My cloth diaper addiction

So, I realize I haven't been keeping up the blog as regularly as I should BUT we've been super busy. I'll have to post another one of my condensed posts w/Jacob's birth and pics but unfortch, I don't have the time right now...maybe in the next couple of days (I'll carve out some time and just do it)!

Before I had gotten pregnant with Jacob I had been helping out other girlfriends with their pregnancies and questions about diapering came up. The more research I did about the different options, the more I had regretted not going cloth with Evan. Honestly, I just didn't have the support system and being that he was my first and no one around me was CDing, it was just too overwhelming for this then first time mom. Well, I have become a convert and an avid supporter of the cloth. This being said, I was encouraging to a few new moms and even helped to do a lot of research to find options that would best suit their lifestyle. Fast foward to my pregnancy with Jacob...I wanted to go green with as much as I could so I made the decision to do cloth, even with Evan still in diapers (ok, training pants), I was willing to do it. Since Jacob was my first in cloth, the options were dizzying!! BUT, I bought a few different dipes and after a few months, I have FINALLY found a system that works for us. YAY!!!! I am however, constantly adding to our stash b/c I like to have different options for him for day time, nighttime (esp. important) and of course, have enough for the grandparents to use when I'm away (hasn't happened yet but I'm planning a girls trip soon...YIKES). Along with choosing a diapering system another important system is the washing routine. GOOD LORD!!! Thank goodness for ALL of the GREAT feedback from moms out there because they've helped me from accidentally ruining my dipes (these babies aren't cheap, might I add)!! I'm using a great washing routine, but I'm always looking to improve it and I have heard rave reviews of an all natural detergent, Rockin Green which I have been dying to try!! So, I'm SUPER excited about this giveaway that I want to share the wealth with my nearest and dearest who share in the cloth love. Check out All About Cloth Diaper's blog to learn more about how you can enter to win a bag of their Hard Rock! And if you're dying to get your hands on them, you'll find a list of retailers that carry the goodies on the blog as well.

Well, I know this isn't much of an update on the kids front (which I know is one of the main reasons a lot of you come to this site), but I PROMISE I'll have a great post with tons of pics and hell, maybe even a couple of cute vids of the boys. Seriously, tons of cuteness on its way. With that, I've gotta get back to the grind so keep checking back for updates!

Home Stretch!!!

Life has been busy, busy, busy for us but we're not complaining one bit! =) July 1st was Evan's first day at his Montessori school and it was rather difficult to say the least...both for him and me! I couldn't stop crying on my way to work after dropping him off and both Ed and I called to check in on him throughout the day. The calling hasn't quite stopped yet, but we're trying to keep it at a 2 calls a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Evan is still adjusting so we're waiting for the day when he actually gets excited to go and no longer says, "Me? I don't want to go to school today, Mommy. I want to stay with you." Heartbreaking. It truly is. And it doesn't help that my hormones are all over the place so, I'm already an emotional nutcase! *sigh* But, let me get off of this negative rock and highlight all the great changes we've seen in him!! He is DEFINITELY talking A LOT more...and by a lot, I seriously mean NON STOP talking. Its wonderful because before he started school he was already a talker but now he's engaging and participating in our conversations rather than mimicking what we say. Its CRAZY!! He also can count to ten in Spanish and label his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, head, hands and feet in Spanish. Its seriously too cute! And he's even more social at the parks, at parties and when we're out and about doing errands. He's always been a social butterfly (hmmm, a lot like his daddy) but he's gained quite a bit of confidence and more of a personality when he's around other kids and adults. He surprises us with new words, phrases and abilities everyday!! =) Just this morning, we were having breakfast and he took a bite of his waffle and said, "mmm, mmm, Mommy! This waffle is scrumptious!!" I about fell out of my seat laughing! But I simply said, "Thank you, Evan. I'm happy you like your breakfast!" Too cute! Seriously!!

On 4th of July weekend I ventured to Orange County sans Evan & Ed to hang with Mel and celebrate her bridal shower! Its so hard to believe that her wedding is just 2 months away!! Time really does fly!! Ed and I decided that I leave Evan behind because he already had a pretty hard week starting school and thought it best to let him hang out with dad and just simply have some fun. Its a neighborhood tradition that our block is closed down and everyone gets together for some good food and fun fireworks right in front of our houses. I was sad to have missed out on our 1st July 4th with them, but there's always next year!! =) It was nice to have some time to myself and do sister/girlee stuff with Mel. We of course hit shopping as soon as I landed but we've become SO efficient over the years that we hit 2 stores, got all our items bought and still made it down to Vista in record time. Yeah, we're pros at this by now!! =) The shower had an awesome turn out and I have to post pics another time because for whatever reason, my computer won't read my sd card. BOOO!!! Her gifts were awesome and I hope she and Ernie will use ALL of them at some point!! =) =)

On July 6th, I had my OB appt and decided that I will be going forward with a scheduled C-section to bring baby Jacob into the world. We talked about the difficulties we faced when I was in labor with Evan and since the likelihood was high that I would come across the same problem, we opted to save both baby and myself the unnecessary pain and I'm scheduled for an August 20th surgery date. I had initially wanted to do a VBAC but its looking like Jacob will be a bit bigger than Evan and a VBAC may not have been an option anyway. *sigh* Oh well! I just want to make sure Jacob is healthy!!! =) Currently, I'm 34 weeks and its getting harder to keep my energy up, especially with the heat that we're having. *sigh* Just trying to elevate, hydrate and relax. =) I seriously can't believe that we're going to have another little boy in our house in just a few short weeks. BUT, can't get ahead of myself. There's still TONS to do in preparation as well as some parties to attend!! woo-hoo!! Really quick, here's the ultrasound pic of Jacob (i'm SO bad for not doing a separate post for this...maybe I'll add one later)!

On the weekend of July 11th, we celebrated with DJ & Mariela Madarang in the baptism of their first child, Brody! He is SOOOOOO cute!!! And not to be bitter or anything but Mariela is lookin' hot...like she never even had a kid. Life just isn't fair sometimes! lol!! Again, the pics are stuck on my sd card and hopefully, I can get them uploaded sometime this week! On the 12th, we celebrated the baby shower for Jane Briones who will be welcoming baby #4 on July 31st. She was looking radiant and too cute in her maxi dress!! Evan couldn't get enough of her daughter, Jailee who he played with the majority of the time. It was a hot afternoon in Suisun but lots of fun!!!

This weekend we're going to be camping at Lake Berryessa with Scott, Letitia, Christine, Jay, Todd, Vern and Mel and Ernie are coming down to join in on the fun. Its Evan's 1st camping trip so we will be taking LOTS of pics and they'll be posted at some point next week.

As for the rest of July, we have relatives flying in from Australia this weekend, Philippines and Canada next week to gear up for Elroy & Alia's wedding on July 25th in San Francisco. I'm super excited to participate as a bridesmaid for them and Evan will be the coin bearer. I cannot express just how happy I am for the two of them!!!! Elroy has always been like the baby brother for me (he's my 1st cousin on mom's side) since he literally was born and raised along side me and Ryan seriously all our lives!! I can't believe he's gettin' married and will *hopefully* start a family soon so we can add to the kiddies in our family!! =) He lived with me while he was in college and I was venturing out on my first job. It doesn't feel like we're grown really, I still feel like we're kids just doing our thing but we're not. lol!! I can't wait to get all gussied up and party harty!! lol!! =)

And that about wraps up our plans for July. We're DEFINITELY taking August easy with just TWO functions and nothing more. Ed has to paint and put together some furniture for Jacob's room and I know my nesting instincts or OCD will kick in and I'm going to have to wash EVERYTHING, clean EVERYTHING and wipe down just about EVERYTHING! lol!! The good thing is that we have most of our things either boxed away or stored somewhere so there's not a lot of have to go through. I'm just hoping the heat doesn't get any worse cuz it makes being in the house (upstairs more than anywhere else) really unbearable. *sigh* I'll provide July update posts with pics of the above events as time and energy allows. Hope everyone is well and enjoying their summer!!!!

So You Thnk You Can Dance??

Its been a busy busy couple of months for us with activities, trips and special events. We just got back from a weekend packed with a wedding and baby shower, but I haven't had the time to upload pics from those events yet. In fact this will be just a short entry showcasing Mr. Evan and his dance moves. He's been my sidekick and comic relief during Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance nights and I think a little of that dancing has rubbed off...but I'll let you be the judge. He's a super cutie and always has me smiling and laughing. Hope you enjoy the clip!

Ooooh, its HOT!!

It has been a hot couple of days and with the weekend upon us, we're looking to soak up some sun!! Ed went out and bought a bike trailer with Evan Saturday morning so he can ride along Ed's now regular "Saturday morning bike rides." After searching and testing out various makes and models, Ed settled on the Schwinn Trailblazer Trailer. This is what it looks like (except that ours is blue & yellow). Evan was so excited when they got home that Ed had to put it together right away and take him on a spin in front of the house. Here are a couple of pics of the boys doing a "test run." (In these pics he's not wearing a helmet because it was just one loop in front of the house. He does wear one when they go out...safety first!)


Evan skipped his nap altogether since right after this ride, he had to go to soccer practice. He made 3 goals during practice and was able to kick the ball through an obstacle course. It wasn't until practice was over and he took a quick bath that he finally fell asleep. We all cooled down indoors and took it easy the rest of the day.

Sunday morning Evan had tumbling class and I decided to skip it and sleep in, so Ed and Evan biked over to the high school gym a few blocks away. We headed up to Vallejo for a farewell lunch for my dad who was leaving for the PI for a couple of months to take care of some business. We decided to check out this new sushi buffet in Hiddenbrooke. We were super hungry by the time we got there. The food was SO good. The only downside was that the restaurant's air conditioning broke down so we ate in oh about 100 degree weather. The manager gave us free ice cream for the inconvenience. =) Here's a couple of shots of the fam:
We wished my dad a safe trip and headed home to enjoy the remainder of the day. It was still super hot so we all changed into cooler clothing and let Evan have a run through the sprinklers before taking a quick bath and a much needed nap. It was another busy but enjoyable weekend!!

Here's Evan playing with his beach set before heading outside

Sprinkler time with Evan

Hope the warm weather lasts so there'll be more sprinkler time for me!! =)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

My mother's day weekend started on Saturday. We got up early to hit the farmers market and grab some yummy frozen yogurt and took Evan to the park to play a bit too. Ed cooked up a yummy dinner and I headed out on my own to watch "Wolverine" while Ed bathed and tucked Evan in for sleep. I have to say, it was an awesome movie and it was nice to get out and have the night to myself. I of course gorged on candy, nachos and an icee during the movie. YUMMMM!!! =)

Sunday morning Evan woke me up with the sweetest Mother's Day greeting and an awesome card. Check it out:


Ed cooked another awesome breakfast and we all got ready to head out to Monterey to spend the day. We attended mass at San Carlos Cathedral and the priest's homily totally made me cry! lol!! After mass, we grabbed some lunch at the Lopez Restaurante Y Cantina, a local favorite. We weren't disappointed in the least bit!! I ordered the chicken enchilada plate and had a virgin strawberry mango margarita. YUM!! We finally rolled our stuffed selves outta there and headed to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Evan had a BLAST!!!! =) Unfortch, I don't have any pics from the day since my other Mother's Day present was still charging. Needless to say, he was amazed at all the animals we got to see as well as touch! In the touch pool, he was able to run his hands over a batray! A definitely highlight of the visit! Afterwards, we ate some seafood along Cannery Row and of course, I got some yummy ice cream! It wasn't long before we pooped ourselves out and decided to make the trek home. Evan and I passed out and Ed drove us home.

Before I forget, this was waiting for me next to my breakfast when I woke up in the morning...my sweet Mother's Day present! =)I had been looking around for a new point and shoot digital camera to replace my worn Casio Exlim and Ed remembered that I had talked highly of this one. I can't wait to break it in and take some pics and vids with it!! To learn more about it, click here (Olympus Stylus 1010).

I hope every mother out there felt as much love and appreciation as I did this weekend. =)

*Blink* There went November

I honestly can't really remember much of November other than Thanksgiving. Ed's family came up to celebrate with us. Thanksgiving afternoon was spent in American Canyon with my side of the fam and then we hightailed back home to get things in order for the Vista crew to roll in. They arrived at around 9pm and we had another chow down. YUM! =) I have pics somewhere but can't locate them at the moment so, I'm just going to give a few things I'm thankful for to wrap up this post.
1) My health
2) My husband and beautiful, healthy son, Evan
3) A cozy and wonderful home
4) My job...even though I hate it (sometimes)
5) My family...even though I want to strangle some of them more times than not. Eh, its family
6) My husband's family...its a blessing to have crazy, loving and fun people to add to the already crazy bunch of fam I already have. Ed lucked out cuz its part of the reason why I married him! lol!
7) Supportive, funny and super fabulous friends...they keep the weekends exciting and my days off occupied
8) The invention of video...I can view heartwarming and hilarious vids of Evan anytime, anywhere. LOVE IT!!
9) Chocolate. Its always good. It never disappoints or complains. And I can have it anytime without having to have a reason. Thank God I'm not allergic to it!!
10) Talented writers...The only pastime I choose to have when I have a moment alone is to read. Its a great escape to be somewhere else, someone else and live through a different life for just a little bit. And the characters in my head ALWAYS look hotter than any actor out there! =)

Breezing through October

So, I'm going to do a condensed post for the last quarter of 2008, starting with October. The first set of pics are of Mike & Dell Abadie who came up for a quick visit to San Francisco. We hung out in the city for an afternoon and spent some good time w/a great couple!!

The Blue Angels were performing in San Francisco during fleet week and we wanted to let Evan see them live and up close since he LOVES planes!! The set of pics below are from the day, but unfortch, we don't have ANY pics of the actual planes. Sad, I know!!

Evan has been expanding his collection of books and has taken a liking to the classic, "Where the Wild Things Are." Here's a couple of pics of him reading me the story (his version) all by himself. Its pretty cool how he can memorize a whole book!!
In October 2009, this classic comes to the big screen. We can't wait to bring Evan to see it!!! I hope it'll come out in IMAX!! =)

source

October 15th, we celebrated our 3rd year wedding anniversary. It was low key and included a day at the park, a quiet dinner and of course, some pics. =)

October wouldn't be complete without an annual trip to the pumpkin patch to pick up some pumpkins for us to carve. Evan and I went on my day off and had the patch pretty much all to ourselves!! SCORE!! =)
Being our first Halloween in Dublin, we went around the neighborhood and said "hello" and "trick or treat" to everyone we knew. Evan totally came away with some good candy!!! YUM!! He was a St. Bernard and I was a baby. =)

One of our neighbors had a scary cemetery set up in front of his house. Needless to say, Evan was TOTALLY freaked out! He didn't want any candy from the house. We found a pint sized pumpkin at the patch which fit right in his hand. He was mighty impressed by it.


Just a few up close shots of Evan in his costume. The last pic of him was after all the trick or treating and he was a sweat ball!!
We had some leftover candy from the night and Evan dipped his hands into the candy bowl. He kept asking, "This one?" And when we gave in a said, "You can have this one, " he studied it to see how he was going to get that sucker open!! It was an awesome month and that about wraps up October!!! =)