Catching Up!!!!!

It's been very busy in our house. Jay is doing very well in his new school. He has more and more to say every day. Some days he just cracks us up. I need to do a true blog update but for now here are some pictures of the Jaybird.

Having an afternoon snack after playing in the snow in Tahoe

I don't know what this look is but it made me laugh :)

Daddy and Jay at dinner


Mama and Jay


Valentine's Day

Bananas in Big Bear


Hanging out with the boys

Our Miracle Is Three Years Old Today!!!!!!

And just like that our beautiful baby boy is three. An official toddler. This morning Joe and I dropped Jay off at his new preschool near our house where he will be going until Kindergarten. I was so worried about how he would do. He had his brand new little Elmo back pack all ready to go. And when we got there it was a quick goodbye and off he went with the two teacher's aides to his new classroom. Walking in the middle, holding both of their hands. I absorbed the moment for a minute, and then the tears started pouring. Poor Joe thought that he was going to have to deal with Jay crying, but it was me he was left comforting :)

I always get emotional around Jay's birthday. Thinking back to this day three years ago and how afraid I was, my beautiful son being born so very early.
Jayan... Daddy and Mama love you so very much. Thank you for making our lives complete. We are having such a wonderful time watching you grow, explore, talk, and just be a regular toddler. We thank God everyday for you being here in our lives. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!!!!!!

Halloween 2010

I'm still questioning whether this kid is Joe's and mine. He really doesn't seem to like chocolates and candy yet. How can that be?? His parents have already put a nice dent into his Halloween loot. :)

I decided to surprise our family this year and show up on their doorsteps with my little Elmo. Joe stayed back to give out candy to the kids in our neighborhood.

Elmo in the car

At Aunty Dharshi and Uncle Yoga's house (note the paparazzi standing at the door)

And then we went to visit Yaso Pati

And finally we went to see Grandpa Louis

When we got back Joe took Jay to our neighbor's house.

And we thought he was actually going to eat a piece of candy but he took a bite and dumped the rest on the ground. Don't worry it wasn't wasted. Joe and I ate it! :) Next year Joe says he's dressing up as a French maid. :) Stay tuned!!

Weddings, Anniversaries, and Friendship

One of my dearest friends from college got married this last weekend. They have a wonderful anniversary date 10-10-10! I was proud to stand by her side as her maid of honor. I don't think we could have asked for a more beautiful day to have a wedding. The day before was Joe's bday so we enjoyed being in San Diego, the rehearsal, and wedding festivities. Yvette and Sean we wish you many years of love and happiness! May you always be each other's best friend.

Yesterday was our Anniversary. Y We honestly had no real plans, as we just had a weekend to ourselves without Jay (special thanks to my Dad and Laurina for helping us with Jay from Sat-Mon we are so grateful!!!) My bestie Kristen offered to make dinner for us. We had a lovely evening, delicious food thank you Mr. and Mrs. Osterman, it was honestly a perfect anniversary.

So today I felt the need to blog about my wonderful friends. I don't know how or why I got so lucky, but for a girl with no brothers or sisters I got blessed with some amazing people by my side. When I sit down and actually think about it I get overwhelmed with emotion.

Jay is doing very well in his toddler class. Not surprisingly, his favorite time is music time. He loves songs. His words are increasing. He even tries to say "see you later". He's also still doing really well in his "new bed". Although we've caught him fooling around up there when he's supposed to be sleeping. Therapy is being upped to 12 hours a week! So he will have something for 2.5 hours every afternoon Monday-Friday. This is in preparation for him to go to the school district when he turns three. You make us so proud baby boy. I looked through some pictures and video from the NICU the other day. I'm still amazed at what a fighter you are and how much you overcame. You are and forever will be our Miracle.

And to my husband, my best friend of all, who brought me to tears yesterday with what he wrote in my card. I love you. Thank you for riding this rollercoaster with me. For putting up with my quirks. For watching me wear wings and rainboots and not laughing too hard. For dealing with hormones and moodswings. And for loving me unconditionally.

My College Besties

Joe and I at the Wedding

Our Anniversary Cake from Kristen and Rick

The Schmetzer's and The Osterman's

And another sleeping shot of my baby boy :)

The Crib Conversion

The little monkey learned how to crawl out of his crib last week. So this last weekend Joe worked on converting the crib. He basically took one side off making it more like a day bed.
So far the transition is going very well. I was very nervous about this I wasn't prepared to take Jay out of a crib type setting until well after his 3rd birthday. But as I'm learning you can't plan everything :)

The above pic is Jay taking his afternoon nap on Sunday. We have pillows below him but so far to our knowledge he's been just fine.

Labor Day Weekend 2010

This weekend we packed up the car and headed to Tehachapi, CA. It's a place in the Mojave desert that I found when I was living in Lancaster. It's up in the mountains away from everyone. But still a little city with all the conveniences like restaurants and hotels. (Starbucks for Joe) I love getting out and being one with nature but at night I like to be in a comfy bed. I dread the day Jay will want to camp in a tent.

Jay was a trooper on the hike. We started him off in the hiking back pack but he really wanted to walk it himself. So we only used it for the steeper parts. And we also took advantage of the winds and did a little kite flying. It was so nice to be out in the fresh air, you couldn't hear any noise other than the trees blowing in the wind, and the skies could not have been any prettier.

All in all it was a really wonderful weekend and a great way to end the summer. Today Jay moved up in class at the Preschool. He will now be with the bigger kids, sitting at tables to eat (not high chairs) and taking naps in beds (not cribs) I'm sure this is going to take some time to adjust for him, and the director of the school will help facilitate this transition for us. Today I also have a meeting at a preschool that is part of the IUSD (Irvine Unified School District) because on Jay's 3rd birthday (December 7th) he will start the Preschool program with the school district to prepare him for Kindergarten. It will be a big change for our little guy but all steps forward.

We also got Jay a big boy table and chair set from IKEA for him. So far he really likes it.

More Summer Fun

Once again, I don't know where this year is going. It's true what they say, the older you get the faster the years go by. And I find myself wanting to treasure this bit of time while my little boy is still young and innocent. I know before I know it he will be grown and independent. Not needing mommy and daddy.

If I haven't mentioned it before I'll mention it now... Having Dora the Explorer and Elmo episodes on my iPhone has made eating out a much better experience for all of us. On Monday night we went out to dinner with my family and it was one of the best meals Joe and I have had with Jay as a toddler. *knocks on wood*
My Dad, the man who refused to let me have a TV in my room growing up immediately went out and bought his two and a half year old grandchild a portable DVD player. Why? Because he doesn't want him straining his eyes on the iPhone when we're out and about.

Jay's speech has really come around. He tries to let us know what he wants "juice" "crackers" etc etc. He still gets frustrated but we are working on it day by day. He is a very curious child and loves to see how things work. When I pick him up from preschool every afternoon he comes running up to me saying "Mama" and I would be lying if I told you this didn't put the warmest feeling in my heart on a daily basis.

The love affair between my husband and child is a whole different story. With Daddy it's all about play time and fun. And going into this I always knew I would be the stricter one. Jay's face lights up when Daddy comes home. But no one, not even Daddy can get in the way of Dora.

With Jay being a little older now it's been easier for me to get out more and I have really been enjoying that. This has been a full summer and I have truly enjoyed spending time with my friends once again.


Cooookie



Emily is my friend Sharon's daughter. She is one of my oldest friends from college. We met in the dorms at 18 and I find it crazy that 18 years later we have these two.

And these two going in for a kiss Y

My wonderful husband gave me a whole Saturday off from mommy duty so I could go to Del Mar with my friends for our yearly trip.


And I had another special evening out with the girls to celebrate my friend Claire's birthday. We went to a wonderful restaurant called Vine in San Clemente. It was truly a night filled with laughter. Much needed by a bunch of moms.