1 year ago today...

Today marks a year that I first found out I was pregnant with little Emily.  Obviously, I didn't know "it" was a she, but I was already so in love with "it."  Happy Anniversary to my little family!

Good use of 11 minutes...

 When I was home on leave, I would often watch Oprah and found that I really liked Dr. Oz.  Well, this clip is from an episode that he was on---I was expecting the clip to be something that he was discussing, but instead it was of a professor giving his last talk to his students.   It is 11 minutes long, but certainly worth it in my opinion.  If you are anything like me, you'll get choked up at the end....just a little fair warning. 

Click here.

Our Big News!

I am pregnant.  I kid.  We bought a house!  Well, I guess I should say "condo."  Brian and I have been searching for a little while and we were so excited to learn yesterday that our offer was accepted!  We will be leaving Irvine and heading to Ladera Ranch.  It looks like our Escrow will close on March 23rd and we're thinking we'll try moving in on March 29th.  This is all very exciting for us!  I uploaded some pics on our other website.  Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think!  

More pics...

My Karate Kid...

It's official, I am a germaphobe...

So, I work in a high school guidance office as an Academic Advisor.  The guidance office is inside the main office, which also houses the health office.  So, any student who wants to go home because he/she is sick, comes into the main office---all people touch the same door to get into my office.  This idea never grossed me out until Emily was born.  I use the restroom across the hall from the main office so, I wash my hands, grab a paper towel and walk toward my office.  (yes, with the paper towel still in my hand.) If I am in the hallway and I see someone approaching the door, my walking pace all of a sudden gains speed knowing that if I can just catch up to them, I won't have to touch the knob!  This is getting pathetic...when I beat someone to the door *sigh* I have to open it up for them and of course they see the crazy lady with the paper towel in hand opening the door!  Once I get to my office, I then put purell on my hands---keeping in mind I JUST WASHED THEM when I was in the restroom.  My hands are like sand paper---so if any of you have any wood projects coming up, don't bother wasting money on sand paper---just call me up!  Although, I will ask that I am fed.  I have gone through so much soap and so much lotion, because let's face it, who wants sand paper for hands!  They are turning raw!  

What led me to this entry??  Well, I have a 4-day weekend, so I am home with my little cutie pie Emily.  I was doing the laundry this morning.  Was it because I had laundry piling up? Not really.  Was it because I needed to wear something that was dirty?  Nope.  Why then Jennifer, the suspense is killing me, you ask.  Because I took Emily to the doctor yesterday and I was worried that the chair that I sat on may have had some yucky germs, so I needed to wash my entire outfit before I contaminated the house! 

P.S.  Emily was fine, I just had to take her for a follow-up visit since she was so sick a couple of weeks ago.  She lost .5 lb and the doctor was a tiny bit concerned.  So, she passed---she is 11.4 lbs, which means she gained almost 1 lb. in 2 weeks.  (She was 10.5 at our previous visit.)  I did ask her about her strange sleeping pattern that recently started---he asked if she was drooling, I said yes, he asked if her hands are often in her mouth, I said yes, almost always---he said sounds like it could be related to teething.  Curiosity got the best of me, I checked her mouth this morning---looks like I see a little white cap on its way up!  I'll let you know when it is noticeable!  

Well, gotta go wash my hands! 

Answered Prayer

I took the camera to daycare today to take a video of Emily playing in her little walker, but silly me, I filmed it vertically instead of horizontally, so therefore, it would be a little hard to watch it on the blog.  I'll have to take it again another day.  Anyway, while I was filming her playing, I couldn't help but find contentment with Emily going to Linda's house everyday.  She helped me get all kinds of smiles and coos out of Emily.  She truly cares for my little girl and that makes me so happy.  Some of you may know how much thought, prayer, worry and tears went into choosing a daycare facility.  In fact, on April 26, 2007, I received this from my dad, " I know you're praying about all of this.  Now you need to "write a check" on your faith account---even though you don't really know how much you have in that "bank."  Do the things you can do--research, visit centers and in-home situations, etc..all the while praying and depositing more "funds" in the faith account.  It's so good to know that God is bigger than this problem, AND He's sensitive to the worry and fear you feel about it...I just know that as you trust God to work through this with you (and ahead of you), it will work out in a way that is best for you and "Junior."  I love that I saved this email because it just proves to me how good God truly is.  He completely took care of this situation for us.  No, it doesn't make it easy for me to go to work, but to know she is in good care makes it easier...

Just some pics...

Pardon the sideways picture, but I had to tell this quick story on my husband.  January 30th was the 5th anniversary of the day Brian proposed to me.  He had these waiting for me.  Just when I was about to give up on him being sentimental---he surprised me with these!  So, in the spirit of Valentine's week---I thought I would share how sweet my husband is...

I am so blessed

Obvioulsy, I am a little biased, but I think I was born into the best family.  I don't know what I would have done through this life of mine so far if it wasn't for my family.  When I was little, I felt like I moved around a lot, but looking back, I realize that I never felt lonely in new places because I always had a permanent friend....my sis.  Through the years we have developed such a strong friendship that goes beyond just the definition of "sister."  When her kids were sick this past week---I was a mess.  I couldn't go and see them because that meant that Emily would be at risk.  Before Emily was born, there would have been no question, I would have been with my sister.  I remember the day Emily was born, Kristi got a little choked up in talking about Emily with me---it's hard to explain how much love you can have for a niece, but we have both felt that feeling for each other's kids.  (wow, I have never written "each other's kids" before--sometimes it just hits me that I really do have a kid of my own!)  My sister was my very first friend and I am so blessed.

Brian used to have a job that kept him working on Saturdays.  I cannot begin to count how many Saturdays my mother has given up to spend time with me and keep me company.  When I got pregnant, it seemed that her Saturday "duty" with me tripled.  She was always coming over to help me get things ready for Emily, help with the laundry, help with cleaning, take me to lunch etc...but, I was just the morning/afternoon duty.  She had to get to my sister's house to help with her kids in the afternoon.  My mother works TIRELESSLY for her children.  We're always telling her to take it easy, but she doesn't listen, she always wants to "do" for us.  Another perfect example of her selflessness...she had a day off work today and instead of making use of her time for herself---she and my dad came to our house to watch Emily so that we could save money for a day off of daycare.  My mom is a great friend, a great mother, and a loving Grandma.  I am so blessed...

My dad is a constant in my life.  We didn't get to have as many Saturdays together because he had to be at work and since I work full-time, I don't always get to spend as much time with him, but I know that if I need him he is there.  I will never forget going to Disneyland with him the day my water broke.  He was so cute!  Every time I had any type of pain out of the ordinary, he would say, "do we need to go?"  Thank goodness we made it home before the water actually broke---but I digress---He has always been such a great listener to me and my sister.  To this day, I need his advice and he is often spot on.  He helps me see the bigger picture and helps me realize that life isn't always about the right now.  Things don't always happen the way that I want them to, or the moment that I expect them to....makes sense, right?  Too bad I have to have him remind me of that!  I love how much he loves God, my mom, his children and his grandchildren.  You can count on a camera in my dad's hand at any family function.  He doesn't want to miss a moment or even forget one.  He is so in love will all of us.  I am so blessed...

My little girl is three months today...

Since Emily was born, I have spent every Friday night reminiscing about the anticipation of meeting Emily for the first time. (My water broke on a Friday night and she was born early Saturday morning.) It was a very fast moving 12 hours and then she breathed her first breath, cried her first cry, and I felt the most overwhelming kind of love. I just remember watching my husband (the new daddy), my sister, my mom and my dad (aka the paparazzi) surround her and love on her. Their faces were beaming from ear to ear, this little baby brought out so much joy, so much love. I of course couldn't wait to hold her--3 months later, the best part of my day is holding my little girl. 
Brian's dad and stepmom were in town for the second week of Emily's life and they are returning this week. I was holding her tonight and said to Brian, "Your family isn't going to know what to do--she is such a different baby." Some things have stayed the same--she doesn't sleep through the night, she loves to be swaddled when she does sleep, she still has hair and she LOVES her aquarium bouncer. Things that haven't stayed the same (in other words, newer things)--she smiles a lot, rolls over from her stomach to her back, coos often, likes to do sit ups (no we aren't making her work out, she likes to hold on to our hands and sit up from laying on her back) and she likes to sit in general (not by herself just yet). She absolutely loves either sucking on her hands or a pacifier. She also enjoys the exer-saucer and was in it at Grandma and Grandpa's house today. 

Emily rolling over...

Oh yeah, and she is auditioning for a coke commercial...

Emily also had her first bout with the flu a couple of weeks ago. Mommy and daddy did NOT enjoy that! It was so scary. We were in the emergency room for 4 hours while they watched her for signs of dehydration. Luckily, she was sent home after they ruled out a bladder infection and received an anti-nausea medicine and some pedialyte. Mommy got the flu the following day, daddy got it the next and Grandma got it after taking a day off of work to help us! We were a mess! We'll be heading back to the doctor on Thursday for a 3 month check up. They were concerned for a 1/2 lb. weight loss that could be summed up by a scale difference, but that is why I have to go back with her. Hopefully she gained the weight and then some. (The only time in life that you pray for weight gain!)

New and Improved

Okay, so truth be told, I didn't update my other blog as often as I wanted to because of the way we had it set up---i.e. I always wanted a picture to go along with a story, because it would have looked funny with a big blank block, but I often wanted to share something but didn't have a picture to go along with it! So, I have decided to join the blogger community and get a different blog!  This way I can keep out-of-state family updated with the most up to date Emily details--as well as other things that flood my mind.  So, my goal is to have more blogs for all of the fam and friends to see!  We plan to keep the other website for more "album" like pictures so feel free to keep both up and running!  

So, with all of that said, I would like to jump to the "flood my mind" portion of the blog and tell you what I can't seem to get out of my mind.  My nieces have been sick this week---SO sick.  Both of them have been admitted to CHOC hospital on separate days.  Lexi, the youngest was admitted on Thursday and Haley was admitted on Friday.  My sister's blog shares all of the details if you would like to read about it---but if you don't have the time, please pray that their family will get through this exhausting time!  Lexi is home, but Haley is still at CHOC.  They are both getting better, but this is a very tiring time!  I know that they would appreciate your prayers.