Lake Tahoe 2013

We have officially completed our longest road trip as a family of four. We left Lakewood around 3 am on Mon. July 29 to spend 3 days in Lake Tahoe (Stateline). Phish was playing a two night run and we were able to buy tickets and secure a hotel room earlier this year. The trip up there was relatively easy and Brynna, who is potty training and doing very well at it, didn't soil her diaper the whole way! She used gas station toilets along the way each time we stopped and I took those opportunities to nurse without a cover in honor of National Breastfeeding Week. ;-) We sang songs and Brynna watched Ice Age on the portable DVD player.

We arrived at our hotel around 10 am.  The Lakeside Inn and Casino. We were able to check in right away and were really excited about how cute our room was! It felt like a cabin with exposed ceiling beams and wood paneling.

We relaxed for a while before heading out to find some dinner. We ended up eating take out from Sprouts Cafe where Brynna proudly announced at the counter, "I'm vegan!" The food was really great! Over the next few days we enjoyed hummus melts (sans cheese), Santa Fe tempeh burgers, a baked tofu bowl, a kids burrito, 2 hot shots (wheat grass w/ lemon, ginger, and cayenne), and ABC cookies. Really great and very busy restaurant.

Night One (7/30) of the show was pretty great. Really dark and funky jams that were easy to dance to. Kellen was a bit overwhelemd and fussy for a good chunk of the show but I held him closed and nursed him until he fell asleep. Brynna made a friend named Juniper and the danced alongside each other, two adorable toddlers getting their groove one! Juniper's mom is named Elise and we got along with her really well.

Night Two (7/31). Amazing. The kids were in great moods. The walk with them in carriers between the venue (Harveys) and the hotel was doing a number on our backs but it was worth it. We met up with Elise and Juniper inside again and had an amazing experience with the kids. The show was amazing.  Set 2 opened with a 36 minute Tweezer that was so fucking perfect and intricate and awesome I forgot what I was listening to and was just entranced by the beauty of the music and the happiness I felt being there with my family. My babies have no idea how lucky they are to have been at that show.  I'm ecstatic that we were that lucky.

Our drive home the next day was a little rougher...we left at 9 am and withing the hour Brynna was car sick. She just threw up one time though and we got her cleaned up pretty quickly. Kellen seemed uncomfortable and hungry the entire ride and I spent most of it turns around in my seat trying to sing him to sleep. We hit rush hour in LA and Brynna couldn't hold her pee pee in until we got home.

Such a quick rundown of the trip...I'm blogging from my phone which I hate typing on. In short, it was a fantastic family vacation. Kids were great, Tahoe was beautiful, and Phish was spot-on amazing.

July 2013

We are slowly settling into our new home. There's a lot of work to be done though so the house stays in a constant state of disarray. Its ok though. We're all a lot happier here. Brynna gets to run around in a backyard, so that's a plus. We're also walking distance to Mayfair Park and their Tot Lot.  Its designed for smaller kids so I dint have to worry so much about B falling or getting hurt while I'm wearing Kellen.

Brynna can say the entire alphabet and count to 10. When we're out she points letters and numbers out to us.  She also says "I'm vegan!" And "I'm 2!" Sometime she claims to be 4 though and I'm not sure where she got that. Her favorite songs right now are "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and the alphabet song. She can't say her "S" or "L" very well so when she says "horse" or "clock" we crack up. She's so smart, gentle, and kind. She loves her baby brother so much. (Baby brudder) She likes me to kiss all her boo boos better and I told her I always will as long as she lets me.

Kellen has rolled over a couple times. He's getting a lot of strength in his neck and will usually hold his own head up. He's a cuddler for sure and is content just being held. I can't believe how fast this goes.

My children are so awesome. My husband is amazing and perfect for me. I'm so lucky and incredibly happy that I have such a wonderful little family.

Tiny perfect

Perfect little ears.
Perfect little noses.
Perfect tiny breaths on my neck. My children. My reflections. My gifts. My hopes and dreams and all of my love...

Their souls are just getting used to this world. It is my job to protect those souls and give them the opportunity to grow into who they want to be. I must not hinder and I will not tolerate anyone else as a hindrance. They will carry into this world what their father and I give to them. The best we can do is fill their young souls with love and hugs and tolerance and joy.

Goodbye Alburtis.

This was my daughter's first bedroom. First steps. First smiles. Oh god.

Cheeeeeeks.

When you're 17 I don't think you'll let me kiss these cheeks over and over and over...

Everything has a last time

With our children, we are always looking for the firsts. We are so intent on waiting for these firsts that we don't pay any attention to the last times. I still remember the last time my daughter woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to sleep with me. And it breaks a part of my heart that she doesn't do that anymore.

One of the hardest things for me to do is to go through my children's clothes to get rid of things that won't fit them anymore. It may be selfish of me but I want them to always be this small and always love me this much.

One of my crib sheets has this disgusting, oily stain on it from a particularly awful night and day when B was sick and throwing up constantly. She threw up all over me, all over the couch, and all over her crib. No matter, the feeling of her pressing her tiny face into my neck because I was the only one that made her feel better is still one of the best feelings of my life. I hope I can always make her feel better.

K is already about to outgrow his three month clothing. I feel like I have not taken enough pictures. I don't know why I feel that as they get bigger they need me less... I suppose that's a testament to my relationship with my own mother. I really did need her less. I'm not my mother though and my children will always know how much I love them, that I will always be there for them, and that I will never leave them.

Everything about you is beautiful

One day you'll want to straighten and dye your gorgeous hair...and although I want you to express yourself I don't want you to change anything. You're perfect.

You smell like grapes, sunshine, and happiness.

I love you, daughter.

Week 39

I would be sinking into a terrible depression, but my baby girl only knows how to make me smile. I've hurt my back and it's left me almost immobile. I feel so useless. I feel guilty because I'm actually considering induction.

Farmer's market=yay!

Today Brynna and I met up with a friend of mine (Natalie) and her daughter Adele. Brynna and Adele were born just a day apart from each other. Adele actually came 5 weeks early so the fact that these two get to grown up almost sharing the same birthday was a little bit of a fluke. Dr. Natalie(she's a chiropractor) and I met through LARS and both went from crazy drunken soccer hooligan-ladies to moms at the same time. Her and I are actually pregnant together again...but she further behind me this time...only 15 weeks at this point.

Anyway, it had been forever since I'd seen them. Natalie is one those friends who you can pick up with right where you left off like you were never apart. I really love that about her. Brynna and Adele were content being strapped into their strollers as neither Natalie or I have the energy to keep up with a toddler on the loose right now. We chatted about how different our second pregnancies have been and grazed on fruit samples. Brynna wasn't in the mood for anything besides blood oranges and eating one made her look like a little vampire. We weren't out for long but it was good to get out into the sunshine and reconnect with Nat.

I always forget how much I love shopping at farmers markets until I'm actually there. I love the freshness and "realness" of the food. I love the way vendors crack open anything and give you a taste. Something about shopping for food outside is incomparable to going to the grocery store. I meant to get some artichokes and heirlooms tomatoes but somehow let them slip by me. Oh well. Not a bad haul for $10. Look at the size of my avocados!

Brynna's Cupcakes

Being the only vegan kid at day care means that your mom tries extra hard to make delicious treats for the kids. Also, her nickname is Veggie.They arent sure what they'll call the baby.

it's always something.

January has come and gone. We're in the second month of this new year that was so promising just a few short weeks ago. Sigh...everything we were saving for will have to wait though. instead of a downpayment on a house we had to replace one of th cars. Repair the dryer. Oh well. I told Kyle (honestly) that anywhere I am is home as long as I'm with my family. I meant it too...it's just frustrating when something youve been waiting so long for gets pushed back again.

In other news... no more work until June! I'm taking all of my vacation before my leave officially starts. It's so nice to spend lazy days at home with Brynna and stay up late working on homework without having to worry about getting up for work in the morning.

Valentine's  Day was nice. Brynna had a party at daycare for which I made cupcakes for her to take. I got caught up on laundry and after dinner Kyle and I feasted on vegan pastries from Whole Foods and my recreation of the picnic food that we ate on our first date... Valentine's 2008.

new year, growing family.

2013 feels like it's bubbling with opportunity. Kyle and I have plans, methods of getting things done that we don't usually bother ourselves with. We usually just go with the flow but this year we are going after what we want. It won't be easy, for sure. I'm starting classes in 10 days to continue pursuing my BA. My quarter ends 2 days after my due date. The challenges of full-time mommyhood, full time-work, and being a full-time student will be daunting. But it's important. We will be buying our first home this year too. Something not too big, but comfortable and with room for Brynna and Baby D to grow into children. The place we're in now is barely big enough for us and one toddler...let alone the pets and another baby on the way.
I'm currently at the tail end of training with Starbucks to become a store manager...but that promotion would more than likely have to wait until I returned from maternity leave even if I was done today. Taking on the responsibility of my own store/business will be a challenge in itself but it's one I feel prepared for and confident will help me provide things to my kids I wouldn't otherwise be able.

2013 will most definitely be different from all other years, but I feel it will be so rewarding. Here's to lucky number 13!

Written from my Galaxy, waiting for blood work to make sure I haven't gotten the 'betes.

introduction

My name is Jen. Kyle calls me Jennifer, and I love that about him. We met in 2007 and married each other in 2010. Every day with him is an awesome day... he does a great job of calming my crazy. In April of 2011 we welcomed our little Valkryie, Brynna, into this world. Life with her is real. Before her there was Kyle and Jen...and that was great. We drank. We worked. We stayed up all night and drank more. We fucked and went to music festivals and studied together. We played a lot of Wii and went to a lot of soccer games without worrying of it was too chilly for the little one. We skipped laundry and slept in on our days off. We walked around Disneyland drinking vodka like water. We did our grocery shopping when we felt like it without fear of a tiny person being hungry if we got the wrong stuff. It was a moment in time that up until I felt my little girl move for the first time had been the best time of my life. Sometimes I miss how easy and carefree that time was, but I couldn't imagine not having my reality that is my growing family.

So. Fast forward. My Brynna is now 20 months old. In an estimated 84 days we will be welcoming our son into our family. Kyle is an embalmer, I am a barista. We live in southern California and are vegan. Yes, we are raising our kids vegan and they're better for it. We have a cat named Roary the Hull City Kitty, a bulldog named Chloe Anne Boleyn, and a mix of some sort named Murphy. We are currently looking into buying our first home. Coming up with the down payment is the only thing holding us back...