Things to Remember

These notes below are from over the past 4 months or so. I don't really know how it happened, but life is busier than when the kids were smaller. Work is busier with more responsibility. Overall, I'm really happy with life in this moment. I am sad to see Max pass 2, which will happen soon, but the flip side are so many benefits. Max has entered the terrible 2 stage I believe. I don't quite remember this hitting with Maggie until she was 3 (and with girls it seems it's about being more emotional), but we are getting a lot of stubborn-ness, No's!, and generally not wanting to do something when asked. We had to pass on the dentist appointment this fall, haircuts are a little bit of a struggle right now, and when he says he wants something to eat it's usually the opposite (after serving him). But however it is, I love my kids so much and am enjoying it all. I spent a two week winter break with them from the beach to the redwoods to the Sierra snow and it was magical. My goal for that time was to get outside every day and just be active and we accomplished it.

I feel very lucky for my family and my friends. I have good wishes for 2015 and last week was one of lots of bad/sad news so I'm hoping that's it for a good while. I've said goodbye to my word of 2014...expand...and am coming up with this year's word as I write this. Happy New Year!

Seen and Heard (Fall 2014-present)

Shopping at Target with Max in the ergo, which he is probably too big for now but I use it in those rare circumstances like this where I ended up at Target with him sleeping and I needed to do some shopping. I transferred him from car seat to the ergo on my back and he slept for awhile but then woke up in the middle of my shopping and I quickly realized that he got a bloody nose while sleeping and it was all over his face and my back. I tried to calm him and also hide him a little because the blood looked a little scary but we quickly made it to the family bathroom to clean up. Shopping and doing errands is always an adventure with little ones.

It took about one month exactly for Maggie to not cling to me upon entering her classroom and to do it with a smile! Club M (before and after school care) is taking a little longer, especially in the mornings, but overall, it's going well. I've definitely had a few mornings where I walk away doubting all the decisions I've made to get to this point. It happened last week but I knew driving away that within an hour or two that the feelings would dissipate, Maggie would end up having a good day, and that all was well.

Max, as he is learning numbers, he often says this combination: 2-1-5. It's really cute. He is also starting to sing the alphabet. Maggie is a proud sister watching him learn these things. I love that I can look at her when he is doing something cute and she has that same recognition in her face.

Over the course of 24 hours, Max told me he wanted to be a firefighter, go fishing, take his bike camping, and talk to Daddy on the phone. It's becoming easier to have these conversations with him and hear what he wants and it's funny when he doesn't get what he wants. He has a serious pout-y face, often wants to throw something in that moment to express himself, and crosses his arms and makes a show of it. Then, within a minute, he's back to himself, either having been distracted, or just over it, laughing and my cute little 2-year old boy. He also comes back to say "I'm sorry Mommy" and he always means it. This is an improvement from 6 months ago. He will say it to Maggie too and they kiss and hug often after a spat.

Max still smells like diapers and I am going to hate when that smell is gone. I know the end is near so it's a little bit sad!

Maggie is not without pen and paper, or scissors, or stapler...little mounds of paper are being created all throughout the house. She is reading a lot, sounding out words, picking up books and reading on her own, and she gets pretty upset if there isn't much time left at night for stories. I look at my 5-year old thinking how far she has come from baby to kindergartner, on her own during the day, and how grown up she is compared to little Maxie but then I see how young she is in other ways and that she is only 5 and I'm so thankful for that.

Long story short, Maggie was sitting next to her good friend Jameson at his brother's birthday party during an outdoor movie and lucky us!, we witnessed her lean over and kiss him fondly on the cheek. I admit it freaked me out just a little bit but it was so cute in the end and not something we made a big deal of.

Maggie saying about her cup and straw from the backseat of the car: "Come on straw, work with me!"

A note sent to me by Maggie's kindergarten teacher: "Maggie said the cutest thing today. The presenter from the Maidu Center was showing the kids an abalone shell. He said "Does anyone know what this is?" Maggie put her hand up and said "It's bologna." Too cute.""

February

First things first. Happy birthday sick husband! He was not the best patient this past weekend and I'm glad we celebrated before it hit, but we still haven't recieved his gift by mail yet (drill for our upcoming bath remodel). It's a delayed birthday of sorts, one that lasts a week. We've hit the season in our house where birthdays and celebrations are taking us by storm. I'm more prepared this year but wow, I'm constantly shopping for gifts and getting cards and meals ready.

My kids are taking over. This is one instance from this morning where Max proceeded to climb up on their little table and start ripping Maggie's art off the wall. I read a friend's post yesterday and felt a little more normal after reading it. She has a little guy that is doing the same. But seriously. Max was with his grandma yesterday and he climbed out of his crib at naptime. She found him at his door banging on it. Not crying, just wanting out. Ay yay yay! Before that happened yesterday, I was going to document other good stuff that's been happening around here. Like, Max had a bang and "over the ears" trim at 9 months. His hair was getting a bit shaggy and I wasn't ready to have him get a full cut. I wasn't even sure what that would be. Cutting boy's hair? Not my forte. The stylist commented that he was a great little client, one of her best. He sat on my lap and would look this way and that in response to new sounds. Then it became time for Maggie to get her hair trimmed so we did him again last week because his grew out really fast. He's quickly becoming the little boy. I thought I would mind more, but it's pretty darn cute. He has transitioned to walking in the past week too. Watch out!

Maggie is a cute little dancer. I think she is quickly becoming the teacher's pet. I overheard her at dance class last week being asked to get in front of her peers and state her name, age, and what she wants to be when she grows up. I heard the first girl say a singer. Then Maggie went up and said in a soft voice that she wants to be a farmer so that she can take care of pigs. I peeked in at that point and gave her teacher a smile and she responded to the class by asking Maggie about pigs and said "that's the first time I've heard that one." My daughter, the lip gloss wearing farmer :-) Her teacher held a Valentine's Day party at her studio a couple weekends ago and we signed Maggie up. She was the youngest and stayed close to the teacher all night. I think she had fun but she told us a few days after that she held her tears in while she was there. I asked her why and she said because we weren't there. Such a cute girl, a growing up moment.

I've read and finished my first book of the year: Hungry Monkey. I found this book in the Friends of the Library stacks. It was a very good read. I'll be going through it again to flag recipes and write down ingredients I want to search out. Not your typical children's "cookbook" but a great spin on how to eat with kids with lots of great tips. If you have little ones and haven't taken them to an asian market yet, do it, it's great fun. We're headed back soon.

We went on a family hike recently and leading up to it, I told Maggie we were going to see our friends and hike and she said back "Mom, you remember that I don't like to hike, right?" Yep Maggie, I know sweet dear, but we're going anyway. If you ask me how the hike went, great! Fresh air, good company, and needed exercise. 1/2 the time I carried Max in the ergo. The other half hubby offered to carry Max and then big sis wanted to be carried. This ended up being hubby also carrying her on his shoulders. It was a sight to see.

Wrapping it up, hubby and I may be in over our heads right now. Having fun of course but tired and trying to keep up with these two little monsters :) Max is currently playing with scizzors and digging through the file cabinet and trash, gotta run...

Seeing clearly

I'm happy that 2013 is here. I'm feeling refreshed and I like the number 3. I turned 33 a few months ago and with our two kids in tow, we're on a roll. This year I won't be pregnant or living in the trenches of one of our baby's first year. I don't make new year's resolutions because those just seem silly but I do hope to get in some more exercise and reverse some of these wrinkles I'm seeing. I also am going to develop more quality time with hubby and just have more fun, some of that was in short supply last year.

This year I am going to take a trip (or maybe four). I'd love to go back to Hawaii, but I also want to take the kids to Monterey and I know we'll be visiting Aptos, and hopefully Oregon and Cayucos.

I also want to read more which means I need to stay up after the kids go to bed. Hmm...

Our holiday vacation was full of long days but then it was over in an instant. I got a lot of things cleaned out ("spring" cleaning), and I rarely went outside. Too cold. We spent lots of family time together. I cooked new recipes and a really yummy, moist turkey on New Year's Eve. Maggie fell asleep on my chest that night shortly after I told her she could stay up. I think she was holiday'd out and it was just really sweet to have my baby girl peacefully sleeping on my chest. We went on a NYE daytime date to see this movie. Billy Crystal had us cracking up. We saw the snow but didn't make it past the parking lot (our plan was to snowshoe with the kids and friends). It was a challenging 24 hours but I'm still glad we went. Trying times (or ones that don't live up to your expectations) seem to make the best laughable stories and memories!

{More good recipes to share}

Really awesome chocolate chip cookies - the dry ingredients were gifted to us at Christmas. I let the batter chill for 36 hours.

Comfort food one-pot pasta meal with bacon and butternut squash - I used what I had on hand, so instead of shallots I used leeks and white onion and instead of provolone I used cheddar. I didn't use rosemary because I was too lazy to go outside and clip it and I didn't think I'd miss it.

Leftover turkey pot pie - I have been making this for a long time, I think I clipped the recipe in college (the one linked is similar). This time, I used turkey of course, frozen peas and white corn, fresh carrots and onion, herbs de provence, leftover turkey gravy mixed with country gravy to give it creaminess and water to get the right consistency.

Joys of Pregnancy

It's not all rainbows and unicorns, but @ 33 weeks, I'm feeling pretty dang good. I've got my routine down and I do feel that pregnancy glow some women talk about. For me, it's the 1st trimester that really kicks my butt. I wallow...cry...and whine to get through it, but once it passes, it's mostly uphill. I wish in this pregnancy that I was getting more exercise but it's tough to fit in so I make due with stretching and chasing after Maggie.

I've indulged here and there with caffiene this time as it's supposed to be ok in moderation and I'd say half of my friends have their cups of coffee, etc. to get through the day and their babies were a-ok. Sometimes you are dragging so much from lack of energy that you need that little boost and treat to yourself. I'd love to color my hair as that also gives me a boost in the beauty department and supposedly that's fine too...a question for the midwives :-)

Life is good though as we make (shall I say final?) preparations. Things are coming together and I plan to work up until I can't work any longer. I have a long-term project at work that allows me to easily work at my desk and from home when need be and part of me is going to miss that involvement while I'm on leave. 

We just finished a bathroom remodel which now allows me to focus on getting the baby's bedroom ready. It involves getting rid of/moving/and buying furniture for both hubby and baby. Then I can organize and get the room all ready for nursing, changing diapers, and the like. I recieved some thoughtful presents this past weekend, including a handknit pair of baby booties from a friend that are just about the cutest little pieces of footwear I've seen in awhile (aside from my new Acorn slippers that just arrived today...oh the fleece goodness). The booties and an outfit my sister gifted to us might be the perfect birthday outfit for the babes once he makes his way into the world.

Last of the Summer Days

Got the new haircut and love it. It's short and not a bob and was what I needed.

Pictures from July. I knew our family would be expanding this year so I wanted to capture some special moments of our family of 3. Our friend Bronwyn took them for us.

We're planning a second homebirth and this week marks our first appointment with our beloved midwives. I know they can't take away my nausea, but what they do provide is love and support and the extras, like doppler and listening to the baby.

At 12 weeks, one day I feel the same (sick with nausea), the next day I don't feel so bad (like today!). I hope this is a good sign that the end is near. I tried nausea medication but it seemed to work one day and not the next. So far with this pregnancy, I've felt pretty darn tired, have less patience for things on some days, and feel great adversions to food and much of the good stuff in life :-) It's been quite a teaching experience. Those teaching moments seem to come during the dark times.

With heading into the 2nd trimester, I'm looking forward to getting my diet/nutrition back on track and getting a little exercise. I think tonight hubby lucks out for once in a blue moon and dinner will be made!

Getting older

The spring has been such a flurry of activities that it hasn't left me much time to watch TV, get on the computer, etc. I think it's been a good thing. Goodbye winter.

Trading off with that has been exercise and staying busy. And this past month I've felt my age creeping in on me. I'm 31. That's still young, right? I realize I'm not in my twenties anymore and that I've had a baby, but come on, really? I've been exercising quite a bit and even though I remember to stretch most times (mostly beforehand) I end up pulling a muscle or being so sore afterwards that it takes me a few days to recover. I went on a run last week that made me feel great and so alive and strong...but it also left me limping around all weekend, especially after being idle for awhile. It's not fun seeing this change in your body, especially when I feel healthier in many ways than I did at 22. Grr...

I asked around and it sounds like I need to do more stretching afterwards and eat more protein. Drink lots of fluids, etc, etc. So much to remember in order to be active and healthy, jeesh.

Life has been full though and I'm really loving it. Maggie seems to be growing like a bean. Age 2 so far is really fun. I love talking with her, seeing her remember events or people, talk about her day in disjointed words, or cuddling with her. I hope she never loses her baby smells, I'm so going to miss that one day when I realize it's gone.

2 Things

I got solicitation mail this week that really made me laugh on three levels. It was addressed to me, with the spelling of my name correct, yet it was a Just for Men hair coloring coupon/postcard in Spanish. Repeat: not for Michael...for me. So, from what I can figure based on my unique first name, married last name, and whatever else "they" have on file, I'm apparently a middle-aged greying Latino man to the outside world. Nice. Brings back memories of recieving mail at summer camp addressed to Marvin Lemieux.

I started playing softball this spring after taking a few years off. Last week I subbed on a team, which was my rough introduction back on the field. My dad pointed out that last week's game probably motivated me more to shine at this week's game, a new team I've joined. After eating an alternative St. Patti's Day meal (I cooked this festive green soup and this shepherd's pie - both vegetarian and very tasty with a few mods), I ran off nervously but excited to play the 1st game of the season under bright lights in the one day window we had this week without rain. Not only are my team members nice, but they don't suck, the field wasn't swampy, I scored a bright orange team shirt with a team name I won't admit to here, I got two good hits in the outfield, and I played a new position to me (catcher) where I got lots of action. So excited to be back out there and getting some exercise.

Sun!

Today feels pretty good. Lately, it's been dreary with the socked-in foggy/cold weather and it's been getting depressing. I was starting to dream about spring and all the fun stuff we could start doing in a couple months. Friends are talking about starting their gardens and I have to remember that it's only January! Good time to do some digging and fertilizing before spring planting though.

I woke up this morning after a really fun night out dancing with old and new friends. Good, goofy memories and have I said how much I love dancing? I especially love dancing with my friend Jessie, she is a blast to hang with. So much confidence, such a kind heart. To wake up a little later than usual, have breakfast made for me, and things going generally well started off the day right. To fully clear my head from the night before we set off on an awesome trail ride, Maggie in the trailer. It was perfect. Michael spotted a bobcat just off the trail and our destination was the last cycle-cross event of the season where friends were riding. It was good to see so many people out exercising, staying healthy, and kids playing in the dirt laughing.

We've joined a bike team this year and are excited to get involved. Our first club ride is in April and Michael is doing his first mountain bike race with the team tomorrow. I'm feeling pleased with the slight changes I've made in my life over the past few months. I feel like I'm growing into a new phase of my life and I'm excited to see what the next year holds for us.

Cute pic of Maggie last week - she desperately needed to play and run despite the cold weather! That's one of her favorite binky's that her Tia Boo-boo got her before she was born :-) Ha ha

Good stuff

I was touched by this story a few weeks ago as I was driving to work. Make sure to listen to the story, don't just read it.

Just returned from a really great vacation in Bend, Oregon. Pictures and highlights to come. It was a stretch for our family to go but we made it work and it was exactly what we needed and more. The week prior to leaving was a mess, one thing on top of another. I needed time away. I think all of us needed time away.

I feel so good now, ready to take whatever comes. I felt inspired waking up one morning in Oregon thinking I needed to start jogging again and ultimately run a half marathon as my goal. I've done a triathlon, 5k runs, mountain bike races...now I might shoot for this. It seems pretty achievable. It's something I can train for with Maggie if need be and jogging is something I've always liked to do since I was a teenager. I haven't put much time into regular exercise since I became preggers with Maggie and now it just feels like a good time to get back to something. 

Witnessed butterflies mating today in the garden. New one for me. Quite pretty. Maggie is drawn to bees (can you see the one caught flying in the picture?). They are in serious numbers right now enjoying the basil flowers. Maggie has been stung once and she was out there today just staring while bees zoomed around us. I repeatedly told her "hurt" so that she could understand what pinching a bee will do to her. She did understand and pulled her hand away but she still stands there staring. This is one part of loving being a parent - being able to teach but also just standing by watching a young mind take shape on it's own.

Something else ate most of my winter plantings while we were out of town. Grrr...