I'm Legit

That's right. I am legit. A couple months ago, I got a calling. A REAL calling this time. Any guesses? I thought for sure it would be Nursery or Primary...I am the in the Young Women Presidency; 2nd counselor. SO FUN! I thought it was a joke when the Bish asked me, considering that I was just in YW about 5 years ago. Crazy. Once I realized he wasn't kidding, I said ITS ABOUT FREAKIN TIME BISH. Hahaha....I think he knew I was half sarcastic. :) I feel like I am now a legitimate member of the church. WOO HOO!

So now my life revolves around these young women. They are seriously the best. And not to mention that I get sweet babysitters like 6 days a week....haha. You think I'm joking....I'M NOT. ;) Our activities have been so awesome. Last night we had a Spa night; did nails, facials and got haircuts. We stayed there from 6-10pm. Major girl talk was happenin'.... it's so great being their leader and telling them to do everything opposite from what I did when I was their age. Bahahaha...I wasn't that bad....mostly just bad in college. ;) So now you all know....Lena B. is LEGIT!!! :)

I'm ALIVE

I changed the blog back to "open" for all readers to see...The past couple of months we have been fixing up the house and homework. Very exciting. It seems that there is something exciting or dramatic happening with all our friends or family members...as for us, we are keeping it cool. Just school for me. And work for Jacob. And play time for the kidlets. Past few months have been so fun and so relaxing to me. I haven't been social as usual (because of homework) and it doesn't bother me! Our lives are so uncomplicated right now...all I do is take care of my family and work on school. And that's all I worry about. It is WONDERFUL! I've stopped worrying about other people (sounds bad, but it's nice =) ) and I'm just doing what I want to do. Hmmm...what else can I update you fellow readers on??

School is awesome. I am getting A's...duh.... =) hahaha. Actually, one B+ and A- so far. Jacob got an AMAZING award last week for Team Performance with the last NASA rocket launch. He also got a very nice bonus with the award....he is really good at what he does!! He is also in the process of applying for a civil servant position that they "opened" up for him...WAHOO!! Which means, better benefits (more days off), better access to the base, and better pay! And he has only worked there for a little over a year. His boss told him that he is on the same level as someone who has been there for 5-7 years. I'd say he is doing pretty darn good! I am so proud of him and can't believe how intelligent he is.

The adoption process is a no go right now...after much prayer and consideration, we decided to put that on hold. We noticed the risks that it would be on our little family now and we don't want to introduce anything harmful for our children. So we will just be having a third child on our own. In the future. FAR, FAR FUTURE. Just to make that clear. And if you are wondering WHY WAIT? since I did not wait much to have Charlie....well, that is WHY I am waiting....hahaha....it sucks having them so close together. THEY FIGHT LIKE NO OTHER. And I need to get back to my "college" weight and finish my degree. Then we will pop out another. I would LOVE to have one now, if there was some kind of guarantee that I wouldn't get sick during pregnancy, that I would live during labor and delivery and that I could bounce back quickly to finish school. But....the chances are pretty slim. So we are waiting.....

Alrighty, I think that is all the drama I can dish out for you right now. Until next time...

Oh and those pics of Emerald and Charlie are from the Intel museum in Silicon Valley. :)

House

I forget that I post tons of pics and things on Facebook...but not on the dang blog.
The house is good. We like it. It has lots of space to grow and we are really enjoying "fixing" it up. Jacob moved the washer and dryer into one of the spare bedrooms so I could have an INDOOR laundry room. (In California, they put the W/D in the garage...it's really quite disgusting to me) So...my knowledgeable, talented husband cut open the wall, moved the pipes and hooked that baby up! The rest of that laundry room will have some counter space put in and shelving for food storage. Gotta love that food storage crap.

We have yet to get a regular sized fridge...our mini fridge and chest freezer are actually doing the job quite well! The truth is, fridges are expensive. And I would rather spend money on getting blinds and home decor than buying a fridge. Yes, yes I know that sounds funny. "You don't have a fridge yet?!" people will say to me. But my priorities are just a little different than everyone else. :)

Other things that we are working on with the house:

-the yard full of weeds...we mowed them...just waiting for it to cool down and then we will landscaped and plant a little patch of grass.

-still working on putting blinds/curtains in all the rooms (we just have our bedroom, the dining room and the office left)

-replacing all the smoke detectors

-replacing light bulbs in like every room...they are all burning out now :)

-fixing the leak in the sprinkler system

-fixing a few of the windows (they don't seal completely) and putting screens on all the windows

-replacing door knobs (they are just old school and ugly)

-replacing bathroom and kitchen faucet (just to upgrade and add value to the house)

The list continues...this is just a few of the changes that are happening now and within the next few weeks. It would be nice to blow a few thousand and just do it ALL AT ONCE. But unfortunately, this house didn't come with the money tree in the back. :( But it does have a lovely palm tree.

School is Cool!

Yup, that's right. School is way cool. And I just so happen to STILL be in school! My education plan really got screwed over once I had kids...but at least I will be an empty nester by the time I am 39! I CANNOT wait for that day.

I finished high school early and jumped right into college. I was hoping to finish with my Bachelors by 2007...it is now 2010 and I still have about 2 years. It's a bummer. I tried to go to school while pregnant with Emerald... I failed like ALL my classes. I was in and out of the hospital and just way too sick for school. When I was pregnant with Charlie, I started school through University of Phoenix Online. I did that for a year while living in Utah. It worked out great. I was going into the Elementary Education Program...like all the other billion girls that lived in Logan were doing. I wanted to teach Kindergarten or Preschool. Then when we found out we were moving to Cali...I found out that my program was not offered through University of Phoenix in the state of California. Something about different credentials or crap like that. I didn't really pay attention to what my academic counselor was saying. I was just pissed that I would have to change my program and it would take me even LONGER to graduate.

Once we moved here, I looked into the schools nearby...which there is only ONE school in the lovely Antelope Valley. (Which is another great topic for blogging...the fabulous Antelope Valley! Can you sense the excitement?!?) Anyway... it is a piece of crap school. They have no funding and I couldn't get into any classes. Plus, they don't offer Bachelor's degrees in my program. The only college that had what I wanted was an extension college in Bakersfield, CA. Which is a little over an hour drive. No way was I going to drive that far to go to class. And what would I do with my kids? Bring them to class? (I was not willing to put them in daycare...at least NOT here...eww)

So I found that my only realistic option was to continue with University of Phoenix online, but changing programs. So I got put back in the system and am currently working towards my degree in Psychology. Funny thing, my first original plan (when I was like 16) was to get a degree in Psychology. So it all worked out fine!

Right now I am finishing up my last week in a basic math class. Well, technically I am not finishing the class...Jacob is. hehe. He has done all my homework for this whole class! It's been fan-freaking-tastic!

I've been thinking about what I want to do with my degree...and I just can't really think about what to do with it. :) You see, my next door neighbor has a bachelors in psychology. She has one little girl (one of Emerald's BFF's) and she doesn't use her degree. She actually went back to school and got her Nursing Degree. And now is looking for a job as a nurse. I don't understand people who get degrees and then just like DON'T USE THEM. I ain't goin through all this trouble to just NOT USE MY DEGREE. So...the dilemma...what can I do with a degree in Psychology? What would I WANT to do with a degree in Psychology?

Sundays

Today was a very important Sunday for us...we made it on time to church!! YES! I swear, no matter how early we wake up and start getting ready...we are still rushing to get there on time. What is the deal with that?!?

First off, let me warn anyone that is super "churchy" that may be reading this post. Stop now. Haha...it's not that bad, but I'd prefer to be open with what I write on MY blog. I don't want anyone coming back saying they got offended by what they read on my blog. It's my blog. You choose to read it, you suffer the consequences. (insert evil laugh here)

Sundays always make me GRUMPY. Pissed off. Upset. Frustrated. Annoyed. You get the picture. First of all, our church is from 10:30-1:30....the strangest time for church EVER. It's during my kids' naps and during lunch. It's very inconvenient. And yes, I know that I will be blessed and yada yada yada for sacrificing my child's nap if I go to church. But it seriously SUCKS. So we try to pack a lunch every Sunday that we put in the church kitchen so we can hurry and eat right after the church block. That way, we can feed the kids and then on the drive home, they fall right to sleep.

So why do I get so grumpy on Sundays?? Number one, I'm tired. Number two, my kids are tired. Number three, I'm hungry. Number 4, It's boring. Number five, I have a hard time seeing other people do their callings when I know I could do them better. Uhhh...there I said it. Do you ever think that? or is that just like a "ball family" trait? (we call it "ballitis"...pronounced like meningitis...lol) Oh and so number six, I don't have a "real" calling. We have lived here for a year this month! ONE WHOLE FREAKIN YEAR...and we are on the Activities Committee. Granted, it is a calling...but we all know that Activities Committee is for those people that the Bishopric couldn't find a calling for elsewhere...so ya stick 'em on the committee. Although I do plan Fan-freaking-tastic parties and events...I would like a calling that I can actually DO things. We need something that requires us to come to church on Sundays. That is the hardest thing we have been facing now that we have lived here for a while.

At the beginning, it was so fun and "needed" to go to church to meet people. We didn't know a single person here...so of course church is the place to go! Now that we are settled, we really thought we would be more involved in our ward. But it just ain't happenin....and yes, I have told the Bish a few times, "I NEED a calling!!" Jake has never been the super active type when it comes to church. So we really need more purpose to go to church...and a calling is just the right cure. A REAL one. :) It's hard with Jake because first of all, he is not the biggest social butterfly...I mean, he's an Engineer...nuff said. lol. And he could care less about making new friends and catching up with friends in the ward. He feels he has no purpose to go to church. He's even thought about just having them bring the sacrament to our house. We can read scriptures here in our home. Why do we need to drive the ugliest 20 minute drive of our lives, to go to church in Mojave?

So everyday after church, we whine and complain about the fact that we have yet to get a calling more suited for our needs. Is that bad? I don't care. It's how we feel. And we need solutions. Ideas. Thoughts. Inspiration. To help us stay active and interested in attending church for good reason.

I could just keep going and going on this topic. All things I wish I could change and spice up in our ward. And maybe Jake will get lucky and get a calling soon so I don't have to keep pushing him to go to church. Do you ever feel this way? Is this really stupid to feel this way?

Hollywood...Here I come!

What did you do today?

Do you ever wonder what other people do during the day? You know, the people who don't work...stay at home moms....what do they do ALL DAY LONG??? I'm always curious to see how people like to spend their time. And I'm always asking myself "what did I do with my time BEFORE I had these rugrats?!" I must have seriously wasted a lot of time. I thought it would be cool to document what I do as a stay at home mom (aka professional caretaker...that sounds more like my style...).

Every single freaking morning I wake up at 7. I'm not gonna lie, I hate it. I am not a morning person. Emerald is the first to wake up with knocking on her door (we put child lock on her door handle on the INSIDE...so she can't get out...it's brilliant, I know). Today when I opened her door to let her out (sounds like I'm letting an animal out or something...), she started talking about how she was riding a tiny horse and went on the ferris wheel with Reese (her little friend). Sounds like she has some good dreams.

Emerald goes potty after that and then we both climb back into my bed and watch a movie (Dora, Tinker Bell, etc.). By about 745 we can hear Charlie jumping in his bed. I really need to get a video of him doing this. This boy can get some serious air. We go get Charlie and then we eat breakfast. Fruit Loops with a cup of milk. Same thing EVERY morning. After Emerald eats, she usually heads back to watch the rest of her movie and I jump in the shower while Charlie finishes his breakfast.

Then we all get dressed, Emerald plays and I put Charlie in his room to play. (They do not play together much...Emerald is mean and Charlie sits on her.) During this time I attempt to do the dishes...which usually takes me about 45 mins to do a 10 min job. I'm constantly helping with dressing up a doll or finding a different toy or picking out colors of crayons for Emerald to use.

Charlie takes a nap from 10-12 while I continue in my attempt to pick up the house. I try to do a load of laundry every day...yes, I said it....A LOAD EVERY DAY. It's a lot of laundry. I think I clean for a good hour or two until I take a break and start blog hopping, sending emails, doing homework and of course, Facebooking. (Is that a word?) We have lunch at noon once Char wakes up and then after lunch, it's time for Emerald to take a nap. I can get the most done while Emerald is asleep. And there has been a few days when I actually do stuff when she is sleeping, but I usually take that time to do whatever I want. Read, add to my list of things I need to do, more homework, meal planning, etc.

Charlie is so good to just play in his room quietly. Such an angel. A hefty angel. :) Emerald wakes up at about 330/4 and then it's time for Char to take his 2nd nap. Can't wait till they can take naps at the same time...I could get a lot done...or not. Once Emerald is up, we color or do a craft together. Then I start making dinner and try to entertain her at the same time. Not always successful. And at 5, Daddy comes home and Mommy leaves. Just kidding. That's only like once or twice or three times a week that I feel the need to leave the moment Jake comes home. :)

This is a typical "outline" of what my days are like. But this is only when Emerald doesn't have school. She now has preschool 3x a week for 3 hours...so that changes things a bit. I get more time during the day to run errands and do craft projects for me.

The strange thing is that as I write this down, I realize how much of NOTHINGNESS I do during my day. But yet during the day, I am always running around and always having something to do. I guess it's just hard to put in writing what exactly goes into my day-to-day schedule. Maybe I will actually keep track one day and see how productive I really am. That would be interesting. Or not interesting AT ALL.

Wishy Washy

Decided to just start a new blog that will be the "journal" one. This blog will stay the same with pics of kids and updates. I am still planning on making it private though. ;) I'll be sure to send you all the link to the new "Lena" blog.

Gotta keep it real folks

Hey, so I have decided to make my blog private. I just feel like I have to hold back with what I REALLY want to write. And I really enjoy using this blog as a journal for myself. So if you are interested in reading about the more "intimate" details of my life, feel free to send me your email address. If you would rather not hear about my life that way, then DON'T tell me you want an invite to read my blog. :) I will be starting another blog to put up pics of the kids, updates, etc.

Peace out. ;)

The new house...

The pictures are probably really out of order...but we love our new house! Lots of little things that we want to change and we are just enjoying make this home "ours". This weekend Jake is converting one of the spare bedrooms into our Laundry/Food Storage room. I'm so happy...California has a weird thing about keeping the washer and dryer hooked up in the garage....I mean, really....the garage?!! Garage is for dirty tools and cars...NOT clothes! So it will be nice to have the indoor laundry room. Then I think our next BIG project will be re-finishing the kitchen cabinets. I actually don't mind the white that they are now...but we peeled back some of the paint and saw what a gorgeous wood they are underneath! I can't resist but to re-finish them!! It's been a while since I have re-finished any furniture (2 years) and so I'm really excited to get back in the game! :) I'm going to strip all the white and pink...yes, PINK! paint and then stain and gloss the natural wood.

Our current dilemma is where to put our huge tv! The "designated family room" is the area next to the kitchen, but I want that area to be the dining room in the near future. So we are kinda stuck with having the only option be in the master bedroom. Which also brings us to another project we want to do soon...putting tile in the "family room" are to convert it to our dining room. Luckily, I know how to tile! Yes! My mom and I tiled her whole kitchen and dining room when they were building the house. So we'll rip out the carpet and lay some tile and then put our new gigantic table there (that Jake will be building....right, Jake??).

And then there is the yard! Front yard is green...but don't be mistaken...it is 90% all weeds. :) So in October (once it cools off) we are taking out the weeds, maybe bringing in top soil and seeding the front lawn. We are also taking out the tree that is in the corner of the house (it's roots are bringing up the sidewalk and could ruin the foundation also). The backyard will have a cement patio and then a little bit of grass and then some rubber mats on the side yard for the kids' play set. Exciting huh?!?! I am stoked! It's so much fun to have all these projects to keep us busy each weekend...we are really enjoying it.

Sicker than a dog

I've been sick with pneumonia for the past week now....it just won't go away!! Luckily, I have fabulous friends who watch my kids and bring me dinner. It was really hard the first few days of being this sick...It makes me miss my Madre! The last time I was this sick was when we moved here from Utah...it was the worst move ever. But I had my Mom with me the whole time and man was she a lifesaver! It's definitely an adjustment to not having her so close. I wake up and feel fine, but then I do too much and end up bed ridden for the rest of the day. And not to mention that the antibiotics give me a serious stomach ache! Bleh. My inhaler seems to help with the breathing and hopefully this lingering infection in my lungs will soon pass.

Lots of things on my mind the past few weeks...I'm sure this has something to do with me getting sick too. We were supposed to close on the house last Friday but it has now been pushed to tomorrow or Thursday. Which sucks. I'm starting classes again in almost 2 weeks, I'm trying to get my little "toddler time" program going with the city and continuing to move forward on the adoption/foster care process. Lots to do. Although I love keeping busy...it sure does wear on you with two little munchkins to chase around!

Favorite Quotes By: Emerald

"Mom, the sun is in my eyes. Can you move it?!?"

"Oh thanks Mom...you saved my life!!!"

"Dear Heaven Fawder, thank you we go church today..." (beginning of EVERY prayer she says)

Baby #3!

This picture is of EMERALD...NOT baby #3. :)

Today was our first "semi" class to begin the adoption process. We have filled out the application and will start our official training next Saturday for the next 4-5 weekends. The classes are all in Los Angeles...so we may have to make a pit stop to the beach also. ;) I have been ignoring and pushing the promptings away that I have felt so strongly from the Lord since we have moved here. Once my life is in order and I find time to take up hobbies...the Lord tells me it's time to have another child! :) Always seems to work that way...

After having Charlie, I was "strongly advised" from my doctor to NOT have any more children. And strange as it is, I wasn't very upset by that. I knew that there is a baby #3 that belongs in our family...whether I give birth to that baby or not. I guess I should start at the beginning...sigh...here we go...

So with Emerald I had gotten very high blood pressure and was put on bed rest for about 8-10 weeks. Well, I didn't really do the whole "bed rest" thing exactly the way I should have... ;) Emerald ended up coming 3 weeks early and with only a 4 hour labor and delivery! It was fabulous...piece of cake!! :) My protein levels were high and both Emerald and I were at high risk. I had gotten toxemia and my blood pressure sky rocketed! With Toxemia, your body thinks of the baby as a foreign object and tries to kill it. So luckily Emerald was out fast. After that, everything was pretty much a blur. I remember how tiny she was when she was born...only 5 pounds! I will never forget the look on my doctor's face after the placenta came out. My heart stopped. He was so shocked and confused. My placenta was tiny (less than half the size it should have been) and hard and crusted over on one side. Emerald was losing her nutrients and therefore, wasn't able to grow. They ended up keeping my placenta for a bit to run tests and things. They had no idea that was going on in my body and it should have shown up on all the blasted tests they did on me before delivering Emerald! ;)

I felt fabulous after giving birth! I didn't tear at all and no stretch marks! YESSSS! I was put on Magnesium right after I delivered Emerald to help stabilize my blood pressure so I wouldn't have a stroke or heart attack because it was getting so high. The magnesium makes you feel like crap. So that was a bummer...and my blood pressure was so high that I was told to sleep all day, I couldn't breast feed or bottle feed Emerald (it was too stressful apparently) and I had to keep the room dark. Basically just had to CHILL to get that blood pressure down. I remember having the "baby blues" so bad during that hospital stay. I hardly ever got to see little Emerald and they kicked Jacob out of my room so that I could rest. I was given sleeping pills to make sure I didn't wake up to feed the baby and Jacob fed Emerald every 3 hours ALL day and ALL night while we were in the hospital. I was so emotional. It was like having this part of me just taken away. I went through A LOT of hell during those 9 months!! (I lost weight, multiple ER visits, depression) It was hard to have nurses tell me that I couldn't take care of my new little baby.

Anyway, when we came home, I was not to have visitors, had to keep the house quiet and dark, and couldn't feed the baby much on my own. It was a very difficult time. I was adjusting to being a mommy but at the same time trying to recover from this high blood pressure. I was so mentally exhausted from people being so worried and telling me all these things I COULDN'T do. I was put on some "water pills" and after about 2 weeks my blood pressure was down to normal! This is the story of Emerald's birth...and I've actually never written it down. It is very draining.

Charlie's birth was even WORSE. I don't think I'm up for that much tonight. :) To make a long story short, pregnancy and delivery is very hard on my body and so I am told not to take that risk again and at the same time, I want to be cautious and safe. But I know baby #3 is waiting. I've always had the idea of adoption in the back of my mind...I want a black baby soooo bad! :) So maybe baby #3 will be adopted or maybe I can put my trust and faith in the Lord that I can give birth to baby #3. We are starting with the adoption choice and seeing how that works out. I'm really excited!

The past little while the adoption agency has been receiving calls from the hospitals for newborns that need to be placed in a home right away. And they have to turn them down because all the houses that take in foster children are full! We have high hopes to get a little baby soon after the training is finished and we get the home inspection passed! I guess I will need to write Charlie's birth story some time, so hopefully I can get that done tomorrow. It's taken me like 1.5 hours to write this post...sheesh...I'm pooped! Good night Journal! ( and any other fellow readers...) :)

Blah

My main reason for starting a blog was to have a more organized way of keeping track of all the blogs I like to read (crafts and so on). And then I was sold on the idea that it is such a good way to keep a journal. I know you can print out all your posts and such and make them into a type of "scrapbook". And I hope to do that someday...But it seems that "blogging" for me has been more of "updating" people what is going on with our family and it's mainly just what is going on with our KIDS. When I used to write in my journal (pen and paper...so 2009, I know), I would write more about feelings and daily things that I wanted to remember. I would also do a lot of writing about people who seriously bugged the crap out of me. :) So I've decided to really start "journal writing" and not just "blogging". And I wanted to apologize to anyone who may read my posts and get offended...but then I thought, "why should I apologize for someone reading MY journal entry?!?" So...tough shit if you get offended. LOL. I may just end up going private...except not letting anyone but me have access to the blog....we will see.

On to the journal writing!

Recently Jake and I have been butting heads on a few particular issues. Issue #1: Housework. Since I am a SAHM, I feel the responsibility to keep the house clean, feed the children, and cook dinner. But if I do all that, then what does Jake do to help out? Yes, he definitely brings home the bacon...pretty damn good bacon...but is that enough? Is it wrong to have him do "chores" and to help out around the house too? On one hand I think, HECK YEAH he should do chores around the house, I suffered all day with screaming kids and wiping butts! But then on the other hand, I think, Jake really does a lot to make sure we are provided for and frankly, some days (ok, most days), I sit around and do NOTHING. The joys of being a SAHM. :) I can decide if I want to shower at 8am or at 2pm after watching all the latest episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I can wear pj's all dang day and watch movies and go to the store whenever I want and the list goes on.... Since we've moved to Cali, my perspective has changed a lot on being a SAHM. Living in Logan, I dreaded waking up each day...I hated always picking up the house and doing the same crap. But then I realized...I can choose whether or not I want to do all that crap! I love it! Who says that I have to do the dishes? Or wash loads and loads of laundry? I can choose what I want to do everyday!! It's wonderful! Somedays Jake will come home and say, "what did you do all day??" And I simply reply, "absolutely nothing."

Well, now both my kids are sleeping...at the same time (which is rare). So I'm wrapping this up for now and will write some more thoughts later. :) Peace out Journal.

Water Balloons

Emerald's new favorite thing is to play with water balloons. She likes to roll them down our driveway and catch them on the other side of the street. Luckily we live in a nice, tucked in "cul de sac" street that I never have to worry about cars.
She tries soo hard to blow them up with air. It's just too cute.

Charlie the Ghost

Great Mama and Papa's house

Always a good time to visit Great Grandma and Grandpa Brown...the kids love feeding the ducks and taking rides on the four-wheeler.

Mama and Papa's house

For Mother's Day I headed up to Utah to spend a few days with my Madre. We had lots of fun and it's always so good to see my Mom and Dad (never thought I'd say that...haha).

Emerald liked playing with her cousin Tyler and always asks about him now that we are back in Cali.




Tyler and Emerald made a "bunny house" one afternoon. It was 80% off at JoAnns so I couldn't resist. Emerald also had a great time taking Mia on walks, letting her outside to go potty and chasing her around the house. Poor Mia. She puts up with a lot when Emerald comes for a visit!

Fun in the Sun

A Reliable Wife

This is the current book for our book club in the Antelope Valley Mom's Group that I am a part of. It is FANTASTIC. So mysterious and "intoxicating" states the Washington Post. :)

Three Years Old

Emerald is 3! She had a party on Friday night with pizza and yummy Horse cake.

She had her little friends over and they played with bubbles, did pin the tail on the donkey and colored wood horses.

She got lots of great things for her birthday like coloring books, stickers, clothes, swimsuit, slide/climber for the backyard and some cute pink Converse sneakers!

Wow. She is 3. And cuter every day. I love her to pieces!

Update on Charlie

I think Charlie weighs a little bit more than Emerald now. And they are 17 months apart. He is still quite hefty. We love it. We get a good workout chasing him around.

He doesn't talk much...unless you count the gurgling noises. He says, "Goi, goi, goi" and "mamama" a lot. He likes jumping in his bed. He wakes up about 7am every morning, but he'll just be jumping in his crib for about an hour. Then he starts to fuss and we go get him. I haven't taken him to any check ups with his pediatrician since we've moved here. One reason for that is because doctors are horrible and mean here and another reason is that the one "recommended" pediatrician is not accepting new patients for about another month. So my kids aren't up to date with immunizations and what not, but I think they will survive. :)

Charlie gets to go to Nursery next month. YES! It's like free daycare. I love the church. He loves to play with Emerald and follows her every move. Which can be quite dangerous so we are trying to teach Emerald to be a good example. His hair grows back so fast I have to buzz it like at least once a month!

He is quite the entertainer. When we sit at the table for dinner he enjoys playing peek a boo and spitting his food every where while laughing. He is a really big cry baby also. He will cry at any little thing that sister might do that hurts his feelings. It's cute, but sometimes, not so cute.

In a nutshell, Charlie is still the cute, chunky, giggly baby he was before. Just a tad bit taller, shorter hair and walking.

Our current home

We got our first house! We close on May 14th and then we are doing new carpet, paint, doors and appliances. We hope to move in towards middle of June. After we move in, we will work on landscaping and new grass (sod). Currently I don't have any pictures of the house but can write about it. :)

It's 4 bedroom, 2 bath with a "bonus room" that is unfinished next to the garage. It will currently serve as the man cave until we decide to finish the room and make it a 5th bedroom. It's almost 2,000 sq feet and has a wonderful backyard with beautiful covered patio and waterfall (that is broken). It has tile flooring throughout the kitchen, dining room and hallway. Granite counter tops in the kitchen and gas fireplace. There a about 6-7 mature palm trees in the front yard with spotlights on them and a cute little front porch to fit my bench swing. :)

We recently found out that in 2006, this house sold for 295k!! And we bought it for 127k! We are able to get the 8k Federal Tax Credit and the California State Tax Credit as well for 6k. We have been truly blessed with this house and cannot wait to start working on it and move in!

As I talk about this new house, I know I will really miss the house we live in now. We live in a beautiful gated community with such great neighbors and quiet streets. Here are some pictures of our current home that will be missed.

Poppies

Poppies are in bloom here in Southern California. They are my favorite flower. We drove to the Poppy Reserve about 20 minutes from our house on Sunday (after church of course...). It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. This was FAR more enjoyable than our little trip to Disneyland last week!