Being a parent

It's the best of jobs. It's the most difficult of jobs. It can bring you the greatest joy. It can cause you the greatest pain. There is nothing as fulfilling and exhilarating. There's nothing so depleting and exhausting. No area of your life can make you feel more like a success when everything is going well. No area of your life can make you fell more like a failure when things go wrong.

PARENTING!

Stormie Omartian

Being a parent has to be the best gift God has given me. I love my kids so much and I love the joy they both bring me. I can't believe sometimes that we have 2 kids under 19 months old! Before Ethan was born I was so nervous on how I was going to handle two kids, how I was going to go grocery shopping with the two of them and let alone just get out of the house in one piece with everything I need. When I ventured out of the house after Ethan was born, I realized it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I do go to the grocery store with the 2 of them and I do OK. I manage to get out of the house in a reasonable amount of time (even though I sometimes do forget something in the house). Someone asked me the other day if I would do it again and have them this close and my answer is YES! Taelor and Ethan already have this wonderful relationship which I know will only grow stronger as the years go by, they entertain each other and they laugh at each other. I think being a parent and raising kids is a challenging and rewarding job no matter how far apart or close your kids are. I have learned to enjoy every moment that comes along with parenting, even the moments when you just want to pull your hair out! I have also learned that babies don't stay babies for too long (even though they will always be my babies), they grow up so fast. Even though life has been busy since I have been back at work, I still cherish every moment I get to spend with my hubby and kids! I will never take my children for granted, they are the most precious gift and they have made me the mom I am today! I wish and hope every woman gets to experience the wonderful joys of motherhood!

Girls weekend away

This past weekend all my girl cousins and I went to the JW Marriott in Palm Desert for my cousin Rachel's bachelorette party. She is the last girl cousin in our family to get married. We are so excited for her and Sean and cannot wait until the wedding. We had such a great time hanging out at the pool, talking and just being girls! We treated the Bride to Be to an hour massage which she enjoyed, we spent most of Saturday in the pool hanging out since it was about 105 degrees. Not to mention that the pina coladas were great also! Whenever we all get together we have so much fun chatting and being LOUD like we always are. On our way home we stopped at the outlets and did some shopping. It was a nice short getaway! The wedding is on Sept 6, I can't wait to see Rachel in her beautiful dress!

Some fun pictures to share

Taelor thinks she is so cool in her glasses
















Ethan's first time eating rice cereal















I just love these little faces









































































Look at how big Ethan is getting and his cheeks I just LOVE them!

Phillip graduated from boot camp

Our nephew Phillip graduated from the Army boot camp last week. My sis Dana and her family and my parents flew out to Missouri for his graduation last week. We are so proud of him and he looks so handsome in his uniform. He is only here for a few weeks and then he will be off to GERMANY where he will be stationed. We are so proud of you Philly! Now we will have to make a trip out to Germany to visit him (maybe in a few years). Please keep him in your prayers. We will miss him so much and look forward to when he comes home again!

Where does time go??

So it has been a while since my last blog. Since I have been back at work it seems like the weeks just go by so fast. Well I have somewhat adjusted to being back at work, it is nice working part time as I get to spend more time with Taelor and Ethan. They both seem to be adjusting well and Taelor just loves hanging out with Lexi and Eli! They are doing such fun things over there and she has made us some cute little art projects and we LOVE them. Last week was a long week as Saul was sick all week with strep throat. He was so miserable I felt so bad for him. Luckily the kids and I have managed to stay healthy (for now). We are just so happy that he is feeling better this week!

Back to work....

Unfortunately my maternity leave is over and I started back at work last week. Fortunately my work has let me come back part time until the end of September. I am working 3 days a week with Wednesday's and Friday's off. Going back to work is always hard, but it wasn't as hard this time maybe because I know I am not away from them all week. Chela (my friend) is watching both of them all 3 days. Taelor loves going over there and playing with Lexi and Eli, she gets so excited when she sees them and they just love her and Ethan back just as much. We are so thankful that Chela has offered to watch them, we know they are in good hands and that they are getting lots of love and attention. Thank you Chela, we love you!

Taelor is 18 months old

Taelor, has grown up from our little chubby baby into a toddler! She is getting so big, saying new words everyday and is such a big helper around the house and with her little brother. It is so great to see her with Ethan, she is always wanting to take care of him, and loves holding him. She mimics everything I do with Ethan and does the same things to her baby dolls. She is definitely a girly girl and is already so motherly. The other night she just melted our hearts, we were putting her to bed and right before we left, we said "goodnight Taelor, we love you, see you in the morning" and as the door was closing she said luv you, and has said it every night since! Saul and I just looked at each other and smiled as my eyes filled with tears. Now, I know she doesn't really know what she is saying or the meaning of love, but it was just hearing it from her was so cute and heart warming. Taelor is starting to get into princess stuff and right now her favorite princess is Cinderella. Even Saul thinks all that stuff is cute, he can't wait to watch all those movies with her. Life with a toddler has many challenges as we are learning each day, but we love seeing Taelor grow up and learn new things everyday, she amazes us all the time with her witty little personality and we love her to pieces.

Ethan is 4 months old

Ethan, what can I say about this adorable little boy. He is growing up so fast and is getting so big. he is already 15lbs 13 oz and 26 3/4 inches long (he has grown 6 inches since birth), he is going to be a tall guy just like his daddy. He is rolling over, smiling, laughing, cooing and over the past month he has discovered his feet and he is always playing with them. He is such a cuddle bug and loves to snuggle, which is so unlike his big sister. He is such a good little boy who just makes your heart melt when you see his big smile. His cheeks are getting chubby just like Taelor's were. Some days I look at him and his looks remind me of how Taelor looked at his age. I can't wait to see what they will look like when they get older. Life with a little boy is great, the clothes aren't as cute but seeing blue around is a good change. I am sure Taelor will love it when she can play cars with him. Ethan is my little man and I adore him to pieces. We thank God for him everyday, he is truly a blessing to our lives.

Taelor & Ethan

Just thought I would share these photos that were taken of Taelor and Ethan a few months ago. They turned out so cute. My friend Amanda's sister, Whitney Hartmann www.whitneyhartman.com took them. Thank you Whitney for doing such a wonderful job. I love them!

4th of July

Happy 4th of July! We hope everyone had a wonderful day. We had a great day, we started the day with a walk to Starbucks, then headed to a picnic at the park and ended the day in Ladera to see the best fireworks show ever. Taelor at first was not to sure of the fireworks, she was hiding in her stroller with her blankie looking with one eye. As they kept going she then grew to like them and clapped after each one. After they were all done, she was wondering where the lights went, it was so cute to see her expressions on her face. As for Ethan he fell asleep right before they started and slept right through them, so he did not get to see his first fireworks, oh well maybe next year. But, we had such a good day and we were all exhausted by the end of the day.