Time to catch up

I'm a terrible blogger, I know. I feel awful it's been so long since my last post, but time had just flown by. But I'm back to catch you up on what's been going on, so here we go.

My beautiful son is now officially a walker! He struts around the house, quite pleased with himself. It seems like it happened overnight. One day he was taking a few wobbly steps before dropping down and going back to crawling...and the next he was just taking off on his own, flying free as a bird. It's so awesome to see him take that step to independence.


He does this really cute face where he purses his lips. Sometimes he'll make monkey noises at the same time, and it's pretty hilarious. He's learning some animal sounds like dog, monkey, duck and it's adorable because a lot of the time they all sound the same. He's talking up a storm which is so crazy. We always joke that he's French because it's jibber jabber that we can't understand but has a definite accent to it. He points his little finger and then says something with such purpose. He's happy to chat away with the cat, his toys, us and anybody or anything that will listen. He knows how to say Mama but doesn't usually say it unless he's not feeling well. His favorite word is still "Dada" and sometimes walks around chanting it while waving his hands around.

His appetite is still going strong. His favorite meal is pasta with chicken and tomatoes. he would eat tomatoes all day every day if he could. Today I introduced him to turkey dogs, and he loved them. He'd pick up each piece and happily shove it into his mouth. Sometimes he does his happy dance when he's eating which is so cute. He's definitely a foodie like his Mama.

Time is zooming by but every single day is a blessing with Dominic. He's growing up and learning so many new things that I can hardly believe it. I'm so proud of him!

Birthday Cub

Happy Birthday Dominic! I can't believe my baby is one! We had a great party for him at Wakeham Park and it was a perfect day. Tons of friends and family came out to celebrate (guest count was 45 people!) including peeps from San Diego and Reseda! Dom definitely felt the love.

We had lots of snacks, treats and cupcakes with his adorable face on display. It's amazing how much work goes into a party for a one year old, but phew, it was exhausting! But it was so much fun preparing all his decorations and making sure the day went as planned.

The amount of gifts he got was incredible! He loved opening every single one and plays with them all. It was so special to have everyone come out to honor his special day and it everyone had a great time. Dom got to show off his walking skills (shaky but able to take about 5 steps!) and loved all the attention he received.


I still can't believe it's been a whole year since Cub has been in our lives. It's gone by so quickly and he is has grown in so many different ways. I can't help but think about when he was a newborn, so small and helpless. He needed our help to eat, burp, move...but now he's a dynamo who had his own little personality. He's so funny and loving and sweet, I couldn't be prouder of him.
We have been through a lot this past year, learning how to be parents, learning how to adjust to having a baby, learning how to find time in the day for it all. But I think I can safely say that in 12 months I have grown up in ways I could never have imagined. My whole world is my son, everything I do is for him. Every single day I look at him and feel overwhelmed with love. Sometimes it's still unbelievable to me that he's mine. I get to keep him. I will be his Mom forever and ever. That is, without a doubt, the gift that keeps on giving.

More Chompers on the Way

Dom is really enjoying his food. He hardly eats baby food anymore as he much prefers the real deal. His favorites are chicken, tomatoes, pasta, apples, carrots and french fries (hey, he's my kid, remember?) It's so cute to watch him grab the food off his tray and shove it into his mouth. Now that he can self feed with a lot of things, it frees me up too. While he's sitting in his high chair, I can empty the dishwasher, or start on dinner. We chat and sing together while this is happening, and he seems to be pretty content.


He's all about holding his own food right now. We have peaches growing in our backyard and he loves to nosh on those. I love the above photo of him. Marcus took it at my Mom's house. He looks so grown up! The kneeling pose is killing me. He looks like he's about to propose.



He's gone through some big changes the past couple of weeks. Sunday (June 27th) was a "hallelujah" moment. He finally, after a week of restless sleeping and grumpiness, broke his two top teeth! Poor thing has been drooling and chewing on everything trying to get those babies out and finally, we can see two little white spots in his gums. If they grow out as fast as his bottom two teeth, we should be seeing them pretty soon. He's going to look so weird with four teeth!


Am I the only one who has a kid that loves to drink his own bath water? He's not thirsty, I make sure he gets plenty of fluids through out the day. But no matter what, as soon as he plops down in the bath, he grabs his bowl or cup or spoon or duck (basically anything where he can get a pool of water going) and proceeds to drink it up. The best part is he always ends up with a bubble mustache....and is there really anything cuter than a baby with a bubble mustache?

Outfit Bonanza

I have been trying to keep things interesting in the wardrobe department, but I had to put the red lipstick down. Every once in a while is fine, but it just wasn't me to wear it more than a couple of times. I'm more of a natural girl and so I went back to that.

I keep forgetting to take full length photos so here are some head shots. They obviously don't do the outfits justice, but it gives you some idea of what I have going on. Both tops were paired with dark wash skinny jeans. The above outfit I wore with purple flats that have silver studs on the toes and the below outfit was paired with bronze flats.


I'll try to get some full length photos soon, and in the meantime I will try to keep my promise of "stepping it up" and not wearing just any old t shirt, jeans and flip flops to work. Maybe I'll even try another dress soon...ooooh....exciting huh?

How much is that doggie in the window?

Rob and I are both animal lovers. That love is especially strong with dogs. After losing both Cleo and Luci, we decided to take a break from having a pup because it's a lot of work, time, energy and money. We had our hands full with our Cub, work, life. And truth be told, I think we both were really hurting from the loss of our two furry kids that the thought of having another was too unbearable to consider.

The subject of getting another dog has come up here and there, but we usually decide that it's not the right time and maybe when Dom is 4 or 5 we will consider it.

Dom is about to turn 1 (in 3 DAYS!) so we are far from him being 4 or 5. But suddenly Rob and I are having a serious conversation about getting another dog. It really started with a trip to Main Place Mall, more specifically "Puppy Palace." I wanted to go look at and hold doggies (which I need to do from time to time to get my fix) so instead of our usual Fashion Island trip, Rob suggested this place. Of course I made him call first and make sure they had plenty of pups for me to play with, not just one that isn't allowed to be picked up.

Once we got there, we both zeroed in on this gorgeous Olde English Bulldog. He's only 2 months old, and so so so sweet. We got to play with him and hold him and he really was such a precious little guy. Dom wasn't 100% sure about him but was definitely intrigued. He'd climb off my lap to get a little closer and then when the doggy would lick his hand or try to nuzzle with him, he was outta there. He'd throw his hands in the air and bury his face in my lap. The more time we hung out, the more comfortable he got. And the more I fell in love.

(Dom yelling) "Hey Mommmmm! Can we get him?"

Are we ready for another dog? Probably not Rob works a lot and I have my hands full with Dominic. A doggie needs lots of love and attention, someone to potty train him and take him to obedience classes. If it was just Rob and I there would be no question. We would get an Olde English Bulldog and a Pug. Done. But, it's not just us. We have our sweet Dom who needs love and attention, not to mention a watchful eye since he's taking his first steps now. It might just be too much to handle. So maybe we wait a little bit longer before we take the plunge? I'm sorry Frankie Knuckles, I guess it's just not our time. What?..yea, I named the bulldog.....I know, I know...I couldn't help it though. Can't you just picture him with a fedora and a cigar?

Snip Snip Sunday

Something amazing happened today...after seven weeks at daycare, today was the first time I dropped Dominic off and he didn't cry! Up until now, as soon as we would get out of the car, he'd tighten his grip on me, bury his little head into my shoulder and start to whimper. As we got closer to the door, the whining gets a little more panicked. When I would hand him over to Nonnie, he starts really crying, bottom lip stuck out, big brown eyes pleading for me to not leave him there. It's heart breaking every single time. We considered changing daycare because it just seemed like it he wasn't adjusting. But we stuck it out, and today was pay day. He did it! I can't tell you how relieved, and PROUD I was when I went to Nonnie without any fuss. My big boy.

We took him to get his haircut on Sunday, and now he really looks like such a big boy. Gone is his trademark floppy locks, but they will grow back fast as usual. This kid can really pull off any hairstyle, and the buzzed look suits really him. I just can't get over that face! Every time he gets up from a nap or in the morning when I go get him out of his crib, I am just overwhelmed by him. I fall in love all over again. His little smiling face, the cuddles he gives me when I lift him out of his bed, every inch of him just makes me so happy. There is at least one time a day when I look at him and tell myself "this is your baby, you get to keep him!" I feel like the luckiest person alive that he's my son and I'm his Momma. I feel grateful. I feel honored. And most of all, I feel complete.

Almost One

I can't believe I'm planning Dominic's first birthday party. How is this possible? Wasn't I pregnant just a few months ago? My baby boy has been blessing our lives for almost 12 months now and it went by so fast. Our lives have changed in so many ways, more than I ever thought possible. If you would have told me a couple years ago that I'd be getting up at 6:00 am every morning, 7 days a week, I would have laughed in your face. If you would have told me it's because I am tending to my baby, I would have laughed even harder. If you told me I would be cooking dinner every night, doing laundry, picking up toys and being all around "domestic" I would have told you that you're crazy.


But here I am. This is my life. Everyday, all day. And even though it's a huge departure from what I have been used to my whole life, I love it. I love waking up every morning to see my sweet little Cub nudging me to open my eyes. I love seeing him grow and change. I love being a Mom and a "wife" and being a family with Rob and Dom. Even though it was something that wasn't planned, it just feels like this was always our fate.


Things aren't easy breezy every single day...there are challenges I face all the time, but that's just part of life. Everyone has days that are tougher than others, times when you feel frazzled or just in a funk. But nothing can pick up my mood like Dominic. He's such a happy and loving kid and he has a way of making you feel like no matter what's going on at that moment, nothing can be all that bad. His big brown eyes can melt my heart in one second. When he rests his head on my shoulder and puts his little arms around me, I feel like there is just nothing better in the world than that.

His birthday party will be fun. I ordered the invitations today and I'm stoked on them. They came out really cute!!! We're having it at the park and the guest list is kind of out of control. I wanted to invite everybody, but the park doesn't allow more than 50 guests. No big deal, right? I mean, it's a first birthday, how many people could there be? Well, how about 60. yes, 60. I've never even had that many people at one of my birthday parties! But I have a huge family, and there are lots of kids. I'm bummed because i wasn't able to invite everyone that I wanted to so if you don't get an invitation, I'M SORRY! I had no idea the guest list would look like this, and it's kind of crazy to think of that many people crammed under a gazebo at the park eating cake. But what can I say? Dominic is a popular kid:)

Steppin Out

Holy Crap! My baby took his first steps today!!!!! I can't believe it! We were playing in the living room and he had been cruising the couches all day...holding on to them and walking sideways from one to the other. but he never let go. Then all of a sudden, he grabbed the remote off the couch, turned towards the TV and took four steps! I was in shock! I'm SO happy this happened while I was with him and not when I was at work.

My new favorite thing

I haven't forgot about my promise to you to "step it up" in the style department, so here is my outfit today. It's actually very toned down for me...not one single pattern as far as the eye can see. But I think it still makes a statement. Contrary to my expression in this photo, I actually love this outfit and will be wearing it more than once (which is what I sometimes tend to do.)

My favorite part has to be the boots. I have never been able to wear boots like these because they would never fit over my calves and it would always bum me out so bad! I have always dreamed of slipping one on, having it slide right over and fit....but it just never happened. Until now:) I scored these on the Wet Seal "40%" off table for $10! Yep, you read that correctly! So not only am I stoked to finally fulfill my dream of wearing boots, but I got them for a killer price. Sweet victory!

Double Whammy

This is the face of a child who is in pain. He was killing time in the waiting room at the doctors office with a little light reading. His eyes are so expressive for a baby....full of laughter, happiness and love.

Dom had a rough couple night with crying and waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to find his way back to dreeamville. Instead, there were heavy doses of crying, screaming, whimpering, agitation. I hoped maybe it was teething, but my fear, and what my gut was telling me, was that it was another ear infection. The doctor confirmed my fears this afternoon and told me it's a double whammy...in both ears. So he's back on meds and drops and ready to fight the good fight. My poor baby:( I hate to see him in pain and I wish I could take it all away from him and take it on myself. I remember my Mom telling me that many times when I was a kid (and to be honest, as an adult too) and I finally know exactly what she meant. Hopefully the meds will kick in right away and he'll get some much needed rest tonight.


I don't know how you couldn't want to just squeeze this little face. Look at him! He's so happy and is having so much fun. My Mom got him this tunnel from Ikea and he loves it! The cute thing is that he has just as much fun with it all folded up as he does when it's stretched out. Dom is totally into climbing. He loves going up and down anything he can get his little chubby knees up onto. Fun for him, sometimes panic for Momma. he gets so excited and just kind of jumps into it without making sure he has clearance for his body and sometimes there's a bonk to the head. Luckily he's quite tolerant of the bumps and knocks he takes.


Check out his new shoes! Yia Yia and Bapou got them for him and he loves them. They are the first pair that he actually leaves on, and thank goodness because he needs the support right now. He's standing up a lot, although not without holding on to something. He isn't too interested in taking actual steps quite yet, he much prefers jamming around via crawling. He's pretty quick on his knees and can get to where he's going quick.


With Dominic getting older, his toys are becoming more advanced. Instead of just blocks, books and hand held rattles, he's really into big boy stuff. We got his this awesome puppy see saw and he totally loves it! It's so cute to see him giggle with glee when he gets on and rocks back and forth. It's kind of crazy to sit back and watch him....my little baby is becoming a big boy right before my very eyes.

His absolute obsession right now is the curtains. He loves to crawl over to them, bury himself underneath the fabric and whirl around the floor playing peek a boo. he gets so amped up and just laughs and laughs the whole time. The only problem is that he gets so into it that sometimes he pulls the curtains down. It's amazing what can be so amusing to a baby. He's got a toy box full of goodies but all he wants to do is make a fort in the curtains. And can we talk about this photo above for a second? Check out that toe point, the arm extension, the little romper. It's all too much for me to handle. Cutest kid ever.

Ferosh

I have a handful of stores that I shop at and pretty much never waiver from them. Target, Old Navy and Torrid. Not because I'm fiercely loyal....no, no, no. If I see something I like, I don't care where it's from. The reason is because there aren't a whole lot of places that carry cute clothes in my size. It's ridiculous, I know. In this day and age, you'd think it wouldn't be so hard to find something trendy and fresh in something larger than a 12 or 14.

But alas, this is the sad truth. Because of this, I 've always had to be creative in my purchases and "make it work." Thank goodness Old Navy figured it out and started carrying plus size clothes! Torrid used to be awesome, but over the past 4 years or so, they have become a bit on the cheesy side. I loved them for their "outside the box" aesthetic, carrying items that appeal to my inner rockabilly self. but now it's a lot of very very youthful items (think tweens,) over the top glitteratzi, debatable fabrics and a just kind of "trying too hard" vibe. I can still find several pieces every month or so that I put on my wish list, because let's face it...I love clothes, but overall, they have slid down the fashion scale in my eyes.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, a couple of weeks ago, something AMAZING happened to me. I went into a "regular" store (H&M) where they don't carry any plus sizes...and I found a bunch of stuff that fit! And looked good! I couldn't believe it! It has been a long ass time since I have been able to do that...I'm talking when I was in my 20's. I took a ton of stuff into the dressing room, just for shits and giggles, and one by one I was surprised. I was so shocked in fact, that I took pictures! I even got all posey for the camera so you wouldn't have to just keep looking at my ear to ear grin in every shot.







What do you think? Cute, right? And the best part is that H&M has amazing prices! The white dress was only $12.99! Gotta love the clearance rack! As much as I loved everything I tried on, I only bought a couple of pieces. i got the red and white stripped top, the black cardigan and the white dress for such a steal! I went back with my Mom last week and she bought me the suit jacket, but in black:)

New clothes are so exciting, and being able to buy some pieces in a size 14 is indescribable. It's been a long time coming and I'm pretty proud of myself. Losing weight doesn't come easy to me, but I will keep striving for the prize, one day at a time.

Little Man

There are just no word to describe how much I love my son. I want to kiss him and squeeze him every second of every day. I can't help it. Look at him! Dom is my little buddy. We spend lots of time together running errands, playing, chillin' at home. The older he gets, the more fun he is. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but he's really starting to change more and more. One of the big things is how much he's talking now. And by talking, I mean his type of talking which is for the most part, baby babble. But it seems these past couple of days he has been pronouncing new letters and sounds that I haven't heard before. He says Momma, Dadda and Cat so no new words yet. Although, sometimes when I ask him a question, i swear he answers me by saying "yea." I know, it's just a coincidence...but it's going to be SO weird when it's not.


He has really grown over these past few weeks. Now when we go out, he sits in his stroller with his bottle of water and his snacks. Sometimes Elmo rides shotgun. Dom is content to just people watch as he muches on his chips and takes it all in. I wonder what he's thinking during this time. Does he get that we're out running errands? He's he people watching in the way that I usually do? Is he happy to get out of the house? Does he even have concrete thoughts like this? Or is he just thinking "Baa Daa Baa Maa?"

He's really into eating on his own now, and prefers big boy food. I still feed him "baby food" from a jar, but he also eats some of whatever we're eating too. Some of the stuff he's tried and liked is chicken (he looooves chicken!) tomatos, brocolli, mushrooms, pasta sauce, mac and cheese, jello, steak, frozen yogart and soup. He seems to have a pretty easy going palette and I'm happy about that. I don't want him to be a picky eater like I am.

One of his favorite things to do is go through the paper recycling bin that we keep in our kitchen. He stands up and grabs each piece firmly in his hand and then tosses it to the floor. Sometimes he'll stop for a second to look at it before disguarding it, but the cool thing is that he's not putting it directly into his mouth. We're not totally out of that habit yet, but we're getting better.

Once all the paper is on the floor, he'll sit down and sift through his creation. I swear, it looks like he's reading the articles. And the funny thing is, Rob was sitting just to the left of this photo, doing the same thing. I mean, he wasn't sitting on the floor haha, but seeing Rob sitting at the table and Dom on the floor doing the same activity....it's pretty adorable.

With all of these new and fun things Dominic is learning, I have found that playing with him is more enjoyable too. We sit on the living room floor and go through his toy box or read books. He loves to be chased and hides behind the curtains. He can pull himself up like a pro now and is almost ready to walk. There have been times that he is standing while holding onto something, like the couch, and then lets go. He's getting his balance a bit more and isn't so wobbly.


I'd have to say one of my favorite things is still when he falls asleep on me. It's during those moments that I look down at him and wonder where the time went, and what I ever did before him. He brings so much love and happiness into my life and I cherish every moment that I get to spend with him...playing or sleeping.

Dance it out

Saturday night was a much needed girls night out. Tina, Lanie and I decided to do it up since it had been FOREVER since we had one. There's just something about getting together with your two best friends and having some fun that is good for the soul.


We started the night at Lanie's and had some dinner (see, we are responsible drinkers, always have a base before you start!) and then headed out to Pierce St. It's kind of a divey bar but it's our local spot and they have a DJ so it works for us.

The night was one of those that can't be planned. Just three friends, hanging out, having some drinks (ok, a lot of drinks) and seeing where the night takes us. It turned out to be an awesome night of laughs, conversation, dancing...and did I mention drinks? It had been a very long time since we had a night where we close the bar down and I think it's safe to say we all had a great time.

Since Rob was in Phoenix, Courtney and Dimitri babysat Dominic. He had such a great time hanging out with them and his cousins. I love that they get to spend time together and it's crazy to think that one day they will all be school together!


The boys were so excited to have Dom stay over and they helped give him a bath and read him a bedtime story. These photos make me so happy! And I love the one below...Court is such a natural. She could totally have another baby and juggle it all (don't tell Dimitri!)


Dom loves his Nuna Court loves having snuggle time with her Godson. It's such a blessing to have family that is not only willing, but wants to help out. I love that our family is so tight and always rallies together to help each other out.

Thank you Dimitri and Courtney for having Domi over for a sleep over and giving Momma a much needed night out. And thank you Lanie and Tina for being my girls, I don't know what I would do without you both!