LandLocked Gonzalez

My little sunshine

2011-11-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 27th, two years ago, I held you in my arms for the first time. I immediately nicknamed you my sunshine, as you were my light on that sweet day. We traveled a long road together those nine or 8 months that you were inside of me... the journey started with hospital stays due to dehydration and that fact that I couldn't even hold down water, and then on month 7 I went into preterm labor. You can't imagine the emotions that flooded me that day... would you be ok, would you be born that day, would you survive? I already loved you more then words can express, and I could not lose you or bear the thought that you could be born sickly. So, I did the only thing I knew to do... I prayed to God that he would help you to stay where you were until you were healthy enough to live.

We sat and prayed for 27 days in the hospital... praying for your life, for your health. On the 27th day, on a very rainy and gloomy day, you were born. Immediately my world was filled with light, and you still are a light to me today. Happy birthday my sweet Noah! You will always be a light and joy in my life!

A little about Noah...

1) You are a super happy little boy, and your laugh is so contagious.
2) Your preschool teacher reports that you are everyone's friend and are very social.
3) You can throw a tantrum like I've never seen
4) You love playing games with your papa after work... monsters, hide and go seek, castles, chase...
5) You almost never stop moving.
6) Your favorite phrase right now is "thats pun!" for fun.
7) You LOVE your big brother and run up to hug him at spontaneous times or steal a toy he's playing with just to get him to chase you.
8) You are such a terrible listener that I thought you had a hearing problem when you were younger, but nope, you just choose to never acknowledge my requests. :)
9) You currently speak with a slight lisp, but gosh it sounds so adorable.

I love you sweet boy! My life would not be the same without you!

ox, mama

He's 3 1/2

2011-08-22T19:15:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe my little guy is 3 1/2 already. *sigh* The days are long, but the months fly by so quickly.

He has a super sweet heart and is very caring.

He loves playing "super hero's vs. monsters."

His favorite toys are his super hero's (namely superman, spiderman, and iron man)

This little guy has LOTS of energy, and is always on the go, (unless he's watching tv.)

Even at 3 1/2 he is still getting into things... my makeup, chocolate snacks he finds when I'm out of the room, etc.

His laugh and smile are so contagious.

He has started to tell me at random times of the day, "mama... I love you." (and then my heart melts.)

He is obsessed with the idea of growing up. Some days he tells me he's growing up, gettin' bigger and bigger, other days like today, he said he's not growin' up, he's still little. I'm glad he's still little for now. :)

ox, Jayme

My favorite photos from 2010

2010-12-17T12:35:00.001-08:00

We don't usually send out Christmas letters with our cards, so I thought I would create a Christmas letter blog post of sorts, talking about the highlights from our year.

We had such a great year in 2010. Our family truly has so many things to be grateful for... our health, work, our sweet children, wonderful family and friends. Our hearts are full.

Niko turned 2 in February. Along with his growing independence he has developed a growing strong will. haha He keeps us on our toes, but I have to say he is such a joy. He loves rough housing, going on new adventures in the neighborhood, and ice cream.... or anything with sugar for that fact. He asks for a lollipop just about everyday, even though he only gets one about once a month. :) He attends a mother's day out program two mornings a week at a local church preschool. His teachers say he is on the quiet side, but loves to play with the other kids, go out side, and participate in art and singing. He is also the one in his class that already understands the spanish lessons. :)

Noah is almost 14 months... where does the time go. He has to be the cuddliest little thing ever. So, squeezable and soft. :) He is walking like a pro these days, and loves this new found freedom. He is also our little climber... always on top of something. The other day I ran into the bathroom for a quick moment, and came out to find him on the kitchen table. I have NO idea how he got up that high, but in a way I'm not surprised. He is very gentle, sweet, and fairly stubborn, much like his brother. He loves to smile, has 16 teeth already, and is the pickiest eater ever! He is also still fairly small in weight for his age but is average on his height so it looks like he is going to be the tall and lean type. :)

Pablo continues to work hard. He currently works for a company that makes gel mats for industrial kitchens, operating rooms, etc. He was hired on last December to be a project/product manager for their new line of kitchen appliances. The job is a blessing! When he's not working he spends 100% of his time with his family and on his hobbies. He is an amazing father, and husband, and we are so thankful for all he does.

I have stayed very busy this year adjusting to life as a mom of 2. These boys keep me busy like I never imagined. I am almost always searching for new balance in my life, but it's ok that it is not always there, this is just a season. A season that will pass all too quickly and before I know it my boys will have outgrown me and not need me as they do now. I will miss this time one day, and I work hard at embracing it even on the hardest of days. I continue to work as a freelance graphic and textile designer, but this year worked very part time. I also run my little etsy shop where I sell cards and kid's party items. It's fun and the perfect way to keep my foot in the design world!

Well, we hope you all had a wonderful 2010 as well.
Many blessings for 2011.

Love, Jayme (and family)

Rough Housing

2010-12-07T14:01:00.001-08:00

If you stop by our house around 6 o'clock in the evening, you will likely see something similar to above. I guess with 3 boys in the house (including Pablo) that's a given. What you can't see in these images is the beating of one another with pillows, the full contact wrestling, and the clobbering of one another. :)

Trick or Treat...

2010-11-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, we had an action packed day yesterday. It started with bible study, and then we attended a Halloween birthday party, and then did a little trick or treating. Noah's outfit was short-lived as he did not want to leave his puppy dog hat on, so he attended the events as noah.:) Niko thought the face paint was pretty cool (you can see the red parts he did himself) so that made him very excited to wear his outfit. It was our first year trick or treating with Niko and he seemed to like the fact that he was getting candy from people. I couldn't get him to say "trick or treat" or "thank you" at the door... he would just freeze up. haha It was a fun night for us all.
ox, Jayme

Cedar Park Fall Festival

2010-10-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to a local fall festival. We decided to go to the festival this year instead of the pumpkin patch we usually go to because the weather was forecasting rain, so we thought it might be wise to stay closer to home. It did end up pouring at one point, which is why Niko's hair is soaking wet in some of these pics.:) We ended up having a great morning though and I'm glad we were able to get some cute pics!

Cedar Park Fall Festival

2010-10-29T11:52:00.001-07:00

Noah and papa singing

Gonzalez News

2010-10-29T11:40:00.001-07:00

So, about a month ago we started thinking we should take advantage of the great interest rates out there and either refinance our home or possibly search for a new home with a tad bit more space, outside and inside. After casually looking at several homes nothing seemed right. We either didn't like the layout, or the yard wasn't big enough, etc. This is when a realtor suggested that if we were as picky as we claimed maybe we should just build a house. Building a house is something we had always thought we would do one day, but figured we financially weren't ready for that. After doing some research though, and deciding that Pablo could and would love to do some of the work on the house himself, we discovered it just might be doable! We went ahead and put our house up for sale, and are now in the process of getting quotes for the home we are hoping to build, and hopefully everything will come together. If everything does not come together then we will know that now is not the right time.

We have a couple lots we are looking at, both around 1 acre in size, which is pretty exciting to know the boys will have more of a yard to run, play and discover. :) We'll keep you all posted on how it goes. We should know more on the lot situation and final quotes in about 3 weeks, so stand by.
ox, Jayme

Noah is 1 - the setup

2010-10-18T13:17:00.001-07:00

On October 9th we celebrated Noah's first birthday. It turned out to be such a fun evening shared with some of our closest friends. It was a vintage "little man" party decorated with mustaches and ties, and a soda bar with different kinds of soda in the old fashion glass bottles. We had games for the adults including a "little man" pop quiz with questions about Noah and questions about mustaches, and the famous people who wear them. For the adults we also had a jar full of antique soda bottle caps, and everyone put in their vote on how many they thought were in the jar. There were games for the kiddos as well (as you'll see below.) It was such a great evening!

Noah is 1 - the setup

2010-10-18T13:13:00.001-07:00

Noah is 1 - bubbles and balls

2010-10-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

For outdoor activities I threw several balls out, and had bubble wands and bubbles for the kids to play with. They made up their own game by putting bubbles on Noah's head. Noah was a good sport, I must say. :)

Noah is 1 - bubbles and balls

2010-10-18T12:40:00.001-07:00

Noah is 1 - let there be cake

2010-10-18T12:21:00.001-07:00

Well, it's official, Noah LOVES chocolate cake. I can't say I'm surprised since he is my child.:) He didn't like his hat so that stayed on for a total of 60 seconds, which luckily was just long enough for my friend to get a couple pics!

Noah is 1 - fun and games

2010-10-18T11:39:00.001-07:00

I designed a game called "pin the tie on Noah" (a take off on pin the tale on the donkey.) To make it easy I put magnets on the back of my poster and ties, and just used the refrigerator to hold it up. It worked out perfectly. I think the adults may have had more fun with the game then the kiddos (see Pablo above.) Oh, and don't you love the mustache's on a stick!? Hopefully my friends don't kill me for posting these... :)

Overall, the event was successful, and Pablo and I felt really loved by all our friends that came from near and far to help us celebrate our sweet little Noah.

ox, Jayme

Let's make up...

2010-10-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

Dear blog,
I'm sorry I have neglected you, not visited you, and not even stopped in to say hello. Life is hectic, you see, but this you already know. I promise to try to be better, to chat more, vent, and write. It's healthier for me to share my thoughts, for this I know is right.

ox, Jayme

New Video

2010-08-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. It's been a little busy around here... actually it's kind of a busy month for us with several little trips and such.

But, I wanted to share this video that Pablo put on YouTube recently. It is a video of Niko in the back seat of the car singing along to his Uncle Seba's music. There is a place in the video where Niko gets distracted for a few seconds, but if you stick with it, it's a pretty cute clip, and if you watch how the light hits the car at the end of the video it almost seems intentional. :)

(copy and paste this link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_le93O4Jv4&feature=related

Hope everyone out there is doing well!
ox, Jayme

Bullet Hopping

2010-08-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Riveting post title, right? Before you start picturing us in a scene from the Matrix let me explain. :)
Austin is a wonderfully weird city. In fact the motto here is "keep Austin weird." It's a city full of arts, festivals, music, and bullets. It would be hard to count how many silver retro bullets you will see on the streets selling food. One Saturday not long ago, we decided to load up the clan and go bullet hopping. Unfortunately due to nap times and screaming children, we only made it to two bullets, but it was still a fun adventure! In this post I'm featuring Flip Happy Crepes. They only sell crepes... crepes for lunch and dessert crepes. This was a treat! You can see Pablo, Niko and Noah above as we waited on our order. Oh, and I included McQueen and Chicks Hicks on the bottom, because they have become part of the family and follow us everywhere. They are seen here on the bench where we waited on our tasty crepes.

ox, Jayme
ps. bullet part 2 coming soon
(Also, be sure to watch the video link of the boys that is in the short post right below this one.:))

Video

2010-08-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

Follow the link (may need to copy and paste) below to see Niko and Noah playing and laughing together. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovpipa5BL1E

9 months

2010-07-31T14:28:00.001-07:00

Our sweet Noah is 9 months old. Wow... I won't go on and on about how fast time is going, but it really is! He's such a joy and a little fire cracker. He never stops moving - even up until the moment he falls asleep... all limbs are 100mph and then BOOM, he's out. haha
He has many tricks now... he says a lot of papa dada type talk, he crawls on all 4's now instead of just the army crawl. He pulls to standing and cruises our furniture (which has added a new dangerous element to our days) and he feeds himself finger foods well, and still smiles often.
Such a sweetie!

(These pics were taken at the park this morning - enjoy!)

Hope you're having a relaxing weekend...

2010-07-31T14:20:00.000-07:00

It is very rare that Niko lets me take a picture of him, and today, for some unknown reason, he stroke a pose for me. This pose lasted about 60 seconds and then he was back to 100 miles per hour, but I'm very thankful for his sweet gesture.:)
ox, Jayme

2 and... and...

2010-07-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

and a 1/2. *sigh* This week my sweet Niko turned 2 1/2. I have to say that I have dreaded this day. I know this must sound silly as it is only a 1/2, but for some time now I have been thinking, well, he's just 2, he's still a baby, he's not even close to 3. I still have time, I'll potty train him once he's 2 1/2... I'll finally take away his paci/tete once he's 2 1/2... All the while hoping 2 1/2 would never come. Time is going too quickly and I feel I am losing him already. I wish I could freeze him at this age forever.
I would have never guessed being a mama could be so hard... so emotional. A mama spends every hour of the day feeding her child so they grow strong, guiding her child so he learns right from wrong, teaching him to respect others as well as himself, showing him that life isn't fair but we must find the good, the glimmers of hope, and representing the unconditional love that God has for him. By the time a child is grown a mama has put every bit of her heart and her soul into helping her child live and thrive, every ounce of her energy into caring for his every need 24/7. Then one day, they do not need you as they once did. They will hug you only for a moment and never in front of their friends. They will call you, but rarely whisper I love you, I miss you... ahhh... I will miss this age. I will miss Niko spotting me at his school and running with a smile to hold my neck ever so tightly. I will miss him calling my name to tell me, "mama, somin' scary", I will miss him purposely pushing me backwards to the ground so we can laugh and fall together. These are the things I will miss. I can't say I know where to go from here, hoping God helps me along the way to find my role, and to slowly start to let go.

I love you sweet Niko... forever.
Your mama.

Father's Day 2010

2010-07-06T08:52:00.001-07:00

We had a fun and adventurous father's day this year. Pablo has been traveling and working a lot lately, so I wanted to do something special that allowed us to all spend some quality time together.
The night before father's day Niko gave papa his father's day cards from us along with a special package. Inside the box a note read, "Papa, get ready for a WILD adventure." There was a map of texas, Pablo's sunglasses and keys, and a ribbon tied group of envelopes each labeled clue #1 - clue #5. We informed him he was going on a road trip and to be ready the next morning at 8:30 am. Along the way to our destination we had him open clues to give him hints of where we were going. Unfortunately I think he guessed what we had planned for him by clue #2. haha But, we still made him play along the rest of the way. :) We drove an 1 hour and half to the Wildlife African safari park in San Antonio. It was such a blast. We pulled a Brittany Spears and had the boys ride up front with us to help feed the animals (we figured this was ok since we drove 2 miles per hour through the park). We saw so many great animals and got to pet some of them too.
After we drove through the park we ate lunch at the Wildlife cafe where we ate some delicious food. It was a really fun adventure, and I'm hoping to start a roadtrip father's day tradition. I think that as the boys get older and can be more involved in the planning, it will be even more fun. :)
So, here's to the best husband and dad in the world!
We love you Papa!
ox, Jayme

Ps. A huge happy father's day to both my dad and Pablo's dad. We can't express enough of what you both mean to us. Love you both!!!

memorial weekend (part3)

2010-06-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday of our 3 day weekend we hit up the local sprinkler park. Pablo and Niko had a blast playing in the water, and Noah and I tried to relax in the shade and enjoy the sites. After the water park we enjoyed lunch on the decks at Waterloo Ice House... It made for a really nice, and fun day. The last picture here is sweet Noah, laid back catching up on his favorite book... This is how he spent a lot of his time during the weekend while Niko was the one out having adventures. I don't think Noah minded one bit though, he is such a happy and content baby. :)
ox, Jayme

memorial weekend (part2) Austin Zoo

2010-06-12T13:41:00.001-07:00

We traveled far (45 minutes in the middle of no where) to check out Austin zoo. We had heard it was a "granola zoo." And, I can say it pretty much was. Most of the animals in the zoo seemed more like animals you would spot at a country farm,with animals such as roosters, chickens, pigs, goats, deer. There were 2 lions and one black bear, and that's about exotic as it got. In some ways though it was kind of nice. It wasn't very crowded... you can see all the attractions and leave before you're burned out....and you can feed half the animals that are there so it was very interactive. We had a good time and made some memories. :) (click on pics to view larger)
ox, jayme

memorial weekend (part1)

2010-06-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. We really took advantage of the 3 day weekend. It was action packed for sure! The weekend fun started Friday night, when we had a family movie night with the movie Cars. We purchased the movie for Niko, a couple 'Cars' toy cars, and some Cars gummies. Niko loved the movie, and has requested to watch it everyday since we got it. :)
ox, Jayme

and now the park...

2010-06-09T17:20:00.001-07:00

Here's Niko playing on the play scape near the field where we went kite flying. It was a good day! The kite flying and playing was followed by ordering pizza out. I hate to admit it, but one of the best ways to get him to leave a park (jumpy house, ice cream shop, etc.) without some level of a dramatic scene is to bribe him with something... this day it was pizza. :)
ox, Jayme

Let's go fly a kite... up to the highest height...

2010-06-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

We took Niko to the park the other day for his first try at kite flying. We had great fun and the scenery was amazing! ( you can click on pics to make them larger.)

ox, jayme

Spring in Austin

2010-05-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

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It's still spring, right?? This post is a little late, but too precious not to share. Austin in the spring is a beautiful place where you will find blue bonnet flowers everywhere, along the the sides of the roads, highways, parks - it's so pretty. When my dad was in town last we went out and got some great pics of the family. I hope you enjoy...
ox, jayme

Spring in Austin-- continued

2010-05-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Spring in Austin-- continued

2010-05-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

Niko at an Old Fashioned Amusement Park

2010-05-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

(Niko couldn't get the icing off the top of his lip. He eventually ate all the icing and left the cupcake.)

In April we attended a birthday party for 2 of Niko's little neighborhood friends, Sally and Juliette. The party was held at an old fashioned amusement park near our house. It was totally retro, and such a fun spot. Niko enjoyed most of the rides, except for the ones that had an up and down motion. He freaked out on those... :) He was a trooper as usual though and tried almost all the rides.

ox, Jayme

Our Noah Bear

2010-05-18T13:02:00.001-07:00

Our little Noah turned 6 months old a couple weeks ago. It's hard to believe!
He is doing very well. At his 6 month appointment he weighed 15 1/2 pounds.
He's in the 20th percentile for babies his age, but is average for babies his age who were born at 35 weeks, so we are super pleased. He is very strong, and we can tell he is anxious to start crawling, walking, running... YIKES.:) He has pulled up to all fours several times over the last couple days and tries an inch worm type move to get to what he wants. His eyes are changing color and right now have blue edges with light brown centers, so we're not sure if he is going to have brown eyes or hazel.I've said this before but he is full of love, loves kisses, hugs, holding his face close to ours... so sweet and adorable. We are really enjoying him. Noah also LOVES his big brother.... squeals with delight when he is around, pulls on his ears, hair, face... it's like he's trying to rough house already, and Niko does so well at being gentle and letting Noah have his way. We're so blessed!

ox, Jayme

Thirty One and Old...

2010-05-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this picture doesn't really fit the tone of this post... I look full of life and zest here... It is all a facade I assure you. Ha I am just a big fan of pictures with blog posts, so since I try not to take pictures of me non-showered, hair sticking up, etc. (the real me), this is what you get.

So, a few weeks back I turned the ripe age of 31 and I have to tell you, I am feeling old my friends. Now, I am not saying 31 is old, so everyone reading this who is older then me please do not get offended. :) But, like they say you are only as old as how you feel. And I feel old.

I guess having 2 kids will do that to you. There isn't much time to ever get dolled up, and really not a reason to either...since I walk around with spit-up covering me most days, I try to dress down. :) Also, keeping up with 3 boys (including my husband) can be exhausting, and I think this has taken it's toll.

Another reason why I am feeling old, is because of recent life changes. Seasons in my life have come to and end. Change has happened. My grandfather on my moms side passed away last year, and with that a huge chapter of my life has ended. I will no longer go to visit my grandparents in their sweet little white wooden house with the alley in back ever again. I have fun memories of going there as a child... the smell of delicious food coming from my grandmas kitchen... my grandpa sitting in his favorite chair watching tv or working on a cross word puzzle.
These are memories I have that I will greatly miss.

Also, this last year my dad's parents moved away from their florida home to Illinois to be near my aunt. My grandma is in her last stages of Alzheimers and another part of my life will be coming to an end.

Watching both of my parents go through their parents getting sick and passing on has been hard to see, and I know one day I will have to go through the same thing and I simply don't want to.

Another season in my life that is changing, is this will be the first year that I do not attend my family's reunion in Michigan. A lot of my cousins will not be going this year, and it just reminds me that life is changing... things do not stay the same.

So, while I'm feeling older due to all the above, I do have hope, hope that life will bring more seasons of beautiful memories. This is all I can hope for. I have been so incredibly blessed and I'm fortunate that I get to live this life with my beautiful family and friends, and with God by my side.

More posts coming soon.
ox, Jayme

New Baby, Big Baby, and New Hobby

2010-04-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our new baby, Noah, is now 5 months old. Noah has been such a sweet part of our lives already. He is just as sweet as can be. He loves to receive and give kisses, he smiles often, he is gentle and laid back, and he is very strong. Despite being a preemie, he is growing beautifully and hitting all his milestones. His favorite trick is rolling in both directions. He seems very anxious to start running.:)

Look at this big boy!!! Hasn't he changed?! Where has the time gone. He is slowly losing his baby face, and turning into a little boy. He is still as adorable as ever though - full of life, imagination, and ever growing independence. He has really started putting words together to make phrases, and tries to copy a lot of what is said to him. One of his newest phrases being, "I do it!" haha He just makes me smile.

A new hobby. Yes, because keeping up with 2 boys just wasn't enough work, so I am trying to throw something else into the mix. haha Ok, keeping up with 2 boys is way enough, but I finally caved into this old temptation. I purchased a nice SLR camera, with the plans to learn everything I can, and capture some great pics of my family. My moments with these 2 sweet boys are going by so quickly and I just don't want to forget a single thing. I feel the need to freeze time or at least tiny moments in time. I flirted with photography a little in college, taking the only classes offered at the time and really enjoyed it. Now, it's time to take some online courses and learn how to use this baby. Should be fun, though it may take me a little while, since I don't have too much time to study between wiping butts and spit-up.
But, really, life is good.

ox, Jayme

holy moly...

2010-04-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

I just opened my blog and saw the title "January." This is unacceptable!
I'm not sure if we have any readers left at this point, but if we do, please know
that I will be making a blog post soon. A "real" blog post, not a blog post about making
a blog post like this one. :)

See you soon!
jayme

January

2010-02-03T23:01:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we posted anything. I think last night's post bath rock session deserves to be made public. Some Noah shots too.
We're assimilated into the two kids lifestyle and besides all the work, it's so very rewarding. Niko is breaking in some molars and he lets us know he's uncomfortable by screaming all the time at everything and everyone. Except for when he's not around us. Apparently he behaves just fine at school and saves up the anger for us... He's almost over it. Noah is over 11.5 lb which means his growth is perfect for his age. We're so happy he's developing like a normal baby. He has started to smile a lot which is very fun for us. Ok, later.

Christmas!!!

2009-12-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

Niko's picture with Santa from school. Kids were lined up outside of the room and they took them in one by one. They came out screaming so the kids that were in line probably were a little spooked about what was happening in there. It didn't get better when they got handed over to the large man with white hair covering his face.

First few gifts one Christmas morning.

Niko has more tools than I do now. He barely took a nap after playing with them for hours. We let him take his hammer to bed and we could hear him fixing something for the first half hour of his nap time.

Cool stuffed animals for Niko and Noah. Hand knitted in Peru. Pretty cool. www.blablakids.com

His first guitar!!!

This kid is intense. It's all I have to say...

Christmas Eve when Santa was done organizing the presents.

Niko's first workbench. Made in Papa's workshop.

It was a great Christmas. Tom made his traditional turkey dinner so we pigged out and spent time enjoying the kids and each other.

Abus and Grandparents

2009-12-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

This is a recap post on the last couple of months. My parents were able to fly in from Uruguay to help out with the kids while Jayme was in the hospital and my dad stayed until the first week in December. Right after that Kathy came over and stayed with us until now. Tom and Kathy are spending the holidays with us until new year's. After that we have to figure out how to take care of two kids on our own... Yikes!

We're so fortunate to have Abus and grandparents that can spend this very much needed time with us.

Noah's not-so-professional photoshoot

2009-11-16T12:04:00.001-08:00

My good friend Haylee will be coming down to take nicer pics of little Noah in a few months, but I wanted to capture him now too. So, here are some pics of our sweet Noah at 3 weeks old.
He is so sweet and he is a good baby. A little demanding in that he wants to eat every 2 hours on the dot, but we are just glad he is eating so well now.:)
Enjoy,
Jayme

Noah's not-so-professional photoshoot continued...

2009-11-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

NOAH

2009-10-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed and happy to have Noah with us finally. He looks like a very healthy baby and Jayme is recovering very well. It will be great to finally have the whole family together at home within the next couple of days. Here are some pics and a video of the little guy.

The clock is ticking and the days are going by...

2009-10-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday, October 25th and I have been in the hospital 3 1/2 weeks now. We have planned for inducement on Friday the 30th which means we just have 5 days to go! So, I'm looking at 1 more week in the hospital and then I will be home with my family again! It is hard to believe that I will have missed all of October... I was checked into the hospital on Oct. 1st and will probably not be checked out until the beginning of Nov. I feel like there are some many things I have missed. I didn't get to take Niko to the pumpkin patch this year, or decorate my house for fall, and I've only made pumpkin bread once since one night when a touch of fall hit us in Sept.

I am so excited to meet my Noah... to hold him in my arms, and tell him how much I love him. He and I have been through a lot together this last month. ;) On, the other hand I am a little bit nervous of what is to come. Even though I have been on bedREST, I don't particularly feel rested. When a person doesn't move much for that long energy levels tend to go down. I am just hoping and praying I have the strength that is required with taking care of a new born... not sleeping for months, trying to feed, diaper, repeat.... ohhhhh.... I need strength. :) Luckily I will have great help, which I will need with a newborn and my very energetic 20 month old.

I'm also excited to see how Niko is going to react to his new baby brother. I think he will be fascintated by him, but I also know that Niko is a rough and tough boy and I may have to act as a human shield for Noah for a while. hehe We'll see...:)

We will keep everyone posted on Noah's arrival whether on the 30th or before (if he decides to come earlier.) Keep watching for pictures of our little one on here and facebook as well.

Love to all,
Jayme

A good day and a bit of excitment...

2009-10-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a wonderful day because I got to spend the morning with my Niko. :) My mother-in-law was so sweet to bring him to the hospital and pack snacks and activites to keep him entertained. They stayed for several hours, and Niko did remarkably well. Usually when he comes in the evenings he can only tolerate the dark room I'm in for about 30 minutes before he starts pushing all the emergency buttons and calling the nurses. :) So it was a great day with quality time spent with my lil' guy.

After they left I went to use the restroom and (not to be too graphic, but) I started bleeding again like I did the day I came into the hospital. So, nurses ran to my side, called my doctor, hooked me up to machines, and we waited to hear what my doctor wanted to do. She decided to do an exam, and discovered I am in fact still leaking amniotic fluid (they thought I may have healed over before) and I am 2 centimeters dilated and 70 % effaced. Crazy, huh?! This child really wants to come early. It sounds to me like Noah is going to have a very similar personality to Niko... strong willed, and on the move... :)

So, again we just wait to see what happens.
Thank you for all your continued prayers!
ox, Jayme

An end in sight, and a rough day...

2009-10-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a bit of a rough day mood wise. I think sitting in this dark room is starting to get to me. I have a really large beautifully decorated room, but the lighting is always like mood lighting, so it is kind of dark, which can be cozy or just plain gloomy. I hadn't been able to go out in a wheel chair for almost 2 full days, and I started feeling like I was caved in.
On top of feeling trapped, and having no fresh air for several days, I learned that Niko had a runny nose and eyes, which mean I can't see him until he is better. :( This kills me the most.
I cried three different times yesterday, just not knowing how long I could handle this.

I talked to my doctor about inducement dates, and we are still playing it somewhat by ear, but have tentatively talked about inducing in 2 weeks when Noah will be almost 36 weeks old. I know the longer Noah cooks the better, but can I handle 2 more weeks??? Two more weeks away from Pablo? Two more weeks away from Niko? ahgh. I know one day this will be just a faded memory... One month out of my whole life does not seem that long. But, it's still not easy in the present. And, I don't think people understand what it feels like to only see your little boy for an hour a day when you are used to taking care of him all day, every day. It's hard.
It could still be worse, and God has been so great, so I will continue to keep my head up, or at least try.:)

Thank you all for your continued prayers as we get through this time. We really appreciate it!!
ox, jayme

A lesson in patience, love, and more patience…

2009-10-12T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today is October 12, 2009 and I have been in the hospital on bed rest now for 11 days.
I can’t tell you how glad I am to say that. While bed rest does not normally equal fun, I have been so thankful for each day that Noah continues to cook and stay where he belongs.

I am no longer on antibiotics so I am no longer hooked up to an IV which is awesome! There is nothing worse then feeling like you are strapped to the bed you have been ordered to stay in (HELLO, I’m not in the psych ward!). I am done with steroid shots, and let me tell you those HURT! I wear leg pumps during the day and night to avoid getting blood clots. I get my temperature and blood pressure checked every 4 hours to check for signs of infection, and I get strapped to a monitor for an hour twice a day to watch Noah’s heartbeat and watch to see if I am having contractions. In between all these things I try to choose an activity to keep me busy… read, watch tv, talk to my mom, look at a magazine, search the web, and (drum roll please) go on wheelchair rides. I absolutely love my wheel chair rides. I have a room whose windows overlook the inside of the hospital so I don’t see a spec of daylight unless Pablo wheels me out to get a view, so that part of my day is essential to keeping my sanity. :)

Overall I’ve been able to keep positive and upbeat. I can see how patients on bed rest could get easily soured and frustrated with their situation, but I’m trying hard to stay optimistic. I have it so easy compared to some… several of my nurses have talked about patients they had for 2+ months! Can you imagine???

That is not to say that I haven’t had some rough days here and there. One being the first day I was admitted. I laid awake until 3 am just trying to come to terms with what had just happened and trying to grasp the reality that my baby was going to be born early, and now it was just a waiting game. I’ve also had nights where I lay awake missing my husband and my Niko. I worry about how Niko is adjusting to all this, if he will be damaged for life, if he will ever forgive me for being absent from him for a month?? Oh, how I worry about him. :( He shows signs of not adjusting well, and it really kills me. Another hard day was 2 mornings ago when I woke up at 7am one morning starting my morning routine when I hear over the speakers, “high alert, high alert, room 264.” “Paging Dr. Smith, high alert.” My nurse who was in the room with me at the time drops what she is doing and runs out. The next few moments were filled with the sounds of people yelling and running. This was a girl several doors down from me. I have to admit I was spooked. I called Pablo crying, saying “I don’t want that to happen to me… I’m scared.” Then it happened again this morning with another girl… my goodness we’re dropping like flies in here. J Not that they died, but they went into emergency c-sections it sounded like. I am on the antepartum unit which is a wing of girls who are waiting to give birth, either their water broke or they have preeclampsia, or toxemia, or other similar things. From what I hear, I am one of the healthiest ones here, so I am pretty lucky. Nonetheless, the thought of being in an emergency situation and have nurses and doctors running around me scares the cookies out of me. But, I am praying that things don’t come to that, and if they did I know God will be with me, as He always has.

The awesome thing is that I feel surrounded by love. I’ve felt God’s presence in all of this, holding my hand, and at times when I didn’t have strength He was holding me up.
Then there is Pablo who really is the sweetest husband in the world. We’ve been through so much together in our 9 years of loving one another, and there is no other person I’d rather have by my side. I love him as much today as I did when we were dating. He still melts my heart and makes me feel an emotion deep down that no one else has ever come close to. I’ve also been surrounded my friends and family (my parents, and pablo’s mom) who are making sacrifices to be here and help us through this time. Wow, it feels good to be loved, and Noah I believe is going to come into the world thriving, because there is no way he does not feel this love for him as well.

Well, that’s my book for now. I will keep you updated as time and days go by.
ox, jayme

10 Days in the hospital

2009-10-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

It's been 10 days in the hospital. So far so good. Or as "good" as good can be at this point :).

Baby looks healthy and Mama is dealing with the hospital stay like a champ. Still praying for at least another 2 weeks until Noah comes to us...

Baby news update...

2009-10-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have a list at home of blogs I was meaning to do... my recent baby shower, my plans for the my boys bedroom designs, my new belly shots. But, I'm not going to get to that it looks like.

We have some baby news. Yesterday I started bleeding and my water broke (not all the way, but some.) So, at this point they are planning to keep me in the hospital for the next three weeks, while giving me steroids for Noah's lungs and antibiotics to fight off infections. At the 3 week mark they'll induce, if he hasn't come before then.

Good news is that both Noah and I look healthy and everyone is very optimistic that he's going to be ok.:)

I'll update as I can.
Jayme

Dancing boy

2009-09-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here is Niko dancing to a murga which is a typical Uruguayan type of music. Well, sort of dancing and making himself dizzy...

Weekend Beach Trip

2009-09-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we made a trip to Galveston, Texas to have an end of the season beach vacation.
While we realized that Galveston is not the coolest place to drop as much money as we did, we still had a good time, and made the most out of it. Niko really had fun running around the hotel and playing at the beach!

ox, jayme

Weekend Beach trip pics...

2009-09-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

More school pics

2009-09-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is Ms. Lorena, Niko's teacher. She is so sweet!

Niko survived his first week of school!

2009-09-15T12:02:00.001-07:00

Or should I say we all survived the first week of school. I think it was just as hard of an adjustment on mommy and papa as it was on Niko. :) Niko will be going to "Kids Day Out" on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. We felt it would be good for him to get to interact more with other kids his age, and it would be good for me to get a little work in. On the first Day Niko was balling when I left him... I could hear him screaming as I left the building.:( I just about cried myself, but tried to regain composure. When I picked him up at 1pm he looked at me and burst into tears again... rough day. On day 2 he cried again when I left and tried to chase me to the door. This is where I start to question everything... Is he too young? Does he think I'm abandoning him? The good thing is that when Pablo and I went to pick him up that second day he was smiling. A break through!

Then today, week two, I dropped him off and he did not shed a tear, and when I picked him up he ran to me smiling. We're hoping this is a good sign.

His teacher also has such good things to say about him....
She says he is a happy boy. Loves to color (and is one of the only one's who knows how), and loves to dance to her music. That's my boy.:)

Pregnancy update...

2009-09-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of me at 26 weeks along (I am currently 27 1/2 weeks along)! My stomach seems to be growing so quickly this time around! geesh.
Overall I am feeling pretty good. A little uncomfortable but nothing to complain about.
Also, as you can see in exhibit B, the sugar cravings have not subsided, and YES - that is 2 desserts sitting in front of me. ;)
ox, jayme

From baby to toddler...

2009-09-01T12:22:00.001-07:00

On Thursday Pablo and I will be taking Niko to Mother's Day Out orientation. And, I just can't believe that my baby is starting school. He will be going to school Tues, and Thrusday mornings for 4 hours. While I am so excited about this, because Niko is going to love the social interaction, I am having a bit of a hard time over the realization that my baby is now a toddler. In just this last month he has grown so much, both physically and mentally, and Pablo and I are freaking out a bit. We're excited for his growth but morning a little bit the stages that are behind us for good. I guess there are a lot of changes happening around here with Niko's new growth, baby on the way, etc. Asking God for help to get through these changes gracefully. :)

Here are some cute pics of our big boy taken last week.
ox, jayme

Pics of our big boy...

2009-09-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Just a couple pics of our sweet, BIG boy.
ox, jayme

Some vids...

2009-08-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes... He made me wear bunny ears for this drum session.

Happy feet.

Cantando con abuela y abuelo.
Singing with abuela and abuelo over instant messenger. Abuela started singing a song he hadn't heard since our visit in january and he immediately started moving his hands to it. Amazing memory.

Wild thing

2009-08-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics taken in the past month. Pretty much capturing what's going on in our household.

A little bit of attitude,...

a little bit of adventure,... (I bet you can't figure out who's enjoying this the most)

and a lot of nudity.
Reads like a good Hollywood movie script...

I now know how an addict feels...

2009-08-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Do-nut, Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Chocolate, Ice Cream, Ice Cream, Ice Cream...

There I said it! This is what I think about from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed!! I did not go crazy for sweets when I was pregnant with Niko, but this time around it is all I can think about. I have to literally re-focus constantly in order to not eat sweets all day long. ahhhhHHH!
And, at the rate I am gaining weight this time around I should really not eat sweets at all. It is just such a weird feeling for me though... I am seriously obsessed.

Speaking of, I am heading to go get my blood glucose test this morning, so wish me luck! If they say I need to cut out sugar I may just die. :)

ox, jayme

I just want to say...

2009-08-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I love these two guys right here?
love, love, LOVE them!!

j

Here I am at 20 weeks along...

2009-08-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

It is time for me to take another picture already, but I realized I hadn't posted the pick of my baby bump at 20 weeks yet. So, here it is. I am growing a lot bigger, sooner with Noah, then I did with Niko. You should see me know... I'm HUGE!:)

Everything is going well so far. I've had some cramping which the Dr. can not explain, so we are keeping a close eye on that, and Pablo and I are just praying that Noah stays where he belongs until he is considered full-term.

Have I mentioned how excited I am that I am having another boy???!!! I am just so in love with my sweet and cuddly Niko that the thought of having another sweet baby boy thrills me. And, it's kind of nice to be the only girl in the house. I get special attention and treatment. :)
Mostly, I'm excited because hopefully the 2 brothers will be the best of pals since they will be so close in age.

Alrighty, hopefully I'll be back with the 24 week picture soon!
ox, jayme

He talks...

2009-07-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Niko is becoming more conversational lately and I thought I would share some of his favorite words...

Baba = Boz (his favorite green bear)
Ba= Ball
All da = All done
All ga = All gone
Agua = Agua (water)
Awada = A Guadar (to put away) Pablo sings this in a song to get Niko to put away his toys
Hot = Hot (he says this for things that are hot, or very cold.) :)
Doal = Goal (he says this when playing soccer and screems it while running around with his hands in the air)
Papa = papa (daddy)
Mama = mama (mommy)
gapa= grandpa

He also makes sounds for animals, although he is a little mixed up on what sound goes with which animal. He tends to bark at cats, growl at birds, meow at his stuffed bears, or beat his chest like a gorilla when we saw black birds yesterday. Haha... He does get them right sometimes too.:)

ox, jayme

More pics from Dinosaur Park...

2009-07-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some cute pics of Niko cooling off in the whale sprinkler!
(The last picture is Niko with his 2 friends, Juliet and Sally...aren't they so cute?
Niko wasn't so sure about the sprinkler at first so they were trying to hold his hand
and get him closer.)

Playgroup at dinosaur park

2009-07-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Niko and I spent the morning at "dinosaur park" this morning along with his playgroup friends. It is an adorable park very close to our house that has a huge shaded sandpit with hidden dinosaur bones, swings, and a whale that sprays water. It was very hot, but Niko had a lot of fun! Here are some pics of Niko digging in the sand.

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. Pablo, Niko and I really enjoyed the 3 day weekend. We took Niko swimming on Friday morning, and tried out his new "boat," which he is not too sure about yet.:) We also enjoyed a lot of good food... a breakfast of homemade waffles and hash browns, and then of course we grilled hamburgers with fresh guacamole, potato salad, and baked beans, and homemade strawberry shortcake. mmmmm. It was all delicious, and we really enjoyed all the family time!

Today we attended a birthday party...

2009-06-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

Today Pablo and I took Niko to a birthday party of 2 of his friends, Serena and Logan. They are in his play group and live in our neighborhood. The party was a lot of fun despite the 103 degree weather. Luckily they had pools for the kids. In the last picture niko is eating a spiderman cupcake, and luckily the sugar high didn't keep him from his afternoon nap. :)
ox, jayme

This is a fairly normal occurence around here...

2009-06-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Niko is not always expressing himself with markers, but he does make his mischievous personality known at least once a day.:) Luckily the marker cleaned up nicely.
-jayme
woa, check out that loaded diaper too.

Is this a swimsuit or what!?!

2009-06-27T12:58:00.001-07:00

This is the first summer that we have taken Niko to the big pool. Our neighborhood has a nice pool that we can enjoy, and we are determined to get Niko used to the water, so we have been trying to take him to the pool about once a week. The first time Pablo took him he fell a couple times in the kiddy pool face down and didn't naturally pull himself back up. After this experience we decided we needed to guard him with some kind of flotation devices. We ended up buy the suit you see above... (try not to laugh.) Poor kid could barely walk in this puffed out body suit.:) It ended up being worthless too. He pretty much sank in it. Now, we are on to a life vest. We are hoping this might be better... but only time will tell.
-jayme

He's at it again...

2009-06-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to brag on Pablo a little. He has spent the last couple weeks making us a chair!! Yes, an actual upholstered living room chair from the ground up. I knew he was good with woodworking, but I did not know he was this good. He did such an amazing job, and the chair adds so much to our living room.
Good job, baby!!
-j

An honorable mention...

2009-06-27T12:44:00.001-07:00

So, I came to the blog to post some pics of our day today, and realized I am way behind on posting pics, so I am going to make several postings today to catch up.

First of all... My mother deserves a very special posting today... One, it's her birthday!!! Happy Birthday, mom. My mom is one of the strongest, most loving women I know.

Also, as some of you know she was a life saver to us when I was sick with morning sickness. My mom dropped everything and came to stay with us for 5 (or 6) whole weeks to help take care of Niko as I was couch (and hospital) bound. I don't think I could have made it through without her. Not only was she great company, which helped take my mind off of feeling green some, but she also took care of Niko, made us meals, and cleaned. She was a God send.

So, here is to you mom. I love you and thank you so much!!!
ox, jayme

Family Update...

2009-06-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to give everyone a little peek into what is going on in our lives right now... We don't get a chance to keep up regularly with all our loved one's so I thought it would be good to talk about things that are REALLY going on with us...

First, I must say that we are happy and thankful. Thankful for work, for our little Niko, for our baby on the way, for health, and for Pablo and my love for eachother.
We are so blessed in so many ways. That doesn't mean that life doesn't get heavy for us here and there... it for sure does, but we really have so much to be thankful for.

So, right now in our lives...
- I (jayme) am finally starting to feel relief from morning sickness (Yay!) I'm still not myself, but the "getting sick" part is over. I am so relieved over this... you people have no idea. I had some days where I thought I was going to lose my mind.

- We are as of yesterday down to one car. Pablo drives an old honda accord that we know can any day die completely. But, we are hoping it lasts us a couple more years, so we can save money to replace it. We paid off both of our cars last year. And would love to not have a car payment ever again if possible. Anywho, we think the car is fixable and glad about this!

- Pablo's job, as many people's out there, seems not very stable right now. At this point we are hoping for the best, but also trying to figure out a plan in case of the worst. We know it will work out.

- We have been thinking about refinacing our house at a 15 year loan. Although, the interest rates are climbing so this option may be out for now. We would love to know that we could have our house paid off when we are 45 years old though!

- Niko is doing well, and growing so quickly. He says about 5 words now, and speaks a lot of "his own language" in between. He is very energetic, and will run in circles or around the house all day if we let him. He has some trouble with the word "no" and seems to have a very strong personality... (a leader type maybe?) But, is also just as sweet as can be with lots of hugs and kisses throughout the day for us...even for no reason at all.

- Baby #2 is growing and seems healthy (based on heartbeat.) We will be finding out the gender in 3 weeks, and I'm very excited. I really will be excited for either a boy or a girl. We are undicided as to wether we will be having any more rugrats or wether 2 will be the lucky number for us, so in some ways it may be nice to have a boy and a girl, but in other ways I love my little boy, and would love another sweetie like him.

- Hmmm... our health is good. The doctors are saying that Niko may have a herniated belly button, so that may be something he will need surgery on, but no word yet on that. We are trying not to worry about it at this point.

- Pablo and I have started having a devotional time with God together everyother day. It is something we were both in need of... to just be able to stop, have time with eachother, and time with God. Life seems so hectic at times, but when we don't make time to grow our relationship with God I really feel the difference.

- Pablo and I are thinking about trying some new churches. Not because we are not happy where we are, but because of the distance. We live in North Austin and go to church in South Austin, and this has made it hard for us to really get connected and to make friends with other people who go to our church. This has been a really hard decission for us, as we love our pastors teachings, and feel very comfortable where we are. So, we are still praying about it and will visit some churches that are closer to see how we feel.

- Pablo and I are both thinking/working towards starting our own companies. For me, it will just be a little company for now (etsy) that will hopefully allow me to continue to have a creative outlet and make a little extra money for us, while I stay home with our 2 kiddos. Pablo, has bigger plans, and I have no doubt that one day he will have the company/job he wants, because he is amazing like that.

Well, that is pretty much what we have going on right now. I hope I didn't bore you.:)
ox, jayme

Searching for BOZ

2009-06-02T13:35:00.001-07:00

Niko loves to play this game where BOZ the green bear hides throughout the house and he searches. Some searches last 5 seconds and some last a little longer...

baby news...

2009-05-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Our newest little one is due to arrive around November 29th. We are very excited to hold this little one in our arms, and we are excited that Niko will have a little buddy close to his age.

We are thankful for this new little life that is growing daily. What a miracle it truly is.
I am 14 weeks along now, and we are 6 weeks away from finding out if it is a boy or girl.
Pablo and I have some names in mind, as we daydream about him/her.

Of course much of my daydreaming also involves decorating a nursery, which I may not get to do for some time, as the new baby's room will be what is currently Pablo's music room, and that is going to be hard for him to give up.:) Our plan is to seperate our master bedroom (which is pretty large) into two rooms/areas so he can set up a music space in there. So, we will see how that works out. We borrowed many of our baby items, bassinet, stroller, car seat, etc. for Niko, so we will also be looking at garage sales for those items as the time gets closer.

Anyway, that is just a little update. We will try to keep everyone posted as time goes on.
ox, jayme

Pushy

2009-04-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Niko is learning how to get what he wants even though he can't talk yet. He'll point at things and if we're not getting the message he'll walk over and push us to where we need to be. It's pretty funny because I still do it as an adult. Jayme hates it for some reason.

Walker

2009-04-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

This video is about three weeks old but it shows Niko's walking skills. He's getting so good that he makes himself dizzy just for the challenge. He likes to run around the house while one of us chases him down.

Easter

2009-04-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since we posted anything. So to catch up, here are some pics from easter. We had a fun day at our neighborhood park and Niko carried around a basket while Jayme and I tossed eggs into it. He kept looking at us like wondering why we were making his load heavier. He also met the Easter bunny, he wasn't too sure at first but after a while he was chasing it down. I guess Easter will be more meaningful next year when he can understand the story of how the bunny spent 3 days painting and hiding eggs with Jesus after the resurrection.

Splish...Splash...

2009-04-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Pablo and I were just dying to get Niko his own pool this year. We want him to start to get used to the water and to the idea of swimming, so we thought this would be a good way to start.

This pimped out pool is equipped with an elephant slide and the nose squirts water into the air. Super fun! He would stand with his face turned straight into the spray like it was an addiction, he could barley see or breath, but just couldn't peel himself away from the gush of water. It was pretty amusing for us onlookers. :)

ox, jayme

Weekend update...

2009-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, our goal this weekend was to try to rest. I can say that we did do a little resting, and a little non-resting. Here is the events that took place...

Saturday:

ate lunch at our favorite hamburger joint (more on that to come)

shopped for patio furniture

stopped in for Baskin Robins ice cream (this place is in our neighborhood, very dangerous!)

balanced the check book

took a nap

watched a movie (Twilight, a pretty good movie!)

got 4 hours of sleep due to my stuffy nose, and us having to go to the early service at church

because pablo now plays soccer games on sunday mornings...

Sunday:

attended the early church service, and was able to stay awake luckily

grabbed some breakfast tacos to kill some time

pablo headed to his soccer game while niko and I headed home to get in his nap

niko and I playing in Niko's new swimming pool (more pics to come)

Pablo returning from soccer and getting a migraine where he was miserably sick until 8:30

at night

Me making homemade lasagna and eating dinner by myself (since pablo was sick)

watching the same movie that I watched saturday night, again

both pablo and I going to bed at 9pm

Well, wether you care or not, that was our weekend in a nut shell. I feel some rested, but it wasn't quite all the rest we needed. We'll just have to rest again next weekend.:)

ox, jayme

Longing for simpler days...

2009-03-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

These cute photos of Niko playing with Pablo were taken several weekends back. When I look at them it reminds me that we need some more simple, fun days to come our way soon. Why?

Because we are tired! It's been a rough last couple weeks, with Niko's bout with Croup, and Pablo's work load. I would have never guessed how hard it is when your baby is sick before I had kids, but now I know. It is really draining, because it is emotionally draining as well as physically. You are in pure desperation trying to make them comfortable, trying to make everything ok. Poor Niko, had days where he just cried and cried and wanted to be held all day. It just breaks your heart. :( Luckily he is now recovering, but I feel like Pablo and I haven't. We have had no time to rest, to re-group, to become centered again. And Pablo has been up till 3am the last two nights with work, as his work load is too much. So, as you can see we need to REST!! :)

We are just not sure how to do that, and get back to normal all in one weekend! Any ideas??

On top of that I'm having trouble turning off my brain from thoughts on work/business, and turning the big 3-0 in about 2 weeks (I'm a little unsettled about this.)

Anywho, thank you for letting me vent. :) And if you have an idea of what we need to do to get back to our old selves, we'd appreciate the help!:)

ox, jayme

Health update...

2009-03-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

I took Niko to the Dr. this morning b/c yesterday evening he had 102 temp. I knew then that he probably did not have a simple cold, then he started coughing (a deep terrible barking noise)and the diagnosis is Croup! and an ear infection on top of that!:( It is so sad... he is so miserable.

So, when you think of us today say a prayer for little Niko.
ox, jayme

We declare a sick day... :(

2009-03-16T14:36:00.001-07:00

My little one is sick again.:( I say again because it is Niko's second cold or virus in the last 2 months. He is teething again so I think his immune system has been down, making him more vulnerable to these sicknesses(that's my non-medical theory anyway:)) .

So, today is a day of lounging, a day of watching BOZ (his favorite green bear on dvd), a day of lots of cuddles and hugs, and a day of wishing for better health tomorrow.

Love and health to all,

Jayme

Playing catch up...

2009-03-10T08:21:00.001-07:00

So, I'm sure you all noticed we took a bit of a break from blogging for a while. We don't have much of an excuse other then we left on vacation in Jan. and we're just now starting to get back in the swing of things. :)

We have a lot to catch you up on... such as overseas travels with an active 12 month old, a big birthday for pablo as he turned the big 3-0... visits from friends and family, etc.

Today I am going to start simple as I ease myself back into the blogging world. I will leave you with these cute photos (that my dear friend Haylee took) of Niko. I just love them.

Niko is a load of fun these days, as he tries to copy just about everything we do. He even walks around chatting on his cell phone (in his own language). Something I guess he sees mama doing a little too much. ;)

I hope to post some videos of Niko in action soon. There will be more to come on the Gonzalez family... I promise to start visiting you all here more often!

ox, jayme

Niko's first birthday...

2009-02-22T19:00:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Niko's first birthday in Uruguay! There were 50 family and friends who attended, and 20 of those were kids. It made for a fun party. We did a puppy dog theme, which turned out pretty cute. We had games for all the kids including a ring toss, "pin the nose on the dog", and a pinata. The kids seemed to really enjoy the party, and all our candy (like the pixie sticks) which the kids did not have over there were a big hit!:)

Niko didn't really seem to know what was going on, or that all of that fuss was for him, but he had fun with all the kids for sure! It was a good day.

Hope you enjoy the pics!

ox, jayme

Niko's first b-day pics...

2009-02-22T18:49:00.001-08:00

Our little one is growing up SO fast!

2009-01-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that in 3 weeks Niko will turn 1 year old. Some of the days went by slow, but the year went
by so quickly. I'm having to come to grips with the fact that my baby is soon to be a toddler... especially as
he bravely is walking from one side of the room to the other on his own, practicing diligently. I do love though
how he is becoming his own little person. His personality is becoming evident, and it's so fun to watch him develop
and reason through different situations. He is such a joy to be around!

We will be heading to uruguay in 5 days to see family and celebrate Niko's 1st birthday, so you may not hear from us until
we return. We love you all!
ox, jayme

2009-01-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hey! We had some fun over the holidays this year. Grandma and Grandpa spent Christmas with us which was really fun. We also celebrated "Reyes Magos" (Kings Day) on January 6th which is traditional in Uruguay. Just another occasion to give more gifts, I'm sure Niko will assimilate it quickly. ;)

The Trail of Lights...

2008-12-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

Pablo, Niko and I along with our friends April and David, ventured out to Austin's "trail of lights." As with anything in Austin it was a large production with herds and masses of people.

We headed downtown around 6:30pm to catch a shuttle that would take us to the lights. Then there was a lot of waiting in line to get tickets, waiting to get a shuttle, sitting on the shuttle for around 30 minutes... then FINALLY we entered the trail of lights. It was so beautiful... ! It for sure brought on the holiday spirit. :) And (note in the last picture) what would a christmas be in Texas without decorative armadillo and cactus! HA

ox, jayme

We're decorating for christmas...

2008-12-13T06:17:00.001-08:00

and Niko's helping.:)

We are now off to a holiday breakfast party...
and then we will be hitting "the trail of lights" tonight.
More pics to come!

ox,
jayme

Roseola... oh my!

2008-12-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

My little one has Roseola. :( For those of my readers who have yet to have children you will find out how hard it is when your babies get sick. There are all kinds of sicknesses that babies and kids can come down with that I had never even heard of.
Really! And one's with scary names like... Herpangina or Hand Foot Mouth Disease! Yikes!

I don't think I really understood the hardship that comes when a mom and dad's little one is sick. I think I always thought, "ah.. poor baby." But, it wasn't until now, until I have lived this short life of mommy-hood, that I say... "ahhh... poor baby... poor parents." And thoughts followed with, "thank you mom and dad for everything you did for me!" :)

When your baby/child is sick and miserable it usually means the parents haven't slept much and may have possibly endured days of high pitch screams, cries, and whines for 12 hours a day. :)

Luckily our little Niko is showing signs of improvement. He had a high fever for 4 days, and then broke out in a terrible rash which covers his face, and chest/stomach and back. He is still a bit fussy, which makes for long days, but I'm am so thrilled that he is showing signs that he is feeling some better, and is almost ready to play and smile again.

So, we are here, waiting for more peaceful days to come, and wishing you health this holiday season!

Love to all,
jayme

Niko's first steps!!!! Primeros pasos!!!

2008-11-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

Niko decided to take his first steps today and we are so excited!!! Also a little scared. We're in Arkansas for thanksgiving and the laps around the house with grandma and grandpa are paying off. He's nine and a half months so next month we're working on reading... :) Checkout the video y'all!

Hmmm...

2008-11-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

Someone didn't get their nap today. :)

ox. jayme

notice:
(the dog in this picture is actually harmless, and was actually smiling for the picture.)

war wounds.

2008-11-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

I realized that I have yet to post pics of Niko standing! He loves pulling himself up standing and cruising around. In fact, he hasn't played with his toys in months... all he wants to do is stand around. :) It has created a lot of extra work for pablo and I, as we are always chasing him, and acting as a spotter. He has many war wounds already from several hard falls, but it doesn't discourage him. :)

ox,
j

Quiz #1 - Do you think Niko likes bananas?

2008-11-13T14:02:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a perfect day!
ox,
jayme

ME.

2008-11-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

I AM…currently procrastinating
I WANT…some chocolate cake
I HAVE…everything I could ever ask for
I KEEP…a secret stash of all the love letters pablo has ever written me
I WISH I COULD…help everyone in need
I HATE…hatred, fear, bigotry, small minded-ness
I FEAR…spiders, creepy sounds in the house when pablo is not home
I HEAR…my little Niko crying, because he doesn't want to take a nap
I DON'T THINK…I have enough time to finish all the work I need to do
I REGRET…nothing
I LOVE…my life, my job, and most of all my family
I AM NOT…used to cold weather
I DANCE…in the privacy of my own home
I SING...whatever is in my head
I NEVER…want to be the best. I just want to do my best.
I RARELY…drink enough water
I CRY WHEN I WATCH…stories of homeless children
I AM NOT ALWAYS…optimistic, even though I want to be
I HATE THAT…Niko doesn't like to take naps :(
I'M CONFUSED ABOUT… politics
I NEED…a starbucks hot chocolate
I SHOULD…live each day for today and stop concentrating on tomorrow!

ox, jayme

9 months big...

2008-11-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

Awww... my baby is 9 months old as of yesterday. Sniff, sniff. They just grow up so fast, and this little guy even faster then most.:) He now weighs 23lbs. and is 30 inches long! He is in the 95th percentile for his height right now. They even measured him twice because they thought for sure they had measured him wrong the first time. :)

He has accomplished many firsts lately. He is crawling like a crazy man... talking and screaming a lot... He's pulling himself up and crusing around all the time (there have been many bumps on the head to prove this one!) He has 4 teeth, and he looks like Count Dracula, because he got the 2 top teeth on the sides instead of the ones in the middle. :)

He is such a joy to be around and I thank God everyday for our sweet little one.

ox,
jayme

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed out to Marble Falls, Texas, (about an hour away from austin) to visit Sweet Berry Farms Pumpkin Patch. These are the kinds of activities mothers dream about doing with their kids before they have kids.:) We were all dressed in our fall colors and ready for pictures! It turned out to be great fun! There were SO many families there, and the farm offered tons of activities. Niko was still a little young for a lot of the events, but we did as much as we could. We took lots of pictures with the pumpkins, petted the goats, went on a hay ride, ate homemade strawberry and pumpkin ice cream...YUM!
We are pretty sure that Niko's favorite thing of the whole day was the homemade strawberry lemonade. Pablo gave Niko one sip and it was all over!!!!!!

Happy Fall!
Love, Pablo, Jayme and Niko

Pumpkin Patch Pics Continued...

2008-10-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

photo shoot

2008-10-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Niko and I had our own little photo shoot Saturday morning while papa was still catching Z's.:)
I was able to capture a few cute shots with our little Niko in between his almost constant moving around. Haha
We had a good time.
enjoy,
jayme

That's it!!!!!

2008-10-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Baby and Mommy need a break! It hit me as I looked over and my little one had a rosy right cheek from hitting his face on the wood floors in my office one too many times. We've had it, we need a break from work... a break from the studio!
For sanity sake we need a break!!! We have been in this office all week, all day, and it's too much! It can't be too long of a break since there are projects to be completed and things to do, but none the less we are high tailing it out of here! :)

Love to all,
Jayme & Niko

trying to crawl

2008-10-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Our little one is trying to crawl, but right now he does a G.I. Jo/ inchworm scoot. Or maybe its more like a drag... he pulls with one side of his body and drags the other side. hehe Poor thing has so much weight that he has resorting to just dragging it around.:) But, regardless of how he does it, he gets around!
ox,
jayme

Outside

2008-10-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

Niko LOVES to be outside! Even when he was a tiny baby, if he was screaming and crying we would just take him outside and he would immediately stop. Niko and I go outside for a walk almost everyday to get some much needed fresh air. Here's some pics I took the other day of Niko having fun outside... enjoy...
ox,
jayme