went in for her 2 month check up and is now up to 11 lbs!  Josh and I both cheered and let out a collective sigh of relief when we heard that!  Elizabeth is such a joy.  It's impossible to be anything but happy when you're with her.  And she just loves to smile at people.  It's the cutest thing ever!  The faces she makes are super expressive.   

She will be a heartbreaker for sure.

Elizabeth Grace - Heartbreaker

She is still sleeping in our room but I want to finish her room up and see if around month 3, we can get her sleeping in her crib.  She does sleep through the night already so I think the transition will go well.  With Aaron we only had a 1 bedroom condo for the first 1.5 years of his life, so he was in our room with us for that long!  I think I might have a harder time with the transition than anyone else!!  

The end of the year is approaching and last night I lay in bed thinking.....

Even though things aren't perfect, even though we're poor, I am just so happy with my little family.  I love them to pieces and want to squish all their stinkin' faces!  I hope this feeling continues to grow into next year and that things only get better.  Health and love.  That's what we need.  I hope you all get it too!

        

Babies & Lyrics

This is my family.  Not perfect, but loved & loving.

With both my kids, I have associated some DMB lyrics for one reason or another.  With Aaron, the first lyrics I can remember that came to me with him are (ironically) from "Grace is Gone".

I could never love again
So much as I love you
Where you end, where I begin
Is like a river running through 

With Aaron, it was as if he was the Eve to my Adam.  As if someone had literally removed a limb or body part from me and from that, came Aaron.  He is a part of me as if he IS me.  

And I remember vividly the first time he kissed me on his own.....  I was sitting on the floor eating a PB&J and he was waddling around the living room with his toys.  He'd come over every once in awhile to get a bite of my sandwich and one of the times, he placed his lips on mine instead.  I thought it was so sweet of course, but figured it was sort of an accident.  I mean, babies don't know how to really kiss, right?  Then he did it a second time and he stayed there for quite awhile, just laying a big smooch on me.  At first I laughed and kissed back, and then my laughter turned into a giant sob-fest because I was so overwhelmed by the love he just gave me.....  Kissing him back through my salty tears of joy and peanut butter.  And for that I remember these lyrics from "Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)":

Ride my bike down that old dirt hill 
First time without my trainin' wheels
First time I kissed you I lost my legs
Bring that beat back to me again  

With Elizabeth, DMB lyrics also came naturally.  For one, I actually had an iPod playlist for the labor & birth that was mostly DMB.  The first song on the playlist is "Baby Blue" and although all babies have blue eyes when they are first born, her blue just seemed so vivid.  They are still a steely, grey blue.  So from her and her blue eyes, I got: 

Read more: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND - BABY BLUE LYRICS

Into your blue, blue eyes
Your blue, blue world
You're my baby blue

But really, the lyrics that kept playing over and over again in my head the first few days I had her home was from "Alligator Pie".  Though the song is really about Stella, it has these lyrics:

Grace is all I'm asking
When will Grace return
Grace is all I'm asking

If you haven't figured this out yet about Elizabeth Grace, her middle name is a tribute to Dave (DMB).   Grace is all I'm asking.........  

into your blue, blue eyes, your blue, blue world, you're my baby blue.

Read more: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND - BABY BLUE LYRICS

I have a poster from Blue C Sushi in Seattle with Dave in it and as soon as I get it framed, it's going in Aaron's room.  And I'm hoping to put something in Elizabeth's room too.  So far, I'm liking this handmade wall piece from Etsy: Little Feet Little Hands, which are lyrics from "So Much To Say".  

Yes, I think about lyrics a lot.  Not always Dave lyrics, but music is always in our house, our minds and our hearts.  
  
My family & Dave = Happiness.  

into your blue, blue eyes, your blue, blue world, you're my baby blue.

Read more: DAVE MATTHEWS BAND - BABY BLUE LYRICS

  

Too Cool For School

That's my kid, in a jean jacket, headed to his first day of a preschool daycare program.  He is just too cool.  I should have popped his collar.  Aaron won't be going to this school full-time, or even part-time really.  It's more like a drop off basis type thing.  But Grandma & Grandpa were out of town for the week to celebrate Grandma Yvette's birthday (Happy Birthday Momma!) so we needed a back up.  And luckily were I live currently there is one right across the street.  They take kids from infants up to 12 years old for before and after school daycare as well as all day care that includes playtime and curriculum.  They even throw in some Spanish and Potty Training!  Woot!  Of course, by throw in I mean more like I just paid $191 for 3 full days of care.  And THAT, my friends, is WHY he won't be going full-time.  

It is a great back up and resource to have and he seemed to like it, though I'm sure he thinks of it more as play time than anything.  But it's something new for him and it gets him to socialize with other kids, keeps his brain working on new things and I'm sure (hopefully) they do a lot more activity than we do with him since on our days off we just want to relax.  But his Grandpa & Grandma take him on adventures like the story time at the library which he loves.  In fact, the teacher at the school said Aaron knew most of the stuff they were going over so he was able to join right in.  :)  Hooray for reading to him since he was a baby!  He loves his books.  In fact, he has a Blues Clues video that he watches where Blue reads Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and I kept telling him I would buy it for him once I found it.  The other day we were at "the circle market" (aka Target) and there it was!  I think Aaron saw it as soon as I did and he immediately started "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!  Will there be enough room?".  He would not let go of the book once it was in his hands!  

This of course, doesn't bother me at all and I never consider books as toys or "gifts" in the sense that he has to ask for them as a special treat because every kid should have books!  Now toys, that's a whole other issue.  Frankly, his bedroom is more like a playroom with more toys than furniture but as the only small child in the immediate family -- it's to be expected I guess, right?  But since birthday #3 and Christmas are coming up and just wanna put this out there -- he has plenty of toys!  He does grow out of clothes constantly, however and is now wearing between a 3 and 4 Toddler.  He's also a size 9 Extra Wide in shoes.  PS - he now comes to my waist.  Granted, I'm only 5' but still.  It's a bit daunting to see your (almost) 3 year old be almost half your height already. 

Aaron is still naked potty trained for the most part, but we are practicing with underwear more often and that's still hit and miss.  On his big boy bed, well....... Being with Grandpa & Grandma for a week while Josh and I were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC meant that he got to sleep with Grandpa & Grandma in their bed and that put us back a notch or two.  So now we're working again on getting him to sleep on his own in his own bed again.  Having a toddler use you as a head pillow while simultaneously kicking your husband in the kidney (Ow! My pancreas!) and smacking you in the face is not a good way to sleep my friends.  Not At All.  

But this boy, this boy is a crack up.  He as learned that saying "What the hell?" gets a funny reaction out of adults so he's been using that phrase quite a bit more often.  He still loves his singing and dancing.  He still falls asleep faster to Dave (Matthews Band) faster than mostly anything else.  He is still really into The Cars movie and practically every day asks his dad "Can we go to the circle market and get another toy?".  Right now we're on the hunt for Flo & Ramone!  And a kid friendly cd player/radio because he loves music.  And momma's gonna teach him to shake his booty!

Life with Aaron is wonderful.  


The rest of our adult life is stress and work and bills and debts and chores and everything else YOU are also going through.  And today, if I wasn't before (I totally was), I am now most definitely the 99%.  But this blog isn't about that so .......


I'll just say again life with Aaron is wonderful.  He reminds us to love, to smile, to dance to sing, to laugh.  


If you ever need a reminder, just let me know and I'll send you a picture of Aaron! 

Will he?

Sometimes I wonder.......

Will he remember ...

The smell of the blanket he's sleeping on?

The sound of the wind chime outside?

The warmth of his momma?

My face as he cuddles up to me?

My eyes filled with admiration?

My arms filled with love?

Will he remember us in this moment?

I hope so. 

I could never love again, so much as I love you

Hi.

Welcome.

This isn't so much as an update on Aaron as it is an update on mommy (me!). Last night I was holding my little chubba-chubba in my arms, putting him to sleep by the sounds of the Dave Matthews Band and I looked down into his sleeping face and thought, How could I ever love anything more than this?

You see when Aaron was first born I think I walked around in a daze..... partly because of those damn drugs but mostly because I don't think I realized that those 9 months had finally produced a beautiful baby boy that I could hold in my arms. A boy that I had to take care of, who was my responsibility and depended completely on me. Suddenly the confidence I had (I just knew I was going to be the best mommy ever!) went out the door and I was a bit nervous and unsure. On top of that I felt bad that he wasn't birthed and instead yanked out of my tummy via c-section. Was that traumatic for him?

Then there was the acid reflux and the gas and the constipation and the formula issues. Because of all those things he cried (a lot) during his first few months. I did the best I could and tried everything to ease his discomforts. And I was home, alone. All day. With the baby. By myself.

But he got older, got over his issues .... Sure, new ones came along (like teeth!) but they're not as bad. I went back to work. And now I come home to a smiling, happy baby. A baby that is happy to see me and hear me call him "chubba-chubba". A baby that puts his little hand on my face to get my attention. A baby that puts his arms around me now. A baby that laughs.....

Aaron is happy. No matter what else is going on at work or at home, Aaron is happy.

He is my love. He is my home and my happiness. I only hope I can provide for him everything I ever had and more. (Props to mom & dad for raising 3 *mostly normal* and happy girls).

I love you baby boy! KISSES from mommy!