Working Momma

Well, it's been almost a month now and I think Aaron and I both have transitioned into my full time work status pretty well.  The whole family really, because it's taking all of us to see that this happens.  My sister Eva and I carpool to work.  She brings over her dog so our dogs can have a play date while we're gone.  We take Aaron over to grandpa & grandma's house and we're off for the day.  Josh gets off work earlier so he picks Aaron up and takes him home to wait for me to get off. 

Aaron wakes up every morning by me putting on PBS and opening his door so he can hear it.  And like clockwork, as soon as he hears Clifford the Dog, he's up and bouncing in his bed saying things like "I wanna see Clifford the Dog" or "Let's go in tia's car to grandpagrandma's house".  (Grandpa and grandma are one word to him).  He's so excited to start his day with  his grandparents and I have to say that for the most part, I'm enjoying being back at work.  Sure, I stand next to his crib and extra few minutes at night after he's asleep and his hugs and kisses are longer than normal, but that's to be expected, no?

I swear Aaron gets taller everyday.  I keep looking at him and think that the time is going by too fast.  Part of me wants to make time move slower but on the other hand, I can't wait to see what kind of man he'll become. 

He's already wearing a 3/4 T in clothes, a size 8.5 extra wide in shoes and though he's not potty trained yet, I tried buying underwear in "his size" to see if they would help the potty training process along and they were too small for him!  He looked like a baby sumo!  (Or fat guy in a little coat....... )  He surprises me with this love for trucks and cars.  Such a boy thing to love so I shouldn't be surprised, but it's not something Josh and I taught him or even showed him.  I'm sure it was a cartoon or a toy or book that he got that started this obsession.  Josh and I try hard not to assign gender roles to toys or colors but the kid likes what he likes and he loves his silly trucks!  He's got dumpsters, race cars, tractors, trains, shovel trucks, fire engines, etc.  You name it, he's probably got it.  And he loves his animals.  He knows all sorts of animals, ones that I don't even know!  I think he's watched a bit too much of that Diego!!  LOL.  Humpback whales and chinchillas.  Yup, he's got those down! 

My parents watch him during the day so my mom has decided to try and do the potty training but he seems pretty resistant to it right now.  I've heard from many parents that boys seem to take longer than girls.  And I've also heard of a few stories about different parents that have kinda forced the issue and it backfired causing the kid to be really late in being potty trained.  So I don't feel so bad about him not being there yet and I certainly don't want to force the issue.  I am hoping though, that by the end of the year he'll be on the potty bandwagon because I'm kind over the diaper thing!!

Aaron has also recently started to throw fits (you know, those I didn't get a toy so I'm gonna throw a fit right in the middle of the store types).  He'll also just open his mouth and YELL right at us, face red and tears streaking, if we tell him "no" or "don't do that".  Yeah, it's awesome.  Like, being stuck with hungry alligators in a moat awesome.  We're still trying the time outs though he seems to handle it a little bit better when I do them than if Josh is the one telling him to go to his time out spot.  Probably because if I say he's getting one, HE IS!  Don't mess with momma!  Haha....  Hopefully he'll get over this phase really quickly!  (Please dear GOD!)

Things are going well.  I might even say that they're starting to look up a bit.  I can see a twinkle at the end of the tunnel.  But Aaron, as always, lights up our lives anyway. 

I just turned in my SAHM card (gulp)

I am a huge ball of emotions lately.  I knew that when we moved to California, part of the reason was that we would be close to my parents so that I could look for some part time work when I was ready (which is totally laughable because I would never be ready).  And so, being that the economy sucks, the job market in California is ridiculous and Josh seems to be in job that is permanently temporary (ie, low pay & no benefits) I applied for a job.  I only halfheartedly applied for it seriously knowing it was low pay and thinking that they wouldn't even call me back.  WRONG.

Not only did they call me back, they had me interview three different times.  THREE.  The entire time span between interview 1 and interview 3, I was going insane trying to balance emotions and logic.  The entire process seemed like trying to catch and control a runaway train.  Do I take it or leave it?  Wanting to take something and knowing you should, are two completely different things.  Yes, the pay is low (that alone makes me want to cry because it's seriously almost HALF of what I made at UW) and yes, the hours are closer to full time at 32 hours a week, but they do offer insurance, which we are lacking.  And it seems like a welcoming environment.  I think they were a bit confused as to why, after looking at my resume, I'd apply for a job like an administrative assistant.  They asked me in each interview if I was OK with doing these "menial" tasks and if I was sure I wouldn't get bored and leave after 6 months.  They had good reason to think this I suppose.  But my focus has changed, and my priorities are at home now.  I love being at home with Aaron.  And someday, we'd like Aaron to have a sibling.  For me, that means less focus and time at work and more at home.  So in that regard, this job works out just fine.  Part of me still wants to plant my feet on the ground and stomp while screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" at the top of my lungs.  I'm sure on my first day at work, you'll see scratch marks on the walls and door frame of my apartment as I'm being dragged out of the front door.  BUT, I feel (hope, pray) that this was the right decision.  I'll guess we'll all find out together........

In the mean time, Aaron is growing and talking (talking talking) more and more.  He loves music, loves to sing and dance (though he can be shy at times).  He's so smart and he amazes me everyday.  Currently, we're hoping to get him a new, big boy bed.  I thought about a toddler bed until I saw how small they are and knew Aaron would be out of it in a New York minute.  So I think we're going straight to a twin bed.  He's still not potty trained, but I am SO ready to be done with diapers.  Seriously.  I think he's ready to be out of his high chair too, though we've had to prolong it because we have a high table and he can't sit in these chairs (think stool height) on his own.  So that means we'll be shopping for a new table as well.  Yup, this boy is definitely growing.

Now I feel like I'm going to miss out on a lot of his growing, but I'm relieved and happy to know that he'll be taken care of by family.  And he loves his Grandpa Howard & Grandma Yvette.  He asks practically everyday to go over to see them or his tia Eva.  To him it's like they're one entity sometimes!  It's more like "Can we go see grandpagrandmatiaeva?".  And anytime I'm on the phone he's practically screaming "It's Grandpa?!  It's Grandma?!".  It's adorable. 

Well, we're definitely in for a new chapter in life and changes for all of us.  But change usually equals moving forward, so it's got to be good, right?

Hope you're all well out there in cyberland.  Have a wonderful 4th of July from our family to yours!!  

Where does he get this stuff?!

 

Seriously, I just don't know where he gets this stuff but it's hilarious!

After taking off Josh's hat:

Dadda, you're a mess!

Watching the sun set:

The sun is sinking.

His new favorite thing to say to me whenever I walk into the room:

Momma, get back in the kitchen!

When I was holding him:

I'm a boooooy.  I'm a boy.  And you're a girl!

After hearing his belly growl:

Momma, I'm hungry.

Every day, at least once:

OW!  I have a booboo.  You've got to kiss it!

At every single meal:

Are you all done?

Anytime he falls down:

I'm okay!

 

He saw a spider web today and said:
Yucky!  That's a yucky!  I wanna take it to the trash can!

This boy, I tell you -- He's just adorable!  Everyday he says something new and funny. 

 

Colored eggs, Easter baskets and Ladybugs.

Happy Easter!  Easter started on Saturday afternoon for us when Josh and I helped dye his first Easter eggs.  We did it outside on the patio because of course, there were a few spills.  But he thought it was a lot of fun and so blue fingers and spilled dye was worth it.  Then on Saturday night I went to Easter Vigil Mass with my parents.  It was my first Easter Vigil lead by candlelight and I thought it was pretty neat.  Josh stayed home with Aaron since the mass was past his bed time and anyway - a 2 year old at mass?  Not so much. 

Since I got home late on Saturday, I went to bed right away and set my alarm for 6:30 am so I could wake up and put the pot roast to cook.  Yeah...... too bad my brain didn't want to wait for the alarm because I woke up at 4:30 am, then again at 5:00 am.  I figured the universe was trying to tell me to get the heck up so I rolled out of bed and worked on the pot roast.  Around 6:30 am I was back in bed.  I didn't fully go back to sleep, but I did get a bit of rest in before Aaron woke up at 8 am.  

Tia Eva was the first one over on Sunday and she brought Aaron live ladybugs so that he could release them!  He was pretty impressed and enjoyed trying to pick them up (though he unfortunately squashed a few before Josh came and picked him up!).  The whole Coblentz Family came over for Easter (mom & dad, Eva, Natalie & her fiance Meg) and we all enjoyed a yummy lunch.  Everyone brought something and we all savored everything.  Except Aaron.  He just wanted a PB&J!  LOL.  And he got it.

After lunch we had the Easter Bunny (Natalie & Meg) hide the eggs and then we took Aaron out to hunt for Easter eggs for the first time.  At first he was like "Wha???" but by the 3rd egg he was totally into it.  Even after he found the last egg, he still wanted to look for more.  But when he came inside he found the basket & gifts the Easter Bunny (all of us) left for him.  Toys, coloring books, gummies, an Easter book, crayons, all natural treats and ONE chocolate covered marshmallow egg.  His first.  He loooooves him some chocolate.  So he ate all the chocolate off the top half of the egg and then he was done with it.  I was sort of glad because we don't really give him candy.  I figure he eats enough junk already, he doesn't need to add candy to that!

The rest of the day we just spend relaxing and enjoying each others company.  It was a lovely Easter.  It's so nice to be able to watch Aaron really enjoy and comprehend something new.  New experiences and familiar faces.  That's a good combination I'd say.  

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well!

Seeing Spots

Spots, freckles, moles, beauty marks....... Whatever you call them, I've got 'em.  I've got a ton, in fact.

And so does my boy.  Aaron has 4, including this one on his knee.  The others are one on his arm, one on the back of his knee and one on the side of his torso.  Not that I'm counting or anything.  ;)

Don't worry about the Band Aids.  There was no injury.  Aaron just decided to dump the box of Band Aids while I was trying to take this photo.

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. 

It's been 3 months you say?!

It's been 3 months since my last post?!  Whaa????  Yeeeeah.... about that --


I'm kind of at a loss.  It's not that a lot hasn't happened.  It's just that I guess I'm not feeling very inspired to write lately.  And I certainly don't want my posts to be boring.  But I think you'll have to settle for boring at this point.  Except for that picture.  It's pretty adorable, isn't it?  That was his St. Patrick's Day shirt.  He said that it had a "flower" and a bow on it.  


Aaron I think is on rapid speed right now.  He's developing faster than I can blink.  He's talking in full sentences sometimes, knows tons of new words and I'm sure learns new ones everyday since he repeats just about everything we say now.  Sometimes he'll come back from his grandparents' house with words I don't even use!  So for example, the other day I was changing is diaper and he pointed to his nose, sniffed in and said "mocos".  YEAH.  Chalk that one up to Grandma Yvette and her allergies.  


He loves to sing and loves music.  He drums on the trash cans in the kitchen, plays his mini piano (a hand-me-down from yours truly) and sings the full Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  He also requests Fly Me To The Moon from his dad, because that's what Josh sings to him to go to bed.  He dances to the intro to Curious George and to Yo Gabba Gabba sometimes.  It's not really a surprise though because both Josh and I are really into music.  I'm thinking of starting "Music Mondays" for him!  Introducing new music to him on a weekly basis.  And my new music I mean a new Dave song every week.  Haha - just kidding.  (Sort of, not really).


Usually during the weekdays we'll wake up and I'll fix him some breakfast, sit him at his little table in front of the tv and we'll have "school time".  Aaron's great-grandparents, Henry & Jo, sent Aaron the So Your Baby Can Read dvds and so I've been playing those for him in the morning and we call that "school time".  He'll usually watch a dvd and a half before he loses interest, but he IS paying attention and knows some of the words now.  He even asks for school time sometimes!  


Aaron has also been wanting a play buddy lately and so he's always dragging Josh, my mom or me to play cars, or blocks or something else he's really into at the moment.  "C'mon momma, let's go play cars!".  It's totally endearing.  I might have to join a mommy play group or something so he can play with other kids!  

I really do wish I could just give him a sibling, but we're trying to be smart about it and not emotional.  So hopefully I'll find a job soon so we can lift ourselves out of this small hole and maybe next year...... 


Right now he's got us, his grandparents and his tia Eva to play with almost everyday.  And of course, his "buddy" Ulrich.  Haha!  Sure, Ulrich is usually running in the other direction and hiding under the bed, but Aaron doesn't notice!

Some other things that amaze me about Aaron -- we read him books often and so there are a few he knows well.  And he'll literally sit down with the book and "read" it to us!  He tells us the whole story!  It's so adorable.

He also knows the way to grandma's house!  LOL!  Seriously -- if we're driving to my parents he knows we're going to grandpa & grandma's house.  And if we're on our way to Eva's he'll say "Tia Eba's house?  Tia Eba's house?".  He knows we go over a freeway bridge when we're going to her house so he says "up the hill!" before we even get there and "down the hill!" when we're at the top.  He's so smart!!  That's totally from me.  LOL.  ;)


Yes, Aaron is doing well.  And is well loved.  He's always the best part of my day.  


So since I haven't been updating the blog often enough, please feel free to check out my Flickr page and my YouTube page.  The YouTube page has some new stuff for sure.