Coming out of retirement.....

So I've decided to start this old puppy up again....however there are no promises that it's going to be interesting or thought-provoking. It's just the ramblings of a stay-at-home mommy to two really cute kids.

Stay tuned for some new pictures...must go spend this sunny Saturday doing something fun with the kids.....off to Toys-R-Us!

So long.....farewell!

Gosh it's been a long time since I've updated this blog!!! It's been for no other reason than being completely wiped out with having 2 kids. There is just not enough time in the day for simple things let alone updating my blog. Maybe I'm just too unorganized or it could be that since giving birth to Jolene, my brain is incapable of writing (or saying for that matter) anything witty, funny, poetic or even just writing anything worth reading! This mommy brain sucks!! I blame it on hanging out with a toddler, who talks non stop ALL DAY LONG and not really having any real meaningful adult conversations!!

This blog has gotten me through some tough times though, as it allowed me to freely and openly express my feeling while going through the whole adoption process; the good, the bad and the really, really ugly. And reaching out to other cyberfriends who were going through the same feelings of sadness, anticipation and ultimate happiness was invaluable!

Sadly though, I am closing down the blog and tucking it away for when Jenna is a little older and I'm able to read her 'Her Story' without missing any details!

I will leave you with a picture of my 2 beautiful miracles...who knew one could be so blessed!

Thanks for following along!

Merry Christmas!!!!

It seems to have been one party after another around here lately and I’m beginning to think that little Miss Jenna is growing too accustomed to opening presents, both baby presents for Jolene and Christmas presents, and having chocolate as her main food source. Her Auntie bought her a chocolate advent calendar and first thing in the morning when she comes downstairs, she insists on opening another number. Am I a bad mother for allowing her chocolate for breakfast?? Who can resist her little cute voice saying “Mama, eat number 20 toomono?”, which doesn’t actually mean tomorrow, but right now to her. Too cute!

The same girlfriend threw me a baby shower last week, the first of two, and I can’t believe how little I actually had for Jolene. Being as though I delivered 6 weeks early, I didn’t have a lot of things ready for her arrival. Okay, okay, the fact that I’m the biggest procrastinator didn’t help either. But now, after one shower and a family Christmas celebrated early, Jolene has many new beautiful clothes and toys (as does Jenna). My girls are definitely loved and spoiled by so many of our friends and family. We are very blessed.

Jolene is still growing like crazy despite having issues with feeding. The formula we used at the hospital and for a few weeks after she came home gave her the worst gas and she was very hard to settle down after a feed. We then switched to 2 other formulas and although the gas was a little better, she was still writhing in pain after some feeds. I put in a call to her pediatrician and we now have her on a new formula. It stinks like crazy and is double the cost of regular formula but I’m crossing my fingers that it will do the trick. She’s only been on it for a few days so it’s still a little too early to tell. My heart breaks for her when she’s screaming in pain, arching her back and curling her feet up to her chest. I just feel so helpless some days. The husband is very good at reading my stress level and taking her from me to help calm her, and me, down. Who knew this whole mothering a newborn was going to be this hard. Aside from the sleepless nights, being puked on, being pooped all over, looking (and smelling) like a troll most days, and having an upside down house, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Soon, Jolene will be older and all of this hardship will be a distant, fond memory so I am trying my damndest to savor every moment.

I took the girls to see Santa the other day and I was preparing myself for worst with Jenna. We were at the mall a few weekends ago and while the husband and the girls were waiting for me to finish up at a store, they stood by where Santa was and Jenna apparently jumped right out of the stroller into Daddy’s arms frightened of the bearded fellow. So knowing that, I tried preparing her a few days in advance telling her all about Santa and that he brings presents if you’re good and she was starting to get pretty excited as well. I couldn’t have asked it to go any better! We got there and right away, she sat on Santa’s knee, with Jolene sleeping on his other knee and when asked what toy she wanted for Christmas, with a very serious face, she held up two fingers and said “2 gums and a chocolate please”. I knew she wanted gum as her whole world revolves around gum, but holding up the 2 fingers cracked me right up! Santa didn’t quite understand but nodded his head politely and told her to take a candy cane. I was so proud of my big girl and since then, she talks of him often AND of the 2 gums she’s waiting to see under the tree from him. And I've been using the "I'll call Santa and tell him you're being naughty" as a bargaining tool to getting her to do things I want....like behaving when she's not. I know, something I'm not all that proud of!

We’re off to California on Sunday for a week to spend Christmas with my sister and her family. We haven’t spent Christmas together in quite a few years and I’m giddy with excitement. Jenna is soooo excited to see her cousins.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a rockin’ New Years’ from our family to yours! I haven't downloaded any recent pictures from my camera lately, which is already packed, so I will leave you with one of my most favorites videos of Jenna. It was taken over the summer at a mall when Toopy & Binoo made an appearance. She was just too darn cute!

Miss Jo Jo...

My baby girl is growing like a weed! She's now a whopping 6lbs 9oz!!!! She's now actually fitting into some of her newborn clothes, although it makes me really sad to put away the preemie clothes. They were just so darn cute! I'm afraid if I blink, she'll be starting kindergarten!

I'm baaaaaaack....

I’m still here, really I am. It’s just been so darn busy around here lately that I have neglected this blog quite terribly. But now that I am back, I will try and post a little more frequently.

Sooooo, so much to say.......let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Jenna’s preschool ended the end of October and since then, I’ve been feeling that she needs some sort of regular structured play time so she will be starting UNPARENTED, hold on, I’ll say it again because it gives me great joy….UNPARENTED playschool in January for 2 days a week for a 2 hours each class. It’s not that I don’t enjoy hanging out with her during the day, it’s just that I’m not all that great at long hours of play with a toddler and she really needs interaction with other children. She loves school, more importantly, the School Bag. She did very well at school (not that I can say that about every child there!!) and she made me very proud as she sat on the matt every class joyfully singing songs, listening to stories and making beautiful pieces of artwork that always hangs proudly on our Fridge-o-crafts. She’s just so darn sweet! Lately she’s taken to sitting for what seems like hours (toddler hours = 20 minutes in this house) just coloring pictures for anyone she can think of and then decorating it with lovely stickers. I always make it a point to completely gush over every piece of scribbled on paper she hands to me and she just loves that I make such a big deal and that ear to ear grin warms my heart like no other grin in this world.

In other news, Jenna now has a little sister, who she sweetly and ever so proudly calls ‘baby seesta’. Jolene Emily was born on October 28th at 12:02pm weighing in at exactly 4lbs and measuring 17” long. She wasn’t supposed to arrive until Dec 3rd (which coincidently is tomorrow) but she just couldn’t wait any longer and entered this world 6 weeks early. I had a lot of problems with high blood pressure towards the end of the pregnancy and it actually had me in the hospital quite a few times but in the end, I ended up with preeclampsia and there was no other option but to deliver. Thankfully, Jolene was very healthy, just little so she stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks to help fatten her up. It was the longest 2 weeks of my life and I really didn’t think I’d make it through. Thanks to help of my MIL who stayed with Jenna while I was in the hospital and right up until Jolene came home, we all survived unscathed. I knew Jenna was being well looked after so I focused all my time and energy into getting Jolene well enough to come home. The guilt of not giving Jenna the time she needed, deserved and was use to was overwhelming but nothing that a lot of candy, chocolate, hugs and kisses didn’t cure. It just proves the fact that children are just so resilient!

Jolene is now 5 weeks old and growing like no ones business. She was able to leave the hospital weighing 4lbs 8oz and at her Ped appt 2 weeks ago, she already weighed 5lbs 3oz. This whole new born mothering is a lot tougher than I ever imagined (kudos to those who have multiples!!!) but I’m fumbling through it like every first time mother (to a new born that is) before me. I was quite spoiled with Jenna as she came home with us when she was already almost a year old and was such and excellent little baby. I’m amazing myself at how well I can function with such a miniscule amount of sleep. Things are getting better though and I’m sure, soon, (please God soon!!!), that she will be sleeping through the night. Until then, there will just be days where the house looks like a garbage dump, days where my hair hasn’t been washed and greasier than all hell, and days when I will wonder….”what have I done to my ever so peaceful life???”. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t think those things every now and then but in all honesty, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I will always be thankful for having the opportunity to be a long awaited first time mother to my Jenna who, in my eyes, is the most loving, patient and well behaved little girl I know, thankful for being blessed with the opportunity to give birth to a very spunky, very healthy, very sweet little baby, especially after having tried for 8 very long years, and just thankful for all that I’ve been blessed with over the last few years. It’s funny how much life can change in 3 years….it amazes me everyday. Oh ya, did I mention the husband? Well, I’m very thankful for him too!! (most days!)

Here are pictures of my new family!

Jolene just minutes old.










Hanging out in her magic bubble!









My sweet little sprout.









Chillin' out at home in a nice tight papous (as my girlfriend calls it!)









Daddy with his girls (and his famous "enough with the camera" joking face)

Jenna loving her "baby seesta" to death! So sweet!

Week old post I forgot to post.......

Things around here have been pretty hum drum lately, hence the lack of posts to the blog!!!

Jenna started Preschool a couple of weeks ago and loves every minute of it, which doesn’t really surprise me since she is my little social butterfly. On her very first day she was almost vibrating with all the other little 2 and 3 year olds around as well as the new toys there were to play with. Her little friend V is also in the same class so it’s nice that she sees a familiar face in the crowd. And of course, in true new mommy fashion, my little peanut had on a new outfit and she also sported her very own knapsack!!! The whole ensemble was just way too cute for words. I think I was more excited about her starting school than she was!

And this Thursday, she will also be starting her gymnastics class as well. I don’t exactly know what to expect yet but with her loving to tumble around the house like she does, I’m sure she’ll love every minute of that as well. Jenna’s busier than I am these days! Both classes run all the way into November so hopefully I won’t be too big and uncomfortable by the time they end.

Jenna still continues to amaze us everyday. She still doesn’t talk in complete sentences yet but has a cute way of telling a story with very few words and a whole lot of expression. We took her to the zoo a few weeks ago and we witnessed a very large elephant bang her head against a wooden pillar. The husband and I both thought that if there would have been a trainer in there with her at that very moment, it wouldn’t have been pretty. Jenna witnessed the whole thing and didn’t really have a whole lot to say about it….until we got home. And since then, the same story, told pretty much the same way is heard a number of times daily. It goes something like this: Efedent. Boom. Head. Owie. Maaaaaaaddddd. Now we think it’s so cute that if we don’t hear it for a few hours or if family and friends are around and haven’t already heard it, we ask her about the elephant….and she will always gladly tell the story again, with as much expression as if it happened just moments ago. Now, she does tell other stories too, mostly about all the war wounds she gets when she’s with her daddy….and she has lots of those to tell! I’m sure it won’t be long at all until all those single words will make one long, coherent sentence. Until then, we’re quite enjoying this stage. Potty training is much better. We still have our accidents but for the most part, she pretty much tells us when she needs to go and now it’s because she NEEDS to go and not because she gets a jelly bean. That’s progress right?

The pregnancy is ticking along nicely. A little slow for my liking but everything has been checking out perfectly. Now that I’m into my 3rd trimester, I’m starting to feel very tired and very big. I can’t believe I still have 11 (or so) more weeks to go…I just can’t imagine how much bigger I’ll actually get!! (Scary thought!) This baby is definitely going to be an active little thing because there are times in the middle of the night that it kicks me awake. It’s such a weird feeling to me to know that wherever I am and whatever I’m doing…..I’m never alone!!! I must say though that being the worry wart I am, the kicking is definitely a reassuring feeling. What I’ve found utterly amazing during this whole experience is now that I am expecting, it seems everywhere I go, everyone else is expecting as well. Is it just me or could it be that I just notice pregnant bellies more now because I got one too? Weird. I must say that I really love being pregnant and all the tiredness, nausea, vomiting and just plain icky feeling has all been worth it so far. I’m so very thankful that I get to experience this whole thing AND that I have such a wonderful husband who helps out sooooo much when I’m sooooo tired! Life is good!













Jenna at the zoo riding on her first pony...she just about had her dadddy convinced that she needed one in her backyard!!!













Jenna's first day at "My first pre-school".












Making chocolate zuchinni muffins with Mommy. Yummy!

Birthdays, Anniversaries, Parties AND Potties!!

Again, it’s been far too long since my last post but man is life ever busy. It started with Vegas for 5 days then we were off to California for a week, then it was Jenna’s one year anniversary home with us, then 2 weeks later my sister and her family came to visit us for 10 days and during her visit was Jenna’s big birthday party. Now I have my MIL staying with us for 2 weeks. Whew, that’s a whole lotta stuff going on. Amidst the entire goings on, Jenna continues to morph into a little toddler running through life at top speed. It’s a bit sad really, but still a joy to watch. She is talking all the time, copying pretty much every last word you say. Sometimes we have no clue what she’s saying and when asked to repeat herself a million times, sometimes she just lets out a big old sigh, as if to say “what is wrong with you people, I’m tired of repeating myself already…..focus”. Too cute for words. We're trying to teach her more words than “No” and “Mine” but it's been a bit difficult. Hopefully we will wean them out of her vocabulary sooner than later.

She is now off of the baba (bottle) and tonight, has FINALLY pee pee'd on the potty, on her own, and without having to sit there for what seems like hours waiting for her to go when she doesn't really go anyway. Yes, tonight before her shower (I know, my kid loves to shower!!), I took her diaper off and put her on the potty like I've been doing for the past few weeks and I was shocked to hear her go pee pee right away. I think I actually scared her with my squeal of delight. Grandma happened to be there and we all did the 'Happy Pee Pee Dance' and then went downstairs to tell Daddy and he also did the 'Happy Pee Pee Dance' (although if he's ever asked will deny it up and down!). I have alot of friends with kids who are quite a few years older than Jenna and when they were going through the whole potty training thing, I would hear stories similar to the one I just told and quite honestly, back then, I just didn't get it. As hard as I tried to seem even a slightly bit interested, I just couldn't. But now, that is my world and I wouldn't change it for a thing!

Jenna playing dress up with her buddy

We couldn't let Jenna's one year Adoption Anniversary pass by without some sort of celebration so on July 2nd, the three of us celebrated with a mini "iiiisceem" cone. I'll have to get a bigger cone next year so I can fit 2 candles on it!

Jenna at the spray park with her buddies. I couldn't resist the picture of her with her back to me...that bum was just too adorable in that cute little swim suit.....that eventually had to be thrown in the garbage because of the dang blue and pink bubblegum Popsicle I gave her!!

Jenna at her friend V's birthday party at the beach. She was sitting in her stroller on the beach because she refused to touch the sand. What the Empress wants....the Empress shall get!

Jenna's cousins' got her this really cool mini jump house for her birthday. She loves it!

Jenna's cousins from California. She sure does miss them!!!