Happy first day of Fall...

NOT. A high of 109 today- yay.

Little Man showing off his tattoo.
"Daddy's gonna love it!"

His new favorite words are "guys" sounds like "goys" [so many things he says sounds like he has a Boston accent ] and "because"... he uses because all the time, makes me laugh. In the mornings Rian always fights me to get  her diaper changed, yesterday he said "Goys, stop fightin!" After breakfast he asked if he could watch tv, I only ever put it on Disney but sometimes he'll change it from the box. Anyway, Chugginton was on and he said "I don't want that show, young lady!" haha. I've mentioned how dinnertime has become such a fight. I recorded a two minute video the other night but it'd take forever to upload, I told him to eat his meat and he said "Its not meat!" I asked him what it was and he said "Its BEEF." in a tone of voice that implied I was an idiot. Never a dull moment. For real.

My homegirl's beautiful<3

Momma

Change of Halloween costume plans- even though I have my heart set on Aiden being a gnome, all he talks about is being a robot. I'm not going to force him, so a robot he will be. The other day he said "I want to be a robot. Get candy. Say trick-or-treat" I haven't even talked to him about Halloween but somebody must've. And like I said, Rian refuses to wear a tutu so no more fairy, she's going to be a peacock! [Saw the idea on Pinterest- duh.] Eek so cute. I started today:

Its not even close to being done but this is all the supplies I have for now. The bow's not a permanent thing, I just put it there to cover the stems.

Happy Friday!!!

The Story of Us

I just finished watching this week's episode of Basketball Wives L.A. One of the ladies, Jackie, gets married to her husband every year on their anniversary- like full on wedding. Ridiculous! They've been married for like 16 years. And honestly, I was ready to fast forward it. I don't know if its because I had a glass of wine, or because I'm PMSing, or because I'm a crybaby... maybe its because her Mom was there via Skype because she's dying but it made me so emotional.


The other girls on the show were all saying how Jackie and her husband made them feel like true love really exists. And it made me think of my real life fairytale...


I've never sat down and wrote this out. Steven's best friend always says it should be made into a movie- that's silly. This might be long because its eleven years old! Not consistant though til the end.


I remember so clearly the first time I saw Steven. It was a few weeks into my Freshman year of high school, it was in the outside lunch area. I think there were 6 windows [maybe more, maybe less] I was in the first line and he was in the third. I thought he was gorgeous. He looked nothing like any boy I'd ever seen. Then I heard him talk, I'm pretty sure I cringed. His voice hurt my ears haha. I didn't care though, he was "SO cute!" and I was on a mission to find out who he was. He was a Senior, but we were only two years apart in age.


Obviously I liked him and he started to like me too, eventually he "loved" me. We shared our first kiss under the first street light on the street of my old house on Cuervo Lane[that was a tongue twister!]- I  still glance that way and smile anytime I drive by. The first time we exchanged the L-word was through notes. It was my turn to write him and I was so nervous, I gave it to him right before 6th period and he also handed me a note- weird because it was my turn to write him. Inside his note were those words... I love you. So magical when you're 15 ha! Later on that night at 10:39pm, we said it for the first time. Steven and I fought a lot though, over what, who knows? We just did, we were young. But we'd also stay on the phone til 5am and have to wake up an hour later and have "burning eyeballs" all day at school, I'd go with him when he went skating, we'd drive around and get yelled at by cops for no reason, he'd come over to my house and we'd just giggle because we were so cute and in love [haha] and we also saw the most boring movie ever, "Mission to Mars." He was the first boy to ever tell me I was beautiful. We had fun together.


The end of the school year, my Dad was being stationed to Japan. As a teenager, I felt like my life was over. Steven being the silly 17-year-old boy he was, told me he'd "wait for me." A month or so after I moved I found an email he wrote to another girl. That same night everybody was sleeping but me and my Dad, he was watching tv and I was on the computer listening to music with headphones... I saw him get up and answer the phone and set it down, then he was walking towards me... what? I didn't know anybody here, who could be calling me?! It was Steven. He called operator after operator after operator til somehow- he was connected to me. In Japan. He was begging for a second chance. We call that "The billion dollar phone call." :) Time went on and things between us changed. Only three months after I'd moved, his letters became less mushy and shortly after that, he had a girlfriend.



Then came summer break! My parents let me go back to the states for a month. Steven no longer lived in our hometown, he was three hours away but he came down a few times to see me. It was like I never left, til I had to. I don't remember talking to him much during my Junior year.


After Junior year, my Dad then got orders to North Carolina. And just like in Japan, I was in my bathroom one Friday night, not long after we moved when my dad knocked on the door with the phone... Steven. Always tracking me down, the boy was in love, I tell you! We kept in contact that year via email, aim, etc.


After I graduated I moved back to Arizona. Steven was still three hours away but anytime he came down, he'd try to get in contact with me. I had a boyfriend so rarely saw him and often ignored his phone calls. And when he was here, he called ricidulous amounts of time- blew my phone up! A year after I moved back, he moved back too -but only for a short amount of time- he was on his way to Colorado. I was single, so we mingled. And then he left... and our hearts were broken all over again. :(


We talked often when he was in Colorado then he picked up and moved to Mississippi and stopped talking to everybody, including me. I pretended that I didn't care. We were never something permanant, it was impossible. I told myself we never had a real relationship anyway, how could we when we only saw each other for a few months at a time? Life went on.


It was probably about June or July 2006 when I heard he was moving back. I'm not sure what I felt, it was a mix of excitment/anger/make him want me and one-up him sort of thing. When he got back he wrote me on myspace and apologized for not talking to me for the past year- I ignored it, I wasn't phased. I saw him out a few times, one time he poked my belly as he walked by me and then stared with his head turned as he walked away, another time I walked past him like I didn't even know him and he said "Hey butthead!"- he was ignored. Then in September he showed up for Jeanette's birthday... I decided to finally talk to him. He bought me a Jack and Coke and we talked and talked and talked. We talked and texted all the time after that, he told me I put a hop back in his step. And a week later... we were inseparable.


Finally after six years, we were both in the same city with no signs of leaving. We could finally see where this crazy road was going to take us. It took us to love. Such crazy, exciting, hilarious love. Our next stop was marriage. Our wedding was nothing big- family and close friends in a tiny chapel followed by a reception at my parents house and going out to our favorite places afterwards. It might not have been traditional but it was ours.


I'm married to the first boy I ever kissed, the first boy I ever loved. Back then if somebody would've told me I'd marry and have babies with that boy in the lunchline, I never would've believed it. I love our story. It tells of some very sad times and most of the happiest moments of my life. This road hasn't always been easy...

 but God blessed the broken road that lead me straight to you

Colds, Wednesdays, Chandelier, Poop.

My little loves yesterday

I'm wearing a pretty fabric bow from Peyton's Closet since Rian only wants to wear bows when she feels like it, even then she rips them out after a few minutes. Its too pretty to just hang on her holder.

I've been surrounded by snot and sniffles since Sunday [Aiden's trying to breathe in the picture.] It finally caught up to me today, everytime I get sick after the kids I wonder how they still run around with soo much energy. My throat is on fire and my head feels like a thousand pounds.

Last night when I checked on Rian before I went to sleep, she was in bed- four hours later she was in the closet.

She's got me so exhausted lately. Since we took her rail off she's getting less sleep, she wakes up around 6:30 now. I need to learn to go to bed earlier. But its just so nice to finally get time to myself to do whatever, without somebody talking my ear off and getting climbed all over with little knees and elbows digging into me. Seriously, the kids are on me every second of the day. And I swear, most of the time I love it, but there are times I just need alone time and quiet!


Like Wednesdays... oh I love Wednesdays. I swear having these few hours to myself once a week do wonders for my sanity. Sometimes when they drive away with Grandpa, its like that "Hallelujah" theme song starts playing. Haha... kidding. Or maybe not.

I found another pretty chandelier today! Its going in Rian's room, I'm thinking it'll hang down in front of her closet. Exciting!

And more exciting news- for the first time in Rian's life she's finally pooping regularly. That is HUGE in this house! Last week I bought her these fiber gummies, she eats one three times a day and they work wonders. That makes me one VERY happy Momma. :)

I've been wanting to plant flowers for years now but just never get around to it. This is the first year we've been really consistant with watering the backyard [we've always watered the front], sucks having a $200+ water bill but I love green grass so its worth it. We need to reseed it though, its so patchy. I just don't like that when its finally cool enough to go outside, all the grass will be dead. Maybe we should plant winter grass? Anyway, my point is now that the grass is pretty, I was finally motivated to get some flowers.

These rocks were already in the backyard so I painted them. I've been writing 'S+R=A&R' on everything ever since we picked Rian's name out when I was pregnant. Love it. I did their handprints when they were napping and they came out pretty close to perfect! When Spring rolls back around I defiintely want to plant sunflowers [my favorite] and some other stuff. I'm also on the hunt for a couple of garden gnomes so I can spray paint them metallic gold, I saw them do it on "Home by Novogratz" and I looooved it. Its a ridiculous idea but they'll be perfect in the backyard. I put up a hummingbird feeder yesterday, hopefully we get some cute little birds around here.

Aiden got his first baseball and bat. He loves all sports. I really wanted to put him in soccer this year but Steven said we should wait another year. Boo. I want to put him in dance too since he loves it so much. He'd be so cute!

Aiden made a birthday present for Titi.

I saw this idea on Pinterest, I want to do one for my house too.

The finished product.

I was kind of upset that the letters came out smudged but Steven and Jeanette liked it like that.

Aiden painted it by himself but when he was done I ran the paintbrush across the whole thing so it was even. He did awesome!

Then Saturday night we went out to celebrate:

I can't do late nights anymore. I was exhausted Sunday. We were in bed by 9:30 Sunday and I was still soo tired yesterday. I'm too old!

Last night on Pinterest [yes, I'm obsessed! Who isn't?] I saw a cute little picture of a babygirl in a beanie and tutu. Rian was NOT having it. This was the first shot and only one I got of her not throwing a fit. She hates tutus now. So much for being a fairy for Halloween! She was so much easier last year. Aiden wore one too, he loved it. Hopefully she'll be like that when she's 3!


As of yesterday our dvd player won't read discs AND my camera shutter's been acting up soo bad, I know its about to die. :( I can't, can't, can't live without a camera.

The last two nights I've rocked Rian to sleep, its one of my favorite feelings in the world. I had to rock her every night when she was a baby, Aiden was never really one for rocking. And occassionally if she has trouble sleeping, I still do it. I wonder if she'll let me do it every night. I miss her being little, she's going to be two in three months. :(

I told you I was a crackhead when it came to my projects! I'm supposed to be working on Aiden's room but the last few days its been about Rian's...

Today I put some on decorative paper and painted her bookshelf.

[before it was plain white]

Yesterday I replaced the shower curtain with sheer curtains [so cheap] and new paisley ribbon.

I was going to hot glue gun little red roses on them but once I got home I thought maybe it'd look tacky. :\

And this pretty little pillow sham I found on clearnace at Target.

All the books say pillows are uneccessary but when we switched Aiden to a toddler bed, we gave him one anyway. I haven't given one to Ri yet but tonight when I laid her down, I put her head on this pillow and she instantly threw it off haha.

The weather's still warm [of course] but at least its not as hot so we've been able to go on walks and play outside in the mornings and after dinner. Finally!

Aiden was cracking us up tonight- the kids were eating grapes, Rian finished hers in no time and kept trying to steal his, they fought over his last one and she threw a fit. He told her, "Its all gone" and opened his mouth to show her and kept pointing inside. He said "It went down to my belly." Steven asked him where his food goes after his belly and he looked at him with confusion. Steven asked him if it left his belly and he said "Nooo... the grapes are in my belly. They're taking a nap!" hahaha :)

Happy Birthday to my favorite Cochina in the world!

I love you forever and ever.

Titi <3

Colic

Three years ago today is a day I don't know if I'll ever forget. Aiden was 3 weeks and 2 days old when my peaceful, easy baby that only cried when he needed something turned into a loud, screaming monster that couldn't be calmed down. It was a nightmare- that's the best way to describe it.


The day before I'd taken him to the school I worked at before I had him, I had to show him off! Steven thought he got sick from being there [I knew that wasn't it]. I was on the phone with my Mom that horrible Saturday and I remember he'd already been crying for 45 minutes. She called again later and he was still at it, so her, my dad and nephew Adrian came over. Ugh.


At his one-month well-check I told the doctor he cried allllll the time... hoping for answers, suggestions, anything- I got nothing. "Babies cry, do you give him gas drops?" I wanted him to tell me what I already knew, my baby had colic. I tried all the moves, bounces, rubs, swaddles blah blah blah- everything the books suggested. I never tried Gripe Water- I didn't hear about it at the time, but I doubt it would've worked.


Everytime we went anywhere, Aiden was just passed from person to person trying to calm him down til they couldn't take it anymore and gave him to the next person.  His bouncy chair helped a lot. I'd put him in it, turn the vibrator on and bounce it back and forth with my foot til he eventully fell asleep- that's how he was put to sleep most times. It was draining. So many times I'd cry right along with him... it makes you feel like your baby hates you. Steven and I fought a lot. We were SO stressed- who would be happy when you listen to a screaming baby for hours on end?


His first Christmas, a few days after he turned 4 months old was the last time I really remember him screaming, it was at Steven's Grandma's house. It'd started getting less frequent but one day it was like it just stopped. Suddenly I had a happy baby! Amazing.


The days approaching his first birthday, I thought back to those "dark days" and realized I wouldn't have changed a single second of it. I feel like it made me a better Mom and even brought Steven and I closer together [I never would've thought that could happen while it was going on though]. He spent so much time crying but I have hardly any pictures of it- guess they were moments I didn't want to be remembered.

Here he is around Christmas. My friend Jillian was over with her daughter, Layla, who's about 2 months younger than Aiden. She was so relaxed, just laying on the couch looking around and Aiden was screaming his head off. Typical.

When Rian was born I was sooo scared it would happen again. Even though I'd already been through it, it was even scarier to think about because I also had Aiden to tend to. We passed the 3 week mark but I still held my breath. One day when she was a little over a month old, Steven was out of town for a training and she was fussy and unconsolable most of the day. I was in panic-mode. But the next day, I got my perfect, easy baby back. :)


Obviously its survivable but it was one of the most challenging times of my life. I wouldn't wish a colicy baby on my worst enemy.

Today was perfect!

We had rain today for the third time since last Monday- so rare [and exciting] for us. Today was the best of them all though because it was cloudy alllll day then it got really cool, we even got to turn off the a/c and open up our windows!

Aiden wanted to stay in his jammies all day, fine with me. :) And they had lunch in the living room.

Lazy day for Momma.

I made a roast in the crockpot and for the first time, made my own homemade gravy - it was so SOOO good.

Hahaha he is such a nutball!

I can't wait til everybody goes to bed so I can watch the first episode of this season's Parenthood! One of my favorite shows ever.

Rian playing in the rain yesterday. <3