Wednesday, July 27, 2011

'Where's the Love?' Wednesday - Happy Birthday, my girls!

Today is a big day! As it will be for the rest of my life. It is the day that I said hello to my first born, Ava, the one that made me a mommy -- and it's also the day I said hello to my second born, Emma, the one that made me a mommy again!

My "Where's the Love?" Wednesday is just that. The date. July 27. The love in that date has so much happiness, love, kisses, hugs, balloons and lots and lots and lots of cake! It also shares a lot of memories of the two, very different, yet very traumatic delivers that I gave over the course of just ONE YEAR. In case you missed it, read about Ava's delivery here and here; and  Emma's delivery here and here. Geez, I really like to keep the suspense, now don't I?

Today we will celebrate with birthday presents from us, cupcakes, balloons upon waking up and a fun filled day. Along with lots of things to cross off our do-to list for their birthday party on Saturday. We sing 'Happy Birthday' to each of them separately with separate cakes/cupcakes. And we will celebrate another healthy year has past and the two differences between our girls --- just one year, two hours and 18 minutes.

"Where's the Love?" Wednesday is an opportunity to share where your love is each week. It can be fun, lighthearted, deep and meaningful or a little of both. It can be one thing or many things. It may even be one simple photograph to capture where you're feeling the love.

Follow along at Akers of Love "Where's the Love?" here too.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Memories of childbirth

Call me crazy-- but does anyone recall every year, the night their children were born? What happened? What time? How you felt? The day after? The moment after? (At least the positive happy things- not the night sweats or awful latching on while breastfeeding new baby.)

Monday, July 25, 2011

You (I) are (am) a winner!

YAY! I won my first prize from a fellow blogger. It's from Abby at Akers of Love. I'm not sure how I found her blog, but I did a while ago and used to/plan to continue participating in her "Where's the Love?" Wednesdays post editions. She is a Christan and has a little boy, I think, I little younger than Emma.

Anyways, I won a nook/kindle case that she won from another blog contest!
Isn't it pretty?!

Thank you, Abby! I hate to admit it, but I don't have a nook or kindle. But have been thinking about getting one. So maybe this will push me to ask the husband?! ;)

Anyways, thanks again!

Happy Monday!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

'Because there had never been anyone like you...ever in the world'

"On the night you were born,
the moon shone with such wonder
that the stars peeked in
to see you
and the night wind whispered,
'Life will never be the same.'
Because there had never been
anyone like you...
ever in the world."
-Nancy Tillman
I have just discovered this book, On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman.  It will know be in every gift bag I present at every future baby shower I go to. 
Source: http://www.nancytillman.com/books/night/

Man, do I cry every single time I read this book to my girls. And seriously, I do do it twice a night. Since both girls want me to read to them over their beds as they sip their milk before night-night time. Excuse me since I'm all sentimental right now because it's almost my babies' (plural!!!) birthdays. And as I read the words, I am reminded about how traumatic and special each of those nights were.

I used to read to them Goodnight Moon and another good-night book before bed (can't find them in the mess of the playroom at this moment). Now we know Goodnight Moon by heart and repeat it sometimes before bed.

What books do you read to get the kids to chill out and relax drift off soundly to sleep?

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Story of Emma continued...

If you have been waiting and waiting.. here's the rest of the Story of Emma. (In honor of their birthdays, which is just a week away..)

I left you off where I was being rolled out of the recovery room and through the waiting room to my waiting family (minus Emma). I was so amazed of the amount of people were there and how concerned they all were. I didn't get it.

Monday, July 18, 2011

The best gifts...

I'm so off topic today, so I give you this:

I've had a lot of big things happen in life in the past 4-5 years. Pre-kids. Pre-marriage. And I was thinking about the best gifts to give people who are getting married, graduating, having children and buying a house or renting a new place.

Three of the best things I can think of are these that were gifted to us that I will *try* to continue the tradition (since I love them so much!):

When I had Ava, sitting in the hospital while she was in the NICU, no other comfort to me than food, was a whole box of cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon. Now, don't go and google how many calories are in one, because that's beside the point. I loved this gift. As much as I LOVE (love, love, love) flowers and balloons and the cute little bubble gum pretend cigars that my dad got for my husband, I loved this gift. The hospital food isn't the best. You are exhausted. And in the middle of the night which seems like daytime to you... all you want are some sweets.

When buying a house, you need a lot of stuff! Lots of it. Stuff you didn't even know you needed. But when you buy a foreclosure or bank owned house, the house isn't as clean as you'd like it to be. As exhausting as it is to clean the kitchen five times over and over, it just isn't clean enough. Our lovely realtor has offered her house cleaner to deep-clean our house (including the blinds and window panes!!!!!!!!!!!!) as our house warming gift. Now this has to be pretty expensive, but we love her and she loves us (we are friends in non-buying-house-real-life). I have always thought of doing this, but it always comes up too much.

Another way to help is to help pull the weeds! We had *at least* 15 bags of weeds that were pulled from front and back. My lovely FIL and my mom helped make that number possible. :) Without that help, we'd still be pulling. :)

As always, as a new mom or bride to be.. the most important consideration to a gift is the gift receipt. Aren't I right? The stores just aren't as generous as they used to be or don't think enough of you inserting that 'we're registered here' into your shower invite. Please, please, please give a gift receipt. The stores don't issue credits like they used to.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Let the plie's begin!

We got our class list. Bought the supplies. And today was the day!

The girls started ballet! I have waited my WHOLE life for this and it made all of my wishes for this day come true!

Here are my little ballerinas and their friends with teacher Miss Claire (who I think I adore just as much as they do!). They are dancing with Tiffany's Dance Academy here locally in the Bay Area.

The one photo I was able to get before my phone died!