4 Months and Counting

Naiya is over 4 months old now and our video camera has been broken this whole time so we don't have any video of her yet. I feel bad because we have video of Melia every month on her monthly birthday. So I decided I'm going to at least write about Naiya every month on her monthly birthday until we get our video camera fixed. By the way, her monthly birthday is on the 16th. Yes, I'm a little late, but at least I'm doing it!




So here she is--my little smiley. That's my nickname for her because she smiles so much. She's such a sweet, easy going baby. She just learned to laugh and finds Melia totally hilarious. She just started getting pretty good at grabbing things and everything is starting to go in the mouth. I wonder why babies do that anyway. She has lots of curly hair, which totally looks like Jerry curls when it's wet. She is a total chunkster now and just has rolls on top of rolls. Adorable. Speaking of rolls--she can roll over now from her tummy to her back, but gets stuck there and starts to cry. Kind of like a turtle, except for the crying part. She is sleeping through the night now, which is heaven for Bo and I. Overall, we are just exceptionally happy to have her as part of our family. :)

3 Balloons

Well, Melia finally got her 3 balloons. If you don't know what I'm talking about, refer back to the post "Oh, My Little Persistent One". She did not forget that she wanted 3 balloons and kept collecting the change every time we went to the store. After a few weeks, we took her change to one of the machines that counts it and gives you cash and then walked over to the dollar tree. Melia picked out 3 Happy Birthday balloons and paid for them with her own money. She was beaming! It was so fun to watch her. :) On the way home, she said (about the lady that helped us with the change machine) "She was beautiful and kind." Awww. I love being her mommy.

Yes, We Actually Made It Home...Barely

Well, I have to say that I've been known to cut it close as far as getting to things on time goes, but this time I honestly thought I had plenty of time...wrong. Bo's sister, Azure, drove us to LAX and we got there an hour and a half before our flight. Plenty of time to check in and get to the gate...that is, if you don't accidentally stand in the security line when you're supposed to be in the check in line and if you don't accidentally stand in the on-line check in line instead of the normal check in line. That being said, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge check in line with only a half hour left until our flight was going to leave. The next half hour turned into a very stressful mad rush, but God put everything in place to help us through. First, He provided a kind manager who was willing to pull us out of the line and take us up to the front and check us in. Then, as we rushed over to stand in the long security line, a worker came and told us that there was a new security check point opening downstairs with no line. Blessing #2. So we rushed downstairs and that was when Azure had to leave me. There I was, left with a 3 year old and an infant, plus a stroller, a diaper bag and a carry on suitcase that has to be opened every time we go through security because it has a lap top inside. So after we get everything through and our shoes back on and Melia back in the stroller, God provides the next nice man to help us up the escalator with all of our stuff. He asks to see my ticket so he can tell me where my gate is and when he sees it, he lets out a moan. Well, that can't be good. At this point, I have about 10 minutes until our flight is supposed to leave and he tells me that my gate is all the way on the other side of the airport--a good 7 or 8 minute walk from where we are. Crap. So there I went, speed walking, pushing Melia in the stroller, carrying Naiya in the front pack, pulling my diaper bag on top of my suitcase behind me, begging God to help us make it there in time, and having the warning words of my mother ringing in my ears that I should have gotten to the airport earlier. A few minutes into this speed walk, I hear my name being called over the loud speaker saying I need to report to the gate immediately because it is closing in 5 minutes. Double crap. At this point, I take off RUNNING...Naiya still strapped to me, bouncing up and down. Double the prayers now. Making my way through the seemingly endless halls, charging up 2 escalators (blessing #3 is that we didn't fall down and end up in a big heap of stroller and suitcases), only running over one man's foot and giving him a flat tire, to at last see our gate number in the distance. We made it there--totally out of breath, sweating and disshevled--but we made it! Blessing #4! Once we got there, God blessed us with a really nice flight attendant who helped me with my bags and stroller and reassured me that I could relax and that they would take care of everything. He even asked the guy who was sitting in our row if he would mind moving so we could have the row all to ourselves. Blessings #5 & 6. Melia then decided to have a really loud meltdown, which made Naiya start crying too. Great. Oh, did I mention that we got almost zero sleep the night before because all 3 of us had to sleep in the same room which Melia is not used to at all so she kept getting up and doing stuff and trying to leave the room and almost waking up Naiya, etc. etc.? Yeah, so we were all very tired. Anyway, the meltdown didn't last very long and the rest of the plane ride went pretty peacefully. We got to San Francisco for what was supposed to be a half hour layover. That turned into an hour and a half layover. Let's just say that trying to keep tired kids happy and occupied isn't my favorite thing to do when I'm really tired too. But again, God blessed us with a nice mother and son to talk to and for Melia to play with. Also, another blessing was the lady in the bookstore telling us about a place in the other bookstore that had a section for kids with books and toys. Thank you! :) So our flight was finally ready to go and we got into Chico fine. More nice people who helped with bags, etc. Bo picked us up and Melia was so excited to see her daddy! I was happy to see him too. :) Then, we realize our suitcase and 2 car seats that we had checked in are not there. We spend about an hour there trying to see about them. Blessing #--I've lost count--was that I am able to breastfeed Naiya so I was able to feed her while Bo was trying to find our bags. The next blessing was that although they weren't able to find our bags, they lent us 2 car seats so that we could get the girls home. Later that night, they dropped off our suitcase and car seats to our house. What a day!

Trip to So Cal--Day 12 The Grandkids

This was our attempt to get a group shot of all 5 grandkids. Eden, Alex, Wyatt, Naiya and Melia. They were great posers. :)

Trip to So Cal--Day 11 The Thompson's

We spent Saturday hanging out at the Thompson's. Everybody was in town so it was a lot of fun! Everybody, that is, except for Bo. :( Sorry bebes.


Shane and Ericka got a new member of the family--Pete, the pug. If all goes well with him, they might move on to a baby. :)




Melia and Eden in the neighbor's tree house. Pretty cool!

Trip to So Cal--Day 10 Swimming with Trina & Piper

Guess what we did on Friday? You got it--swimming! For about 3 and a half hours this time! We got together with our good friends, Piper and Trina, and all of the kids. It was so much fun to catch up with them! All three of us have had babies in the past year since we've been gone. I can't believe how big theirs are! I don't know why, but I was expecting to see little babies like mine. I guess time didn't stop when we left after all! One thing I noticed all through this vacation seeing all of these wonderful people that we love--there's something about good friends, when you see them after being away for so long, you just pick up right where you left off and it's so comfortable, almost like you never left. :)

Trip to So Cal--Single Parenthood

I have to say that being a single parent for these two weeks has given me a new appreciation for Bo and all of the help he gives me. Getting Melia ready for bed and trying to feed Naiya at the same time was interesting, but worked out for the most part. Reading them bed time stories together was my favorite part.

Trip to So Cal--Day 9 Water, Water and more Water!

This time it was swimming first, then sprinklers second. Vicky and Lenore came over most evenings so the girls could play and we could chat. It was so hot during the days that it was nice to be outside in the evenings with a cool breeze blowing.


This is the aftermath of all the water antics.


It's all fun and games til someone looses some knee skin.

Trip to So Cal--Day 8 Swim, Swim, Swim & the Lemon Project

Our favorite pass time on this trip was swimming. Melia swam almost everywhere we went! Here, we're visiting my good friends from High School, Darlene & Jose. Melia had a lot of fun with their 2 boys, Nick and Andy.



Here's Nick taking Melia out for a spin in his nifty jeep. It was so cute. It looked like they were on a date. It was funny because afterwards, we went out to lunch and, instead of holding my hand while we walked through the parking lot, Melia ran over to Nick and held his hand. When we went in the restaurant, she stood by him and rubbed his back. Not so fast Melia! We've got a good 10 to 15 years before I want to deal with boys!

In the evening, Vicky and Lenore came over to--surprise, surprise--swim! After swimming, the girls decided to take on the lemon project. Lenore and Melia started to pick lemons off the tree and bring them over to us. After a while, there were 2 huge piles.


They took each one over to the pool to wash them off. Then they put them in bags so Vicky could take them home. Good little workers! Good reason to have kids. :)

Trip to So Cal--Day 9 Visiting GG

On Thursday, we went to visit GG (also known as my Grandma Emily). It's always fun to see her and catch up with her. :) This is my Aunt Becky and Uncle Randy's new dog, Sierra. She has got to be the most calm submissive dog I've ever met!


She kept Melia entertained for almost the whole visit!

Trip to So Cal--Day 6 & 7 Lots of Good Eating and Good Friends

Tuesday we had lunch with 2 of our good friends, James and Alisha, at my favorite restaurant, Red Robin. The closest Red Robin to us now is an hour and a half away, so it was a treat for me! It was fun catching up with them--we miss them! They need to take a road trip up here to see us soon!


So that night, Vicky and I went out and ended up in Uptown Whittier at Rocky Cola Cafe. Man, that place brought back some memories! I haven't been there in years! Anyway, I couldn't decide between the apple pie and the oreo shake, so I got them both. Vicky bet me a dollar that I couldn't finish them both. Silly, Vicky. Always underestimating me. :)


Here is angelic Vicky with her huge salad. I bet her a dollar that she couldn't finish it.


Yes, I finished it all. Not something I should be particularly proud of, but it is a good source of income on the side. Actually that dollar is from our waiter. Just as I finished, he came by and Vicky says, "She just finished all of both desserts! You should give her a dollar." He then tossed a dollar on the table for me. :)


Needless to say, Vicky did not finish her whole salad and turned to french fries to console herself. She owes me $2. :)

Trip to So Cal--Day 5 Sunday Dinner at the Waldvogel's

On Sunday, we went to church at my mom's ward. It was fun to see lots of old friends there. That night, we went to have dinner at the Waldvogel's new house. At least it was new to us--they've been there for a while now. They raised 3 kids in a little 2 bedroom apartment with no yard for as long as we had known them and they finally got into a nice big house with a nice big backyard when their 4th little one arrived. I've always said that no one deserves it more than them! They paid their dues!


Our friend Matt came over with his brother for dinner too. It was so good to see everybody again and catch up!


The kids picked up right where they left off and had a great time playing together. They're actually old enough now that they all sat down and played a board game by themselves!


Here's the whole gang! On our way out, Jim Weissinger and Danny Hunsaker were on their way in for a meeting with Jeff, so that was an added bonus for me. I loved seeing all of them again--it was like we never moved away. :)

Trip to So Cal--Days 3 & 4 "The Wife"

Friday we were pretty tired, so we just laid low and hung out with my mom at the house mostly. We did make a trip out to target to buy an air mattress for me to sleep on because the fold out couch in the living room is super hard and doesn't fold out all the way, so you have to sleep diagonally on it. I tried it for the first night and pretty much got no sleep because of the bed combined with the fact that it's in the living room which is on the side that the street is on. I forgot how loud it is at night--sirens, motorcycles, trucks, alarms, trains...you name it and you can hear it from that room. Oh, did I mention that the weather was super hot and humid and my mom's house is pretty much like a sauna except for in the one room that has a little air conditioner? And no, that one room is not the living room. Anyway, I ended up sleeping on the air mattress in the den, which is not on the side that the street is on, with my mom. It worked much better that way. I've never been so grateful to have an air mattress before!

The next day was my cousin, Mitch's, wedding. It was in Long Beach outside next to the Queen Mary overlooking the bay. Very pretty, but very hot and very little shade. I stood in the back under a little potted tree/plant for most of the ceremony because I didn't want Naiya to get sunburned. The reception was really nice and it was fun to see everybody in my family.


Melia was a little dancing machine, like usual. Here's Melia dancing with GG (her Great Grandma). What you don't see is GG almost going down as Melia spun her around and around!


My cute girlies with Grandma Sue!


Here's Aunt Kitty looking jolly and Naiya looking not so jolly. It was a long day for Naiya with no real naps, but she was a little trooper. :)

Melia had been looking forward to 2 things about this wedding--"the wife", as Melia likes to call her, wearing the pretty white dress and the cake. Although we didn't really know Dianne, Melia pretty much attached herself to her side in complete awe through most of the reception. Here she is holding the wife's hand in their cake cutting pictures.


Here she is dancing with the wife during the mother son dance. I had to hold her back so that Mitch and Dianne could have their first dance without Melia in between them. Melia also refused to leave the wife's side during the bouquet toss. I had to physically take her to stand with the other single ladies. At one point, after most of the festivities had already taken place, Melia went and sat down with the wife and said, "So what should we do now?" I think Melia fully embraced this as her and the wife's reception. Mitch was a mere bystander.



Groovin with Uncle Ron.


Aww, so cute. Too bad my arm felt like it was about to fall off from holding this chunky monkey for so long!


Here's Melia living it up on the craps table! The dealer had come over to me and asked if Melia could help pick some cards to give prizes to each table. I said sure and the next thing I knew, she was up on there on the table gambling and drinking and having a good old time! :)

Funny side note: That night, as I was putting Melia to bed, I went to give her kisses and she said, "No Mommy. Like this." She then proceeds to hold my face with her hands, tilt her head to the side and stick her tongue out as she leans in to kiss me! Aaahhhh! Well, needless to say, I had to explain to her the difference between "wedding" kisses and our kisses.

Trip to So Cal--Day 2 Where Else Would We Possibly Go?

So just about everyone knows that my favorite place in the world to be is at the beach. Since we live like 4 hours from the beach now, the first destination on our trip was obvious.


We went with my friends, Vicky & Vero, and Melia's friend, Lenore (Vicky's daughter) while Grandma Sue watched Naiya. Thanks mom. And a big shout out to Vicky for not only going, but driving us all considering she hates the beach! :)


We had a fun time and Melia and Lenore LOVED playing in the water! So did I. :)

That night, Vicky, Vero & I had a girls' night out in a part of LA called Little Tokyo. There's one little Japanese restaurant that we like to go to and chat about what's in the mindless magazines they have there to read and talk about life while we eat delicious food.

I am addicted to gyoza, so I get that every time. Vero is always undecided on what she wants to get, but definitely always plays it safe. Vicky usually gets something that either smells or looks funny and always tries unsuccessfully to get us to try it.
I was kind of bummed because Vero was leaving on a trip to Utah the next day so we only had one day together--but it was a good day. :) I have to say that, although none of the three of us are very sappy toward each other in person, we have an unspoken appreciation for each other and I don't think there is doubt in any of our minds that we are there for each other through the good and the bad. I'm deeply grateful to have friends like them in my life. Ok, no more sappy stuff. :)