School's out for Summer-- sort of.

Ever since the school district recommended Michael attend Special Education Classes, they also recommended that he attend Summer School. Poor guy hasn't had a break since he turned 3 years old. However, this is just a small sacrifice for a brighter future. Now that summer is here once again, we are trying to cram a few activities before his Summer School starts back up again. This time, we are doing swim class!

I'm not a swimmer. I never learned. My parents never really took us 4 to the water parks or beaches to enjoy the summer. We mainly stayed indoors and just--laid there. Now that I am a parent, I want Michael to learn to swim. It's a very important skill to have. Now that summer is here once again, we signed him up--and he's loving it! He's a slow learner so I think we may have to re-sign him up for another class or private lessons after his current session ends. That's okay. I'm sure he wouldn't mind jumping into the pool every day after school now. Who wouldn't with this 100 + weather we've had here all week--and it's just starting!

Now that he's learning to swim, I too have signed up for classes. I'm a little intimidated since the swim instructors are either high school age or just graduated high school. Oh well, it's only for two weeks and it's a something I have always wanted to learn. I just hope I am not the oldest student in my group, which is quite likely since the class is for 12 and older. My being the older. Ha ha! I'll write about my adventures when it comes.

He's not so little anymore.

September came rather quickly this year and so did Michael's first day of preschool. I knew it was coming and all through the month of August I was filled with mixed feelings and questions. Will he like it? Will he hate it? Will he make friends? I'm excited and yet I am a bit nervous as how he would do. He's been in a similar setting at his back-up daycare (my mom is our primary day care) where they host morning preschool for kids his age...but this time it would be constant--a bit more serious. Like I said, mixed feelings and questions.

 The first week is over and so far so good. His teachers are absolutely amazing and are willing to work with you if you ever did need their support. He has 1 main preschool teacher and 3 teacher aids--all who are again fantastic! Especially since Michael is still having a tough time communicating when he needs to go potty. I've let them know that he will go if you guide him, but again, you have to guide him. This is the longest milestone we have ever dealt with, but we will get there.

I'm super excited over Halloween as this year as last year he got the whole Trick-or-treat idea. This year will be better with just the mere idea that he will have school as part of it. If everything is still the same, every student wears their costume and parades around the blacktop as the school's Halloween tradition (my brother's are alumni's.) This is so exciting.

This year has proven to be quite full of firsts and I love it!

The Greatest Flash Back Friday Ever!!

Dear Michael,

Today is your third birthday. We are proud to call you our son, my little man. You stole our hearts from the moment that we saw that "Pregnant" sign on that pee stick. We knew you were going to change our lives for ever, and we were right. Life with you has been so much fun, and yet so frustrating--but I wouldn't change it for the world. Mr. Poodle-man, you are my one true love (and Daddy would agree.) Life is about to turn another chapter in our lives as we are to start the real and official pre-school this coming fall. You are now a big boy and you show us every day.

You are the greatest gift I have ever received, my son. Life has many adventures in store for us and we cannot wait to ride this spiral with you. I love you. We love you. Happy Birthday my Pappas.

This weekend….

Was quite warm! It’s technically still Winter, but it felt like late Spring yesterday—low 80’s. It was nice, and since the sun was out shinning, we took advantage of it. We had received some tickets to the local zoo and have been itching to visit since we received said tickets. However, the weather has been weird with on and off rain (which I won’t complain since we need it) and now we have nice warmth and ran with it.  Our morning rituals were in full force (you know those dreaded morning chores of cleaning house and feeding the family) and we got ready to head out. I was so eager to leave the house that I didn’t even blow dry my hair (and let me tell you, my hair is not the “let it air dry” type. Frizz! ) or do much with it aside from a top knot and head band. Like I said, we wanted to enjoy the warm California sun.

We started our visit with the Reptile House where it’s hot and humid. We zig-zagged like crazy and showed Michael the big reptiles (boas and crocodiles.) We saw quite a few animals awake and walking around. From Flamingoes to Giraffes, to Lions and Tigers. Speaking of which, I remember taking Michael to his first visit to the zoo and taking a picture of him standing next to the Tiger. That was a treat!

Now that it has been a full 3 years since his first visit, each time  we try and recreate that picture. Or try to anyways. Look at how small Michael was then! I miss him being that teeny weeny. Miss it….

What have I been up to?

There are times after I am off work where I rush to my mom's to pick up Michael, and then I rush home in order to have dinner ready for when Steve gets home. Some times I plan it out so well that I can have it all be just ready for when he's walking through the door, other times I don't have that much time and a quick fixer upper is what I needed.Tonight was one of those nights, which is why I ran into my make-shift pantry and pulled out a box I had on my shelf for moments like this--Kraft Recipe Makers. FYI, by no means am I sponsored or whatever with Kraft, this is just me doing a "I ran out of time to whip something up, so I need something yummy and quick!" Which is where the Chicken Bruschetta came in to the rescue....

Credit: Me via Instagram

Aside from the delicious meal that we just had, potty training is the new theme in our house. How is it going? Not too well I might say. Michael will go potty if you sit him down long enough, but he just won't tell you when he needs to go--which is the frustrating part. Especially when you turn around for a second and then hear, "Fire!" coming from the living room. That's Michael yelling with excitement about how he is putting out imaginary fire with his fireman-pee-pee-hose. Maybe the whole cheerio method may work for this Fire Fighter wannabe. It doesn't hurt to try anything once as long as it works, right?

Since the weather around NorCal has been very warm and in the 70's, the trees and flowers seem to think that Spring has sprung early. Along with the nice weather, allergies have come to wreak havoc for everyone who suffers from it. Luckily we get a break come tomorrow. Rain! Rain has been something we have been lacking for quite some time and it's very much welcomed. Especially from me.

Credit: CBS 13 Sacramento

One proud mama!

On Saturday Michael hung out with his God-father...this was the result of that. 

Happy Mexican Independence day. Viva Mexico!!

Push! Push! Feel the burn!

 

Last weekend  we decided to officially start potty training. We tried the Three Day Potty Training since I had 4 days off in a row. The first day was a disaster. Seriously! Pee in every corner and my knees hurt from cleaning and scrubbing the floors. My right knee already feels arthritic on some days, but last weekend pushed my knees to different levels. Okay, so this post isn't about my already old knee but about potty training, lets get back to that.

Potty training at home has gotten somewhat lazy. The weekend started out all sorts of wrong and yucky, but by the end of the weekend it got better. He only had about an accident a day, which is good, right? I'm blaming the lazy potty training after that weekend due to my being too tired from work to just want to scrub pee all evening long. But since the weekend is here again, I will reinforce potty training again. Especially since we are getting help with potty training at my moms.

Michael seems to get the general idea that when he sits on his potty he must go. Great! But he still hasn't grasped the idea that when he has the urge that he needs to tell us so we can take him to the potty. That in itself is the hard part. Once he learns that when its time to go, we should be told asap so he can go IN the potty--and not when we take him during timed potty runs.

Any ideas? Help?

Do you see it?! It's coming guys!!

Yesterday as I drove to pick up Steve from work I saw it. You can see little hints of Fall coming and this is really exciting. Fall is my favorite season. I'm sure it's many people's favorite season, why wouldn't it be? Fall means so much to me--it seriously does! It means another anniversary that we are blessed with (10 years together and 8 of those married!!), Halloween, my birthday, the start of the holidays, and best of all new trends for my little guy. I cannot wait for that.

Summer is fun. Yes it is, but I love dressing up Michael in jeans, hoodies, plaid shirts, long sleeves, etc. I only wish he kept his hats on. **shakes fist** I just love dressing him up in a semi-preppy look with a bit of hip-hop thrown in there. Some days we will do an all rocked out look with dark jeans, a band t-shirt, and converse! Again, I wish he would let me dress him up with a hat.

How cute are these boys?! Love it!

This is my absolute favorite look!! Maybe Michael can wear this look soon.

and since Michael is in a wedding come February...this will be him!!

and how cool is this kid?

and this kid?

 

 Definitely a look I'd want for my kid.

and there you have it folks. I can't wait for Fall and all of the wonderful changes (clothing wise especially) that it brings. I guess it's time to go shopping, eh?

Credit: All images are from both of these sites on Tumblr:  Swag-a-bye-baby and Children with Swag

Today, I change your diaper proudly.

I know this probably doesn't mean much to most of you, but to me, it means the world. This morning, Michael came up to me and said:

"Mami. Kaeko, pee. Pamper?"

My son is going to speech therapy. It's been hard trying to communicate with someone who only uses 1 word sentences (and he knows way too many words and then some.) So when he came up to me and said the above, I couldn't help but change his diaper proudly.

I love him.

Busy busy bees + First days at school + Review.

I must apologize for the silence that has come over my blog. Like most people, Summer makes everyone busy. Really busy. A ton of birthdays, BBQ's and family reunions. Right now we are in the midst, of said family reunion. Steve's brother is finally in town from the military and that means we get to meet nieces (two out of four) that we haven't met! It's been three years since we've seen them and it's fun getting to know them.

Also, my little man has begun preschool. Yes, folks, my baby boy is officially a big boy. I was nervous dropping him off and I'm still a wee bit apprehensive about him being there all day. He's been there before and loves going to hourly daycare, but this is the first time he will be there all day! The place is awesome! They have preschool session every day from 9-12 and afterward he can stay and hang out until he's ready to go home. Also, if I am ever in another city/location and they have a facility there, I can just drop him off if needed. How cool?! We love it there.

---

Influenster did it again! I was asked to participate in a review for Mary Kay. When I got word about this review I said, "Hells Yeah! Free Makeup!" I got the box a week later. If you haven't heard of Influenster, you should check them out. They offer members products to review and the more you do the better your products get. I really recommend it. This is what I received in my box this time:

Left to Right on bottom picture: Lipstick in Pink Cherie, Mascara (wish it was water proof), Purple taupe cream eyeshadow (really pretty), eye lash primer for mascaras, and a brush to use for the cream shadow (which also works great for concealer!)

Everything in the box looks so pretty and I loved it all. I haven't tried the shadow yet but will this weekend.


Disclaimer: These opinions are my own. Influenster has not paid me for my opinions.

The day my husband played barber.

Last weekend was a whirlwind. We had Mother's Day fiestas and a birth. We also had a birthday party that we were going to go to but there were last minute changes to our schedule. During the midst of our plans I had to squeeze in a hair cut for Michael. He was long over due. Hubby decided that he knew what he was doing and that he would do it. I sensed a bad idea. He has brought up the subject before, and each and every time I declined his offer to play Barber to Michael. Somehow this weekend he won. He sat Michael down in his Sesame Street Booster chair and played a video--you know, like they do at the kiddie salon to get the kid's mind off of the buzzer.

This is what the result of said hair cut:

This was the result of my son tossing and thrashing around not liking the idea of a hair cut. My husband gave up as to not cause further damage--and he had to go to work. Obviously I wasn't going to let it stay that way. Off to drop my husband off at work and then to the kiddie salon.

Obviously it was the little red fire engine and bell
that was missing from my husband's plan.

--------------------------------
and the end result?

Much, much, Mucho Better! Don't you think?

Moral of the story:

Don't ever let your spouse try to play Barber if the only head he has ever shaved is his.

My weekend with the Giraffes.

We've had a crazy couple of weeks around here, and it's not the last of it. I have a few work projects that will take over my life for the next couple of weeks, but it's okay--they are fun! Since crazy is the word around here and we had a break from it this past weekend, we decided to take Michael to the zoo.

But first, this is how my Sunday started:

Michael crawled into our bed during the wee hours of the night and when I awoke, this was my view.

He like to sleep in the "other" direction.

 We tried to interest him in the flamingos, but this giant snake slide seemed much more enticing.

The giraffes! 

Backstory: I have an affinity with Giraffes ever since I was in second grade. Our teacher each assigned us an animal to do a report on and I hated that I was given the Giraffe because you know, I wanted something cool like a Dolphin. Anyhoo, after learning about the Giraffes, I fell in love.  Fastforward--Michael did too.

During our trip at the Zoo, we learned about the upcoming Giraffe feeding at 2pm. You know we were there! So in line we waited.

Waiting to feed the Giraffes. Say "cheese!"

Our turn to feed the Giraffes. We each received two pieces of romaine lettuce to give them. Their tongues are long!

Hello my beautiful friend!

Michael's turn to feed his new favorite animal. He was scared at first and threw the first piece of lettuce. When we gave them the second piece--well you can see his face. Loved it!
---
...and that was our Sunday. It was hot! So we came home and just lounged until it was time for dinner at my in-laws.

But not before leaving you with this:

Michael woke up throwing up phlegm and so it was a snuggles and tv watching kind of day.

I think he's playing me for a fool. Does he look sick to you?

Giraffe Fun Facts:

Their heart is 2 feet long and weighs about 25 pounds

Ancient Romans and Greeks thought that the Giraffe was a mix between a camel and a leopard. This is where their scientific Genus name of "camelopardalis" comes from.

Mom Giraffes form a type of daycare for their young. One of the females in the heard will stay behind and baby sits all of the youngsters while the rest of the females go out foraging for food.

Happy Birthday Little Man + Throwback Thursday

Today is Throwback Thursday. Very appropriate since today is also a very special day for us--Michael turns two. What a great way to showcase his birthday than doing some mini flashbacks?! Yes, you read that right, he turns two today. I officially have a toddler who is two. Whoa! It still has not sunk in fully and I'm still trying to digest that idea. We aren't doing anything extravagant today since it's a weekday and we both work. Plus his party is set for Saturday, which means we get him to ourselves and it's also haircut time!

From my last few days of being preggo to Michael at the age of  4 months old.

Michael at his first birthday party.

 

These last two are his most recent (mainly the one with glasses.)

We try! I promise.

When Stevan and I decided to get pregnant, we knew life was going to change—dramatically for us. Our friends were going to change, our interactions with people were going to change, our plans were going to change. So far, everything has been true.

 

When we got pregnant, things starting changing a little bit. I couldn’t drink and enjoy some down time with my friends. Which was okay, it was for my baby. Then we had our little Michael and that’s when everything changed completely. Everyone loved him, but our circle of friends weren’t around as usual anymore. Maybe they wanted to give us the privacy and time to adjust to a newborn. Maybe. All I know is that life changed. We don’t regret taking this path at all—how can you? Especially when he grabs your face, makes the Mmmm sound and gives you a kiss on the lips. But I do admit that I miss those friends.

 

This past weekend was evident of how much life has changed since we became parents. We visited some friends who recently just got engaged and although they are just starting their lives together, we are still on separate lines of life. Being the only parents in your circle of friends is hard. We thought we had our bases covered in order to provide entertainment for Michael. We were wrong. All the toys, snacks, and even the tablet couldn’t hold his attention for too long—he wanted their cat’s food dish and water bowl to play with. It was embarrassing having to clean up the mess several times.

 

How do you do it? How do you handle situations like that?

 

On the bright side: We took Michael to the Train Expo earlier this weekend for him to see Thomas the Tank Engine. So I know we are good parents—some of the times. Ha ha!

 

 

 

I'm chicken

I have to make a phone call which has me on edge today. I chickened out and emailed them instead. Usually I'll face this problem head on and just call to explain things or whatever, but not this time.

For quite some time I knew in my heart that Michael had a speech delay. He isn't stringing words together to make sentences like he should. He won't even use words correctly. I know he can too! For instance, when we decided to wean him from the bottle, he cried out "Leche" which means Milk in Spanish. So I know he knows what it is even though we correct him many times. He still insists on using "Vava" for Water/fluids. Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Milk, and Water are all "Vava." It hurts knowing he isn't on track and even though Stevan is in denial, it's up to me to get this corrected. Today I emailed Early Start. It's a program that helps infants and toddlers reach milestones if they are delayed--in other words, Michael has a speech delay. I know he can learn and can talk because he knows the WHOLE alphabet by sight, sings them, and can say them. He's smart, I just don't understand why he won't talk more than he is.

So here we go. I'm going to wait for a response to that email. If I don't get one by tomorrow morning, I'm calling.

…and the tree was happy.

As I cuddle with you for your daily nap, my heart starts to tell me to cherish these little moments. I’m going to miss holding you like I am doing so now. Holding your hand as you doze off while still in my arms will now just be a distant memory. Lately as I look through my Instagram pictures of you, I sigh because one day that is all I will have of your childhood. Now you are nearing your second birthday and it baffles me how quickly that time has passed.

 

 

April is nearing and chaos has once again creeped in into our home with plans for your birthday. The theme is set and details are starting to come about. Your birthday is a reminder to us of what our love has brought forth—you. 

 

As I await for you to wake up from your nap, I eagerly walk towards the hallway where I meet you each time. Once you emerge from your very own bedroom you run up to “Mami!” and give me a tight hug all while your little smiley face is burned into my memory. Those are the routines I always look forward to.

 

 

 

 

 

“and she loved a little boy very much

ever more than she loved herself.”

-- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Midnight runs to the ER

Every where on the news we have heard that this Winter's Flu is a strong one. Advisories are every where for wee ones, pregnant women, and the elderly to get the flu shot. Unfortunately, the flu shot isn't quite helpful with all the different strains of flu that are floating around. This is all so true for us.

Last night at about 10pm we ended up taking Michael to the emergency room. He had been sick for only a few days and ever since Tuesday, his fever would not let up. It came back each and every time clinging on to my little boy. 102.8 read our thermometer. We decided to call the advice nurse and she, like most, advised us to check the following:

-Fever higher than 101? Check!
-Flushed cheeks? Check!
-Not taking any liquids? Check!
-Dry diapers? Check!

So in we went. Poor little guy was not having it. It broke our hearts to see him getting poked and prodded. The staff at UC Davis Medical Center were really great. They attended to him as if he were the only one there. They brought him juice in his own sippy cup, toys for him to keep and play. They even put in some dvds (Berenstein Bears!) for him to perk up a bit. Although he wasn't having it, it was nice to feel the support. After four hours of being at the hospital we were sent home. They wanted to make sure that he had taken in all of the IV fluid. Which he did, slowly but surely he did. Time to sleep!

Once at home, and after tucking Michael in, we get a phone call from the UC Davis staff. His white blood cells were abnormally high and he needed to come in ASAP. We told him that we just tucked him in but that if it was urgent we would. They said to let him sleep if he was already in bed since he needs that sleep but to come in at 9am. Surely at nine in the morning, we were there. Just as quickly as the morning sun rose, we were whisked inside. They took his vitals once more and set him up. Again the hospitality was rather welcoming. After giving us the details of his lab tests, we waited for the antibiotics to help his blood cells fight the infection he had inside.

Now we are home and will start the routine of Motrin and Tylenol until Monday's follow up appointment. My Michael. My dear sweet little boy, I hope you start to feel better and start to be your Michael self again. I don't regret taking you in to the ER despite the many hours of sleep lost. It's all "por tu bien." (All for your own good.)