Rudy

His fate didn't turn out to be so good here. Rudy took a permanent vacation to Weldon, California and is now living with his original Breeder and her other dogs. She has a couple families interested in adopting an adult male Boxer. If for some reason that doesn't work out, he will live permanently with her. It's honestly one of the hardest things Knute and I have ever had to do in our marriage. The drive was long with a lot of tears. I have convinced myself that Rudy will be happier there. I imagine him frolicking through the yard with his other Boxer friends. There are many excuses I've made for sending the dog away, but none of them diminish my guilt. Guilt is a powerful thing. Mostly I feel guilty and selfish for taking away one of my daughter's very best friends. I wish she could understand. He made me feel incredibly angry every single day and I yelled at him a lot. No one wants an angry mommy. The truth is that I enjoy my children and husband (and house) a lot more without him here. Farewell Rudy. I will always carry memories of you (both good and bad) in my heart.

Slug Bugs

Once upon a time there were two little Slug Bugs who were sick with icky, yucky colds. Colds of the worst kind thought their Mother. Surely other Slug Bugs who have colds don't act this miserable! The once cheerful, bright nursery suddenly seemed dark and stuffy and was littered with Kleenex, medicine syringes, and assorted nose sprays. The house echoed from floor to ceiling with the terrible sounds of hacking and coughing, then crying and whining. The Mother felt very sorry for the poor, dear Slug Bugs. She especially felt sorry for the smaller one who was too young to whine, demand snacks, beg for more Barney, more juice, MORE JUICE, MORE JUICE! The Mother also felt very sorry for herself. She called and complained to her husband and blamed things on the dog. After all, it had to be someone or something's fault that the Slug Bugs were sick, so naturally it was the dog. The Mother walked around the house in pajamas with greasy hair all day nurturing the Slug Bugs, feeding the Slug Bugs, and picking up after them. She thought to herself,"will this ever end???" Will I ever see outside the confines of this germ infested house? When the Slug Bugs went to bed, their Mother searched the internet for the perfect pair of shoes. This would make her feel better! Temporarily of course. Alas, tomorrow is a new day and the Mother desperately hopes her little Slug Bugs recover soon.

*The older Slug Bug was asleep and therefore unavailable for the photography session. The Mother would like to keep it that way.

January Draws to a Close

It's the last day of my most dreaded month of the year and I have to say that it wasn't so bad at all. As it turns out, January was a refreshing month, other then the unwelcome cold that seems to always linger when you have a toddler.

A few things that made January a happy month:

*The Bachelor (sorry, but it has to be said)

*Little weekend field trips with Ellie to Sky High and Lindsay Wildlife Museum

*A great date "day" with my husband (I dragged him to see Black Swan and then we had appetizers and drinks after).

*The discovery of "Super Suppers"

*American Idol (I love Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez!)

*Microwave Popcorn

*Baby Boot Camp

*Yummy fondue at Cooking Club

*Friends and wine (sometimes there are occasions they go hand in hand)

*Great neighbors

*A quick visit from my Dad

*A fresh haircut and highlight

*Pizza (for some reason we kind of ate a lot of it this month and I think January is supposed to be a month you don't eat a lot of pizza, but it was good).

*My blue rain boots. When it's cold and rainy, why not have something you look forward to wearing, you know?

*Brunch with my favorite Sister-in-Law and dear friend Kelly :)

*Soy Lattes from Starbucks

*A fun night out with friends at Vanessa's Bistro

*My little family (obviously), although I'm not sure we're really considered a "little" family anymore. It certainly doesn't feel that way.

My smiley little boy

Ellie likes to have "Brown Bear" at the center of all pictures recently

It's nearly impossible to get a good picture of both kids together

Just being lazy

I love his little double chin

I love him when he's all sleepy too

A fun visit with cousin Abbie

Friday Night

A good Friday night is pretty simple. All you need is a Chicken Artichoke de LITE pizza from Papa Murphy's, a bit of Chardonnay, and a dance party with a little Stevie Wonder. It really doesn't get much better then that for a January night and I can't complain!

Even the dog was amused...or possibly scared?

Ellie's famous dance moves

Ringing In...A Little Late

It's a rare moment. Both kids are napping and I am sitting at my desk sipping hot tea. Yes, tea. I figure it's better then my addiction to Diet Pepsi. Oh, I have one of those going too. There is so much to say, but.......I hear Ellie. Nap time is over.

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I figure the Wiggles can occupy her for 22 minutes. Yes, she probably watches too much TV these days. Please don't judge. It's a rainy Thursday afternoon. What else is there to do? Make cookies? Read books? Paint? Yes, these are all great ideas too.

Life is good and crazy. Two keeps me busy. I was never much into multi-tasking, but I have had to learn quickly. It constantly amazes me what I can do with only one arm. No, it's probably not always safe. The days go by so quickly. I can't believe Tate is already two months old. This reminds me that I need to take more pictures. I may have already mentioned that, but it is a constant goal of mine. One I can't seem to accomplish nonetheless.

The holidays are a blur, a fun blur. My parents came to visit from Dallas for Christmas. Ellie and Tate were spoiled to death. It was a very special time for everyone. I maintained my sanity by not cooking anything, but there were still plenty of yummy treats. I threw all the sweets out once everyone had left. I was pretty convinced that Ellie had become addicted to sugar and she wound up with stomach "issues" for several days. I hadn't been paying attention to what she had been eating. I felt like a bad mom. Now our house is full of healthy snacks. Don't get me wrong, I keep Popsicles in the freezer and Cheese Nips in the pantry. I use the word "healthy" very loosely. I discovered stale airheads left over from Halloween and chose to save them for myself. Gross. I'm not sure where I was going with that...

Tate is still dreamy. He enjoys sleeping and when he's awake he gives me big, gummy smiles. I like to smell his sweet head. Ellie tries to keep him entertained by bringing him stuffed animals and making sure he always has his "bink." I am in love with my two little people.

That's all for now...

Happiness is Ellie and Tate

I haven't really had much of a chance to adjust to life with two. My mom just left on Saturday from helping with a little of everything. Thank you, Thank You Mom! Our freezer was stocked with chili, Ellie was kept entertained, and the house was always clean (amongst other things). Knute stayed home five days in a row for Thanksgiving, and Claudia picked up Ellie from preschool on Monday for lunch and playtime (thanks Claudia!). So far, so good. However, I'm no fool. Not everything will always be sunshine and rainbows, but for now life with Tate is dreamy (a sleepy, yummy dream).

Ellie Update: This child hasn't been short on attention. Between Nana, Geej, special outings with Daddy, and endless gifts, she really hasn't gone without. Quite honestly, it was nice getting back to our "normal" routine today. I missed my little girl. She has definitely been more needy lately, but I don't know if it's due to life changes or from everyone (including myself) constantly catering to her every need. She adores Tate and likes to "help" change his diapers, push his stroller, and give him a pacifier. Overall, I think she's adjusting really well.

Tate Update: We may still be in the sleepy newborn phase, but I really don't remember Ellie being this easy. I don't even like writing this for fear that it could all change tomorrow. Tate is such a sweet baby. He's a good eater and a pretty good sleeper. I think I could stare at his cute little face all day long (which reminds me that I really need to take more pictures of him). He seriously melts my heart.

There you have it! We are loving our new family and enjoying the holiday season. I feel like I should bust out in song and dance. Yes, I know this may be somewhat of a "honeymoon" phase. Get back to me in January....

Off to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

I love these three. xoxo

True Love

People told me this would happen. Of course you will love a second child as much as your first. I knew I would love him, but I had no idea that it was possible to love a second little person so much. He is pure joy. 6 lbs, 12 oz, 19 inches of perfection. Born on November 12th, 2011 at 10pm. Yes, we are in love with our new little man.

One Chapter Closes

Dear Knute and Ellie,

Soon our little family of three will become a family of four. I wish words could express the joy both of you have given me. We have had so many fond and wonderful memories as a family of three. I know that things are going to be different moving forward, but our love is about to be multiplied even more. It's hard to even believe, but I know that it's possible. I love you both with all my heart. Thank you for making me a wife and mother. I can't imagine a more precious or perfect gift in the world.

October Makes me Happy

This is the first day it feels like fall to me. The 10 day weather forecast is very exciting. In celebration, I put on some super cozy pants that I may never take off and made red beans and rice for dinner. The Halloween decorations aren't looking quite as silly. It's hard to get in the spirit when it's climbing over 90 degrees outside. We also went to the Disney Store today in a third attempt to get Ellie a Halloween costume. She is going to dress up as Tinker Bell and seems to be pretty content with that for now. It doesn't really matter because I'm not returning another costume. She has a wand, but won't wear a crown. My two year old is VERY opinionated these days. Sometimes it's entertaining, but at other times I want to pull my hair out in frustration. On a bad day, we go through three or four outfit changes. The pink sparkle shoes that I thought were once cute have seen better days. That's because she refuses to wear anything else. I even got the same pair in purple (smart, right?), but that was a no go. They've sat untouched in her closet amongst other pretty shoes that have never been worn. I am trying to pick my battles wisely.

In other Ellie news, she is adjusting well to preschool. Today she came home with her first "boo boo" report for tripping and bumping her head along with a letter that someone in the school has been diagnosed with a case of head lice. Great news! However, I think the benefits of having her there six hours a week far outweigh a little lice (hopefully).

Here are a few recent pictures of Ellie enjoying her favorite part of any birthday party (the cupcakes, of course) and the obligatory pumpkin patch pix:

*I didn't take these pictures, but I thought they were kind of cool.

Life Goes On

It's been quite a month. I turned 30, celebrated a 4 year Wedding Anniversary with a trip to Carmel, and was "sprinkled" by wonderful family and friends to celebrate a little boy who is expected to arrive in about 4 short weeks. In a nutshell, I feel very loved.

I thought I might be emotional about saying goodbye to my twenties, but I think the raging hormones that come with pregnancy may have overshadowed this "monumental" year. Is it so monumental? The truth is that I feel 30. I remember well, but almost have a hard time recognizing the girl I was at 20, 21, 22. There were a lot of life changes crammed into the past ten years. I am in a happy place at age 30. What else is there to say? Well, probably a lot more, but I would like to refrain from becoming a blubbering, emotional wreck. I mean that in the best of ways.