sweet progress!

day #2 without a bottle and its going very well! I gave up on the sippy cup and started teaching him to drip from a regular cup and water bottle. Went back for another round of sippy cup action (I have a out 10 different kinds from our pre-trials) and no problem. He just has to learn to tip his head back now! Sweet progress, even if its just a sippy cup!

also happy to report to the world that doesn't see my facebook posts, gavin is taking steps as of my yard sale on September 18th! I was working hard and so was he, I missed those first steps. Figures! Luckily his second mom, my sister Michelle was there encouraging him on. She is his therapist, not Ryan. haha! I wouldn't call it walking but he will take about 4 steps to treats in your hand, the nearest table, or tv. Progess!! I am starting to believe he hit a big milestone and is overcoming some of his roadblock. He climbs up on the couch like a champ and is now attempting to climb over the back of it and fall to the ground. Sheesh. I think its all Ryan's fault from teaching him to dive off the bed into Ryan's arms. We've got a dare devil on our hands people. Now just for that speech! If no progress by his next Dr. Appt in November we might be heading into some intervention treatment according to the MD.

vacation, part 2

It's horrible when you finally get around to posting about a vacation and you're already in desperate need of another one! Seriously, Ryan's schooling is going better than I expected (well its still harder for him that expected, but I'm fairing it better than I thought). That being said, I CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO BE OVER!!!! It is a blessing I know and will bless our family and Ryan's career for the next 30+ years, but I sincerely hope he takes me seriously when I tell him I need a break after this stint. We find out in October when the practical portion of his education will take place. It is some time in 2011 and will be in Austin, Texas. I still haven't decided if Gavin and I will join him. Hum...2 months in a large city away from family and probably without a car and with a 2 year old OR a sweet vacation in Mexico? Hum...indeed! It would cost us a few grand for us to go with so I'm debating using the dinero for a vacation and saving. We shall see!

So back to the last vacation... I had promised pictures of the aquarium. It was fun and made me even more excited for years to come when we take our kids to theme parks, aquariums, zoos--you know the drill. So here they are!

Please excuse the horrible pics I was taking them sans the flash so that you could actually see the aquarium in the background. I think the pic of all 3 of us is one of the very very few we have so far so even though there is a shadow over my eyes, it will go down in history.

vacation, part 1

How many bosses demand that you take time off? Not many I'm guessing! Well, Ryan had about 340 hours of paid time off accrued and his boss kindly suggested that if he could he should take a week off. We've been saving up on time off for when we move to Texas next year for 9 weeks for his clinical work for his schooling. We need 360 hours!! That is so much, but with a mortgage to deal with while gone plus rent to live in Texas, the $$$ adds up fast. His bosses are so good to us really and assured him that if we needed to borrow PTO when the time came it would be fun. What boss lets you go in the red for PTO? Seriously! I am so grateful that they value the hard work and determination Ryan has to do a stellar job. He really does want to be the best PT ever!

So, without much hesitation the week was scheduled. Ryan is in the midst of his post-graduate schooling (one of many phases of post-grad work I'm sure in our lifetime) and let me tell you it is putting the heat on! But, surprisingly I am feeling closer to him that ever and it is helping me to trust in his love for me more and feel more confident in myself as his wife by helping him to know how much I appreciate his hard work and that we are here to support him. It is still challenging nonetheless. He had a one week mid-semester break from school so thankfully the week off from work was able to coincide with school too!

Ryan decided we should be spontaneous so when we couldn't go to Mexico due to Gavin's lack of a passport (won't happen again) we headed to San Francisco. I must add for remembrance sake that I have been under a good deal of stress, as well as Ryan and so the thought of San Francisco freaked me out. If you don't already know about my love/hate relationship with San Francisco, click here and here. I wanted cool and calm beach, but I knew Ryan was more interested in the city, so I booked the trip without a final yes from him. However, my stress didn't vanish and when I told him about it, well, to make a long story short, it ended in a disagreement. We were both so overdue for a vacation that we had no juice to give. We can both be stubborn!! So, I packed the bags for Gavin and I (while Ryan was determined to stay home). He had good intentions but I was stubborn and wasn't going to waste the money I'd spent on reserving the hotel. The car was packed and Gavin in his seat and we still weren't talking. I decided to go in and ask if Ryan was sure he didn't want to come and while I did so he was praying to overcome his stubbornness and promised the Lord if I asked that he would accept the invite to go with. Thank you Lord our wills gave in and we ended up on our vacation together instead of apart.

We stayed in Fisherman's Wharf area so it was really easy to walk places and thank goodness for GPS we didn't get lost nearly as many times as normal. We hit up the Exploratorium (something Ryan has wanted to do for awhile). I laughed more than I thought and really liked learning about science stuff.

At age 30 Ryan is still obsessed with muscles. In fact, Gavin was wearing a "muscle shirt" the other day and Ryan couldn't stop talking about how good of deltoid muscles Gavin has. He has also started introducing Gav to his protein shakes. Oh help me now!

@ the Exploratorium-- The power of the mind. It really was quite difficult to drink from the toilet especially because of the water sitting in the basin. Freaky!

Gavin was seriously a delight to have on the trip and he did wonderful. He slept in the bathroom (is that gross?) so that we could shut the door and watch movies after he went to bed. One night he stayed out with us until 9:45 while we drove across town to try SF's best pizza. He ate really well, which has been a challenge for him, and took most of his naps on the go. I think his favorite time was at the beach, which actually was all of ours. We drove up the coast from SF to go to Muir Beach but there was no parking so we went a little ways further to Stinson Beach. It was beautiful! Ryan convinced me to go under all the way in the ocean and it was quite refreshing. Gavin loved playing in the waves and couldn't get enough. I felt so much joy seeing Ryan and him having fun that I know I would never experience if it weren't for that kid. I simply LOVE BEING A MOTHER!

Stinson beach. Beautiful beach and great for boogie boarding, skimboarding, and young kids!(that's Ryan and Gavin just out past the sand castle. ryan is bent over holding Gavin's hands).

At breakfast one morning at Denny's. We were racing his car down the table to him (the table was not level) and he couldn't get enough of it.

Honestly, i think it turned out better because of the disagreement. Ryan has promised the Lord if he did go that he'd have a "go with the flow" attitude. So, he did, and he did a great job at it. So no matter how stressed I got he would keep calm. His nickname for the weekend became "Flow". In fact, I was "Go", Gavin was "With" (because he has no choice in the matter) and Ryan was "Flow". He says he actually really enjoyed having that attitude and I know in the end it helped me to relax too.

I told Ryan that for me, a vacation includes a little fun, laughter, relaxation and good food. This was it for me! The beach was something I had wanted and because of Flow, he made it happen. I got my relaxation and we did things a little out of norm and enjoyed laughing and playing around like we were kids again. I really believe laughter to be the best medicine for the soul!

check back soon for part 2! I'm admiring the entire chocolate coconut cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory that just arrived on my doorstep! Oh dearest husband you know how to fill my love tank! hahaha!

ignore him?

Disclaimer: if you are a perfect parent or a professed perfect parent STOP reading now!

So I've noticed a trend among friends and their babies. They can do most everything that Gavin can't do, BUT what he has over them is his great sleeping abilities! I mean this kid sleeps. He has been going 12 1/2 hours at night and a 3 hour nap in the afternoons. This is consistent. I have had several friends comment on fb or to me that they wish they could get their baby to sleep past 5:30 am. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT GETTING YOUR BABY TO SLEEP LONGER!!! But when Gavin wakes up earlier than I want whether its during a nap or in the morning what do I do. Yep, I ignore him!

And you know what, for him, it works like a charm.

Call me a horrible mother, neglectful if you want, but he goes back to sleep. I honestly think that if you go right in when they wake they will expect it. So, I started letting him wait. If he was crying I went in after only a few minutes and try to calm him and then see if he falls back asleep. But most often he's happy so what's the shame in letting him lay there to see if he'll fall back asleep. In fact, today Gavin woke from his nap after only 1 1/2 hours. He usually sleeps minimum 2 1/2 but normally 3 so I knew it wasn't long enough. So, what did I do IGNORED HIM! He went back to sleep, but woke 30-40 minutes later. Again, I ignored him and mowed the lawn. He has now slept (off and on) for 3 hours and is still going strong. I'm sure I just jinxed myself and he will be up the second I post this.

So although my dearest boy can't walk, talk or chew gum (let alone all 3 at the same time) HE CAN SLEEP!! And for that I am grateful, especially since I've adopted this awful habit of staying up way too late. I still get to sleep 8 1/2 hours before he wakes me.

where has the time gone?

Gavin - 16 months

I can't believe how quickly Gavin is growing up. Seriously, where has the time gone? Gavin is definitely growing in to his little toddler self that he will be, tantrums include (more on the mini scale though). It is so exciting to see him discover life more, albeit at his slow chilled rate. He is still a spitting image of his daddy. I thank God everyday for his little dude and how much he has changed my life. What a sweetheart. I am so grateful for family and the opportunity to be a mother.

death by interior design

So I've been gone... for a really long time. I would like to blame it on a busy life, but that would be a lie. It has actually been busy if you consider countless hours perusing interior design and decorating blogs and trying to make up my mind about our house. Well, my mind is made up but I guess its more how to fit "my style" into the architectural design of the home. If I had it my way our dining room would have black walls. You see it has a lodge feel and why I didn't realize the challenge it would be when we bought it I don't know. For goodness sakes they decorated the place with pine cones and deer trophy heads or whatever they're called. I still have the pine cone wall paper border in my guest bath because I just can't decide what to do in its place, and I'm lazy. Its easier to shut the door.

Anyway, I've been working on our living room. There are several challenges with our house. The architectural design, already mentioned, and then the other is the floor plan. It is very open, which we love but that means that whatever I do in one room has to flow into the other. The third challenge that I have had to come to terms with is the lighting, or lack thereof of natural light. It has made for the most difficult challenges in choosing colors for the wall. That black dining room I want, well it will have to exist in my mind for now until another house, which I hope with all my might has plenty of natural light! The natural light we do have from our north facing windows makes the colors read cold and brings out any amount of blue in the paint. So as a result I ended up testing at least 10 different colors (which I still have proof of on our kitchen wall, can someone say circus!) and holding off painting for a month before I could commit to a color. We spent our 4th of July weekend painting. Even then when I finally did commit to the color, well, we hated it! On the advice of the nice guy at Benjamin Moore (thank you dear Richard, yes we're on a first name basis now, for your patience) we decided to live with it for a while. I was so tired of trying paint colors and failing, we spent quite a bit of $$ on the paint and primer and Ryan just started back to school for his post-graduate work, thus time is too precious for re-painting.

So I decided to work on changing some of the layout and accessories. After doing that I feel 100 times better about the space. As our $$ budget allows we will be upgrading our entertainment center to a larger white one and adding some black floor lamps from Ikea.

Without further ado, here is the room as it sits today (guaranteed it will be different in some way in a month).

That being said, the color is growing on us and when it reads warmer from incandescent light I actually think I really love it. It is a lot of blue though so I doubt we will keep this color for more than a year or two (sweetie I hope you don't read this). I guess any length of time is better than having to had repaint it that same weekend like Ryan said he would just so I could feel at peace and be happy. I really had a hard time with it at first. I didn't want to even be in the room. Horrible!

I really didn't add too many new things, even though Ryan would disagree. For an early Mother's Day gift Ryan surprised me with the area rug. I had been pining over it for months and when I informed him there was only one left on Overstock.com he grabbed it on his lunch break and surprised me with it a week later when it arrived. It should last us for a very long time. I highly recommend Overstock.com for killer rug deals. This rug retails for over $1200 on other websites. Its a Surya Rug designed by Jill Rosenwald and made of 100% wool which I have read is great for kid-friendly homes. It has saved Gavin's head countless times already when he falls and our last rug was so thin it was like hitting the hardwood floor. I got the rug for about 1/3 of the retail price. It was a steal and a great investment in my mind.

The bookcase and baskets are from Ikea which we used to keep in the front entry area. I made custom stickers to put on the tags from Bake it Pretty to identify what is in each basket and I will change them as Gavin uses them more. They house lots of toys and I love having them organized and not visible but accessible at the same time.

I sewed the turquoise pillow myself (don't look closely the sewing will scare you) from a discontinued sample of a Waverly fabric at Joann's for $2.50. I already had all of the other pillows. The chartreuse-like green pillows (from Ikea, ofcourse) were the foundation for this entire makeover. Its my favorite color and so I went searching for a wall color that would compliment the green well. I found some great inspiration photos and decided to take the plunge. I plan on getting some fabric paint and a stencil and painting a geometric pattern on the green ones, someday.

I wanted to ditch the glass coffee table but until Gavin splits his head open on it I think it will stay. Although it shows every hand print and water ring it is super easy to clean off and for that I think it will add to the kid-friendliness. The chevron-like print pillow is from Ross for $10. I am not a huge fan of Ross (love TJ Maxx/Homegoods) but have frequented there more lately and have found some great deals on pillows for our bedroom as well.

I love that our artwork pops out more from the wall. I will eventually change up the art on the wall with the entertainment center on it, but I'm trying to take a break from worrying about it for now.

Now I have to find a solution to covering up the 8 or so spots of sample colors I painted on the kitchen/dining wall (we don't have any of the original wall color paint). Hopefully Richard isn't tired of me coming into his paint store!

I'll try to be back sooner than later... if making decorating choices doesn't kill me first.

the details

the details:

In short, Ryan says I put in hundreds of hours of preparation (a slight exaggeration). I did use tons of paper, glue, double-sided tape (genius invention), an entire ink cartridge, and I loved every moment of it! Unfortunately I was finishing up details when the great-grandparents arrived (darn early birds) so I didn't get to really snap photos. Ryan lovingly tried to get some for me while I snuck away to get ready (I was still in my sweats when they arrived).

FYI that is NOT beer. They are lemon lime sodas I found at TJ Maxx (purchased solely for the green label). Thankfully they ended tasting pretty good too!

I did NOT make the cake. I do know my limits!

I also didn't make the #1 cookies. I ran out of time and Janice my mother-in-law who worries about the details too, graciously insisted on making them for me!

the most important detail of them all...the birthday boy and love of my life, can you tell?

Now, for planning Ryan's 30th!!! I hope he likes blue and green. I sure would like to get more use out of everything I did! LOL!