When I was growing up, I had a lot of cousins around my age. I kind of took it for granted. While I only have one sister, I always felt a part of a larger family because of my three cousins on my mom's side and my six cousins on my dad's side.
So when it was my turn to start having babies, I hoped that my child would have a lot of cousins too. Justin had a different attitude about it because he didn't grow up around his cousins. His family is constructed more around his immediate family and close friends of the family.
Since Em wasn't planned, I wasn't sure if she would have a cousin around her age. Luckily, my sister-in-law and her husband decided to have a child around the same time we did. Voila! Emerson and Elizabeth!
It was just the two girls for awhile, and then my sister-in-law became pregnant with her second, Justin. Three kids certainly made things more interesting, but Justin was a really easy baby.
Then, this year things got wacky.
Really wacky.
First my sister announced she was pregnant in January.
Then my cousin Ben announced his wife was pregnant.
Then in March, Justin's sister surprised us with the announcement of their third pregnancy.
Baby-O-Rama!
Justin and I were planning on becoming pregnant before all the baby madness, and in July we discovered that we would be adding to the fun.
So now it's October, and there are three new beautiful babies in our world: Owen Davis Blythe (my sister's little, chunky wonderful boy), Samuel James Shettell (Summer and Ben's delightful new son), and finally Andrea Katherine Harrell (my cousins Ben and Carrie's little girl.)
Additionally I have lots of friends with babies; my best friend from college, a couple people from high school, a friend from work, a friend of Justin's. Seriously, I'm expecting a bump up in the economy with all the new purchases of baby stuff.
Now, I am not by nature a very patient person (to those of you reading, no eye rolling or snorting, thank you very much), but all these new babies are making me a wee bit impatient. I am trying to enjoy my second and last pregnancy (so help me god, this better be the last time.) But I would really like to meet my baby too.
I am dying of curiosity. What will he/she be like? Will we have another blue-eyed wonder? Will he/she be dark like me and Justin? So curious...
At least I will hopefully be able to find out the gender soon. November 3rd is the big ultrasound date. Hopefully our little one behaves and shows us its little bits. I really can't decide if I think it's a boy or girl. Most of the time I think it's a boy, which I admit makes me a little nervous. But that's just because I have a girl, I am a girl, and I know how to deal.
For now, I wait. I focus on taking care of my self and trying to manage my stressful new job and family life. Luckily there are lots of cute babies to play with as I wait. :)
Showing posts with label family fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family fun. Show all posts
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Our 2010 Family Vacation
For the first time since Justin and I went to Canada with his parents in 2005, we actually took a vacation this summer. Not a trip to Redding or a short weekend in Vegas or Humboldt or anything holiday related. Nope, this was an honest-to-god, real vacation.
Yup, we went to Disneyland.
When Justin first suggested it this Spring, I thought he was crazy. (This is my typical reaction to his ideas sadly.) He used to take his students there every year, and he loved it. (20 8th graders for a week...see why I doubt his sanity?)
But we looked into it, and eventually I got on board the Disneyland-crazy train. The trip was not that expensive. I mean, we didn't go on the cheap. We stayed at the resort and got tickets for four days. But again, it has been FIVE years since we had a vacation. And this summer was going to be the best time for a vacation. Em is four. We don't have another little one. And neither Justin or I are working summer school. Plus, my mom agreed to go.
So we booked the trip and waited impatiently for the end of the school year, the end of my master's program, etc. Right before our vacation something wonderful/awful/strange happened. I got not one, but two vice principal interviews. Right.Smack.Dab.In.The.Middle.Of.Our.Vacation. Of course.
After a few tears (alright, a lot of tears) and whining about it being "not fair", Justin helped me grow a pair and get over myself. I asked if I could have a phone interview for high school, which was granted, and I arranged to fly in for middle school. Problem solved.
On Monday, we left at the butt-crack of dawn and drove from Elk Grove to Anaheim in six hours. (By we, I mean my husband drove. I sat in the back and watched Cars and Barbie Musketeers. I feel I contributed.)
We arrived at Disneyland at 2, and after some hotel-room debacles, we headed out to lunch (STARVING), and the park. I have to admit, that first day was pretty magical. I wasn't sure how Em would do on rides (we had a slightly traumatic experience on a fish ride at Funderland.) But Em loves rides, especially carousels and Dumbo. That girl could not get enough of Dumbo. Adorable. We went on It's a Small World, which brought back positive childhood memories of my first trip to Disneyland. And that night, Justin and I got to go out for drinks. Sweet!
Tuesday was my one full day, so we made the most of it. We took in the tea cups, Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean (well, mom and Justin did that one...Em not so much), and Winnie the Pooh. We headed back to the hotel for some pool time (Pro--poolside drinks. Awesome. Con--15 minute pool shut down cuz some kid pooped in the pool. Not awesome.) After pizza, we headed back to the park for Dumbo (told ya she loved it.) Em was pretty done at that point. So my mom and I went on Space Mountain and Pirates.
Wednesday was a weird day. It started with my phone interview for high school vice principal, which was a pretty awful experience. I felt very rambling and it was weird not knowing who the 12 people were in the room. Ugh. (I was later told that I did better than I thought I did, but that is another post.) Afterward, with my heart still thumping, we headed to California Adventure. We had made reservations for a princess lunch at Ariel's Grotto. Totally worth it. Em was enraptured. It was very adorable.
Wednesday afternoon I left for Sacramento, and Justin, my mom, and Em stayed for one more day in DL while I took care of some interview business (again, a story for another day.)
Now we are home and returning back to normal. It was a wonderful trip, but the best part of all was how much Em loved it. She had a great time, and it brings tears to my eyes to realize how grown up she is. We had a very special time with our little girl.
Yup, we went to Disneyland.
When Justin first suggested it this Spring, I thought he was crazy. (This is my typical reaction to his ideas sadly.) He used to take his students there every year, and he loved it. (20 8th graders for a week...see why I doubt his sanity?)
But we looked into it, and eventually I got on board the Disneyland-crazy train. The trip was not that expensive. I mean, we didn't go on the cheap. We stayed at the resort and got tickets for four days. But again, it has been FIVE years since we had a vacation. And this summer was going to be the best time for a vacation. Em is four. We don't have another little one. And neither Justin or I are working summer school. Plus, my mom agreed to go.
So we booked the trip and waited impatiently for the end of the school year, the end of my master's program, etc. Right before our vacation something wonderful/awful/strange happened. I got not one, but two vice principal interviews. Right.Smack.Dab.In.The.Middle.Of.Our.Vacation. Of course.
After a few tears (alright, a lot of tears) and whining about it being "not fair", Justin helped me grow a pair and get over myself. I asked if I could have a phone interview for high school, which was granted, and I arranged to fly in for middle school. Problem solved.
On Monday, we left at the butt-crack of dawn and drove from Elk Grove to Anaheim in six hours. (By we, I mean my husband drove. I sat in the back and watched Cars and Barbie Musketeers. I feel I contributed.)
We arrived at Disneyland at 2, and after some hotel-room debacles, we headed out to lunch (STARVING), and the park. I have to admit, that first day was pretty magical. I wasn't sure how Em would do on rides (we had a slightly traumatic experience on a fish ride at Funderland.) But Em loves rides, especially carousels and Dumbo. That girl could not get enough of Dumbo. Adorable. We went on It's a Small World, which brought back positive childhood memories of my first trip to Disneyland. And that night, Justin and I got to go out for drinks. Sweet!
Tuesday was my one full day, so we made the most of it. We took in the tea cups, Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean (well, mom and Justin did that one...Em not so much), and Winnie the Pooh. We headed back to the hotel for some pool time (Pro--poolside drinks. Awesome. Con--15 minute pool shut down cuz some kid pooped in the pool. Not awesome.) After pizza, we headed back to the park for Dumbo (told ya she loved it.) Em was pretty done at that point. So my mom and I went on Space Mountain and Pirates.
Wednesday was a weird day. It started with my phone interview for high school vice principal, which was a pretty awful experience. I felt very rambling and it was weird not knowing who the 12 people were in the room. Ugh. (I was later told that I did better than I thought I did, but that is another post.) Afterward, with my heart still thumping, we headed to California Adventure. We had made reservations for a princess lunch at Ariel's Grotto. Totally worth it. Em was enraptured. It was very adorable.
Wednesday afternoon I left for Sacramento, and Justin, my mom, and Em stayed for one more day in DL while I took care of some interview business (again, a story for another day.)
Now we are home and returning back to normal. It was a wonderful trip, but the best part of all was how much Em loved it. She had a great time, and it brings tears to my eyes to realize how grown up she is. We had a very special time with our little girl.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Recent Pictures
It's been a while since I posted some pictures of us and our ever growing extended family.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
A Saturday To Call My Own
I'm in my final year of my administrative credential program, and it's starting to wear thin. Very thin.
I have struggled to stay focused during class; constantly checking the clock is my new pastime. In past classes, I would raise my hand often and participate fully. Now, I say one or two things just to make sure my professor know I do indeed have a heart beat and then I sit quietly and try to nod at the right places. I have found that entire huge chunks of time will pass and I will realize I haven't been listening. Yikes.
Needless to say, I was very excited to see that we didn't have a class scheduled for Halloween (today.) I was even happier that my family and I had no scheduled trips this weekend. It has turned out that every weekend I don't have a class we have gone to visit family. First, it was visiting my mom and grandma, then visiting my dad, and finally last week we went to Redding.
This week we have nada planned. Awesome.
We spent the morning carving pumpkins. In fact, I'm still in my pajamas, as is everyone else in my family. Em is watching her Barbie movie (of course she loves THAT one), and I have considered showering.
Tonight we will dress Em up as Super Girl and head out to a Pumpkin Path activity with our friends Janet and Chris and their daughter.
Tomorrow I plan on another peaceful, quiet day. I have no grading to do and no where to go. Again, awesome.
I have struggled to stay focused during class; constantly checking the clock is my new pastime. In past classes, I would raise my hand often and participate fully. Now, I say one or two things just to make sure my professor know I do indeed have a heart beat and then I sit quietly and try to nod at the right places. I have found that entire huge chunks of time will pass and I will realize I haven't been listening. Yikes.
Needless to say, I was very excited to see that we didn't have a class scheduled for Halloween (today.) I was even happier that my family and I had no scheduled trips this weekend. It has turned out that every weekend I don't have a class we have gone to visit family. First, it was visiting my mom and grandma, then visiting my dad, and finally last week we went to Redding.
This week we have nada planned. Awesome.
We spent the morning carving pumpkins. In fact, I'm still in my pajamas, as is everyone else in my family. Em is watching her Barbie movie (of course she loves THAT one), and I have considered showering.
Tonight we will dress Em up as Super Girl and head out to a Pumpkin Path activity with our friends Janet and Chris and their daughter.
Tomorrow I plan on another peaceful, quiet day. I have no grading to do and no where to go. Again, awesome.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Summer Pics
While we have been super busy this summer with summer school, we have fit some fun and family into our weekends. Luckily, the weather has been super mild and Em is always game for some poolside fun.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Birthday to My Little Girl!
We rarely do things "small" in my family. We like our parties big, noisy, and full of family. This was all definitely true this weekend, as we celebrated my daughter Emerson's 3rd birthday. While there were moments I was sure I'd forget something crucial or throttle my husband (I'm confident the feeling was mutual), everything went really well.
The shenanigans began early in the week with me running around town ordering cake, tables, chairs, and finalizing the menu. An added "bonus" was that I am getting ready for a work trip next week, so I had a ton to deal with at work.
On Friday, the family began arriving. First my sister, who was hobbling around because of broken foot, came up from the Bay Area. Haley really wanted to help, but the crutches slowed her down some. Luckily, she helped me come up with crafts and games for the kids. Then, my husband's parents came with his sister, niece, and 3 month old nephew. The little one is darling, but the two girls can argue something fierce over toys. Not a joy.
Saturday morning was the true test. We had to run to Target (the answer to all my problems, I swear), get the cake, and set up the party. To avoid hot weather, we held the party at 11, which works great but one has to be super organized in the morning. Not really my strong suit.
Guests began arriving at 10:45. Sigh. I am so not one of those people. I've had lots of parties with adults, but I'm relatively new to the whole kid party thing. I think it went pretty well. My daughter picked a Cars movie theme (she's way into Lightening McQueen), so we decorated everything with Cars paraphernalia. We had coloring pages out for the kids, squirt guns, stickers, and bubbles. The menu was also kid friendly: hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese puffs--what else can one ask for?
The only somewhat lull was the gift unwrapping. Some people really like to watch kids unwrap gifts, but when the party is so big, the process can take a really long time. It's a lot of fun, but the kid tends to lose interest. And there I am feeling foolish unwrapping My Little Ponies. Awkward.
I was quite tired last night and I ate a ton of stuff I shouldn't have. But it was a great party. For Father's Day, we took Justin and his father out for breakfast. Could have been exciting with three kids, but they were all really good. The girls loved their pancakes and Baby Justin slept through most of the breakfast. Good deal.
Tonight I head to Long Beach for a conference. I have a feeling I will sleep just fine tonight.
The shenanigans began early in the week with me running around town ordering cake, tables, chairs, and finalizing the menu. An added "bonus" was that I am getting ready for a work trip next week, so I had a ton to deal with at work.
On Friday, the family began arriving. First my sister, who was hobbling around because of broken foot, came up from the Bay Area. Haley really wanted to help, but the crutches slowed her down some. Luckily, she helped me come up with crafts and games for the kids. Then, my husband's parents came with his sister, niece, and 3 month old nephew. The little one is darling, but the two girls can argue something fierce over toys. Not a joy.
Saturday morning was the true test. We had to run to Target (the answer to all my problems, I swear), get the cake, and set up the party. To avoid hot weather, we held the party at 11, which works great but one has to be super organized in the morning. Not really my strong suit.
Guests began arriving at 10:45. Sigh. I am so not one of those people. I've had lots of parties with adults, but I'm relatively new to the whole kid party thing. I think it went pretty well. My daughter picked a Cars movie theme (she's way into Lightening McQueen), so we decorated everything with Cars paraphernalia. We had coloring pages out for the kids, squirt guns, stickers, and bubbles. The menu was also kid friendly: hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese puffs--what else can one ask for?
The only somewhat lull was the gift unwrapping. Some people really like to watch kids unwrap gifts, but when the party is so big, the process can take a really long time. It's a lot of fun, but the kid tends to lose interest. And there I am feeling foolish unwrapping My Little Ponies. Awkward.
I was quite tired last night and I ate a ton of stuff I shouldn't have. But it was a great party. For Father's Day, we took Justin and his father out for breakfast. Could have been exciting with three kids, but they were all really good. The girls loved their pancakes and Baby Justin slept through most of the breakfast. Good deal.
Tonight I head to Long Beach for a conference. I have a feeling I will sleep just fine tonight.
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