These are the best days of our lives...

This morning I look across my bed.  In order: Me (hanging on to the edge, almost falling off), Delilah (who has just nursed and is making a bunch of grunting noises), Khloe (who came into our bed at 3am after a bad dream and is currently taking over the majority of the bed, completely sprawled out, hand on Daddy's face) and Ryan (almost falling off himself, and actually sleeping through all of this).  Tabasco is at my feet and sawing logs so loud it is a miracle any of us were sleeping.  I started laughing and made a mental note: we are so lucky, these are the best days of our lives.

Yesterday we were heart broken.  A house that we had been trying to buy for 6 months, fell through after we found too much damage that had to be repaired.  Ryan came in from work, told me I was the world's best wife, told me that he will start the house hunt again tomorrow, and that life goes on.  Again: These are the best days of our lives.

On Mother's Day Ryan spent the day being so incredibly affectionate.  We spent the afternoon at the main beach in Lake of the Pines and I got to take an hour long stroll through the water with my Mama Char, watching Khloe play in the sand along the way, and watching our husbands catch up and laugh, sitting up in the shade, caring for Delilah.  We then spent the evening at Ryan's parent's house, as we do every Sunday, and I watched as Nancy played with Khloe and kissed on Delilah...there is so much love there.  Again, I made that note, the best days.

Feeling oh so fortunate.
Hoping you take the time in your own life to appreciate how much love there is, all around you.
~Sappy Sab

Dear Khloe,

3 days ago you got your first ever stomach flu. As odd as it sounds, I am so grateful. We are 27 days away from the arrival of "sissy" (new baby) and over the past 3 days I have been able to see you for the Khloe that you are, no distractions. My primary focus has been to hold you and love you and nap with you, and squeeze you in between us in "MommyDaddy Bed" at night. Our sweet, adorable little angel. Man, we are so lucky.
Daddy heard you crying just for a second on Tuesday night, so he went in to check on you. Sure enough, you and your whole bed were covered in vomit. You stood there shaking...cold, scared, confussed. Ryan called for me and I immediately started crying. There is not a more helpless feeling than to see your sick, weak little baby, and not being able to do a thing about it.
I immediately got in the bathtub with you to clean you up, not caring or even thinking about the possibility of me getting sick at 36 weeks pregnant. It didn't matter. All I wanted was to take your fears and pain away. So there we sat in the tub, where I squeezed the sponge of warm water over your back over and over until you calmed down.
We were up all night. We went through 4 sets of sheets, 6 pairs of jammies, and all of our hot water from the numerous baths and showers. At 6am I started changing the sheets for the 4th time, and you looked at me and said, "Mommy, me really sorry me sick." It broke my heart. You could tell I was irritated. And you, being 2 and a half, didn't know it was from the exhaustion and worry...you thought I was mad at you. I am so sorry. The next 2 days I spent holding you and watching you sleep, never showing any irritation, just love. You are so beautiful. My angel. My gift. My reward for anything good I have ever done.
Thank you God for this reminder of what is important, for the clarity. And for forcing me to take time to focus souly on our Khloe before you give us our next gift, our next little blessing, our second baby girl.
Khloe, today you are healthy...just as sassy as ever, full of energy, full of life!
Thank you for being you, my dear. I hope God continues to give me these reminders from time to time.
Mom and Dad love you to the sky and back.

I forgot I was pregnant, just for a sec...

According to my new due date of April 12th, today I am 34 weeks pregnant.
Over the past couple of days we have finally been getting a winter around here! 3 days of rain, hail, wind, and a little dusting of snow! Hooray! Ryan, Khloe and I all LOVE winter! Winter, yes Winter, that is one of the names we are considering for our baby biscuit. Ryan takes some convincing with these unique baby names, but I think Winter August has a nice ring to it.
Anyhoo, I was checking the powder report for Heavenly Ski Resort today and for just a second thought about going snowboarding this weekend!!! HAHA! I completely forgot I was huge and pregnant! Jeez, I must be having a good day! :)
Also today one of my nearest and dearest friends asked me why I was particularly chipper this morning. When someone has to ask me why I am in a good mood (keep in mind I am regularly a very up-beat, positive person) then I know I am in the need for a major, more permanent attitude adjustment. This pregnancy has weighed a little more heavily on me than my first. So, to my sweet, patient, loving friends and family...thanks for hanging in there with me while I have been uncharacteristically negative and complain-y over these past few months. The weather has inspired me and I feel a change in the air...a more positive Momma Sab for the next 6 weeks, I promise! :)
Will take some photos this weekend up in the snow. Til then...

27 Weeks Pregnant

Dear our Biscuit Baby,

You have been putting Mommy through the ringer! I was really sick from week 6 to week 11, on the verge of throwing up the whole time. Then, I was tired all day every day from week 12 to week 16. At about 23 weeks, you made Mommy's blood pressure drop really, really low and I had to get a test done on my heart...thankfully, everything is okay. At about 25 weeks, the consistant stuffy nose started due to the constricted blood vessels in my nose. And now at 27 weeks, the heart burn has begun. Terrible, terrible heartburn that comes on every time I eat anything. So, you have made things a bit harder on me than your big sis did! But that's okay. Each little thing is a reminder of our greatest, newest blessing...you!

Thank you for hanging in there and bringing me so much joy! Can't wait to meet you.

~Mom

Our Christmas Card Photo

Taken December 3, 2011

Christmas

Through the eyes of a 2 year old Khloe...

On November 25th we set up the Christmas tree and all the decorations. Khloe said, "Oh, wow!" nearly every time we unwrapped an ornament and explained to her where it came from or who gave it to us. Daddy put up the lights on the outside of the house, and Khloe sat in her camping chair and watched the whole time. She didn't want to come inside. You could tell it was all so magical to her.

On December 10th we celebrated Khloe's Great Grandma's 92nd birthday, Christmas style, in Napa. Khloe kisses "GG" on the lips for the first time that day and she was just thrilled! I love watching how Khloe lights up others lives, and that was a memory-making moment.

On December 15th, Ryan and I attempted to explain to Khloe how we needed to leave one cookie and a glass of milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve. After a 5 minute debate, we decided Santa would bring her a cookie, a glass of milk, and lots of presents :)

On December 21st we went to the last Vistorian Christmas of the season in Nevada City and Khloe was such a good girl when she sat on Santa's lap! She told him, "I'm two!" before Santa said anything to her. He gave her a candy cane and she was just thrilled! (She is too young to notice that the Nevada City Santa had a missing front tooth and looked a little scraggely :) but he was very sweet to her)

Tonight we are going to look at Christmas lights in Nevada City and we are going to visit Eddie the Elf for the first time. (A local legend up here). Then we are spending a fun-filled weekend with our familes.

Here we are, 2 days before Christmas, and I just needed to document how wonderfully fantastic the Christmas season is with my family.

Although these are probably the same traditions as most other families, there are a few daily rituals around here that just mean so much to me: Khloe takes down the stockings and tries them on like socks, She re-arranges nearly every ornament on the tree every single day (and has broken 3 of the glass ones), at 4pm every day we go plug in the outdoor icicle lights so Daddy sees them on when he gets home, before I get Khloe out of her crib she is already talking about the Christmas tree and runs directly to it to turn it on before any other light, she then proceeds to say "CANDY TIME!" and we go to the advent calendar to see which door we can open today (really helping her learn her numbers by the way), before Daddy wakes up we sit on the couch for about 30 minutes and talk about Santa and how we need to be grateful for everything we have every day, not just at Christmas, Khloe kisses my belly and says, "Merry Christmas Sissy," and so much more. We are just so blessed to have such a light in our lives. Christmas makes me appreciate that even more.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you get to spend it with your family and cherish all the seemingly insignificant moments that fill our hearts with joy and our homes with love.

Here's to my Khloe, to my baby in my belly, and to my husband who makes our world go round.

~Sab

Potty Training and Animoools!

Yesterday, August 19th 2011, Khloe Elizabeth August went pee pee in her potty for the first time! Then she did again this morning! She is so proud of herself! Today we are going to try to put her on the potty every 20 minutes and see if we can get this done :)
Also, Khloe is just obsessed with "Baby Animooools." She calls them by the sound they make, not by their names. For instance, a bird is a "baby cacaa," a horse is a "baby yeehaaw" and a alligator is a "baby roar." It is so cute. Earlier this week we were at Grandma Char and Papa Randy's house and Khloe helped Grandma fill up the bird feeder. She kept saying "Baby cacaa numnums" (baby bird food) and "Baby cacaa, yayaaa" (Baby bird, where are you?)
Listening to her little voice and actually understanding what she is saying is the sweetest thing. We just love her more and more every day.
xoxo