At the ripe old age of 2 1/2, Miss Ella had her first slumber party! Ella’s really good friend Sophia came to spend the evening with us, and give her parents some much needed adult time! Sophia’s dad plays in a bunch of bands, and one had a show last night. You can check out the band here: http://thevioletlights.com/

This was a chance for Sophia’s mom to get to go to see her husband play and to know that she could stay for the entire show and that her little one was having a great time too! And oh boy did we have a great time! Ella and Sophia get along magically. They just adore each other. They are only about 3 1/2 months apart in age and really enjoy all the same activities. It was so fun to hear them run around the house laughing.

To start off the evening we stopped by Trader Joes to get the fixings for home made pizza pies!

To say Ella was excited would be an understatement!

SoSo was having a blast as well (okay, who am I kidding, I was digging this too!)

As the pizza’s were cooking the girls continued to play. They kept pushing Bastion out of Ella’s room saying that “we want girl time!” haha… poor kid, there will be much more of this I can see as they all grow older. The girls sat down for their dinner together and then it was time for reading books in bed. The girls didn’t fall asleep all too easily, but I didn’t expect them too. They were both SO happy to be in each others company, and for about 45 min I let them chat it up. (I wonder what 2/3 year olds chat about for 45 min… who knows!) After some more reading and more chatting, I snuggled with them to get them to both fall asleep.

The girls, getting ready for night-night.

Ella was a bit too happy to fall asleep at first, but after a good long snuggle both ladies were out till the ripe ole hour of 5:45 am.

In the morning they both POPPED out of bed and started running around the house. Since I was already up with a crying baby, I figured it was time for a big after slumber party breakfast. <3 The ladies got to sit at Ella's special little table and share the morning delight together.

I am SO happy that Ella got a chance to share such a fun and exciting first with her good friend Sophia. I am really grateful to have good friends, both for my kids, but for me as well. There are going to be SO many firsts in my kids life, and it is especially great to be able to share these firsts with our friends and their kids.

I had a great career before deciding to have children. (best decision ever btw!). I worked in mental health and specialized in the criminally and mentally insane. I loved it! There are many things that I enjoyed about working with the mentally ill. I loved the challenge, I loved learning about how the brain worked and just how fast things can go from “normal” to “crazy”.

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to meet with the women who has had the biggest impact in my work life… and for that matter, a huge impact on my every day life. I know this post isn’t about kids, but it is about me and how I have been shaped, and thus, how I am a better mommy for it.

I met Linda when I was about 23 years old or so. She and I shared an office and inevitably she shares a part of my heart now. She has since retired from working and I have left the work force to raise babies. There is so much that I learned from her and seeing her again brought back some of the greatest lessons she taught me. I remember when I started working mental health I wanted to confront my client delusions. They were delusions, they were not real, and I thought it was my job to show them that. One afternoon Linda and I discussed why this wouldn’t work. She explained to me how real these delusions were to my clients, how so much of their life was based on them. She helped me to understand that there would be no way to create a therapeutic relationship with a client if I continued to tell them what they know as real is wrong. She helped me learn how to understand their delusions, how to work with them and eventually and hopefully how to teach them to see the differences between what their minds are creating and what the world is actually presenting.

She helped me learn how to meet my clients where they were at. Showing me that it wasn’t my job to make them come to me, rather it was my job to search in their minds where they were, go there and discover what they want and need.

I am forever a better therapist because of this women and I am SO grateful that I met her, learned from her, grew with her and got a chance to meet up with her again recently. Thank you Linda for all your guidance!

I was just uploading pictures of the kids, when I stopped and really LOOKED at Ella in her pictures….

WOW! She is REALLY starting to grow up. I think it was just this week that she has lost that baby look, even lost that toddler look and now is starting to look like a kid! How is this all happening SO fast?

Here she is about one month ago:

and here she is today:

It amazes me how much they can change in such short periods of time. <3

When my girlfriends from high-school and I all turned about 25 years old we promised each other that the year we turned 30 we would all take a cruise together. In my mid twenties nothing seemed further away than 30… except perhaps 40 . Somehow 5 or so years FLEW BY! We had some kids, some of us got married and I still lived in Cali while they were all up in Seattle. One of us even had 3 kids and has spent the last 5 years moving all over the western US. Well, we made a promise, and we kept it!

On April 10th I left my beautiful children for a 7 day Mexican Rivera Cruise on Carnival Cruise lines! WOW! The two weeks leading up to this trip I was a complete mess. I cried at the drop of a pin, I cried at the thought of leaving them, I cried while feeding Bastion, I cried when Ella was going to sleep… I cried at ANYTHING!! I wasn’t crying because I was worried about how they would be taken care of or anything like that, I was simply crying because I love them so much and the thought of 7 days without them hurt me to my soul. Bruce was SUPER supportive, even Oma and Opa flew down to help him take care of the kids so that he could still go to work.

Leaving was tough, but having my best girlfriends here really made it a lot better. I started focusing on the great things that were going to happen. Ella and Bastion were going to be able to build an even tighter bond with my parents, one that they would not be able to build if I were here. I was going to get a chance to sleep through the night, to recoup, to remember what it was like to just be ME. Bruce was getting to do “cry it out” with Bastion and move him into his own room. There would be a lot of changes and great things to come from this trip, I just had to let go and let it all happen. So, off to Long Breach terminal we went to catch our boat!!

Here is Shannon and me all geared up to get on the boat:

and here is out state room:

and here we are all excited to be settling in!!

Breastfeeding has been something that was important for me to do with both kids. Luckily I am able to do so, and I didn’t want to have to stop due to this trip. This was another one of my big fears. Just so my kids know… even when I am not with them, I am doing my best to care for them,

case in point:

Pumping every chance I got!!

One of my favorite days on the cruise was the day we went to Puerto Vallarta. that morning Shannon and I got up really early and watched the sunrise from the front of the boat. It was AMAZING. I thought I would sleep a lot on the boat, but I was still in a waking every few hours schedule, so I had no problem getting up super early, putting on my robe and taking the elevator 11 stories up… YES, 11 stories, then up another flight of stairs! The boat was HUGE.

Here is my favorite shot I got that morning using Shannon’s camera:

I really had an amazing time. I missed my family SO much, but I knew they were doing great. It was almost better that we couldnt really communicate. I wanted so badly to get a text from them, but every time I did I would tear up. It was great to hear though, that everyone was happy, and to my pleasant surprise… SLEEPING!! We got home on a Sunday, dropped the girls off at the Long Beach airport and Bruce and I headed home with about 150 oz. or so of frozen milk . When we pulled up to the house there were kids toys out front, the sun was shinning and front door wide open. I ran in to Ella eating lunch at the kitchen table in her swim-soup (as she calls it) and Basi on the floor. Both my parents were here till the next day and it was SO great to walk in to a house full of love and to kiss my little poop-machines! <3

Now that I have taken this trip, I am really REALLY glad I did. It was hard to leave, but good to do. I really needed the time I got to spend with my friends, and I see how it has made me a better mother and wife. It has put a lot of things into perspective for me, which I really appreciate. I also feel SO very lucky to have had friends for so long that are SO great!! We decided for our 40th’s we are going to do the Caribbean! I just hope 40 doesnt come as fast as 30 did!! I hope one day that Ella is blessed with girlfriends like I have, because they really do make the world better.

That’s right! We took the kids to Disneyland finally!! (and I am finally posting about it, since it was about a month ago )

Ella had such an amazing time and got to meet Miss Tinkerbell!!

She was mesmerized!! When Ella met Tink her eyes glazed over and it was as if she left the entire park.

Ella’s first ride ever was a rocket-ship she went on with Daddy. Ella got to steer and Bruce said that she just wanted to go higher and higher. Ella continues to talk about this ride with her dad, saying “I want to ride the rocket-ship with daddy!!” Recently we went on a trip up to Seattle and once again Ella brought up the ride. She was excited to ride another rocket-ship! lol

I was amazed at how well both kids did on the trip. It was a long day and they both were such troopers! About halfway through the day they were both pooped and ready to crash out, luckily we had brought our trusty double stroller and they were able to take a quick and rejuvenating nap.

This is when mommy and daddy got to have some fun too! Our friends that we had gone with watched the kids while we got to ride adult rides!! WOOHOO! It has been a REALLY long time since either of us have gotten to ride a roller-coaster.

It was AWESOME!

All in all, WHAT A FUN DAY! I am so grateful that we got to have this experience with the kids. I LOVE THIS FAMILY!

That’s right!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bastion said his first word yesterday!! 2.23.11 and Bastion finally said a clear, I know what you are saying WORD!

Oh, the title of the post doesn’t give it away?? IT WAS MA-MA!! Clear as day! So, I of course freaked out! How could I not!?! I then (like any momma would) grabbed my phone and put on the voice memo function and started recording! I GOT IT!! WOW!

So, Officially, Bastion’s first word was MA-MA!!!!

Yeah, we love each-other!!

Yep. This poor momma finally fell victim to her own inability to let herself rest! Just before Christmas our house flooded in what has been the wettest few weeks in Los Angeles history! We got more rain in 3 days than we would normally get in a year! Well, it all backed up in our back patio and decided to drain itself into the house. I was here and sweeping out the water with the help of our amazing neighbors and a roofer who just happened to show up right as the flood started. It was hours before I noticed I was still wet and freezing. I should have known then to take care of myself for the next few weeks… but I thought I was super momma!

Well, super momma got KNOCKED OUT!! The cold hit on my birthday and I was in bed all day, then for the next 2 weeks I would feel a little better, then a little worse. Finally, I was cooking dinner and it hit me… a fever of 104. Oh I felt so bad. This was on a Monday night. I thought I could fight it off myself… oh boy was a wrong. By Wednesday I thought I was going to die. I had never felt so horrible in all my life. Everything hurt, moving hurt, breathing hurt, BLINKING hurt!! Poor Ella was so confused as to why mommy as “sleeping” all the time, and Bas was just stuck. Bruce stayed home to help one day, and luckily we have amazing friends who also helped out with Ella. (since Bas is still breastfeeding, I couldn’t really leave him with anyone else). Finally on Thursday morning I went into the doctors and was told I had pneumonia and that if they did not see massive improvement by Saturday morning I was going to be admitted to the hospital! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I cannot give up that much control, I cannot be in the hospital!! My babies need me (read: I need my babies)!!

Bruce’s brother Will and his wife Ashley got in Thursday night and right away took on kid duty. It was awesome to have them here helping out with the kids and Ella took to them right away. (well, almost right away!) Bas smiled and loved all the extra attention and I was finally able to take the nap I so needed. Friday morning was SO rough, I contemplating just checking myself into the hospital. Though, as the day went on I felt better and better, by Sat. I knew I was not going to have to go in! WOOHOO!! I am still not 100%, but boy oh boy do I feel better. Luckily it seems that Bas and Ella both only have little colds and haven’t gotten my full blown sickness. Bruce on the other hand is in bed as I type this. Poor guy is now feeling like a puddle of poo.

I have never felt so ill and powerless. (or at least I cannot remember a time that I have felt so poorly). I thought a lot during the time I was sick about how lucky I am to feel so good usually and how much I honestly take it for granted. I think I will always feel healthy and vibrant, but something like this reminds me that is not always true. I feel re-inspired to take even better care of myself now. I never want to feel that poorly again, I never want to feel like I cannot take care of my own children. It is a horrible feeling. I never want to feel how much it hurt to just breath again. I feel like I have a new lease on life! I like that out of this horrible sickness I can feel rejuvenated!!

oh, also, Ella kepts patting me saying “feel better now mommy” man, it sure is fun when they can talk!

WOW! Another holiday season has come and gone!! I was so excited for this holiday season! I couldn’t wait for it to get here. It was going to be weird to spend the holiday in LA rather than with family in either the South of up in Seattle, but it was the first year we were going to do Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year as a family here in LA. I was SO looking forward to all of it… and its gone by SO FAST! How did that happen? How? OH, cause we were having SUCH A FUN TIME!

First, Bruce and Karen came down the week before Christmas and did an awesome early celebration. They stayed with us for the first time and I must say, it went SO GREAT! The kids really loved it, especially Ella. She loved having her Iya and Papa right there to play with every morning and to tuck her in at night. Iya even got into tucking her in at nap time! They cuddled and got extra grandparent love times, which is SO important! I think Ella milked it a bit so that Iya would stay longer and cuddle longer with her… how can I blame her, that is some good loving!!

Before Iya and Papa got here we tried to visit Santa again, hoping this year we would have better luck. Well, no such luck! haha Instead of one kid screaming, we had two kids screaming and a Santa who couldn’t even pretend to smile. Here are the shots we ended up with:

Luckily, we did get some good family photos in:

While Bruce look happy and healthy in this shot… the poor daddy was BEYOND sick. He was puking all that morning, puking while at the festival to meet santa, and had to shut his eyes and sleep the entire ride home Poor poor guy! But I was blown away by his determination to be there. He kept saying that he wasn’t going to miss this time with his kids, that he wasn’t going to miss then seeing Santa. <3 What a trooper!

Well, we did an early Christmas with Iya and Papa. It was SUPER fun! Ella really enjoyed it all and finally understood opening gifts! (last year she mainly used the gift packaging rather than the gift itself.

Ella got a new Bitty Baby American Doll from her Iya and Papa and took to that little baby like glue!

Iya also knitted hats! Oh they are SO RAD!!

Bruce and Papa Bruce got the same book:

After their early Christmas, we had another Christmas on the 25th. Ella blew me away. Rather than throw open every gift and run to get the next, she opened up each one and wanted to investigate it. She would ask to take whatever it was out of the packaging, then play with that toy for a long while. I think we were done opening gifts around 6 pm that night! What a fun day!!

When Santa came he left snowflakes from the North Pole:

Santa even used fancy cards…

Looking back at this time that I was so looking forward to, I have to say that I am so blessed and happy to have gotten a chance to experience this! I love the holidays, but I love them more now that I have little ones to share them with. I love the excitement, the anticipation and the togetherness I feel. I am so appreciative of these moment and memories. I am so grateful for my family!

We have two more rounds of visitors coming now too!! Soon, Bruce’s brother Will gets here with his wife Ashley and then my momma comes down! WOOHOO!!

PUKE!!

This morning I drove Bruce to work, then was to meet with Ella’s best buddy at the pony rides. I was stoked, she was stoked… all was right with the world. Then it happened. Just as we hit LA traffic I hear a gurgle from the back seat. I turn to see what is going on (I am in stopped traffic at this point) and I see Ella start to puke… OH NO! Then more, then PROJECTILE VOMIT, them more!! Then the screaming ensues. The car reeks of vomit, but Ella hates having her window down and screams worse when I try to open it.

So, I am that car, that person in stopped traffic urgently forcing my way to other lanes trying to get off the freeway as soon as humanly possible!! I call her friends mom to let her know that, well, with recent events we will not be making it to ride ponies Ella is all glassy eyed and sad, covered from head to toe in puke. I know that as soon as I get home this poor thing is getting in a bath and that is when I remembered…

THE DOGS HAVE DIARRHEA!! (4 chihuahua’s) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I can’t blame the poor pups for being sick too, but I know that this means there will be poop everywhere!

So, I get into my house, get my girl in the tub, boy in the house and start cleaning the dog gifts.

Ella is running a slight fever, nothing big, Bas seems none the wiser that this is all going on and my house now smells of Lysol and floor cleaner. I have washed every single spot in the house including the sheets and couch. The car is rancid. I have hosed down her car seat… oh that was a treat!

now, all I can do is lol @ all of this! Thank gawd I have a ladies comedy night tomorrow!

Two nights ago Ella was heading into her room to go to sleep. I told her to go say night-night to her brother and this is what she says; “I love you brother! I love you baby boy! I love you!” She continues to kiss him all over his face and give him a hug.

The next morning she wakes up and he is already awake. She runs up to him, throws her arms around him and says “I love you best friend!”

Melting!

He, by the way ADORES his big sister. They are made for each other! What a lucky thing!