meet the pavones

christmas day.

2012-01-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

christmas day was started off bright and early for alex and i. we woke up, exchanged our presents, then woke up little man to open his "big present."we ate a quick breakfast, grabbed the last of our stuff (the car was packed the night before), and got on the road to alex's parents' house. unfortunately, we stopped when we were already a ways from home when we realized that we had left micah's insulated cooler. you know, the one with his antibiotics in it :( oh alex was SO sad when we realized. he doesn't like getting to his parents late, and we were already behind schedule. micah had already taken his morning dose and didn't need another until 8pm, so i offered to drive back home during naptime so we wouldn't lose any more time. no one liked the idea of it, but it was what needed to be done to make alex happy, and keep micah healthy, so off we went....

after that little snafu, the morning was awesome. a fun (and crazy) time opening gifts and just being together. the afternoon was mellow...and the drive wasn't too bad. after an eventful evening and morning, being alone in a car for 3 hours singing worshipful christmas songs was actually wonderful! no complaining here...okay a little complaining...so much traffic on the way to OC!

we had a lovely dinner together, and my christmas ended with me staying in our room with micah and falling asleep with him. the kid does not like to sleep anywhere but his crib, and it took a lot of work to get him to sleep at night. for some reason, daytime is easier with him. i think the rest of the adults watched a movie. i fell asleep nice and early snuggling my little man...not bad ;)

we hope you had a wondeful christmas filled with love and joy!

christmas eve.

2012-01-03T08:32:00.000-08:00

another wonderful video from a wonderful hubby.

christmas eve is my favorite day of the entire year. i love it. i love that i start the day with the families of RH. i love having a birthday party for Jesus with hundreds of kiddos. i love being with the amazing volunteers that give of their time on what can be a pretty busy day. love it.

what i also love, is being with my family. it's one of the few times a year that we are all together. all of my siblings. all of my neices and nephews. my parents. everyone together. it's always SUCH a fun night filled with laughter, food, and of course presents! we just did personalized gifts for the kids, rudy (because he doesn't have kids), and my parents. we did a white elephant gift exchange for everyone else. the night has a lot of excitement...and not just for the kids ;) i just love it! and to be honest....it's really nice that there are older cousins to help with the micah ;)

the big present.

2012-01-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

alex and i were so excited to start brainstorming micah's christmas present this year. i had seen a pin on pinterest that i wanted to recreate for micah. it has a lot of little hardware on it for kids to try to figure out. i knew micah would love it, but i also knew that i would love something double sided so we waited on it, not knowing exactly how we were going to make it happen.then, the day after thanksgiving, i went shopping like normal, and i walked into the first store (jcpenny) to find a wooden tool bench 60% off! there were only two left...and it was only 4am! i knew that alex could do something with it, and micah would love it, so i bought it!

fastforward to 3 days before Christmas...we still didn't have the hardware to add to the toolbench, and i REALLY wanted this to be micah's first "ohmygoshiloveit" Christmas present, so we hired a babysitter, finished the shopping, and alex built the final product. it's incredible! micah was SO excited to play with it Christmas morning and every day since!

when we were shopping for the hardware, i told alex that i felt like we were speaking micah's love language ;) it's cheesy. he's only 1.5. i know these things, but this gift held so much anticipation for me, and to see him love it as much or more than i had hoped it such a gift! so, that was micah's first "big" present!

christmas eve eve.

2012-01-02T13:19:00.001-08:00

making a g bread house is a lot work with a toddler, a photo by alexanderpavone on Flickr.

On Christmas eve eve, I had a total mommy meltdown. Micah had gotten an ear infection and started antibiotics the week before Christmas. The week before that, I was sick. A total bummer for all of our festive plans...I had a lot that I wanted to do with Micah, but it all got brushed aside due to illness. I just felt so sad that we weren't doing anything but laying around. Alex was awesome and suggested that we make our gingerbread house and take Micah to see the lights right down the street. It was the perfect way to celebrate Christmas eve eve!

We may not have done all that I wanted to, but i felt so much better getting in a couple of christmasy activities!

downtown disney.

2011-12-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

we normally don't spend much time in downtown disney as we usually go straight into the park, and then straight back to the tram, but we got together with alex's parents, nicole and her fam, and alex's aunt and uncle and a couple of cousins and spent an evening walking downtown disney. it was super fun, and a great way to be with our family...some of whom we don't get to see often! not to mention, i saved my weight watchers points and had a delicious dinner at espn zone ;)

our little model baby.

2011-12-30T15:12:00.001-08:00

i made the banner on the chair for our kitchen window an it worked perfect on the chair!

alex styled and shot a christmas shoot for my sister celeste's family. you can see a few of the awesome shots here. we decided to throw micah in for a couple also, and they turned out super cute...if i do say so myself ;)

family pictures.

2011-12-30T15:04:00.000-08:00

seriously...micah's little face kills me in this picture!

we took some more family photos with our friend, richelle dante. she has been taking our pictures since our first married christmas in 2008. she has quite the booming business now, and we are so grateful that she still makes time for our little family! here are a few of my favorites.

this is after richelle told alex he was throwing micah so high up that she couldn't get both of them in the frame. yeah, i couldn't watch.

thanksgiving :: part 3 :: camping

2011-12-30T14:55:00.000-08:00

the day after thanksgiving (after 4am shopping with my mom and sis), we went down to san elijo to camp with alex's family. micah had a hard time falling asleep which is pretty typical for him. he doesn't like to sleep anywhere but his crib. what he did love was spending so much time with his fam. he adores all of his cousins, and any time he gets to spend with them is always so much fun. a HUGE bummer that happened while we were there was that micah's milk spilled on alex's camera and fried the mother board. i can't seem to find many pictures of the time we spent, but if a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a video must be worth a million...so here's the video recap that alex put together!

thanksgiving :: part 2 :: day of

2011-12-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

after we delivered our cookies, we prepared a few things to take with us. my brother was here with his girlfriend, tara, and they were busy prepping also. we had two thanksgiving meals...one at my grandparents' house, and another one at my sister Celeste's home. it was a great day...micah loooooves to be surrounded by family...i do too ;)

tara with her candy/cookie turkeys

micah giving great-grandpa some love

can you tell that this kids loves his cousins?

to the left is the best baked mac n cheese. so yummy.

to the right you'll see a thankful poem by maliah (8yrs). so sweet!

thanksgiving :: part 1 :: neighbors

2011-12-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

micah is down for a nap.
alex is watching a movie.
i am going to play catch up on the blog. i can't believe i haven't even touched thanksgiving! well...here it goes!

the day before thanksgiving, micah and i made some iced pumpkin cookies for our neighbors before his nap. Micah likes to "help" by mixing up some sugar and flour in a bowl while i bake :)

during his nap, my bro stayed with micah and i made a quick trip to michael's for some packaging materials. while he slept, i used the alphabet stamps i bought to add some life to the plain brown bags. did you know that michael's has small treat size bags with little tabs to keep them closed for only 29 cents?...maybe it's 39 cents, but either way, i like the price! it's hard to tell in the pic, but they say happy thanksgiving...i couldn't find my black ink (i found out later alex had taken it hostage), so i had to use green...not really dark enough , but it did the trick.

on thanksgiving, we went out to deliver to all of our neighbors. micah carried each bag and handed them to our neighbors. it was fun to focus our family on blessing others before we went out to celebrate with family.

despite what it looks like, alex was with us....that's what happens when you're the photog! here's a family shot before we went delivering.

pre-christmas fun

2011-11-29T10:09:00.001-08:00

if below doesn't work, check it out here...funny jib-jab

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

better late than never.

2011-11-23T09:22:00.001-08:00

alex recently finished micah's first year recap video. to be fair, i didn't ask for him to do it until after micah's birthday, so it wasn't all his fault that it took until micah's half birthday to get it done ;)

i cry every time i watch it. i love it so so much and i love that we have it now. micah loves to watch it and point out his family and friends! just a warning, it's LONG!

Micah's first year from Alexander T. Pavone on Vimeo.

happy half birthday little man.

2011-11-13T08:02:00.001-08:00

happy half birthday (yesterday) to my favorite little guy! i can't believe we're already here! look for an update post about all that this busy guy is up to...but not today, i'm late for work!

micah and ryder.

2011-11-10T08:26:00.001-08:00

micah and ryder are only 5 weeks apart. they are little buddies, and so much fun to watch. they couldn't be any more different which only makes it more fun to watch the two of them together. alex put a video together of the little guys last Sunday at a progressive dinner that we did. There were pictures taken for the next Faith Community HomeFront Monthly, and it was a fun night all around.

decorating fun.

2011-11-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

i've been having so much fun making things for our house. with halloween behind us and thanksgiving on the horizon, i had fun taking down the halloween decorations and putting up the thanksgiving things i made. the only halloween thing that was different this year than last year's "boo" banner was the candy corn i made...again via pinterest. i don't have a pic of mine, but they look pretty much exactly the same as the ones in the pin :) here's a look at the thanksgiving decor up in our house...it's only two things, but it makes our home feel so festive.

thankful tree :: via pinterest

i don't have a specific pin to thank for this, just was inspired by all of the awesome burlap banners!

i am now super excited to start working on christmas...both decor and presents! i am proud to say that i have already purchased several gifts, and i'm excited to actually have time to make some gifts this year too! it's amazing what happens when you start planning in september :)

a day in the life.

2011-11-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

inspired by this post, alex decided to document a day in his life. it was funny to watch him set up each shot, but the outcome is pretty cool. check it out ::

one last halloween post.

2011-11-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

i made micah a lined bag for trick or treating. i found the tutorial via pinterest and changed it up to add his first initial instead of the candy corn. i love it, and micah liked carrying it around. total win!

one of the seams started coming apart, and i even learned how to make invisible seams to fix it up! it was a fun project, and helped me learn a little more about sewing.

happy halloween.

2011-11-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

l to r:: foofa, muno, plex, and dj lance rock!

halloween was such a fun day! our RH offices are moving, and monday was the big move day and they asked that no one be in the building(s), so i ended up having it off! i woke up before my boys and made pumpkin shaped pumpkin pancakes for them. it's rare to have a hot breakfast right when you wake up in this house so we all felt pretty awesome having that!

we just hung out at home most of the day and then after dinner, we met up with some of my cousins and their kids for trick or treating. it was the first time trick or treating with micah. it was so much fun watching him go up to each house. he didn't like the idea of leaving each house so quickly though. my little social guy wanted a little more interaction or something :)

as for costumes, we wanted to do something as a family (i'm ALL about coordinating costumes), and i wanted it to be something that he would recognize so naturally we landed with his fav...yo gabba gabba (or as micah likes to call it, yay-yay). my brother joined in on the yay-yay party! all in all we had a super fun day and i am already thinking of costumes for next year!

halloweenie '11

2011-10-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

a super fun fall tradition for us is our Halloweenie party! the first year was super last minute, but i absolutely love that it's become a tradition! Here's a fun video that alex made to recap our night! (oh, and it's halloweenie because we eat hot dogs every year ;)

the 4th Annual Halloweenie from Alexander T. Pavone on Vimeo.

i was super happy to be feeling a little better so that i didn't have to miss out on the fun! and just because i love memory lane, here are the halloweenies of the past ;)

2010 ::

2009 ::

2008 ::

pumpkin patch

2011-10-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

a fun fall tradition for our little family is going to the pumpkin patch. last year, we had a blast creating our own pumpkin patch.

this year, we went to irvine park for their pumpkin patch. we had fun with family, and micah loved getting to run around...it's what he does best! this weekend really felt like the start of the holiday season and i am thrilled! it's definitely my favorite time of the year, and i'm excited to experience it all with a toddler this year!

family date night.

2011-10-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

a couple of saturdays ago, i took a day off of work. most families have regular days off together, but for this season, our family does not. it definitely gets hard at times, but for the most part, we make the best of it. i know that something that is really hard for me personally is that anytime that i take a day off, it's for a reason...someone's birthday, or wedding, or event. i wanted a day just for us. a day to do whatever we wanted...all three of us. so, i requested a saturday off, and we made no plans! what ended up happening was a beautiful thing!

we woke up and had a normal morning, followed by an extra long nap for micah, and mama too! I can't remember the last time I napped! When we woke, we packed up and headed to venice beach. Alex had never been there and had been wanting to go for a long time. Micah was pretty much a dream in the car even though it took forever to park! We took him for a walk, and found the best little playground on the beach...seriously, the. Best. Playground.  It's hard to find great parks for him because he loves to climb, but I really dont want to have to climb behind him every second because he's climbing up so high!  Anyway, this park was the perfect mix of a challenging climb and still low enough to the ground to be able to give him some space! After, we took a long walk to the pier and then back to the car to head to Santa Monica for dinner. We had a late dinner and gelato which was heavenly. By the time we left it was almost 10pm and Micah was still happy :) there were literally no meltdowns, and it was a dream day!

(funny mom moment captured here: we (I) had it in my head that he was a week away from his half birthday so i made him a crown so that we could take some pictures...then i got home and realized that he was a week away from 17 months!)

welcome fall!

2011-09-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

happy fall!

the months of September-December are my favorite. i love fall a LOT. a lot, a lot. but i also LOVE Christmas, so that's why fall isn't exactly my favorite, so I have to include december :) last fall i didn't have Pinterest, so this year i have way more inspiration. a couple of days ago, i made a yarn wreath for our front door. i got the idea from the one below. i'm kind of in love with mine! i hope to be posting more projects soon!

Source: suzescorner.blogspot.com via Angelina on Pinterest

his first time.

2011-09-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

hanging with papa at the urgent care.

today my boy had his first of what i am sure is going to be many urgent care visits. he fell off of a kitchen chair this morning. it's something he does confidently several times a day. today just wasn't his day! he fell right as i was walking out the door to go to work. with a call in to a friend, and the pediatrician, i went on my way (he stopped crying within a few minutes and was acting normal). a few hours later, the pediatrician's office called back (yeah, i was a little ticked that they hadn't called earlier!) and recommended that i take micah in to urgent care. so, off we went...i made my dad come with me because alex works too far, and i was too afraid to go alone!thankfully, the doctor said he would put a stitch in if i wanted it, but that he didn't really need it since the cut is on the back of his head and nobody will ever see it.

after an eventful day for micah (and who am i kidding, me too!), all is well. i am thankful that i got to leave the doctor's office with my healthy and very active child and i thought about the mamas and daddies who don't get to do that. the ones who have to carefully fill out the paperwork because their 17 month old does actually have a long medical history. today, i am thankful for wounds that don't need stiches, and a baby boy who is healthy enough to climb.

sixteen months.

2011-09-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

micah,

somehow i blinked and my baby became a full on toddler. i need to remind myself not to blink too often! you are tall for your age, and most people think you're already 2. you are a ball of energy. literally. you run always and only slow down to sleep! the only calm awake time we have with you is during your "yay-yay," which is micah-speak for yo gabba gabba. it's the only thing you'll slow down for. you love it.

you run from thing to thing. there is no walking. only running. you love to run and climb and dance. active is an understatement. you are also extremely social. you make friends wherever we go. when we're out and about, you are SO happy. you love to say (or yell) "hi" to everyone we meet, and you also are persistent in your friendliness...if someone doesn't acknowledge you when you talk to them, you will repeat yourself even louder until they say hi! on the flip side, you don't stay in the nursery anymore, you just cry for mama. lucky for you, mama is usually right on the other side of the door :) i have to say, because you never had separation anxiety at any point, it's strangely comforting when you cry for mama and daddy.

your current favorite thing to do is to take someone's keys and stick them in the holes on the baby gate. when you get them to hang, you are SO proud of yourself. you back up and laugh and look at what you've accomplished. it's very cute. you have also figured out which keys fit into the doorknob on the front door. you can get them in. you will stand at the door and play with keys for longer than you do anything else.

food wise, you still love all fruits and veggies. if i would let you, you would live off of cucumbers and tomatoes! you do however still love everything your gongi makes you. recently, her shells are your fave. the rice and beans are also standing faves :)

one really fun thing about your budding personality that most people don't get to see too often, is that you have a very sweet side to you. you love to give kisses (just to family. you're a little stingy with them) and are very protective of your mama. if daddy tries to hug or kiss mama, you come right over and push us apart and then want up in mama's arms. it's pretty funny.

micah, it is our hope that you know that you are loved beyond words. you are a joy and every day with you is an adventure. we talk about your craziness and you know what? we wouldn't want it any other way. you are you. 100%. and that's all we want. you.

love,
mama

trying.

2011-09-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

that word.

busy.

i hate that it is used so commonly to describe our life right now.

fall is always a crazy time for most churches. for us, september is always a blur. this year, i have a new position which only adds to the amount of things that fill my calendar. last year, micah was only 4 months old during september, and i wore him in his beco at most events or evenings out. this year, he's a LOUD toddler on the move and he no longer loves his beco (he actually hates it). sad day for mama. he also no longer loves his stroller, but he'll at least tolerate it.

(side note:: i keep trying, and he just hates being confined. is there any hope that he might one day at least be content again in a baby carrier??)

what that means is that now micah can't really hang at most events that are all church events where he would need to be at least a little quiet. last week we had our annual week of setting aside the normal routines for a more dedicated pursuit of God...prayer, fasting, and worship. the night gatherings were great, however, it meant 4 nights away from micah. that's never happened for me before and it probably won't happen again until next year, but it was hard. really, really, hard.

this whole working mama thing is juggling act. really. there are times that are easier than others, but most of the time i feel like i'm lacking somewhere. i just don't ever want micah to feel like he isn't my priority, because he is.

i am learning that there are things that are just beyond my control. i can't make someone volunteer. i can't will the holes in my schedule to be filled just because i am working on filling them on my days off. what i can do, is to use my time well while i'm at work. to maximize my work hours, and pray that God will do the rest. i can commit to not working on my days off unless it is absolutely unavoidable. i can make sure to take comp days for the days that i do have to work on my off days. there are things i can do, and there are things that i can't. but the thing is, i want to be great at everything. i want to make everybody happy all of the time. i love to please my husband, my baby, and my co-workers. i want to do it all, but i just can't. today i shared some of these struggles with someone i really admire and she shot me an email this afternoon that has encouraged me immensely. She said::

"I wantyou to know that I think you do an amazing job of being a mom, working fulltime, and being a wife. Don't buy thelies that you are not doing enough. Godwill fill in where you cannot."

There is so much peace and comfort in hearing that. God will fill in where you cannot. God WILL fill in where you cannot. He just will. Because he is THAT good. i have to remember that God knows. He knows when i am struggling with leaving my baby. He knows that i need him to be strong where i am weak. He knows how to minister to my husband and son more than i ever could. and for that i am thankful. for that, i am eternally grateful. i feel so humbled to know my God will fight for me. and when i fail, he WILL fill in. he will be there in ways that i cannot. i love that.

so this next week, things kind of go back to normal. kind of. i am happy to be walking forward knowing and repeating to myself that God will fill in. because my God is SO good.

eeew!

2011-09-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

oh, hello there brown widow. i don't care for you OR your spiky eggs, so please, please, PLEASE go away! and, if you must come back, i would really appreciate if you would stay off of my baby's toys!!

GROSS!!

fifteen months.

2011-08-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

*i just saw this sitting in my drafts...was originally meant to be posted on August 12.

we stopped doing a specific monthly photo, but this one shows how much he's grown!
at 15 months, he weighed in at 24.8 lbs and 32 inches. yowza!

at fifteen months, my little guy is still running everywhere and climbing on everything. he is non stop action and definitely keeps us on our toes. saying he loves to be outside is such an understatement. he's OBSESSED with being outiside! he also loves his milk and even fakes tiredness because he knows he gets milk right before naps! he just dropped his morning nap which is very sad for mama ;) He's talking more and more. he FINALLY said "mom!" micah's current list of words ::

da-ee = daddy
oww
oh
mom
dye-dye = bye bye
toe-toe = coco (my parent's dog)
nigh-night
hi
yah
na-nah-nuh = banana

i might be forgetting one or two because it seems like he's adding words all the time now! as his language skills grow, so does his love for being around people...specifically adults :) he has always been outgoing, but the whole talking thing takes it to a new level! thankfully, he hasn't discovered "no." he'll shake his head, but he hasn't said the word yet ;)

he loves music and dancing and will start swaying the minute he hears some music. he has 10 teeth including 2 molars. his hair is as curly and crazy as ever, and it's probably time for a trim, but we just can't bring ourselves to do it! he hands out the kisses like crazy and we are SO in love!

micah man, your mama and daddy love you more than you will ever know. you are a joy to be around, and we couldn't imagine our lives without you!!

a couple more.

2011-08-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

here are two more things that have made it into our home recently...the pillow i made, and the print i downloaded from this blog. The print hangs in our kitchen and i wish it was a little larger, but both things make me incredibly happy!

labor of love.

2011-08-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

this project was a labor of love. hours and hours went into it. mostly because i'm crazy and had to score each line before i folded it. yah. it was inspired by this post...from pinterest of course ;)

i wanted something for above our tv, and alex agreed to make the frame so that i could have a base for all of the papers. the "P" was cut on my Cricut (which i've since sold for a Silhouette). i was giddy when i finished this project. i am in love, and even my picky hubby loves it...okay, maybe love is a strong word, but he definitely likes it!

kitchen projects #2 and #3

2011-08-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

this was another pinterest project for me. the tutorial for the zinc inspired letters is insanely easy and i literally completed this project in 15 minutes (uncluding drying time!)! i didn't take any process pics because i am really bad at that, but trust me when i say this was EASY! oh, and did i mention that all three letters cost less than one letter at anthro?! score!

for the next burst of color in our kitchen, i used left over fabric from the bunting, and put it in embroidery hoops. they are fun little pops of happiness above the sink, and above the doorway into the hall. super simple and super cheap...my favorite combo!!

kitchen project #1.

2011-08-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

as soon as we moved in to this house, i knew that i wanted to do something different in our kitchen. when we first moved in, we had chocolate brown curtains in the kitchen, but i had dreams of a brighter kitchen, especially since we have a big window in the kitchen that lets lots of beautiful light in.

i quickly found some lime green curtains that were way more what i had envisioned. then, i found pinterest. love.

i found tons of great ideas for things i would like to do around our house! i also have some martha stewart dish towels that i LOVE and so i used the colors in them as the inspiration for the rest of the kitchen ::

i have always loved bunting banners and since i do have a sewing machine, i tried my hand at making one! i love the way it turned out...just don't look too closely at the stitching ;)

storytime.

2011-08-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

micah isn't too keen on reading books. in fact, he acts like it's torture, but i recently found (via pinterest) that barnes & noble has an online storytime with authors and celebrities reading the stories. so fun! micah made it 1.5 minutes which with 1.5 minutes longer than he normally does :)

projects.

2011-07-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

alex and i have both been working on some projects around our house. i have zero pictures of my latest project, so i guess the final project picture will just show up here soon :) all i can say is that it has taken a ton of time, and there have been quite a few paper cuts!

alex has been working on our backyard, and it's starting to come together...now all we need is the grass and a fresh coat of paint for the fence. here is the before ::

and here is the current state ::

i can't wait for the after shot!

love these guys.

2011-07-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

alex is an amazing dad.

seriously. it doesn't get much better.

whether they are being goofy together running around our house, or outside fiddling around in the garage together, they just enjoy each other. it's no wonder micah's first word was "Da-Da." i wish alex could see the excitement micah gets when he hears alex's car pull up after work. he runs to the window and cries if alex takes too long.

i can only imagine how sweet it will be for me to watch them bond and find more things to do together as micah gets older.

my heart just might explode ;)

little feet.

2011-07-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

micah and his buddy ryder are totally the next rainbow models.

love love this shot that alex got at their friend James' birthday party!

birthday.

2011-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

i guess my birthday came and went without a blog post! Here are some fun photos from my special day. it was a mellow day/night and i was thoroughly spoiled. i mean what girl doesn't want summer sausage from her guy ;)

new toy.

2011-07-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

okay maybe it's not a toy but we are having ton of fun going for bike rides when alex gets home in the evenings. we are definitely going to be sad when there isn't enough daylight for this!

fourth of july

2011-07-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

we had a great 4th of july! we celebrated with my parents in the morning and with the pavone/bennett crew in the afternoon/evening. a fun time was had all around! ( i also had a TON of fun crafting the wreath and pinwheels :) )

yep, we're still here!

2011-07-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

in the midst of a major position transition at work, i have been brain dead every night which has put blogging (and cooking, and cleaning, and crafting) on hold. but i think i'm ready to jump back in!

we took a lovely little vacay last week to hume lake. it was amazing. micah was a stud, and if i can brag on myself a little...i wanted to be outdoors more than my hubby! it was a great trip...we did learn that a vacation is what mamas and daddies do...a TRIP is what a family does ;) while we did lose sleep one night...and when i say "we," i am not including Alex since he sleeps through anything...for the most part, micah did better with naps and nighttime sleep than he ever has when away from home. here are some shots from our time away ::

micah loved "driving" the golf cart

i'm sure if micah could talk, he would say that while he didn't enjoy being strapped in his carset driving through the sequoia national forest, he did love when we stopped at a waterfall and he was able to splash through puddles!

pool time! micah hates the pool...mama will be working on that this summer!

enjoying a little breakfast on the ONE day micah slept in...we missed breakfast but grabbed some muffins at the coffee shop.

a little pool action again.

family photo on our last night.

micah's mustache bash.

2011-06-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

well obviously i'm a bit behind in blogging, but i want to get up the pics from little man's birthday party(almost a month ago!!). we had so much fun celebrating with friends and family...even if it did make for quite the busy/stressful week! For some reason, i can't get the pictures to upload. blogger fail. but there are about a million of them if you click these links::
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14000165@N05/sets/72157626748275535/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14000165@N05/sets/72157626748431603/

home sweet home.

2011-06-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

we've been in our new place for about a month now and we're just now starting to feel settled. moving with a toddler was a lot more difficult than when it was just the two of us. not only do we have less time to unpack, but we also have a little person who gets into everything! the actual move happened while i was working. weird. i literally got ready for work (we had a major event at work) in the old house and went home at the end of the day to the new house. weird.

i am very thankful that micah only had one rough night. he isn't the best (and that's putting it lightly) at sleeping away from his bed. the first night we put him down, he was terrified and cried the most awful heart wrenching cry when i started to walk out. he ended up falling asleep with me laying next to the crib and him holding my hand to fall asleep. too sweet.

we are LOVING our little house. i guess technically it's an apartment, but it feels like a house, and more importantly, it feels like our home. we are still working on decorating, but here's a pic of our super fun outside space.a big thank you to alex for working his butt off to make the outside space pretty...now we just need to get some grass so Micah can play outside!

my pumping journey.

2011-05-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

(one day's excess milk getting ready to go in the freezer! 1 qt!)

*disclaimer :: this going to be very random, but i'm writing just so that i'll remember.

when i was preggo, i never would have thought that i would have gone the route of exclusively pumping. i didn't actually think that breastfeeding would be so difficult for micah and i. i was definitely naive when it came to the realities of trying to get a good latch. to be honest, i feel like all of the classes and books make it seem that it is easy. like all babies come out with a great latch if you just know how to position them and that if you have problems, you're doing something wrong. bull.

my journey wasn't the ideal. it wasn't what i expected. it wasn't what i wanted, but i love the road that i chose.

micah came out and actually did have a perfect latch. he nursed amazingly through the first night and it wasn't until the next day that he started refusing to latch. he would fight and scream and after one bad latch, it was just too painful to keep going. the LCs told me to take a break. to pump and feed him what i pump and then to supplement with formula. just for 24 hours. well, after that break, i was left with an infection and i wasn't able to get him back on and after tears from all of us and multiple visits to the lactation consultant, i decided to exclusively pump.

i knew it was possible because my sister did it. if she hadn't, i wouldn't have known that it was even possible because the entire medical profession (that might be a slight exaggeration) denies that it's possible. seriously. 10 months in i had doctors/nurses tell me that it's impossible....i wanted to say, "really?!? you mean the last 10 months of my son getting only breastmilk is impossible? oh and the 3 months worth of milk in my fridge isn't real??" but i didn't, because i'm just not that bold (or rude). instead, i politely said over and over again, that this is what i'm doing and it's working for us.

anyway, God is so good. i prayed that i would have enough milk, and i did. i prayed that He would make a way for me to provide micah with enough milk for an entire year, and He did. i prayed that my journey would be helpful to others, and it has. my God is good.

through this journey, i've been able to help other pumping moms. i helped a mom through the rough beginning stages when she was devastated that her son wouldn't nurse and she felt like no one understood. God has made a way for me to share what I've learned, and because of that, i would not have had it any other way.

as far as production goes, i had a massive oversupply when i was on maternity leave and a couple of months after, and then as work got busier, and micah got busier, i slowed down on pumping until i was matching what he was eating. we maintained that for a while (and i saw we, because Alex was a HUGE blessing and made it possible for me to pause to pump up to 8 times a day!), and then i started weaning. i was completely weaned off the pump by a couple of weeks before Micah's birthday and i had a freezer stash that has kept him drinking only breastmilk for a longer than a month! we'll use up the last few gallon bags of milk over the next couple of weeks. i just introduced whole milk yesterday and micah liked it just fine. he'll get that during the day, while he'll still have pumped milk for the mornings and evenings...just to make it go a little further :)

i felt like i wanted to write this down so that i won't forget. i don't want to forget how proud i am of myself, and i don't want to forget how thankful i am that God sent me on this path. the most common thing that people want to know is if i would do it again with our next baby. i can't say that i can answer that right now because i now have a son who would have to do a lot of waiting around while i pump (and wash bottles, and prepare bottles, and steralize parts...) and take care of another baby, and if i could avoid that, i would. pumping would never be my first choice as it's a ton of extra work, but i don't think i would adamantly say that i wouldn't do it if my baby won't nurse next time. we'll just have to wait and see :)

twelve months.

2011-05-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

micah,
you are one! this picture makes my heart so happy and so full. at twelve months old, you are quite the little man. i've said it before, and i'm sure i'll say it again....you are ALL boy. seriously. i can't even get you to sit still to read a book, but i love reading to you so i read while you eat...that way i have you trapped! you are a ball of energy and are always on the go. you don't stop when you're awake and still take 2 (long) naps every day. the picture above is evidence of your energy as your legs are almost always covered with little bruises! you go, fall, and then go some more! you've been taking a few steps at a time for a while now, but on May 1, you started really going for it...10-15 steps at a time, and within a week, you were pretty steady on your feet and walking down the hall and around corners! you are officially a toddler and mama has mixed emotions about that ;) with walking came tantrums, but you're still little enough that we can redirect you and you forget about it pretty quickly. you don't watch tv, which isn't a bad thing, but sometimes mama would like just 15 minutes with you distracted :) you still only say da-da, but you have started waving, clapping, climbing and dancing! you are so much fun to be around and you are SO silly. you do things that crack us up, and you crack yourself up too! it is such a joy to be your mama. i love your big open mouth kisses...you grab my face (or hair) on both sides and bring my face to yours for kisses. it's the sweetest thing EVER. your hugs are the only things that rival your kisses. they are strong and warm my heart. i never knew the depth of love that i would experience by knowing you. thank you for making me a mama. every day with you is a gift and the last 365 gifts have been amazing.

i love you little man,
mama

my first mother's day.

2011-05-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

we had an awesome day. it started bright and early since i had to be at our new RH HB campus so Alex and Micah brought me breakfast and a venti chai to get the morning started right :) it was a great launch and then we spent a couple of hours with my mom and grandma at my grandparents house. after that was family nap time followed by packing and more birthday party planning. the day was busy and full, but i loved spending it with my two guys. last year on mother's day, i thought i was 2 weeks away from having a baby, but i delivered my little guy just three days later! i just love being a mama to my little man and look forward to many more mother's days!

weepy.

2011-05-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

i'm a crier. always have been. pretty sure i always will be.

i get especially emotional every time alex and i move...which is once a year at this point...let's pray that this next place will be somewhere for us to be long term!

i think it's helping that the birthday party is distracting me from the reality that we are moving in less than a week, but, i know that this move is going to be the most emotional yet. just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. this is where i labored. this is where we brought him home. this is where we walked the hall in the middle of the night soothing our newborn. this is where he learned to roll over. to scoot. to crawl. to walk.

oh my.

while our neighbors are not ideal, and being on the second floor with a baby is rough, we have had some amazing memories here. ones that i hope to never forget. and with that i am going to try to move forward, knowing that this move is going to be great for our family, and i'm going to try to cut off the weepiness before i got into the ugly cry. here are some of those first memories with micah at home.

almost one.

2011-05-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

did you know that this guy is turning 1 in less than a week??! i can hardly believe it. he started walking a LOT more this week! it's safe to say we have a walker, even though i think he prefers crawling because he's faster! with all of the craziness that is surrounding us right now, i am still trying to focus on the details of his little man birthday party. i love and appreciate the details that go into making a party so special, and i'm not skipping any because his birthday happens to fall at a crazy time :) okay, okay, so i'm not focusing on every teeny tiny thing, but i am trying to be intentional for our little guy. here's a sneak peak of what's to come...

(little jars with adhesive mustaches)

(tiny paper bunting)

everything is really starting to come together...maybe i'll start packing this afternoon ;)

quick update.

2011-05-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

we get the keys to the new place in 5 days.
micah's birthday is in 7 days.
his party is in 10 days.
giant event at work in 7 days.
launching the RH HB campus in 3 days.

there are so many things to do for all of the things above, but this morning i just enjoyed the morning with my boy. the to do list can wait for nap times.

our new home.

2011-05-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

so, the virus has not left me. went to the doctor, but he was no help. dumb virus. i did have to go to work today, but i stayed as far away from people as possible and didn't even step inside a kids room! just there for support, ya know?

okay so the virus is kind of depressing...especially since i've been resting like crazy...alex and my parents have done double duty to keep me resting. anywhoo...our new home is much more exciting than a dumb virus, so i figured I would post some pictures. it's still a work in progress as they are currently installing new countertops and a new tub. we visited again yesterday to check out the progress and it was really exciting :)

best. parents. ever.

2011-04-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

today i am especially thankful for my parents. let me tell you about my week...sunday night, i went to bed at 6pm. not a nap, literally in bed for the night at 6pm. slept through until micah woke the next morning. we spent the entire day at home in our jammies. i was WIPED. monday night, my throat started hurting, but i was supposed to be at work at 7am tuesday to unload the easter truck, so off i went. i made it through until 3 and then headed home. then my throat really started hurting. like the burning, have to suck on throat lozenges all night long kind of hurting. wednesday, i went to staff meeting, had one more meeting, and then i was toast. noon on wednesday, i went down hard. i went home early, and my parents stayed to help out with micah while i rested. then they went and got dinner for everyone and came back to feed us. amazing.

then after being with micah all day tuesday and wednesday, my dad came back over this morning and played with/cared for micah all morning until his nap when my mom came over. they fed me, took care of micah, and took care of me. i am so thankful because i don't think i would have been a very good mama today.

thankfully, i think i'm over the worst of it. i'm hoping to be up for work this weekend. so yeah. i have he best parents ever!

oh and did i mention that all of my dishes are clean thanks to my mama :)

easter 2011.

2011-04-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

easter was amazing. God was glorified and i experienced the presence of the Spirit in unbelievable ways. easter started for me months ago, but really started taking shape on thursday at our staff meeting. i wish i was an eloquent writer so that i could explain the awesomeness of our staff meeting. we reflecting on stories of transformation from past easters which was inspiring, but then the Spirit fell on us in an incredibly prophetic way. there was not a dry eye, and to be honest, i just don't have the right words...you'll just have to trust me :)

the bulk of the set up was on thursday night. it was a great night and most everything got done.

friday, we had 3 services with children's ministry, and then packed up every.single.toy from the entire building to take over to the tents at the fairgrounds.

saturday was unloading the truck with the toys, and then fine tuning all of the tents. we finished in record time and then we had the stirring saturday night which was a night for the Church around orange and LA counties to get together to worship and pray for the sunday morning gatherings, and the families in the county. francis chan brought a pretty powerful message and we were mobilized to action by contributing to an amazing organization called Safe Families.

and then....easter morning! incredible. incredible. incredible! francis joined us yet again and it was not a service that will be forgotten anytime soon. since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are some captured by alex ::

we. are. STILL. insane.

2011-04-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

do you remember last year when we moved? well, we thought that it was the craziest time to move.

nope.

now is the craziest time to move, and, you guessed it...we're moving! again.

this will be our 4th place right before our 3 year wedding anniversary.

let me map this out for you....

alex just moved to full time which means he isn't here to use wednesdays to pack.
i am in the process of helping to make Easter 2011 happen.
may 8th RH is launching a new campus in huntington.
may 12th is micah's first birthday.
may 12th also starts a three day family ministry gathering (aka conference with a TON of people).
may 15th is micah's birthday party.
oh, and did i mention that we have one of our dear friends staying with us from the 9th-15th.

yup...sounds crazy, right? yeah. we get the keys to our new place on may 10th. and we need to be completely out of our current place by the 20th. so why are we doing this? well, let me tell you ::
the new place is free standing. that's right, no shared walls!
washer and dryer hook ups.
new windows.
new carpet.
new dishwasher.
new stove.
new countertops.
a side yard!! this one is huge for us...with a little person and summer right around the corner, we SO desired a place for him to play outside without having to drive anywhere.
laminate floors in the living room.
new tub and bathroom vanity.
all of the above for a (very) small increase in rent.
not having to live next to crazy mccrazy.
no smoker right outside our window.
no stairs!
a landlord who actually wants to upgrade the property for you.

we just couldn't pass this place up. seeing it again last night totally confirmed our decision. it's everything we have talked about wanting. we LOVE it. the funny thing is that alex just happened to drive by it on the way home on Sunday...right after we had just released our hopes of finding anything better within our price range. literally, just minutes after we said that we just need to keep our eyes open but not be expectant and to trust that God would make it clear when it was time. well, He made it clear.

so yes, we might be insane, but i think we'd be more insane to pass it up!

and because no post is finished until it has some micahness in it, here's a winner ::

eleven months.

2011-04-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

we're a little late on micah's update this month. mostly because mama has been (and still is) crazy busy!

micah,
every day i think you just can't possibly get any more fun, and then you wake up the next day and prove me wrong! you are still a ball of energy and i don't think that's ever going to change ;) this month you've gotten more steady on your feet and are braving up to 5 steps at a time now! Most of the time it's still only 2 or 3 though. you are a happy baby who never stops moving. if you're still, it's because you are asleep! you've started playing ball now and we LOVE it. you're also loving the outdoors more and more. i think you're going to turn mama into an outside girl :) we take walks nearly every afternoon and you love crawling around on the grass outside.
you are still a very good eater...the only thing we've found that you don't like is eggs. you have tried so many new things, and mama can't even keep track of them anymore! i think that means you're a big kid now.

the closer we get to your birthday, the more i get sentimental about you growing up. you are such a gift to your dad and i. we love you more than we ever thought possible and we love you more every single day!

birthdays.

2011-04-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

We celebrated with two very special one year olds last weekend. both boys were born on the same day in the same hospital and they both mean the world to us! first up was Ryder who had a super cute fishy theme and the best cake eating i have ever seen!

sunday was brody's turn...he had an adorable baseball theme which was perfect for his family!

we had a GREAT weekend celebrating two of our favorite little boys! next up is another one of Micah's buddies...we'll be celebrating Landon today...and after that....micah's turn!

check it out.

2011-04-14T17:27:00.001-07:00

the OC Easter site is incredible this year. i have gone to the site multiple times since it launched, and i can't get enough. seriously, the communications team did an amazing job translating what it is we're celebrating on Easter.

check it out.

spread the word.

www.oceaster.com

mommy fail.

2011-04-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

so last night, micah was extra fussy at bedtime which isn't normal. if he's full, he usually goes down without a fight. last night he wouldn't stop crying. i tried a few more ounces which ended up calming him down. he started crying again when he finished, but fell asleep after a few minutes.

normally i have a pretty good read on micah. i usually know what it is that's keeping him from sleep, so imagine how terrible i felt when after all of that crying, i found his little blankie (that he has slept with every.single.night.) in the living room! of course i felt awful...the good news is that tonight i remembered the blankie and micah went down without a peep :)

manly man

2011-03-28T17:32:00.001-07:00

mama and baby.

2011-03-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

love.

CPC 2011

2011-03-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

(the RH & DCC crew)

CPC this year was awesome. I only attended one breakout and spent most of my time in the David C. Cook booth in the resource center. Being able to talk with other practitioners who are using Tru was great...as was talking with potential customers. The thing that I kept hearing over and over again was a sense of relief. People are tired. They are weary of the same old, and I feel so privileged to be on the team that gets to work on the Tru project. I also loved talking through the Spiritual Parenting philosophy with people. All in all it was an encouraging week and quite honestly was a great time to prepare for the next season of ministry....Easter and RH HB...

a day at the park.

2011-03-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

okay so maybe it wasn't a day at the park, but it was at least 20 minutes ;) we took micah to the part to swing and slide, and he loved it of course. the only thing he was unsure of was the sand. that's my boy!

micah's favorites.

2011-03-14T22:34:00.001-07:00

anytime we go anywhere (short outings included), i'm always thinking about snacks for my little guy. something that can tide him over until his next feeding of milk or solids and is portable is always good! He doesn't have many things that he doesn't like, but here are some of his favorites ::

Baby Mum-Mums are probably his #1 feed himself snack. They come individually wrapped with two rice rusks in each wrapper. micah loves to chomp on these and i love them because unlike the teething biscuits (that he also loves), they don't make a giant mess :) they are perfect for the shopping cart! these are fun little snacks that micah adores. he likes to pick them up himself (he's still mastering the pincer grasp) and can't get enough of them. we have to cut him off ;)

i think all babies love puffs. there's just something about them and i love the happy baby organic puffs because they are a little bigger and easier to grab for my guy, but his absolute favorite are these ::

the last thing actually surprised me. ella's kitchen makes these really cool pouches of fruit and veggie purees. they come with a twist off top that we actually squeeze right into micah's mouth if we're out and about! he doesn't really dig jarred baby food, but he loves the idea of squeezing it into his mouth and will finish a whole one in just a couple of minutes.

well, that's it for tonight...hope you found some new yummy snacks for your little one, or someone else's little one!

ten months.

2011-03-12T20:52:00.000-08:00

micah,

today you are in the double digits! you are growing up quickly and we are loving every minute! i feel like compiling a list of all the changes is just so hard because everyday you are doing new things! you are constantly moving and are still very busy. you don't have time for things like sitting still! you've been carrying around mama's 2lb. weights and get really mad when you can't find them in their normal place! you walk pushing one of your toys with wheels, and you get really angry when you get stopped by something. we think it's cute and funny, but you definitely do not. you have also started standing unassisted for short periods of time (like just a couple of seconds). one of your top middle teeth popped in this week (the right one), and it looks like the left one will be coming in soon! we haven't changed over to your big boy carseat like i thought, but it's coming!

during the past month, mama and daddy each took short trips away and you did not like that very much! when mama came home from being away overnight, you stuck to her like glue for the entire next day! you would NOT let her out of your sights. when daddy got home from his trip, you had the biggest smile on your face. the funny thing was that he was with you on Saturday and Sunday, but when he got home from work on Monday, you wouldn't go to sleep so daddy had to let you keep his hat in your crib. As much as you are a busy guy and are pretty tough, you show us that you are very sweet and you love your mama and daddy VERY much!

you are eating lots of different foods...your recent favs were grilled tilapia and miso soup (not together).we haven't found anything that you don't like to eat, but you're still not eating large quantities of anything. as far as sleeping goes, we are in a much better place this month. we're still doing a dream feed because we're afraid of you waking up in the middle of the night, but right now you're sleeping 7-7 again with a dream feed thrown in. we'll take it! uninterrupted sleep is so good for all of us!

well little man, i can't wait to see what the next month holds...every day life just keeps getting better!

i love you,
mama

just the two of us.

2011-03-04T21:56:00.000-08:00

alex is away. he went to spring training in arizona with his family and we are missing him like crazy. we are excited for him to get home tomorrow. we've been having a great time together, and had even more fun when gongi was with us! here's what micah has been up to ::

having a snack.
out to dinner with mama and gongi.riding around sam's club acting too cool for school.

dinner time. decided he was SO over being fed by mama...had to do it himself.

as you can see, i can mainly snap pictures when he's strapped in to something...any other time, i'm making sure he doesn't seriously injure himself. this kid is fast, strong and smart. a deadly trio ;)

tomorrow we will welcome alex home and we just can't wait!!

big bear.

2011-03-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

we spent the weekend in big bear with my parents and my sister and her family. it was a relaxing time (as relaxing as can be while chasing a very active baby), and we had tons of fun. it dumped snow all day Saturday and was beyond beautiful. as you will see in the pictures below, micah didn't exactly love the snow :) there were multiple times that my parents sent me back to bed and stayed up with micah...i'm a lucky girl!

alex got crafty.

2011-03-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

i came home to this awesome banner last week. i love it, and it's still up.

done.

2011-02-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

i did it.
my first night away from micah is now behind me, and i am proud of myself.
it was a fun and relaxing couple of days, but i did miss my little guy like crazy...and i only cried a little once i was actually there....getting there was the hard part!
i will have another night away in march, and hopefully it will be easier next time!

i am loooooving being home with my little man. not having a babysitter actually worked in my favor this time because i came home early from the trip and as much as i love everyone i was with and i hate missing out on the fun today, i really needed to be home with my guy.

time.

2011-02-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

today i'll leave my little guy and head out to la quinta for a couple of days with the family ministry staff. it will be fun and relaxing for sure, but i'm going to totally miss my men. it's the first night that I'll be away from micah which means that Wednesday is the first morning that he'll wake up without me. i'm guessing the anticipation is going to be worse than reality but right now that really doesn't make a difference. i know micah is in great hands with alex and my parents, i just know i'm going to miss his sweet little face.

sigh.

cuteness.

2011-02-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

i'm working on choosing pictures to replace the ones we've had up for 2 years in a big collage frame. we literally have one printed picture of micah up in our house and after our re-do, his face will be plastered everywhere :) as i was narrowing down the pictures, i came across this perfect scrunchy little face. 9 months has flown by. but seriously, are you dying of the cuteness?? i am.

nine months.

2011-02-18T09:34:00.000-08:00

this post is almost a week late..which i hate because he changes every.single.day. I'll try to keep it true to last week!

micah,
the past nine months have flown by. when you were born, i thought about the point at which you would be nine months and how big you would be...and big you are! at your nine month check-up, dr.brown let us know that at 30.25 inches long, you are officially off the chart! your weight is slowing down, but you're definitely still beefy!! you weighed in at 21 lbs. 12 oz. you are mama's big guy!! you still only have two bottom teeth, but we're hoping that the two top ones that have been hurting you will come through SOON!
if i had to use one word to describe this stage, it would be FUN!! we laugh together and just have so much fun playing, crawling around (you love to chase us around the house!), dancing, and being silly. we just love spending time together and watching you explore your world. you are very curious and still very busy :)
right now you are an adventurous eater and have begun eating just about everything. your newest favorite was a clementine. you loved it. you are still not eating bigger quantities of anything, but we're just thankful that you're eating solids again.
when you were sick last month, you started waking again every night to eat. even after you got well, you kept it up. last night was the first night in 6 weeks that we didn't feed you. you cried for 15 minutes, then fell back asleep and we didn't hear from you until 7am! we're hoping that after a few more nights of crying will be all it takes to get you sleeping solid again! you are much happier when you have slept well...so are mama and daddy!
speaking of daddy....you say da-da all the time. it's the only thing you can say, but still. you have started to call out to your daddy when he walks out the door and cry for him and call his name (da-da) when he leaves every day for work. it's very sweet. you LOVE your da-da and get so excited to see him.
my little man, you are in the final stretch towards your first birthday....that your mama is already planning :) you will be moving to your big boy carseat this weekend because in another inch and a half you will have outgrown your infant seat! we are looking towards the future with excitement. we love you more than words could express.

love,
mama

love.

2011-02-14T18:56:00.001-08:00

(micah thinks valentine's day is VERY funny)

independent woman?

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

today i am going to see a very good friend in a play...a musical, i think. she set aside a ticket for me, and only had a limited amount, so i'm going alone.
solo.
by. my. self.

i don't normally go places by myself. i don't dine alone, i don't see movies alone...who are we kidding, i rarely get to even go to the bathroom alone anymore! tmi? me? never!

so i had a mini panic attack when i realized that i have to find the place all by myself. that i will have to figure out where to park and figure out where the will call window is.... i have never been independent...just ask my parents ;) as i type this, i want to laugh because i know it's silly.

but, i am a strong girl. i run a ministry. i oversee dozens of volunteers. i am a mama. i communicate with hundreds of families. at any given time i play the part of carpenter, doctor, interior decorator, party planner, spiritual advisor, psychologist, painter, and many more....but finding that theater?? no way. super anxious. what the heck is that about??

so what did i do? i text my friend at 10:30pm to find out the specific address one more time. poor girl was probably already asleep since she has a show to put on in the morning!! sometimes it's so funny the things that paralyze us. for me? finding the theater and parking. here's hoping i can do it ;)

first haircut.

2011-02-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

i can't believe my baby boy had his first hair cut today. it was much more emotional than i had anticipated...especially when they turned him around so i could see him. there may or may not have been tears welling up.

alex and i have known this day was coming since micah started crawling. he is such a mover and his hair is in his eyes all. the. time. if only there were hair barrettes for boys ;)

knowing i wouldn't be trusting of just anyone with my boy's beautiful hair (spoken like a true mother, right?), we enlisted the skills of our friend Jason. he works at Salon Gregories across from fashion island, and it felt a little funny taking our baby there for a cut at just under 9 months :)

jason did a fantastic job, and didn't change the overall look of micah's hair but trimmed an inch off the longest sections to keep it from going into micah's eyes, and trimmed around his ears. micah looks SO big now and all of a sudden seems that much older...i'm not ready for him to grow up so quickly...but he sure is cute :)

pink.

2011-02-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

i've been making some paper heart garland and i wanted to share it. i used different paper in different shades of pink and patterns with pinks and reds. alex thinks it's pretty girly, but hey, valentine's day is a totally girly holiday...plus i'm outnumbered by boys in this house and need my girlyness in there somewhere! it was such a quick project with my sewing maching! no gluing necessary :)

micah's new ride.

2011-02-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

micah spends a lot of time in the hallway at church. usually that means he's strapped in to the becco, the stroller, or in someone's arms. micah does really well on sunday mornings, however, he likes to be on the move so being strapped into something for 5 hours doesn't typically make him the happiest baby by the end. this week, we sent alex to target during the first service to go get a walker. we never bought one because we have carpet, and because of the risk of injury, but since he's only going to be in it once a week and we will always be with him so i am not worried at all. and, well, he loves it!

preparing.

2011-02-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

very soon i will be leaving micah overnight for the first time.

everyone tells me that it will be so nice to get away. they say that i will love it once i'm gone. they also say that the time will pass quickly. they obviously don't know me very well.

i am dreading leaving him. dreading might be an understatement.

i know that there will be some fun, relaxing times, but i also know that every time i pump, and when i lay my head down at night, all i will be able to think of is my little man having to go to bed without his mama. i just keep telling myself...it's just one night...it's just one night...

i am coming home from the retreat early because thursday is my day with micah so i'll need to be back before alex has to leave for work on thursday. i've never been so thankful to have to be home early. would you want to leave this face??

sweetness.

2011-01-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

yesterday i came home to this.

after teaching a room of preschoolers while having a splitting headache, this was exactly what i needed. some sweetness.

homemade chai.

2011-01-28T10:57:00.000-08:00

(photo from the orignal post)

i saw a recipe for a yummy looking chai concentrate on the Tasty Kitchen blog. i knew i had to try it, so i went to Henry's to grab the spices (did you know you can measure out spices there so that you don't have to buy a whole jar?! it's my new favorite thing!), and then in true angelina style waited 2 weeks before actually making it :) i'm a working mama, i don't have a lot of time (that will be my excuse for everything). I followed the instructions exactly, except that i let it steep for a lot longer than it says to. it's darker than any concentrate i have ever seen, but still delicious! i actually really love the way it came out. i don't have any pictures of the batch i made because my photographer is slacking :) if you're a chai fan, i would highly recommend this recipe!

...i am enjoying an iced chai right now while little man sleeps and the snickerdoodles bake :)

a moment.

2011-01-27T21:47:00.000-08:00

i love the way alex captures moments in our lives that i might otherwise forget. this is a new favorite.

giggles.

2011-01-24T20:58:00.000-08:00

we took this video of micah yesterday. it was his first time in a big boy swing, and he loved it :)
i must say, his laugh is music to this mama's ears...especially when he's teething especially bad today.

first project.

2011-01-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

i don't know if i posted it, but i got a sewing machine from alex's parents for christmas. for my first "real" project (one that i had to buy the fabric for and figure out all by myself), i spruced up some plain cloth diapers to be cute burp cloths for a mama-to-be. I think they turned out pretty cute for my first time. I made three, and the last one was definitely less wonky than the first one :)

i will be making a few more tonight for another new baby. Here is what I learned from last time ::

there is more ironing than actual sewing.
i definitely need to ease up on the perfectionism or i will never finish anything.
i need to pay attention to which way the pattern runs on the fabric.
there are not enough hours in the day for me to learn a new hobby, but i'm sure going to try!

the best way to start the day...

2011-01-18T18:15:00.000-08:00

...is with this little man snuggled up next to you.

we loved the week break we got. what break you ask? oh the one week that we had our very sweet, very happy baby who wasn't sick or teething. the teething came back in full force today and it was rough for little man. it's so hard when we've tried everything and he still is in pain. it breaks my heart.

in other news...i just realized that i will be leaving my little guy overnight (2 nights even!) for the first time next month. sad, sad, sad. totally not ready, but it's a work thing and i have to go. hmmmpf.

guess this is a pretty nothing post. i guess i just really wanted to post that picture because it makes me happy. there we go...we'll end on a happy note :)

this guy...

2011-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

...melts my heart.

eight months.

2011-01-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

micah,

eight months feels old to your mama. like too old. like i feel like you were born, and then i blinked, and all of a sudden you're big! but to be honest, you are more fun every single day and i would go backwards for anything.

you have a scratch on your eye in this picture that i asked your daddy not to photoshop out because it tells a lot about this stage you're in. you crawl over to something, pull yourself up, play there for a bit, and then fall down. over and over again, this happens. it's fun to watch and at the same time, it's incredibly hard to not coddle you. mama doesn't like to let you fall, but she knows that sometimes you just have to. on the day you turned eight months, you had a fall that caused your bottom teeth to puncture your upper lip :( mama got the call at work and rushed right home to be with you and daddy. we eventually took you to the doctor because you just wouldn't stop bleeding. Dr. said you were fine and to expect lots more falls.

despite what it might sound like you are incredibly strong and balanced. we love watching you figure out how to get from the ottoman to the couch, and back again. sometimes i think you forget that you can't walk because you turn away from whatever it is you're holding onto and act like you want to go forward. you just fall forward. it's pretty funny for us to watch.

you had your first cold over the new year, and also went on your first eating strike. both caused you to eat less and sleep less. poor little buddy. your cold lingered for a solid 2 weeks, but you're back to your normal joyful self.

speaking of joy...that is the way everyone describes you...happy and joyful, and it's SO true. you are smiley and friendly with everyone you meet. you have your favorites, and you do get grumpy, but in general you are a very happy baby and even at the youngest of ages, you are full of joy. you are truly a people person and you especially love other babies and kids. i love watching you crawl right up to other babies and touch them...we have to remind you to be gentle and that other kiddos might not like you to grab onto them :)

our days consist of a lot of time on the floor and we can't take our eyes off of you for a second. your favorite toy right now is this car steering wheel that you got for Christmas. you also love your keys and anything you can bite on. more than anything, you like the things you aren't supposed to have...like a lip gloss container and an empty wipes case.

we so love being your mama and daddy. you light up when you see us and our hearts are full. we love to be with you and still can't quite remember what life was like without you...it must have been pretty boring without a little boy to chase around ;)

xoxo.

our little crawler

2011-01-11T13:24:00.001-08:00

micah started real crawling on Christmas and really hasn't looked back! just this weekend, he started following us when we go ahead of him and call him towards us...here's a look at him coming around the corner being SO cute :)

Micah Crawling down the Hall from Alexander T. Pavone on Vimeo.

(i love my new flip cam!)

awake is the new sleep.

2011-01-11T13:17:00.000-08:00

yep. this has been my motto for the past 12 days. twelve days of interrupted sleep. i am not used to interrupted sleep anymore, and i could not be more thankful that micah FINALLY slept through the night again last night. i couldn't help but start singing our family ministry anthem (aka the doxology)...."praise God from whom all blessing flow...."

let me tell you. this mama has had 5 months of uninterrupted sleep and i was about to go bonkers after twelve days....how did i survive 3 months?! oh wait, that's right, i slept everytime he slept for 3 months :) this whole get up and go to work thing got in the way a bit!

micah's first cold is the reason he hasn't been sleeping. being sick/teething again made him not want to eat which in turn left him starving around 4am!

my solution? dream feeding him twice after he goes to sleep. while he's asleep he doesn't have the same resolve to not eat. thank you dream feed, thank you.

micah's first christmas (part 3/the end)

2010-12-29T16:34:00.000-08:00

when ended our christmas festivities with the pavone side of the family. we had a great time, opening gifts, having a delicious dinner, and just hanging with family. we stayed for a few days since we don't get a whole lot of hang time with them. it was a great way to finish up celebrating!

micah's first christmas (part 2)

2010-12-29T12:02:00.000-08:00

the second leg of micah's first christmas was at home. he woke up, ate, and then opened up his stocking (mostly baby food :) ) and 2 of his three presents...we had totally cheated and opened our gifts to each other the night before since we knew that we would be wanting to leave as soon as possible to get down to alex's parents' house. here's micah enjoying the morning fun ::

micah's first christmas (part 1)

2010-12-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

our christmas festivities start on christmas eve. this has been my family's tradition forever and i love it :) everyone dresses up, we feast on all sorts of yuminess (there are always tamales involved) and open gifts with my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. here are some of my favorite shots of the night...

merry christmas from the family staff babies.

2010-12-22T14:53:00.001-08:00

james (5 mo), keaton (3 mo), micah (7 mo) and ryder (8mo)

i'm sure if these babies could talk, they would wish you all a merry christmas :)

magical.

2010-12-17T23:25:00.001-08:00

there is only one word to describe Disneyland at Christmastime. magical. plain and simple. the people over at disney are incredibly talented at what they do. one of the things on our list of "wants" this christmas season was to take micah to see disneyland. the lights up and down main street with the way the castle is illuminated, just makes me giddy! micah also got to watch his first fireworks show and he was fixated on the lights in the sky! we had so much fun...and it helped that we went on the night that it was 75 degrees at 8pm :)

the hulk.

2010-12-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

i affectionately refer to micah as the hulk. this is why ::
this kid has a "hulk" type strength. he pulls himself up on his carseat, his bumbo, and the christmas boxes. and he was doing this before he was even 7 months old! oh micah, how is mama ever going to keep up with you?!

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas...

2010-12-13T22:55:00.000-08:00

...actually, it has looked like Christmas for a couple of weeks, i'm just behind on posting :)

here are a few shots from around our home.

paper garland that I made ::

another garland i made ::

new stockings that alex's mom made for us!
(still need another hook for micah's)

i wish my house could always be so festive!

seven months.

2010-12-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

for some reason, micah was much easier to photograph this month than he has been for the past couple of months!

micah,

you're sitting up like a pro these days...sitting has been a progressive milestone for you and one that will have a month long date attached to it, but you have mastered it (kinda)! On a couple of different occasions you have crawled on all fours...just for a few feet, and just a couple of times, but still, we are so proud of you :)

remember how last month I said you were busy? well, last month is nothing compared to right now! you are getting into everything. and i mean everything! You got your first tooth on the 1st of December, and your second one popped through yesterday. teething is a beast. we aren't fans of the pain it causes you :( you are trying more and more foods, and it was SO fun to feed you all the veggies from your gongi's homemade soup...you ate it up so quickly...probably because it was the first seasoned food you've had :) you had another first this month...you went into the nursery at church for the very first time! you were a stud and loved playing in there! oh yeah, and i almost forgot your first thanksgiving! you had a great day (there is a draft about that, but there were so many pics that blogger squashed my post! i'm still figuring it out!) and loved the sweet potatoes that your gongi made especially for you...baked sans seasoning :)

every morning when we go in to get you, you get so excited! you wake up happy these days and spend a good 15-20 minutes just talking or rolling around in your bed. speaking of your bed, one of the things that you do every single nap time is pull off your bumpers. mama is kind of a freak about safety, so you have the breathable bumpers that velcro on...velcro is no match for you!

each month holds so many firsts for you and we love getting to share them with you. your first Christmas is coming up and we can't wait! you are a little stud and we love you!

one of those days...

2010-12-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

today has been such a strange day.

micah woke up at 7:30am just like any other day. after less than an hour of being awake, he was beyond fussy and nothing was making him happy, so I laid him in his crib and walked out thinking that he would just be fussy in there for a while, but no. no, he did not fuss. in fact, he was asleep within just a couple of minutes. score.

fast forward 3 hours...that's right...three hours later, my little guy woke up! I could barely believe it. had i known it was going to be 3 hours, i definitely would have been more productive instead of lounging all morning!

since then...now 5.5 hrs. later, micah has only slept about 45 minutes and is fussier than fussy. he did cut a tooth earlier this week (that's right, he's a big kid), so I've been attributing it to teething, but i can't help but wonder if he's starting to feel sick for the first time.

it never fails that the day he is extremely fussy, we have somewhere to go. tonight i will have to pack him up and take him to work with me for a very fun event that just might not be very fun with a fussy baby.

i am always thankful when he has days like this with me instead of alex or my mom. of course i prefer good days over bad, but i always prefer to be the one to soothe my guy. is that kinda weird?

2010-12-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

I saw this video posted to someone's facebook and just had to share.

we are anticipating this christmas more than ever before because we get to share our traditions with micah and celebrate with him for the first time. i can't imagine losing him 6 months from now, like this family did. Please watch the video and consider donating to St. Jude children's research hospital. and be warned...i'm still crying from watching this video.

thanksgiving weekend.

2010-12-02T12:18:00.001-08:00

Micah's first thanksgiving was filled with lots of family and lots of laughter. Each holiday that we get to experience with Micah for the first time is so special to us. Here are some pictures of Micah's first Thanksgiving. (more pics to come with the pavone side...my computer isn't letting me post more!)

happy thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T13:56:00.000-08:00

This year, Thanksgiving is extra special because it's Micah's first! We are thankful for too many things to list, but we hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving and reflecting on all of the blessings in your life!

six months.

2010-11-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

micah,
the best way to describe you at six months is a ball of energy! if you're awake, you're moving. period. you are so excited to take in all the sights and sounds around you so there's no time for sitting! you do well while leaning forward, but haven't mastered the full sit. Today you are technically 6 months and 4 days and you crawled for the very first time! it was more of a scoot-crawl, but the bottom line is :: you are MOBILE. your dad and i know that we have no idea what we're in for!
you've been eating solids for 2 weeks, and are such a good eater! we haven't quite figured out a schedule for you quite yet but we're trying! you love pretty much everything that we give you but you absolutely hate peas and puffs! i have a pretty funny video of you eating puffs that you will laugh at one day. you love everything else that you have tried...bananas, avocado, pears, sweet potatoes and apples.
at your six month appointment, we found out that you are 28 inches long and 19lbs. 3oz! you are in the 93rd percentile for length, and the 75th percentile for weight. you are a big baby! dr. brown says that you are growing so well and she loves your hair and wild personality. Here are some pictures of how much you've grown over the last 6 months ::

we can't believe that you are already six months old. time seriously flies little man. we love you so much and could not be more happy to be your parents.

love,
mama

if you're a guy, this post won't interest you.

2010-11-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

i must clarify, i wouldn't wear this shirt, i just thought it was funny :)

micah's 6 month update is coming, but until i get that post together, i thought i'd write about something that i've been thinking about a lot recently.

when micah was born, i was fully planning to nurse him. he did great the first day. literally needed no help whatsoever through the first night. once the next day hit, we had all sorts of hurdles, but primarily he had a poor latch. then, he got frustrated, and stubborn! we saw multiple lactation consultants, but before we left the hospital, they had me pumping and syringe feeding. to make a long story short, i ended up decided to go the route of exclusively pumping for micah. we just couldn't make nursing work, so i set my sights on pumping.

one thing i found out quickly was that the general assumption is that your milk won't come in if you're pumping or that it won't last past a few weeks. i was told over and over by lactation consultants, doctors and friends that i couldn't do it. i had a few cheerleaders (who i am very thankful for), but mostly i found a lot of negativity.

i found an online forum for "exclusive pumpers" and for those first 12 weeks, I was on that board during almost every pump trying to figure this whole thing out, and those women are AMAZING! i found so much information and support on that online community, and had no supply issues at all...in fact, we had to invest in a deep freeze just to store my milk!

as we hit the 6 month marker of micah's birth, i can proudly say that my baby has been exclusively fed breastmilk for 6 months! He is healthy and growing beautifully! Pumping has not been an easy road...there are bottles to wash, midnight pumping sessions after feeding the baby (only did that for 10 weeks, but still!), pausing life 4-8 times a day for 6 months to make sure that micah has milk, and trying to find outlets (that one is REALLY fun;) ). I have pumped at the orange county fair, disneyland, in nordstrom, and of course in the car. even though the road hasn't been without it's fair share of bumps, the thing i want people to know is that it is possible to pump milk for your baby for an extended amount of time.

i am proud of myself and looking back at the last 6 months makes the next 6 months seem doable!

happy half birthday micah!

2010-11-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

six months. half a year. 184 days.

today we are celebrating Micah's half birthday! We are celebrating the fact that we have had him in our home for half a year! We love our little guy SO SO much and are look forward to each new day that we get to spend with him. Happy half birthday little man, we LOVE you!

the happiest place on earth.

2010-11-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

alex and i were annual passholders for a couple of years and loved it. we let our passes expire while i was pregnant because, well, it was just a little too much for me. we did however put aside some christmas money from last year for our passes, and on a much needed day off together a couple of weeks ago, we decided to pack up our little man and head over to the happiest place on earth! we are officially passholders again and are excited for the memories we'll make with Micah at disneyland! Here are a few pictures from our day ::

micah very excited to be at disneyland :)

micah taking in "it's a small world"mama and micah on the tram