Category: Family & Friends

Happy Valentine’s, Birthday, & Birthing Day

Post author By A Mama's Blog
Post date February 14, 2007
2 Comments on Happy Valentine’s, Birthday, & Birthing Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone. I wish you all love and happiness.

Joe had to travel for the day, for work, so we are going to go out on Friday night to celebrate. His sister, and her 6 year-old daughter are coming up to his parent’s house, and they are going to baby-sit the boys for us, and Ryan is going to spend the night there with his cousin. He is very excited. He spent the night once before with his grandparents, the night Cole was born, but that has been it. I think he is ready, and we are only ten minutes away if for some reason he decides he wants to come home. But with his grandparents, aunt, and cousin, he should be fine.

I want to wish one of my younger sisters a Happy Birthday as well. Her birthday is today, and while I won’t give her age away, she is two years younger than me- we are both 30-somethings. 🙂 She is also expecting her first child, a girl, in April, so she has an exciting year ahead of her.

Finally, I want to wish my mom, a Happy Birthing Day. She has 4 children, and the last two, (my two younger sisters) she had at home. Even though I was only 2, and a few months, I do remember my sister being born at home. I remember seeing my mom in labor in her bedroom, surrounded by some of her friends, and the mid-wife. I remember going in and out of the bedroom, and I remember standing at the side of the bed, and hearing my sister being born, and hearing her first cries. I remember one of the friends holding me up, so I could see the baby, and I remember seeing my baby sister lying on the bed, next to my mom.

I think home-birth would be an amazing experience. I have even more memories of my youngest sister’s birth, since I was 6 at the time. I never thought of it much growing up, but it is really neat to think back and remember being there when your siblings were born. That is an experience and bond that we are fortunate to have. I would love to have a baby at home, but because I have had a prior c-section, I have a higher than normal risk of a uterine rupture, so it is a little more complicated. My doula with Cole though, had a c-section with her first child, and then had a home birth with her second, so I know it is possible. I would have to do a lot more research and find a mid-wife who was experienced in home-births with a prior c-section.

Maybe if I am very lucky one day, I will be able to experience a home birth, and Ryan and Cole will be able to share that with us as well. I am in awe by my mother, and all the mother’s out there, who choose or can have a home-birth. The confidence you have in yourselves to trust your body and be able to do what it is meant to do, is inspiring. What a very special and intimate way to bring a new member of the family into the world.

Weekend Review- Jazz Band and Chili

Post author By A Mama's Blog
Post date February 11, 2007
3 Comments on Weekend Review- Jazz Band and Chili

On Friday night, Ryan and I went to hear a Dixieland Jazz band at a local art gallery. My dad met us there for a while, and it was fun.

There was a clarinet, a banjo, and a bass. It took Ryan about half an hour to feel comfortable there, and then he was unstoppable. He got out of his chair and was dancing up a storm. He was clapping after the solos, and saying “yeah,” after the band was done playing a song. We got to walk up to the instruments while the band was on break and look at them very closely. There were a lot of older people there, who commented to me how much Ryan seemed to be enjoying himself, and several people asked me where he learned to dance so well, and how he learned to keep a beat to the music.

Well, the dancing, I think you either know how to groove or you don’t, (I know he doesn’t get that from his father or myself), and as for keeping the beat, I have to credit his Music Together class.

There was a refreshment table there with cookies and punch, and he got his first taste of punch, which he really liked.

On Saturday night, my dad had my siblings, aunt, and cousins over for some homemade chili, and chili rellenos, which are always delicious. Ryan immediately made a beeline for the toys and didn’t look up for an hour, until Grandpa asked if anyone wanted cheesecake. Without missing a beat, Ryan jumped up and said, “I do!” and ran to the kitchen.

Cole was really fussy and wouldn’t let anyone hold him- except for me. We were thinking he had seperation anxiety, but today he woke up with a nasty, hacking, cough, so he probably didn’t feel well and was getting sick. Poor little guy. He doesn’t have any other symptoms, so I hope this doesn’t develop into anything more serious.

Today, we got a few things organized and I went grocery shopping. I actually planned out my own menu for the week, because I haven’t joined Relish yet, and I was too lazy to turn on the computer and do it, so I just made my own this week.

Joe’s parents got some new recliners and asked us if we wanted their old ones, which we took. They are La-Z-y Boys; one is navy blue and one is tan. They are really comfortable. We have them in our living room right now, and even though it is crowded in there, with all of the boys’ toys, these will be nice to sit on to read, and also when we eventually get a bigger house, they will be nice in a den or a rec-room. 🙂

Activities Cole Family & Friends Ryan

Monster Trucks & Snuggly Sweet Dreams

Post author By A Mama's Blog
Post date February 3, 2007
1 Comment on Monster Trucks & Snuggly Sweet Dreams

These two things don’t necessarily go together, but tonight they did for us. Ryan’s Grandpa (my dad) called last night to tell us there was a monster truck show in a neighboring town tonight, and he thought Ryan would get a big kick out of it, since trucks are one of his favorite things. So Joe went to Home Depot today and got a deluxe earphone headset to protect Ryan’s ears, and he was ready to go see Bigfoot!

My dad came and got Ryan about 7 pm, and they got home at 10. Ryan had a blast and couldn’t stop talking about the trucks. He was especially interested in the one that turned over, and “had lots of men come out to turn it back over.” It was really nice Ryan and Grandpa had their first Saturday night out.

Meanwhile, we have been having some major sleep issues with Cole; he has been having a really hard time going to sleep and staying asleep. Right now, he doesn’t have his own room, so he has been sleeping in our room. With big brother out on the town, I decided to try to see if I could nurse Cole to sleep and then put him to sleep in the crib, which is in Ryan’s room. The first attempt failed, as Cole woke up the second I set him down in the crib. I nursed him again in the glider, and then put him back in the crib. He woke up and was fussy, but didn’t cry. I kept patting him on the back, and held his hand while he groaned and moaned a bit, but after about 5 minutes he went to sleep, and has been blissfully sleeping ever since. This is the longest stretch he has been sleeping in quite a while- 4 hours now and counting. WOO HOO!

After a quick shower for Ryan, (to wash away the truck exaust smell) we decided to let Ryan fall asleep in our bed, so he wouldn’t wake up Cole. I put him in his P.J’s, and snuggled with him for 10 minutes, until he drifted off to sleep. It has been a long time since I have been able to snuggle with Ryan before bed, because I am always trying to put Cole to sleep, and I had almost forgotten how sweet it is. He held my hand, and stroked my wrist, until he fell asleep. I realized how much I miss that. When you have more than one child, it is amazing how many things you take for granted that you used to be able to do with only one. I am hoping that as Cole gets older, he will start to sleep better, and I’ll have more time to snuggle with Ryan, and then with Cole.

There is nothing like holding your sweet child in your arms, as they drift off to sleep. They are so peaceful, and purely sweet. This is one of the best parts of being a mother- when you can just be, with your children and soak up their essence.

Activities Cole Family & Friends Music Ryan

Music Class

Since Ryan was about a year old, we have been going to music classes, specifically, Music Together, on Thursday mornings.

Music has always been a big part of my life and my family’s life. My grandmother can play the piano brilliantly from ear. She can’t read music, but she can sit down and play any ANY song. She has performed in public many times, in various states and venues. My parents always encouraged my siblings and I in music, and I studied the flute from the time I was in 5th grade all through high school. I still have one and pull it out play it on occasion. I played the flute in the youth symphony during high school, as well as in marching band, jazz band, and orchestra. I participated in a lot of competitions and always really enjoyed them. I can also play the piccolo, piano a bit, and percussion- the mallets and xylophone. I also was in choir in school, and enjoyed singing, but my real love was playing the flute. Our band in high school actually got to be in a Disneyland parade, so I got to play the flute while marching down Main Street in Disneyland.

My older brother played the violin during Jr. high, and high school, and was also in the youth symphony. One of my younger sisters inherited my grandmother’s talent for the piano, and she can play the piano by ear, and she can read music. She also plays the violin, and taught herself (yes self taught) herself the clarinet. She also was very active in music during school, and played in the youth symphony. My youngest sister played the french horn, my mother sings, and my father can play the bass and has an amazing “musical memory.” He can tell you which composer, which orchestra, etc. plays a certain piece of music.

So by now you have gotten the idea how big a part of music has been in my life, and we hope to pass that down to our children. The Music Together program emphasizes that all children can learn to sing in tune, and keep a beat, when taught early enough. Ryan sways to music already, and his teacher says that is how small children keep the beat. He can hear a song, and “drum” the correct beat. He seems to really like singing, dancing, and playing instruments already. He is really interested in the guitar; I think because our MT teacher lets the kids come up and play her guitar after class. Joe and I have been talking about starting Ryan with an instrument when he is four, all though I don’t know what instrument it will be yet.

During the course of the class, we have also gotten to play with drums, tambourines, triangle, rhythm sticks, individual bells, and mallets just to name a few.

Our teacher is wonderful, and she allows siblings up to a year old to come with the older sibling for free, so Cole has been introduced to music as well, since before he was born. He bounces along to a lot of the songs, “plays” the rhythm sticks, and claps. Sometimes at home if I am singing, he’ll just start bouncing along with the beat- it is really neat to see. So I hope by attending Music Together, it will intoduce and start Ryan and Cole down a road for a life-long love of music.

Here are a couple of pictures of Ryan and I at class when he was about 18 months old (they are the only pictures I have of us during class, and were taken by my sister when she visited a class with us. The program encourages parent participation, so I am usually too busy participating to take pictures. 🙂 )