Any Regrets?

A year ago, David and I found ourselves house hunting in the San Jose area. We saw many homes that we didn't like and only a few that we did.

We wanted a home in a good neighborhood with lots of children;

In a good school district;

In a ward with a strong youth program;

With a decent lot size;

With room for homeschooling;

The house that we now live in met all of these wants. But it also came with something we didn't want.

A pool.

David and I didn't want to deal with the up-keep and cost of owning a pool. Yet, we bought the house anyway.

Now that the honeymoon is over, do we regret owning a pool?
On days like this, with the temperature hovering around the 100's I would say, NO!

And to think...We almost didn't get this house because of the pool.

You Caught a WHAT?

Steven has spent this week attending cub scout day camp. He came home the other day with an interesting story to share.

Steven and his den were being taught how to fish. As Steven was practicing casting his line, a flock of birds flew overhead. His line wrapped around a bird thus pulling it down.

Imagine that! Catching a bird when you're fishing. And catching it while it was flying! I've never heard of such a thing. As you can imagine, Steven's tale was the talk around camp.

By the way, the bird wasn't harmed. It quickly recovered from the shock and flew off to tell it's friends about the whole experience.




Update:
I woke up feeling MUCH better today. No aches. No chills. And no fever. Hooray!

Not the End of the World

Once again, I am not feeling well. I have been on medicine since Monday for my urinary track infection. During this time I have been suffering from aches, chills, and fevers. What else could be wrong with me? I should be feeling better by now. I called a nurse asking her if my symptoms had anything to do with my medication.

She said, "No. It sounds like you have a viral infection. You probably picked it up while at the doctors on Monday."

I don't think it's a viral infection. Wouldn't other members of my family be sick?

When David came home from work yesterday, I poured out my frustrations to him about being sick. Tears and all. When will my body be healthy and strong again? I hate feeling this way. I want to be strong again. I want to be able to go for walks and play with my children again. I want to be able to go through the day without taking pain medicine.

In the middle of my self pity party, I said rather dramatically to David, "Am I going to die?"

Kirsten overheard our conversation and came over to me saying, "It's not the end of the world, Mom. You're not going to die. It's not the end of the world."

Then she hugged me and I was cured.

Thank you Kirsten for your wisdom and love.

It is NOT the end of the world.

NXT Robot

Steven spent last week participating in a beginning Lego NXT robot class taught by his Webelos leader, Bro. Cate. Bro. Cate is a retired electrical engineer and spends some of his time teaching homeschool co-op groups about programming. It's an interactive process where he teaches a programming tool, then asks the kids to use it on a robot. For the first few days, Bro. Cate showed the kids some pre-built robots, then he invited them to select a robot and build it.

Steven LOVED the class. Each day, he would come home excited for the next day. By the end of the week, Steven programmed his robot to bring a lego truck back to base, move trees, a windmill, and a dam.
We are now looking into buying a "brain" (NXT robot) for the kids to be used in their homeschool curriculum. Bro. Cate has even invited James to join a Lego League of 12 year olds that will start in the fall. He will work in a team to design and build a robot that will be used in competitions. So, look for more fun with Lego robots in the future.

Re-Smile

David is four weeks old today. He is outgrowing his newborn clothes and is wearing a size one diaper. I can't believe how quickly he is growing.

These past four weeks have gone by slow yet quick. Does that make sense? It went by slow while life was actually happening. But, quick now that I'm looking back at it.

Everyday I am thankful that I have a healthy baby. I on the other hand have not been very healthy. I've had a cold, mastitis, and now I have a urinary track infection. All of this in four weeks. Yikes! Will I ever be healthy?

And now...Here's what you've all been waiting for...
A picture of David smiling!
I had some fun with the picture using a website called picnik.
You can go here to try it out for yourself. It's addicting and FREE.

Father's Day

Breakfast in bed: Bacon and french toast
+
Presents of time to spend with Dad: Justin (bowling), James (A's game), Steven (movies), & Kirsten (Golfland)
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Church
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Dinner: Chicken, potatoes, gravy, rolls, corn
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Dessert: Chocolate cake with
Chocolate Brownie Ice-Cream
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Massages: Given by Kirsten and James
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Hugs and Kisses

=

One awesome
Father's Day!
You are a wonderful father David!

Perfect Timing

These past few days have been hard. Being a mom of a newborn again after so many years has been an eye opener. There are so many little things that I am having to re-learn. So many things that I had forgotten.

David still sleeps well at night (for which I am VERY thankful). But for four days now, he has been difficult during the day. Within 20-30 minutes of laying him down in his crib, David will wake up. Ugh! So frustrating! I've even tried letting him cry himself to sleep for 20 minutes. But in the end, holding David has been the only way to keep him asleep. Now, I love holding newborns, but I have four other children to take care. I can't hold him all day long. I'm feeling guilty for not spending any time with the other kids. I keep apologizing to them for my absence. And they keep reassuring me that "It's O.K."

I'm thinking that David's doing this because he's more alert now. He's getting stimulated very easily. There's just so much of the world that he wants to see and learn about. And David is learning a lot. He can follow us around with his eyes. He recognizes night from day. He's a pro at nursing. And the best thing that he has learned how to do is SMILE and COO. He was only three weeks old, too! David's timing was perfect. I can't get too frustrated when he looks at me and smiles showing off his little dimple on his left cheek.



Note:
When I can get a picture of David smiling, I'll post it. He's being camera shy right now. When I bring it out, he won't smile.

She Said

The kids and I enjoy watching Food Network Challenge. Our favorite episodes involve cakes or other desserts. Last night the challenge was to design a birthday cake for one of the judges. She's the toughest judge on the show and most of the contestants are afraid of her.

Halfway through the show, Kirsten blurts out,
"Why are they making them so big? I can make a cake using my Easy Bake Oven. First, I'll put one pan in. Then the other. Then, I'll frost it and put flowers on it. It would be just as good!"

That's my Kirsten...Keeping things simple.

I just remembered something else Kirsten said that made me laugh.
Again, it involves watching TV (we really aren't couch potatoes).
A commercial came on for a product called Muzzy. Have any of you heard of it. Apparently, it's supposed to teach your children how to speak a new language.
So, we're watching this and Kirsten says,
"We should get that for David."
I asked her why.
She said, "Because he doesn't know how to speak."

Baby Talk

David had his first well baby check-up yesterday.
He was measured, weighed, listened to, and found to be a healthy boy.

Here are his new statistics:

Weight: 8lbs 13.7oz (50%)
Height: 22 inches (90%)
Head Circumference:14 1/4 inches (50%)

I love having a baby!

I love watching David sleep.
His ever changing facial expressions crack me up. He can smile, frown, pout, and laugh all in a minutes time.

I love holding him.
He's so cuddly and soft.
I feel so much love penetrate from his little body.

I love nursing him.
His warm body next to mine is soothing. My David once asked me why I don't watch TV while feeding him. But that would take away the peacefulness from the experience.
As I nurse him, I peel away his dead skin from his feet and hands. I play with his thick peach fuzz growing on the edges of his ears.
I pat his bottom because I love the crinkle sound that his diaper makes. I trace the outline of his facial features with my finger.
I marvel that this baby is mine. That I gave birth to him.

And most of all, I love the smell of him. How can you describe a newborn smell? I like how my sister, Deborah, described it. She told my one day on the phone that if heaven has a smell, it is probably the smell of a newborn baby. I agree with her. It is the smell of innocence, purity and LOVE.

Graduation

Yesterday evening, our family listened to "Pomp and Circumstance" as we watched Justin graduate from the eighth grade. The ceremony was nice. Justin was last to walk in and last to receive his diploma. Ah...These are the dilemmas with having a last name beginning with a "Z". The only thing I have to complain about was the lack of seating. We arrived at 5:30pm, which is when we were told to drop Justin off, and all the seats were taken. By the time it started, half the people in attendance were left standing. Now that's poor planning.

The evening was emotional for me (no surprise there). I felt proud. Proud of Justin for making it. This has been a rough school year for he and us. Motivation and hard work are lessons that Justin is having to learn the hard way. But, in the end, Justin succeeded in pulling his grades up. His teachers never gave up on him. Neither did his family.

I also felt a bit sad. I was witnessing yet another milestone in Justin's life. I see his time with us growing shorter. There is still so much more to teach and show him. Will four years really be enough time to prepare Justin for the real world? I can still remember the day he was born. Vividly! And now I see a young man wanting to stretch his wings and fly.

Here's a video of the grads walking to their seats.
Justin is the last one.

Two Weeks

David is two weeks old today. I think he has decided that he likes it here. For the most part, David is content with life. Sure, he has his cranky moments (don't we all). For example, this morning his routine was thrown off and as a result, a hysterical baby. But, he is easily soothed. Here are a few magic tricks that we pull out of our sleeve when David is fussy.

Turn the hair dryer on.
Vacuum
Put David's head near running water.

And David's personal favorite that works 99% of the time is...

The pinky...He loves sucking on pinkies. This is a trick that my friend and midwife (that had delivered Steven and Kirsten) taught me.

Rollin' Ice

This season, James has been participating in a roller hockey league called Rollin' Ice. It's been a great learning experience for him. Indoor hockey is a LOT different from street hockey, which is what he's used to. While living in Texas, James played street hockey through the YMCA. He was really good at it too. James' speed and aggressiveness made him one of the best players on his teams.

Indoor hockey...A completely different feel. First of all, James has had to get used to new indoor skates. They aren't as tight around the ankles, which bothers him. And stopping in them took a while to figure out. The rink is different as well. The surface is smooth, which also adds to James' difficulty in stopping. But the look of it is amazing. It's patterned after ice hockey rinks. The puck has been another stumbling block for James. Street hockey uses a ball. Passing and carrying the puck has taken a lot of practice to get used to.

James was very conservative in his first few games. The other players, who for the most part tower over him, intimidated him. Speed has always been his strength to compensate for his size. Without that, he seemed lost. He was just lacking confidence.

The last 3 games, we have seen his confidence grow. James is more aggressive and is making game changing plays. He's getting quicker on his skates and shows no fear of keeping up with the bigger players. James even threw himself in front of the net to stop a puck from going in. He has earned the respect from his team.

Now that this first season is almost behind him, James can look forward to playing again in fall. With his new skills and confidence, he'll be unstoppable. I'm so proud of you, James, for never giving up or in.

We're Adjusting

Little David and I are just sitting here listening to some Bon Jovi(a prerequisite for being a part of this family). So far he seems to like it. No crying yet, which shows good taste on his part.

David also likes it when I hold him while playing the piano. The music seems to soothe him. Perhaps he recognizes these sounds from those months spent in my womb.

He is such a good baby. Sleeps well in the day and night. Eats like a horse. And is so ADORABLE! I can't stop looking at him. Could this little guy really be mine? I can't imagine my life without him.

This week has gone well. The kids have been a big help. They love holding David. James and Steven fight over who will get him from his crib. Kirsten likes holding David until he tries sucking on her clothes. She finds this gross. She looks at the wet spot on her shirt and says, "Eww! This was my nice shirt." Kirsten also likes to pick out David's outfit for the day and is learning how to dress him.

I forgot to mention something funny that happened at church last Sunday. During priesthood, Justin and James were asked to tell everyone about their new baby. James quickly, and smartly I might add, said that Justin could do it. So, Justin gets up and says, "Um...It's...a...boy...And...Um...It's a baby." Can't you just picture him saying this?

I love my family.

Avalanche

This is a new game that James, Kirsten, and Steven made up.
I'm surprised no one has gotten hurt...Yet.

On My Own

David has gone back to work. I am now on my own.

This past week, David has been a lifesaver. He took upon himself my role as caretaker to the children. He did the laundry, cooked, entertained the kids, held the baby during awake times (even at night), went grocery shopping, became a taxi driver, and kept the house clean. He's also been my support as I've dealt with the emotions of being a new mother.

Can I do it by myself now?
It's looking good so far.

Last night, after putting David to bed at 11:30pm, he only woke up at 2:30am and again at 6am. Yeah!!

Then I started my morning off with scrambled eggs and a cinnamon roll (thank you for the left overs DeLona)Yes...It's going to be a good day.
We're off to a great start!

Show Offs

Sunday evening, we drove to Atherton to have dinner at David's parent's house. Like usual, my mother-in-law made a mouth watering dinner (including her famous cinnamon rolls). Yummm!

There was a LOT of showing off that went on that evening. Here's a little taste of what I saw.

Who can look the nerdiest or silliest in
Dad's old scout socks?

Who has the bigger muscles?

Proud Grandparents showing off their
newest grandson.

David showing off his tie shirt that
Jessica made for him. It was a big hit!

And for the finale...

Grandpa showing off the "big house" trick.