Another post about the little things

Today was a long day for me. I'm in that period of pregnancy where I'm always tired. I literally feel drugged sometimes and can't keep my eyes open. It just so happens that Jonah is in a "fighting the nap stage" right now, to perfectly compliment my fatigue. Some days I just feel like giving up, or giving him away. But, today was different. While he wouldn't take a nap, I just decided to have a little rest time with him instead. We cuddled together for a good hour and just talked. It's so weird now that we can almost fully hold small conversations. I also dragged him along with me for a ton of errands today (poor guy) and he was a perfect angel (I guess he had to make up for the no nap), but it was just so nice to hang out with him. I found myself just enjoying his company. This evening at dinner time his response to not finishing his meal was "mommy I'm just rary tired." He's so funny. I really like my son, and feel my heart fill with joy several times a day just being near him. Even on the hard days his beauty can't escape me.

Our little monkey

Introducing, our baby!

Folks, the past 4 weeks for me have been pretty sick ones. This has been quite a surprise for me, because with Jonah you see, I wasn't hardly sick at all. But, man, even since that six week mark, I have been the typical nauseous, food averted, smell sensitive, roller coaster of emotions pregnant girl. I am even craving pickles if you can believe that. It's been pretty hard, running after Jonah and feeling this way. I have decided now definitely, that this will be our last child. And, I ask all of you to hold me to that once I change my mind in 3 years. So, this is our first ultrasound picture, taken at about 7 weeks. I am now 10 weeks and at my 12 week appointment we get another ultrasound! I am really excited for this one. The baby will have arms and legs and thumbs and everything! And, there may even be the slightest chance that we could find out the sex! It may be way too early still, but we will keep you posted. :)

Our little Beethoven

Carlos came home from work one day and said, "Let's get a piano," and, I struggled with this idea. I struggled with the ideas of wall space and (I know, I'm sorry) it not fitting in with our decor, and last but not least, the loud noises that I'll be victim to for a long time. Though we hope Jonah plays piano well some day, it might be a while until it actually sounds, well, good. But, since my lovely husband is so good about giving me the rights in what our home looks like, I thought I'd give this one to him. So we now have a piano, and a surprisingly pretty one I might add. It actually fits well against our wall too. And, the sounds that come from it, are not half bad, even when they're clanging. The plan is for Carlos to learn how to play, and then for Jonah to learn from Carlos, and be a musical genius someday. Look out every one. In the meantime, it' s growing on me, too.

New beginnings.

This is a tad bit embarrassing, that we call this thing a blog and never, I mean never post on it. But, we can redeem ourselves, right? And what better reason do we have now that Jonah is a two and never a dull moment. I could write about what he is doing at any given time and it would most likely be worth at least a chuckle. Oh, and also, we are expecting another little person now. It is so weird to say this, and I only say it to myself and God because it doesn't feel quite official or real yet even, but, ahem.... I have two children. There. I said it. And here's another truism. I love saying that. We (all three of us) are pretty darn excited to be starting this new journey. It will be my birthday in a few days, and for one of my gifts (my husband is so sweet) he gave me Saturday night off, and Sunday too, to just go and be and do things I like to do. I found that during the first 20 minutes in the car, alone, I had the realization that through all of the chaos of being a mom of a two year old, and just being busy now a days, I hadn't really taken the time to "be" with this new little one. I hadn't talked to it yet. From the day I found out I was pregnant with Jonah, it was all I could think of. I was always rubbing my belly and telling him things, narrating what song was on the radio for him, or just telling him how excited I was to feel him move. I felt sad that I hadn't done this yet with kid # 2. Of course it makes sense that things are busy, and that being only 5 weeks I still have plenty of time to do these things, but I couldn't help but feel some of my own childhood sensitivities about being the second child. All of this might be a big pregnancy hormone induced, overreaction, but I felt a special connection with this little one. I felt like saying to it, and I did, we are going to get each other. We will have a special connection. We are both second children, and I fell close to you in that.
So there you have it, these are some of the things going on. We are also desperately going through names in which Carlos and I cannot agree on to save our lives. But thankfully, we have plenty of time. Jonah just had his 2 year photos taken by a good friend of ours, Elizabeth Thompson. If anyone needs photography she is outstanding. Will post these pics soon.

-Alli

Funny Dancer

Chest

Friends,

When I was younger and had no wife and no child, no girlfriend, no job, no prospects, I sometimes imagined what it would be like to be a dad. After lamenting for a little while, since being a dad seems to entail the rest of that list, I imagined that probably one of the best parts of being a dad was letting your son or daughter sleep on your chest, while you, too, slept. I imagined this being such a good part of being a dad in part, I think, because of the blurry memories I had of sleeping on my own dad's chest.

Lately, rather than put him down in his bed for his morning nap, I have put Jonah on my chest. We sleep together on a reclining chair, his baby snores putting me to sleep, his little fist clutching a snag of my T-shirt.

Let me tell you, it is every bit as good, even better, than I'd imagined. At times I reflect that I have come through all kinds of painful things, had to endure years of things I won't talk about here, but things that are nonetheless very painful. Then, sometimes, especially when I am lying down with Jonah and he's sleeping on my chest, I am aware that all that past pain was worth it, that I would do it all again in a second, if it meant that I could arrive again at getting to be Jonah's dad. What a gift he is.

Carlos

Catching Up

Hello, friends. I know, sorry it's been such a long time. It seems compared to the other "normal" parents out there, Carlos and I have a hard time balancing taking care of child, and getting to other leisure things such as: blog. No, we really just want to keep everyone out there in anticipation as long as we can.

Well, the last few months have been huge ones for Jonah. He has really started to take on a personality of his own. We have noticed some things, about him, that are turning out to be beautiful human qualities that are just all too noticeable in us. The poor kid is turning in to a mini us. We love it, though. It's funny how we find ourselves several times a day just watching him, and being mesmerized by the small things he does. He has taken to slapping his legs with his hands, which completely gets us both. He looks so small and joyful when he does it. He loves to look at books (Carlos is very proud), and he can sit by himself and turn the pages on his own.

Then, of course, seconds later he'll be caught trying to eat the book. That part we just assume is natural to the teething process. I'm sure I could go on and on--but I won't. I'll just say, that it amazes us both, that as general and everyday this whole experience of parenthood is, we constantly feel like the only people in the world taken in by such beauty. Here are some pictures of the past 2-3 months. We're catching up here.

Pictures from These Missing Two Months. (It's Been So Long, I Know. I'm Sorry.)

Grammy Hope & Jonah, right around Halloween.

Sleeping babies are pretty babies.

Years before he's embarrassed by Dad, months before he can ask Dad to go away, and weeks before he can move away himself, Jonah is trapped. His only hope is that Dad doesn't have Coffee Breath.

That's a great face, no?

This one, too.

Sitting in his favorite vibrating chair, Mom has interrupted his massage time.

Now it's Christmastime, and Grammy Hope & Jonah have been reunited.

Here are cousins Taylor & Jonah.

Here they are again.

And again.

The near-naked Santa-hat shot. A direct appeal to your Sense of Cute. And, yes, I know, it is working.

Here are the cousins moments after waking up from that day's Nap #19. Well rested and happy, they sit calmly, willingly, with me.

The Mom-holds-baby-Jonah-in-the- Santa-hat shot. Traditionally, one of the greatest appeals to your Sense of Cute.

The two-Santa-hats shot. Let the Cute abound.

The Santa-hat close-up. Perfect.

Bath time is a good time. (Don't worry, I took the nude shots out.)

Do these cousins not look like Muppet Baby versions of their fathers?

On the couch at Mimi's house.

It was a good photo op. So we took advantage.

Cousin Bailey was teasing, so Dad & Jonah got kind of scared.

Cousins Skyler, Bailey, and Jonah. Three versions of the same face.

Bailey loves holding his new cousin.

Her new cousin loves being held by Skyler.

(Great) Aunt Bunnie, Cousin Bailey, and Jonah.

(Second) Cousin Brenda has a magic touch with Jonah. She kept him peaceful like that—almost hypnotized—for a very long time.

This was an active day for Jonah. First, there was sitting on the couch.

Then, there was looking around while sitting on the couch.

Then bellytime.

Then looking around during bellytime.

Then looking around some more during bellytime.

And some more.

Then posing with Mimi.

Then, finally, there came bedtime. So he had to put on some jammies.

A baby can take only so much. Good night, little Jonah.