blogging to you from Blogger Mobile?? Lu and I are bored off our butts at Uncle Mikes innersquad game!! I was looking at blogs all morning and came across the idea of blogging from your smart phone?!? Didn't know it existed!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
my sippy cuppin'-scootin' machine...
yah look at me!! two posts in two days?!? ya thats right... Im a blogging fool!! I forgot to mention a couple things in my last post... First and foremost... I finished my transcripion course with an 85% !!! How did I forget to mention that?? I just got my final grade and my diploma should be here any day now... so relieved and excited to start working. The class became totally tedious at times so I am just hoping that the work proves to be a little bit more interesting and involved. I have already started the application process for one company which looks like the perfect position for me. I completed my resume the day before yesterday so I am looking foward to seeing if I can pass their "test" and get to put my new skills to work.
My other announcement was that I am doing to start posting my DIY projects, baby food recipes (and normal recipes) that I have attempted... rate them, and then get back to you! I will also be posting some of the other baby "projects" I am in the middle of and also will be share my new attempts at gardening.
We have limited space on the side of our little home where I would like to experiment.
And is it possible that I have a Kenley update even as of yesterday?? why yes... that is totally possible. She is SOOOOO close to crawling. I am totally not pushing it though, and knowing me I will be baby proofing at the very last second. So yesterday she got herself up on her hands and knees, looking like she was going to scoot and then WHAM!! face-planted right into our new area rug (which is not soft and cuddly btw). wow, it was the saddest thing ever. Seeing her cry from pain broke.... my..... heart.....
On a happier note... after a couple days of trying to introduce a sippy cup she has totally got the hang of it and loves her water. Im trying to drink more water as well so the sippy cup has been a helpful reminder for us both ;)
She has also started doing the most HILARIOUS thing ever. She has started getting COMPLETELY attatched to my hip. The past week she just reallly does not want to leave my side! While that may seem very comforting, it also makes getting things done around the house near impossible. So NOW... when I go to pick her up from wherever she is sitting she PATS MY BACK!!!!!!! hahaha omygosh I am laughing just thinking about it. Its like "hey thanks mom, your doing a good job"...
soooo... tomorrow is Saturday and Lu and I are going to the downtown farmers market for some fresh produce. I already have a list ready for my "recipes to try". Simply put, I have officially come to LOVE cooking. It has become therapy for me and is one of my very favorite parts of the day.... cant wait to share all I have learned!
You know what else is therapy?? A good laugh. even better?? a good laugh at a good stand-up comedy show. I went on Wednesday night with some girlfriends I have met here to a comedy club in Ontario (about 20 min from R'side). There were 9 different comedians who all showed up on their own time to "Curse for a Cure" (a cancer benifit). My prudey self found some of the comedians way too crude and too much cussing can just get down right annoying... right? expand your vocabulary people!!! but other than that.. it was so fun to get out and most of the comedians kept it pretty PG 13 lol... wow I am such a mother.
So if Wednesday night is comedy night then tuesday night is ALWAYS tacos. It has become tradition for us and three of Gavins teammates to always go to this little Mexican food place for tacos on Tuesdays.... also a nice break in the week and could ALSO be considered a stand-up comedy act... those boys are hilarious and are SO cute with Kenley. All of his teammates love her and call her the mascot LOL
ok well this old lady is calling it a night. after farmers market tomorrow, baby girl and I are going to Uncle Michaels innersquad game in Pomona and going as his "family" to his meet & greet bbq to kick off the season. I dunno why I put family in quotes... since we are family... duhhhh but like Gavs team, most of Michaels teammates are from so-cal so they will most likely be lucky enough to have their parents there. I thought it was so sweet of Mike to even ask... and like I say all the time, I have NO idea how I would survive down here without him.
thought I would attatch a video and a few pictures too.
food for thought : "being pregnant does not make you an obstetrician and having a child does not make you an expert in pediatrics."
P.S. just booked our flight and will be in Napa Feb 23-March 1 for Gavins series vs Sac State!!!
counting down the days!!!
My other announcement was that I am doing to start posting my DIY projects, baby food recipes (and normal recipes) that I have attempted... rate them, and then get back to you! I will also be posting some of the other baby "projects" I am in the middle of and also will be share my new attempts at gardening.
We have limited space on the side of our little home where I would like to experiment.
And is it possible that I have a Kenley update even as of yesterday?? why yes... that is totally possible. She is SOOOOO close to crawling. I am totally not pushing it though, and knowing me I will be baby proofing at the very last second. So yesterday she got herself up on her hands and knees, looking like she was going to scoot and then WHAM!! face-planted right into our new area rug (which is not soft and cuddly btw). wow, it was the saddest thing ever. Seeing her cry from pain broke.... my..... heart.....
On a happier note... after a couple days of trying to introduce a sippy cup she has totally got the hang of it and loves her water. Im trying to drink more water as well so the sippy cup has been a helpful reminder for us both ;)
She has also started doing the most HILARIOUS thing ever. She has started getting COMPLETELY attatched to my hip. The past week she just reallly does not want to leave my side! While that may seem very comforting, it also makes getting things done around the house near impossible. So NOW... when I go to pick her up from wherever she is sitting she PATS MY BACK!!!!!!! hahaha omygosh I am laughing just thinking about it. Its like "hey thanks mom, your doing a good job"...
soooo... tomorrow is Saturday and Lu and I are going to the downtown farmers market for some fresh produce. I already have a list ready for my "recipes to try". Simply put, I have officially come to LOVE cooking. It has become therapy for me and is one of my very favorite parts of the day.... cant wait to share all I have learned!
You know what else is therapy?? A good laugh. even better?? a good laugh at a good stand-up comedy show. I went on Wednesday night with some girlfriends I have met here to a comedy club in Ontario (about 20 min from R'side). There were 9 different comedians who all showed up on their own time to "Curse for a Cure" (a cancer benifit). My prudey self found some of the comedians way too crude and too much cussing can just get down right annoying... right? expand your vocabulary people!!! but other than that.. it was so fun to get out and most of the comedians kept it pretty PG 13 lol... wow I am such a mother.
So if Wednesday night is comedy night then tuesday night is ALWAYS tacos. It has become tradition for us and three of Gavins teammates to always go to this little Mexican food place for tacos on Tuesdays.... also a nice break in the week and could ALSO be considered a stand-up comedy act... those boys are hilarious and are SO cute with Kenley. All of his teammates love her and call her the mascot LOL
ok well this old lady is calling it a night. after farmers market tomorrow, baby girl and I are going to Uncle Michaels innersquad game in Pomona and going as his "family" to his meet & greet bbq to kick off the season. I dunno why I put family in quotes... since we are family... duhhhh but like Gavs team, most of Michaels teammates are from so-cal so they will most likely be lucky enough to have their parents there. I thought it was so sweet of Mike to even ask... and like I say all the time, I have NO idea how I would survive down here without him.
thought I would attatch a video and a few pictures too.
food for thought : "being pregnant does not make you an obstetrician and having a child does not make you an expert in pediatrics."
P.S. just booked our flight and will be in Napa Feb 23-March 1 for Gavins series vs Sac State!!!
counting down the days!!!
she looks super uninterested in the video but she LOVES scout... oh technology!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
peace love & baseball
Hi Friends and Fam!
Let me just start by saying that as much as I complain about Riverside, I could totally get used to this weather... we havent seen weather below 75 in almost two weeks and we are loving it; also just so happens to be prime conditions for baseball! As you can imagine, our little fam is gearing up for baseball season and are very excited about it. (I'm attaching the link to Gavins schedule)... which got me thinking about the fact that basically every spring/summer of my life has revolved around this game! Between watching my brothers play growing up, watching my dad coach, watching my grandpa coach and now being able to watch both my husband and brother play college D1... I just cant seem to escape it!.... but I love it and its our "livelyhood."
I have had so much fun picking out outfits for Kenley for Gav's games as well... and by "picking out"... I mean "putting together." I have gotten VERY creative and I am so so so excited to show off my work. Not all of her little baseball tees are done yet but when they are I will be sure to post pics.
Another thing I cant help but be excited about is a WAGON that I ordered!! sounds weird right? but let me explain! As many of you know we basically live on the same block as the baseball diamond where Gavin will be playing, so obviously we will be walking to his games (unless we are feeling super American one day and decide to drive 100 ft) haha. but anyway... I have been looking at "old-school"-tin-red Radio Flyer wagons to bring Kenley in to his games!! ... along with al of the stuff that I will need to keep her fed, warm, clean and occupied for nine innings of baseball. anyway, I ended up getting a great deal on one and had it "shipped to site".... didnt even have to pay shipping and will be picking it up at the end of next week. Obviously we will use it for other things too and one day Lu can pull all of her important stuff around in it! haha... but it really is the CUTEST! it is the original tin make with wood slats on the sides. its SO adorable and Im counting down the days until it gets here.
So speaking of Lil Miss Lu... she is just doing peachy and of course it wouldnt be a Mills blog post without a Kenley update! my oh my is this girl keeping her mama busy, however she makes up for it by continuing to still sleep her 12 hours straight. I really do not know what I would do without all of this sleep! When my friend Lauren came down and surprised me last week, we had a good cry in Starbucks the morning she left and I found myself saying..."Its almost like she knows that I have no help and that I never get a break... and thats why she is so good for me!!!!" (something like that inbetween all of the sobbing) LOL... I reallly do swear that I am going to look back on these days and wonder how I ever raised a baby without the help of family or friends. But as all of my fellow mommies know, somedays are better than others and some days, well... just arent! I really couldnt ask for a happier baby... she continues to make this so much fun and is still the "chillest" baby I know! I only say "chillest" because there are not words for that little girls demeanor... she just kinda hangs out!!!! ... definitely gets that from her pops :)
and speaking of my wonderful hubs... Gavin is still a huge help when he is here but as you all know, thats not often enough. I still miss him ALL day, and not just for the help :) This quarter of classes is going to be a little easier on him than last which is a relief for everyone with season starting up. We will be celebrating our two year anniversary the day after tomorrow (and by that I mean we went on our first REAL date) hehe... makes me all giddy just thinking about that day :)
Here is EXACTLY what the wagon looks like
well I hear a baby who wants out of her crib!
toodles xoxoxo
Let me just start by saying that as much as I complain about Riverside, I could totally get used to this weather... we havent seen weather below 75 in almost two weeks and we are loving it; also just so happens to be prime conditions for baseball! As you can imagine, our little fam is gearing up for baseball season and are very excited about it. (I'm attaching the link to Gavins schedule)... which got me thinking about the fact that basically every spring/summer of my life has revolved around this game! Between watching my brothers play growing up, watching my dad coach, watching my grandpa coach and now being able to watch both my husband and brother play college D1... I just cant seem to escape it!.... but I love it and its our "livelyhood."
I have had so much fun picking out outfits for Kenley for Gav's games as well... and by "picking out"... I mean "putting together." I have gotten VERY creative and I am so so so excited to show off my work. Not all of her little baseball tees are done yet but when they are I will be sure to post pics.
Another thing I cant help but be excited about is a WAGON that I ordered!! sounds weird right? but let me explain! As many of you know we basically live on the same block as the baseball diamond where Gavin will be playing, so obviously we will be walking to his games (unless we are feeling super American one day and decide to drive 100 ft) haha. but anyway... I have been looking at "old-school"-tin-red Radio Flyer wagons to bring Kenley in to his games!! ... along with al of the stuff that I will need to keep her fed, warm, clean and occupied for nine innings of baseball. anyway, I ended up getting a great deal on one and had it "shipped to site".... didnt even have to pay shipping and will be picking it up at the end of next week. Obviously we will use it for other things too and one day Lu can pull all of her important stuff around in it! haha... but it really is the CUTEST! it is the original tin make with wood slats on the sides. its SO adorable and Im counting down the days until it gets here.
So speaking of Lil Miss Lu... she is just doing peachy and of course it wouldnt be a Mills blog post without a Kenley update! my oh my is this girl keeping her mama busy, however she makes up for it by continuing to still sleep her 12 hours straight. I really do not know what I would do without all of this sleep! When my friend Lauren came down and surprised me last week, we had a good cry in Starbucks the morning she left and I found myself saying..."Its almost like she knows that I have no help and that I never get a break... and thats why she is so good for me!!!!" (something like that inbetween all of the sobbing) LOL... I reallly do swear that I am going to look back on these days and wonder how I ever raised a baby without the help of family or friends. But as all of my fellow mommies know, somedays are better than others and some days, well... just arent! I really couldnt ask for a happier baby... she continues to make this so much fun and is still the "chillest" baby I know! I only say "chillest" because there are not words for that little girls demeanor... she just kinda hangs out!!!! ... definitely gets that from her pops :)
and speaking of my wonderful hubs... Gavin is still a huge help when he is here but as you all know, thats not often enough. I still miss him ALL day, and not just for the help :) This quarter of classes is going to be a little easier on him than last which is a relief for everyone with season starting up. We will be celebrating our two year anniversary the day after tomorrow (and by that I mean we went on our first REAL date) hehe... makes me all giddy just thinking about that day :)
Here is EXACTLY what the wagon looks like
well I hear a baby who wants out of her crib!
toodles xoxoxo
Monday, January 3, 2011
happy new year!!
Hi friends!! Hope everyone had a great holiday season... I know we did. We had a great three weeks in nor-cal but are definitely glad to be back! Southern California ALSO got a ton of rain while we were gone so we were glad to see that our little place was still standing. Once we got out of the grapevine yesterday there were signs of mudslides EVERYWHERE! super scary. not to mention that it was snowing and stormy while we were driving through it. My poor brother was driving a couple hours behind us and they ended up closing the grapvine before he drove through. He was taken on a detour down hwy 1 and it took him 12 hours door to door to get home. NOT what he was hoping for and we kept trying to convince him to leave the same time as us... and speaking of Michael, he turns 21 tomorrow!! we are going with a group of his teammates/roommates and some of Gavins teammates/friends (that Mike has also gotten to know) to Taco Tuesday and to get him a big margarita :) I cant believe he is 21... crazy!!
What is even crazier... all of the changes that Kenley went through while we were home. I feel like she is coming back to Riverside a whole new baby! She is a busy little girl and has me on my toes all the time. She grabs EVERYTHING, is getting very strong and has actually sprouted lots of new little hairs!! Enough to blow in the wind!! haha She is now sitting up completely by herself. I can walk away while she sits and entertains herself with all of the new toys Santa brought. She is also eating solids and LOVING it by the way. I am making all of her baby food and she has seemed to love everything so far. I got a great all natural baby food cookbook for christmas and havent put it down since... not to mention all of the new cookware that Santa brought that are making cooking that much more fun (and easy).
and YES!... Kenley has a lot to say. She has added "B" , "M" and "D" to her little babbling. May seem like nothing but O-MY-GOSH, I cant get enough of it!! It is starting to become more and more clear what her little voice is going to sounds like. She is CONSTANTLY "talking" and I am constantly sitting and listening :)
As I type, Gavin is off at his first day of classes to start the new quarter. He has his work cut out for him this quarter while he juggles 13 units, being in season & oh ya, daddy duty! He did SO well last quarter and we are all SO proud of him. He passed all of his classes with flying colors, had a great fall season and as usual was amazing with Kenley. I would love to know the statistics on how many parent-student-athletes make it all happen... he is my HERO!!!
Well... I would be lying if I said I needed maybe just a little more time at home. At no point were we sitting and looking around for something to do. We were always on the move and trying to see as many friends as we could... and I STILL didnt get to see all the people that I wanted to :( I feel like I spread myself a little thin and it caught up with me right after Christmas. I had a lot of people expecting a lot from me and I simply cant be two places at once!! I am only one person and so is Kenley. As much of a trooper as she was with all of the traveling, it definitley took its toll on me. All of the packing and unpacking got a little out of control and I dont plan on packing an over-night bag for a VERY long time. I am so happy just being in my own space right now and I havent been this relaxed in weeks!
Soooo... if I had to chose a highlight from our trip home, it would definitely be Christmas at my Uncle Martins cabin in Arnold (south Sierras). We got up there about noon on Christmas Day. All of my moms family was there! We were a little dissapionted that there was barely any snow on the ground, but believe it or not, it started DUMPING snow around 7 pm. All 10 grandkids had a huge snowball fight and played out in the snow until we were frozen to the bone. We took my Uncles canoe out of the garage and "sledded" down the street hahaha I am laughing just thinking about all 10 of us jumping in there as we pushed it like a bobsled down the hill. After we came inside we all participated in the most hilarious game of "white elephant" that I have ever been a part of. My family is crazy in all meanings of the word.
We woke up to the cabin being blanketed in the most beautiful, white, sparkely snow. We let Kenley touch it and she was so curious! We also got lots of cute pictures as usual of course.
Well, like I said, its good to be back and as promised I will be blogging more!
love love love, Jess
What is even crazier... all of the changes that Kenley went through while we were home. I feel like she is coming back to Riverside a whole new baby! She is a busy little girl and has me on my toes all the time. She grabs EVERYTHING, is getting very strong and has actually sprouted lots of new little hairs!! Enough to blow in the wind!! haha She is now sitting up completely by herself. I can walk away while she sits and entertains herself with all of the new toys Santa brought. She is also eating solids and LOVING it by the way. I am making all of her baby food and she has seemed to love everything so far. I got a great all natural baby food cookbook for christmas and havent put it down since... not to mention all of the new cookware that Santa brought that are making cooking that much more fun (and easy).
and YES!... Kenley has a lot to say. She has added "B" , "M" and "D" to her little babbling. May seem like nothing but O-MY-GOSH, I cant get enough of it!! It is starting to become more and more clear what her little voice is going to sounds like. She is CONSTANTLY "talking" and I am constantly sitting and listening :)
As I type, Gavin is off at his first day of classes to start the new quarter. He has his work cut out for him this quarter while he juggles 13 units, being in season & oh ya, daddy duty! He did SO well last quarter and we are all SO proud of him. He passed all of his classes with flying colors, had a great fall season and as usual was amazing with Kenley. I would love to know the statistics on how many parent-student-athletes make it all happen... he is my HERO!!!
Well... I would be lying if I said I needed maybe just a little more time at home. At no point were we sitting and looking around for something to do. We were always on the move and trying to see as many friends as we could... and I STILL didnt get to see all the people that I wanted to :( I feel like I spread myself a little thin and it caught up with me right after Christmas. I had a lot of people expecting a lot from me and I simply cant be two places at once!! I am only one person and so is Kenley. As much of a trooper as she was with all of the traveling, it definitley took its toll on me. All of the packing and unpacking got a little out of control and I dont plan on packing an over-night bag for a VERY long time. I am so happy just being in my own space right now and I havent been this relaxed in weeks!
Soooo... if I had to chose a highlight from our trip home, it would definitely be Christmas at my Uncle Martins cabin in Arnold (south Sierras). We got up there about noon on Christmas Day. All of my moms family was there! We were a little dissapionted that there was barely any snow on the ground, but believe it or not, it started DUMPING snow around 7 pm. All 10 grandkids had a huge snowball fight and played out in the snow until we were frozen to the bone. We took my Uncles canoe out of the garage and "sledded" down the street hahaha I am laughing just thinking about all 10 of us jumping in there as we pushed it like a bobsled down the hill. After we came inside we all participated in the most hilarious game of "white elephant" that I have ever been a part of. My family is crazy in all meanings of the word.
We woke up to the cabin being blanketed in the most beautiful, white, sparkely snow. We let Kenley touch it and she was so curious! We also got lots of cute pictures as usual of course.
Well, like I said, its good to be back and as promised I will be blogging more!
love love love, Jess
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
happy holidays from our little fam to yours...
I have officially promised my good friend Makalya Harrison to be a better blogger, so now I guess I really do have to stick to my word. And speaking of miss Makayla, let me start this post with a HUGE congrats to her and her future hubby on their engagement!! Her ring is almost as pretty as she is :)
As I type today Kenley and I are listening to our Christmas music on Pandora... which by the way has to be the best invetnion ever. I use it more than usual during the holidays, but NEVER listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. And for the first time in 3 whole years, Christmas music finally makes me happy again. I was afraid that Christmas would never be the same for my family and I after the loss of my Uncle Ken on Christmas Eve. Our family has come so far in these short 3 years and I still miss him more than ever. This Thanksgiving I really felt his presence more than I felt sad that he is gone. It seemed like he could just round the corner at any moment.
The last place that I talked to him in person, before I kissed him goodbye in the hospital for the last time, was a walk that we took in Westwood Hills in Napa by my house the day after Thanksgiving. All of the cousins had stayed at my parents house and myself, my aunts, uncles, Mom & Dad all decided to take a walk. Before I knew it, my Uncle Ken and I were up ahead of everyone else having our own little discussion. I was a sophomore at SSU at this point, and really just at a kind of weird point in my life. I was half-way through my golf season and basically half-dedicated.... I wanted to quit. I had almost completely fallen away from God, had some not so great influences in my life and was not doing well in school. My Uncle knew all of this. I remember begging him to help me talk my mom into letting me take some time off from school. I wanted to take the spring semester off and move to Tahoe... haha! imagine that.
We walked and talked, talked and walked... then raced to the top of the hilll where you can see all of Napa. I will never ever forget it. So every year since, the day after Thanksgiving, I do the same walk. Unfortunately, this year, I sat in my car in the parking lot of Westwood Hills because we were all in such a rush, said a prayer of my Aunt Barb and cousins who I know miss him even more than I do and just had a moment.
Gosh, well that was heavy and totally not where I planned on going with this post at all! God is so so good and I know my Uncle would be so proud of me. He would be so happy to see how good Gavin is to me and probably so amazed by this little miracle of a baby that we get to call our own. OH yeah, and completely honored that we named her after him :)
And on that note! What a little miracle she is. Everyone at home was so so so happy and excited to see her. She was such a good little traveler during our Thanksgiving trip. She slept the entire plane ride to SFO and didnt make a peep on the 8 hour drive home! I was worried about both and she totally proved me wrong.
She is just doing all KINDS of new stuff that I feel like she started doing all at the same time. At Gavin's "team Thanksgiving" the night before we flew home, she was sitting on my lap and stuck her finger in my sweet potatoes and then stuck her fingers in her mouth. Now you tell ME shes not ready for solids!! haha!! It was totally hilarious and even Gavins teammates who know nothing about babies/milestones thought it was pretty hilarious.
Besides that little encounter with the sweet potatoes, our little girl is allllllmost sitting up by herself. She can totally do it while sitting on the couch where she sinks in a little bit and definitely when she is holding onto something like her crib. Speaking of her crib, Kenley has totally and completely been sleeping through the night for the past month now. Goes down at 7:30pm and is up at 6am... a little early for my liking but that is a near 11 hour stretch, people!!! I will take it.
She didnt do quite AS well during our little trip home for Thanksgiving. She was up twice each night while sleeping in her pack n' play but did pretty well all in all. And the most amazing thing of ALL that our little Kenley has started to do...
She TOTALLY knows who her mama is. Someone else besides myself took her out of her pack n' play on Thanksgiving day after she had awoken from her nap and I was in the room as well. She was in this persons arms and looked all around until she spotted me... and THEN, she reached out her little arms for me and let out a squeal! Im not gonna name any names of who was holding her because I dont want to hurt her feelings :::cough::: my mom:::cough:::: LOL sorry mom. I do think it kind of bummed her out. Its not that she doesnt trust her! It just that she is always just with me... 24/7. And we like it that way :)
So yes, it is true, baby girl is a little crankier than usual as well. She is DEFINITELY teething. Every single thing you hand her gets put right into her mouth. Its actually pretty impressive and now we just need to be more careful about things that are in reaching distance. The poor little thing is constantly drooling and you can tell her little gums are really bothering her. I cant WAIT to see that first little tooth though!
So onto our trip home.... we had SUCH a blast. It flew by and I cant believe that we are already home again. It was SO good seeing everyone that I had been missing so much. I had a great time with my beautiful girlfriends, who by the way are so cute with Kenley and love her so much!! And of course both of our families were dying to get their hands on her. All in all, it we had an amazing time and are so THANKFUL that we have such a loving place to go for the holidays. cant wait to come back up in a few weeks for Christmas! We were even able to expereince a little seasonal weather (which we barely get down here at all) I loved watching the sky turn grey and our second night it Cloverdale it even rained. loved every second of it.
WELL!! this turned out to be rather lengthy! I still havent figured out how to attatch pictures and text in the same post, so I will do another post with our "potential" Christmas card photos and pictutes with my family. Bless Caitlin O'Reilly for even attempting to get my circus of a family in one photo... my brothers never fail to make that a real experience for everyone involved. Let me just say that they had me laughing to the point of tears the entire time I was home. Its like we speak our own little language and whenever we get together its like we never missed a beat. Between Stephen doing his strip tease before he got in the hot tub, twirling his shirt around his head and throwing it on some lit candles to Michael and his usual 90's LA hip hop antics... those two are something else. And they are SO cute with their little neice. They both know I have a special place in my heart for Uncles in general and how special the Uncle/neice relationship is to me so to watch them with her completely warms my heart.
Hope everyone is staying warm and enjoyed their holiday!!
hot coco & candy canes, Mama Mills
As I type today Kenley and I are listening to our Christmas music on Pandora... which by the way has to be the best invetnion ever. I use it more than usual during the holidays, but NEVER listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. And for the first time in 3 whole years, Christmas music finally makes me happy again. I was afraid that Christmas would never be the same for my family and I after the loss of my Uncle Ken on Christmas Eve. Our family has come so far in these short 3 years and I still miss him more than ever. This Thanksgiving I really felt his presence more than I felt sad that he is gone. It seemed like he could just round the corner at any moment.
The last place that I talked to him in person, before I kissed him goodbye in the hospital for the last time, was a walk that we took in Westwood Hills in Napa by my house the day after Thanksgiving. All of the cousins had stayed at my parents house and myself, my aunts, uncles, Mom & Dad all decided to take a walk. Before I knew it, my Uncle Ken and I were up ahead of everyone else having our own little discussion. I was a sophomore at SSU at this point, and really just at a kind of weird point in my life. I was half-way through my golf season and basically half-dedicated.... I wanted to quit. I had almost completely fallen away from God, had some not so great influences in my life and was not doing well in school. My Uncle knew all of this. I remember begging him to help me talk my mom into letting me take some time off from school. I wanted to take the spring semester off and move to Tahoe... haha! imagine that.
We walked and talked, talked and walked... then raced to the top of the hilll where you can see all of Napa. I will never ever forget it. So every year since, the day after Thanksgiving, I do the same walk. Unfortunately, this year, I sat in my car in the parking lot of Westwood Hills because we were all in such a rush, said a prayer of my Aunt Barb and cousins who I know miss him even more than I do and just had a moment.
Gosh, well that was heavy and totally not where I planned on going with this post at all! God is so so good and I know my Uncle would be so proud of me. He would be so happy to see how good Gavin is to me and probably so amazed by this little miracle of a baby that we get to call our own. OH yeah, and completely honored that we named her after him :)
And on that note! What a little miracle she is. Everyone at home was so so so happy and excited to see her. She was such a good little traveler during our Thanksgiving trip. She slept the entire plane ride to SFO and didnt make a peep on the 8 hour drive home! I was worried about both and she totally proved me wrong.
She is just doing all KINDS of new stuff that I feel like she started doing all at the same time. At Gavin's "team Thanksgiving" the night before we flew home, she was sitting on my lap and stuck her finger in my sweet potatoes and then stuck her fingers in her mouth. Now you tell ME shes not ready for solids!! haha!! It was totally hilarious and even Gavins teammates who know nothing about babies/milestones thought it was pretty hilarious.
Besides that little encounter with the sweet potatoes, our little girl is allllllmost sitting up by herself. She can totally do it while sitting on the couch where she sinks in a little bit and definitely when she is holding onto something like her crib. Speaking of her crib, Kenley has totally and completely been sleeping through the night for the past month now. Goes down at 7:30pm and is up at 6am... a little early for my liking but that is a near 11 hour stretch, people!!! I will take it.
She didnt do quite AS well during our little trip home for Thanksgiving. She was up twice each night while sleeping in her pack n' play but did pretty well all in all. And the most amazing thing of ALL that our little Kenley has started to do...
She TOTALLY knows who her mama is. Someone else besides myself took her out of her pack n' play on Thanksgiving day after she had awoken from her nap and I was in the room as well. She was in this persons arms and looked all around until she spotted me... and THEN, she reached out her little arms for me and let out a squeal! Im not gonna name any names of who was holding her because I dont want to hurt her feelings :::cough::: my mom:::cough:::: LOL sorry mom. I do think it kind of bummed her out. Its not that she doesnt trust her! It just that she is always just with me... 24/7. And we like it that way :)
So yes, it is true, baby girl is a little crankier than usual as well. She is DEFINITELY teething. Every single thing you hand her gets put right into her mouth. Its actually pretty impressive and now we just need to be more careful about things that are in reaching distance. The poor little thing is constantly drooling and you can tell her little gums are really bothering her. I cant WAIT to see that first little tooth though!
So onto our trip home.... we had SUCH a blast. It flew by and I cant believe that we are already home again. It was SO good seeing everyone that I had been missing so much. I had a great time with my beautiful girlfriends, who by the way are so cute with Kenley and love her so much!! And of course both of our families were dying to get their hands on her. All in all, it we had an amazing time and are so THANKFUL that we have such a loving place to go for the holidays. cant wait to come back up in a few weeks for Christmas! We were even able to expereince a little seasonal weather (which we barely get down here at all) I loved watching the sky turn grey and our second night it Cloverdale it even rained. loved every second of it.
WELL!! this turned out to be rather lengthy! I still havent figured out how to attatch pictures and text in the same post, so I will do another post with our "potential" Christmas card photos and pictutes with my family. Bless Caitlin O'Reilly for even attempting to get my circus of a family in one photo... my brothers never fail to make that a real experience for everyone involved. Let me just say that they had me laughing to the point of tears the entire time I was home. Its like we speak our own little language and whenever we get together its like we never missed a beat. Between Stephen doing his strip tease before he got in the hot tub, twirling his shirt around his head and throwing it on some lit candles to Michael and his usual 90's LA hip hop antics... those two are something else. And they are SO cute with their little neice. They both know I have a special place in my heart for Uncles in general and how special the Uncle/neice relationship is to me so to watch them with her completely warms my heart.
Hope everyone is staying warm and enjoyed their holiday!!
hot coco & candy canes, Mama Mills
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
... hard to blog without a computer!
SHES BACK! ... finally! After almost three weeks without a computer, its finally fixed and I can keep on pluggin along in my online class and blog of course :) The last time I did a post, we had just moved in... I cant believe we have been here for almost two months now. Not a whole lot has changed other than just becoming more adjusted, making new friends, doing my best to keepin touch with old ones and we have had lots of visitors on the weekends. It has meant a lot to me that so many friends/family have been willing to make the drive/flight to come keep me company. I DEFINITELY do not take human interaciton for granted these days. Sometimes I think Im going crazy! I have recently found myself talking to, well... myself. haha!
However, I am so so grateful that I can be a mommy that is home with my baby all day and that I dont have to give her up during the day and be working out of the house. The two of us walk almost every morning, most of the time with a group of girls and their little boys that live in family housing as well. We spend the rest of the day cleaning, reading, playing, going to the park, and cooking. And then while Kenley naps, I do my work. When Gavin gets home from class/practice I do a little more work and THEN usually Kenley is ready to go down for bed about 8 ish and then mommy and daddy get some time together :)
I totally miss Gavin during the day but he is working so hard!! He is out the door SO early and makes it home just in time for dinner. The teams weight lifting regiment is CRAZY hard, and I dont think he has gone one day without being extremely sore. I am so proud of him being able to juggle all of this. He is seriously my hero and I would not be able to do any of this without him.
This weekend, I will be spending my first night away from Kenley... which will be totally bitter sweet. I am going to Vegas for the weekend with my good friend Katie and a group of our girl friends from Sacramento. Gavins parents are coming down from Cloverdale for the weekend to stay with Kenley and Gav while mama gets a little break! I am so looking foward to relaxing for a couple days and seeing some of my very favorite girls but I know I am going to miss my little fam terribly!
Speaking of fam... only 2 weeks until we are coming up to nor cal for Thanksgiving!! I am so excited to be going home and cannot WAIT to see everyone. I have been pretty homesick and someone might have to physically put me back in the car to get me to come back down here. haha only kidding, but it will be SO nice to be home and I am basically counting down the days. Except one minor detail... Kenley HATES the car these days and an 8 hour drive both ways could get a little hectic! But we are going to do most of our driving at night to both avoid traffic and in hopes that baby girl will sleep most of the way.
well Im sorry there wasnt anything to exciting about this post and I hope people are still reading and Im not just typing for my own good!! haha MISS YOU ALL xoxo
Jess
However, I am so so grateful that I can be a mommy that is home with my baby all day and that I dont have to give her up during the day and be working out of the house. The two of us walk almost every morning, most of the time with a group of girls and their little boys that live in family housing as well. We spend the rest of the day cleaning, reading, playing, going to the park, and cooking. And then while Kenley naps, I do my work. When Gavin gets home from class/practice I do a little more work and THEN usually Kenley is ready to go down for bed about 8 ish and then mommy and daddy get some time together :)
I totally miss Gavin during the day but he is working so hard!! He is out the door SO early and makes it home just in time for dinner. The teams weight lifting regiment is CRAZY hard, and I dont think he has gone one day without being extremely sore. I am so proud of him being able to juggle all of this. He is seriously my hero and I would not be able to do any of this without him.
This weekend, I will be spending my first night away from Kenley... which will be totally bitter sweet. I am going to Vegas for the weekend with my good friend Katie and a group of our girl friends from Sacramento. Gavins parents are coming down from Cloverdale for the weekend to stay with Kenley and Gav while mama gets a little break! I am so looking foward to relaxing for a couple days and seeing some of my very favorite girls but I know I am going to miss my little fam terribly!
Speaking of fam... only 2 weeks until we are coming up to nor cal for Thanksgiving!! I am so excited to be going home and cannot WAIT to see everyone. I have been pretty homesick and someone might have to physically put me back in the car to get me to come back down here. haha only kidding, but it will be SO nice to be home and I am basically counting down the days. Except one minor detail... Kenley HATES the car these days and an 8 hour drive both ways could get a little hectic! But we are going to do most of our driving at night to both avoid traffic and in hopes that baby girl will sleep most of the way.
well Im sorry there wasnt anything to exciting about this post and I hope people are still reading and Im not just typing for my own good!! haha MISS YOU ALL xoxo
Jess
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