Incase you've ever wondered but didn't know

Okay so I was blog surfing as I was sitting here eating my dinner and on a blog that I came across from a comment of a blog that I regularly read (hope you followed all that) I read 100 things about a person I've never even met (and probably never will) anyways I thought hmmm I wonder if I could think of 100 interesting things about my life (you'll have to forgive me if some of them are Obvious and not so interesting)! So here it goes.

1.) I was born September 26, 1979. Which makes me a Libra who is currently 27 years old

2.) My mom's name is Viva Marie Bessie; her maiden Last name was Ostberg

3.) My dad's name is Lance Richard Martin

4.) In December (2007) my parent's will celebrate there 30th Wedding anniversary!

5.) I have only one Sister Nichole Dyann who is 14 months younger than me.

6.) My middle name is Deanne, and I like it a lot.

7.) I still have one set of Great-Grandparents, which means that my children have great-great grandparents. There Names are Lil and Sam Digifford.

8.) The first time I can remember experiencing death was when I was 13 years old, in 8th grade and My Great-grandma Sylvia passed away; that also is the first time I can recall seeing my dad cry!

9.) I never wanted any other siblings, and never longed for a brother.

10.) Now that I see the amazing relationship between my daughter and her brother, I sorta wish I had a brother!

11.) Of Course I'm also saddened that my daughter will never have a sister (that's closer to age than 15 years older).

12.) I grew up in Jamul, born and raised; my parents still live in the house that my father (with some assistance) built when I was 7.

13.) As a child I took Dance classes, played soccer, did Gymnastics, I was a cheerleader and swam competitively.

14.)Once I entered High School the only two I pursued were Gymnastics and Cheerleading.

15.) Growing up I always imagined I'd become a teacher.

16.) I have my BA in English Literature from SDSU as I was going to achieve my previous goal. I do not want to be a teacher, I decided it just wasn't for me.

17.) I babysat a lot in High School, and always knew I wanted children!

18.) I never imagined my daughter would be such a clone of me; not only in looks, but also in personality. (my poor mother)

19.) I was a vegetarian for a while, when I became pregnant with Nathalie I craved MEAT and I've just not made it back to being meat free again.

20.) When I was 14 we had a foreign exchange student from Belgium named Nathalie, she is where I fell in love with the name and spelling of my daughters name. Nathalie's middle name is Nichole after her auntie (my sister).

21.) I went to Europe (Switzerland, Holland, and England) when I was 10 for 3 weeks with my Grandmother (on my dad's side).

22.) I love to cook, but despise the mess that's left afterwards!

23.) My favorite Non-Alcoholic drink is Diet Pepsi.

24.) My favorite Alcoholic drink is Rum and coke or a Daiquiri.

25.) I have worked in Pharmacy for 10 years!

26.) I met my husband while working for Rite Aid in Hillcrest.

27.) The age difference between my husband and I is 16 years and 8 months

28.) I am starting school again; I want to be a pharmacist!

29.) I LOVE dark Chocolate and don't honestly believe there is a better invention on Earth!

30.)I love to shop (although I have really been trying not to lately)

31.)I would love to have a maid.

32.)I am only 5'3" and Nathalie is estimated to be 5'9", I think its crazy that they can guess at stuff like this.

33.)I am not shy. Like I said my daughter is my clone, would any of you call her shy? Ha!

34.)My favorite food is a tie between homemade lasagna and homemade Enchiladas!

35.) My husband's full name is Samuel Charles Long, He was named after both of his grandfathers!

36.) We considered naming William after both of his grandfathers, but then his Name would have been Lance Richard, we decided against this, due to #3 on my list. and instead decided that Richard as a middle name would suffice to represent both of his grandfathers!

37.) I love to read, but don't do it often enough.

38.) I also love to watch TV!

39.) my eyes are brown.

40.) on a daily basis I find myself amazed that I have 2 children that look and act so differently yet so much the same.

41.) I wish that I had more patience with my children and husband and often feel regret when I loose it with either of them.

42.) I greatly dislike going to the dentist, and so far I've been twice this month.

43.) I love flying on Airplanes; my husband hates it.

44.) I have found that I frequently give too much of myself to others.

45.) I often feel out of place amongst people.

46.) I regret mistakes that I have made, one of which cost me my best friend from High School.

47.) If William had been a girl his name would have been Lillian Kay after my Great Grandmother and my sister in law

48.) If Nathalie had been a boy her name was going to be Ian Richard, funny that Ian wasn't even discussed when we discovered William was a boy.

49.) If I ever had another baby (we won't as Sam had a Vasectomy) I love the name Jeremiah Charles for a boy and Brooklyn Kay for a girl; maybe I'll once have grand kids with those names.

50.) Theoretically I could be a grandma right now as my oldest step daughter is 18, thank goodness she's smarter than that and knows that its not a time for kids in her life (other than her baby brother and sister of course)!

51.) My step-daughters names are Jocelyn Celeste and Briana Chelsea; they are 18 and 15 and I miss them terribly.

52.) My favorite number, since about the age of 14 has been 52, because there are 52 weeks in the year.

53.) All 4 of my husband's children have middle names that are 7 letters long:
Celeste; Chelsea; Nichole and Richard! and it wasn't planned, it just happened!

54.)I would love to be a surrogate mother, but I don't think I ever will.

55.)I prefer dogs over cats 10 fold!

56.)My first job was at Dairy Queen.

57.)I have never been one to require a lot of sleep

58.)I have never been on a cruise and have always wanted to go on one, specifically to Alaska!

59.) My husband who has lived in San Diego for 25 years has never been to Las Vegas, I can't believe it; lol!

60.)It may be a bad thing, but I'm really not a germaphobe.

61.)I absolutely loved being pregnant (both times) and everything about it!

62.)I hate dishes and dusting, but like doing laundry and cleaning the bathroom

63.)I probably let my kids watch too much television

64.)If I had one wish at this moment, I would wish for William to stop throwing things on the ground and putting everything in his mouth.

65.) I am thankful that I never had twins.

66.) I love nothing in this world more than I love my children (even if some days I have to remind myself of this over and over).

67.) I really don't care what people say about me, I just wish they'd say it to my face and not behind my back.

68.) I am so grateful at how easily my daughter shares with my son.

69.)I am scared of death and of losing those close to me.

70.)Lateness is something that I try at all costs to avoid, even as a mother of 2. sometimes I realize it is inevitable, but I try to never be late, especially to appointments.

71.)I am an emotional person; always have been, and most likely always will be.

72.)My entire life I have been told that I am loud in both polite and impolite manners.

73.)my personality "type" is ESFJ (Extrovert Sensing Feeling Judging)my percentages break down to me being 89% Extrovert (that's huge) oh and here are the detail of my results "very expressed extrovert,moderately expressed sensing personality,
distinctively expressed feeling personality,slightly expressed judging personality"

74.)My first car was a 1989 Hyundai excel hatch back, that my parents bought me for 250 dollars, my dad made the car run, even converted it from a manual transmission to an automatic. The day the car was towed to our house my sister teased me that there was a big red spray painted "ouch" on the driver door, and I believed her and cried and cried. It wasn't true.

75.) One of the things I admire most about my Dad is his handiness (especially now that I have found the true value in this).

76.) I admire my mom for being a SAHM until my sister and I were teenagers, and then don't blame her in the least for wanting to get out of the house then. lol

77.)I hope that my Son and I have as good of a relationship as my husband and his mom; and that my daughter and I have one like my mom and I.

78.) I at this moment have the hiccups. I never have liked them and have gotten them frequently throughout my life, it was the one thing I didn't like when I was pregnant.

79.) My favorite kind of shoes are flip flops although I prefer being barefoot. My son has inherited this and screams, cries and kicks anytime I try to put any shoes other than his Crocs

80.) My favorite season is Fall.

81.)I recycle

82.)sometimes I wish I could close my eyes and be another place where I'm not a mom or a wife. Don't get me wrong I would not change my life for anything, I'm just saying.

83.)I find it completely odd that I often have conversations with my 3 year old that are more meaningful than a lot of adult conversation I have been a part of (whether listening or talking).

84.) I am caught up in amazement by watching my children grow, at the rapidness that they learn things, in their quickness to heal from injury, in their acceleration to forgive; I wish that adults could be more like this.

85.) I truly believe there is no more an amazing moment in life than the first time your child tells you they love you and understands what it means.

86.) I laugh when I think about my life right after I had William, one day Sam came home from work too a complete disaster he asked, "what did you do all day?" Fast forward about 3 months when I returned to work, the first day I came home from work to him and the kids he said "I never again will ask you what you did in a day." That moment in time made me feel excellent; truly.

87.)I am going back to school on August 27th, to finish up my prerequisites for Pharmacy school; in about 2 years I will be in Pharmacy school and in around 6 years I will have my PHarmD and be a pharmacist.

88.) I love to write; stories, poems, thoughts, I would love to write a book, I don't know what about and I don't know if it would ever happen but I want to.

89.) I am spontaneous, my husband is not.

90.)I love grocery shopping, especially without Kids!

91.) I have always wanted a Volvo xc70; maybe when I finish school

92.)I hate diets, and wont go on one.

93.) I sometimes find myself wishing I had extra hours in the day or didn't need to sleep so that I could get more stuff done.

94.)I am a Christian, I believe in God, and Heaven; but do not believe in ghosts.

95.)I don't feel like I have a person in my life that I could call my best friend, I'm totally okay with that; I have always been a bit of an outsider, but that's what makes me who I am and I don't mind it.

96.) I graduated High School in 1997; I am not attending my 10 year reunion this year.

97.) I believe in 2nd chances.

98.) I believe in unconditional love.

99.)I am not a fan of President Bush (at all).

100.) My favorite color is Yellow.

William's words at almost 15 months!

William will be 15 months old on the 4th. I just thought I'd update with a few words/signs he is currently saying/using


Words: ma or muu for mama
daaadaaa for Dada
high pitched squeal....Nathalie (soooo appropriate)!
elllo for Hello (on telephone)
tiiicl tiiicl for tickle tickle

signs and speaks:
more (says mooo mooo) for more
Ball says baaa while signing for ball
up and says up for pick me up!
no only shakes head rapidly back and forth for no


I think thats about it!

Bunco

Tonight I got out of the house sans kids and husband to go play bunco with a bunch of fellow moms! It was such a blast I can not believe how much I enjoyed myself! Who ever knew that rolling dice could be so much fun! I had the most wins which allowed me to walk out with 40 more dollars than I walked in with *it was a 10 dollar buy in* Whats even stranger is that this is my 3rd post today! What am I going to do with the 40 dollars, well I'll give you one guess? Remember This post from earlier today?! I think I'm going to set aside that money towards the carrier!!!

a contest that I WOULD LOVE to win

5 minutes for mom is holding a contest to win $300 in Horizon Organic products and I really would LOVE to win so Im entering you can enter too.

Chinado baby carrier

I have found my next baby carrier, you can see it here, I want one; can I justify spending that much on a new carrier when my baby is already 14.5 months old, I think yes, because said baby loves to be worn; now can I convince dh, to bad by birthday is still 2 months away! I think I could wait 2 months!

Nathalie is going to school

A much debated topic I am quite aware! After much deliberation, Sam and I have decided to enroll Nathalie in Preschool! I must say that it helped me tremendously to read Sara's information on her daughters first day of school After much research and what seemed like countless (in reality it was only 3) visits we found a school that both she and we love! There are so many benefits to the school that we registered in. Most importantly it seems that they believe in a lot of the same philosophies we do as parents (educators). Although they provide snacks and lunch for the kids, we are welcome to provide our own (which I may or may not do, not sure yet)! They believe in gentle discipline (BIG ONE in my book). They are super close to our house, which I must admit factored in as well and have a completely open campus (which means we can visit whenever we or she wants). The preschool is called The Grey Rabbit which some of you may be familiar with *right across the street from Collier Park*. She will attend 3 days a week Mondays Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 until 4 (although the hours are quite flexible). She starts September 4th, 1 week after Mama goes back to school!! It will be so good for her (and allow me not only some alone time with William; but considering that William still naps, some study time.) She can't stop talking about the pet bunny they have named snowball (one of several small pets they have) or all the kids she saw and teachers she met! After visiting this morning she told me she wanted to go back (which was the first time out of the schools we saw that she said this) I think she may realize how close in proximity it is to our house and the park that we frequent so often and in her mind it must help her to realize that mama will always be close!

Does this really need any words?

Responsibility

This weeks theme at mama says om is responsibility! I haven't participated in one of their weekly themes in quite some while (read: slacker!) but as I read what they wanted out of "responsibility" I felt a sudden urge to write! They wrote "Tell us one story of how you were "responsible" during pregnancy and how you feel it set(s) you up for parenting." and as I read that line I somewhat chuckled to myself!

When I found out I was pregnant with Nathalie I was one month away from my 23rd birthday! I had just graduated college and her father and I were engaged but not yet married. Her father had just had two stints put in and nearly suffered a heart attack (BAD GENES). I did things that were bad for my body, I smoked cigarettes and drank) The first sacrifices I made for my daughter were giving up those two things. The sacrifices I've made since are countless! I couldn't believe that in 9 months I was going to be responsible for another human being! Fast forward 3 years, I am now a mother of 2, and the small sacrifices I made during immediate discovery of my pregnancy with Nathalie do not even come close to the amount of responsibility a mother has!

The responsibilities I have are countless, I have a responsibility to be a good mother to my children. I feel that I have a responsibility to show my daughter a positive female role model, as well as my son! I want my son to grow up to respect women as well as his father does. I want my daughter to grow up knowing that a woman can be anything she wants to be! I have a responsibility to be a strong, supportive, loving wife to my husband! I have a responsibility to be a hard worker both at home and at work! I have a responsibility to myself to finish my post baccalaureate studies, to earn my PHD in pharmacy and become Dr. Erika Long, this responsibility runs deep not only to fulfill my own heart but to help provide a good life for my children!

The responsibilites of life are endless, its an amazing thing motherhood, without it I wouldn't be who I am today! I love my life, my husband and my family and I am happy with the responsibilities set before me!

Absence, Life, and the future

So the last time I took my kids to playgroup was pre-Sam's surgery...it's been over 3 weeks. We were going to go on Monday when my transmission decided it wasn't such a good idea; and although I would LOVE to get a new(er) car Sam says we should wait until February or March, luckily my DAD can fix cars!!!! And he is coming to my rescue today (yet again; he just replaced my master cylinder on Saturday)and for the small price of 80 dollars my car (fingers crossed) should be up and running. I feel like a horrible mom but between his surgery and them getting sick yesterday really was the first time we would have been able to go, so I don't feel too bad after all, we won't make our Thursday playgroup this week either because I have to work and next Monday we have plans to go to the beach *but at least I'll be getting the kids out of the house* so hopefully they'll get to go to playgroup next Thursday!

Furthermore; I registered for school today! I'm going to start on 8-27 and will be taking Organic Chemistry plus Lab which is 5 units and Calculus which is 3. I am very satisfied with the schedule I got because I will have class M & W nights from about 530 to 1030 and Tuesdays from 6-10. During this semester I will be working Sundays and Wednesdays 8 hours each and thurs and fri nights. So if you've done the math my only day without work or school will be Saturdays. We are seriously considering part time preschool for Nathalie, she would attend Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and although I'm iffy about this, the school is walking distance from our house, and we are going to look at it on Thursday morning, Sam really wants me to have time to study and since William still naps at least I would get a little time to do that during the days Nathalie was (is) at school!

I want to be the best mom I can to my kids and I know that once I finish my PHD program in (fingers crossed again) roughly 6 years I can work less and make more! in 6 years I will be 34 and be the mother of a 9 and 7 year old; that is quite frightening to me. My husband will be 50 at that time and who knows if all goes well maybe he'll be ready to be a SAHD by then, he talks about it often and he would be a great SAHD; so we'll see!

Happy Saturday....Truly

Things are looking brighter here today!!!! William slept off and on between major cranky fits all day yesterday he probably took 4 naps 45 minutes to 1 hour in length!Last night San took him to bed with him at 8 and he didn't wake to nurse until 6 am; and I actually went to bed with Nathalie last night around 830 b/c I was sooo exhausted, so I got 9 full hours of sleep how exciting is that?!!!! I am very fortunate that Sam does all the middle of the night comforting at this point, and that now that William is feeling better he replies to it well! I was also excited that for two of William's naps yesterday I was able to lie him down on the bed and pat his back (he's a belly sleeper)for about 10 minutes or so to put him to sleep, it was the first time I've ever been able to have him nap after nursing rather than while nursing!

Nathalie and I made some delicious "zebra" brownies today as well as a fruit salad and some potato salad. Papa and Nana bbq'd dinner and although I skipped the meat (**I'm slowly phasing it out of my diet**) I truly enjoyed a meal of Fruit, Potato salad and corn on the cob!!!

KIDS

The exact conversation went something like this:

Me: "Nathalie please don't drink out of William's water cup, your both sick and I don't want each of you to get sicker"

Her: "we both alweady sick maaam"

Me: " I know sweetie but you guys are different kinds of sick"

Her: "Why?"

Which by the way is one of her most favorite questions of late!

sick kids!

William had a fever for about 4 days, followed by diarrhea and now a rash it appears that he has Roseola and although there is nothing I can do for it at least I know his constant scream crying and tiredness are explained! Nathalie threw up again 2 times the night before last with no apparent explanation! I've really had enough of the sickies at my house anyone want them next?

Good News

Nathalie has slept in Underwear the past 2 nights; no accidents; no more pull ups we are happy campers!

Let the fun begin

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law left to go home to Oregon today! I am sad that they had to leave; especially because I know longer have help with the recovering husband oh I mean with my kids! Sam has now broken out in hives over his entire body; I think its just stress, I really don't know what else it could be! He's actually returning to work on Monday, only to do paper work and office stuff, the Dr. said its fine as long as he DOES NOT USE HIS LEFT ARM (oh did I mention that he's left handed) but he can use his left hand so at least in immediate need he could sign his name! We have been doing physical therapy; not quite as frequently as they recommend but the pain this poor guy is in at some point enough is enough!

ON the kid front Nathalie woke up Monday morning around 7:30 and said "I'm gonna throw-up!" and she did all over our bed which she was in with Sam, but thankfully not all over Sam! She proceeded to throw up about two more times Monday morning, and then was seemingly fine for the rest of monday and all of Tuesday! Wednesday morning (the 4th) she woke up again around midnight(this time next to me on the air mattress) and said "I'm gonna throw-up" and she did; more than I ever imagined possible for such a little girl...She threw up only once more that day and now it seems to have left!

William has found new love for dancing this past couple of weeks and it is the most adorable thing I have ever seen! and he's discovered how to "jump" if you consider bending your knees and moving upwards (without your feet leaving the ground) with all of his might--jumping! But the excitment in his face when he "jumps" is amazing!

Well thats where we stand, slowly getting back into a normal routine!

14 months; update on Sam; and its the 4th of July

Today my dear son William is 14 months old and I can't believe it! it's gone by so fast, in the past 2 months he has turned into such a little boy and I start to wonder where my baby has gone! The words he's begun to speak in this past week beyond mama and dada are "pu pu" for up up when he's climbing up our stairs; "waaastha?" for What's that and my favorite is when he tries to have a conversation with you by saying "blah blah blah blah" His laughter brings a smile to my face and his smile melts my heart!


Onto my dear husband Sam! As if having surgery a week and a half ago wasn't enough, he now has shingles! He's doing okay considering but its been hard on all of us!

Happy 4th of July to everyone; we are heading out to my parents for a swim and bbq!

Uptate on Sam's Shoulder surgery

Surgery went well, it was long and hard on his body, but he is sleeping as we speak and seriously medicated, but neccissarily so! We arrived at Kaiser Zion yesterday at 8 am and got him checked in around 8 15. We entered into Pre-op around 9:15 and waited there for about 3 hours, as his Orthopedic surgeon was running about an hour behind! They took him away from me at around Noon and because the surgeon said that I could expect to be waiting for 3 to 3 and a half hours I left the hospital came home to check on the kids (which for the record were BOTH napping?!) made myself a sandwich and then drove back to the hospital. I arrived back at the hospital around 130, I signed into the surgical waiting room and waited....I tried to read, but couldn't focus, so I just waited. I talked to a few people, I met an amazing woman who had survived 2 types of cancer and was there supporting her friend! I talked to a man about the insane difference between girls and boys (as in little kids). Around 4:30 (4 and a half hours after I last saw Sam) I decided to check and he was still in surgery! I finally saw the surgeon around 6:00 PM and it turns out that the surgery was a little more invasive than we had planned and the surgeon needed to not only go in arthroscopically but also had to make a 3 inch incision in order to repair the bicep. I was told he'd be in recovery for about an hour and then I finally got to see him in Post op, he looked horrible and I'm sure he felt 10 times worse than he looked! Today has been a day of mostly sleep and a lot of medicine; he says he definitely wouldn't do it again! Keep us in your thoughts as the road will be slow and bumpy to recovery!

Legoland! In pictures, too tired for words right now!

It was lots of fun for everyone!

Sam's shoulder surgery

so Sam's surgery is on Monday and I figure now is as good a time as any to explain the extensiveness of his injury. His orthopedic surgeon will be Dr. Samuel Park, who seems like a nice enough guy, and if anything, Sam likes his name; ha! Anyways, Sam's shoulder is classified as Chronic pain, and the surgeon said, he's never seen a shoulder in quite as bad condition (Gee, that's reassuring). Sam has 5 things that they are going to attempt to repair in a Surgery that wil take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. Dr.Park is going to attempt to do the entire surgery arthroscopically, but is prepared to "cut him open" if need be! We are truly hoping for the arthroscopic route as both the pain and healing time are much less! The first injury that requires repair, is Sam's Rotator cuff Which has a complete tear on 75% of it, and a partial tear on the other 25%. Also Sam has a bone spur in the rotator cuff that will be removed. The next injury is his bicep and although this website shows scars at the elbow Dr. Park will be doing this from the shoulder,he will cut and reattach the bicep (doesn't this sound fun?) The 4th thing requiring attention is a growth of arthritis on Sam's clavicle they will fix this through a technique called subacromial smoothing. Finally, on the back side of Sam's shouder are several tear in his labral tendon's which the doctor is going to "clean up" while he's in there! So there you have it! There is some good news in all of this, first and foremost Sam will no longer be in chronic pain! Also My mother in law and Sister in law arrive on Saturday to help me with the kids and hubby for 2 weeks!

Busy weeks ahead....

Today Nathalie and I spent the day cleaning and organizing her bedroom! We are so excited that her Daddy's Mom and Sister will be here at the end of the week! Sam is due to have major shoulder surgery 1 week from today; I am anxious (but don't tell him that, I am nervous (but don't mention that to him either); I am sure that this is the best decision for his health and well being. I am sure that this is going to help him tremendosly escape from the chronic pain he suffers on a daily basis! Tonight I have to work from 6 to 10; tomorrow I have to work from 9 to 6, and then we are going to make a trip to costco to stock up for the visit; Wednesday will be time to get back on the cleaning track! Wednesday night, I start my Summer school class; Calculus, now don't get too jealous! Thursday My mom and I are taking the kids to Legoland for the first time, which was planned before I knew my in-laws would be coming 2 days later! Friday will be more cleaning, and I work in the evening and then Saturday we'll they'll be here! They are driving from Oregon, and we rented them a car, they will leave Oregon Friday morning and stay somewhere along the way and pick up driving again Saturday Morning! So we expect them to arrive around Saturday afternoon or evening! Sunday I will work so The kids will get to spend the day With their Grandma Edith, Aunt Debbie, cousin Joshua and of course Daddy! Monday is Sam's surgery and we still don't know what time its at, apparently the way Kaiser does it is by notifying you the day before, oh okay! While Sam's family is here Debbie and I intend to take Nathalie to her first movie (Surf's up); and we will most likely take a trip to Sea World! Other than that most of the time will probably be spent around the house keeping care of dh! We are going to try to make it to some playgroups, although that will definitely not happen the rest of this week or next week, but maybe the 1st week of July?!

Rough Day!

I feel like their are mom's out there that have it together with all of their children all of the time! The mom's that can predict trouble before it occurs, if you know what I'm talking about! I love those mom's, I envy those mom's, and I'm here to say I will never be one of those mom's and I am completely okay with that!Today has been rough, real rough! I feel like the kids get into things left and right the second I blink an eye, and even right in front of me! William is teething like crazy and therefore attached to the boob.all.day.long. at night he is weaned, he normally wakes anywhere between 4 and 7 *this am it was7*and then nurses for 2 to 3 hours, to me the marathon morning nursing is worth it! our secret was me sleeping in another room! most nights William and Nathalie sleep with Daddy in our room; leaving me on the extra bed in Nathalie's room! Often times Nathalie will join me! Two nights a week (tonight being one of them) The kids and I sleep in my room *(usually causing William to nurse once in the middle of the night rather than not at all)! Anywhoo...I have found that night weaning just naturally worked itself into our house and for my sanity it was very much needed at this point in my and William's nursing relationship, I definetely give props to the mamas that night nurse as I have done it w/ him for the past 13 months, but I just.couldnt.anymore. His new nursing cue is adorable, well if you like to have a kid slapping your boob screaming "OOOO OOO OOOO" that is, lol! anyways its now 830 a half hour past when the kids are normally in bed and they are actually jumping on the bed behind me and Nathalie just informed be that "WEEEAMM is EAting a crayon" I guess thats my cue to play mom! I hate these nights, the ones where my husband isnt here to put them to bed for me! Time for stories!!!

another contest~~~

So Nathalie didn't win any free shoes! Its really okay as she has quite a few pairs, I think she will survive! This week, there is a new contest that I am interested in at Adventures in babywearing. At this point William and I have a love relationship with one WAHM Mei tai that I bought used! We would love to get another carrier, I'm quite interested in getting a wrap! The contest is for a $75 gift certificate to mama kanga! The other thing I am highly interested in purchasing from mama kanga are some baby legs both for William and Nathalie!

free shoes?!!

As you all may or may not know Nathalie has a small obsession with shoes! Today while reading wannabehippie's blog, I discovered a contest to win free shoes, and not just any free shoes but the super cute shoes at http://www.vincentshoestore.us/ Oh what a field day Nathalie would have with such a large selection of beatiful shoes and for free none the less! Some of my favorites for her include The elvira shoe ; and, The Sam shoe , However; I think if given the choice the shoes Nathalie will pick are Prinsessa! the shoe contest is being run by adventures in babywearing Go here to sign up to win your own!!

pictures of the kids

ok so the aforementioned cleaning isn't really happening today since William has decided that he needs to nurse non stop today. So in the meantime, here are some recentish pics of the kids!

Today

woke up far to early
drove through starbucks on way to park as result of waking up far to early :)!
Watched kids play at park.
drove through mexican food on way home from park, because i'm lazy.
threw william's diapers in the wash
currently nathalie is watching dora while i nurse william
once william is asleep I intend to clean the kitchen, and maybe Nathalie's room
I have to work tonight from 6 to 10
William just bit me :(
Did I mention that I woke up far to early!

busy busy

So sorry I haven't been posting much lately, I feel like we are going non-stop! Monday morning the kids and I went to playgroup, the only time we've made the park this week. my husband brought me home a beautiful arrangement of flowers for no reason at all?! Strange as it is, they are absolutely beautiful! Tuesday was my Dad's birthday, he's 53 we spent the day up at Nana and Papa's! Wednesday we spent the day at Nana and Papa's again this time for mama to do laundry! Yesterday (Thursday) I worked all day and then got my hair done! and Today was filled with running errands and going to visit Dada at work! well thats more or less what we've been up to this week!

haiku

This weeks theme over at www.mamasaysom.com is haiku. I could not resist participating, so here is my submission:


working title: long day

overwhelming need
children attacking whats left
of my sanity

Happy 3rd Birthday Nathalie

My dear beautiful daughter I can not believe that you are 3 yrs old today! You are such a "big girl" in your self described term, and want to do everything yourself! You are potty trained (minus night time), you love to dance, play and sing! You dress yourself most of the time! you are high spirited with an overwhelming amount of energy! I love you dear daughter and Daddy and I wish you a very happy 3rd Birthday!

Happy 1st Birthday William

Dear son, it amazes me that the first year of your life outside of me has passed! You have become such a beautiful toddling boy! You chase your sister everywhere, and you love to laugh and play with her! You don't get so happy when she takes away a toy you were playing with and you often let her know that by screeching very loudly! You now have 9 teeth, and are walking, running, and climbing! You have found a new interest in Nana and Papa's dog scooby and get so excited everytime you see him! You still wake frequently to nurse throughout the night, although daddy has really been trying to help me out here and you are starting to wake less! Happy Birthday my beautiful little man, love mama!

No, I won't be turning William's carseat around!

When I tell people that my baby boy is 1, they say "oh how exciting, now you can turn his carseat around" I say, "yeah, I'm not turning it around until he's 35 lbs", here's why:

William's Birth Story

These two pictures are of William and I on the day of his birth, May 4th, 2006. I cannot believe that nearly a year has passed since he was born! I of course will post his birthday tribute on his actual birthday (Friday); but I wanted to come share his birth story, due to the fact that I started this blog after he was born, and have never shared it!
On Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006, Sam, Nathalie, Nichole(my sister) and I made a trip to Parkway Plaza, to get Nathalie's 2nd bday pictures taken; some pregnant pics of me; and some family photo's of Sam, Nathalie and I! While taking pictures I felt the first contraction, I paused and Sam looked at me and asked "are you okay?" I said, "yes, just a little uncomfortable." We finished the pictures during which time I decided I was starving and so we all decided to make the trek to the other side of the mall to Rubio's to get some dinner. I had a few more dull contractions during this process, and Nichole was enjoying making fun of how bad I was waddling! We got to Rubio's and I suddenly had NO intrest in food, I told Sam, I would just share with Nathalie, and thought to myself huh I can't believe I don't want to eat, I must be in labor! On the short drive home I had a couple more contractions and Sam mentioned that maybe we should time them, they at this point were about 5 to 7 minutes apart! As we were leaving Nichole jokingly said "I'll be expecting your call". when we got home Nathalie was sleeping so Sam carried her to bed and went to bed himself as well, I decided I better pack my hospital bag, as well as stuff for Nathalie to spend time with whomever she ended up with! I laid on the couch for the next few hours having contractions, and drinking water. I walked back to the bedroom to talk to Sam and he noticed that the contractions were increasing in frequency. I told him to get a little more sleep and that I would try to as well. At about 3:45 I called my sister and asked her if she'd come over (since Nathalie was still asleep) and she started laughing and then said "oh really?" She arrived a bit later and Sam and I headed of to Mary Birch. Incase you didn't already know this, a laboring woman in the car is not the best passenger! I kept telling Sam what a great driver he was, it was pretty funny in retrospect, considering that I normally nag him non stop about his driving. We arrived at Mary Birch around 430 am on May 4th. We went up to triage and found that I was at 4 to 4 & 1/2 cm's at this point, so I opted to walk around for a couple hours. Sam spent this time calling his family (in Oregon) and my parents to let them know what was going on, I think I spoke with these people, but really can't remember! At about 8 am I was "admitted" and was only at 5 cm. My dr came to check me and when he did, he broke my water by checking me! He told me that he was going to perform a c-section (not on me) and that he'd be back, and that he expected me to probably have a baby around 12 or so. My mom called about then and Sam told her what the dr had said, My mom said she and Nichole were going to get a bite to eat and then would be there. I told my nurse that i needed to use the restroom and when I stood up I felt the desire to push, she said wait I see the babies head, don't push (right Don't push ha!) My mom and sister walked in the room, the dr walked in just in time to catch William. William Richard Long joined our family on Thursday May 4th, 2006 he weighed 7lbs 12 oz and 20 inches long! It was a beautiful amazing experince!

Nathalie & William

I feel like I often write about all William's developmental leaps and bounds because he is a baby err toddler now adays...but all thats besides the point! My little girl, is getting so big! In a little over 2 weeks she will be 3 and I can not believe it! She is as sweet as ever with her brother, watching the two of them interact brings a joy to my heart that is unexplainable! Potty Learning is going increasingly well, over the past 2 days NO accidents, including succesful poops on the potty talk about a happy dance from mama! Both Yesterday and today we ventured out to the park, and both kids truly relish in being outdoors! Today after the park we came home for William's nap (as Nathalie rarely naps anymore these days) and then went up to Nana and Papa's to play some more and ate dinner there as well; grilled Salmon, corn and rice, and Nathalie said, "Papa, this is deliciouso!" lol....

Walking William

Finally after all this talk I caught it on video to share with you all

Where did my babies go?

I'm going through this stage of bittersweetness mixed with Denial! my babies are getting big, too big too fast! My dd Nathalie, will be 3 in less than 1 month, my ds William will be 1 in less than 3 weeks....A preschool (aged, not in technical terms) daughter, and a toddler (both in age and technical terms) son! I am completely baffled! First, and foremost, I never in a million years imagined having a son, Girls run rampant in both mine and Sam's family history; and, considering that my 2 children have 2 older half-sisters from Sam that are 18 and 15.5 I really never thought he'd make a boy (lol), but he did low and behold William! Watching Nathalie interact with William lights up my life, she is such a good sister and loves him more than I could have ever imagined possible for a little girl! I love when she tells me what he wants; "mom william wants boob!" Or, if she's buying for me to spend alone time with her, "mom, William wants Dad", (or dantie, or nana or papa, or any other available adult)! The accomplishments both my children have made in the past 2 months amaze me!

Just an example, Nathalie singing her ABC's !

Random bits of information

1) I am so sad that my baby is a walking boy!

2) I really despise when people use the f word for no apparent reason!

3) On the otherhand I don't mind bitch in any sentence

4) My husband is getting promoted woo hoo!!!

5) William has started biting a lot while nursing, I don't like that at all!

6) This week was extremely hard on me but helped me to realize who my true friends are or are not!

that's all I have time for right now!

Happy Easter

I had a rough night last night, William thought it would be "fun" to stay awake from 11pm until almost 3 am! This afternoon I noticed 2 more teeth broke through the gums (between yesterday and today) and now he is offically WALKING!!!! Help me please, I have 2 wild kids!!! Today I kept myself extremely caffinated just to function! It was a very rough day, Nathalie was cranky and pressing my nerves all.day.long. William was clingy and I really just wanted to go lay in bed all.day.long but of course that didn't happen! We went to my Mom and Dad's house (minus Sam b/c he was working) and by the end of the day I upset my Mom, I had two screaming kids and I was ready to rip my hair out! I have horrible knots in my neck and shoulders (I'm guessing stress related?) and I do have egg dying pics from today, but am much too lazy to post, but will do so later! We have a busy week this week as friends arrive tomorrow from out of town! Padre game tomorrow night for Nathalie and Mama! Sea World on Wed and the Wild Animal Park on Thursday, so if you don't hear anything from us this week thats why! Lets just hope I get some sleep tonight! Its 1130 and I'm hoping William is down until at least 3 or 4 maybe longer, wouldnt that be great!

11 months old

Dear William;

I can't believe that you are 11 months old today, and that in one short month you will be a year old! You now have 6 teeth and love to eat anything we let you get your hands on! Over the past couple of days you have begun walking! Its amazing and sad all in one, I can't believe how fast my baby is growing up! You still love to snuggle with both your Mama and Dada, and we cherish every minute of it as we know there will come a point when you wont want our hugs and kisses all the time! You have really begun to enjoy playing with your big sister Nathalie, and she loves to play with you too! Once in a while we have to watch you, because you tend to use her head as a handle, and pull her hair in order to stand up! William Richard, it amazes me how fast the past 11 months have flown by, you are our gift and we cherish you! love ya Mom!

long weekend.overtired.

and yet here I am posting a blog? What am I thinking? who knows?! Yesterday I had to work all day, and came home to overtired kids and hubby! The minute I walked in the door I had kids attacking me and husband escaping to the computer for a few minutes of much needed alone time! See William is having a hard week, and putting him down hasn't been much of an option! So after the handoff Sam looked at me and said, I just need a few minutes (which I completely understand!) He reemerged from the bedroom and said Nathalie, want a bath? He got both kids into the bath at which point they both started whining for me, Nathalie began crying that she was scared (mind you this kid loves the bath) so I went in washed her up wrapped her up in her towel and held her (she never lets me hold her) uh oh I thought she's not feeling well! After about 30 minutes I said hey honey lets put on your jammies and your night time pull up! OK mama I'm tired (she never admits to being tired) off to bed she went without the slightest complaint! less than 5 minutes passed and she opens her door and says mommy i poopoed, it was the yuckiest thing I've ever seen like water out of her but! this was the begining of the night, this occured all night long, between her and nursing William I think I slept about 2 hours last night! This morning she seemed to be doing better, until I decided to go to the store to get her some probiotics, she threw up everywere in the store, instantly saying "i'm sorry mama" I told her everything was ok and that I understood she didnt feel well, we made our purchases and left! She only threw up one more time (thank goodness) and took a 2 hour nap, without me asking her to nap, she got up on my mom's couch and fell asleep on her own! So as for tonight, Sam is sleeping in Nathalie's room with her and I am in our room with William! Hopefully, it'll go better than last night, as I get to go to work again tomorrow morning!

Supply and Demand

So I recently have seen online several variatons of the Mom and baby Supply and Demand T-shirts! And I think they are fantastic! but 58 dollars for a matching set is a little bit (ok a lot bit) out of my budget! So I thought to myself, Hey I could totally make those for William and I, because even though I am not the craftiest person, even I can turn on the iron occasionally! So I did and it cost me 9.99 vs. 58 dollars, woo hoo, here is the finished result! I can't wait for us to wear them! I know I'm a dork, but I'm proud of my dorkiness through and through!

kids say the darndest things....

Nathalie has reached an age (she'll be 3 in May) where she says the cutest appropriate and not so appropriate things. Over the past week a few of the things she's said that I thought I'd share with all of you follow in this post!

1) one day last week I was frustrated because I had both hands full and was talking to Sam on the phone, so I said in a somewhat frustrated tone (although it wasn't directed at him) "i've really gotta go now bye" and Nathalie's response, "mama is daddy being a jerk?" um no where did she get that from uh oh?!

2) Today she was flushing the toilet after going pee (as she still does not poop on the toilet :( ) and she said "bye bye pee pee, tell your mama hi" I asked "what Nathalie" she replied, "the pee pee is going home to see its mama" oh I see of course it is!

3) William was fussing and she said "mom William wants boob" gee kid thanks for pointing out the obvious, I replied " I know that William wants milk honey", she said "mom I cant like boob milk, I just like the milk thats in the fridge" okay that makes since, she continued and said "mom dad doesnt like boob milk either." Indeed I have a pretty smart kid lol!

look at William

an adorable picture that my sister shot today when she came by to visit, you can see how big he's getting! He is saying Hello to his Dantie in this picture, I loved it so much that I thought I'd share it with all of you!

video montage!

a video montage I made today!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/my_shared?z=170262d12c05300ab45e81&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

school

It has been decided that I will go back to school! Either this Summer or Fall depending on class scheduling! I have my BA in English Literature from SDSU, and the semester before I graduated I decided that I thought I no longer wanted to be a teacher! After about a semester of substitute teaching, I decided I would further my education, to pursue becoming a pharmacist! I took several science and math classes over the course of about 2 years, I then became pregnant with Nathalie! When Nathalie was an infant I took one night class and it was hard, then I became pregnant with William! Well, now that I am done having kids (remember Sam had a vasectomy) I really want to go back to school! I have 3 full year long classes left to take as prerequisites for pharmacy school, and two labs! Calculus, Biology and Organic Chemistry! And then there's pharmacy school which takes 3 to 4 years, but at the end of it I'll Be Dr. Erika Long, and will make upwards of 95k a year! So as I am about to embark on this adventure I will fight to remain an attached mother 2 my two beautiful children, a loving wife to my dh, a sensitive daughter, sister and friend!

my daughter the ham!

Nathalie singing the ABC's for Dantie
http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a121/scarika/?action=view&current=MOV00998.flv

update on Nathalie's adventures in Potty Learning!

ok so I'm kinda afraid to post on this topic, especially since the last time I did, I totally jinxed it! However; Nathalie is mostly Learned! Last week I decided to give it another shot and it was amazing, she even wears underwear in public! we still have a ways to go, as she is not night trained, and is somewhat afraid (ok very afraid) of pooping on the toilet!but its progress and i'm okay with that!

William eating a plum

baby steps (gasp)

William has been taking a step here or there for about a month now. Today Nana came by to watch Nathalie for me for about an hour and William took 4 steps to her! It was so cute and amazing, and it made Nana feel SOOO important! I can't believe my baby is on the verge of toddlerhood!

Nathalie as a Momma?!

Nathalie: come here William you want some milk from my boobie?

Me: Honey, only mommies booby has milk for William

Nathalie: Oh, When I have a baby will my boobies have milk?


I love it!

What I did last night/this morning

Ever since I found out I was pregnant with William 19 months ago, and I realized that my kids would share the same birth month, I dreamed of designing a tatto to tribute both of my offspring. My kids are Tarus' (the bull) and my "angels". Last night I got my tattoo, in the middle of my upper back. This is my 2nd tattoo but so much more meaningful (and painful) than the first, but worth every second of pain. It took about 3 hours and as soon as I walked in the door at 345 this am, I got to nurse William lol.....I love my kids and here is the extra proof! It is red and Shiny because Nichole took this picture immeadiatly after completion, once it heals up in a couple weeks, we'll take a real pic to show you all!

10 months old!

Dear William;
You are now 10 months old, and I cannot believe it! This month you have had many new developments. Your top 2 teeth broke through the gum yesterday, which means in a months time you should have 4 teeth showing! You now stand up without assistance, and take a few steps here and there; however, you prefer to crawl because its faster! You climb on everything, we have to watch you constantly! Your sister runs from you and says "mom the monster is coming!" lol. Your favorite game is peek-a-boo and you will pull any object you can find up over your face and then pull it down waiting for one of us to say "peek-a-boo" to you, and then you laugh and laugh! Its so hard for me to believe that in just 2 months you will be a year old! I love you dear son!
love your mom!

beautiful day!

Today is such a beautiful day! Nathalie crawled into our bed shortly after midnight last night, and Sam said, "come on honey, lets go into your room". Nathalie said, "No, Dadda, you go in my room I'll stay here and sleep with Mama and William" and so it went! I love those times though, because Nathalie almost always sleeps in later when in bed next to her brother and I, and this was no exception, the three of us slept until about 8 am! Once we drug ourselves out of bed we ate some cereal, got dressed and walked up to java mama! We met a friend up their to go to their Little one's Yoga class. Both kids really benefited from the walk and Nathalie loved the Yoga class that she participated in today! It was amazing, it was only E and Nathalie, so just the 2 kids, I couldn't believe it! After yoga and a brief bit of playing, as it became overwhelmingly crowded, we walked over to my sister's salon for Nathalie to get a bang trim, and then made the walk back home. William took a nice nap in the stroller on the way back! So Nathalie enjoyed this time even more, because it was one on one time with mommy, even with brother an arms reach away! I am waiting to get my used WAHM mei tai in the mail, and can't wait, because I know if William would have been napping in that he wouldn't have woken up when we got home! It's now 2 o'clock and I have to work at 6 tonight so I have some time to clean up a bit around here, or just be lazy, I'm thinking that the latter sounds like a much better option!

new toy

what did we buy our kids now? right thats what your thinking I know it.... NO my friends its what we bought ourselves....A NEW COMPUTER...I am so excited I am so excited oh wait did I just say that twice sorry oops! Anyways, the most exciting part is that I AM FINALLY ABLE TO UPLOAD PICTURES AGAIN! So now my friends you will be inundated with pictures woo hoo I know your excited....and just to spice up this post here are some Pictures of Nathalie and William from todays trip to the zoo. Oh and a couple more things...The last picture is of Dylan (Nathalies buddy) and Nathalie....and I will go back and update old posts with pictures but not right now, as I must go cook dinner....(er I mean heat up already made dinner...details details).

redemption

so the flu carrying child mentioned in the previous post passed on her germies (no big surprise) and as the flu seems to be leaving our house William seems to be the only one who didn't suffer (woo hoo). 2 days ago was when I hit the worst of this bug and dh totally redeemed himself in several ways but the two most important are 1) He left work to come care for the kids so I could attach myself to the toilet and sleep (not simutanouesly)...and 2) as I was attached to the toilet he says to me "William is so lucky to have you as a mama, its because your still nursing him that hes not sick like all of us" AWWWW I am appreciated!

you should probably get comfortable...warning whining post ahead

I havent posted in 2 weeks. Life is just getting away from me! I'd like to say I have been busy accomplishing things, but thats not reality. I'm stressed out, a little depressed and have been caring for a vomiting and diahrea producing almost 3 year old since Friday! I have been getting horrible headaches lately, complaining about everything imaginable and completely unmotivated to do anything! For about 7 of the last 14 days I think I've remained in pajamas the entire day, the other 7 only dressing myself in order to go to work! I haven't gone grocery shopping in over 2 weeks and we are eating very creative meals as a result ( minus the aforementioned ill almost 3 yr old) . I'm tired all the time, lacking motivation and dizzy with regret. I often (recently) have felt anger towards my husband, for not being more helpful with the kids, when we are both home together. I often feel like I am a single mother yet I'm not and I don't want to be! I confronted my husband regarding these issues last night and he has been kissing my ass ever since, which is not what I'm after either! I explained to him, as I now will to all you that I become frustrated that on the days he works his 8 hours, when he comes home he expects me to make dinner, bathe the kids etc, explaining that he is so tired from his day at work, on the days I work 8 hours he expects the same! Don't get me wrong I love my family and my life, but sometimes I too need a small break granted my work is not (physically) as hard as his (and yes I am reminded of this often)....I truly love my dh despite all of this and hope you all dont think I don't; however, over these past couple weeks I have reached a breaking point, slowly sinking into a black oblivion, I feel like I'm treading water and fighting to catch my breath... I struggle to make everyone else happy and realize I really need to make myself happy first! Alright well thank you all for listening to me vent!

9 in 9 out

William is 9 months old. And this day has found me both happy and sad. I can't believe that my baby has been out in this world for the same length of time that he was inside of me!

Dear William;

9 months old already? Momma can hardly believe it! You are an amazing little boy with piercing blue eyes and a soft side for your mama. You have begun experiencing separation anxiety, and want me or dad in your site at all times! I am so happy that you love us so much, a lot of people I know wonder why, but to me it assures us of just how much you love and depend on us! I love you little tank!

you know your a San Diegan when....

I totally stole (I mean borrowed ) this list from a friend on myspace Ha thats funny.....I wanted to share it with y'all so here it is

You know you`re a San Diego local when.........

• ~All the street names around you are either in Spanish or Spanish related, and you're surprised when other areas don't have this.
• You can determine the accuracy of someone's "I'm ghetto" claim by knowing their high school. For example, El Camino High School or Crawford High School.
• You see weather forcasts for four different climate zones in the same county, and aren't remotely surprised.
• You routinely go or have gone to Pat & Oscar's solely to get breadsticks.
• You've ever gone to Downtown San Diego and marveled at the homeless people mingling with the rich young urbanities.
• You've gone to Mt. Helix in July and known you still need a jacket.
• You've tailgated at Qualcomm Stadium, and for bonus points, also tailgated when it was Jack Murphy Stadium.
• .You've ever been on a field trip to see an Imax movie at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.
• You still call it the Del Mar Fair.
• You say "i'm going to the track" and people know what you mean.
• You understand what May-Gray and June-Gloom is.
• A famous skateboarder/surfer lives in your town.
• There's a North County, a South County, and an East County but no Central County.
• "Mossy Nissan! Mossy Nissan! Mossy Nissan Moves You!"
• You know what it means when two guys are walking in Hillcrest.
• You know what it means when a girl in a short skirt is walking on El Cajon Blvd.
• You've gotten stuck in the Horton Plaza parking structure traffic after a Padres game.
• You know what "The Merge" is, and will plan your entire day around not being on it during rush hour(s).
• You've ever been to Belmont Park and rode the Big Dipper.
• (For North County) You remember the days before the all the big movie theaters opened. And when they did. First the Edwards in San Marcos, then the Regal in Oceanside, then the Krikorian in Vista, and finally the Regal in Escondido.
• You've ever taken the Coaster and laughed at people sitting in traffic on the 5.
• You know the difference between Claremont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, and Mira Mesa.
• You can correctly pronounce Tierrasanta, La Jolla, Rancho Penasquitos, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and El Cajon.
• You've ever gone to Sea World on a warm day and sat in the first few rows at the Shamu Show to get cooled off.
• You've ever been delayed at the Border Checkpoints on the 5 and the 15.
• There are more bands than people.
• Your house doesn't have air conditioning.
• You know it's San Diegan, not San Diegoan, or San Diegoite.
• Everyone has their favorite beach.
• No matter what the weather is, there is always someone walking around in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops.
• You live on, near or are surrounded by hills
• .You hate tourists and their bad driving. GET OFF THE ROAD NORTH DAKOTA, NOBODY WANTS YOU HERE. SERIOUSLY. GO HOME.
• You have family and or friends that have moved to Arizona, probably because they are tired of waiting to be able to afford to buy a house.
• There are four distinct seasons: Summer, Not Quite Summer, Almost Summer, and Oh Hey Look Its Summer Again
• Your house is worth more than the GDP of some small countries.
• You know what MB, OB, and PB stand for.
• You used to, and sometimes still do ride the carousel at Seaport Village.
• You know someone who doesn't own pants, and have a neighbor who doesn't seem to own a shirt.
• Your high school had a surf team.
• You know what Santa Ana's are, and that they have literally nothing to do with the city of Santa Ana (which, unfortunately for it, is in Orange County.)
• You know what a California burrito is
• .You never, under any circumstances call it anything other than "the Gaslamp."

cheers and have a nice day ! :)

jinxed

so I completely jinxed myself re: Nathalie and potty learning...since that post we have not had very good luck :(

Adventures in potty learning starring Nathalie

You see my friends at around 19 to 20 months old my beautiful daughter showed an extreme interest in the potty, so I followed her lead.... she was never fully trained but did well most of the time until of course her little brother entered the world....I left her be and never pushed her, as she went into her regression. Last Wednesday we were in line at Rite aid and suddenly she says "mom, I need to go potty", "What?" I asked, "I need to go potty right now," (as she starts to pull down her pants, while in line) I put our stuff down run her into the bathroom (with William in his sling) and she pees....and pees and pees it was a beautiful moment, and I took it for what it was just that a moment! I put an Ariel pull-up on her and encouraged that Ariel would be really sad if she had to be thrown away because she was peed on! We got home and about an hour later Nathalie went into the bathroom and I asked "what are you doing honey" "going pee pee mama" (what?) "Oh, okay" Since the first incidence at Rite aid last Wednesday Nathalie has succesfully made all her day time urinations on the potty which to me is an amazing start! She has still had wet night time diapers, and will not go poop on the potty, but I will take each small victory in stride.....Oh and sorry about all the potty talk, but I am utterly giddy!

My dad rocks

Nathalie's papa (my dad) and she in matching Elmo Slippers...now tell me that isn't cool!

Nathalie's first trip to the dentist

was today, January 9th, 2006....I was nervous, petrified in fact! You see for those of you who don't know Nathalie, she is a tad bit high strung! Miracously, the visit went fantastically! She let them take x-ray's, clean her teeth FLOSS Them even, I couldn't believe it. The cheesy mom that I am I took pictures, unfortunately my computer is being dumb and I can't upload them but I promise I will as soon as I can!

William is 8 months

The time this month has flown by, I think mostly due to the fact that the holidays were among us!

Dear William,
Its so hard to believe that you our dear son is 8 months old already. You have fallen in love with solids, [which has caused my hormones to go wacko (due to less nursing)] and want to eat anything and everything you see! I find myself often having to remind your sister that you can't eat certain things (like peanut butter, eggs, strawberries and popcorn)! But if I'd let you I'm sure you'd eat them! You have been a bit fussy this week, as I think more teeth are on the way, but still you have only 2! I enjoy watching you grow ds, but can't believe how fast its gone; I get somewhat sad when I realize you are the last baby that your dad and I will have (biologically at least)!
William at 8 months old, right after a hair cut by Dantie Nichole!

My Uberlist 2007

A new year is upon us, quicker they go as older I get! As I am now a parent I feel like adulthood has hit me full on! I have never really made resolutions, I've always thought about it as in "hmm what should I change this year" but have never have I set anything in writing to reflect back on through the year! This weeks theme at mamasaysom is uberlist! With the ultimate goal of 107 things for 2007! I'm not sure if I'll come up with 107 right now, and I give props to jemma for being the first one to contribute to mamasaysom with 107 things this year! Okay enough babbling, here's my list!

1.) Health: Workout some (instead of none) aim for at least once a week, even if its just going for a walk with the kids
2.) Health: Eat Less Junk. Drink Less Soda
3.)Health/Family: Cook more heart healthy meals for not only Husband's sake but my own as well!
4.) Health: of dh... support him fully as he approaches is shoulder surgery.
5.)Health: Get a physical.
6.)Health: Go to the dentist every 6 months
7.)Cooking: Cook at least 4 nights a week, instead of resorting to fast/easy foods
8.) Cooking: cook at least one NEw never tried before recipe a month!
9.)Family: Support my husband as he journeys through recovering from his alcohol dependency (this is a big deal.... he took the first step today)
10.)Family:Support Nathalie's independence more
11.) Family: Cherish every moment we have with one another!
12.) Family: Take the kids out of the house to play at least 3 days a week
13.) Family: LIMIT TV consumption as we tend to rely on this a bit much lately.
14.) Family: LISTEN to my children's needs
15.) Family: take a trip together just the 4 of us. no one else.
15.)Personal: Yell less, praise more (apply to both dh and dc's)
16.)Personal: Read at least 1 book a month
17.) Personal: Make me time...Take a day for myself once a month
18.)Personal: SPEND LESS.....SAVE MORE
19.)Personal: be more patient, more loving and more kind
20.)Household: take at least 30 minutes out of each day to simply declutter all the boxes that we have * after living here for a year and a half*
21.)Household: Do dishes daily, do not let them go for an extra day or two .
22.)Household: Do Laundry as soon as a full load is available, instead of allowing it to pile up for a week at a time
23.)Household: Gather up the Kids and our clothes that are too small/or we dont wear and donate or give to others!
24.)Love: Make time for just Sam and I at least once a month, we haven't been on a date in 2 years.
25.)Love: Find something Sam is passionate about and allow him to pursue it no ifs ands or butts



Thats about all the time I currently have, but I will be back to update as more pop in my mind!

Christmas is over

Finally....I love it I do, but it is a rush that I am glad we are finally coming down from! I hosted Christmas eve this year! My mom, dad and sis arrived early in the day to watch the CHARGER game and help me with preparation (kept the kids busy for me while I prepared and that definitely counts for something!) I made Salmon, and Chicken (because my sister and uncle do not eat fish the crazy humans) Green Beans, smashed potatos. My Grandma brought a cesear salad and a spinach salad; and my sister made a delicious pumpkin cheesecake for desert! It was only my Dad's side of the family as my mom's side does not live in CA, and none of my husbands family does either! But it was an awesome night! My dad is the only boy with 3 sisters! and then he had 2 daughters! (so you can imagine the joy he finds in William being a BOY)! My Aunt Joyce plays the guitar and sings, we discovered that Nathalie does too! She was incredible (both my aunt and my daughter) I may ask my aunt to give her some lessons once she turns 3?! My Dad, my Aunt Susie and my grandpa helped play Santa Clause long after the kids were in bed by assisting me in assemling Nathalie's Kitchen good thing b/c it took us over an hour can you imagine if I had attempted to do that alone Ha! Christmas morning Nathalie was so excited by the presents (this is the first year she's really understood what was going on).....we stayed at our house until about 10 (Sam had to go to work) and the kids and I headed up to Nana and Papa's (my parents house)....Nathalie wasn't feeling too well, but she still enjoyed Christmas which was great!

is it christmas yet?

This has been pretty much the question out of Nathalie's mouth everyday for about 2 weeks! She has developed this inquisitive nature of late that I'm just not sure about! This morning she asked "Mom is it Christmas yet?" I said, "No hunny we still have 5 days," she replied "oh" and then I heard her say to William "we have 1-2-3-4-5 days until Christmas William" "MOM" she yelled (although I was sitting right behind her) "what hunny?" "Is Santa gonna bring Nana presents too?" "Yes baby he will" "Good because she wants some"

annnual meme

Okay, so I am relatively new to this whole blogging thing as I only started in May! One blog I find myself reading everytime I get on the computer is Elaine's! Well today when I read her blog it showed me the following post mini review, and I began on my journey to find out who came up with this brilliant idea! So I clicked on The silent K, from which Elaine found out; and proceeded on and on and on. I ended here frogblog, just incase anyone wondered?! Well so here's my mini mini review, since as I previously mentioned I've only been doing this since May Ok?!

May
William joined our family 4 weeks ago and made us a complete unit.

June
today was a great day, I actually got to go see nikki to get my hair done, and William cooperated :)....

July
O my if Nathalie wasn't Nathalie I think I would just die.

August
Hi everyone, I've been soo busy this week, I worked m-th, so finding time to do anything has been limited, with that to my defense I wanted to tell the story of Nathalie's new shoes, and because I'm lazy, I simply cut and pasted an IM conversation I had with my friend Lauren, sorry its not more personal....

September
I know its been forever.and yes we are still alive.

October
Dear Son
Today you are 5 months old, and I can hardly believe it.

November
thank goodness for my small miracle (aka William)...We (Nathalie, William and I ) Went up to Morro bay to visit my friend Kersti, her daughter Hayli and their newest addition "baby Emma" (as Nathalie refers to her).

December
I'm Special
Hah! I mean you all already knew that right!


so thats that!!!! Next year I promise you 12 full months! I just want to add that I am eternally grateful that both of my children are sleeping right now which allowed me the time to post this!

My snuggly boy!!!

William fell asleep on me today in his wrap while at a friends house watching the Charger game...My sister captured this moment on her new camera! and I couldn't help but share the moment with all of you

William is 7 months old

William turned 7 months old on the 4th (yes 3 days ago) and I haven't gotten a chance to write his 7 month tribute because there is SOOOO much to say, but I'm going to attempt to do it now.


Dear Son,
This month was one full of enormous leaps and bounds developmentally; the kinds of leaps and bounds that make mamma sad because your growing up way to quickly! You are now not only crawling, but climbing, pulling yourself up to standing and cruising along the furniture. You have a true desire to follow your big sister around and I think its highly possible that you are going to be walking at a younger age than she did (she was 10 months old). Your first two teeth broke through last week, so you have two bottom teeth now as well. You have begun to develop a bit of separation anxiety, you don't like Daddy, Sissy or I to leave you alone and you let us know it, if one of the three of us isn't with you then you fussingly find your way to us, and show such exuberance when you find us! Son, you and your sister are the lights of my life and I am so thankful to have you both!

10 years of Time

inspired by this weeks theme at mama says om!


Time runs away from me so quickly....Just yesterday I was in High School: carefree with hopes; dreams; & aspirations....My ten year reunion is coming up in May or June....and where am I today? Am I anywhere I thought I'd be 10 years later? Well lets see my Senior year I was 100% sure that I wanted to be a High School English Teacher; that I wanted to Leave California and start a family after I was ready? Truthfully is anyone ever ready...mind you this was my 17 year old brain thinking.....Time Flies..... At 18 I began working in a good neighbor pharmacy called Casa Drugs to help support myself through college... I was attending grossmont and cuyamaca community college... I progressed quickly received my AA in English after 2 years and transfered to San Diego State; where in my last semester I decided I wanted to become a pharmacist rather than a teacher; so I crammed 21 units into one semester (while working two jobs) I began working for Rite Aid this semester in the pharmacy, due to the flexibility of their hours being much greater than the smaller good neighbor pharmcay and graduated after a total of 3.5 yrs of college with my BA in English Literature...I began shortly after that taking prerequisites for pharmacy school, Chemistry, Physics, Microbiology, and the dreaded Math.... I dated a lot in college, but nothing felt right, like it was it. I moved out on my own I lived in a studio apartment in Banker's hill that was furnished and that I payed Way to much to live in, it was walking distance from the Rite Aid in Hillcrest that I was working at. After working for Rite aid just about 7 or 8 months I met a man, the man. Sam who is now my husband, he was (still is) an assistant manager for Rite Aid, and I found him to be handsome, sincere, kind....all the things every little girl has dreamed of finding in a man he was. I felt butterflies in my stomach everytime I saw him, I had only experienced that one other time, it was amazing... He was persistent and I finally commited to a date; i was his hook line and sinker. We were married a year and a half after we started dating and Nathalie wasborn 4 months later ( yes if you can do the math she wasn't exactly um planned) however we were already engaged so to me it was god's way of blessing us with our daughter and the timing was insignifficant! She has been an incredible blessing and when William was added to our family this past May our blessings doubled.... So time has flown by these past 10 years; and I am a teacher, not of high school English, but to my children each and everyday. I have a wonderful family and to me that is allthat I need in my life!

a gift to give and give back!

Look at these books for an awesome gift idea that you give and get back!!! For only 15 dollars what a deal....I definitely want to order the grandma and grandpa ones for my kids to give to nana and papa for xmas!!!!

I'm Special

Hah! I mean you all already knew that right! I'm so excited though because I thought it was always so cool how people could write one word and you could click on it and it would link you to something else, you know what I mean, Like this, William and I never knew how to do it (so yes I'm a little behind). apparently its called a hyperlink....well now I know how to do it ha ha im so giddy!!!

William crawling

about 2 weeks ago William upgrading from combat crawling to FULL ON CRAWLING and this week his newest move is to pull up to standing on things, um excuse me could you please stay a babe for a while longer momma is not ready for 2 walking children....

Auntie Nichole got a new camera and was over using it at our house yesterday; she captured this lil clip of william crawling....

click here to see our little man in action http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a121/scarika/?action=view&current=11-28-06014.flv

two front teeth

YEAH they are finally here, after days and weeks and months of anticipation, William's two front bottom teeth broke through the gum last night!!!! Woo hoo, so my baby truly has been fussy for a reason. Its funny in a not so funny kind of way, Nathalie never made a peep when she was teething and then suddenly she had teeth, (on the other hand she makes more than enough peeps now lol) and William has been peeping about these teeth for about 3 months, I'm so glad they are finally here, and hope that this will bring him some much overdue relief!!!!

Inside

Inspired by this weeks theme at www.mamasaysom.com


Today was an inside day, mommy was feeling very lazy ( af came to visit for the first time since William's birth :P), Nathalie was running a bit of a fever and William was much on the cranky side, hopefully due to teeth coming in?! I was going to spend the day cleaning and it didn't happen...about the only productive thing I accomplished was polishing Nathalies finger and toenails and that was because she begged so nicely!

Scars on the outside are often visible, easy to see; its the scars on the inside that noone sees and unless one reveals them others may not know they exist. There are several scars on the inside of me, and I am afraid to share some of them; most of them infact, but I know that as I build courage to tell the stories of the scars inside of me I will become stronger and help them to heal in the process. However now doesnt seem the time nor the place for that.

Inside of me I fight a constant battle with myself to stay strong for the sake of my children,
to set a good example for them to show them the good that really does still exist in this world. inside of me I repress anger, insecurites, and burdens in order to stay strong for my family. Often I confide in my husband as he is my best friend, although at times I feel that he (as a man) expects that I have overcome much of the emotinal struggles that I have dealt with for as long as I can remember!

I suspect that everyone is complicated on the inside, with lists of internal scars that would take up thousands of pages. So remember what you see as perfection in someone from the outside may only shadow what is lurking on the inside!

To Give Thanks

I am thankful for my family! Call me Lame,tell me its a cop out but thats what im thankful for. I hope you all have a great thanksgiving

my BIG boy

okay so William went to the dr's today for his really bad bowel movements and he weighs....19 pounds and 6 ounces!

oh and by the way....

I just wanted to refresh you all back to this entry, the day I returned to work a little over 3 months ago http://senwlong.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_archive.html and yes i'm still nursing and yes William is now over 6 months old! okay now im not as sad :) have a nice day!

yes my daughter is a girl (duh)

well you see Nathalie is quite a rough girl, she likes to climb, play in dirt, kick balls (of the soccer sort you dirty minded folks you!) she's a bit tomboyish if you will. on the other hand she loves to dance, sing, go to gymnastics, where skirts/dresses/ has a new found obsession with TIGHTS and SHOES (lord help me) and aparently now mom's make-up (which by the way mom hardly ever wears)....this morning she came out of the bathroom with eye shadow on (her cheeks) and mascarea (on her face.noteyes. and arm) My camera was missing but I promise you all it was a beautiful moment! I love my daughter to pieces and I feel like sometimes, okay maybe a lot of times lately my nerves have been very tried by her, but she is worth every pressing moment, I can't believe she's 2 and a half (yesterday) the time has gone so incredibly fast, my little baby is becoming a big girl. okay now im sad.goodbye.

Coffee and me...

I never use to be a serious coffee drinker, really I would just drink it once in a while b/c I needed the extra "kick" but nothing to serious. Then I became a mom of one and I slowly grew more dependent on coffee. nothing to serious, just my once a week coffee turned into 2 or 3 times a week. THen I became a mom of 2 , the 2nd child being one who wants to nurse all.night.long still at 6 months old and I have come accustomed to drinking coffee on a daily basis!well then you must be privied to the delight I felt today when I drove by this new cafe to soon open on La Mesa blvd.... http://www.javamama.com/ Just thought I'd share my joy with you!

Heroes

inspired by this weeks theme at www.mamasaysom.com :

Heroes....

a favorite subject of mine......as I recently have come to believe that everybody is somebody's hero! I am instanly surronded by the country song "she's somebody's hero" by Jamie O'neal, reminding me that in my daughters eyes I too could be a hero!

Growing up I had people that I looked up to, that I would consider my "heroes," they included but were not limited to my Dad, My Mom, My grandparents, a few of my teachers...etc

As a late teen and early adult I coached cheerleading and taught dance, finding that I had an impression on many young people, making me realize that I should watch every move I make, what if I was out w/my friends drinking (after I was 21 of course) and I saw a parent fo a student...you never know who is watching and how they will be let down by a wrong move!

as my life progressed my opinion of those people who I had held on pedastals for many years slowly diminished and I realized that I had different heroes....today I consider my sister a hero of mine, for surving the death of two people a week apart who she loved dearly (boyfriend...and best friend since kindergarten)..... My Dad still remains one of my hereos, b/c to me a hero is someone you can always lookup to when you need help and to me that is my dad! and single moms to me are heroes, b/c I never could do it on my own!!!

William is 6 months old

our dear son is 6 months old today and I can hardly believe it! the time has flown by! here is my monthly tribute to him:

Dear William:

6 months ago you changed the dynamic of our family forever, and at this moment as you are nursing while I type this to you all I can reflect on is the incredible joy you bring to all of us! your sister is madly in love with you she loves to make you laugh and smile, sometimes she plays a little rough, but only because she doesnt know better at this point! You take it like a man though you just let her torment you, I guess she's really just preparing you for the women of your future (lol).... This month you have started "crawling" you don't crawl in the conventional since, but you get up on all fours rock back and forth, hop like a bunny, roll, scoot, army crawl you name it. You sit a bit unsupported but not for long periods of time and I am sure that will come soon! when on all fours you like to push up onto your feet as well! no teeth yet and to an extent I am quite thankful for that! You ate some peas today for lunch and loved them!!!! but really were intent on just wanting to nurse so of course I gave in! at any rate the past 6 months of my life have flown by! I can't believe your already 1/2 a yr old! happy 6 month birthday to you!

small miracles

thank goodness for my small miracle (aka William)...We (Nathalie, William and I ) Went up to Morro bay to visit my friend Kersti, her daughter Hayli and their newest addition "baby Emma" (as Nathalie refers to her). My original plan was to drive home today (thursday) but last night around 5:30 while William was nursing Nathalie was a little whiney and asking for Daddy so I said what the heck I'll drive home tonight. So when William finished nursing I started to load up the car and saying our "good byes" by the time we got on the road it was 6:30, its (according to mapquest a 5 hour and 45 minute drive) the drive up took 7 hours due to traffic, and having to stop to nurse William, so I figured we'd make it home by one or so.....Folks I got home at 11:30, william slept the entire way, no peep at all!!!! Although Nathalie only slept about an hour b/c she was so excited to see daddy she was so good I couldn't believe it! I am currently exhausted but so happy to be home, and to get to sleep in a real bed (after an airmatress for 5 days)....hope all you are doing well