Life Is So Ironic

Look at that crazy hair...that's why she NEEDS a ponytail everyday now. So this little girl is now officially sleeping through the night, with a little assistance, or should I say restraint, from mom and dad. She was a pretty scheduled eater at 2am and 5/6am and we decided to cut out her 2 am feeding. She would only eat for maybe 5 minutes and be back asleep in under 10 total. We never really had to make a decision like this with Van because he slept through the night at 5 weeks and never looked back. I wasn't really sure at what age a baby should be going all night and by no means are we opposed to the "cry it out" technique. So after some mommy research we felt like it was time she could do it on her own. She's been doing well all week. If she wakes up, its not for more than a few minutes, maybe 20 at most, fusses a bit and goes back to sleep. I started having her cry it out when necessary for her naps so she got used to what was expected and she's taking it like a little pro now. I have to say...I sure am enjoying my full nights sleep. Now she wakes up at 6ish, eats, and goes back to sleep until after 9...at least that's been her routine this week.

No sooner do we reach a milestone with Ava than another one comes up with Van. After night 2 of Ava pulling an all nighter, I awake to the sweetest voice saying "mommy, mommy" at the side of my bed. As I open my eyes, I see the cutest pajama clad boy with the biggest blue eyes peeking over the mattress and starting right at me. My amazingly talented little boy figured out how to open up his bedroom door and come to wake me up. He was very tentative about it, almost like he felt like he shouldn't be doing something. After I got up to do some mommy investigating, I realized he got out of his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and couldn't figure out how to get back in. Of course this new action placed so many "what if" scenarios in my brain. I have no idea how this new found freedom will be affecting our "perfect" sleeper, during nighttime or morning cartoons (he turns on his tv when he wakes up and enjoys a little independence). I can only imagine where we're headed. I can luckily say this hasn't happened again since the first time, but I'm sure its only a matter of time before it becomes a habit.

Onto other hot topics. I begin my new job next week, Wednesday to be exact. I'm very excited and hopeful that this will prove to be a great opportunity. I will let everyone know how it goes. Also, Mike and I attended a meeting at the previously mentioned preschool for Van last night. It went great. It looks like exactly what we had in mind for him. So we sent in the registration paperwork today and he should be starting in the Fall. We will probably start out pretty easy, just the one day I'm working there and see how he likes it. I'm hoping he will love it so much that he can take on another day w/o mommy there and maybe even another. Of course updates on Van's schooling will be filling our blog in the future so keep your eyes out.

I'm off for now. Going to enjoy some quiet time...it may not last for long.

B

The Best Photographer In Town

Okay all, we've been blessed to have a friend of ours who does amazing photography. She has just launched her professional website and deserves all of the business I can drum up for her. Her name is Melissa Vossler and she will provide you with the best pics of your family ever. She did some practice shots of Van over a year ago and still to this day they are some of the best pics we've ever gotten. Forget about JCPenneys, Sears, or even the Picture People. If you need pics taken of your family that will be unforgettable and taken in the setting of you choice, please use Melissa. There is a link to her website on my blog page, look to the right. Here it is also...http://www.melissavossler.com/. Here are just a couple of the pics we got when she was just starting out...enjoy.

Becky

!! An Answered Prayer !!

So if you've been keeping up on our blog like you should be, you will remember my accepted defeat regarding the job market for stay at home moms. Well it looks like I accepted defeat too early. Today, out of nowhere basically, I received a job offer from the "lawyer" lady that I interviewed with months ago, literally days before Ava was born. I've been staying in touch with her at her request but didn't really know if it was going anywhere. And since I interviewed w/ her hubby a couple of weeks ago and heard nothing, I figured I blew my chances w/ both of them. Apparently God was just teaching me ANOTHER lesson about patience. She has agreed to pay me close to what I asked for with an expected bump in 90 days if all goes well. And the same terms apply as far as schedule...she is only expecting me to come into the office, in Irvine, once every other week for an hour or so to catch up...all other work can be done from my home. Yippee!! I'm very hopeful about this opportunity. This has basically just been dropped in my lap and I've been counting my blessings all day, not that I don't do it everyday anyways, but you know what I mean. Its so hard, especially in California, to be a stay at home mom financially for our family so this will hopefully take a little pressure off of us, at least for now.

On that note, I've been feeling just a tad bit guilty for wanting to find some work because I feel like I'm not as good as other SAHMs whose kids are their lives and they are satisfied with that. I love my kids dearly and would never choose a career over being with them daily. However, I find myself searching for that intellectual relationship that I miss from a 9-5. I know my husband would love for me to have more to talk about other than pee pee times and cute smiles. I'm sure he's feeling a bit relieved that I will have another aspect to my life now that has certainly been missing. Its just that want for an adult conversation here and there, you know? Also, I feel so bad for having to reign in on our finances but not be able to contribute at all. Its that old idea of Mike having to make all the money but not being able to play with it at all because its needed for everything else. Hopefully this opportunity will loosen the reigns just a bit.

At a time like this, I am reminded that God does ALWAYS answer our prayers. It may not be when we want, or how we want, but we have no idea what he has in store for us. If we continue to put our trust and faith in him, he will find a way. Of course its easy for me to say now that he answered this one so quickly for us...but hopefully this post will serve as a reminder for the next time I'm wondering what God is thinking or what his purpose for me and my struggles are. Good night for now and as my father (in law) would say, "Praise The Lord".

Where Oh Where Does The Time Go?

So I'm sitting down tonite, taking a deep breath and soaking in all of the quiet. My husband is out with some guys playing 42 and both babies are sound asleep in their rooms. I feel like I have so much on my mind and may even get brave enough to write it all down...maybe. Tonite was the only night in a span of 2 weeks that my husband and I could have dinner w/ just our babies, no friends, no other family, just us. I love all of our friends and family, but sometimes just quiet us time is so nice and refreshing. We didn't have to rush to go anywhere, clean anything, entertain anyone, or even think about anyone else, just enjoy each other and the kids and I have to say, I did. As most of you know, I married the most social man on the planet but it is nice to slow him down every now and again and just have family time, I have just recently come to the realization of how much I really need that.

So Van got 2 new bikes for his birthday a couple of months ago and along with those he got this helmet and some knee/elbow pads for safety. He loves to wear this helmet and I've been meaning to post some pics because he's so darn cute w/ it on. It's so big that I swear he looks like one of the kids in the Jack in the Box commercials, you know the one w/ the kids playing football. He looks like such a bobble head and I think he thinks it's funny that it slides all over and rarely stays in one place. So cute.


Our little girl is blossoming like crazy. She can securely rock the pony tail now, of course it's really just a "pebbles" pony tail but she sure is cute. Her hair is getting to that awkward stage of long before it falls out, at least this time around we can pull it up top w/ a rubber band and a barrette and make it look cute. She is very alert and tries to reach out and grab many toys. She rolled over on Monday but hasn't done it since. She gets so mad that she can't always get her thunder thighs over and mostly just gets stuck. Today during her tummy time she was actually scooting across the floor. And I don't mean just the inching w/ her toes that we're used to seeing, I mean actually getting her legs underneath her and pushing off. She's really putting those chunky legs to good use. Second time around, so cute too.

My kids are doing great and in these moments of quiet reflect, I realize I miss my husband. The older we get, I feel like time and life are just flying by. I have a hard time knowing what day or date it is and before I know it, another week and month have passed us by. I find it so easy to be with my husband, I can't believe we're coming up on our 10 year anniversary together, 5 1/2 years of marriage already gone. I think, wow, we've been together almost as long as my parents were married (they only made it 10 years) and much longer than most of the couples in todays Hollywood. Its not just that I love Mike, I genuinely like him. I like to be with him, listen to him dream, laugh at his absurd and sometimes inappropriate jokes, bounce all of my craziness off of him, play some Rockband with him (okay really I just struggle and he rocks out masterfully) and just be around him. I've come to appreciate our time together so much more since it's so little these days. I'm so tired every night after we get the kids to bed from all of the tasks at hand that I just want to crash with my head on his shoulder, but I'm trying to not take the moments alone with my husband for granted. Every week we have so many obligations to tend to that it's hard to remember we need eachother too, just eachother, just to be.

So much more spinning in my head, but I've got to keep some just for myself, at least for now. Be back in a few.

B

On The Road To School...Maybe

So not much more happening around here. We've been busy with playdates and visiting old friends, but all in all, our lives are pretty mellow. I'm on the verge of saying Van is fully potty trained during the day. He has become comfortable to tell me now at any point that he needs to go pee pee and poo poo. I'm pretty confidant that he can make any car ride now without an accident too. He definitely understands that he doesn't want to have an accident in his big boy underwear. I'm so proud. We're even back to getting out of the house comfortably now and don't stress the whole time about whether or not he needs to go. One of Van's good friends Emily has recently started preschool so I started thinking maybe I should start looking too. I really had no idea even where to begin. If you look online, there are literally hundreds to choose from and I figured it would take me months to find one and then there is class size, tuition, curriculum, schedule, etc to consider. I decided to take the easy route and I posted an ad on my favorite site, Craigslist, just asking for referrals or info on preschools in the area. I heard from one mom who is actually part of a co-op preschool that is really affordable, only for kids 2-5, runs 4 days from 9am-12pm w/ Wednesday open for field trips, and has parents work one day in the school. I would even be able to bring Ava on the day I work plus be a part of Van's transistion. I'm really hopeful about this one. Mike and his brothers attended a preschool similar to this one and it was awesome for them plus Lynn got to be a part of it too. I'm still in communication w/ the school about details and such but I'll keep you all posted.

As for our little pudgy Ava, she really is just a pleasure. She has the funniest laugh. It really sounds more like a dying cow but I just can't stop myself from tickling her to hear the noise that comes out, I wish I could describe it better. Mike was tickling her neck last night w/ his goatee and she was really going at it, so cute. She is starting to roll over from her back. She can get over to her side but falls back to her back, she is quite determined so I don't think it will be long. She loves to stand up and enjoys the walker so much now (her feet completely touch the ground and she doesn't even need a towel to hold her up). She is quite the cutey and just so sweet, she definitely has her daddy's easy going nature.

That's all for now...sorry its not more interesting just trying to keep everyone up to date on all our details. Be back soon.

B

Just Kicking Back

I know it's been over a week but that's because not much has been happening around here. We went back to Disneyland at Van's request and I think the 2nd time was even more fun than the last. He was in awe so much the first time and just tried to take it all in but the 2nd time he really sat back and enjoyed it all. We must have rode on the carousel 5 times. I'm amazed daily at how much Van's vocabulary is expanding and how he even uses the right words, some of which I've never heard before, in the right context. I can't wait until he gets to school and just gets to blossom even more.

Ava has been such a trooper, with the Disneyland trips, the potty training adventures, and just in life. She is such a happy little girl. Van was happy, but he was and continues to be hard to make smile on command. He is even harder to make laugh, really laugh...I guess that's like his daddy. Van has always been our serious, intense, little man, hence the picture above. Ava just sits back and relaxes. She smiles at anyone who asks, giggles now and then, and is even ticklish. She is such the talker too...what a girl. It will be so much fun to watch her grow and see what other differences between our two babies come up. Although Ava started out more high maintenance than Van, she has really become a very easy baby. I can honestly say God has blessed us with 2 very good babies, why try for a 3rd?

As for the job front, I had my interview last week w/ the "lawyer's" husband but I don't think it went very well. I got along great w/ the lawyer, but her husband and I didn't click really well. He had to be the most dry person I've ever met and I even had a hard time focusing on what he was saying. I was shocked to see that he hadn't even shaved for our meeting...that may sound weird but this guy is a financial advisor in Newport Beach, Fashion Island, for millionaires, how are you not concerned about your appearance? So I haven't heard back from him and I'm too afraid to make the call so I think I'm just accepting defeat here. I know my job is to take care of my babies, but I do love, and need, some sort of intellectual challenge now and again so I'm hoping God will help provide that...if it was paying that would be great too. For now I'll just continue my daily searches on Craigslist.

I believe that may be all...nothing major. I know I promised weekly updates, so I apologize for the lag...I'll be back soon.

B