Memorable Weekend!

I love when Trevor does his "rock star" face!
Brady was rolling around and yelling "Jeana, look at me" - so cute!
Aaaaawwwwweee! Bean and Aubrey! Bean is going for a frenchy!
Me and my Bean!

Ruby at the beach!

First, let me start with the best news... Ruby went pee-pee in her potty on Friday night. The way we reacted you would have thought the circus was coming to town. She just said it hurt and at "itched". I told her to sit on her potty and a few seconds later she was done! We are so proud of her. Angie was right, it is just one of those things you can't MAKE your kids do. We had no luck on Saturday, however, yesterday she went again, plus we give her a quarter:))). Kelly came over Friday night to work on Bridal Shower things and Saturday was Trevor's birthday party. Everyone had so much fun, the food was great, and Trevor got a ton of presents - much to Kim's dismay(and if your a mom, you understand that one: it's not that we are ungrateful - we are sooo appreciative of peoples love and generosity, it just is overwhelming to think of where to put all the new toys, but Trevor's continuous smile was priceless!) Sunday after I put Abby down for her nap, I took Ruby and my Mom & Dad to Seal Beach. I hadn't been in a long time and was craving the smell of the ocean and Nick's. It was so beautiful and Nick's, of coarse, was delicious! After playing on the playground for an hour, I walked Ruby down to the water to look for seashells and watch the waves. It is amazing to think I could give Ruby all the toys in the world, yet nothing compares to the joy and wonderment she has at the beach. I love watching her explore and I felt so guilty that Abby was at home sleeping while we were out having fun:(. After shopping at Trader Joes, we went home and Ruby fell asleep in the car. Abby woke up 15 minutes before I got home. I put Ruby to bed and took Abby out to run errands and order Ruby's furniture. It won't be delivered until May 5 and a whole new adventure will begin - a big girl bed!!! We ended the night with an easy dinner - spaghetti, and I finished all the Bridal Shower favors! I got a good night sleep and woke up smiling because the weekend was so good! Back to work...

We'll Try Anything!

Yes... the potty is in the living room.
PLEASE GO!
Ruby on her big wheel.
Abby in the front yard.

So it has been 2 weeks from yesterday that we have been working with Ruby and her Potty Training. Every day when I get home from work I put her in her "big girl" undies. On the weekends, unless we aren't home, she is in her undies. She has held her pee for up to 5 HOURS! She has only had one real accident(pee, thank god). I have reached the point that I will try anything!! So I had the idea to put the potty in the living room in front of the boob tube. I was hoping she would forget and just let go. She sat there in total for ~40 minutes... and still NO PEE or POOP! For the love of mankind, why won't this child go!!! I like to pee! Daddy likes to pee! We have potty videos & potty books. We have tried every reward possible. She keeps complaining that her tummy hurts... should we stop? I told myself we aren't giving up this time! On a brighter note, I am so happy about the time change and good weather. I get home from work at 4:15, and the whole winter I would get the girls and shuffle inside for the evening. Now, we stay outside and play, water plants, kick balls, ride bikes, etc. Both my girls love being outdoors... almost to the point that if we are in for the night I have to close the door because Abby will stand at the door and cry, then turn and look at me with this pathetic look, like"why are you keeping me hostage in this house".

Easter Weekend Fun!

Notice: all the big kids are in the baby pool and Abby is in the big pool... silly kids:)
My little dare-devil!
Ruby LOVES chocolate!
Silly Abby looking for Easter Eggs.

Ruby helped me make strawberry-rhubarb pie... she loves to help me cook:)

We had another tail-spinning weekend. I keep telling myself that we need to slow down, but that's so boring. The weather was so beautiful we actually pulled the pools out and Kim and the kids came over Friday after work. They get so worn out and other than me worrying about Abby drowning or jumping off the table, it is a relaxing time. Saturday morning we met at San Martin(the pumpkin park). We decided we needed a change of scenery. Abby fell asleep in the swing, sweet girly. She was so tired from walking in the sand and climbing all over the park equipment. At 12:45 I had a massage at The Young's house. This lady comes every several weeks and Kelly bought me an hour for Christmas. It was AWESOME! However, I slept the entire last 30 minutes! I was so dead asleep that I was snoring. When she woke me up it took me a minute to figure out where the heck I was. The scary part: she was massaging me for 1/2 hour and I was sound asleep. A person was rubbing their hands all over me... that's creepy... good thing the Young's knew her:). That evening my mom, bless her heart, offered to watch the girls. Usually I wait to leave until after the girls go to bed (that way they never know I'm gone:)). The down side is that we don't go to dinner until 8:30 or so. Instead, we left around 6:00 and walked to Chili's!! The walk was so nice and we got to sit and watch the entire UCLA game! Easter morning the girl's were so cute! Ruby loved her basket full of treats! My mom was having dinner after the girls naps, so we spent the day playing outside in their new pool - thank you nana - and cooking a strawberry-rhubarb pie. It was easy and delicious and Ruby is such a good little helper. We also planted a bunch of seeds in the garden and pots: sunflower, beans, and a different kind of heirloom tomato. I have to keep planting to keep up with how many flowers Abby picks and eats. When Ruby took a nap, I brought Abby over to Kim's to bring treats, drop off more baby gear for Kevin and Sarah, and to finally meet little Addison. She is so beautiful and sweet. I got to hold her for about 45 minutes and I could have melted just by the scent of her. Abby was a tad jealous:). She is truly a slice of heaven. Dinner was delicious and Grammy came over, too. We did the egg hunt after dinner and, as usual, Abby spent more time eating flowers than finding eggs:) We ended the night with me giving Anthony a foot spa... I know you are thinking a WHAT??? It actually was fun, Anthony laughed like little girl because it tickled, and he has thanked me several times for his "soft feet"... the things we women do for a little gratitude and it's worth it!

Basketball Games & the Park!

A cheesy smile from Daddy's #1 Fan
Anthony and his big girl!
Trevor & Ruby
Don & Trevor

Bean Bean at the Park!

We have had a great couple of days! On Tuesday we (me, & my girls and Kim and her kids) went to see there Daddies play basketball. They were ALL soo good!!(unfortunately a rare occasion... you feel like you've won the lottery) Ruby and Trevor were so excited watching them go up and down the court. They both kept yelling "Hi Daddy!" and "Nice Shot!". Ruby told me "Daddy is running really fast!" It was a great game, too. They played the #1 team and beat them in overtime with an almost half-court shot! After the game Anthony was holding Ruby and she patted his back and said "Daddy, I'm so proud of you"... we both melted. Wednesday I met Kim and Kelly at the park for a play-date. With Abby only wanting to walk now, the park, in a way, is getting easier. The pro: I don't have to hold her most of the time. The con: she wants to eat everything in site and she doesn't discriminate: sand, trash, leaves...geez! It was the first time she just roamed around the park by herself. She definitely is a "get right in the middle of the crowd" kind of kid. It is so fun to see her explore. Last night I went to Kim's to hang out and you are probably thinking "is there ever a day when you don't get together?". The truth of the matter is that both Kim and I are get out of the house kind of mom's. As a general rule, getting home from work and staying couped up in the house until bed time is boring for the kids and boring for the parents. I'm so glad it is the weekend... more adventures ahead!

More Pictures...

Shannon and Kyla
The Allen's
Anthony and Trevor singing Twinkle Twinkle with an audiance.
Jade in the bouncer.

Ruby, Aubrey, Brady, T.T. and Kim Sunday at the Irvine Park Railroad Easter Extravaganza! Trevor and Abby must be out collecting more Eggs:).

Happy Birthday Bean-Bean!

Abby in the bounce house!
Abby's best friend T.T. on the bounce house
Not quite sure!

Daddy, Mommy, Ruby, & Abby
Too much frosting!!!



I wanted to write on her actual birthday... March 15, but the day/weekend was so busy. Abby, I love you so very much. I am so blessed to have such a loving, silly, adventurous daughter like you. You are growing up too fast and I can't hold on to your baby days tight enough. My birthday wish for you is that your Daddy and I can give you a childhood that is full of love, that makes you feel special, and that nurtures you enough to feel safe at home and away from home. We are so lucky to be your parents and your sister adores you, too. And yes, I will be singing "Tick-Tock, my Pudding-Pop!" to you for the rest of my life... sorry!:)

Back to details, first I wish they let me add more pictures, but I was maxed out. We had so much fun for Abby's Birthday Party! We had so many friends, kids, and family over to celebrate. It is times like these that you realize how very lucky you are/I am. The stress of having a party I could do without... even the best laid plans never go as they should. However, it was all well worth it. Everyone had a blast! Abby got tons of gifts - THANK YOU EVERYONE, YOU WERE WAY TOO GENEROUS! She didn't quite get the opening of gifts, but Trevor helped her out while I tried to keep paper out of her mouth. My mom bought her a big cake to set on her tray. She had no problem diving in, squishing it in her hands, and making a mess. Anthony thought it was time for her to actually taste it, so he put a swish of frosting on his finger and then in her mouth: MISTAKE. Within seconds she was vomiting all over the place (I had just fed her vegetables and turkey). My mom, thank you, got her undressed and into the bath, Kim lit a candle(it really smelled bad), and I assured everyone that she was fine. My kids are pukers(not sure if thats a word, but thats what they are). If Ruby has a bite larger than a nickel - watch out! We ended the night with Anthony and Trevor jamming to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "ABCD's". It was so stinking darling. T.T. even chimed in with her own version. Thank you to everyone who helped and joined in on Bean's special day... I can't believe I have a one and two year old!!! P.S. Happy Birthday Trevor! We love you very much and can't believe you're 3!!!! We'll see you tonight to celebrate!

Bath Time!

Bath time at our house is crazy. Abby splashes like a tornado and I can't explain to Ruby why she can't splash. I must admit, it is pretty funny to witness, however, I get drenched from head to toe and the bathroom gets flooded. In fact, I think I have only mopped a handful of times in the bathroom because I clean the floor every night. At least I don't have to battle Ruby's hair anymore... it is beyond wonderful! Yesterday I got home from work at 4:45, put Ruby in her panties, and started her routine. She helped me in the backyard with gardening, which we love to do together. I have always wanted a house with fruit trees, so I bought (all dwarf) a mandarin tree, an apple tree, and a peach tree!!! I also planted heirloom tomatoes and 2 kinds of green beans. I know Kim, your probably thinking how dumb... :). Ruby went to bed at 8:30 and never went potty in her panties or in the toilet. I am sure we will be at the hospital soon with a bladder infection. She had 2 sippy cups of milk and a glass of water between 5 and 8:30. Go figure!

Potty Training is Hard

For the last three days we have been giving potty training 100% effort. As soon as I get home from work I put her in her "big girl" underwear. She stays in them until right before she goes to bed. We do a 5 minute on the potty, 10-15 off. Yesterday I was home with her all day. As soon as she woke up, she went in her underwear. By noon she still HADN'T GONE PEE!!!! I put her on the potty from 12:00 to 12:15. We read books, sing songs, count, etc. She is sweet and happy, but if I mention the potty or trying to pee, she gets scared and upset. She tells me it's too hard. At 12:15 I gave up. Not even one minute later she is standing in the living room with a horrified look and was shaking, she was saying "no,no,no". She went pee in her undies. She understands the concept, hates being wet, and almost seems ashamed - which I don't want. I felt so bad for her. How does a child who drinks milk and water all day long hold her pee for 5 hours. She is going to get a bladder infection. We don't yell at her or tell her anything negative. We only praise her for trying(no reward for trying) and tell her she will get a reward when she goes. We have tried the little potty - which she hates because she thinks it's for babies. After her nap yesterday she was back in her undies. She went to bed at 8:30 and never went pee in the potty or in her undies. We'll continue to try, but does anyone have any advise???? I'm not giving up this time, but how do I get her to not be scared??

Update

After spending 3 hours at Kaiser, I found out that Abby has a bad ear infection, she has a bad cold that is in her nose, eyes and chest. To top if off, she has a yeast infection. Now we are on a three times a day routine with antibiotics, eye drops, Tylenol, and cream. She looks so sad and I feel bad about being so frustrated with her the other night. She had no symptoms, though. I got the dreaded call at work..."Abby is sick, you need to come home". Today I am home with the girls and Ruby is starting to show the early signs (whining and nasal). And Shannon, your right, at least it's not Friday or Saturday!

P.S.

My mom just called... Abby is sick. Of coarse, it's her birthday this weekend. I hear it is supposed to rain and the birthday girl is sick. I just got a same day appointment at 2:30 with a nurse. She doesn't have a fever, just a ton of congestion in her eyes and nose. This has got to be her 13th cold/congestion since she was born. Ruby was never this sick! I'm leaving work, I don't get paid when I'm not here, and I'm tired, and I don't want to go sit at Kaiser for 2 hours! Help!

I need a nap!

Last night we tried really hard with Ruby to potty train. We took turns bringing her to the bathroom to sit on the potty. It was about 10 minutes on and 5 off. We told her she couldn't wear a diaper until she went to bed. At times she would do variations of a potty dance, we'd rush her to the bathroom, but NOOO PEE. At about 7:45 my mom stopped by and Ruby told her that her tummy hurt. Actually, no, that's not your tummy. That's your bladder and you are going to give yourself an infection if you don't go pee in the toilet. We stayed positive. However, no more chocolate, quarters, stickers for trying. Only if she goes, but that is not a concept she is getting or is eager to accomplish! Tonight we'll try again. After getting Ruby to bed at 8:45(because of the time change), I caught up on Lost. I was 2 weeks behind and didn't want to be 3 weeks behind. I watched both and crawled into bed at 10:30. I fell asleep at 11:00(I'm not a good sleeper). Anthony fell asleep on the couch at 9:30 and I just left him there. At 2:30 he came to bed and I heard Abby crying. Seriously! I let her whimper for 20 minutes and gave up. I got out of bed to make her a bottle, but when I got to the kitchen, she had stopped crying. I went back to bed and was asleep by 3:00am. At 4:30am Abby was crying again. This time it wasn't a whimper, it was a "I'm not messing around, get me out of bed and feed me a bottle right now!" kind of cry. I fed her in the dark and laid her back down. She cried from 4:50 to 5:05, I got her back up for fear she would wake Ruby, and rocked and bounced her back to sleep. 5:20 I attempted to put her in bed and the minute her butt hit the mattress she flipped herself over. I walked out and let her cry another 15 minutes. 5:35 I got her back out. I rocked and bounced her back to sleep and tried to gently lay down on the couch with her. She woke up and baby babbled & clapped. I kept my eyes closed, thinking somehow she would get the fact that she should be SLEEPING!!!! At 6:15 I gave up. I turned on a light, pulled out some toys, turned on Noggin, and made her another bottle. Did I mention that the entire time I could hear Anthony snoring in the bedroom?? Kelly, help me out with the math: If a person slept from 11:00pm to 2:30 am, then from 3:00am to 4:30am... how much sleep is that? Whatever it is, don't cross my path today, I may go psycho on you!

Weekend Fun!

I really am a lucky girl. I have a great family and the best of friends. We get together all the time and both the kids and adults have a great time. Friday night Kim, Kelly and the kids came over - I think, if i can remember that far back:)! Saturday morning we went to visit our friend Shannon and her 3 kids at their new(very kid friendly) house. In total... 9 kids from ages 11 months to 3!!! Everyone had so much fun exploring new toys, swinging on the set, and going down a big slide! Shannon was so sweet... she had fruit, muffins, and best of all... mimosa's! While Kim, Kelly, Ang, Shannon and I chatted about our hectic life, the kids burned a bunch of energy which actually payed off with good naps - including me. Saturday night Anthony and I got to catch up on Tivo and relax on the couch - it was a really good date:)! Sunday morning Kim and Kelly and the kids came over(for those of you that don't know, Don-Kim's husband-works the graveyard and Kim is sweet enough to make sure she is gone all morning so he can sleep). We usually go to Del Valle, but it was gloomy, so we stayed at my house. We had a really good time, until Abby vomited all over me - my face, my shirt, my pants. I almost yacked myself, but Kim quickly got me some water, Anthony grabbed Abby, and I got in the shower. I cursed at Kim that she better not take picture! Motherhood is so precious! After naps we headed over to Kim's for pool time. It was beautiful out. Between Trevor, T.T., and Ruby - they must have gone down the slide 30 time. Trevor - probably 60. He wore himself out so bad that he passed out on the couch with 3 kids yapping loudly by him. And seriously, Abby has to have a sore throat from laughing so much - that's her in the video. She refused to stay in the baby pool Kim set up. She wanted to be right in the middle of the rest of the clan. She got taken out a few times, went under once, and down the slide twice. She is so funny and so tough. I think that's what happens to the second child - they have to be tough to survive. With Ruby, she cries if she is crowded too much. She's a doll, but she's a wimp! It is amazing how different your children can be!!! p.s. it's not letting me add any pictures, so I'll add them later.

Way to Old!

Last night we went to see the Foo Fighters play with Kelly and Greg. They were beyond awesome. We had great seats and they played all their hits and then some. Actually, I think they played every song on every album. At some point I was telling myself "Are they really going to sing another song?". Back in "the day", I was pissed when they stopped playing. I was the one screaming "Encore!". Last night I was so tired I was secretly praying for it to end. Put me out of my misery. All I kept thinking was that one of the gilr's is going to wake up. Anthony was annoyed that I was so tired, but I just felt like a zombie. I just don't have the stamina. I love concerts. I enjoy all types of music... I just don't know if I can hang much longer. We got home a little after 1:00am and I was awake, kinda, before6:00am. On top of drinking and not eating dinner... I can't believe I can read or write today. The girls cooperated, bless their souls. They both woke up after 6:00, so I got a solid 5 hours and made it to work almost on time. I felt a little better when I talked to Kelly this morning and she was miserably tired, too :). P.S. When is our next concert? I'm a glutton for punishment!

I don't want to jinx myself, but...

My girls are absolute angels. The last two nights/mornings they have totally cooperated, i.e. going to bed early and waking up later! To top it off, they have been so sweet. Don't get me wrong, they are still total mama's girls, but I can't tell you how great they have been. Ruby even ate like a pig at dinner last night!!! Usually I can barely get her to eat a cracker by herself. Last night she ate a cheeseburger and some pasta. At one point she dropped some food on the table and could not pick it up with her hands, so she leaned over and ate it off the table! I know this is something that sounds gross, but if you know Ruby's eating habits, I'd let her eat off the sidewalk. Then there is my doll baby Abby. To back-track(especially for you, Azure:)), we did Babywise with Ruby. Between the stress of the first child, following the eating and sleeping guidelines... it was hard and a lot to live up to. With Abby, we feed her when she is hungry(as much as she wants) and put her to bed when she is tired. It has been so much easier and way less stressful. The one mistake we made, and I really do think it is a no-no, is putting Abby to bed with a bottle. It wasn't even really a decision or a conscious choice, it just kinda happened when she was about 5 months old. Bottom line, it was easy and it worked. She is 11 months old now, so last night I decided we shouldn't do it anymore. I put her to be a little before 8:00pm, she whimpered for maybe 3 minutes, then slept until 7:00am. No problem! I love my girls so much I can't stand it. P.S. we are going to the Foo Fighters tonight, I can almost guarantee that one or both will be up at 3:00 in the morning and tomorrow I'll be posting some bitter, tired message!!!

Bachelorette Weekend!

Me, Jess, & Mom at our "Villa"
Jess & Danielle on the Grapeline
Rarrr! The girl's at Cougar Winery!
Sharon, Holly, & Lori... Oooo La-La!

Jess & Kelly

What a weekend! I was sooo upset about leaving the girls, but got in a really good bathroom cry before we left. We left my house at 1:00 with me, Jess, Kelly, mom, and Aunt Lori. We arrived at S.C. Winery and Resort and started wine tasting before we even went to our room. The resort was beautiful... vineyards, rolling hills, orange groves... it was so picturesque. We went to a great dinner that night after Sharon and Holly met us. After dinner we went to a local bar/club. Between biker guys and dikes(not to affend anyone, but you really had to see these people) to swingers to so-called transexuals, we had some seriously good people watching. After draging Aunt Sharon off stage, we got back to our room around 2:00am. Up at 8:00 to get ready for wine tasting. Everyone that lives around here needs to go. We used the Grapeline shuttle and had the best tour guide. He knew the owners or caretakers at 3 of the 4 wineries, so got special treatment and it was fabulous. My sister had a great time. She was so thankful and appriciative that it made me wish I could have done more. She left last night, boo, but will be back April 4th for her shower that weekend... round 2!!!! And sorry, I can't be witty or funny today. We had a bunch of people over last night to see my sis. We had a ton of fun, but I stayed up till 10:00pm cleaning and organizing my goodies from the weekend. And then, OF COARSE, I was up with my porky pig Abby from 3:30 to 5:30. She is torturing for leaving for the weekend. I did squeeze in a 20 minute nap before Ruby woke up, I guess I should be grateful - NAHH. Thanks to everyone who came and my my sisters weekend so special!