October Post

I've been looking forward to "the holidays" (Halloween through New Years) being a great distraction from pregnancy. And this month has certainly delivered!

As a mom who (so far) has handmade (hand crafted?) costumes yearly (with help from the dad), Halloween starts in (at least) the beginning of October. Planning and scheming starts well before that. I'll post more detailed descriptions of the costumes on my craft blog, but I'll just say, they went over VERY well this year.

It's been another amazing month where Everett blows us away with his genius at every turn. He's a little chatterbox. He's turned into a great mimic too. Meaning, his speech is so good he can say basically everything we can. Not just mimicking easy stuff, but EVERYTHING! 

Yes, it can be quite funny hearing a (white) two-year-old say, "I'm black and I'm PROUD!" Haha. 

We started watching more Blue's Clues lately, and he's so engaged it's adorable. He calls it Gnu's Canoes. I don't know why. He could say Blue's Clues if he wanted. Silly guy. I loves following along with all the clues, and he's stared calling his burt orange chair his "thinking chair." When he's not watching the show, he'll sometimes say things like, "first clue, a clock. Second clue, a train." So cute. 

Earlier in the month he was saying "no" twice. Every time he said "no" it was "no no." He's stopped that now, but it was fun. 

I made a note that on the 12th, we cuddled on the couch, and when I put him down in this bed for his nap, he said, "good night mommy." Awww . . .

Also on the 12th, at night, we put him to bed. He came back out. Brian said, "go back to your room. It's bed time." He closed the pocket door, closed the door to his room, got in his bed, pulled the covers over himself, and fell asleep! Amazing! That's not a regular occurrence around here, but bed times have gotten easier. 

'Tis the season for cracking up when your toddler wears funny adult costume pieces.

And for pumpkin patches. This first pumpkin patch trip was with Playtime Discoveries (our parent participation class). We went to Blue Sky Gardens in Garden Farms. Cute and small.

Thanks to Phil and Gion frequently taking him to visit various farms in the area, Everett is an expert goat feeder.

I felt bad for Teacher Dorothy because it rained and scared away the two classes after ours, but we really liked playing in the rain and mud. How much better is a pumpkin patch picture with mud on the knees (especially when the mud came out of my new favorite maroon pants)?!?

We've been having play dates. Here's Everett with the lovely and fun Paloma.

How cute and loving are these friends?!?

Our next pumpkin patch trip was to the AWESOME San Marcos Ranch. Wow! That place is beautiful. 

little family portrait

We got the first pictures of Everett in his Bob Ross costume there.

October 20th was Colony Days Parade. Our usual companions, the Hunters, were actually IN the parade with Julie's soccer team.

But we found other friends! The Milnes and the Thompsons were great company. Gion, Katie, and Tiffany (along with Brian and the Thompsons eventually), smartly sat in the shade of Molly Pitcher Brewing Company's outdoor seating area and enjoyed a few pints. I stayed away, since I'm not drinking, but next year, I think our whole group will sit there. (;

Everett saw the little train go by in the parade, and that's all he could talk about afterward. When we finally got to the train, he got in and gave me the face below. As the train pulled away, he stared SCREAMING. Brian and I ran along side it, and thankfully he calmed down and enjoyed the ride.

Zoo Boo is the Saturday before Halloween. And here are my guys and our costumes: Curious George and the man with the yellow hat. See the tiger back there?

We met some friends there. Here they are with "Baby Sadie," although she's WALKING now! Not such a baby.

Being "scared" by Andy the cowboy making his dinosaur rawr.

With Grandma Kathie and Julie, Andy, and Sadie's Memere Ann.

Our Power Ranger friends Paloma and Max got there a little late because they actually took a NAP! Their mom (my friend Anna) was pretty surprised by that.

We carved pumpkins the Sunday before Halloween, which ended up being a very good procrastination since it's been so warm (I guess that's why) everyone else's Jack-o'-lanterns rotted away before Halloween.

Our little OCD boy thinks pumpkin "guts" are pretty gross. My super simple pumpkin with two cookie cutter heart eyes (and that's it!), my lovey boy, and my baby bump.

I wasn't super happy with the first Bob Ross pictures, so I dressed him up again. I tell ya, I'm not cut out to be a toddler photographer. "Look at me. Turn your eyes toward me. Smile. No, don't say 'cheese.' Just look happy . . ." Haha. Oh well. We got some good ones.

It was actually Bob Ross's birthday the day we took these pictures (and Grandpa Phil's!). October 29th. He would have been 70. RIP you joyful painter you. "Everyday's a good day when you paint."

This picture just cracks me up. Brian wants us to save it for Everett, see if he looks anything like this when he's 50. (;

And here are the guys on Halloween Day before trick or treating!

"Monkey" in the tree.

Our first trick or treat, at Phil and Gion's house. Everett kept saying, "trick or treating!" It was SO CUTE!

Walking down San Pedro to the Bonifas's.

Then we went to Santa Margarita to trick or treat with the Hunters.

We trick or treated all the way to the other side of town (it's a small town--not even a town, really) to go to the Margarita Carnival. Everett actually did the ring toss and (eventually) won a sucker. Julie and Andy are much more practiced at the games.

And we came back tired and sore from walking (at least prego me) to see our simple jack-o'-lanterns flickering away (artificial Xmas candles inside).

So, as I type, I'm 26 weeks pregnant. Feeling good but a bit sore. Much more sore than I was with Everett at this point. Oh well. It's normal. We're getting more and more baby girl hand me downs. It's exciting. Girl clothes are just so cute! Makes me mad they don't make cuter boy clothes. It's not fair!

I think this first one shows pretty well how big I am.

Like Everett's orange and grey?! It won't fit for much longer.

This was Brian's favorite of Everett.

Until next month! Which will be another big one! 

P.S. We've had two big losses this month. Brian's Grandma Ramona and my Grandpa's partner Mary. I plan to write a post just about them. Soon. Ramona's service is this Saturday. After that might be a good time to post.

My Naming Rules List

******** update *********

So, just for fun. Here's my list. I left off the #1 choice. Out of superstition or fear or anxiety. I don't know. But if you're curious about the names I'm liking . . .

(#1 kept secret)

Rosalind

Vivian

Lenore

Lillian

Daphne

Phoebe

Veronica

Nora

Nina

Linnea

Leona

Fiona

Lilith (love it but won't work with last name)

***************************************

So, we're pretty close to deciding on a name, BUUUUT . . . I'm curious what ideas other people have, and I want to think about EVERY POSSIBLE NAME before pinning this down.

First, the baby's a girl. 

We like names that are traditional (some would say old fashioned) and spelled traditionally . . . because . . . no need for confusion.

This doesn't mean common. Everett's traditional/old fashioned, but it's in the 300s in popularity.

We like elegant names not cute names because we're both tall, thin, people with dark hair. Brian's half Mexican, I tan easily, and we both have big noses. We don't think our kids could pull off cute, especially as adults! 

I prefer female names that were not made from male names. Some names were made by taking a male name and making it more feminine by adding an "A" or something. like Victoria, Josephine, Alberta, Leona, Georgia, Phillipa, etc. 

Nothing too biblical/saintly. Bible names/saints are fine as long as it's not the #1 association for most people.

No repeating of first letters. No B (like Brian), C (like Christina), or E (like Everett). The E's very important, because I use the initial E all the time to text/write about him without spelling out the whole name.

No names ending in "ett" or "ette," since . . . Everett. While we're at it, no names that sound like Brian or Christina.

The name needs to sound good with our last name. No to Cecilia (same first sound). No Lilith (the "th" with with the "cis" is a mouthful).

I'm picky about how possible nick names/short versions sound. But it would be too complicated to explain why I like certain nick names and not others. 

Nothing too hispanic/latin sounding. Since our last name is hispanic, and our kids are only 1/4 Mexican . . . it just wouldn't work for us. Everett's name is English. We'd love to hear options that represent other parts of our heritage: German, Scottish/Irish, Swiss . . .

No names off the 50 most popular list.

No names that have been used by friends/family members.

No names OF close friends/family members. No Rachel, Henry, Katie (Katherine), etc.

We like using family names as the middle. 

I'll give you an example of a name that got me really excited. I was looking for names with a feminist twist, and I came across the name "Lilith." Apparently, in Jewish folklore, Lilith was Adam's first wife. She was made of the same earth as him, and because of this, when he wanted her to be submissive, she refused. She was cast out of Paradise, and her offspring with Adam became the first demons. Because of this story, Lilith is considered the first feminist. There's a Jewish Feminist Magazine called Lilith. And the Lilith Fair was named for her (I believe). Lilith is also often used as a name for demons and vampires on TV, which is kind of fun, since we like a lot of shows/movies in that genre. 

BUT, Lilith sounds AWFUL with our last name. It's a mouthful, and just doesn't "flow."

I know our daughter can be strong and awesome with any name, but I just got a kick out of the story. 

And I would appreciate hearing names with similar histories. Or just names from mythology or literature where the woman is strong/courageous/smart and not victimized/raped or a murderer. 

Thanks! If you're as much into naming as I am, you'll love this post, so I won't apologize about its length. (;

September Post

Holy smokes! It's already October?!?

So, what did we do this month?

Well, the most exciting thing that happened to us this month was finding out we're having a GIRL!!!

I always feel conflicted making such a big deal about the boy/girl reveal because I think gender differences are largely a product of culture, and who knows how our kids will identify in the future? BUUUUT, there is and will be a difference. And even if it's mostly because of cultural norms, I get to dress this baby in ruffles and bows, and that's FUN!!

But we also saw that she's healthy, looks a lot like her big brother (Everett's going to be a big brother?!?), and I already knew her to be active, but the ultrasound doctor kept getting kicked!

This doctor was not a great photographer. The best image we saw was the skin around her mouth and nose, looked so much like Everett. Didn't get that one (even though I asked for it). All the pictures of her head/face look like complete skeleton baby. Oh well! We'll see her cute face soon enough.

Brian and I celebrated our 3 year marriage anniversary this last weekend (specifically September 30th). We didn't make a big deal out of it. I had pre-ordered Cabin in the Woods, so we watched that Friday night. Awesome. Sunday morning, Gion came over and picked Everett up, and Brian and I went to breakfast at Panolivo, then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing (of course, Brian did some yard work).

What else did we do this month?

Two birthday parties. Eli Kilimnik turned 2 and Andy Hunter turned 4!!

We started Playtime Discoveries (Mommy and Me) again. This session it's on Wednesdays, which I much prefer to last session being on Mondays. I like a mellow Monday, especially if Everett has a busy Sunday (which he often does).

We went camping for one night in San Simeon with the Thompsons. It was fun, but I can't wait till we can go for longer, and I can have a BEER or two around the campfire!

We went to see the dogs swimming in Templeton Pool. Everett thought it was pretty cool. They let the dogs swim in it for a couple days before they drain it for the season.

Besides that, lots of play dates.

E spends Tuesdays with Phil and Gion and has a blast (get it? blast? rocket shirt?). (;

Trying to get in exercise (yoga, walking, swimming) when I can. I usually exercise about twice a week.

It's a lot harder getting in exercise with a toddler, but heck, I bet I'm doing a lot better than a lot of women do!

I made this side by side of how big I was at the 20 week ultrasound with each kid.

It's hard because I wasn't holding my hand the same way on top, but I think I am A LOT bigger this time around. I know that's common with the second baby. But along with the faster growth has come earlier aches and pains, and I'm wondering how I will walk at 35 weeks!

Ok, time to brag about Everett.

He constantly amazes me. This morning, I had to restart the Roku, the streaming video player we have. When it restarts, the letters in Roku bounce. He said, "the numbers are bouncing! That's an R. That's an O. That's a K. And that's an N." The only one he got wrong was the U, but really, lower case Us and Ns are the same letter, just turned upside down. I was pretty impressed! We don't do any "letter learning" besides reading, doing puzzles, and watching Sesame Street. I don't quiz him or anything.

A couple weeks ago, he was getting really bossy. "Mommy, get out of the kitchen!" "Daddy, I need to watch Monsters Inc." So we started being better models of polite language. "Everett, can you please hand me the fork." And he picked it up SO FAST. Within a couple days, there was a dramatic change in his tone. So amazing.

Lately, he's been saying "hey!" a lot, and we really need to cut back on the "hey," probably all of us. It's weird the things you say that only a toddler repeating them makes sound wrong.

A couple days ago, he came up to me and said, "mommy, I have a booger in my nose." You can't know the joy of someone saying that to you until you have a 2-year-old you're trying to keep from sticking his finger up his nose all the time, or worse yet EAT his boogers. It was an exciting moment, although I know it still won't be the norm.

Everett had a cold this week, and he's gotten pretty good at coughing into his arm/elbow. It's not a reflex, and it often happens for the second cough or for a later fake cough. But I'm impressed he's caught on so quickly.

Every night, when Everett brushes his teeth, we've been watching the Bob Ross, Julia Child, and Mr. Rogers Remixes. They are wonderful songs made from their old footage and autotune. I never would have guessed my 2-year-old would say, "more Julia Child!" Haha. They're really fun. I need to burn them to DVD so we can remember them forever, even after the internet explodes.

And on that note, see you next month!

Our Schedule

I was just thinking, in a few years when the kids are in school and doing other activities, and I'm working (painting) at home, it would be fun to look back on what our schedule was in 2012, when things were slower and more toddler-oriented.

We are very lucky to live close to family, and our families are a big part of our lives (such a help!).

Our schedule lately:

Tuesday: Everett spends with Phil and Gion. One of them (Gion lately) picks him up around 8:00, and they take him back to their house (occasionally to a restaurant) for breakfast. He's there until after his nap. They often play at their house the whole time, but sometimes they take him to gymnastics, the park, a goat farm, etc.

Wednesday: We have Playtime Discoveries (Mommy & Me) in the morning from 9:00 to 11:30.

Wednesday evenings Phil and Gion have us over for dinner.

Thursday: My mom usually comes to our house in the morning and plays with Everett.

Right now I have prenatal yoga Thursday evenings from 5:45 to 7:15.

Friday: Friday morning seems to be turning into our play date day. Either at a park or someone's house.

Sunday: My parents usually come to our house and bring us dinner. Sometimes we go to their house.

The other days/times are a little less structured. We have at least one play date a week, but often it's two or three. Some Mondays, and Wednesdays before Mommy & Me started. And we often meet Rachel and the kids on the weekend to play.

Weekends we often have a child's birthday party to go to. We have two this month. Also, other random things come up. We're camping this weekend with friends. We might go to Santa Cruz next weekend. Brian tries to work on the house or in the yard when he's free. He's done so much, but there's still so much to do.

Since I'm pregnant, I'm trying to get a swim in at least once a week (on Tuesday mornings or Saturday afternoons), and walk with Rachel at least once a week on her lunch break. Gotta keep moving for the health of this baby/ease of labor and recovery.

Brian has to stay at work until 3:20, but he often doesn't get home until 4:30 or 5:00. Most nights we make dinner (since it's been so light, Brian and Everett will often go outside before or during dinner prep and water the plants), we eat, Everett gets a bath, and we watch a TV show while he cuddles to (near) sleep. He doesn't watch the show. We hold him. We're getting closer to getting him to fall asleep entirely in his bed. Right now we still cuddle him as he calms down. When he's almost asleep, Brian has Everett give me a kiss, I tell him, "see you tomorrow morning when it's light outside," Brian takes him in his room, and Everett falls asleep in his bed. Then we stay up and watch one more show before going to bed ourselves.