Alexander the Great

He's finally here!  Alexander Kai was born on March 31, 2012 at 2:49am- weighing in at a whopping 9lbs, 4oz!!!  I am still in shock at how big he was, though it explains why I was SO miserable for the last several weeks of pregnancy!

What an amazing blessing Alex is!  After being told we may never be able to have more children post-chemotherapy, and being referred to a fertility specialist who works specifically with cancer patients/survivors to see what exactly was going on with my body, I was taken by surprise when I found out I was pregnant (ironically, on the day the fertility doctor's office called to confirm my first appointment).  I knew then that this baby was a special one!  He is a force of nature!  What a blessing, miracle, and surprise that we ended up pregnant when we were expecting to have a difficult time.  I count my blessings every day!  He is such a gift from God!

Thankfully, Alex waited until my mom was here to help before making his entrance into the world!  "G" arrived on March 28th.  Friday evening, March 30th, we decided it was time to go to the hospital.  We were taken by surprise when it was time to deliver the baby and my doctor suited Nolan up in scrubs and gloves and told him he was "putting him to work"!  With just the three of us in the room, Nolan assisted Dr. Hamilton in the delivery and actually "caught" Alexander.  I was an AMAZING experience that I will never forget!

A few hours later it was time to meet "G" and big brother Jackson!  I am so thankful that my mom was able to be here for the birth of Alex!  Jackson was excited to meet Alex and was instantly the best big brother ever!

We brought Alex home on Monday, April 2nd.  It is such a different experience than it was with Jackson.  Jackson spent two weeks in the NICU and it was SO hard to have to leave him there!  I am thankful we didn't have any of the same problems with Alex.  It was wonderful getting to leave the hospital WITH my baby this time! :)

Sadly, this morning I took my mom to the airport...cried there, cried the whole way home, cried at home, and I'm sure there will be more crying later...the two of us are TERRIBLE at saying goodbye to each other!  I got used to having her around and she was a huge help.  Jackson had the best time having his "G" around!  It is hard living so far from family with small children, so we make the most of the time we have together.  I LOVED having her here and I am so glad she was able to come.

So, now it is time to start our life as a family of four!

  I LOVE MY BOYS!!!

WATCH OUT, WORLD!

Yes, its true!  This girly-girl is destined to be the mother of BOYS!

After much back and forth (told at 9 weeks it looked like a boy, then told at 19 weeks it looked like a girl), it was confirmed at my high-res 20wk ultrasound that we are having another boy!  Isn't he cute?! ;)

After asking the ultrasound tech 4 times if he was SURE this was a boy, he printed this shot for me: 

...and I was finally convinced. :)

Jackson's FIRST day of preschool!

After spending a long time on the wait-list, Jackson was finally accepted into an wonderful school!

We have been talking a lot about school and he has been very excited to start!  He was mostly excited, however, about getting to ride a school bus (which is not a part of the plan).  So, we pretended that Mommy's car was a school bus and (thankfully!) he was just as excited to ride to school in Mommy's bus this morning.

Got my backpack and I'm ready to go!

Walking to Mommy's school bus...saying "Come on, Mommy! Come on Mommy!"  He was SO excited we couldn't get there fast enough!

Finally arrived at school, about to go in and meet my new teacher and friends!

We arrived early so I could turn in some paperwork so Jackson had the whole place to himself for a little while.  It had been a long time since we visited the school and I was surprised that he remembered it.

Just checking it out!

Not only was today Jackson's first day, it was also school picture day!  He had his picture taken alone (cooperating MUCH better for the photographer than he ever does when I take his picture, of course).  Then he had picture taken with the whole class.  I can't wait to see them!  I know they turned out great!

After pictures, his teacher (Teacher Jeanne) had activities planned.  Knowing that this was a very new experience for Jackson, she didn't push him to join the others.  Instead she sat on the floor and played with him and got to know him better.  I loved that she did this since he is not used to the structure of school.  I am glad that she is helping ease him into it.  I just LOVE his teacher!

Then it was time to play outside.  Jackson immediately lined up all the bikes he could find.  I think he was having a blast, don't you?!

ALL mine!

Oh wait...you mean I have to share?!

After playing outside, it was time for a snack, then story time.  Jackson was not interested in sitting and listening to the story.  There were too many new toys around to play with.  I was relieved to hear from the other moms and Teacher Jeanne that it was totally normal for him to not want to participate on his first day.  I know it will take some time for him to get used to, but I KNOW he will LOVE this school!  I was pretty picky about finding the perfect school for him.  After today, I know I found the right one for us!

Jackson had the best time at school today....UNTIL it was time to go home.  He cried the whole way home, saying "I wanna play at school, Mommy!!!".  Thankfully, he didn't REALLY lose it until we actually got home (see below).  He was so tired, he actually ASKED me if he could take a nap!

Parking garage melt-down

Other than the melt-down, Jackson's first day was a huge success!  I guess I should be happy that he loved it so much he didn't want to leave!  

UPDATE:  After a good nap, Jackson woke up in a much better mood and asked if we could go to school again!  I am just thrilled that he likes it so much!  Can't wait until Tuesday!

Nolan's Anniversary Surprise

On August 9th, we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary!  Nolan made dinner reservations at a restaurant called "Cliff House" overlooking the ocean.  We had amazing food at a table with an amazing view.  It was perfect!

The view from our table

As the sun began to set, I decided to give Nolan his anniversary card (the usual anniversary gift from me, nothing out of the ordinary).

Why does he look so surprised to open yet another anniversary card,  you ask???

...Because THIS is what he found inside the card:

We are very excited and beyond blessed!

Go, Jackson, Go!

So, after over a week and a half of hearing THIS, several times a day, everyday:

...we finally got to do THIS today:

...he hasn't gone to the potty since, but this is one happy new cyclist:

Bringing back the blog...again!

WOW!  I am beyond bad at this blogging thing, but really want to do it!  Especially since we are living far from some friends and family and SO much has changed since my last post (October of last year...why do I even try)!  I'm sure anyone reading this blog already knows that Nolan (after nearly 8 years of very dedicated, hard work) was offered a great job in California!  I couldn't be happier for him!  He had visited San Francisco in the past and mentioned several times how much he loved it here, and here we are! I am so proud of him and thankful he now he has a job that he loves in a place that he loves!  Jackson and I are loving it, too!  Nolan is working NORMAL hours and has weekends off!  We are so thrilled to have him around more!  While we miss our friends in Pittsburgh, we are so happy to be starting a new life here!

The three of us have had a blast exploring our new home!  I have snapped a few pictures along the way, like: 

Jackson's first look at the ocean:

This kid will be surfing in no time!

And Jackson's first time playing on the beach:

He loves sand!

Only to be followed, of course, by Jackson's first "I don't wanna leave the beach" crying fit:

Its so hard being 2!

Jackson has changed very rapidly in the past month or so!  I feel as though he went to bed one night a baby and woke up a little boy.  He is always busy and always talking, all day.  He has been so much fun lately!  I have started looking for a preschool for him.  I think he would love school!

Jackson and I have been making new friends, too!  He has two little buddies we hang out with regularly, Cody and Gordon.  They are younger than he is, but it has been good for him.  He is able to recognize that they are babies and he is a "BIG BOY"!  I'm sure he will be teaching Cody and Gordon lots of things, both good and bad, over time.  They are the three amigos!  I recently joined the San Mateo Mother's Club and also a babysitting co-op.  There is always something going on in the Mother's Club, socials, playgroups, mommy's night out, events, etc.  So far it has been wonderful!

Our place is slowly coming together.  It takes a while when you basically need EVERYTHING!  We love it, though!  Its small and expensive but it is the nicest place we have ever lived and our landlord is great!  I am obsessed loving making it a home!  In fact, I have painted the bathroom twice already...still not sure that I love the color, but Nolan made me promise it was the LAST time we paint in there.  I guess that's a good thing since the paint guys at Home Depot were starting to give me a hard time for coming in all the time for more paint samples!

I couldn't possible fit in all that has gone on since we have been here, but I HOPE I can keep up on this blog a little better.  Our life is completely different than it was just a few short months ago!  We are loving life and more time together!  We are blessed!

Hide Your Candy!

Happy Halloween! This year was AWESOME! My friend Carolyn invited me over for a Halloween party! She lives in a really cool neighborhood near downtown that goes ALL out for Halloween- meaning LOTS of CANDY! This was my first time to trick-or-treat and I caught on really fast. So fast, that my parents could hardly keep up with me!

Hurry up, Mommy and Daddy!!! Let's go!

I wasn't sure what all this stuff was, but I figured out it must be good to generate so much excitement in the neighborhood!

I said "teet-teet" and "thank-ee" just like I was supposed to!

I took inventory every few houses, just to check my progress.

I made new friends!

...and got to spend time with some old ones! (my friends Carolyn and Sophie)

Chicks dig me!

A LOT!

With our mommies after a fun night! Thanks, Carolyn (and Janet & Dustin)!

Candy is AWESOME! Can't wait for next year!

Jackson Dan trick or treating II

In action again!

Jackson Dan goes trick or treating for the first time!

Here I am in action! I said "teet-teet" and "thank-ee" just like I was supposed to! I get so excited that I yell "Candy!" as I run to the next house! This was the most fun I think I've ever had!

Zoo Boo 2010

This was my second year to attend "Zoo Boo" at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Being much older and more experienced, I was able to enjoy the zoo more this year than last...

Obviously, devils don't ride around in baby strollers. That would, of course, weaken their tough 'don't-mess-with-me' image. So, I insisted that Mom and Dad rent a new set of wheels for me. While a Harley Chopper would have been my first choice, I settled for a close second- the 'Safari Jeep'. It was definitely filthy enough to look tough!

Nothing in life is free. I made it perfectly clear that the only way this hood was staying on my head was if I was given candy! No candy, no costume! Its only fair, right?!

I got to meet a nice owl and tried to share my lollipop with him. The zoo keeper informed me that owls do not eat lollipops, nor do they like being touched by toddlers. Whats so 'wise' about that?! Just 'hoo' does he think he is? ;)

This year, I was able to see all the animals. I was fascinated by the silly-looking giraffes. God definitely has a sense of humor!

Like last year, I was mesmerized by the elephants! They are my favorite animals in the whole zoo! We stayed for a long time watching them eat hay and drink water. I got a big kick out of the silly way they ate! I even got to see how I measure up to a baby elephant!

The aquarium is another favorite, same as last year. I just love the water and everything in it! I could have stayed there all day. I think this penguin wanted to come home with us.

I made a new friend! High-five!

Even Devils need a shoulder sometimes!

Finally! Someone handed out a healthy treat! Mommy said I could have as many pears as I wanted, so I quickly gobbled up two!

Refreshed and happy to be out of my costume (the parents failed to hold up their end of the candy-for-costume agreement), I headed for the playground!

...and then on to the petting zoo where I met another furry friend! I also petted a GIANT hissing COCKROACH, sending my mom into a series of twitchy convulsions.

The zoo is so much more fun as a big boy! This year I got to ride the carousel and giggled the whole time!

I've come a long way since my last visit to the zoo! Here I am as a monkey at Zoo Boo'09.

...and here I am this year in the same spot!

With my parents last year...

...our family this year!

Last year, I didn't even make it to the car before I passed out from all the excitement of the day!

This year, I made it to the car but was out before we made it out of the parking lot! Proof that Zoo Boo 2010 was a success!