The Maddox Ark

Maddox Family Updates

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Life has been a little crazy for the last few weeks so here is a quick recap since my blog is my journal and keeps track of everything.

Roman
Despite his outgoing, loud personality at home he is very shy at school. On Tuesday his teacher came up to me when I was picking him up to let me know that he is talking more and seems to be having fun. YEAH!!! All I want is for him is to be happy and to enjoy school. Little by little he is starting to feel more and more comfortable in his class. When I pick him up he has been telling me, "I had fun." That is all you want to hear from your child. I've realized his personality is so different from mine and I need to find ways to foster his sensitive soul. I am so happy I did the Walnut Avenue 2's program this past year. It has been such a great experience and Roman's little class of 7 is the perfect setting for him.

He is currently obsessed with the movie Beauty and the Beast. He has probably watched it 40 times (which means I've probably seen it 25). I have all the songs memorized. When Angela Lansbury comes on singing, "Beauty and the Beast", Roman looks at me and wants to do a ballroom dance. He says he wants a Belle Birthday cake, so we will see if it is still his favorite in 2 months.

Roman has started becoming afraid of the dark, which has given us some challenges at night. He is finally settling into life without a nap. It took about 4 months to transition, but now he is finally able to make it thru the day without becoming an absolute crazy man at 5pm. We are trying to get him IN bed at 8pm. By IN bed, I mean asleep. This is helping with his overall mood.

Despite his (at times) feisty toddler personality, he continues to make me laugh and smile with his funny sense of humor. I love our special time that we spend together while Paisley naps. I get to cuddle, talk and just laugh with him. He is beginning to talk so much and I love to hear what comes out of his mouth. He is such a special boy filled with such wonder.

Paisley has become a little tornado and is getting into everything. She keeps me busy and is becoming quite the character. She learned to jump this week and makes it about 1/2" off the ground. The look on her face is priceless and she is so proud of herself. Her main goal is to do whatever her Big Bro is doing. She looks up to him so much and gets so sad when he denies her. I've realized it is just the beginning of buying 2 of everything. She still has an easy going, loving demeanor, but can also be dramatic when she doesn't get her way. When she gets really mad she starts headbanging walls and even gave Roman a headbang to the face tonight. Something totally new for us to experience as parents. But seriously...for the most part she is just so chill. Very active, but so happy. Doesn't have a lot of fear, other than the occasional guy wearing a beanie.

She is enjoying her weekly playtime at Saint Matthews, loves hanging with her older cousin Kira and is obsessed with animals. She likes to look thru books, play outside, climb on anything and everything, kiss her doggy, play in water and reorganize every cupboard and cabinet in our house. She is finally getting a little hair and it looks like it may be a little wavy. We cannot wait to see what she looks like with a full head of hair.

As for me, I am happy to be back into a routine after the holidays. This past month I started a new bible study that connects your emotions with your spirituality. Great reality check and reminder on keeping balanced and focused on my faith.

Also, I decided to take the class at Cal State East Bay to get certified in Wedding Planning. It is perfect for me since it meets once a month (8 hours each class) and then allows you to do all your studying and homework from home. By the end of the class, I will have been taught everything I need to know about the industry, while also putting together an entire wedding from start to finish. I debated taking this class, but realized it was really what I needed if I ever wanted to pursue a career in event management. My goal is to have my business up and running by 2013. I am definitely not used to all the homework, but it is fun and teaching me so much. I am excited to be learning and looking forward to the future.

I am still working 2 days a week and keeping busy. At times I don't feel like I have much free time, but for now that is OK. If only I had a maid or someone to put away my laundry. Maybe in another 10 years. Ha ha!

Allright, it is midnight and Jason & I are both still up and have to work tomorrow. Time to go to bed. Good Night!

2012...Here We Go

2012-01-02T23:26:00.000-08:00

2012 starts with me turning 33! Can it really be? I think I am now officially in my mid 30's. I think having a Birthday on New Year's Day makes me evaluate resolutions, goals and reflect on the past year even more.

2011 was definitely a challenging year, but also such a wonderful one. Part of the year feels like a hazy dream, but it raced by so quickly since we had so much going on.

2011 highlights included...
Jason got a new job (So proud of him)
Trips to Disneyland, So Cal, Hawaii and Ohio
Went to many fun and very festive weddings
Paisley started walking and continues to be such a happy girl
Roman is non-stop talking and stopped napping. Also started preschool 2 days a week.
Still working part-time as a facility coordinator for Temple Isaiah planning Bar and Bat Mitzvahs
Lots of special family time

Life with 2 little ones. What can I say? Life can be crazy, hard, exhausting and a lot of days I feel like I am running around in circles. I often wonder, how can my house ever be organized or clean. There always seems to be a missing piece of a toy, food spilled on the ground and laundry, laundry and more laundry. BUT...WOW they bring me such joy. For all the work, I feel so much love. I know I have mentioned it before, but I have never been happier in life. I never knew how much joy being a Mom would bring me and I truly live each day to see the smile on my little ones faces.

Roman is becoming such a little boy filled with such personality. His talking and humor make me laugh. He is challenging at times, but oh so funny too. I still look at him and just melt. He will always be my little boy. The no nap has been a real challenge for the past 2 months, but in the last week we feel that he is making progress. We are trying to get him to sleep by 7:45 and it really seems to be helping.

Paisley is on the go. She loves to climb and I am constantly having to keep my eye on her. She is still pretty quiet, but is starting to talk a little. She is also starting to show a little drama (I know I have been warned with having a girl). When we tell her NO, she looks at us, makes a face and then the tears come on so dramatically and with such passion. She loves to keep up with her brother and for the most part is so easy going. We just feel so blessed with this little one.

Now on to a few goals and hopes for 2012...
First and most importantly, we hope for GOOD HEALTH! It has been a tough year with having 2 parents going thru chemo and Tyler having his open heart surgery re-scheduled twice. We continue to pray for healing and strength in the New Year.

GETTING IN SHAPE
It has really been 4 years since I have worked out. I'm embarrassed to admit this. I wasn't able to workout during my pregnancies and then it became a lack of having any time with 2 young babies. It is so important for me to be in good cardio shape, so this is a HUGE goal for me. I realized I have to make this a top priority and find the time. I just re-activated my account at ClubSport Valley Vista and can't wait to start working out again. Even if I need to go at 8pm, my goal is to workout 3 times a week (4 if I'm lucky). My Christmas gifts included new workout clothes and shoes. I am MOTIVATED!

STARTING MY BIZ
For the last 18 months I have worked as the Facility Coordinator at a large Jewish Temple in Lafayette. I have worked with dozens of families helping to plan their special celebrations. Through this I have worked with event planners, caterers and lots of amazing vendors. I quickly realized that my favorite part of my job was meeting with families and helping them throughout the planning process. I loved being able to give them guidance, while also keeping them calm, organized and excited. My favorite compliment (after an event) is when a client says, "I couldn't have done it without you."
I am currently working on a business plan for event consulting. I am also debating enrolling in the Event Planner certificate program through Cal State East Bay (starts this Saturday). I think it will give me the extra confidence needed to take this extra step. I know I am good at what I do, however sometimes I lack the confidence in myself to go for it. I think this program will give me the final push that need. My top priority continues to be at home with Roman and Paisley. One of my goals with starting my new business is to be able to start a career where I can control my own hours, while also being a Mom as my top priority.

Stay tuned for more details.
In the meantime, here is our logo:

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year!

Can't wait to see what 2012 holds.
Hoping for a beautiful year ahead.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T22:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas was very special this year since we received some amazing news one week prior to the holiday. Bob (Jason's Dad) was supposed to start another round of aggressive chemo followed by a bone marrow transplant for what they thought was his cancer recurring. However after having a biopsy he found out that the growths were non cancerous and not related to his previous cancer. What a Christmas Miracle and answered prayer. Truly reminded me of the "true" miracle of Christmas. "Through him all things are possible".

Now on to the celebration...

Christmas Eve morning we headed to celebrate with Betty and Bob at their house.

Their Christmas Family tradition is to have German pancakes for breakfast. Roman loved putting all the snow on the pancakes.

Paisley sporting her new dress with Papa.

Roman was very into opening gifts this year, but didn't really care too much what they were. He would rip through the gifts and then immediately ask for another. I tried to remind him to look at what he got and say Thank You. Ha ha! So much for that one. Maybe next year.

That night we headed to Christmas Eve service at St. Matthew's and then back to our house for dinner.

Our little Angel. This little girl is filled with such joy. Loved her cute Christmas dress.

These 2 little rascals are always up to some fun and a little mischief too.

Tyler loved this toy.

Scott...how did he get so big and so cool? He is such a great cousin to Roman and Paisley.

Christmas Eve we had soup, salad and cheese zombies. Perfect comfort food for a nice and relaxing night. It was fun to exchange gifts and just be able to relax.

The kids went to bed and Santa came.

Christmas Morning

Paisley loved her new bouncing bull

Good Morning Roman and Paisley!

This little boy loves his storybooks (as he calls them). He got Tangled and I Like Bugs. He will spend hours just going thru his books. I also started a tradition of getting both kids a Christmas book and writing a personal message in them.

Superhero Paisley in her new cape

Relaxing on the couch in between some presents. Roman tends to get a little overwhelmed with presents and too many new things, so we always need to take a little time out to just relax. Works for me since I never like opening presents. Our morning was so nice since it was just our family of 4 and we had all day to open our gifts at a very leisurely pace.

Our little Superhero loving her new popper

Best present under the tree

Opening his stocking. Very excited with his some new hot wheels

Christmas Night we headed to Nana and Pop's house for lobster dinner and to celebrate Pop's Birthday.

A visit from the 3 wisemen

Tyler was so excited about his new scooter

This boy was wiped out from the 2 days of non-stop parties and late nights. No more naps equals pure exhaustion by the end of the night.

Couldn't be happier than to eat with Belle and the Beast.

Loves his new robe

Paisley loved all her new food for her kitchen and her new shopping cart.

It was such a special and magical Christmas holiday. I loved seeing Roman excited and even though he wasn't into Santa this year, he did get really excited for the holiday. I really try and focus on the true spirit of Christmas and enjoy all the fun that comes with it. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas filled with lots of joy.

2011 Family Photos

2011-12-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

We had our family pics taken as gifts for our parents by Denae Harlow Photography. I was blown away by the beautiful photos that she got of both Roman and Paisley. I loved how natural they looked and she truly captured Roman and Paisley's personalities. Roman is in a phase where he does not like having his picture taken (I mean HATES having his picture taken), so I was hoping to get 1, maybe 2 pics. On our drive to the shoot, Jason even said this probably wasn't a good idea. However, when Denae sent us our proofs, I actually started crying. I was blown away with all the pics that she got.

We are so thankful. I would highly recommend Denae. She is wonderful to work with, so sweet with kids and has such a talent for photography.
Denae...you are amazing! Thank you for our beautiful gift.

Visit her blog here:
Denae Harlow Photography

My absolute FAV! Makes my heart melt.

Our Sweet Little Love

Love that smile!

Nothing like a girl and her Daddy

This captures Roman's true spirit. A little boy so full of wonder and curiosity.

The Sun Came Up

2011-12-21T22:30:00.000-08:00

Roman is talking so much these days and his favorite questions to ponder are where people are going, why certain things happen and who did that.

This morning Roman woke up at 6am, so we cuddled in bed (I tried to convince him to go back to sleep). No luck. My shutters were open and all of a sudden he realized it was getting lighter.

Here was our conversation:

R: Ohhhhhhhh!!!! The sun goes up.

H: Who did that?

R: Roman did that.

H: How did you do that?

R: I pushed the button

H: What color is the button?

R: Blue

H: Where is the button?

R: Outside

H: I will have to be on the lookout for that one.

On a sidenote about buttons, Roman discovered the "RED" button in the elevator. All of a sudden we are at Target and I hear a voice say, "Are you OK in there. Can I help you?" When I told Roman that we can no longer press the red button he laughs and says, "Are you OK in there." I have a feeling we may experience this again.

My little rasc!

Love that boy.

December

2011-12-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged for a while, so here is a quick recap of December...

This little rascal has officially given up his naps. Good-bye to Mommy's 2 hour break. It has been over 2 months since he took a regular napped. It has been a very hard transition as he gets exhausted by the 5:00, but then powers thru til 8:00pm. On the random days that he will take a nap (about every 2 weeks) he then will want to stay up until 10:00pm, which obviously doesn't work. I know he takes after his Daddy and needs little sleep. Some friends have said it takes a few months for him to get adjusted and I am looking forward to that. In the meantime, I have enjoyed spending some special one on one time with him while Paisley naps in the afternoon.

This little love is walking everywhere and so happy to be on the go. She loves being able to follow her brother everywhere. Her and Roman have even started playing together in their rooms and sometimes when I go in Roman says to me, "Mommy Go Away." (it does make me a little sad, but I'm sure this is only the beginning of kicking Mommy out of the fun). Paisley's hair is starting to grow a little, even though she has had a few "Hi Buddy!" in the last few weeks. Even though she will be wearing a dress with patent leather shoes she gets mistaken for a little boy. Jason and I can't wait to see what she looks like with a full head of hair.

AND...both kids did not like Santa this year. Roman actually got kicked out of Santa's workshop and Paisley wouldn't sit on Santa's lap without Mommy. Better luck next year. Roman has actually told me, "No Santa, No Presents." He would rather have no presents than meet the guy in the red suit.

We are all looking forward to a fun and very Christmas celebration.

Walker

2011-12-05T07:35:00.001-08:00

Paisley started taking a few steps about a week before Thanksgiving. BUT she really got it on Thanksgiving and is now walking everywhere. She gets really excited and then starts trying to go really fast and usually falls down at the end. She is so proud of herself.

Christmas Tree Adventure

2011-12-04T22:38:00.000-08:00

Today we headed out with some friends for a little adventure to The Black Road Christmas Tree Farm in Los Gatos to chop down our Christmas tree. It was such a beautiful day and we were surrounded by amazing redwoods and the beauty of nature.

There was 40 acres of trees. Jason was in search for a good one.

Jason found our tree. I'm not too picky (when it comes to trees), so I let him pick it.

This active little one just wanted to crawl and walk all over the place.

Roman was such a happy boy to be wandering around in the trees

The group of kids. Always entertaining trying to get a group shot.

Can't get enough of this little one

This was a great little adventure. I was reminded of how lucky we are to live in California.

Day in Napa

2011-11-28T20:20:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of living in the Bay Area is how close we are to Napa. On Friday, we wanted to get out and do something with the kids. We headed to Discovery Kingdom and found out they were closed until 2pm. Jason mentioned Napa (since we were pretty close), so we decided to take an impromptu trip to the vineyards.

We went to 2 of our favorite spots; Rombauer and Mumm. They both have some great spots for Roman to explore and we enjoyed some great Chardonnay and deli sandwiches. Is it easier to travel to Napa without kids, FOR SURE! But we had such a nice day enjoying the beautiful scenery and amazing grounds.

Roman in exploration mode

Happy boy enjoying nature

Paisley hanging with the dinos

Our favorite Napa spot

Doesn't get more gorgeous than this.

Her 1st reindeer ride

A Very Lewis Thanksgiving

2011-11-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

We did an early Thanksgiving celebration in Grass Valley with Betty's family. They got an awesome house for the weekend and it was so fun to be with family all under one roof. I especially loved all the help with the kids. I was actually able to relax a little and catch up with some wonderful family.

Betty has 3 younger brothers. It is always fun with all of them around.

The cousins. We missed Melissa who is at college at Chapman.

Paisley loved learning a new dice game.

Aunt Barbara on a hike with Paisley.

Roman's favorite part of the vacation was going on nature hikes with Grammy. My little explorer.

Jason and his Grandma

Handsome Duo

Grammy and her girl

Update

2011-11-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

Tyler's surgery is postponed (again, 2nd time). Something happened to his surgeon and he had to cancel all surgeries for the week.

Prayers for Tyler

2011-11-15T19:09:00.000-08:00

Our nephew, Tyler, will be undergoing open heart surgery tomorrow morning. This is the 3rd part "the fontan" of the series of open heart surgeries due to his congenital heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). Please pray for him, his surgeons and Heidi and Danny. Prayers for comfort, peace, strength, healing and for them to feel the love of their friends and family.

Parenting 101

2011-11-10T00:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wish that there was a Parenting Coach or hotline that you could call for advice. I guess that is what friends are for. I think that would be a successful business. You pay a monthly fee and someone is always there to help you along the way.

I've got 2 current parenting issues with this little rascal.

NOTE: I chose this pic since he looks Oh so innocent.

About 95% of the time this guy is such a loving, sweet, funny boy. He is full of energy and definitely a character, but so, so sweet. But he can be mischievous.

Issue #1
He thinks it is funny to run away from me in public. AND usually I am holding Paisley, so I go running full speed while also holding Paisley. It is not only embarassing, but can be scary because he is often a few feet from the street. He has yet to go into the street, but I simply don't trust him that he wouldn't. He usually does this for me at parks and church. The look on his face when he does it is pure enjoyment and he thinks it is hilarious. I have tried everything (timeouts, yelling, speaking calmly), but disiplining Roman is not always easy because he thinks NO is funny. I am open to suggestions because I am getting nowhere.

Issue #2
He is starting to give me a really hard time when we have activities to go to, especially school and church. We will get ready and then he doesn't want to leave the house or the car. Today it happened in the church parking lot. He likes to refuse walking and sometimes lays down in the parking lot. This is always fun since about 50 other woman who are in my Bible Study are also entering the building at the same time, so they see my parenting in action. I don't give in and we usually make it to the classroom after 5 minutes of fussing, laying on the ground, crying and me carrying 2 children.

It can be so hard to know how to parent sometimes. I know the challenges get harder and harder as they get older, but I also understand that toddlerhood is all about establishing boundaries, rules and order. The good thing is that the other 95% of the day (which is a lot) are filled with laughter, happiness and fun. Roman woke up this morning and said, "The Sun is up. Roman did that." I could just melt with statements like that.

Graham and Carson Kelling

2011-11-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

We did a quick trip down to San Clemente this weekend to meet Graham and Carson Kelling.

Hello I'm Graham

And I'm Carson

AREN'T THEY THE CUTEST!!! SO CUDDLY!

And proud Big Sis, Hula

Roman loved the donut selection, the freeways, the hotel and seeing Uncle Ry Ry and Aunt Laurie.

How did my baby Paisley get so big? Seriously she seemed like a giant.

The men watching football. Jason wearing his women's Adidas sweatshirt. (ha ha CK)

Cheers to the Kellings

Pit Stop on the way home for a milkshake. Roman couldn't have been happier.

We had such a wonderful time seeing Ryan and Lauren and meeting their adorable boys. To see some of your closest friends become parents is the very best. We are so happy for them and their beautiful new family. We are so excited to watch these boys grow up and can't wait for more adventures together.

We love you Kelling Family!

Guess who we get to meet this weekend?

2011-11-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Carson and Graham Kelling! Can't wait to meet these little loves. See you tomorrow!!!

Our Loss

2011-11-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

I debated writing about this, but realized it was theraputic and I wanted my family and friends who visit my blog to know what has been going on this past month. It is easy to write about the good, but I want my blog to reflect the true reality of our life. I also hope to be a support to anyone who may go through something like this in the future. I have a dear friend who was such a help to me when I struggled with multiple miscarriages and gave me so much information. Without this friend and her advice, I don't know if Roman or Paisley would be here right now. So my hope is that I can be that friend or inspiration for someone else. Maybe now or maybe in 20 years. I have realized that this is a big part of me and this blog is really about our life as the Maddox Family. The good, the bad and sometimes the sad.

Jason and I found out the week of Paisley's 1st birthday that we were pregnant again. To say we were surprised would be an understatement, more like shocked since we were not planning on having another baby quite yet. After the news sunk in and truthfully my anxiety began to wear off (a little), we became excited and told our parents and a few friends. I had my pregnancy hormones tested and everything looked great. My numbers were doubling and I started taking progesterone supplements and baby aspirin (as I did with both Roman and Paisley). We had a busy month that included Paisley's 1st Birthday, a trip to Cleveland, working and some Halloween parties. All the activities helped to keep my mind off worrying and keeping positive. When you suffer multiple miscarriages, you really don't celebrate a pregnancy until you hit the 12 week milestone so I am always very cautiously optimistic.

A few days ago I started feeling like my symptoms were not as strong. I wasn't really that tired anymore and just didn't feel very pregnant. This is what had happened with my previous miscarriages. I went to my doctor on Monday morning and he did an ultrasound. Sadly there were no heartbeats and with the calculations the babies should have been almost 8 weeks.

The reason I say babies was because it was TWINS! AND here is the big shocker...there was actually a 3rd sac, but no 3rd baby was ever formed (you can see 3 sacs in the picture). So my doctor told me it may have originally been triplets. I laughed (at the thought of having 5 children that would have been 3 and under), I cried and I felt a sense of relief that my worrying could be lifted.

This was my 6th pregnancy and 4th miscarriage. I am definitely an emotional rollercoaster (probably due to the hormones), but feeling very at peace with everything today. I prayed throughout this pregnancy for comfort from my worrying and that God would have a plan. I am such a true believer in God's plan and I knew that worrying wasn't going to help change anything.

On the positive note, we are reminded of how grateful we are for Roman and Paisley. My 3 other miscarriages were before Roman and I had such a fear and sadness that it would never work out. Part of the reason I wanted to write this was because I wanted to remind everyone that there is hope, even with multiple miscarriages. I have 2 healthy, amazing and wonderful children. They have brought such joy into my life and truly were miracles (as each baby really is). Roman came into my life when I so desperately wanted a baby. When I look at him, I always remind myself that I would do it all again just to have him. He was the baby that I was meant to have and there was a reason why we went through the journey to have him. And then came Paisley so quickly after. She was such an easy pregnancy and I realize how lucky we are to have her.

Miscarriages are very sad. They are actually quite common and can be very heartbreaking no matter when they occur. Multiple miscarriages (considered 3 or more) are not as common. There really isn't a lot known as to why certain woman have tougher times carrying babies. I went thru testing years ago and never found out the actual problem, but the doctor prescribed me extra hormones and aspirin as a precaution to help.

We feel comforted and know that our 3rd baby will come someday. We are not even going to think about it again until next summer. Some of our closest friends are getting married in June 2012 and I am excited that I will now be able to travel to their wedding. We feel so blessed with such wonderful friends, family and children and are reminded that even during the hard times, it is most important to count our blessings. Life is such a journey, but I couldn't be luckier than to have Jason go through it with me. When you marry someone you never imagine what the future holds. We have had our share of tough times together while dealing with health issues, family illness and our pregnancy losses. I can honestly say that all of these trials have brought us closer and fallen deeper in love. I would never be able to get through all of this without the love and support from Jason. I am so lucky.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned this before, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Halloween. The costumes, the candy, the decor and the festivities. So much fun! This was the 1st year that Roman picked out his own costume. He chose Woody from Toy Story. And I fell in love with this piggy costume for Paisley. Here are some pics from our night out for Halloween. Roman loved trick or treating and by the end of the night, him and Ellie were running to each house. I think we made it to about 20 houses and then decided to call it a night.

Woody and Hamm

Paisley "Piggy" Maddox

Piggy Love

Elephant and Piggy

Roman loved getting candy and sometimes would just keep standing at the door after he got candy. (I think he wanted more)

Piggy Love

Our favorite pitstop, The Honeys.

Roman and Ellie. She is the sweetest girl to my boy. I just love her.

These 2 make my heart melt

Daddy and Roman

Mommy and Paisley

Nana and her loves

We made it back home. Roman said, "This is Roman's House." He was excited to see Pop answering the door with candy.

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Jennifer & Chip's Wedding

2011-10-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

Jason and I just got back from Cleveland for one of my best friends weddings. We had such a fun weekend getaway and were so happy to celebrate Jennifer and Chip getting married. Here are some pics.

We took the red eye and I think I slept a total of 1 hour on the plane. Luckily our hotel let us checkin at 6am and we slept for a few hours. Then we headed out on the town. Jason loves to research new cities and sightsee. We headed to Lola for lunch, which was some chef's restaurant from Iron Chef.

Afterwards, we headed over to see Jennifer's new house in Cleveland Heights. It was a gorgeous brick house from the 1920's. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that our entire house (backyard included) might fit in her basement. She had 3 other stories. It was gorgeous. I loved all the woodwork and beautiful architecture. Her closets definitely made me jealous.

We then headed to the Rehearsal. I was so honored to be a part of Jennifer's ceremony.

Her rehearsal dinner was at a beautiful and delicious restaurant in downtown Cleveland.

Jamie, Jennifer and I all swam together as kids. These girls were part of my childhood and some of the best friends anyone could have ever asked for. It was so fun to be back together again. We ended the night around midnight at an Irish pub.

The next morning we were up bright and early to start getting ready. Jennifer, Julie and I spent the day at the Club that they were getting married. Here is a start to our hair. Thankfully it looked a little different when they were finished.

The beautiful bride and groom. They decided to see each other before their ceremony to be able to take some beautiful photos together.

Ready to go.

Live music and good wine. Jason couldn't have been happier!

Cheers Jennifer and Chip! We are so happy for the both of you. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness, friendship and love.

THANK YOU Grammy and Papa for taking care of our little ones. We are so appreciative.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Took our annual trip to the Clayton Pumpkin Patch this past weekend. We had so much fun and Roman loved the tunnels and the train. I absolutely LOVE HALLOWEEN and the Fall.

This boy couldn't be happier: in a tunnel with a snack. Two of his favorites.

CHOO CHOO!

Roman and Paisley's Halloween costumes should be arriving this week. I asked Roman what he wanted to be this year and he said, "WOODY." I asked him about a dozen times throughout the month and it never changed, so he will be our little sheriff. Paisley is going to be a sweet, cute, cuddly Piggie (we are telling Roman she is HAMM from Toy Story).

ONE

2011-10-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

Paisley,

This past week you turned ONE. We can't believe how fast this past year has flown by and can honestly say it has been the very best. You have brought so much love to our lives. Your sweet personality shines and you are always smiling. You have a twinkle in your eyes that just fills up our hearts. Your tongue is always out when you smile. Truly your signature look.

You always hear from parents about life being so much harder once a 2nd child arrives, but you proved them wrong. There is definitely much more work, twice the diapers and some days that are hard, but you truly make our lives easier and brighter. Other than your spit-up, you were an absolute angel baby. You are a great sleeper at night, love your naps, are happy almost all the time and so cheerful. Your chuckle is contagious and comes straight from the belly.

You are very active and get into everything. Your favorite thing is to climb onto anything and everything. Today I found you on top of our media cabinet. You must have scaled the speakers to get up there. You have very little fear and lots of energy, which has recently equaled a few falls and tumbles. You crawl at a very fast speed and rarely slow down to cuddle. At night it is a challenge to get you to take your bottle since all you want to do is keep moving. I can't wait to see what life is going to be like when you start walking. I may be in for a real challenge with both you and your brother.

You love food and will eat almost everything we give you. Really the only time you get upset is when you see food that you want. You may be a little tomboy (or it may just be because you have an older brother) but you love playing with cars, blocks and trains. You also like playing with your kitchen. You love being outdoors and at the park.

Roman absolutely adores you and I love seeing the 2 of you interact. Some of my favorite moments are catching the 2 of you playing when you don't think that I am watching. You try and keep up with him and are always wanting to do what he does. I am excited to see your friendship and relationship grow thru the years.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! You are our Sunshine!

The Birthday Girl

2011-10-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we got to celebrate our Sweet Birthday Girl. We got the most amazing weather for a beautiful party in my parents backyard. We decorated in pink and the best part of all were the Skippypets. We got 6 motorized animal vehicles "Skippypets" that were so FUN! They truly made the party. We had about 70 family and friends to honor Paisley turning ONE. I always feel like 1st Birthdays are a reason to really celebrate: both Paisley and everyone that has helped us survive and enjoy our 1st year.

I had a lot of fun decorating with the pink, Shabby chic style.

My Dad did an adorable little cake for Paisley. She loved it so much. I actually had to take it away from her since I thought she may eat the entire thing.

YUMMMMM! This girl loves chocolate. Paisley had such a fun day. However right before her party, I got some sunscreen in her eyes and she had an allergic reaction. Her eyes looked so teary all day, but she was actually really happy.

I found these Skippypets at the Walnut Creek Family Festival a few weeks ago. They were so much fun and Paisley loved riding on them. I encouraged each guest to take a ride and most people did. Everyone loved it.

Jason and Roman riding along.

Pop, Scott and Tyler

The next day we celebrated with our parents and opened up all of Paisley's gifts. It was nice and relaxing and a perfect way to end our celebration.

This lucky girl got some adorable clothes and fun toys.

One of her favorite toys (and Roman's too)

Paisley and Roman opening gifts. Paisley loved holding all the cards.

THANK YOU To everyone who helped us celebrate Paisley's 1st Birthday. We are so blessed with this sweet little love in our lives.

Prayers and Comfort for my Mom

2011-10-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

This week was a bit unexpected, as my Mom had a procedure done to put a port into her brain that will administer chemo to treat leukemia cells found in her spinal fluid. 4 years ago my Mom was diagnosed with CLL (a cancer of the white blood cells). My sister explains everything very clearly on her blog:
Prayers for Grandma

We ask for your prayers for comfort, peace and healing. My Mom is definitely one tough woman and even through all of this continues to push herself to keep busy. I think our main challenge will be finding a way to have her rest a little.

We are all hopeful that all of this will lead to a much better quality of life and to relieve some of her recent symptoms that have included blurry vision, severe back pain and nerve pain. Thank you for all your support, love and encouragement. We know that each and every prayer is so important and I thank God for the amazing medical technology that is available. Times like this make me so thankful for my amazing family and friends.

On another note...I wanted to mention that Bob (Jason's Dad) finished his chemo about a month ago and is doing great! We were all shocked when he was diagnosed with a very rare Stage 3 cancer, but after 4 months of tough treatment and isolation he is doing so great and focusing on getting back to his normal life. What a blessing and answered prayer. As I have mentioned, he went thru quite a tough treatment on his body, but always had hope and remained positive. Such a wonderful example of courage and grace. Thank you for all your prayers for him.

A Princess

2011-10-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today is Paisley's birthday, so I dressed her up in her pretty pink party dress. It was a rainy afternoon, so we did a little photoshoot. Roman kept repeating something about Paisley that I couldn't quite figure out. I finally realized he was saying, "Paisley is a princess." It was so sweet that I wanted to cry. I didn't even know that he knew what a princess was. I recently bought Paisley a book that includes Disney princesses about Fall. It has become one of Roman's favorite books, so I am guessing he thought her dress looked like the princess dresses from the book.

While I was pregnant with Paisley, I constantly worried how it would affect Roman. Now a year later, I can admit that it was the best gift we could have ever given him. He is in love with Paisley and they make quite a team. Here is a pic when I said, "Give each other a kiss". Paisley actually leaned in and went to give him a kiss. These are the moments that I cherish more than anything.

10 Day Countdown

2011-09-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Until you turn ONE!!! Can't wait to celebrate.

Two and a Half

2011-09-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

Roman

This past month you turned 2 1/2. I feel bad that I don't write monthly updates for you anymore, but I figured every 6 months will really allow me to reflect on all that has changed. You have been such a good boy and truly melt my heart each day. You are funny, a true character, sensitive, loving, sweet, mischevious and so full of love. Your personality is one in a million. You make us so proud and each morning when I see you I just smile. You make me feel so full of love.

Luckily the temper tantrum phase of toddlerhood seemed to quickly pass and we survived. We are still working on patience and whining, but for the most part you can now communicate so much better about what you want and what you need. You are talking so much and it makes us laugh to hear what you say each day. Sometimes we still have a hard time figuring it all out, but it may be due to your slight Boston accent (it is so cute). One of our favorite times of the day is sitting in our bed with you at the end of the night. You tell us funny things and it is time to just act silly.

Here are some hightlights at 2 1/2:

-You are our little engineer. Definitely got that gene from your Grandpa's. You love to figure out how things work. You love to turn electronics on/off, follow the GPS system, push the button to have the garage door up and and down. Your favorite place to drive is through the Caldecott tunnel. When we drive through the tunnel, you talk about it for days and can't wait to go back. You also like to watch traffic lights and say, "Green Light, Red Light".

-You love the moon. Each night you go outside with your Dad to find it. You get very excited when it is visable during the day.

-Your favorite TV program is still Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You watch 1 episode before your nap and when it is over you say, "Night Night Mommy" and walk to your crib for your nap. You will watch other shows, but Mickey is still your favorite.

-You love reading books at the end of the night. Your current favorites are: My Very Own Name Book, Farm Dog Marley, and The Very Hungry Catepillar. It amazes me that you have most of them memorized.

-You are fascinated with number and letters. You know all capital letters in the alphabet and most lowercase. This is something you taught yourself and it really shocked me when you started telling me letters. Your favorite is the letter X. You like to have us draw certain letters for you on pieces of paper.

-You have a slight phobia of bugs (hmmmmm...wonder where that one came from). We are trying to work on this and even came up with a song called, "Bugs are our friends"

-You still love water and could play for hours with the water table, in your bath, spraying the hose or swimming in a pool. We are all going to miss the warm summer weather.

-You are social, but it can take a little while for you to warm up. Once you are comfortable in a situation, you make everyone laugh with your funny sense of humor and personality.

-You like talking to people out in public. The other day at Walgreens you yelled, "Watch Out" to 2 ladies in the aisle. You also like to say, "Good Morning" throughout the day to strangers.

-You love your routine. You can be very particular if anyone tries and changes it.

-Favorite foods: Donuts, cake, turkey, yogurt, fruit, fruit snacks, M&M's

-You love your teacher Miss Helen. After 5 days of preschool, you finally went to Miss Helen with no tears. She swears to me that after 1 minute of tears, you are back to your happy self. I am so glad that you are doing preschool. I know you are going to love it!

-Full of energy. It amazes me how much energy you can have. You rarely are tired and can now go without a nap (but 2 days with no nap equals absolute terror). At the end of the night you get a rush of energy and are typically running around in circles, dancing around the living room or jumping in the bed.

-You love your sister, but are starting to get a little annoyed with her when she steals your toys. We are working on this one. For the most part, you are such a love with her and are very gentle with her. I am proud of the wonderful Big Brother you are to her.

-You are silly and a total entertainer. You like to sing and dance, especially right before bedtime. Your favorite songs to sing are Twinkle Twinkle, Happy Birthday and ABC's. You always clap after the song is over and are so proud of yourself.

-Love exploring outside. Whether it is picking flowers or digging in the dirt, you love being in nature. You also love animals. Sometimes you can get annoyed with Marley, but deep down you care for her deeply. You always say Bye Bye Mar Mar when we leave the house.

-All our practice with teaching you manners is starting to pay off. You get a little confused with the difference of Please and Thank You, but are getting better and better about using them. The cutest thing is when you burp, you say "CUSE ME"! I love it! I think it is so important to instill good manners in your children and even though it sometimes makes me feel like a broken record, the repetitiveness is finally paying off. Nothing is cuter than a little boy with good manners.

-You like to look at pictures and movies of yourself on the computer.

-You love your grandparents very much. You get so excited when they come over and visit.

-You look up to your cousins, Scott and Tyler very much. Whenever I want you to do something that you don't want to, I tell you that Scott and Tyler do it and it works about 90% of the time. You are so lucky to have such cool cousins that will hopefully teach you a lot along the way.

-You love your blankies and lovies. I think you may sleep with 8. Our favorite time of the day is bedtime. You like to sit in our bed, talk to us, wrestle your Daddy and read books.

-You have become a much better listener. You are starting to understand boundaries and where you can and cannot go.

Some things that we are working on:
Teethbrushing, not screaming in public, pottytraining (little by little), sitting at the table for dinner (you currently like to get up and down 20 times) and sharing with your sister.

Roman...we love you so much and you make us so happy and proud. We couldn't have asked for a more amazing, wonderful, loving and fun little boy to make our lives so filled with joy. THANK you for bringing so much happiness to our lives and keeping us busy.

11 Months

2011-09-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we have less than 1 month to go before we celebrate your 1st Birthday! You have been the greatest blessing in our lives and truly bring so much to our little family. This past month your personality has really been coming out and you make us laugh and smile with your sweet and funny self. You are into everything and love to perch on anything that is dangerous. I always have to keep an eye out for you because before I know it you are usually teetering on our fireplace about an inch from falling off. You are daring and getting better with your stranger danger (thank goodness).

You love to bounce on this trampoline. You have even starting doing some bopping and bouncing when music comes on. We hope you love music as much as the rest of us.

Your 2nd favorite place to hang out (other than your perch on the fireplace) is in the fridge. You like to take out everything in the bottom shelf and try and eat it. Sometimes when I am cooking breakfast, I just open the fridge and let you at it.

Still love your baths and anything to do with water. We recently added Bubbles and you love dunking your face in the bubbles.

Other than people and the parachute tunnel, you don't seem to be scared of much. You loved going on a ride with Daddy at the festival. I have a feeling you are going to be more daring than your brother and always trying to do whatever he is.

We are sad that the summer is coming to an end, but will be sure to find a way to get you back in some sort of water.

Some highlights...
-Eating SO much! Sometimes we really think you eat more than us.
-Love giving me something and than me giving it back. "For Paisley, For Mama"
-4 teeth on top, 2 on bottom
-Starting to babble much more. Little by little we are starting to hear some sounds, but you are still pretty quiet.
-Starting to like opening and shutting things and rummaging through anything you can get your hands on.
-Love riding in the front of the grocery cart, now Roman is in the middle
-Moved to a big girl carseat. Much happier riding in the car now.
-Taking 2 naps: 1 hour in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. Such a good sleeper at night. We just put you in your bed and you fall asleep.

Paisley...you are such a happy girl. Your so easy going and fun to be around. I love your big smile and look forward to our weekly alone time together when Roman goes to Preschool. I can't wait for your 1st Birthday party, so we can celebrate the truly amazing little girl that you have become. We love you!

Preschool Begins

2011-09-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

My little man started Preschool last week. Roman is going to Walnut Avenue Community Christian Preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 - 11:45. I fell in love with this school for its simplicity, the peaceful surroundings, the loving teachers and that it based on the philosophy of "instilling in each child a love of self and a love of others". What more could I ask for?

The night before school, we packed Romans backpack and he wanted to wear it around the house for hours. He kept checking it to make sure everything was still inside. He is very particular. We talked a lot about school, about his teacher and about how special he was to be able to start going to school. Part of me really struggled with starting him in school at 2 1/2, but I knew it was going to be great for the both of us.

School starts at 9am, which can be a little early for me, but we made sure we had enough time to eat a good breakfast and get ready. We made it to school and found his teacher, Miss Helen. Roman was a little concerned with where his backpack would go and then came the tears when it was time for me to go. I noticed a few other boys crying and gave Miss Helen the look that I was on my way. She scooped him up and just held him. By the time I got back to my car with Paisley, I was ready to shed a few tears until I looked down at my phone and saw that Lauren was having her baby. It gave me a good emotional distraction.

When I picked up Roman he had a big smile on his face and told me "School was FUN!". He than began to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for me. I asked if he met any friends and he said, "Miss Helen". He speaks a lot about Miss Helen and I know she is the perfect teacher for his 1st year at school.

I know that preschool is going to be so great for Roman and I feel so lucky to have found this school for him. It is so nurturing and reminds me of somewhere I would have gone 30 years ago. Roman is such a special boy with a sweet soul. I look forward to some wonderful years ahead at Walnut Avenue Preschool.

Surprise Visit

2011-08-26T15:33:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I snuck away for 48 hours to surprise my BFF/College Roomie, Lauren, in the OC. She is currently pregnant with identical twin boys and had to be hospitalized and put on bedrest for the last few weeks. We had a fun weekend in the hospital just talking, laughing, eating Hot Tamales (her favorite) and even watched So I Married An Ax Murderer. She was SO surprised and I was proud Ryan and I were able to keep this visit Top Secret. She is like my 2nd sister and being away from her during this time makes me so sad. I wish I could visit her daily, but the weekend will have to do for now. Only a few more weeks before her little guys are here. LOVE YOU LAUREN!!!

I made a paper chain countdown (23 days to go from when I was there). Ryan did the honors of ripping the 1st piece.

Hello

2011-08-26T08:25:00.001-07:00

Just some cute pics of Roman from last night...

Happy Boy playing in the water.

His new favorite thing to do is scream at the top of his lungs in a very high pitched squeal. He especially likes doing this at busy restaurants. People will laugh the first few times and then it starts getting really embarassing. I try and threaten him with taking away his food, but we all know what that would equal. LOUDER SCREAMS

Enjoying the water. Gotta love summer.

10 Months

2011-08-26T07:10:00.001-07:00

10 Months and you are on the GO. And on the GO means independence, happiness and getting into everything. You have gotten so fast in just a few weeks and can now explore and move from room to room. A few times I have to search to find you since you can be so quiet.

In addition to crawling, you are now standing while holding on to things. This is the one place in our house that I need to keep an eye on you at, the fireplace. You love crawling and climbing up onto the ledge and then play with all the magnets.

You are so proud to be crawling everywhere.

With movement comes mess. Between you and your brother there is usually a mess somewhere in the house. The other day you and Roman got into the rice krispies. This is how I found you.

We call you our little Ham! Look at those adorable Ham legs. I hope you aren't offended when you are older. Don't worry, we will stop that nickname when you turn 1.

You continue to love water and have recently discovered the water table. You love standing here and splashing in the water. You like watching Roman play in it and laugh when Marley drinks water out of it.

Some other highlights...
-You are very quiet. Not a lot of babbling, but you have recently said MaMa. However, your cry can be so loud and sound so sad.
-Prefer food over your bottle. You love to eat. Some of your favorites are chicken nuggets, waffles, blueberries, bananas, turkey. I really haven't found much that you don't eat. We are staying away from dairy until you turn 1 and then we can do some allergy testing.
-Major Stranger Danger. You are very dramatic and let it be known that you do not like anyone to hold you other than a few select people. You put on a very sad, pouting face and then scream. This is always such a hard phase, but one that also quickly passes.
-Starting to pull the bows off your head. OH NO!!! Not the end of your bows.
-Your hair is beginning to grow. Still pretty short, but you now have some wispy strands.
-Teeth: 2 top, 2 bottom
-Your tongue is always out. It is so cute.
-Your eyes are getting darker and I think starting to turn green
-Love getting into Marley & Serena's water bowl
-1st plane trip to Maui. You did great! No crying, just lots of movement
-Good sleeper, but still wake up at night once or twice when you lose your binky

10 Month Checkup Stats:
Weight: 21 lbs., 6 oz
Height: 30 inches

Paisley...you are so sweet! You go with the flow and are pretty mellow. You are brave, active, sweet and very loving. Sometimes you just want to snuggle, while other times you are on the go. We love seeing your personality shine. You are becoming much more independent and starting to play with toys. You adore your brother and Marley and just want to be doing whatever they are. We love you P!

Aloha

2011-08-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Maui and are going thru a little island withdrawal. We had such a great trip and are already trying to figure out the next time we can head back. Roman and Paisley couldn't be happier than spending the week at the pool and beach.

Here are some pics from the trip.

Both kids did really good on the flights. Roman couldn't be happier than eating lots of snacks and watching his favorite "Mick". Paisley was a little challenging since she wanted to be on the move, but other than giving me a good arm workout she was great.

We stayed at the Outrigger Aina Nalu in Lahaina. We stayed here since this is where the wedding party was staying. It turned out to be perfect. It was a smaller hotel with 2 pools and walking distance to Lahaina. We had 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and living room. We felt like it was a hidden gem and perfect with the kids and very affordable. We can't wait to go back.

Nothing makes Roman more happy than being in a pool.

Lil P loves swimming too. People kept asking us all weekend, "how did you get your kids to love the water so much?" as Paisley would try and submerge her entire face in the water. All I can say is that it is simply in their blood. Our kids have just been obsessed with water since Day 1.

Our favorite lunch spot, Cheeseburger's In Paradise. We got an amazing view of the ocean.

When in Hawaii, you have to splurge on the extra large smoothie filled in a cheesy pineapple cup. Roman thought it was the greatest thing ever. AND don't ask me about the Double Monkey Trouble. Jason had 2!

The boys at the beach. We went to watch the sunset at the local Lahaina beach.

Paisley aka "The Sand Monster" was busy all week shoveling sand into her mouth and enjoying eating it. We were at the beach and I was busy getting something out of my bag. A man comes over to me and says, "Excuse me...but do you know that your baby is eating lots of sand?" No I didn't, but THANKS!

YUMMMM! SAND.

Next day we spent the day in Kaanapali and rented a cabana on the beach. A must if you and your children are not natural tanners. It was fun to have a whole day at the beach and be in the ocean.

Jason loved being in the ocean with the kids.

Lounging with her Formula One cocktail.

My Little Hawaiian doll. This girl was SOOOO easy to travel with. She makes life so simple.

The Snowcones in Lahaina are unlike any I have ever had. We went twice. Paisley and Roman LOVED it.

Had lunch and explored The Hyatt (one of our favorite places to stay in Maui)

That night was the Rehearsal Dinner and we got a babysitter. If you are ever going to Maui and need a babysitting service, I HIGHLY recommend our sitter thru Happy Maui Kids (Sarah Westbrook). She was so good with both kids and most importantly they were happy with her. I was tentative about leaving them, but she eased all my fears within 5 minutes of meeting her. Before the rehearsal, we went downtown for an hour to get a cocktail.

Jason and The Heckmans (Jon was the Groom). The Heckman and Maddox families grew up one street away from each other. Jon and Jason grew up like brothers as both being only children. We were so happy to be in Hawaii celebrating him getting married.

The next night was the wedding. It was at a private house in Makena (right next to Wailea).

The venue was unbelievable. Best word to describe this place was magical.

Everyone was asked to wear white or beige. The tables and decor was all white too. Everything looked so peaceful and elegant.

Doesn't get much better than that for dinner.

Jon and Jackie's vows were heartfelt, emotional and funny.

This couple is such a example of sacrifice, patience and true love. Both of them have careers that have taken them away from each other for long periods of time, however they just made it work. Jackie just finished her residency and is an OB/GYN, while Jon does special effects for movies. We are so proud of all their accomplishments and for following their dreams.

The beautiful couple

The Men

The Ladies

The next day we visited the Rohrlicks, who were in Wailea. So fun to hang out for the day at the beach and the pool. Paisley and Lucy are about 6 months apart. I know they are going to be close friends.

Just love this family!

Look who passed out at the pool

Roman adores Maddie. It was fun for him to get some time to hang out with a friend.

Our last day at the pool.

Future Surfer Girl?

Our plane ended up getting delayed, so we headed to the Aquarium. Highly recommend. Best shark tunnel ever! Look at Paisley. She is unsure about being so close to the shark.

I knew Roman would like all the fish, but Paisley loved it too. She couldn't stop staring at all the big fish.

Until next time Hawaii. We will miss you!!!

Summer Pics

2011-07-28T15:53:00.001-07:00

Just a few recent summer pics...

Cousins, Kira and Paisley. I feel bummed that we haven't been able to spend much time with Heidi and her family this summer, but she has been really busy with coaching every weekend and afternoon. I am excited for swim season to be over to be able to get to see her and her kids more.

Sean and Paisley at the park. They both have the most beautiful big eyes

Swings. Roman loves repeating, "HIGHER, HIGHER, HIGHER."

My smiley boy. I don't know if I dare say it, but I believe the "Terrible Twos" may be coming to an end. Yes, he still has his moments (especially when he sees cake), but the temper tantrums have gotten less and he is really listening so much better. Still a rascal, but has been so much fun.

Bathing beauty.

Both of them LOVE water. I think Paisley is getting sprayed in the face here, but she actually does it to herself. I have to watch her like a hawk in the water since she loves submerging her entire face into the water.

We love Discovery Kingdom and got a season pass. Here are some pics from our last visit.

Roman LOVED the shark tunnel. He would wave, "Hi Fishy". Check out the paparazzi.

Hi GiGi! He loves the animals.

Very serious on the rides. Roman is very similar to me. Very cautious.

Riding the train

2 years, 4 months...

2011-07-28T15:47:00.001-07:00

I made it that long before having to ever visit Urgent Care on the weekends with either kid. On Sunday, Paisley had broken out in a rash after earlier in the week suffering from a really high fever. Diagnosis was Roseola, which is a viral infection that just needs to run its course. Thankfully she is completely better and back to her normal healthy self. I am so happy that this happened before we were in Hawaii.

Slithering Along

2011-07-19T21:26:00.001-07:00

Not sure I would quite classify this as crawling, but definitely slithering. This past week Paisley has begun to be on the move. I am giving it another 2 weeks or so before she is all over the place.

Pee Wee League

2011-07-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Roman has a ways to go before starting any organized baseball. We got out his t-ball set this weekend and he took a few swings. I couldn't stop laughing since he was holding the bat upside down. Jason was trying to "coach him" to hold the bat the right way, but Roman had a good time hitting the ball, knocking over the "t" and grazing the grass.

His 1st hit

Pure Comedy

Taking down the "T"

Dirt

2011-07-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Before

After
*Notice the little rascal glimmer in his eye. He is such a character these days and constantly keeping me laughing.

Not a lot is needed to entertain this boy. He is happiest when playing with a shovel and flinging dirt in the air. Most of it lands directly on top of him. I was feeding Paisley and look out the window to find Roman landscaping. This required a shower afterwards, which made him even more excited since water his 1st love. What a BOY!

4th of July

2011-07-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

We had a fun and wonderful 4th of July celebration. Our neighborhood has a little parade that begins next to our house. We host a little pre-parade party and then walk to the Bucklews for an after parade party. I love the 4th since it revolves around the kids, good food and fun friends.

The cars were decorated and ready to go

Roman tried helping.

Paisley and Tate's 1st 4th of July celebration

Jay and Paisley

Maddox Fam

Woodlands Friends. We are so lucky to have some wonderful friends in our neighborhood

Roman and Nolan playing together

Pop and Paisley

Our neighbors, The Honeys. Little Miss Honey will be here for the parade next year. Paisley can't wait to meet her friend.

Danielle and Adie

Hill visiting from NYC

Beautiful, sweet Ayla

Brendan ready to go

Paisley has her beverage and can't wait for the parade to begin

Hi Lucy!!!

Maddie biked during the parade

Roman in his car

Thank you Nana and Pop for always helping out with getting everything together

Ellie enjoying one of the best snacks at the after party

YUMMM!

Hunter Rae is so cute

Happy 4th of July!

9 Months

2011-07-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

Happy 9 Months Paisley. I can't believe in 1 more month, I am going to begin thinking about planning your 1st birthday. This time just flies by. This month was by far your biggest month of change. You are becoming so much more independent and ready to be on the go.

You LOVE the pool. If I am even near water, you start kicking and leaning towards it. Must run in the blood. Nothing makes you happier than being in the water and bouncing around.

You go from sitting to being on your tummy. You are really trying to crawl and have been able to slither along. You don't really like to sit still and I know it will be only another week or so before you are off crawling everywhere. Not sure if I am quite ready for that, but I'm sure you are.

Your favorite pastime is chewing on Crocs. Really gross, but nothing makes you happier.

1st trip to the Zoo to meet all the animals.

Along with your love for water, you love your bath. You and Roman take one together and you are all over the place. I always have a hand close by since you love to dunk your face in the water. You are very determined to get to each toy and have tried crawling in the tub.

You have fun with your brother. He makes you laugh, makes you smile and sometimes makes you upset when he steals a toy that you are playing with. I love watching the both of you.

More highlights this month...
-Eating a little table food: bananas, french fries, puffs, cereal
-Giving kisses. Each morning I take you out of bed and ask for a kiss. The other morning you actually leaned in and gave me one. Now you like to give them all day.
-Night Owl: bad mommy has been getting you to bed late now that it is summertime, but you sleep in so it isn't too bad
-Fiesty: You let your emotions be known if we take something away from you
-Love the remote: Do we have another techie on our hands?
-Very little spit-up. This is the 1st month that I can safely leave the house without a burp cloth. This is a huge relief. I also took you off your reflux meds and you seem to be fine. YEAH!!!
-Rolling around your crib. Now that you can move around, you have a harder time going to sleep. I never know what direction or position you are going to be in when I come in the room.

Paisley...you are such a beautiful little girl with such a sweet spirit. We love you so much! Thank you for bringing us such joy, having so much patience and giving us so much love.

Caught Him...

2011-07-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

Smiling for a picture. We were actually picking up plums and I would hand them to him and say... "EWWWWWWWW ROTTEN." It got him laughing, so I ran and got my camera. Love his cute little teeth.

This is his more signature "serious" pose.

Cheesecake Factory Adventure

2011-07-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

A trip to a nice restaurant would be considered an adventure, not just dinner. Jay got home from work and was ready to start the weekend. He really wanted to go out for dinner and was stuck on The Cheesecake Factory. I knew the wait would be long, but it was a beautiful night, so we decided to go.

While waiting for our table, I decided to run over to the new Forever 21 with Paisley to check it out. Roman and Jay stayed behind to wait for the table. As I walked back to find them, I see Roman is standing in the water fountain soaking wet. It was a warm night, but he definitely could no longer go to The Cheesecake Factory soaked. I asked Jay what happened and he admitted that he didn't want to experience a temper tantrum (ROOKIE mistake).

We then headed to Children's Place for a wardrobe change. Luckily they had a massive sale. Here is Roman's new outfit for dinner.

As we entered The Cheesecake Factory to sit down, we happened to pass the cheesecake or "Birthday Cake" as Roman began to say over and over and over. He had a minor meltdown when I told him he had to wait til after dinner for "Birthday Cake". We finally made it to our table and thank goodness for this little angel.

Dinner was great and we both got to enjoy a cocktail. The evening ended with Roman getting his Birthday Cake. Seriously he thought he could eat this whole thing by himself. I ate 2 bites and it was so rich, but he was so happy.

Oh life with a 2 year old...never a dull moment. Thank goodness he is adorable and hilarious. Keeps us laughing.

Kelling Babies Shower

2011-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Our dearest friends, Ryan and Lauren are having twins this Fall and we couldn't be more excited for their family. From the moment they told us, we have been so thrilled for them. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the news that someone is pregnant since I know what an amazing journey they are in for. These 2 are going to be such wonderful, loving and fun parents.

Ryan and Lauren were here a few weeks ago for a couples Baby Shower. We had such a relaxing, fun weekend hanging out and celebrating the upcoming arrival of these precious and amazing little boys.

Future Aunt Jamie

Ryan doing a dramatic Spanish reading

Cutest twin shirt, "Former Wombmates"

Amy and Lauren

The Ladies

The Men

Lil P loved being there to celebrate

Can't wait to meet Lil C and Lil G in a few months. Uncle Ry Ry and Aunt Laurie have spoiled our kids so much and we can't wait to do the same with their little boys.

Swimming

2011-06-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

We are loving being at the pool this summer. Roman has surprised me and has been a good listener at the pool. He LOVES swimming and the hardest part is getting him to leave. I am really trying to work on getting him safe in the water. Right now we are working on kicking, blowing bubbles and dunking.

Our bathing beauty loves the pool too.

Puffs are a Mom's Best Friend

2011-06-27T23:04:00.001-07:00

Paisley just started eating Puff's and any parent can agree...they are the best. They help keep babies happy in their highchairs, give them something to pick up and they can eat 1000 and still not feel full. As you can see, Paisley is a big fan of her Puffs.

Step 1:
Pour entire contents out of the bowl

Step 2:
Stuff face

Prayers for Papa

2011-06-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

As I know many friends and family follow our blog, so I ask for prayers of healing for Bob (AKA Papa). This past month he was diagnosed with cancer and began chemotherapy today. He will be doing chemo for about 3 months and the prognosis looks great for recovery. We are always reminded of how precious life really is and are thoughts, love and good wishes are with him and Betty. Of course, Bob has remained so positive throughout this journey and is a beautiful example to myself and our children of handling all of this with such grace.

A funny story...the other day Roman, Paisley and I picked up Bob from Kaiser after a biopsy. I brought him back to our house to relax and wait for Betty to get off work to pick him up. Before I know it, I look out the window and see him going down the slide after Roman. I felt horrible that Roman was making him run around after him, but I knew it was making both of them happy. This boy loves his Papa so much and they have such a special bond that nothing was going to stop them from playing, not even morphine.

Bob....we love you and wish you a quick recovery!

Summer Is Finally Here

2011-06-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

After a very rainy, windy, cold Spring it seems like today might be the start of the warm weather. Next week looks to be mid 70s and 80s. This is very good news for Roman since he is obsessed with water. AND Good Weather mean MORE water to play in. This boy has been obsessed with water since he was a baby. Water faucets, drinking fountains, baths, sinks, toilets, hoses, pools, sprinklers and his water table provide him hours of endless entertainment. We went to Target today and I was thinking of getting him a new toy, but he really isn't that into toys. So when I found this blow-up pool, I knew that this would be the ultimate toy for him.

Paisley loved it too.

The only problem with the water obsession is that it usually ends in a temper tantrum. Yesterday we were at the pool for the first time all season and Roman had a blast swimming with Jay. After a long time of swimming followed by a 10 minute shower, I had to persuade him to get dressed since it was getting cold. (I bribed him with a fruit roll-up) Once he was all changed and eating dinner, he decided he wanted MORE POOL! It was funny at first until it turned into him trying to get into the pool with all his clothes on. We realized the only way to resolve this situation was to leave the pool. Then today it was lunch/naptime and Roman had been in the blowup pool for over an hour. I warned him that we were going to need to go inside soon and the tantrum began to brew. After about 10 minutes, I finally got him out of the pool. 2 years old + being very strong willed is equaling in some very dramatic tantrum episodes. However I remind myself not to be too hard on him since he is 2 and trying to process so much. For the most part, he is so sweet, loving and hilarious. He keeps us laughing all day with his funny personality.

Cheers to a Happy Summer!

Paisley 8 Months

2011-06-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

I love these months! They are my some of my favorites (probably also the easiest) since Paisley can now sit, but is still not mobile. Makes life easy for a few more months. What can I say about Paze, other than she is my angel. Other than a few days of fussiness due to getting a tooth she is a dream. My heart just melts when she smiles.

Paisley loves playing with her toys. I have a pink box of toys for just her. I can now sit her in front of them and get at least 20 minutes to make dinner. It is nice that she is getting a little more independent. Every now and again, I hear a scream and run over to find her toppled over. Her favorite toys are things that make noise and anything that she can chew on. She is also showing some attachment to the iPhone. I hope we don't have another techie on our hands.

Loves the swings, especially when she gets to swing next to her brother.

Rolling everywhere. She can now tolerate being on her stomach and is so cute. She goes pretty fast once she starts rolling. One night I left the room for a minute and she was almost stuck under the couch from all her rolling. I'm not ready for crawling to begin, but think we have at least 2 more months before that happens.

Legwarmers...is there anything cuter on these chubby legs?

1st TOOTH! Bottom Right popped thru. It bugged her for a few days and she didn't want to drink her bottles, but it wasn't too bad. Hoping the others come in just as easy. AND...done with breastfeeding. She is now 100% on formula and I think it is part of the reason for her constant happiness. She broke out in another round of hives and I realized that it was time to stop. Both her and I have never been happier. I am back to drinking, eating and basically binging on dairy. I missed it so much and am much happier now. I am expecting to gain 10 pounds back pretty soon from all the food I am now eating.

Paisley...we love you more than anything. You make us smile all day long. You melt our hearts with those big, beautiful eyes. You are beginning to show more and more of your personality and we are seeing small glimmers of "rascalness" as we would call it. You don't like when we leave the room and are just starting to have a little Mommy Separation. You love your Marley dog and don't seem to mind the thousands of daily kisses (yet). You like to eat fast and are very aggressive if we take too long feeding you. Your rolls are so cuddly. Daddy likes to tickle you just to hear your adorable chuckle. You are becoming more and more independent, but we still cherish the time to hold you. You are a sweetheart and just make us so happy each and every day.

Tracy's Bachelorette Party

2011-05-30T21:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated one of my dearest friends, Tracy. We met in the 6th grade and she has been such a special friend through the last almost 20 years. Tracy is getting married this summer and I was so excited to celebrate her. She has truly met her soulmate and I couldn't be happier for her. Friday night was her shower and Saturday and Sunday we headed to Sonoma for her bachelorette party.

Tracy looked so beautiful in her white outfit.

Hopmonk for dinner

The ladies got masks assigned to wear.

Fun at dinner and then off to dancing. Not a party with Tracy without some dance parties.

The Beautiful Moore Sisters

Sunday we went wine tasting. We started at Gloria Ferrer. Great champagne!

Then headed to Cline. This winery has a gorgeous outdoor area and perfect place to picnic. We got a private tasting room that was gorgeous and so authentic.

Tasting room

The greeter at Cline.

Getting down with Horace.

The view from our place. We were in the hills of Sonoma and this house was unbelievable. Can't wait to go back.

The pool

Some of my closest friends from high school. (A few of them were missing) These girls have been such an important part of my life and whenever we are reunited it is always so much fun.

The Cousins

2011-05-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

Got some cute pics of Kira and Paisley the other night. Love that these 2 little girls will have each other. I have a feeling they are going to make a great pair.

Family Week

2011-05-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

Since Jay had the week off, we got to spend lots of quality time together with the kids. We had the perfect week of relaxing, outings and fun adventures. Here are some pics from the week.

Monday: I had to work, so Jay got to spend some quality time playing with the little rascals.

Tuesday: We headed to Sausalito to The Children's Discovery Mueseum.

Beautiful views of the Golden Gate bridge and VERY windy. Bring a coat.

Such a cool place for kids. Roman loved the room with all the water.

Both kids loved this room with the "waterbeds"

My Little Engineer at work. This boy loves figuring out how things work. Definitely got this gene from The Grandpa's.

Paisley...always full of smiles.

So much to do...even hula hoops. Highly recommend this place for kids 2-5. Beautiful, unique, fun, affordable and different. Loved it!

Wednesday: Visited Betty at school. She is retiring in a few weeks, so we had to visit her classroom one last time. She is such a loved, wonderful teacher and we had a good time seeing her in action.

Her cute 2nd grade class

Some of the girls loved meeting Miss Paisley

Thursday: We both had to work.

Friday: We went to Discovery Kingdom (AKA Marine World)

Love this place. It has so much to do with a 2 year old.

Roman really loved seeing all the animals this time around. He loved the elephants, giraffee's and tigers.

Hi GiGi!

AND then on to...Rides, Rides and More Rides (As Roman would say). Luckily we only had 1 temper tantrum and it was because the playground wasn't open. How do you explain to a 2 year old that they can't play on a playground because it is closed. We quickly realized the best plan of action was to vacate the area as soon as possible and get some food.

He rode this 6 times in a row (no joke). Thank God for no line.

The helicopters were very cool, but I barely fit.

Lil P hanging with her Daddy.

Being Silly

Water + Roman = Pure Bliss
Of course he wanted to stay here forever, but he started looking really cold after 45 minutes. The only way I could get him to leave was bride him with "a treat". Thankfully my bribery worked and we were able to get him changed into some warm clothes.

Treat = Ice Cream
Happy Boy!

We were at the park from 11AM - 4PM. Roman could have kept going, but we were ready to head home. He then proceeded to refuse to sit in his stroller and walk the whole way back to the car (about a mile walk). This boy has SO much energy, but finally passed out on the way home.

We loved our week together and are so lucky to live in the Bay Area with so many fun adventures. Can't wait for more.

Jay's New Job

2011-05-17T21:51:00.001-07:00

After 9 years of selling Term Life Insurance for SelectQuote, Jason decided he was ready for a career change. He told himself (and me) that his goal would be, by 2012 he would no longer be selling insurance.

He has a strong passion for technology, social networking and web development and knew that he wanted to find a sales job in tech. After interviews with a few companies, he spoke with one of our friends that currently works for Oracle and was able to get an interview. Jason crammed for a week studying everything he needed to know about Oracle and even had some one on one tutoring sessions with my Dad. He ended up getting the job and started this past Monday. He will be doing Inside Sales in their Hardware Department in the Banking/Financial Services sector. We all smiled when we found out what territory he was assigned since my Dad worked in Database Management for Bank of America for 20 years. Luckily he now has a mentor that can teach him all the details about the Banking World. After commuting for a decade on Bart, Jay is now driving to the South Bay. I was a little worried about the commute, but it has turned out to not be too bad.

I am so happy for him and know that he is going to do amazing. He is so excited to be working for a company that has so much growth potential, is challenging and will really push him to learn and be the best he can be. I know he is up for the challenge and I can't wait to see him grow and succeed. Congrats Jay! You always work so hard for our family and I know this is your opportunity to shine. AND Thank You Adam Scott! We are so thankful for your recommendation.

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Mother's Day weekend. Saturday we drove to Sacramento to visit with Jay's family. We went to a nice dinner in Roseville and both kids were on great behavior. Very impressive...considering Roman had been to a Bday party earlier that day and then had no nap.

On Mother's Day, we went to breakfast and then spent the afternoon at the park. In the evening, we went to my parents and had a nice, relaxing time playing in the backyard and just hanging out. My perfect kind of day.

Sadly, Roman is not into taking pictures anymore. I think it comes with turning 2. However, every now and again I get a good one with him. I have yet to get a good photo of our family of 4. Love this little boy. He cracks me up every day with his funny personality. He is talking so much now and I'm convinced he may have a British accent. He makes me so proud.

Bob and Paisley. It has been fun to watch Bob have lots of special time with Paisley since he has been taking care of her since she turned 8 weeks old. He has mastered caring for 2 little ones so well.

Paisley and her Daddy.

Roman and "KiKi" as he calls her. He kept giving her hugs, until he accidentally took her down.

What can I say...other than the obvious. I love being a Mom. It is the greatest gift. I get so much joy from my little loves and have never been happier in life. I feel privledged to get to spend every day with my kids and am constantly reminded to enjoy the simple things in life.

I am so blessed with my mom and mother-in-law. I consider both of them to be wonderful friends that constantly provide both Jason and I with such support, love and guidance. My children are so lucky to have such amazing grandma's that are fun and active that don't mind getting silly with them. It is days like Mother's Day when I'm reminded that all is good in life.

Paisley 7 Months

2011-05-03T21:57:00.001-07:00

Why are these months flying by so fast? Lots of fun things to report this past month as our Lil P continues to light up our lives with such joy and happiness.

I don't want to jinx ourselves, but this little girl is such a complete LOVE and has become a really easy, chill baby. Paisley is easy going, funny, sweet, smiley and always pretty content. She truly wakes up with a smile and goes to sleep happy. The only time she is fussy is when she spits up or is tired. She naps on the go, sleeps through the night, loves her carseat and adores her brother. What more could I ask for?

Recently Paisley has been chewing on everything. She loves her Giraffe and constantly has something in her mouth. She has yet to have any teeth pop thru, but I think it may be any day now. The last few weeks she has been struggling with drinking bottles, so I am guessing it may be from her teeth.

She finally rolled! Both Roman and Paisley didn't roll til they were over 6 months. I blame their big heads that weighted them down, and as I learned with Roman they eventually hit their milestones.

AND also sitting! I still need to keep a hand close to her, but she has made so much progress this past month.

She even took her 1st spin in the car.

Celebrated Easter in her frilly, girly dress.

Roman and Paisley have quite the connection. The way she looks at Roman is so pure and full of love. Every morning her and I go into Roman's room and her face lights up. I hope this love remains forever. It truly is my favorite part of motherhood. This is one of the fun things with having 2 very young children close in age. They have a connection that can only be communicated in looks, not language.

As you can see one of my favorite past times with Paisley is taking pictures of her. Sometimes I get her all dressed up just to take pictures.

Paisley...you are amazing. You make us so happy. We love seeing your personality shine and happiness glow. We can already tell that you are going to be full of energy, have a fun personality and are a social butterfly. You like being where the action is and are not happy when we leave the room. You enjoy the excersaucer, being outdoors, watching Marley run, eating, listening to us read stories and dancing to music. Your chuckle is full and your smile is bright.

We love you! Happy 7 Months Sweet Love!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

For I remember it is Easter morn,
And life and love and peace are all new born.
~Alice Freeman Palmer

Wishing everyone a glorious Easter

Tutu and Pearls

2011-04-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Due to Paisley being too young for Easter candy and toys, I opted to purchase some pearls, a tiara and a dress for her Easter basket this year. I couldn't wait and had to do a mini photoshoot with her new pearl necklace. Love this smiley little girl. She truly is this happy 95% of the day.

I Am...

2011-04-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows I am a big Oprah Show fan. If I didn't have or want a family, my dream job would have been to be a producer for her show. I will be very sad when her show ends this season.

A few days ago she profiled a very successful Hollywood director, Tom Shadyac, who just completed a documentary titled, "I Am." It is a thought provoking journey that questions people to ask, "What's wrong with our world, and what can we do about it?" I am excited to see the documentary since his insight really gave me some questions and answers to ponder.

Jason and I are both doing some soul searching and trying to figure out where life is guiding us with our careers. I love being at home with my children and wouldn't change it for anything. I sometimes struggle since I feel like I should be providing more financially for our family, but I don't want to sacrifice these precious years with my children. With Roman turning 2, I've realized how quickly time goes by with children. Deep in my heart and soul, I know that I belong at home with these little ones. I am so happy. I wouldn't want it any other way.

My favorite quote from the show was Tom's explanation of success. I feel like he totally nailed it for me.
"[We have] a very extrinsic model of success," he explains. "You have to have a certain job status, a certain amount of wealth. ... I think true success is intrinsic. ... It's love. It's kindness. It's community."

I am currently working on a business plan that will allow me to work remotely, while also doing something I love. My main goal is to be able to be a Mom first and have a business second. I am the type of person who is always dreaming of different business ideas and I finally feel like this is the time to pursue it. Stay tuned for more details. It may not be ready for a while...so you will just have to wait to see.

Happy Birthday Nana!

2011-04-13T22:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to you, Mom!
You are truly my everything and I can't thank you enough for all that you do and all that you are. You inspire me and you truly are the most amazing Grandma to my children. You make them laugh, shower them with love and act like a kid with them. They love you so much.

You have taught me the most important lessons in life...
to be a hard worker, loyal friend, loving mom and dedicated wife. I'm still working on the chef part.
You are always helping me in so many ways, while also doing so much for others. You are the 1st person I call when I'm sick, when I'm sad, needing to talk or wanting to celebrate.

I wish you a Happy, Happy Birthday and hope you know how much I love you each and every day.

I was so happy to have you by my side for Paisley's arrival.

Paisley, your 5th Grandchild.

All dressed up to answer our door and take care of Paisley on Halloween so we could go trick-or-treat with Roman.

Always helping one of the grandchildren

The Ladies

This boy loves his Nana

Disneyland was so much fun

Nana and her girls.

Always finding fun outings

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Enjoy your day and wishing you a beautiful, healthy, wonderful year ahead. I love you so much and hope you know how special you are to me and so many others.

6 Months

2011-04-05T20:43:00.001-07:00

Our Baby is 6 Months! Time truly flies by with kids. Sometimes I think too quickly, but it just makes me want to cherish each and every moment even more.

Paisley has the most beautiful eyes. They are so expressive and as of right now still blue. She has gorgeous lashes and will probably never need mascara. Lucky Girl! As you can tell...I love dressing her up and taking pictures of her. She is so patient during her photoshoots.

Paisley is happiest when outdoors. We are so thankful for the nice weather since it has been a long, rainy Spring. I can't wait to bring her to the pool this summer. She runs very cold and her hands and feet often turn purple. I am always bundling her up in layers to try and keep her warm. I am hoping with the warmer weather that this will become less of an issue.

After about a week of struggling with oatmeal, I moved onto Applesauce and Paisley loves it. She gets very excited at the sight of the spoon and eats 2 jars a day. Her little tongue is so cute as it works so hard to eat fast. I can't wait to move on to more and more foods. I know she is going to love food.

Paisley wakes up every morning around 7:00am, which gives me about 45 minutes with just her before Roman is awake. She loves taking showers with me and relaxing on the bed while I get ready. She likes playing with her toys and is now putting everything in her mouth. Sophie the giraffe is a favorite along with a few other stuffed animals and rattles. She has yet to roll, so is still pretty stationary which makes things easy.

Paisley loves her baths and even got to take one with Roman the other day.

"Paze" as Jay calls her adores her Daddy. This girls face lights up when Jay is around. She is already such a Daddy's Girl. I love seeing their special bond.

Here are some other highlights at 6 months...
-Sleeps thru the night. Goes to bed around 8:00pm and up just before 7:00. Likes going to bed with a lovie under each arm, her sound machine on and a binky.
-Eating applesauce and going to start more foods this week.
-Starting to make some high pitched noises. Likes to babble in her bed in the mornings.
-Thinks Marley is hilarious. The other day I brought just her and Marley on a walk and she couldn't stop laughing at her crazy dog.
-Social...loves to be around people. When you leave her in a room by herself she gets mad. She just wants to be where the action is.
-So smiley. She smiles so easily and is happy and easygoing. Even though she is pretty chill, I can already tell she is going to have lots of energy.
-Still spits up quite a bit. We are currently dealing with a rash on her neck and face from always being wet. I'm hoping this stage will end, but it seems to be getting better.
-Is happy to be held. I love that she will go to anyone since I could rarely leave Roman with anyone for longer than 5 minutes before he would start screaming. She is a love!

Paisley...
Happy 6 months to the sweetest little thing. You are seriously such an angel. Always up for anything and always with a smile on your face. Your chill attitude makes you such a joy and the perfect fit with our family. I feel like you have been with us forever and we are truly so in love. We look forward to lots of fun outside in the next few months as it begins to warm up. Thank you for always being so patient and sweet with all of us. You are amazing.

From Surfer Dude to Preppy Boy

2011-03-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

The time had come to cut the mop. Roman's hair was beginning to resemble a helmet (especially with his large head)

I think his haircut aged him a few years, but looks adorable. We are also now using product. A little gel makes all the difference. I miss my little surfer dude, but I think it looks so much better.

No Keys

2011-03-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

The other day we were all dressed and ready to go to playgroup at 10:00 (I even had Paisley in her carseat). After about 20 minutes of searching for my keys, I realized that they were nowhere to be found. I finally decided to call Jason and see if he put them somewhere and he realized he took both sets. So we were stuck at home for the day with nothing to do but play. I took advantage of everyone dressed and looking cute to take some pics in the backyard. Here are some of my favorites.

My Smiley Boy

Girls Best Friend

Striking a pose

Sweet Loves

Other than digging in the dirt, Roman also likes to collect sticks and push them thru little holes in the fence. He does this all the time. One of his many favorite quirky activities.

Paisley loves being outside

"Mom...your driving me crazy! Stop taking pictures."

1st Food

2011-03-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Before

After

Love this photo! Her face says it all...YUCK! This stuff is gross.
I don't blame her, it is pretty gross.

Paisley isn't quite sure of this stuff. Plus...she is having some spit-up/choking afterwards, so we are slowly trying to ease into her 1st Foods. I am being patient with the process and just trying a little each night. We have been making a little process within the last week, but have a ways to go.

The Actual BDay, March 13th

2011-03-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

March 13th was Roman's "actual" birthday. We had a perfect day of doing all his favorite things...

Paisley and I serenaded Roman when he woke up

Donuts for breakfast

Afternoon at the park

Opening some presents at home

Dinner with the family

Opening up some more gifts. My favorite reaction to him opening up his gifts, "WHOA!" Even when he had no idea what he was opening.

YEAH! MORE CAKE!

Fun with his cousin, Tyler.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Mickey Mouse Birthday Party

2011-03-17T23:00:00.001-07:00

I have never been a huge Birthday person...until I had children. Now I see the significance and importance of celebrating. It is that one day each year that you get to shower that special someone with so much love and remind them of what an amazing little person they are. Also a time to reflect all that has changed and been accomplished within the past year.

We had a Mickey Mouse themed Birthday Party at my parents house. We were so lucky with the weather and had a beautiful day to hang outside. Most importantly...Roman had a fun time bouncing away and hanging out with his friends.

Loving the cake. He ate 2 pieces and probably wanted a 3rd.

Roman getting some help from Tyler to blow out the candles. I'm pretty sure he wished for being able to eat the entire cake.

Betty made these adorable PB&J sandwiches

The favors

The Bounce House was a hit. Roman could have jumped all day.

Hunter Rae...love this girl!

Madelynn looking so pretty in her party dress

Ayla loved the bounce house

Great Grandma Marylyn and Paisley Marylyn

Paige loves Minnie Mouse

Uncle Tom and Aunt Barbara came to celebrate.

Roman and Tyler having fun together

Grady bouncing away

Even Paisley liked the jump house

Kira, always so happy

Roman and the men

Roman roaming around the party

Sean and Paisley are about a month apart. They both have taste for high-end formula. These 2 are made for each other.

Roman sneaking a kiss from Paige. Don't let her brother see you.

Caitlin

Isabella and Ava

Grady and Grant on the firetruck

Scott insisted we could not leave the party without opening at least 1 present. He helped open it and then asked if they could borrow it. Ha ha love 5 year olds!

Thank you to my parents and Betty & Bob for all their help. It was the perfect celebration and best of all...Roman had a blast.

Happy 2nd Birthday Roman

2011-03-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

My Baby Boy turned 2 this weekend. Will I forever think of him as my baby? I really can't believe Roman is now 2. I took a lot of time this past week reflecting on the last 2 years and it helped me remember how grateful I am for this boy in our lives.

Roman,

We are so proud of the little boy you have become. This past year has been such an adventure filled with so much happiness and fun. You have been a character from Day 1 and continue to keep us laughing with your funny and sweet personality. You have a heart of gold and have a very special soul that radiates pure joy. Every day you put a smile on people's faces that meet you. You are social, sweet, funny, mischievous, active, free spirit and always full of energy. While you are outgoing, you also have moments of being a little hesitant to change and thrive on your daily routine.

You love being outdoors and are happiest when digging in dirt or sand. You could spend an hour filling up pails of dirt and water. Your favorite toys include the mega blocks, your kitchen, anything electronic, cars, books and anything with a button. Every night we snuggle in bed and read a dozen books. Your favorite books are "Dog's Don't Brush Their Teeth", "Night Night Little Pookie", "Dinos To Go" and all other Sandra Boynton Books. You have started to memorize the books and sometimes finish the sentences. You are just beginning to watch TV and your favorite is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You love music and have the funniest dances (mainly a mixture of a stomping shimmies and jumping).

You are starting to talk "More, More, More". "More" is one of your favorites. You like to repeat everyone's names and even have come up with some cute nicknames. Every day we are amazed with how fast you are picking up on new words. We know that you will likely be one of those kids that never stop talking. Right now we still have a hard time figuring out what you are saying, but each day it is something new. We are so proud of all the progress you are making. You like singing, "Happy Birthday", counting and A,B,C's.

My biggest worry this past year was how you would react to your Baby Sista (as you call her), but it has been the biggest blessing. You LOVE her so much and nothing makes me happier. You face lights up when you see her each morning and you always want to give her lots of kisses "MUAH" as you say. I love watching the 2 of you interact and I know it is going to continue to get more amazing.

Roman...we love you so much! As being a 2 year old can also bring some challenges (stubborn, tantrums and biting), we just can't get enough of you. As I said earlier, we are so proud of the little boy you have become. We know how much is going to change this next year and all we can ask for in life is that you continue to be happy. We look forward to this next year. You were the miracle we were waiting for and I thank God every day for sending you into our lives. We are so blessed!

Our SoCal Trip

2011-03-13T15:13:00.001-07:00

We just got back from our trip to Southern California. It was a perfect family trip. We got time at the beach, fun with family, warm weather, a trip to Disneyland and a quick visit with Ryan, Lauren and Melissa. What more could we ask for in a vacation?

The 1st stop on our vacation was Ventura Harbor. My Aunt and Uncle recently built a boat that is docked in Oxnard, so we began our trip with a sailing adventure on their new Catamaran. My Mom and I stayed behind with the kids, while everyone else went sailing for the day.

A Big Thank You to my Uncle Zoran and Aunt Erika for bringing everyone sailing. It was a true highlight of the trip. Next time...I plan on going along.

Cheers to the Channel Islands.

Bob and Jay.

While everyone sailed, we found one of the best parks I have ever been too. How cool are these swings? They overlook the ocean. So peaceful and relaxing.

The best part of the park was that you walked a few hundred feet and were at the beach. Roman loved playing in the sand and filling up buckets of water and sand.

Sadly, my sister and her family couldn't make it at the last minute since Scott came down with the flu, but my parents brought Tyler along for the trip. Roman had so much fun with his cousin all week. We were so happy that Tyler could have a special trip with the rest of us.

These 2 would be happy digging in sand all day long. They make quite a pair.

That night we went to dinner at The Greek at the Harbor. It was such a festive place to go and highly recommended. Entertainment included belly dancing, chair dancing and Greek dances.

The next morning we headed to California Adventure.

Even Paisley was excited to be at the "Happiest Place on Earth"

The 1st Ride was bumper cars. Roman ended up being 1 inch too short, but Tyler loved it.

California Adventure was a perfect spot to start our Disney Adventure.

A true highlight was meeting all the characters. Roman is obsessed with Clubhouse Mickey and it was like he was meeting celebrities. He didn't want to leave once our turn was over. He wanted to keep going back for "More Mick!"

The Carousel is always a favorite.

Paisley's 1st Ride.

Roman and Papa.

Tyler couldn't have been happier with his cotton candy.

We went to World Of Color that night.

What a show!

Jay got Roman and Tyler special laser light swords. Tyler was so excited to get his.
(One of the things I love most about Jay...he is a wonderful, loving and fun Uncle)

The next 2 days we headed to Disneyland.

Paisley was a trooper with waiting in lines and patiently sitting her carseat throughout our trip.

Mickey's Toon Town is adorable.

Tyler's favorite ride...Autopia.

Jason really wanted to bring Roman and Tyler on this mini rollercoaster in Toon Town. I wasn't sure how they would do, but they LOVED it. We went back twice.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

So fun for these 2 to have each other.

Teacups

Goofy

Happy Girl...Loved riding the carousel

Happiest moments were spent running around the park

My favorite...Pluto!

Donald

The train is such a nice way to travel thru Disney. Tyler loved the Dinosaurs.

These 2 make quite the team.

We really had an amazing time at Disneyland. I hope to go back each year. It is one of my favorite places and is so magical with kids.

Now on to lessons learned...

2 Challenges when bringing a 2 year old to Disneyland...

1. Entertaining them while waiting in lines. We planned our trip to visit Disneyland on off-days in hopes for shorter lines. Luckily most lines weren't longer than 15 minutes, but a few were pretty long waits. For the most part, Roman did good but there were some challenging moments.

2. "MORE RIDES!"
Roman did not like when the ride would end. He loved every ride and enjoyed them while he was on them. But the moment the ride would slow down, he would look at us and say "More Rides!" while gripping onto the ride with all his strength. We then would proceed to peel his hands off the ride and carry him off the ride while kicking, screaming and going limp. We thought this might end after a few rides, but it lasted on and off the entire trip. Very entertaining for everyone (but exhausting for the parents.)

THANK YOU...
To my parents and Betty & Bob. We had an amazing trip and it was so special to go with everyone. Thank you for also letting Jay and I a little time alone at Disneyland so we could experience a few rides without kids. Can't wait to go back.

5 Months

2011-03-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

5 Months equals pure Happiness! YEAH!!! Life is so much easier when you have a happy baby. The combo of my non-dairy, non-egg diet plus EleCare formula plus 5 months all goes into Paisley being much more comfortable and content. We are so thankful that she seems to be feeling so much better.

This last month has been so much fun to see her personality really shine and seeing her begin to interact more with her surroundings. She is starting to play with some toys and some of her favorites include her maraca, pink poodle, frog and rings. She is starting to grab for everything and I almost lost my plate the other night when I wasn't paying attention.

Paisley loves to be out and about, which makes things easier since Roman is the same way. She is happy traveling and sleeping in her carseat and loves being outdoors in the fresh air. Now that the weather is getting nicer, I am looking forward to more time in our backyard and going on walks.

Nothing makes her happier or smile more than her Big Bro. I love seeing the 2 of them interact. It is love at its purest form.

Paisley also had her 1st trip to the ocean and went on her 1st vacation. She did so good at Disneyland and was a complete joy the entire trip.

She is now sleeping through the night and taking all naps in her room. She likes to be put in bed with a lovie under each arm, a blanket around her, music playing and her bink. We are so thankful to have been blessed with 2 good nighttime sleepers. Her naps are getting a little longer and her schedule is now totally predictable. I have even mastered getting both of them to sleep around the same time in the afternoon.

We love you so much Paisley. Your smile reminds us to smile. You bring us so much joy. Thank you for blessing our lives with your beautiful smiling face each day.

My Loves

2011-02-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Just a few of my favorite pics from the last week.

Happy Valentine's Day. We had a romantic evening at home with the fam and I made Jason's favorite, Chicken Caesar Wraps.

The Maddox children have never liked Tummy Time and I've never really pushed it. But Paisley is just starting to tolerate it a little better.

Striking a pose.

Paisley and her buddy, Tate.

Chores take a little longer when you have help.

My favorite time each day...morning in bed.

Yee-Haw! Roman made an appearance in his cowboy outift. A little tight fit. We got a good laugh.

Love her smile! We have been having ups and downs with her fussiness, but today was our best day. She was so happy all day and her smile says it all.

1 Month To Go...

2011-02-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

Is it really true? Can my little prince only have 1 month to go before he turns 2?
2 just seems so old and I can't believe we are almost there.
2 is also an age that I feel like so much is expected of them and sometimes I still feel like spoiling him. Well...since I can't freeze time, I guess I can just cherish this last month of my little toddler.
2 is also WAY too old for him to still have his bottle at night, so we will be working on that one.

Despite my last post on Roman and his tantrums, he has actually been so much better this month and so much fun. He is beginning to talk much more and keeps us laughing all day with his funny mannerisms and cute personality. He still is a little behind in talking compared to some other kids his age, but he has always been a few months behind so I know that everything happens at his own pace. I learned early on with him to not compare with other kids, but with himself. As long as he is learning and happy, that is all that matters.

We said Good-bye to Gymboree this past month and hello to My Gym. Roman goes to My Gym with Grandpa Bob every Thursday and is learning to follow a little more direction and structure in his play. It was sad to leave Gymboree, but I look forward to starting with Paisley in the Fall.

Some of my favorite things about Roman at 21 months is....
-Our special outings.

Once a week we get Frozen Yogurt or donuts. I love sitting at the store and talking with him while we share our treats. It is one of my favorite times of the week that I get to spend with him. He now picks out which kind of donut he wants; always something with sprinkles (just like his mama).

-The way he pretends to talk on the phone. He walks around the house with the phone to his ear and just talks and laughs.

-Visiting restaurants are much better, especially when a booth is involved. Some of our fav's are The Counter, CPK, Daphne's and Fudrucker's. Yes...not very glamourous, but when we can spend an entire meal with a happy toddler it is a success.

-Obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He doesn't want to watch anything but Mickey and when the "Hot Dog" song comes on at the end he starts saying, "More, More, More". I am still pretty strict about TV, so he gets to watch an episode in the morning while drinking his bottle in our bed and then another after his nap. We are planning a trip to Disneyland in March and also doing a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party.

-He loves his sister. Sometimes a little too much, especially while she is sleeping. He really adores her and is constantly saying, "Baby, Baby, Baby." Just recently he started saying, "Baby Seesta". When he hears her crying, he wants to tend to her and make her happy. I love seeing the two of them interact. It is priceless.

-He loves his cousins. With everyone's busy schedules, I really try and make an effort to bring Roman over to see his cousins once a week. I think it is so important for them to have a close relationship. He now says, "Tyle" and smiles every time he says it.

-He finally likes the swings! He never would sit in them for longer than a few minutes and now he really likes them. I'm happy since this gives me a little break from chasing him around at the park.

-Loves the trampoline and I love watching him on it. Always smiling while bouncing.

-Enjoys playing with Play Doh and even eating it. His favorite thing is stuffing it IN and OUT of the container. He could do that for an hour.

-Has such a special relationship with his Grandpa's. I love that they get special time together each week.

-Reading time each night in our bed. The perfect ending to our day.

Roman...we love you so much. You make us laugh and just fill our hearts with constant joy. You are so sweet and have such a tenderloving soul. You are kind to others, can be sensitive to new experiences, love your routine, enjoy wrestling with your Daddy, are social, like being independent and full of energy. We can't wait to celebrate your 2nd Birthday next month and look forward to many more fun times.

4 Months

2011-02-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

Happy 4 Months To Our Little Girl!

I feel like 4 months is such a milestone with infants. Things start getting so much easier and much more routine. The 1st 3 months is survival mode and then you wake up one morning and everything just seems easier. Last night was her 1st night in her own room. I had a hard time moving her into her room, but I knew that it was time. She is a great sleeper and now makes it from 9pm to 6am without eating, but still wakes up a few times needing her binky. She loves sleeping with her lovie and blankie.

In the mornings she is so chill and will just sit in bed while I get ready. She loves going in the shower, taking baths, going on walks, being outdoors and watching her brother. She makes some crazy noises and has just started playing with toys.

Her eyes are amazing and communicate so much. She truly smiles with them. She has rosy cheeks and big blue eyes. We feel so lucky to be so blessed with this little love. She LOVES her Daddy so much and sometimes when I'm having a tough night with her fussiness, Jay takes over and he makes her so happy. I love thinking about the amazing relationship that they will share.

We love you our little rockstar.

Her 4 Month Stats
Weight: 14 pounds, 11 ounces
Height: 25 1/2 inches

Compassion by Heidi McMillan

2011-02-02T23:14:00.000-08:00

BYUtv - BYUtv Shorts: Compassion: Heidi McMillian
My sister, Heidi, was recently featured in a BYU short film about "Compassion". She is such an inspiration to so many people and always makes me strive to be a better person. She reminds us of how her trials have lead to having a deeper level of compassion for others. I know her strong faith allows her to be the amazing mom that she is to her son, Tyler, that has a severe heart defect. We are all so proud of her. Thank you for reminding us to cherish each and every day, especially with our children.

Romano...Uh-Oh

2011-01-15T15:50:00.001-08:00

Do you believe that within the past week I have been kicked, hit, bit and had large clumps of my hair yanked out of my head? AND the culprit is this innocent looking man.

OK...I am being dramatic, but we have officially entered a new phase and I feel like I am heading into a new realm. I bought the book 1, 2, 3 Magic a few months ago since it was recommended by our peditrician and I need to read it ASAP. I am trying to remember that this is all a stage and to keep my cool, but I miss my sweet, innocent, always loving little boy. The good thing is that Roman is really only doing these things to myself (and poor Marley), so we are ready to take some action to set in place some new rules. Currently my timeouts are not working since he thinks my stern "No" is funny and he likes when I hold him in a corner and count to 20. Some friends have suggested I set-up a Pack and Play, so we will see if that helps with the timeout concept.

On the flip side, Roman is sweet 90% of the day and is so loving. He plays very well with other kids and is a good sharer. He makes me laugh and I love seeing his personality come out. He loves his sister and is beginning to say "Please" when he wants something. I know that deep down he has a heart of gold and that this is simply a phase that EVERY toddler goes through.

Paisley Love

2011-01-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

I am LOVING all the girly accessories. So fun! I can't believe how much Paisley has changed in the last week or so. She is growing up so fast.

Paisley Newborn Photoshoot

2011-01-07T14:38:00.001-08:00

Now that our Baby Announcements and Holiday cards are out, I can share our photos from Paisley's Newborn Photoshoot. I was left speechless with all the amazing photos that we got. THANK YOU to Stacey Pentland who was our photographer. Her style is to capture those perfect moments and really bring out the rich colors of all the surroundings. She is a joy to work with and just loves working with babies and kids.

Here is her website:
Stacey Pentland Photography
I highly recommend her for any event that you may be planning. Her work speaks for itself. She is so talented.
Thank you Stacey!

Paisley was 11 days old and Roman was 19 months.

The perfect pic of our crazy family.

3 Months

2011-01-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

I no longer have a little infant. My Lil P is already in 6 month clothing. So much has changed this past month and things have definitely started getting easier. Paisley wakes up every morning with a huge smile on her face. She is so happy and even has started smiling at Roman. Nothing is a sweeter moment than seeing your 2 children interacting with each other.

I can't get enough of those chubby cheeks.

She loves her bath time and gets so upset when I take her out of the water. I think I've got another one that is going to be obsessed with the water.

She is an awesome sleeper at night. We need to hurry and get her room finished so she can move into her crib. Within the last week, she has only been waking up once per night.

We still have some fussy nights from 5-8, but lots of holding, rocking and moving keeps her happy. Her reflux has not gotten much better, but luckily the medicine seems to help her feel better. Luckily I'm used to all the spit-up, but the hardest part is all the outfit changes.

She loves her brother and he keeps her entertained. Today was the 1st day I have ever heard her laugh and it was because of him. It was one of those unexpected, amazing moments.

Happy 3 Months our baby girl! You light up our life and are the perfect addition to our family. Your smile puts a smile on our faces.

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

Jason and I got our 1st babysitter (since both parents were out of town), so we could go out for New Year's Eve. We went to our good friends, The Honey's and had such a fun night. The Honey's live about one block away and we are so lucky to live in a neighborhood filled with such wonderful couples.

The festivities started out with a fun game of Name That Song. I was horrible, Beth was amazing and Jay won twice. The prize for each song was a scratcher ticket.

Kevin played a wonderful game show host. He followed up each song with a tidbit of interesting info on each song.

The Ladies of the Woodlands getting ready to ring in the New Year.

Cheers to 2011

Tate was a party animal all night. What a cute pair!

Happy New Year!

Our Hook trio. I have such wonderful memories growing up with Meg and Beth. I'm so happy to have the both of them in my life.

HAPPY NEW YEARS! Wishing everyone health, happiness and good times in 2011.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday weekend that started off on Christmas Eve by visiting Santa. I had been meaning to take both of the kids all month since I love the Broadway Plaza Santa the best, but just never got around to doing it. I begged Jason since I really wanted Paisley to get her picture taken with Santa since Roman had for his 1st Christmas. We arrived at 10am when Santa's workshop opened and were surprised to find a line that was about an hour long. Jason wanted to leave, but I knew it would be worth it. Luckily Roman was able to run around, while we waited. Once we got to Santa, we got a picture of Paisley with Santa. I knew Roman wasn't going to sit with Santa by himself, so we did a family shot. I was so happy that we waited and so was Jason.

We then ran a few more errands and got home in enough time for Roman to take a nice long nap before Church. We went to the early Church service that is kid friendly. Roman made it through about 1/2 of the service and was a really good boy. We then headed back to our house for dinner. Jason's Uncle Tom and Aunt Barbara and Grandma came, along with both of our families. It was fun to have a relaxing night, open gifts and just enjoy everyone's company.

It is so fun to see Roman play with his cousins. He just adores Scott and Tyler.

Uncle Tom and Aunt Barbara are amazing inspirations that exemplify everything that Christmas stands for. All year round they visit garage sales and buy new toys to donate for Christmas. This year, they collected 2,600 toys! They truly are angels to so many kids.

The Lietz sisters with our little girls. I bought Kira and Paisley matching Christmas dresses. I think this is a tradition I will do every year...or until they oppose. Hopefully that won't be for a few more years. I love having little girls that are so close in age. I know they will be the best of friends.

Cheers to a good dinner. Heidi, Danny, Jason and I took turns eating and chasing around the kids while everyone ate. I think it will be a while before all of us can sit down and eat together.

My Dad's Gingerbread masterpiece.

Christmas morning was perfect since we were able to sleep in a little and just relax with the 4 of us. We lounged around, ate breakfast and then opened some presents with Roman. He was excited to open a few of them, but then just wanted to play with his new toys. He tends to get overwhelmed with too many new things, so we only opened a few things than let him just play.

Roman and his new alphabet magnets.

This little boy makes me so happy.

Jay and his ladies.

Marley got spoiled with lots of bones and toys. Roman loved playing tug of war with Marley.

Betty and Bob stopped by with Roman's new kitchen. He loved it and his favorite part of it was (of course) the cell phone.

Grammy and Paisley.

We then headed to my parents for dinner.

Paisley and her Grandma's.

The men hanging out.

Look what Scott and Tyler got. Not only 1, but 2 guinea pigs. They were actually really cute and friendly. I'm excited for them to enjoy their 1st pets.

By the end of the night, Roman would say "WOAH" when he opened the gifts. It was pretty cute, even though he probably didn't even know what he was getting.

Me, Scott and Buster. The other guinea pig is G-Force.

My real Christmas present this year was Paisley. I still sometimes can't believe that she is in our lives. She is such a blessing and so special. Our family feels so much more complete with her in it and I can't imagine life without her. My heart feels so full of love everytime I look at her.

Happy Birthday to Pop! I wish we had a separate day to celebrate just my Dad. He is so special and does so much for everyone else that he deserves a night of his own. We always have the chocolate nut cake that his mom would traditionally make each year. It is a popular Birthday cake in our family.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and wishing everyone a Happy 2011.

I am looking forward to a year of more family fun and adventures, getting in shape, enjoying NOT being pregnant, weddings of some close friends, a trip to Disneyland and a trip for just Jason and I.

Cooking Club Love

2010-12-23T22:03:00.001-08:00

Our monthly Cooking Club had our annual Thanksgiving and Christmas parties. I love these girls so much and cherish our monthly get togethers. This club was started out by my roomie Lauren and has evolved into a support system, sisterhood and fun girls night out. I love each of these girls so much and it is always fun to have new members. WELCOME MEG!

Thanksgiving was hosted by the Allocco's and we all bring a traditional Thanksgiving dish to share and also bring along our hubbies. It is such a fun night and I think all the men like coming along to see everyone.

Here are some pics from that night...

All the ladies (and Christian) admiring handsome little Tate! I think he was 1 week old.

My favorite neighbors

H & H

Quite possibly the best Thanksgiving dessert EVER!

Cheers!

Our Christmas Party was a Cooking gift exchange at Jolynn's house. It was such a fun way to kick off the Christmas season.

Our hosts and Brides To Be for 2011.

I'm so lucky to have these 2 in my life.

Danielle, our other bride to be of 2011

Love, Love, Love this group of girls!

Christmas Photo

2010-12-23T06:39:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from 2 year old Heather.
Here is a picture of me at just about 2 years old. If you ever wondered where Roman got his big head, just look at me. I think mine is even double the size of his. I was definitely a chub, just like both my kids. Now I wish Roman would sit still and sit in a rocking chair for a photo, but I guess that is the difference between a boy and a girl.

Growing Up...20 Months

2010-12-09T15:41:00.001-08:00

I feel like I have been posting so much on Paisley, that I needed to dedicate one to Roman. Especially now that he is growing up. The most common question I have been getting from everyone is how is Roman doing with his new sister. I am so happy to report that he is doing AWWWWWWESOME (as DJ Lance would say). We have luckily not had to deal with much jealousy, anger or neediness on his end. He just adores "Baby" as he calls her. He loves to give her kisses, tickie tickie (tickles), play with her feet and smile at her. Now lets just hope it stays this way. The only challenge is him not knowing his own strength. Sometimes he gets a little rough with her or accidentally sits on her head and he likes to wake her up while she is sleeping.

Roman continues to talk all day, but most of it is still hard to decipher. However he is getting new words each week. Most recently he has said "Poop" and "Potty" (yes Uncle Ryan, you can be proud). I guess I shouldn't be surprised that those words came before a few others since he is a boy. He has a very sweet, little voice and I can't wait for him to be talking more and more. He has also discovered how to get our attention with a high pitched squeal. We are trying to ignore it, but haven't had much luck getting him to stop.

Roman is definitely a free spirit and has a sweet personality. Many times he will just lay down in the middle of a room or even a restaurant and just gaze up at the ceiling and smile. He isn't aggressive and usually just goes with the flow. My sensitive, sweet boy! He has gotten so much better with me leaving him, but still cries when I leave him at the Church Nursery during Bible Study. He loves his routines. I run a pretty strict daily routine and I think that has helped make everything so much easier. He loves when we read to him at night and has his favorite Sandra Boynton books that we must read multiple times before bed. He now only gets his binkies in his crib and within the last week he has started demanding having 3 in his crib. My mom says I was the same way.

He adores his Grandpa's and loves when they watch him on Mondays and Thursdays. He says "Bye" to me once they walk in the door and I know they have so much fun together playing. He is obsessed with playing with his Mega Blocks, still enjoys his books and just started liking to color with crayons. Other than those 3 items, he really doesn't play with much more, other than electronics and our iPhones. We think he may be an engineer one day since he is obsessed with figuring out how everything works. It is funny since Jay and I are so not like that, but he must have also gotten that gene from his Grandpas. He gets very frusterated when things don't quite work how he wants them too. We are just starting to see little glimmers of the terrible two's and he has mastered the crying foot stomp. We know that this is just the beginning and are hoping this is a short lived phase.

Even with some tantrums here and there, we still feel so lucky everyday. Roman is always making us laugh and smile.
We love you and are so proud of the wonderful Big Brother you have become.

2 Months

2010-12-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

Paisley turned 2 months today. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Sometimes it feels like it is going too fast, however I also appreciate everything getting easier.

Here are some highlights at 2 months...
-Smiling and so sweet
-Feeling so much better. This weekend was the 1st time without major crying/fussing from 5pm - 8pm. I am hoping this trend continues. YEAH!
-Loves the bathtub. We may have another waterbug.
-Pretty strong with her neck.
-Great sleeper at night. Long nap in the morning and then small cat naps in the afternoon.
-Likes being on her back and looking around at everything.
-Starting to coo and make all kinds of noises.
-Likes the Ergo Carrier and often falls asleep in it.
-Spit-up everywhere. We both have about 3 outfit changes a day.
-Eyes are starting to lighten up and look blue.
-Starting to get those adorable chubby legs. Love the rolls.

We are so in love with Paisley. My heart just melts when I look at her. Paisley and I went on a little shopping trip to Toys R Us this weekend, mainly for Roman's Christmas presents. I got really excited thinking about the future and all the fun, girly toys for her. My Little Pony, Barbies, Cabbage Patch Kids...I can't wait!

Paze, Chubs, Lovebug, Lil P
We LOVE You!

My Chubby Twins

2010-12-03T21:17:00.001-08:00

As Paisley continues to pack on the pounds, she is looking so much like Roman. I really can't believe how similar they are in so many ways. Even their expressions and mannerisms are so similar. Here is a picture of both Roman and Paisley at 2 months. The main difference is their noses, but other than that I think they look like they could be twins.

Lil P Update

2010-11-30T22:09:00.001-08:00

So I feel like my last post was a little dramatic and probably made me sound like I was barely surviving. The good news is that I have gone dairy free and it seems to be helping. I think the combination of my new diet and Paisley taking medicine for the last week has helped a lot. She still has pretty bad reflux, but the discomfort seems to be better. I am hopeful that I can keep up the diet since I feel like I am starving myself. At least I'll lose those few extra pounds that are lingering this time around. I do need to be better about researching some recipes and substitutes that I can eat. For the last 3 days, Paisley has been much more happy and calm. She still gets a little fired up at night, but that we can deal with.

I've been calling her "Chubbs" since she is so round and loving. I hope she doesn't mind. I can't believe how much she has grown in the last month.