Time To Weed

Lately, I have been trying to get the yard, both front and back, in more of a working order than they are. I've started with mowing the front yard, pulling some weeds, picking up doggie poops, and sweeping. I sort of neglect the backyard though because there is just so much to do. WELL... I can only ignore it for so long before something needs to be done. Yesterday afternoon and into the evening, Jake and I "attacked" the backyard. Of course it still has a LONG way to go and I can't wait to sift bad dirt out and get fresh, clean dirt and plant some yummy veggies. Last year we moved just at the end of Spring and beginning of summer, so while I was able to plant tomato plants, (only 1 bore fruit, but it gave fruit for many months longer than I thought it would!) everything else I planted... perished.

Here are some "before" shots of the weeds. When weeds are this tall, I think it's a good idea to go out there and "get 'em". There were some taller ones, probably about 4 feet tall, but Jake had already taken them out before I started taking pictures.

Here are some "during" shots. I'll post some after shots when we get the yard looking prettier.

We worked until about 6:45pm, however, due to darkness, and much to our dismay, we had to stop. My parents are coming over tomorrow though and they are "experts" on pulling weeds. I expect there will be a lot more progress after tomorrow (assuming it doesn't rain on us).

Shyla At 2 Years Old

I can't remember them all, but here is a list of some of the words Shyla says.

If she or you sneezes = bet you
If she or anyone "toots" or sounds like they did = faaart
If someone is in her way, even a chair or toy = moot or cue me

Prayers = payers
Wipies = wah-pees
Sponge Bob = Bob Bob
Pancakes = cake cakes
Again = gim
Listen = whisten
Cleaning = keeming
Stand up/sit up = step up
Smokey = Mokie
Bandit = B-dit
Cleaning = keeming
Move = moot
Wallet = wall-eet
Fridge = frge
Water = wa-wers
Balloon = boon
Spoon = poon
Pasta = patah
Boot = boop
Snap = nap

Jumping = dumping
Button = bunin
Soda = sona
Bone = bon
Sorry = sawny or soddy
Please = pees
Milk = moke
Pickle = picky
Horse = hannie
Cow = cow-zsh

She'll also sign "where" and say "where daddy?", or "where daddy go?" She'll insert any other word for "daddy" when she's asking about "where" anything. It's a lot cuter in person than I'm able to put into words. You just have to see it.

SIGN LANGUAGE: Like with the words she says, I can't remember all the signs she knows, but here are some of the more recent ones. Actually, I'm sure some of them I've listed before, however, there are some new ones listed.

Again, Listen, Frog, Cow, Horse, Tree, Help, Happy, Sorry, Please, Thank you, Grey, Spider, Rain, Stars, See, Heavenly Father, Bike/Bicycle

A few likes and dislikes:

LIKES: - playing with the dogs and with other kids
- going to the park and playing on the slides and swings
- going for walks
- playing "tag" (She stands at the wall and touches it, we say "ready", "set", "go" and she runs to the other side of the room. It doesn't work so well when she's doing it in her room as an excuse to not get in bed and go to sleep.)
- repeating the last 1-2 words we say in any sentence directed at her
- bubbles and sidewalk chalk
- coloring
- putting together puzzles
- talking on the phone to anyone
- reading (mommy especially is excited her daughter may follow in her "bookworm" footsteps)
- music and dancing

DISLIKES: - loud noises
- when you push her too long on the swings
- naptime
- having the lights on or even dimmed when she goes to sleep
- being told "no"
- clippies in her hair (not always, but she usually takes them out)
- going to the doctor
- having shoes or socks on in the car
- leaving a party when she's having fun
- having her hair brushed

Well there you have it. Some neat things about Shyla at age 2. The picture below was taken just after I found her standing on a toy to get on top of our entertainment center where she knew there was some chocolate. I caught her eating it and asked if she found the chocolate. She just looks at me and with her mouth full of chocolate says, "Chocolate?" Isn't she lovely?

23 Weeks & Random Updates

This morning as Jake and I were working for a few minutes in the office, we heard a weird noise. Jake went to check it out and found that Shyla had gotten into his wallet (she calls it a "wall-eet"). By the time we got to her, she had crumpled all his paper money in individual pieces, crumpled each individual work receipt, and put all his bank, credit, medical, cards, etc. all in 1 slot in his wallet. As you can see she was very proud of her "accomplishment".

Later in the afternoon as I was laying down resting, I began to feel little Baby Bess moving a little differently than before. I felt more moving around (possibly stretching?) than the usual kicks. All I've felt up to this point are kicks and pushes, but not much else. It's reassuring to feel him moving around because it's a constant reminder that he's still here.

Last night we went to see our friends Rico and Angela's new baby boy Carter. He's 2 weeks old tomorrow and so cute. I don't think he liked me much though, he cried almost the whole time any time I'd be holding him. I'm chalking it up to being evening time and he was hungry :)

Tonight Jake had to work for Concord at a basketball game. He just told me though that the detail was cancelled and the game was moved up to last night. No one told the guys though, so they got all dressed and were waiting for the game to start. It's a bummer he didn't know beforehand, we're having a garage sale tomorrow morning with all the stuff we've kept from houses we've trashed out, and could've used the time to put price tags on items and get them organized before tomorrow. The exciting thing about this garage sale is that I don't think we paid for any of the items we're selling, so anything we sell is extra to us. It's not supposed to rain until tomorrow later in the day or evening so I'm glad we didn't have to move the garage sale to another weekend... we don't really have many other days we could have it without moving something else we have planned.

Jake should be home in about an hour so I have to get going to make dinner for him and Shyla (and me too).

Ranting and Raving

To some I'm sure this will be a boring post. To others it may ruffle some feathers. These are just my thoughts I'm having today and I felt the need to "save" them for future reading. If you disagree with me or have nothing nice to say, please don't respond... I'll just delete your comment.

I used to like watching the news in the mornings to see how the world was going. Lately though I find that after a few minutes I'm mad already and just change the channel. All I ever hear is "we need more money", the state of CA gives IOU's for tax refunds, water and power utility increases, job cuts, education cuts, school closures, over sized classrooms, fuel tax increase, income tax increase, sales tax increase, bridge toll increase, postage stamp increase, etc... you get the idea...

I'm going to say, and I'm sorry if it makes someone mad, I did NOT vote for Obama. I'm not happy with what his "plans" are for the economy. I know that I'm already feeling the effects of everything going on and the money for his not helpful "stimulus package" hasn't even been given out yet. Where do people think we are going to come up with 1 TRILLION DOLLARS??? That's right, it's coming out of your pocket, even if you never see any of the money. I feel like no matter how I vote, or what anyone says, Obama will do whatever he wants. That's some power to have. No, I do not have all the answers, nor do I claim to, but I think "dishing" out money left and right isn't going to help the situation.

I know all too well about the foreclosure crisis. I know what caused it. I know how it affects people. I know what's happening with it now. We live it everyday when Jake or I go to work. I know that some of what it being told on TV is NOT TOTALLY TRUE. They make it seem like what the banks are doing is a good idea, but I know the reality. They don't talk about what criteria the bank wants you have to meet in order to maybe qualify. I also dislike when someone is portrayed on TV as the victim of a foreclosure. Here's the reality of most of these "victims", they KNEW what type of loan they would have, they KNEW the amount was going to increase, they KNEW when, they KNEW they weren't paying their loan for AT LEAST 6 months before the bank stepped in, they KNEW when they are getting evicted that it was coming. It's what happens when you don't pay your bills. I used to have more of a soft heart when it came to people losing their homes. After seeing day after day the condition a LOT of people leave their homes in, my heart knows better. I know for some it's a hard situation and that it may have been the result of something out of their control. The ones I'm frustrated with are the ones that try to play the victim. The "oh, I have to move out before Christmas", or "I have 4 children and they will have no place to go". I'm sorry they are in that situation, but even if it is PARTIALLY the banks fault, they don't care. All they know is you aren't paying the bill, so you have to move out. The homeowner knew for a long time (sometimes even 1 year notice) what was coming.

I am deeply saddened by the amount of people out of work. I know too many people not working. I think that's the main reason why Jake and I go out of our way as much as we can to help those in need. We have given stuff we've found from the houses we clean out to several charities, to church, to friends who don't have a lot. We've even saved unexpired food to give to someone who needs it. I feel sad for the families who have lost their homes, but I feel I can help so many by taking ANYTHING I can find of use and give it to someone who has nothing. Trust me, we give so much sometimes we're really going out of our way when we're already short on time. We put our stuff we have to do at home second when it comes to donating what we've found. I hope that many people can find work soon. In the meantime, we are not the wealthiest people, and we have lots of bills we have to pay off, but I will continue to help those in need because now is when they need it MOST.

I would love to, but I think it's best that I don't comment too much on Obama and his views on subjects I totally disagree with him on. But I will end by saying once again... this almost 1 trillion dollars is going to turn into a LOT more really fast. AND that doesn't even include interest in paying it back. If only people could hear what was going on in my head.

My Monday

Today was a cold day, well cold by California's standards. It was also raining. I was going to take Shyla shopping, but since the weekend was cold and rainy I didn't hold much hopes for it being nice weather today. Low and behold... it was raining almost all day. I'm not complaining about the rain though since we haven't really been getting much rain this season, or the last couple years for that matter. So Shyla and I spent the day inside meandering around the house.

About a week ago Jake and I were working on a trash out at a property in Discovery Bay. We had found 3 shelving units that were $200 each! The people in this house certainly didn't buy cheap stuff. So instead of throwing them out we kept them for our house.

I thought it would be a good time to clean them off and move around my ever-growing book collection. Before I did that, I had set Shyla up in her new rocking chair with a bag of chips and the movie Shrek 2 (I love the Shrek movies). She sat there rocking and eating for almost the whole movie while I was able to work on the bookshelves. While I didn't finish this mini project it was nice that Shyla's growing to the age where she can entertain herself for a little bit without me having to be in the same room with her. If she watches TV it's usually educational TV, but with such a rainy day and her not being able to go outside and play I "splurged" on her and let her watch the movie.

After a while it was nap time. Ever since we put Shyla in her big girl bed, naptimes have become "interesting". The last couple days, she opens her door, which she just learned how to do, goes downstairs to play with her kitchen, then comes back upstairs to get me and Jake. This morning she woke us up crying because she had climbed over the gate that we have on the stairs and was playing. When she wanted to come back upstairs she couldn't get over the gate from the other side, so she stood there crying until we came and rescued her.

Which leads me to naptime. About 5 times of Jake and I going in there to coax her back into bed Jake goes in to find this...ALL of her clothes in 2 of her dresser drawers. When he opened the door Shyla was just sitting in the middle of the pile. I'm just glad she didn't empty the sock drawer which was the one on top. She knows her socks there, but perhaps she's saving that surprise for another day.

The picture below isn't from today, it's from a few weeks ago, but I thought it was fitting to show since it fit with all the clothes on the floor. This day I had gone in to get Shyla after her nap but she was already awake... the powder was on more than just what's in this picture. We promptly took all powder out of her room after this incident.

Shyla's 2nd Birthday

I know I'm super late updating my blog about Shyla's 2nd birthday, but here it is. Shyla turned 2 years old on January 24th. Where did my baby go? I just cannot believe how fast 2 years has gone. I think this is a true showing that I'm doing something right because while I feel like sometimes I'm not doing anything right, I look over and realize I have a 2 year old... she's happy... she's healthy... she makes me laugh... she's someone I can talk to (though sometimes she wants to do all the talking). I love Shyla Marie so much and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to get to know her these past 2 years.

I LOVE YOU SWEETIE!

The party we had for her was a loaded with fun, family, friends, food, and a PINATA! We bought 2 pinatas in case one broke early so that every kid could have a chance hitting it. Well, neither one broke as easy as you would have thought, but it was still fun watching all the kids. They were happy and smiling... I loved it.

One Productive Saturday

So I've been feeling a little down on myself lately (as I tend to do more often than I should) and feeling like I am just not getting things accomplished as fast or as much as I'd like. Last Saturday I decided after doing a few things that I'd make a list of all the stuff I had done (I meant to post this on Saturday, but of course life got the better of me...). When I wrote it all down it made me very happy to see that even when I feel totally unproductive that I still get a lot of things done. I have to stop being so hard on myself and get out of the "super mom/wife" mentality and realize that I am doing just fine.

Side note, Jake had to work that day, so we couldn't spend the day together, but this weekend we are going to Los Banos for lunch with some family to celebrate the "February" birthdays. There are 3 of them on February 5th and one of the birthday guests will be 104 years old! I'm glad we'll get to spend that time together as our individual family and with our extended family.

Here's my Saturday list:

1. woke up
2. took a shower
3. made pancakes
4. fed shyla
5. shyla went outside to play while i picked up dog poop, swept the cement, and filled the dogs water/food dishes
6. ate breakfast
7. got the dishwasher started
8. washed some other dishes in the sink
9. changed shylas clothes that got dirty from being outside
10. tidied up her room, hung up clothes, put away books, etc.
11. emptied the garbage cans around the house
12. played on the computer a little
13. entertained shyla
14. read some of the current book assignment for februarys book club
15. read some books with shyla
16. vacuumed a little of the downstairs
17. fed shyla lunch and then put her down for a nap
18. got myself some lunch and cleaned up the kitchen
19. took myself a nap (well, not much napping but at least i laid down and rested for a while)
20. got ready for dinner out and left
21. came home, put shyla to bed
22. got ready for bed
23. read a little bit
24. watched some tv to help fall asleep
25. went to sleep

After reading my list, I just tell myself that's it's hard to not feel "accomplished" when I did so many things this day .

We're Having A...

I guess you already know what we're having since I've changed my background to show it. But in case it passed you by... WE'RE HAVING A BOY! We found out back on January 21st, but between Shyla's 2nd birthday, family staying at our place, working on tax information, along with the normal daily activites, time passed me by. Not much to tell regarding the appointment. The nurse was on time for the appointment (as was for the appointment we had with Shyla). Now, if only all of the nurses/doctors could be as on time... one can hope. We had my parents, our good friend Laurie, Jake's parents on speaker phone, and of course Shyla in attendance. First, the nurse had just me and Jake go in the room. She took a TON of photos for the radiologist to review. About 15-20 min later she had everone else come in the room. She found out what we were having but we wanted to wait to find out until everyone was in the room. When she was getting the image on the screen I could tell what it was just before she said it. "It's a boy". I knew it. Jake is super excited to be having a boy. Now he won't have to be outnumbered by us girls.

FUN FACT: On my side of the family, on my mom's side, in my generation I am the only girl. So far, Shyla is the only girl too in her generation. Besides me, there are 3 other boys, and besides Shyla, there are already 6 other boys. She and I are still grandmas "special" girls. She doesn't love us any more, but I think it makes us have a special bond. Grandma and I already have a special bond because we also share the same birthday!

It's definitely a boy!

A couple of pictures from 16 weeks (2 of them I had fun playing with Photoshop).

A couple of pictures from 20 weeks.

Not much to report on how I'm feeling. I still have a due date of June 17, 2009, but the ultrasound showed June 12th. My doc said he wouldn't change the due date for just a couple of days off since pregnancy isn't "by the book" anyway. Maybe he forgot Shyla came 3 weeks early and was a fast/short delivery??? I need all the prep time I can before this little guy comes. THANKFULLY we have a hospital 5 minutes away this time (3 if you drive fast).