Living in Livermore

We are now officially residents of Livermore! I am super excited to get out and explore this town. So far I can tell you that I love our space (even though it's still a mess of boxes), I love that we're surrounded by rolling hills, I love that there is compost curbside pickup, that I can see the windmills from our street,  that our walkways are surrounded by awesome landscaping, that there is a park playground in walking distance, that there is a 24 hour Safeway, that downtown Livermore is so freakin' awesome and that there seem to be tons of family oriented activities all over the East Bay Area! Not to mention that San Francisco and Monterey Bay are that much closer to us now. Like I said, I can't wait to get out and explore! 

We (and by that I mean I, because who are we kidding here?) haven't gotten as much done as I wanted to by this time because I got friggin' pink eye! And then Elizabeth got it of course. At first it was just a scratch that got infected in my eye, but somehow that turned into pink eye and I was washing my hands raw and washing sheets and towels everyday but Elizabeth still got it and then my other eye got it too. And let me tell you, it was awful. Just a few days ago I really started to feel myself again. Thankfully Elizabeth got over it much more quickly. 

Josh finally went to the doctor for his bad back and had his first PT appointment today.  Hopefully this is something PT can help! 

Elizabeth and Aaron are adjusting well to they're new surroundings and I was a bit freaked out about having stairs but they've both been really good about it. I mean, Elizabeth climbs absolutely everything now so she took the stairs head on. It's a good and not so good thing. I am glad she has the confidence to do these types of things (Aaron still doesn't) but just because the confidence is there doesn't mean she's got the coordination. I definitely have to get a gate for the top of the stairs. 

Aaron likes that we have cable again (LOL) and he loves his new bed and the big window in his room. And I know he enjoys the little pathways around our house as much as I do. 

I have a good feeling about Livermore and this move. This is right for us, I just know it! 

As we explore I'll be posting more pictures on Facebook and Instagram so check me out there! 

On The Move

Easter 2014

Well, we finally did it!  We found a place and now we're on the move!  These next 2 weeks are going to be crazy but we're packing and arranging and getting rid of things.  After months and months and months of looking - of Josh spending the week in Fremont and sleeping in his car - of our family not being together except for 1.5 days on the weekend, we are finally going to be together again!  I can't wait for this move to be over!

Our new hometown will be the city of Livermore, CA.  We found a townhome that is only about 30 minutes away from Tesla (Josh's work) so his commute won't be horrible and we get to see him everyday!  Once we get settled in I promise to post some pictures!  

Aaron is super excited and asks me "can we just move today?".  He misses his dad so much.  And even Elizabeth asks for him everyday.  Aaron will not completely finish school with his class since we are moving at the end of the month, but I'm already looking into the two elementary schools in the area for Kindergarten next year!  

Please wish us luck and send us good vibes because moving sucks and I need to stay positive!  

I hope you all had a good Easter/Passover and a great Mother's Day!  More to come after the move!

 

Spring Forward

I make some good looking babies.

There are those moments in every parents life when you look at your kids and think - Holy crap!  When did you get so big?!  That, my dearies, is happening right now with both my kids.  

Aaron is such a big boy.  So Big.  I mean, when did he grow up?  How is he 5 years old already?!  He's so smart and he surprises me with new things all the time.  Lately it's been reading!  I mean, I've been reading books to him since he was less than a year old.  Every night before bedtime he gets his pick of 2 stories.  And lately, he's been reading random things - signs, labels, fragments of a story - and even though I want to scream OMGYOUJUSTREADTHATALLBYYOURSELF! I refrain and just say calmly "Yeah, that's right!" because I don't want to freak him out.  

Aaron is a funny kid because he won't tell me things if I ask him.  It's actually something I don't like and I'm trying to break him of it.  Because if I ask him what he had for lunch or what he did at school he'll say something like "I don't know/remember" or "It's a secret!".  That's not what I want to hear.  I mean, as a parent and with safety in mind, I want him to tell me everything.  So when he gives me answers like that I want to shake him and tell him "WE HAVE NO SECRETS IN THIS HOUSE!" but I can't.  That's not how you deal with Aaron.  I'm learning this.  I'm learning how to deal with him.  He's not the same as he was when he was 2 or 3.  Things are different.

I recently found out that Aaron was being made fun of at school by other students.  I don't like to use the word bullying because it's not physical, but bullying can be words too.  And he was called ugly and fat.  (Which quite OBVIOUSLY is NOT true).  His clothes and toys were made fun of.  To the point where he wouldn't take off his sweatshirt one day when I took him to his class and when I asked why he told me it was because he didn't want the other kids to make fun of his shirt.  Which started a 2 minute argument between us of how it shouldn't matter what other people think - if he likes the shirt, that's all that matters.  I left the classroom later that morning and was crying by the time I got home.  

After pouring my heart out on Facebook and getting some good advice, I was able to calm down.  But I still made Josh go to school and pick Aaron up because I was still upset.  The next afternoon I spoke to the teachers about the issues and the day after they came to my house for a previously scheduled parent-teacher conference.  We spoke more about the issue and agreed that instead of calling individual students out that they should use it as an opportunity to teach the whole class about bullying.  And they agreed to keep a closer eye on these students.  So far, I haven't heard anymore complaints from Aaron, but when we get dressed I have to ask him about which shirts he wants to wear to school.  

Honestly, my first reaction to the situation was to be aggressive and speak to the students myself.  But I am not Aaron.  And that is not Aaron's personality.  And he has to learn to stand up for himself.  And he needs to learn self-confidence.  I am 36 (in 2 weeks) and I have self-confidence and experience.  I KNOW it doesn't matter what others think.  But this is something Aaron has to learn.  He is a sensitive kid and sometimes I wonder if my aggressive nature is too much for him.  I have to learn to deal with things so that he can deal with them too.  

Elizabeth on the other hand ----- Whoooo Weeeee.  She's a feisty little girl.  I always wanted a boy and then girl so that my baby girl would have a big brother to take care of her but I think it's gonna be the other way around.  Elizabeth is just so adorable.  And her personality is coming out more and more.  She loves her brother (and he loves her) and she brushes his hair and gives him kisses.  She is a mover - she loves to walk and explore.  She has no problem doing things her brother wasn't doing yet at this age.  Aaron still has some fine motor skills he could work on but Elizabeth is climbing and crawling over and opening things.  She took my keys and tried to put them in the door to unlock it.  She climbs on top of Aaron's stool to get to the sink.  If she's hungry, she'll go to the cabinet and get her food.  If she's thirsty, a cup.  I mean, she's so smart!

And big!  Did I mention big?  Josh was just holding her this morning and said "OMG she's so big now"!  I am the one always holding her so I don't get to see how long she is in comparison to an adult.  She's got all her teeth but her eye teeth are only halfway out.  She'll eat anything you put in front of her and I think there have only been 2 things that she hasn't liked.  She even ate sushi!  Just recently I stopped giving her night time bottle and it was completely by accident.  I forgot one night because we had eaten dinner so late and she was full.  Tia Eva came over to visit and with all the stuff going on, I just forgot!  She didn't complain, she didn't ask and she slept through the night!  So I was like, well, that's that then!  No more bottles for baby girl.  

Unfortunately around the same time I was washing two of her binkies and I found holes in them.  I knew that she chewed on them sometimes, especially when she is teething, but this was the first time I had seen the holes so of course I tossed them and then inspected the rest.  I thought one was salvageable but it got a tear a few days later and so I tossed that one too.  Now she's down to one binky.  I'm wondering if I should buy her new ones or just have her be done with them when she chews a hole in this last one.  Josh thinks she should be done but I'm not 100% sure.  What do you think?  I mean, she is 16 months now!  

As for us moving - we are still looking.  It's hard since I'm here and not there to look and Josh sleeps during the day.  I think it's going to take me pulling up my big girl panties and just going over there for a week and just renting.... anything.   I don't want to do it that way necessarily, but with Josh sleeping in his car.... the kids don't see him during the week.  It's too hard on us.  We all want to be together.  We're looking at Fremont, Livermore, Dublin or Pleasanton.  Wish us luck, pray for us, send us good ju-ju.  Whatever you can!

Looking forward to a happy spring with new beginnings!  Love to you all! 

        

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.

 

Almost Got It!

Elizabeth rolled over to her belly!

Elizabeth has been trying to hard to get moving!  She lifts her butt, she picks her legs up in the air, she tries so hard to roll on her side.  

We do tummy time, but she get so frustrated that it doesn't last long.  She will be ok in the beginning but will end up digging her knees and pushing, scooting herself around.  

I've even woken up the past 3 mornings and she's gone from the position she was sleeping (about 8 inches from the top of the crib) to her head being totally up against the bumper!  And this all happens while she's wrapped in her baby wrap!  It's like a magic trick!  

Well, this morning after a bottle and a short cuddle nap with her in my bed, she woke up and was trying to get her face closer to mine.  I moved back so I could see her and she followed!  At first she was just on her side, but she got their on her own!!  Then I moved even further back and she completed the roll on to her tummy!  Hooray Elizabeth!  We've been waiting!  

Alas, her arm was stuck under her and she couldn't get rolled back on her own, but it's still a pretty big accomplishment, don't you think?  

    

Happy October

This is my favorite photo of the day.

Well, we made it!  We made it to Sacramento and into our new apartment!  We've almost fully settled in.  Aaron has his own room!!  How exciting is that?!  (Trust me, it's exciting!)  We even got to enjoy almost 3 extra weeks of summer.  But I think Fall is finally moving in, and I'm a-ok with that.

We moved into my old neighborhood and we live 2 minutes from mom & dad in one direction and 5 minutes from Eva in another.  And Natalie lives just short car trip away in San Francisco.  Aaron is enjoying having so much time with family and he calls Eva "tia" (aunt) and he calls grandpa Howard "papa".  So far he's still calling grandma Yvette "momma" too, but I just think he doesn't have the GR down yet which is why he calls my dad "papa".  


Our new apartment complex has a pool, a mini golf area, a playground for kids, an exercise room and a billiard table.  Aaron has been to the playground a few times (he loves the slide) and to the pool with his dadda twice, which he loves!  He's gonna be one of those fearless kids that just walks right off the step - I can just tell!  Gotta keep our eyes on that kid!


Today, we all went to a pumpkin patch and Aaron had so much fun!  He got to see farm animals, ride a pony, go through a maze, pick a pumpkin and go in a bouncy pen.  He was in heaven.  Josh and I are still trying to figure out what we're gonna dress him as for Halloween, but we're leaning toward something from Yo Gabba Gabba!, Dora the Explorer, or Go, Diego, Go!  Those are the 3 cartoons he's really into now.  Josh wants Aaron to go as Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba! just so he can dress as DJ Lance Rock!  Haha!

Josh is still on the hunt for a job and I'm not looking for one myself, but if it comes down to it, I will probably look for something in the State.  I am trying to get used to being back in California.  I'm so glad we moved at the beginning of Fall so that I didn't have to last a whole summer here, not that I'll be able to skip it next year!  And I'm getting my barrings back - getting to know Sacramento again.  It's strange because some of it is exactly the same.  Exactly.  Yet plenty has changed.  Once we get to know the city better, we'll probably decide which area we like best and try to move there.  You never know what the future holds!


The important thing is that Aaron is wonderful, healthy, smart and has plenty of people who love him.  We are all lucky for that.  Next week is his grandma Yvette's birthday and it ends in a ZERO.  We will all be celebrating with her.  

So happy October, happy birthdays, happy National Coming Out Day, happy Breast Cancer Awareness month, happy Fall and any other occasion that deserves a "happy" in front of it!

I hope you're all happy!  We are!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Aaron, Adriane & Rocky

Well folks, it's official.  The three of us little fishies (plus dog) are moving out of Washington.  We will miss it here.  I will particularly miss the green, the water, the mountains, the clean, the living GREEN, the temperature, the 24 hour supermarkets, the huge seagulls, the sea otters, the ferries, Pike's Market, the farmer's markets, the shopping, the metropolitan yet small city feel, hearing the boats and trains from my condo. I'll miss most of it in fact.

But we're trading it in for other things.  Things that we feel like we need.  Things to help keep us SANE.  Mostly, it's a change we hope will do us some good.


So we just got back from a trip to California to see my family and came back with an apartment leased and waiting for us at the end of this month.  I'm busy with all the details and will have to pack and hope Aaron doesn't pull everything right back out of the box!  

But during our trip Aaron had fun with his grandparents and his tia (aunt) Eva.  For the first day after we go back he went around the house saying "TIA!  Where are you?".  So cute!  He likes his tia's little backyard because it has grass and flowers and cement for chalk and a hose!  


Eva and I took Aaron to South Land Park to see if he'd actually let us put him on the pony rides and he did!  And his pony was named Rocky!  It must have been fate.  (Rocky - Adriane, get it?)  He also went to Funderland which has a bunch of small rides for little kids.  He went on the CHOO-CHOO train and the cars.  He was kind of small for everything else.  The one other ride he could have gone on was a solo ride and he wasn't up for that just yet!  


He's talking so much more now and says new words everyday.  He can count to 10 in both English and Spanish now and he can almost count to 20 in English.  He loves to sing!  He sings to himself all the time.  He also loves to point out buses.  If you're in the car and he sees one he yells at the top of his lungs "BUS! BUS! BUS! BUS! BUS! BUUUUUSSSS!" and doesn't quit!  Somehow he's learned to dance like he's at a hoedown.  I blame that Dance-a-lot Robot on the Disney Channel!  


He still loves to eat but has become a little more picky than he used to be.  Well actually, he used to eat pretty much anything!  Now it changes from day to day, but I can always count on diary and carbs!  If it has bread, pasta or cheese he's gonna eat it!  


He changes and grows everyday.  I still look at him and see part baby, but now it's becoming more little boy.  I love my boy.  


So now on to a new chapter in our lives!  Next time I post it will be from Cali.


Hello Sunshine!


 

One year olds are nuts. And by nuts, I mean........

Greetings and apologies first of all. It's been way too long since I've graced you all with an Aaron update. But as I've said in the title, one year olds are nuts! Aaron is so busy moving and getting into everything and pointing and asking "Dat?" (what's that?) and saying "nOOOoooo". He also shakes his finger at the dog and says "Nooo" when the dog barks. I might have taught him that. Perhaps. On purpose.

AnyWHO.... Aaron is not walking yet, but he sure does move. He's quick and he loves getting into any cabinet or drawer. The newest drawer is the spice drawer. Lots of little bottles for him to play with. And I can't tell you how many dented cans of food we have. He also loves to sit very very close to the dog food and stick his foot out so that he's almost touching it with his toe and then look up at me so I can tell him "No toque! That's for the doggie!" and so he can do it anyway. He also loves the vacuum and I assured him that as soon as he's able, he can use the vacuum as much as he wants!

He's doing very well though and thankfully is on whole milk (goodbye formula!) and will eat regular food. I still keep a small stock of jar food but I'm trying to move more towards regular food. It's harder to get our schedules the same because I don't eat as many times as he does but I'll just have to figure it out. He loves pasta with butter and cheese. He also loves bananas and yogurt (still). And he LOVES peanut butter and jelly. Man, I'm making myself hungry. Moving on...

Aaron also likes to say "DADA!" when he sees Josh. No "momma" yet though he still refers to me as "linda" occasionally. And when Josh goes to work, we go to the door and wave goodbye and Aaron waves and smiles. It's pretty cute. Also, there is the network called Sprout on cable and they have this puppet bird named Chicka (she's a chicken) and Aaron loves her. He squeals when she comes on and says "CACA!" -- I guess he hasn't gotten the "ch" sound down yet!

I don't know how much he weighs right now but I'm sure it's close to 30 lbs. He's so heavy. And unfortunately, he is SO hard to put to sleep for me. He's a year old and I'm still rocking him to bed, sometimes for an hour. It's insane - bad for me and bad for him. And since Josh is still working nights, I'm the one doing it every night. My wrists are killing me! Aaron's doctor and a few other mom's have told me that I just have to let him cry in his crib. At first the idea just stabbed my little heart and it still does, but holy Zeus I don't know what to do anymore. So a few nights ago I rocked him for 15 minutes and put him down still awake. I turned on his night light (with music) and left him in there (saying goodnight first of course). He cried on and off for about 15 minutes before he fell quiet. He had had a long day so it was luck the first night. The second night he had only had one nap and so he fell asleep in less than 10 minutes of me rocking him. But the third night and tonight, I've rocked him for 10 minutes and put him down and he's cried longer than 20 minutes. Last night Josh had off and he went in and rocked him to sleep. Tonight I just laid him back down in the crib and turn the night light on and rubbed his back until he fell asleep. (sigh) I guess it's supposed to get easier every night..... we'll see.

But other than that, we are all doing well and enjoying each other. You might know that I'm at home now with Aaron (SAHM) and Josh is looking for a 2nd job. We are also looking to move out of our tiny condo and into a home with a yard but haven't had any luck yet. Plus, it'd be awesome if Aaron had his own room. It'd be SO AWESOME.

Wish us luck! I'll keep you all updated!