Nate cannot just suck his thumb to soothe himself. Along with the thumb, he has to make a noise that sounds very disgruntled. He most often does it while he’s sleeping. The girls at his old day care said it sounded like a motorboat. Andrew calls him the “Angry Mother Sucker” and it is so fitting. It’s like he’s angry even in his sleep.
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Nice 29th
12 JanYesterday, I turned 29 years old and it was great. I spent the day just like I have been, me and the kids, only I took time to try and work out a little (you know in honor of getting older and all).
It was a riot. Nate was sitting on the floor of the living room, calmly staring at his silly mother as she tried to do ab crunches – then it got really entertaining for him. Justin Timberlake’s “My Love” came on the XM channel I had the TV tuned to and it just made me feel like breakin’ it down some.
There he was, eyes wide, holding his blankie, as his mother started leaping across the room, swinging her head around – hair flying – I even tried to do a few turns and kicks! I know I had to be the most ridiculous sight but I didn’t care it was so much FUN to be so crazy stupid. I was worried for just a second that I might pull something – but right after that second I pulled another spin move and threw my arms up in the air like the gymnasts do. HE JUST SAT THERE! (By the way, his sister was very nicely playing with her princess dolls in her room at this time so she did not witness the mommy dance out.)
Well, fast forward to today and I pull up JT’s “My Love” on the computer – Nate starts shakin’ his money maker! It was so hilariously adorable – I actually got some of it on camera – please don’t miss it – I even tried to add some cheesy effects to it to make it all music video-ish.
I just didn’t want to forget how I felt right after turning 29. I had a fun day with the kids and then their daddy bought me my favorite perfume and took us out to dinner with our new parent-friends, Monica and Steven. I got to talk to my family and I thanked my mom and dad for having me (to that my dad grossly replied “it was my pleasure”). HA!
Silly Things I Say During the Day
10 JanThey are only silly because they so very pointless to say – like a 3 year old and 1 year old are really going to listen/understand.
“Don’t make a big mess.” (Said right before they manage to tear apart 3 rooms – with toys/objects spread throughout the house.)
“Try the food mommy cooked for you, you might like it.” (Usually said when I cook something like stew.)
“Nate, don’t give all your food to the doggy!” (Meanwhile, the dog is in heaven and the boy is smiling.)
“Stop pushing your brother down on the floor.” (Said as Nia is chasing him around the house – both are laughing hysterically.)
“Can we please stop screaming?” (Usually said right after the previous silly statement.)
“It’s night-night/nap time.” (Right after this one Nia begins to freak out about how she is not tired and doesn’t want to go to sleep.)
“Do you want mommy to lose her mind?” (This one comes after a really trying day.)
Mommy’s Here
3 JanI just feel so special to get to say those two words. Tonight, I realized how much they mean to say and to hear.
Around midnight, Nate woke up screaming and crying. Even though I was clear downstairs and had the television on – I heard him and went running to check on him. He was fine – he just had a stuffy nose which probably made him angry. I was so thankful he didn’t have a fever or didn’t get sick in the crib – I was so thankful that all he needed was for me to wrap my arms around him and tell him “Mommy’s here.” He laid his little head on my shoulder and his body was relaxed as I swayed with him and rubbed his back.
It’s amazing how you’re able to hear them over everything when they need you. At first with Nia, I was always worried that I wouldn’t hear her if she cried while I was sleeping – I mean the alarm blares right next to my ear and I don’t hear it – how was I going to hear her in the next room? The fact that I can is so unbelievable and beautiful to me. What’s even more precious to me is how you don’t ever lose that ability.
My mom just came down for a visit and during her time here she comforted me in that “Mommy’s here” kind of way – not by humming me a lullaby like I did for Nate – but just by being here to stay up late and laugh with me, by giving me a hug before bedtime, by cooking us delicious food, by making me feel better about the job I’m doing as a mom – I’m going to be 29 in a week and yes, I still need my mommy in many ways. I only hope my kids will like me enough to want me around when they’re older!
Turning One
26 DecTomorrow our little angry man becomes a one-year-old angry man. He is so hilarious – even when he’s doing something he totally should not be (pulling on the blinds, yanking the tablecloth off of the table, touching the night lights in the electrical sockets) it is hard not to laugh at him.
Andrew and I will yell “NO!” at him with the most mean face we can force to try and scare him away from the bad doing – that doesn’t work – he just smiles at us. We’ve even tried giving him a tap on the hand (because he could fry himself if he doesn’t stay away from that darn socket) – he LAUGHS at us and then tries to hit the object he shouldn’t be touching. We are obviously doing something wrong with him. We’ve tried moving him away from the object over and over again – NOTHING WORKS!
Last night at dinner Andrew tapped his hand to stop the boy from crashing our Christmas dinner on the floor – it was like a game to him then – Andrew and I had to cover our mouths and turn away from him so he wouldn’t see us laughing – it’s so funny because when he knows he’s in trouble he just looks at us with very wide baby blues and forms the teensy tiniest little circle with his lips – WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO DARN CUTE? I mean, he had spaghetti sauce all over his face and his eyes were huge and his mouth like Dr. Evil when he says “One Million Dollars.” (An example of the face is in the picture below.) It’s just so hard to be angry with him. I’m sure that will change though…
Funny Face
I can’t wait to see the kind of little boy he’s going to become. In his first 12 months I’ve already discovered that he is a major handful and a joy – a headache and a laugh – a terror and a sweetie – a screamer and a giggler – and a 100% daddy’s boy. I am so thankful for my precious little boy and all the moods/feelings he’s brought us and am anxious to experience what’s next. Happy Birthday Nathaniel Robert – mommy and daddy (and big sister) love you so very much.
Busy Boy
Please Forgive Us…
26 DecTelling her he won’t come if she’s naughty –
Telling her he’ll only bring her Little Mermaid Castle if she takes her naps and is nice to her brother –
Having her leave cookies and sugar for him and his sleigh-pulling friends (and then leaving a half-eaten cookie for her to see)
Causing her to love him so much that she runs up to the mall Santa without hesitation (even though I think he’s pretty skeevy)
Telling her he came while we were all sleeping (and her responding – “He was very quiet huh? He tiptoed huh?” and then demonstrating to me just how he tiptoed – standing on her toes, bending her knees and back and putting her hands pointed down in the bunny hop position – I mean come on – how adorable is that)
I know it’s something a lot of parents tell their children – Andrew and I both believed and I hear he got pretty upset when he found out the truth – but there’s something about being the one who encourages the belief… I don’t know – I just feel guilty.
Some fairy tale part of me still wants to believe – like maybe after we put out all the presents and go to sleep they’ll be one extra that no one bought or knows about – (and hopefully it won’t be a stinky candle or fruit cake).
I know it’s all about tradition and I know the fun of believing – I just dread the day when they find out the truth. I’m sure it will be a time they will never forget – many of us probably remember when/where/how we found out – I guess that’s all a part of the tradition too – I guess I just want our kids to just figure it out on their own because Andrew and I are such terrible liars – I just want them to understand the spirit of it all and that it wasn’t meant to hurt them. Santa or not – there’s a beauty in believing.
Kitchen Cabinet Playground
23 DecAlmost everyone has one in their homes – a cabinet/area where Tupperware and other plastic containers are stored. Some are pretty neat with lids organized by size and bowls stacked nicely within each other – others are filled with mismatched bowls and lids that fall out of the door every time it’s opened. I am an anal person and have always tried to maintain a very tidy cabinet – I did, that is, until the kids discovered it.
At least twice a day after the two of them tear through the cabinet, I have to collect all the pieces off the kitchen floor and sometimes other parts of the house. It is a pain but allowing them to cause such a mess allows me to finish dinner or do the dishes. Tonight though, their time in the cabinet involved more than just tossing piece after piece out – tonight’s toss-out was a little more creative.
Nia and Nate had taken just enough out so they could each sit inside the cabinet. The door in front of Nia was closed – the door in front of Nate was open. I would hear Nia say something like “Da Da Ba Da Ba” and then a lid would whiz past Nate and land in the pile they had already started. They would hysterically laugh each time this happened – it was tons of fun for all of us and made me wish for a moment that I was small enough to fit in there with them. It also made me think how funny it would be if I go visit them when they’re older and living on their own just so I can destroy their cabinet – then I remembered- they’ll have kids of their own one day!
C-Minus One Week
18 DecAt this time next week, Santa will be busy putting Nia and Nate’s presents under the tree, filling their stockings with all sorts of goodies and snacking on cookies that the sweeties left for him and the reindeer.
Right now though, Santa is stressing – worried about what to cook for dinner that day, what kinds of cookies to attempt to bake and whether to pay the extra ten bucks to send presents in the mail express or priority. I mean, the pressure of deciding how to ship something really torments me – I pick out what I think are pretty cool gifts, go through the checkout process and then have to pick which shipping method will get it to the special someone on time. It’s something that forces me to use my fingers to count the business days it says it will take to get there and then I round up a day just in case.
Now I’ve cooked Christmas dinner before but for some reason I’m really thinking hard about this year’s. I think it’s because that’s all a part of my new job now – before with work, I hardly had anytime to shop and or I was working on the day so we just kept it simple. Last year we were spoiled because my mom was with us and she took care of EVERYTHING. It was AWESOME. Now though, it’s all on me to make sure our meal is yummy and special enough to be enjoyed every Christmas. I know I’m making the Rafiani recipe homemade spaghetti (what I’ve always had on Christmas) and I’m going to try and bake a ham (I’m nervous about this because I never have by myself) and I also must have Wedding Soup (another Rafiani family tradition).
As far as the cookies go – I’m scared to death. Last year was the first year I even made homemade cookies for the Holidays and my mom really did all the work. My sister is a baking queen – she’s the reason I’m even attempting this. I plan to start baking Tuesday. We’ll see how they end up then…
What’s funny about all of this is how Nia doesn’t care a thing about any of it. All she’s worried about is that Santa’s not going to bring her a Little Mermaid castle – you better believe Santa got that stress over with and is now just waiting on shipping!
So I Never Forget…
15 DecSo far, mommyhood has already given me many sweet memories – moments I don’t want to forget. Since some of them have faded from my memory, I want to share some of the ones that have happened since we’ve lived in the “new” house (as Nia keeps calling it).
– After about an hour of bouncing back and forth across the room and tearing into the boxes I was trying to sort through, Nate makes a turn my way to crawl under my arm and wiggle into my lap so he could cuddle up next to me letting me know – hey mom – I’m worn out – can you put me in my crib now? The warmth I felt from his affection was so amazing – he never acts that cuddly – he’s usually such a fighter and tough guy – I guess he has a soft spot after all!
– Nia telling me “I love you a lot Momma.” Or the day she told me I had a big heart. I’m not sure if she meant because I’m bigger than her or not – it really doesn’t matter – it was so precious and innocent.
– The first time Nia did something cute/funny with her brother or the dog and told me “Take a picture Momma.”
– The giggles I heard when Nia put on Nate’s Flounder Halloween costume and used the nose to bump Nate’s head. Why this was so funny I don’t really understand but she did it to him like 20 times and he kept laughing out loud every time.
– Right now, as I’m trying to type this Nia is sitting on my lap and moving the mouse around and trying to push buttons (I mean she .is pushing buttons) ..this means it’s time to make more memories away from the computer!
Online Again!
15 DecYou know you’ve moved to a small town when it takes a freakin’ week to get the internet! What the heck?!?! We just got it up and running and this was the first website on my long list of sites I need to visit in order to feel a sense of balance again!
Now for the difficult decision of deciding what to write about – I mean so much has happened to the Valles Fam in the last few weeks but I couldn’t possibly write about them all – like you really want to read about them and frankly I don’t want to re-live some of them. What I will share is a general idea of our lives so far –
We love our house – it’s twice the size of our old one and offers the kids tons of play space – although we still haven’t fully baby-proofed it yet (Andrew just put a gate at the top of the stairs but I know the crazy little man will try to rip it out of the wall). Our priorities are pretty odd when it comes to getting the abode together – we still have boxes to unpack and rooms to situate but we made darn sure to paint Nia’s room like a princess. Pink – Purple and Blue – When we get the camera stuff hooked up I’ll share some pics- it’s really pink but Nia LOVES it.
Andrew has to drive anywhere from 2 and a half to 3 hours a day to get to and from work right now until his company finishes the new plant that’s closer to our house. They say it will take about 6 months for that to happen. We just hope it will really only be 6 months. He seems to like working out here – I think he really likes the challenge of trying to fix something and make it better. I just have to give him the time to do that and not call him 10 times a day about the silliest things.
As for me, I’m still trying to figure out how I’m doing. Everyone keeps asking me how it’s going as a stay-at-home mom and if I’m getting the hang of it. I really don’t know how to answer that. (DISCLAIMER – please don’t take offense if you’ve asked me these questions – it’s frustrating hearing them so many times.) I mean, it’s not like the job I was used to – where I would see results at the end of the day. Right now, I just consider it a good day if zero or very few tears are shed (both from me and the kids) – I really don’t know how to gauge if I’m “getting the hang of it.” The question actually kind of angers me a little bit too – I mean what do people really think I’m going to say – “NO! I HATE IT AND I WANT TO QUIT! I WANT TO RUN SCREAMING FROM THE HOUSE SOMETIMES” Or, “Why yes, I’m an excellent mother with perfect children and I never have any issues with them. All I do is watch soap operas, Dr. Phil and Oprah and eat chocolates.” Really, all I can say is – I’m doing the best I can. Anyone that tells you it’s easy either doesn’t care that much about teaching and disciplining their children or has a housekeeper and cook. Just like any job – there are ups and downs – in this case the downs are Nia crying “I want to be nice to brother!” over and over after just pushing him down and then sitting on him – sometimes the ups come out of the downs though – for example when Nate looks at me and his sister with a smile as she continues to scream she wants to be nice to him –
I’m hoping that once we are really moved in and finished with the big house projects I will be able to have more of a routine with the kids. I’m sure that will really help us all. I’m also looking into getting Nia involved in a part-time preschool just so she can interact with others who want to color all of the time and play tea party. (As much as I love to do these things with her it’s kind of hard when there’s a 1-year-old boy standing up on a little rocking chair like he’s surfing.)
I guess I’ll just have to see what tomorrow brings and thanks to our working internet connection – I’ll get to share some of the humor (and grief) with you!
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