The week we knew we were pregnant...

In reality we have known that we were pregnant since a little before Thanksgiving, but it hasn't been until recently that it is setting in that we are INDEED PREGNANT!  

I truly have no huge complaints with this pregnancy. (well maybe a few...like some normal pregnancy uncomfortables, I seriously just need some Chipotle barbacoa tacos with guacamole, and it's so spankin hot here I feel like I AM an oven living IN an oven and I would love my family and everyone else around so much more if air conditiong was a part of normal life here!!!!!!!)   I have felt really good, no morning sickness, no huge aches and pains, no food aversions (in fact I really just like food in general!).  Life has continued as normal for the most part and I haven't felt like I have had to slow down too much.  There are the normal things like falling asleep at 8pm every night (sometimes while reading to G, or even twice while praying with him!), or the occassional food swings but other than that, I feel really good and sometimes forget I am pregnant. I haven't even felt super emotional (unless I'm hungry) and haven't had any crazy mood swings.  (I will admit this last statement is from my persepctive and Jeff might have different thoughts, but it's my blog and I'll write what I want to, and I think I have been rather peachy for a hot (I mean temperature outside) preggo lady :)

*Note: Food swings are not to be confused with mood swings.  Food swings are when you are so hungry, nothing matters at all until you get food in your stomach.  They happen when you least expect it and are usually accompanied by uncontrollable tears, and an inability to make up your mind on what exaclty you need, you simply know you need food asap.  In most cases your son says "get mom whatever food she needs now, she is really sad about being hungry" and your husband either runs around the kitchen taking things out of the cabinet or fridge showing you all the options trying to make the tears stop or if you are in the car quickly learns to drive to whatever restaurant is closest that he knows you like.  The food swing instantly goes away as soon as you get food in your stomach, it's a fairly quick recovery and as long as you have food readily available wherever you are, you should not be in any danger. Your husband should take precautionary measures in case you should ever be caught without food.  Tissues and accomodating gentle responses will get him and any innocent bystanders enough time to get you to the nearest emergency food source.  

All that to say week 18 rolled around and it was clearly evident that there was a pregnancy in the house!  I was in my bedroom with the air cranked up as low as it would go watching Downton Abbey.  I stormed out of the room after the finale of season 3 where my (SPOILER ALERT!!!!) darling Mathew Crawley dies moments after he and Lady Mary Crawley have their first baby!  (To the writers of Downton Abby, shame on you!  Rude! That's all I have to say about you people) In utter shock and disaray, with tears in my eyes I stumbled out into the living room to share the shocking news with Jeff, only to find Jeff with misty eyes watching the ending of The Pursuit of Happiness.  (To all you men out there just waiting to pounce on my husband for having emotions, zip it, man up and acknowledge you occassionaly have them too unless you're a heartless bloak completely out of touch with the real world.) 

I sat and watched the ending of The Pursuit of Happiness with Jeff which just made me cry more.  After the movie he said throughout the movie he went into G's room a couple of times and snuck some kisses and hugs to G cause he was so thankful for our lives and G, and I then proceeded to explain to Jeff how devastating losing Mathew was to Downton, and more importantly how it impacted me...and it was then in mid story when I realized and actually said aloud "wait a minute, I'm so pregnant, and this pregnant lady is rubbing off on you!"  After which we both just started laughing, acknowledging that our emotions might be heightened and we were most definitely pregnant :)  (I hold true to the statement that I have "not had any crazy mood swings")

I'm not kidding the very next morning I woke up and I felt the hard little tummy pouch!  Up until then it still just felt and looked like the ever so hated chub stage of pregnancy!  It was like we had to acknowledge we were pregnant or something before the little pouch showed up :)  

It was also in week 18 that Gentry flung himself on the floor before school frantickly trying to put his belt on all while crying "my arms don't work, they can't put my belt on, I can't go to school without a belt"...I'm gonna chalk that off to pregnancy hormones too...certainly not a bratty 8 year old fit from a boy who went surfing at 5:30 am the day before with his dad and was ridiculously tired...yes most definitly pregnancy hormones.  

At 15 weeks the most important question...which board will baby choose?  Skate or Surf?

20 weeks and the keyboard is in plain view, but I fear it will slowly be disapearing over the next couple of months :)

Those homemade granola bars look amazing to momma and baby!

A Thoughtful Valentine

Hi everyone,

This is Jeff back for another guest blog post.  It is Valentines Day after all!  I have been feeling lately that I haven't been doing a good job of letting Ashlie know how much I appreciate her for all that she is.  Basically I do a great job of telling her how beautiful she is but she means so much more to me.  So this Valentines Day I want to tell her that in a poem I call:


"A Thoughtful Valentine"

Of all of the thoughts in all of the world

It's yours that really matter

On love and life and family strife

And pressure on your bladder (you're pregnant)

God knows the thoughts inside my head

could use some organization

This is why He planned for "us"

From the beginning of creation

In business, friendship and politics

I could always use advice

For parenting and husbandry

I could even use it twice

Of all the thoughts in all the world

Who's thoughts should I adore?

It's yours! It's yours! let the whole world know!

Me gustan, mi Amor

The first day of 2nd grade!

Friday was Gentry's 1st day of 2nd grade at Las Nubes!  The school year here goes from early February to early December.  As you recall, G was not a huge fan of his first year at Las Nubes for the simple fact half the time he was lost in translation trying to catch up and learn Spanish!  After we finished last year on a high note G was relatively excited (by that I just mean he only had one crying meltdown before school started).  

**Back story:  The first day of school for us, is historically, not the greatest experience.  When G started kindergarten we were "that family."  It was nothing short of embarrassing and seriously to this day I couldn't care less cause I was dying!!  I thought I was fine until we started driving towards the school and quietly tears just started to roll down my face all the way to the school.  They didn't stop there, and of course G was not excited so seeing his mom crying gave him every right in the world to bust out in a full blown meltdown.  Jeff pryed him off my leg and walked him over to the line with all the other tiny kindergartners as I stood there unable to stop the tears from flowing.  I seriously felt like a piece of my heart was being crushed.  Jeff kept elbowing me telling me I'm making him more upset, which I know is true but I couldn't walk away until he went in.  His sweet teacher Mrs. Moll came over and took him by the hand to walk him in, and he followed her but kept looking over his shoulder crying and waving...talk about heartbreaking!!  Jeff took me out for coffee which I don't even like coffee but I needed something strong!!  It was so hard for me to watch my little man, my buddy, my sweet boy, take his first big step of growing up.  For the FIRST time since we had G I thought I wanted to do this again, because man has this been so fun and such a blessing to my life, how could we only do this once??  

First grade, first day proved to be a little better, at least for G.  He knew his friends were going to be there, was semi-excited and right when we dropped him off his little eyes filled with tears and he gave me a big hug and told me to meet him right by this tree outside the door after school.  He kept turning around and waving much like he did in kindergarten but the tears never spilled over, as he was bravely holding them in.  I held my tears in until we got in the car and Jeff patted my back as I balled my eyes out, running through the same thought process as every mom goes through about "how he's growing up so fast, before we know it he will be leaving for college"  Again it took me a bit to get myself together and Jeff sweetly let me cry it out and by the time I picked him up at "the tree" after school we were both all smiles. **

Fast forward to this year!

Friday morning we went to wake G up for school only to find him laying in bed with tears in his eyes!!!  NOOOOOOO!!  We were so ready for this day, you picked out all those cool skateboarding and surf notebooks with stickers, you were excited you already knew your teacher, you know enough Spanish to survive and make this a much easier on you, new shoes, your buddy Alfonso is in your class, seriously what I am missing here???????  Jeff and I both turned into cartoon characters who's sole purpose in life was to dry those sweet tears and put a smile on his cute little face before dropping him off at his first day of school!  We pulled out all the tricks we had, favorite breakfast french toast...check, two big smiles and nothing but happy thoughts and words...check, a Billy Madison you tube video of back to school...check, tap dancing across the floor to make him laugh...check.  We literally pulled out every trick in the book to get rid of those tears and it worked!  By the time we were ready to leave for school he was smiling and laughing at the fact Billy Madison had to go to school when he was an adult and sang really funny songs!  SCORE!!!

It was pretty smooth sailing from there on out...at least for G :)  We dropped him off stood with his class for a little bit and talked to his teacher (whom we love!) and waited until they started going into leave.  I held my tears in until he walked away and then we had to scoot so I could have my yearly mom meltdown.  We drove home in silence and again Jeff patted my back and just let me cry.  When we got home I needed a little more time to cry and go through "he's growing up so fast, before we know it he will be going to college" thought process...and then I pulled it together and couldn't wait to pick him up and hear all about 2nd grade :)  Most important we all survived and G is feeling much better about 2nd grade!  Can't complain and just have to give myself grace and know that watching your kids grow up takes wisdom and patience from God, some tears, and occasionally you tube clips of Billy Madison :)  Here's to 2nd grade!

Thank you Billy Madison for helping us smile on the first day of school!

We even got him to brush his teeth...what else could we ask for?

I still get to walk him up to school, thank goodness, that will really be a rough day for this mom!

Gentry's 2nd grade class

Teacher Lauren with her class!  We are so thankful for her and excited for G to have her this year!

First day of 2nd grade family photo

They started heading in, and my eyes started to fill with tears...here's to another year of you growing up and another year for us to love every minute we have with you sweet boy!  Love you all the way to heaven :)