Watch Me Grow - 9 months

Emma is now 9 months old. This month she has surprised us by starting to make the move towards becoming a walker. She is very happy to be in a standing position, and will "yell" at us until we hold her hands so she can stand. Recently we dug out Cody's old music table so that Emma can practice her new talents on something that is just her size. She is in heaven playing with the buttons and knobs and is pleased as punch to be becoming such a big girl. We are also having a lot of fun watching this transformation, but I can't help but feel a little sad as I watch my baby begin to become a toddler. Here she is in all her glory...

I'm such a girl!

I got a phone call the other night from the Team Mom from Cody's T-ball team, just to discuss the things he'll need for the first practice. The list included things such as cleats, a mitt, and a cup. Upon hearing that he would need a cup, I generously (or so I thought) offered to "bring cups for the whole team, and some juice too if they needed it." Suffice to say, she did not mean a drinking cup (DUH) but rather, a protective cup. I'm now slightly embarrassed to go to practice and be known as the mom who wanted to bring cups for all! What a girl!!!

one of the guys

Now that Emma is mobile, she is always following Cody around (much to his chagrin). Tonight she snuck up on the boys while they were playing monster trucks, and was actually invited to stay and play. She was beside herself with glee.

the alphabet "game"

Now that Cody is officially registered for kindergarten, I'm beginning to panic. What if he's not ready? What if I haven't prepared him? What if, what if, what if... So, we've been playing lots of "games" lately that reinforce his language skills. Yesterday we played the alphabet game, and Cody absolutely loved it! All I did was pull out the alphabet cards and mix them up. Then Cody arranged them on the floor in a path. After placing each letter he would walk the path saying the letter's name and sound until he figured out what came next.

This morning when Cody woke up the first thing he said to me was, "Can we play the alphabet game again." I'm a firm believer of tricking them into learning - it works every time!

Here comes trouble!

Emma has been experimenting with her leg strength lately. She loves to be held in a standing position, and today decided that she was going to stand holding the railing of her crib. I'm excited that she is getting ready to become an unsteady walker, but if I remember correctly - this is the beginning of the end for us. But, she sure does look cute, and she just glows with pride when she catches us watching her.

a calm in the storm

We have been having some unpredictable weather here this week, so when we saw the sun pop out for a few hours this afternoon, we quickly got ready and walked up to the park. All of us, kids, parents and dog, were sick of being cooped up, and were quite thrilled with the break in the weather and the opportunity to spend a few minutes in the sun.

When I grow up...

I often ask Cody what he wants to be when he grows up. I love the answers he comes up with and the reasons for his choices are often too cute for words. Well, last night after reading bedtime stories we were talking about my job, so I decided to ask again what he would like to be. Our conversation went something like this...
Me - "Cody, what do you think you might want to do when you are a grown up?"
Cody - "I want to write Mommy."
Me - "Oh, what do you want to write?"
Cody - "I want to write books, silly."
Me - "What kind of books?"
Cody - "The kind with words. Silly mommy!"
So I guess that says it all - silly me.

Poor Tatum

While we were driving today I mentioned to Cody that his friend Tatum was going to have a new baby brother or sister soon. His response..."Oh, poor Tatum! I hope she gets a baby brother, cause baby sisters are loud." Aaah, feelin the love.

Watch Me Grow - 8 months

At 8 months old Emma is really blossoming into her own very distinct personality. Though she remains very happy and easy going, she is beginning to show a new, more mischievous side. She is now totally a crawler, and can often be found heading for wires, power outlets, errant dog hairballs, or anything else dangerous or disgusting. On her way to a forbidden destination she likes to turn around, make sure mommy and/or daddy are watching, grin that irresistible grin, and then continue on her merry way - as if to say, "I dare you to try and stop me." This 8th month has also brought the addition of 2 new teeth, frequent chanting of the word mama, lots and lots of giggles, and my favorite - the totally heart melting open-mouth baby kiss. Brother and sister also continue to be quite enamored with one another - though Cody recently exhibited the first glimpses of dissatisfaction. (See post "Poor Tatum" for details.) The kids spent a ridiculous amount of time just giggling at each other for reasons that Jay and I do not quite understand. Overall, 8 months has been a blast. We are loving our little girl and are enjoying watching her true self begin to take shape.

quote of the day

This may be in the top 10 of my all time favorites:

"Stop laughing Mom! I'm trying to be sad."

Our 44th President

Cody came home from school today really excited about our new President, "Tarack Mobama." When I asked him why it was so exciting he responded, "because Mom, he's the man with brown skin that talks a lot of nice words, and lives by my school." Well, 2 out 3 ain't bad.

On the move - Part 3

Houston, we have a problem! Now that Emma is crawling forward she is into everything. We knew the day would come, but we were complete unprepared for what a little trouble maker she would be. When Cody learned to crawl we would gently tell him "no" when he came too close to something that we didn't want him to have, and that would be the end of it. He would literally not return to that spot. (Incidentally, whatever spell he was under at that time has completely worn off - but that's another story.) So, I admit that we have been a bit surprised by Emma's "defiance." She seems particularly attracted to cords, wires, or anything else that could potentially electrocute her - go figure. So far our excellent parenting strategy...distraction. It seems that as long as one of us is constantly building a tower for her to knock over, she is happy as can be to NOT eat the cords. So, for now, we build towers. But, I tell you what, we are really beginning to worry about the upcoming toddler years, and we are not even going to think about the potential issues of the teenage years!

what a beautiful day

We have had some gorgeous weather the past few days, which isn't often the case in Sacramento, in January. In order to make the most of these warm sunny days, we have been busily soaking up the sun whenever and wherever we can. Emma and I have been taking long morning walks. The boys have been out playing basketball and fishing. And today we ventured to the park for some climbing, sliding, sandcastle building, and swinging. Emma took her first ride in the swing and giggled non-stop for the better part of an hour. Cody ran around like a wild man, making sure to swing from each and every bar and to slide down each and every slide before the dreaded 5 minute warning. It was a fabulous day. I think we'll do it again tomorrow! (knock on wood)

I make me laugh...

Well, I'm newly addicted to facebook. If you know me at all, you know that I love "scoop." I love knowing other people's business. It's why I love reality TV, it's why I can't seem to leave work on time, and it's why I secretly stalk peoples blogs. I know, I'm a freak. I just love drama - of course, not in my own life - but I love to watch things unfold in other people's lives. So, I'm newly addicted to facebook as I mentioned, and I've spent the last few weeks reading comments from old friends and people from high school, and I've often found myself laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. I mean here are people that could not stand each other in high school and now they are chatting amicably on facebook - boggles my mind. Fast forward to early this week... my phone buzzes, signaling that someone "wants to be my friend." (Love it!) So, I check, and who is this elusive friend, but none other than the girl who wanted to beat me up all through junior high and high school. I literally begin to shake just from reading her name. What do I do? I accept her as a friend of course! (I'm STILL too afraid of her not to.) Sad, sad, sad. I hope my children are not as spineless as I am.

girls are nicer than boys

While I was putting Cody to bed to night he offered up a bit of his wisdom to me. He said," Mommy, did you know that girls are nicer than boys? That's because girls use nicer words than boys. That's why I have lots of friends that are girls. They are nicer." And then my favorite part... "Just like you are nicer than Daddy. Daddy's really nice, but he can't be as nice as you, cause he's not a girl." I love the logic of the 4 year old mind.

The key to a good night's sleep...

When Cody was a baby he was completely addicted to his binky. It got to the point where if he did not have a binky in his mouth at night he would wake up and be inconsolable until a replacement was found. The nighttime binky search often happened several times a night until I came up with the genius idea to completely surround him with binkies while he slept so that at any time he could reach out and find what he needed to put himself back to sleep.

Fast forward 4 years...

Can you count all the binkies within her reach?

Now, Emma is not as addicted to the binky as Cody was - she mostly likes to chew on them with her new teeth. But, I am not taking any chances that her (and my) sleep will be unnecessarily interrupted in order to search for another binky.

mama

When I went in to get Emma from her nap this morning, she was babbling away in her crib as usual. As I got closer and she saw me, she very clearly said, with a big smile on her face, "mama." I didn't actually believe that this was in reference to me at that point, but a few minutes later while changing her diaper she looked at me and said it again. Jay was also in the room at that point, and he looked at me quizzically and said, " did you just hear that?" So, until further notice, I am going to believe that my little monkey was indeed talking to me. Yeah!!!

Happy New Year!

While 2008 has brought us many blessings, we are excited to ring in the new year tonight. May 2009 bring us as much love, friendship, good health, and happiness as we saw in 2008. Cheers!

digging myself a hole (no pun intended)

Today while we were in the car Cody asked me a question that I wasn't prepared for and didn't quite know how to answer. Our conversation went like this...

Cody: "Mommy, after we grow up and get big do we turn into babies again?"
Me: "No, we never turn into babies again. We only get to be babies one time. After you are finished being a little boy you will be a man, then you will be a daddy, and then a grandpa."

I thought I was doing pretty well up until this point. And then...

Cody: "What happens after we are grandpas?"
Me: "Uh, um, uh...well, we go up to heaven and we get to be with all the people we love again."
Cody: "Why are they there?"
Me: "Well, after we get very old, our bodies get tired and we (gulp) die."
Cody: "Am I gonna die Mommy?"
Me: (thinking - "OH CRAP!!") "No honey, not until you a very, very old."
Cody: (sobbing now) "You mean very old like Papa? Is Papa gonna die? Why do we have to die?"
Me: (thinking - HELP!!!) "Well, our bodies get tired after a long life, so they need to rest."
Cody: "I think I need to take more naps. Then my body won't get tired and I won't die."
Me: (in a last ditch effort to stop this downhill slide) "Oh look, Daddy's home! Let's go see if he wants to play a game."

HELP! Anyone have any great ideas on how to explain the cycle of life next time it comes up?

My little snow bunny!

Isn't she cute?

Watch Me Grow - 7 months

Our Emma is now 7 months old. At 7 months she has mastered rolling, can sit up unassisted, is beginning to "crawl", and continues to capture our hearts. We love you "stinker dink"!

On the move - Part 2

Emma has mastered the roll, and now can pretty much maneuver herself around the house this way. But, in the last few days she has also begun to start using her arms and legs to pull herself along. It's not quite a crawl - she's not up on all fours - but it is pretty darn close.

I would imagine that she will be a full-fledged crawler in the next couple of weeks. Heaven help us!

Christmas

We got our wake up call from Cody this morning at 6:30. It went something like this...

"Get up! Get up! Get up! Santa was here! Santa was here! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!"

What followed was a frenzy of stocking and present opening, sprinkled with a few minutes for playing with each new thing in between. Both kids enjoyed opening their gifts and loved each and every one. (Good work Santa!)

After all gifts were opened and all garbage cleaned up (I can't help my garbage removal compulsions) we had a fabulous breakfast of Christmas Eggs (a tradition, and recipe, that I grew to love while living at the Williams' house after high school). And now, it is with both joy and exhaustion that they, and we, are getting ready to settle down for a "long winter's nap."

Christmas Eve

Well, it's the night before Christmas...
Cookies for Santa? Check!
Milk? Check!
Reindeer food? Check!
Children nestled all snug in their beds? Check and double check!
Now the real work begins for us little elves. It may be a late night followed by a very early morning, but the looks on those little faces tomorrow will make it all worthwhile.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

We took the kids up to play in the snow today. It was so much fun!

We went sledding,

built a snowman,

threw some snowballs, and caught some snowflakes on our tongues.

Cody was really brave and kept going higher and higher up the hill with his sled. At one point I thought the day would come abruptly to halt as Cody was walking up the hill and got plowed over by another kid coming down the hill. He literally flew up in the air and landed with a loud smack, on his back, in the snow. But, after the initial shock wore off, he was ready to go again. What a trooper. All the way home he kept asking - "When can we go sledding again?"

Overall, the day was a huge success!

Christmas Letter 2008

'The Week Before Christmas
(at Casa Rowan)

'Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a child was stressed out, nor for that matter, a spouse;
The stockings were hung on their hooks on the wall,
Except for poor Emma's - it's still at the mall;
Cody's so thrilled that he's jumping on beds,
While visions of traffic jams dance in my head;
And Jay with his football and me with my lists,
I check and I double check so that nothing is missed;
When from out on the yard there arose such a clatter,
We all sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.
Away to the front door we flew like "The Flash,"
Unlocking the bolt and hoping for cash (?).
The garbage was spread out on the newly raked grass,
Man our new dog can be a pain in the $#%!
When what to the boys' surprised eyes should appear,
but a whimpering pup, and from me - well, a tear.
With the house all a wreck and Christmas not far,
I looked up at the sky and I wished on a star.
I wished to be finished with all my pre-holiday chores,
So that I could stop fretting and being a bore.
I wished for a maid, or at least a clean house,
I hoped for some help from my kids, and my spouse.
And then in a twinkling I remembered with glee,
that I am so lucky to be "we," not just "me."
For a husband who's kind and still gives me the wink,
and who knows that to me everything's better in pink.
For a son who greets me each day with a squeeze and a kiss,
and who's quick with a smile for his mom, dad, and sis.
For a daughter that sleeps, and rarely cries,
And looks at me lovingly with those big, big, blue eyes.
For all of these things, I give thanks every day,
For laughter, and love, and sleep, and play.
To be here with the ones that I hold so dear,
I truly am grateful at this time of year.
So here's hoping you're happy and that your loved ones are well,
we are missing you madly as we near the Noel.
I'll end with a wish for 2009...
May you have happiness, health, and lots of good wine!

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
We love you all!
Teresa, Jay, Cody & Emma Rowan

Polar Express

We took the kids to Old Sacramento tonight to ride on the Polar Express. It was fantastic. Cody loves Polar Express, and is totally in to Christmas this year, so he had a blast. On our ride to the "North Pole," we sang carols, drank hot chocolate and ate cookies, and saw Santa. At the end of the trip Santa gave each of the kids a bell from his sleigh - their "first gift of Christmas." It was truly a magical night for all!

At School With Mom

Cody spent the day with me at school today. He had a great time at morning sing, recess, and watching Polar Express with my first graders. At one point when my students were lined up for lunch- I had to do a double take, as he blended in seamlessly with those big kids. I kind of made me sad to see, but I guess he's a big kid now too!

First Tooth

Emma got her very first tooth today. It's really more of a 1/2 tooth right now, but she sure is using it to bite everything in sight. I'll take some pics when it's actually visible. Right now I only know it's there because - you guessed it - she bit me!

Kindergarten?

Our little Cody is due to begin kindergarten next fall. I can hardly believe that my baby is really ready for school, but he is. So, as we gear up for this major transition, Jay and I have been spending numerous hours talking about our hopes and dreams for the children's educations. Today we spent the morning touring and observing in a kindergarten classroom, in order to get a better feel for our options. Though I don't think the school that we visited is the school for us, it helped both of us to more clearly see what features of an educational program are most important to us. Jay wants a school with quality extra-curricular activities and high test scores. I really need a program with structure that will challenge Cody, while at the same time let him be a kid. Though I am confident that there is a school out there that can accommodate both of our needs, I do have a back-up plan if necessary. My back-up - bring him to my school for kindergarten. It is not ideal, but at least I know the teachers and the curriculum, and (selfishly) I would get to see him every day.

Family

This afternoon was a rough one here at Casa Rowan. The weather was awful which meant that no one really got outside to run off their accumulated energy (namely Cody). After yet another time out, I went in to retrieve Cody and to talk about why he needed to take a break. After our talk, I gave him a hug and began walking back to what I was doing, when he fiercely grabbed my hand and began speaking. Here's what he said...

Cody - "Mommy, I'm so glad that even when you're angry, you still love me. And, don't worry, even when I'm in time out, I still love you. Do you think that's what makes a family?"
Me (with tears in my eyes obviously) - "Yes buddy, I'm pretty sure that, that is exactly what makes a family."

I love that kid - he's wise beyond his years, not to mention adorable, and hilarious too!

I wish...

Cody - "Mom, I wish I could live with my cousin Jake."
Me - "Oh, really?"
Cody - "Don't worry Mommy, you and Daddy and Emma can come too."
Me - "Thanks Cody, but don't you think Auntie Meems' house will be too crowded for all of us?'
Cody - "No, not when my girl cousins go to their new house."
Me - "Oh, Sammy and Scarlett are going to a new house?"
Cody - "Yeah, mom. It would be too crowded if they didn't!"
Me - "Oh, duh!"

son of a fisherman

Cody is beginning to show signs and symptoms of becoming his father - a dedicated, slightly obsessed and fanatic fisherman. This morning upon waking Cody and I had a slightly surreal conversation.
Cody - " Mommy, did Daddy already go to his fishing tournament?"
Me - "Yep, really early this morning. "
Cody - "Well, you have to go early Mommy. That's when you get the big fish. Did he go to Clear Lake, or Folsom?"
Me - "Huh?"
Cody - "Clear Lake or Folsom Lake?"
Me - "I think Lake Berryessa."
Cody - "Oh, that's a good lake too. He'll probably catch lots of fish there. What time is the weigh-in?"
Me - "Huh?"
Cody - "You know, when they measure the fish, to see who is the winner."
Me - "How do you know all this stuff?"
Cody - "Daddy teaches me stuff about it when you're doing girl stuff with Emma and your friends."
Me (thinking to myself)- "Well, that's pretty sneaky."

When I Grow Up...

I was sitting next to Cody tonight when he sadly looks at me and says, "I wish I could sing on the radio." To which I very encouragingly replied, "Maybe you can someday Cody. You never know, you might be a rock star when you grow up." Then, my 4 year old looked at me as though I was crazy, and said, " No mom, I want to be on the radio now. When I get big I'm gonna be a police man so I can put bad guys in cages."

Oh! Well that sounds like fun too.

Seeing Santa

We took the kids to see Santa today. Emma has just recently reached the "stranger anxiety" phase of life, so I did not have high hopes for this trip, but we just had to do it. Both kids were great while we waited - Emma smiled away, and Cody talked about what he would ask Santa for. When we finally reached the Big Guy, I was surprised by how well things went. Both little monkeys sat on his lap; Cody told him his heart's desire; and Emma even smiled for the picture. Ahhh, I love Christmas miracles.

Unfortunately, they charge an arm and a leg for picture CD's, so here's one we took in line. The cute one is in a frame on my tree!

Watch Me Grow! - 6 months old

Look how big our little girl is getting! She now rolls everywhere, eats everything (if it looks like mush), and babbles all the time. Emma, you are such a joy. We love you!

cousins

The cousins, Jacob (6), Samantha (3), and Scarlett (3), joined us for Thanksgiving this year (along with Auntie Meems and Uncle Ryan of course). Jake and Cody were practically inseparable, playing cars and Star Wars and running around like wild animals.

Jacob & Cody

Sammy and Scarlett oohed and aahed over Emma, much to her delight. They wanted to hold her, play with her, and of course "check on her" while she slept. When they weren't with Emma, they could be found either trying desperately to annoy the boys, or putting on "litspick and sparkles" in my bathroom.

Scarlett & Emma

Sam & Emma

the girls

post script - My collection of pictures is extremely sad, because my sister Mary (aka Meems) is a photographer, so I left it all up to her. I'll post some good ones when she sends them to me.

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so much to be thankful for this year...

I am thankful for my husband, Jay. I love that he still makes me laugh, and lets me cry. I love that we still enjoy each others company and have things to talk about. I love that after almost 10 years together, through pregnancy, childbirth, and even morning breath, he still looks at me with "that look" and means it. I am reminded each day of why I chose him, and I have yet to regret that choice.

I am thankful for my son, Cody. I love that I am the first person he wants to see when he wakes up in the morning, and the last one he wants to see before bed at night. I love that he randomly calls out, " I love you Mommy" when the mood strikes him. I love that he makes me mud pies at school, and colors me endless pictures at home. I love that he thinks I'm a good Mommy, even when I doubt myself. I love that he gives his love so freely and openly. But mostly, I love that I am a recipient of that love.

I am thankful for my daughter, Emma. I love that she can light up the room with just a smile. I love the way she holds my face in both hands when I rock her to sleep at night. I love that she has brought out the gentle and sensitive sides in both Jay and Cody. I love the look of wonder and amazement that she often wears while looking at seemingly ordinary things. I love experiencing life's small miracles all over again through her eyes. I love that she is at once a blank canvas and a timeless masterpiece. I love that I get to be her mommy.

My grandmother is always saying to me, "Teresa, you've got it all," and on this Thanksgiving I can honestly say that she's absolutely right.

upside-down baby

We've discovered that when Emma is grumpy that she likes to held so that she is slightly downward facing. This seemingly awkward and uncomfortable position not only makes her cease being angry, but it brings about fits of giggles (for which we are suckers). So, if you should come over and see us dangling our tiny daughter precariously, please don't judge us - she likes it!

Hmmm, I wonder where she learns these things?

Mommy and Daddy go to Preschool

Jay and I got a chance to go hang out with Cody at school today for their annual Thanksgiving feast. When we arrived the kids were doing the "Freeze Dance" in the classroom while they waited for things to be ready.

Once things were set up, all of the kids and parents went outside to sit down and eat. I'm pretty sure that the idea was for our children to sit with us, but alas, they all wanted to sit with their friends instead. (Is this the beginning of the end?)

Overall it was a great day. I love being able to watch Cody interact in different environments and to see how he behaves at school and with his friends - he always makes me so proud.