Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The little things...


It amazes me everyday, the things gabe can do! Here he is saying happy. Just out of the blue, he started saying happy.

(I really wanted to put a video up, but I have to get a YouTube account so it will be here soon!)

He says other weird words and phrases too. Like "yeppy" or "good job" sometimes he only says them once and you never hear it again. He was saying cat a lot one week and now he won't say it anymore. I have been trying to teach him please. I think he started saying it today, but it's hard to tell.


Yesterday he was touching his and mollys hair and nose when asked. It was so cool. We read this book about bubbles with Bert and Ernie and Elmo, the bubbles are on a nose, toes and hair. I always touch these spots to help teach him and I guess it really was working!

Another new thing that gabe has begun to do is talk on the phone. It's so funny! If he actually has someone on the phone, he will walk around with it on his shoulder.






Here he is talking to Sidney






Unfortunately, there are some things that I don't find amusing or funny. He has begun to hit. I know it is out of frustration and not being able to communicate, but sometimes it is hard and deliberate. He has paused and then smacked me in the face numerous times. I try to tell him no, obviously, but it doesn't really work. Mostly because he is fourteen months old. If this behavior continues when he's older, there will definitely be timeouts.


Otherwise, he is a pretty cute and smart kid, if I do say so myself!

Does everyone like the new color or should I go back to green?



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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

help!

ok, i am not computer savvy in any way. i want to update my blog layout. i want to add pages or change the font and i don't know how! please help! anyone?!

thanks!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Date night...finally!


Jorge and I finally went out on a real date. We haven't been on a date in what seems like forever. Anytime we have had plans, something has changed. We were supposed to go to to see nikka costa a few months ago. Gabe was sick so I stayed home. It was hard, but gabe was sick and I wanted him to spend the night in his own bed.

Back to yesterday...Jorge had bought a groupon back in April for this fondue place. We never had a chance to use it. It was expiring at the end of the month so we HAD to use it or be out $50. So we finally made plans, got a babysitter, and went out to dinner.




Melted cheese, is there much better?



Yum! I love fondue, we have even gone to the melting pot before. This was a new place and so cute! We went to Geja's in Lincoln Park. It was a cute little place, with super nice waitstaff.




Melted chocolate! Even better!






We almost didn't go. We almost stayed at home in our pjs. I'm glad we went. We got semi-dressed up. We had a nice conversation in which gabe was hardly mentioned (!). That was nice too though, to know we can still talk to each other without involving the kids.




Everyone should get out for a date night once in awhile!

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Friday, November 25, 2011

Thanksgiving/Black Friday

Pre-thanksgiving nap...


Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. I love everything about it. I love the food, and I love getting together with my family. It's usually been a while since I've seen most of my cousins and my aunts and uncles. My dads side never celebrates thanksgiving with us. We always go to my moms side. They rotate who has to host. This year it was my aunt Judy. Jorge and I have also started a rotation. One year we will go to my moms side first and then the next year we will go to his moms house first.


This year we went to the Sanchez house first. They have their own version of a thanksgiving meal tradition. We had posole, flautas, ham, Milanese steak, potato salad and yummy cookies that jasmin made. We also played loteria, it's the Mexican version of bingo.

Then, we went to my aunt judy's house. I was so stuffed but I managed to eat a plate of turkey, green bean casserole and sweet potatoes. It was delicious. Both meals were delicious! It was nice seeing my cousins. I love that they read my blog! Hi Guys! <3 it means the world to me that people are out there and interested in gabes life. I have a lot of fun with my cousins on my moms side because we are all close in age, from 31 to 24. We also spent a week in the summer together in Wisconsin for many years. (I'll have to put up some of those pictures for a flashback day)



Today jorge and Sidney (and Cristina, jasmin, and their mom) went out shopping at three in the morning. They went to woodfield and said it was packed. Jorge bought himself a Christmas present, a very nice wool coat. I really wanted to go but I didn't want to wake gabe up that early and have him be super cranky at a super crowded mall. Then I would be super cranky too!


When they got home gabe and I had just gotten up, and they were ready for bed but I wanted to go out too. We went to target (not too crowded) and carters (super crowded). Carters was awesome because the whole store was 60% off until noon! Hello warm winter pjs for gabe! We also went out to lunch. Its so nice to be together as a family. It seems like it's always gabe and I, so when we can I like to do things together.










Post shopping nap for everyone (not me)





Busy day, and there was so much more to come! We also had a party to go to this evening. It was a 50th and 17th birthday party for jorges uncle and cousin. It was a lot of fun, especially for gabe! He was running around and playing with balloons with all of his cousins. It was nice since both Jorge and I were shy kids. Hopefully I will have some pictures tomorrow! Finally time for bed!



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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Museum of science and industry


Today was a day off for Molly and conor. Instead of spending the day hanging out at home, I convinced them to go to the museum. It is really hard to get those two out of the house sometimes. I think everyone had a great time though.









I was thinking that gabe would be in his stroller a lot...boy was I wrong. Of course, he wanted Molly to hold him as much as possible. He loves her so much. But he actually did a lot of walking and a lot of participating. He was touching things, looking at things and taking it all in.








I also ran into my first boyfriend. He volunteers at the museum which I think is pretty cool. If I ever would have free time, I think I'd like to volunteer at the art institute. I loved going there in high school and college. I haven't been there in a long time, and I can't wait until gabe is able to go. I also can't wait to take him to the field museum. I love history, Jorge does too. I think he would have as much fun as he did at MSI, but it can get really crowded and I would be afraid that he might run off and push over a dinosaur or something. I see a lot of museum/aquarium/zoo visits in our future.












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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Oh Tuesday!

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday. Why must you be so cruel? Actually, I guess yesterday was really the unfair day. I just took it out on Tuesday instead.

The weekend was fun. It was busy as usual. Sunday was really good. Our neighbor upstairs is pregnant and do really soon, the first week of December. Her baby shower was Sunday and it was really nice. My mom went too. She felt a little out of place, but I know her presence was really appreciated. I loved talking to moms my age. I also met a photographer. Hopefully she will be able to take some super cute pictures of gabe.




Gabe loves giraffes!

So the suckiness began when my car started making a grinding noise. Out of no where it started sounding awful. I was going to wait until Friday but I had to take it in. It sounded BAD!

Also, I feel like there is not a house out there for us. Every time I like a house and start thinking about possibilities, it falls through. Someone has already swooped it up. It can get really discouraging. I have to start thinking a little less about potential and just start thinking there is a house out there somewhere.


I also have been trying to take some new pictures of myself for the blog. Let me know what you guys think!













Tomorrow...museum of science and industry!!!!!


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Friday, November 18, 2011

Long, trying week


I am so glad that this week is over. I don't even feel like everything that happened this week was even this week. Know what I mean? The week started off ok, meaning Monday was the only ok day.

Tuesday, I can't even remember Tuesday. I know that I worked lateish. I also know that gabe desperately needed a bath after his crazy nutella and pb&j sandwiches explosion (see wordless Wednesday for pics). It's all coming back to me now...he became a crazy kid once we got home. I had planned on a bath for him around eight. However, before that he became very cranky. He has this awesome train that has all of a sudden become scary to him. He wanted to play with it, but he was scared. He screamed and cried for almost a half an hour. The only thing that calmed him down was "Annie". He loves music and it calmed him in some way. Needless to say, no bath.



Wednesday was even worse. I was locking our door when I saw, in slow motion, gabe falling down the stairs. I cannot believe it happened. I always watch gabe. I usually hold him. I had lot in my arms that day so I let him stand in the hall. I remember telling him to not go by the stairs, then I could see his little foot slipping. I couldn't stop it. Luckily, he is ok. He just has a fat lip that isn't even really fat anymore. He also fell off one stair at work, but just had a little mark on his forehead.

Thursday he was crabby. It made me crabby. It was a tough day for both of us. I love gabe more than anything. I wanted to put him in his pack and play and just walk away. I was stressed! We got thru it thanks to some supportive friends and supportive hubby.


Thank god it's Friday!





He's laying in his pack and play. He's not sleeping though. I put him in there so I could do some dishes and then he didn't want to get out. He kept shaking his head no. I gave him his milk and pacifier and he laid in there for almost a half hour! No sleeping in there of course! But it was so funny I had to take a picture of it.



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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Wordless Wednesday



Gabes new favorite activity...pulling all his books off the bookcase!





This is what happens when you have a nutella sandwhich and pb&j for dinner


Shhh....don't tell mommy





This is what happens after you accidentally fall down the stairs



Ok, there were some words. :)

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

No more






This is one of the best days of my entire life. I never want to do it again.


I know, just wait until gabe is older, and you may change your mind. I won't. Some reasons are selfish ones, some reasons are crazy, some reasons are logical.

As far as the selfish reasons, I really don't want to be pregnant again. I gained ALOT of weight that I am still working on shedding. I had swollen feet and ankles. The scariest for me was the high blood pressure. I would have mini panic attacks at each doctors visit because of my blood pressure. One visit, I even started crying because they were concerned. It never was high enough to induce labor and I didn't have pre eclampsia but I was still nervous and scared. I definitely would not want to have that worry again. Also, I just miss my old body.



A crazy reason is that gabe is such a good baby/kid that I would be afraid that we would have a devil baby. Seriously! I know it's crazy but I'm afraid it would happen. Either that or gabe would be so jealous that he would turn into the crazy kid.


Another crazy reason is breastfeeding. I know, crazy! Gabe wouldn't breastfeed. I don't know if I have mentioned it, but I pumped like a crazy person. I pumped every two hours. I pumped soooo much that I was pumping more milk than gabe could even drink. I froze a lot of milk. I pumped almost 30oz one time! (that's as much as some babies drink in one day, and I did it in one pumping). So, the question would be, do I try to breastfeed, pump or just buy formula? It was an emotional thing for me to pump. I felt like it was the only way I was really caring for gabe. Crazy i know. So, I don't want to have to think about that situation again.






A logical reason is that Jorge has one of each. In five years Sidney will be graduating high school. It would be strange for us to have another kid then. Also, financially it would be difficult. We would have to have funds for a newborn and a college student.


So, I have made the decision that gabe is wonderful. I have never loved someone as much as I love him (except Jorge). I am so exceedingly happy that I don't need to have another child. I am so lucky to have gabe and Sidney and Jorge. We are a perfectly unperfect little family and I wouldn't want to change a thing.




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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Packed Saturday

Today it was mostly just the kids and I. We all had a great time. We ran a bunch of errands this morning and just had a quiet evening at home.

After dinner came bath time. It's a fun time here. Gabe loves to take baths. He discovered splashing. Lots of fun for him, not so much for me. I have a splash towel ready to save myself most times. Sidney got to give gabe his bath tonight. I think both of them had fun.







We also took the neighbors dog for a walk. He is a great dog and he's got to get ready for his own little owner to be born. Less than a month now, koa will have a little man of his own. We try to get him exposed to gabe every so often so he is a little prepared. Gabe did most of the walking on our walk. I was pretty proud of him. He was a little goofy, I didn't get a good picture but he was attacking the leaves! Too funny!













On the lookout for some leaves to attack.



Gabe also got in some slide time. I cannot even tell you how great this purchase was! I was disappointed that we would have to leave the slide at one of the grandparents houses since they have yards. Megan had the great idea of setting it up inside. Gabe loves it! There will be days that pass that he doesn't go on it and then it's almost like he rediscovers it and can't get enough!




-







Who knows what's in store for tomorrow! Dinner at olive garden...we will see what else!

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Catching up and getting caught

Today was great! I got to catch up with my friend Anita, who I haven't seen since before gabe was born. She reads my blog though so it's like she's been there. She is also a nanny and we have a ton in common. It was really nice to compare "war stories" and realize you aren't alone in this crazy world of north shore nannying.

She had a daughter almost six years ago and she too brought her daughter to work with her. I watch teenagers, at the time she watched younger kids. It was nice to hear her perspective of working with younger kids and bringing your own kid. Sometimes it feels like a challenge with gabe and teenagers, but she opened my eyes to how much more difficult things could be with a house full of young children. Thanks Anita! You are so wise!

While we were catching up, I got caught. She asked if i still hold gabe while he's taking a nap.....BUSTED! I have been trying to put him in his pack and play for his nap, but not consistently and it doesn't last for long. The longest in recent memory that gabes lasted not cuddling is an hour. I stand there thinking, which is better a nap while cuddling or no nap? I know my moms pulling her hair out right now, trust me I am too!

I feel so stuck. Nap time isn't working, bedtime, if I'm being honest, isn't working either. It takes at least two trips back into his room for him to go to sleep. I wanted to try supernannys sleep technique. You put the child in their crib and sit facing away from the crib. I tried it, halfheartedly. I think i last between ten and fifteen minutes before I caved. I want to try again tomorrow. I also have to get Jorge on board, which is super hard. He cannot take the crying.

One place gabe will sleep is in the car.....








Or in molly and conors cats bed(he didn't really sleep there, but he was convinced the bed was for him)







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