I am finally comfortable to announce...

That:

A) I'm moving to Hollywood to become a rock star,
B) I'm in love with the cold weather, I've decided to become an Eskimo, or
C) We are pregnant and are due mid-June!

Ok so most of you know that Josh and I have been trying to conceive for well over a year as well as ended up having a miscarriage last June. We are so happy to announce we are expecting a baby on June 17, 2013. Yes, you heard it, June. Another Gemini (of course I only go by the "original" zodiac calendar) in our household. May and June are our expensive gift giving months, but I have to say I am not too upset about this news. I am just thrilled we are finally having another baby. It was a rough year and a half , but God pulled us through and things are turning for the better.

As I write this blog, I am 13 weeks pregnant. And I have known I've been pregnant since week 5. It was difficult for me to keep this from the world but I wanted to be sure and to get through the 1st trimester before spreading the word. I wanted to wait to make my grand announcement day 1 of my 2nd trimester (14 weeks) however I just found out my mother couldn't wait 1 more week and already told her friends. Okay, I am not really upset that she announced it, just a little irritated that my own friends did not find out until after my mom's friends. 😤

Julian has known since week 7, after our first ultrasound and I have to say he seems pretty excited. One morning he woke up and told me he dreamt of the baby and it was a girl. Other days he sings to my belly as if singing to the baby. And during my morning sickness days he would ask the baby to stop making mommy feel yucky. He constantly changes from wanting a baby brother to a baby sister; but I know he will be an awesome big brother either way.

As of our last appointment, the baby was developing normally and they were happy to have a good report during the genetic screening. I continue to have occasional nausea and headaches but the worse has definitely passed.

I want to thank those who've put me in your prayers and to continue those prayers for a healthy pregnancy. I also want to give hope to those who have been trying, because you are definitely not alone. Keep the faith because that is what will make our dreams come true.

Disney in October

Now that we have moved away from Florida, heading to Walt Disney World was more difficult.  So I decided to make a Florida trip with Julian while my husband was out of the country and spend a few days at the Disney Parks and a few days with family.  Of course I had to time it right.  I knew that Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival was underway as well as Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.  So why not enjoy both of these events that both my son and I enjoyed so much last year?

I decided to swing by Hollywood Studios when we arrived that Tuesday morning so that my son Julian could enjoy 2 of his favorite attractions... 1) Disney Junior Live On Stage and 2) Toy Story Mania.  Luckily we were able to do both before noon and ventured off to Epcot.

Since I had Julian with me at Epcot (and my son is an AVID stroller rider), I didn't have many hands available so my food/drink holding ability was not going to be easy.  In addition, there were still quite a few people there albeit we went during the week so seating was sparse.  I say this because when you view my pictures below, you won't criticize them as much.

But here are a few of the delectable foods/drinks I choose on my journey:

Argentina- Grilled Beef Skewer

Australia- Rosemont Estate Traminer Riesling

China- Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce

South Korea- Lettuce Wrap with Pork

Hops & Barley (America)- New England Clam Chowder

Japan- Spicy Tuna Hand Roll (Awesome!)

Belgium- Belgian waffle with berry compote (for Julian)

Steamed Mussels in Hoegaarden beer broth (for me)

 Hawaii- Tuna Poke

The second day of Disney we spent at Animal Kingdom.  I knew it was going to be a short day at the parks since I made a hair appointment with my friend and stylist in Saint Cloud and since Animal Kingdom is the smallest park (attraction-wise), it was a good choice.  Luckily we got to see the best attraction there, the Lion King show and I took Julian on the water-soaking Rapid ride.  Although I brought ponchos for us on the ride, we still ended up getting wet.  He told me he didn't want to go on the "bunny" ride anymore (because he thought I said "rabbit" not "rapid" ride).

The final day of Disney was spent at Magic Kingdom.  Since we knew we were going to be there late that night, I decided to take a short break mid-afternoon and sneak in a nap for Julian for more trick-or-treating fun throughout Magic Kingdom.  Within 5 hours we went on all the attractions he wanted to go on- Buzz ride, Monster's Inc., Stitch ride (that was me), the teacups, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh, the Carousel, Peter Pan, Small World, and Pirates of the Caribbean.  We even were able to eat lunch in Adventureland.  We only missed 2- the Jungle Cruise and the Magic Carpet ride.  And I am sure he would've enjoyed exploring again at Tom Sawyer's Island.  But our time was limited.  In the evening, we first took pictures with a few Disney Princesses and their Princes,

Snow White & her Prince

Cinderella & Prince Charming

Rapunzel & Flynn

watched the special "Boo to You" Halloween fireworks and parade, '

Ear muffs are the best!

Marvelous fireworks behind Cinderella's Castle

and went around to all the trick-or-treating spots around the park.  We were able to fill both his Mickey bucket and my bag full of candy.  And we were able to stop at two different dance parties for my little man to get his groove on.  He is such a dancer.

Working it at Woody's Dance Party

We definitely enjoyed our days at the Disney Park.

ISR Refresher Lessons- Season 3, Week 3

Day 1
Julian returned to swim with another great day in the pool. He still attempts his "ugly" swim which his teacher calls it- referring to him trying to vertical swim as well as him trying to swim on his back. She continues to try to teach him to relax in his float, flip back and put his face underwater to swim to the wall. Tomorrow will be "funny day" winter clothes day. This is what she called it to try to get him to be comfortable wearing clothes in the water because he knows we don't wear regular clothes in the water and he knows it's uncomfortable (let alone hard!).
Day 2- Thankfully today was not a difficult day to rouse Jules up, get him in the winter gear and out the door to swim. He has on 6 items which will add weight- 1 swim trunks (since he will swim after his test), a pair of jeans, a long sleeve shirt, socks, shoes and a zip-up sweatshirt. He showed some resistance to float for a full minute, he immediately wanted to kick and swim to the wall while on his back. He called for me, "mommy"- which was something that always melts my heart because when he had his first lessons, that was the first time he called me Mommy vs. Mama. He also did some vertical swimming and needed prompts to relax, float, and flip over. He held his own even with the extra weight. All in all no excess water gulping, no fearful grimaces or cries to get out of the pool, just my happy baby boy in heavy wet winter clothes. Graduation day coming soon!
Day 3

Today Julian enjoyed swim, learning to use his arms appropriately when swimming. He kept doing a funny arm flap behind himself which was not helping his swim. So after repeated trials (because he was Mr. Giggles), we finally got him to use between 3-5 arm strokes with both arms- a big celebration for him. His teacher told us that tomorrow he will be learning to dive for toys underwater. She claims he has the sequence down and thinks he should be able to learn this task. I'm excited! Hope he enjoys it!
Day 4
Julian is looking forward to seeing what type of toys are in the Spongebob bucket.  He spots different things like cars from the movie "Cars 2", colorful sticks, and other miscellaneous toys.  What he doesn't realize is that these toys are going to be on the pool's ground- underwater.  So Ms. Anita explains to Julian what he is expected to do and first try was a doozy.  I noticed she used a two-finger technique close to his shoulder blades to drive him downward towards the toy.  Second try he got it.  When he came up to float after retrieving the toy, I couldn't read his facial expression... if he liked or didn't like "diggin' for toys".  Then he was asked to swim to the wall however after reaching for the wall, he dropped the toy.  Figures.  Anyway, after a few more times he was able do a great swim down with physical cue, immediate flip over to float, and flip back to swim to the wall with toy still in hand. We did notice how he only was able to dig from the forward position with the adult and only toys that were at the 3 ft distance, not anything deeper.  We also noticed that he began to refuse wanting to dig by the end of the session so it may have been a bit pre-mature to start him with this task.  Still it was fun to see him do this.
Another thing that happened at swim was that Julian's pictures were taken underwater by his swim teacher.  She asked if she could take photos of him so that she could post them on her new site she is developing.  Of course I agreed.  I can't wait for her to send those photos.  They were so cute.
Day 5
Today is carryover day with Mommy in the pool as well as last day with our swim teacher of 3 years.  I asked Julian to draw a picture for Ms. Anita on the iPad so we that we could print it and give it to her.  It's a picture of him swimming in a pool with her outside of the pool.  I also asked him to write something to her and he asked me how to write "yes".  And I wondered, "Why yes?"  Then I realized it was the one word she said every single session.  That was one praise word she would say repeatedly if the student did what she wanted/taught.  I thought it was pretty clever.  Anyway, she thought it was so cute and said it was going in her scrapbook.
Ms. Anita attempted to teach me the physical prompt to use when Julian "digs" for toys however it was much harder than it looked.  Anyway, I am not sure if I will try it since it didn't appear Julian was keen on digging for toys with me today.  We did get some things cleared up on pool safety, play/swim activities as well as strategies to use while in the pool.  #1 thing for me to remember was allow him to fix his mistakes.  The class was designed to teach independence, problem solving, and pool safety.  Picking him up if he is vertical in the water even with his face under water was a big no-no.  He is able to self correct his errors with and without verbal cues.  It's just a motherly instinct to "save your child".  Of course it's not that the class wants parents not to save their child from drowning but to give your child a chance to use his survival skills without being dependent of others.  Because someone may not be there the next time.
I couldn't thank ISR enough for such a wonderful program.  I have to say every year I was hesitant of enrolling him but I knew it was something he needed to continue with so that we could have a peace of mind.  Now my 3 year, 4 month old can finally complete the swim-float-swim sequence... something I have been waiting for since we started.  He is enjoying the water and loves to swim in the pool.  He's not afraid to put his head in the water.  Thank you ISR and Ms. Anita!  

ISR Refresher Lessons- Season 3, Week 2

Day 1

Last week, Julian had a case of the liquid poops so we cancelled swim for the week. So when we came back for lessons a week later, instead of regression we got progress! Julian started to swim more horizontally and started to do flip backs independently. He even got to do the "dive" in the water. And the best part of all was that he was having fun! He was laughing and smiling even after his mini freak outs when he was not sure what to do next. I am more relieved that this was not a mistake to do. I'm looking forward to more fun sessions in the water.
 Day 2
Julian woke up this morning whining and saying he did not wanting to go to swim. Funny enough, when I mentioned he did so great yesterday especially when he dived into the pool he did a 180 and said happily, "I want to do it again!". Today was another great lesson. He showed so much more independence and courage especially when his teacher kept using verbal prompts vs. physical prompts. He didn't whimper not even once even when he struggled to stay horizontal in the water. She taught him the swim-float sequence starting with full then partial physical/verbal prompts. Ms. Anita noticed that he has a weak stationary kick which is why she has tried to get him to use big arms when swimming. Then she noted how he preferred to swim on his back to the wall vs. swimming under water and tried to get him to swim on his back and move his arms. Smiling, he was able to do it. He was so adorable. He laughed through the whole session, even during teaching moments. I am just glad he wasnt crying and whining. Laughter is so much better to hear. And at the end of the lesson, he stated for the first time, "I want to go in the pool again!". Never thought I would hear that!
Day 3

After a day off for the 4th of July, we had another great session. Today Ms. Anita simulated various falling positions that may occur when around the pool as well as observing if he floats after falling in and his ability to locate the wall to safety. He continues to show a preference to swim on his back with his above the water!
Day 4
Today's lesson was to simulate as if Julian fell into the water with his summer clothes. Of course he cried when he realized he was going into the pool with his clothes but after he got in, he was ok. They practiced floating, flip overs, swimming horizontally, and relaxing his legs while floating. She educated him on the techniques and strategies.  While observing, Ms. Anita stated how he only likes to be 2 1/2 seconds underwater, no more, and will ONLY reach for the wall if he positions himself correctly (head bumps into wall and he is at an arm's distance).  Can you say anal retentive?  I wonder where he gets that from.  Ha ha...
Another thing Ms. Anita mentioned was that Julian has respect for the water. This meant he most likely won't be one of those kids accidentally falling into the water. But in case he does, I know not to worry.
I am definitely looking forward to swim with my buddy tomorrow.  We did get a chance to swim in the pool together outside of swim class at the Artisan Park- Celebration pool (see clip at end- thanks to my friend who lives in Celebration who videotaped)!
Day 5
Swimming day with Mommy is always a fun day for Julian.  I told his swim teacher how he was a swimming machine yesterday.  How he didn't want to stop swimming.  "I want to swim to the wall", "I want to dive", "I want to swim to the stairs",  "Throw me Mommy!"  He couldn't get enough.  However I did tell her that it was mostly on his back.  So today she tried to get him to swim with his face in the water.  She tried to teach him it was ok to swim on his back when he is swimming long distance but for the essence of the class, she wanted him to complete the sequence of swim, flip over, float, flip back, swim.  She also was trying to teach  him not to "splash" dive into the water, and to try to go into the water gently but swim hard. He has been demonstrating an increased in swim time under the water for about 5 seconds which is fantastic as well as using increased arm movements!  Next week we will continue to work on the sequence.  I am so glad that swim will be over next week.  Not that it's that dreadful, it's just early in the AM and both Julian and I LOVE to sleep in! One day off and back to swimming on Monday.

ISR Refresher Lessons- Season 3, Week 1

Day 1

After swim eating his cereal bar- Day 1

It is that time of the year when Julian begins his annual ISR lessons again. I already knew it was going to be difficult getting him back in the water since he had been showing some regression (refusing to float and swim to the wall) by the time I tried to get him in the pool in December 2011 (remember I live in Florida).  It was quite a struggle to get him into his swimming trunks with all his crying and refusing to cooperate even before we left the house.  And when we got to the teacher's house he already kept chanting, "I don't want to swim with Ms. Anita!"  Fortunately I got him in the backyard, to the pool and in the water with Ms. Anita.  He worked "at the steps" which was a (bad) crutch for him since he spent majority of the time by the steps whenever he was in the pool. Thankfully he retained his ability to float.So crying, moaning, kicking and screaming on day 1. Funny thing is later that day he said he had so much fun in the pool with Ms. Anita. Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Day 2

My little Nemo before swim lesson- Day 2

Julian sees what outfit waiting for him after his morning potty and he starts moaning. It was his Little Nemo swim outfit my mom bought him 3 years ago (yes, it was a 3T she purchased when he was 1). I got him in it a little easier this morning, bribing him with a Gold Chocolate Coin if he does well. On the way to swim I tried to give a small pep talk incorporating Nemo and his 'bad' fin and the motto 'just keep swimming!'. Hey, you gotta do what works. Today was a little easier getting him back in the water, no crying just moaning. He worked on swimming to the steps and to the wall. His teacher is noticing that he is having a hard time staying horizontal and tend to move vertically. And I have a lot to blame for that since I let him hang out at the steps. But I just didn't know what else to do since he refused to get in the water with me. Oh well. The teacher mentioned maintenance sessions one time per week throughout the year but we will have to see since we are moving. I hope he starts getting the hang of it.

Still wet from swim- Day 3

Day 3
Today was a silent session. Julian refrained from crying, moaning and talking. But he followed directions. He listened when the teacher said to put his arms out front. He listened when she said to swim to the wall. He listened when she said to kick hard (usually). Much improved behavior this lesson. Hope this is going to continue!
Day 4

Earned his chocolate gold coin after a successful swim lesson- Day 4

Today, Julian relearned to count while floating but still needed physical prompt to flip and reach the wall. He allowed his teacher to sit him on the edge and reach the wall as if he fell in. Julian is starting to become more comfortable with Ms. Anita again. He actually smiled today during the lesson. we have moved away from swimming toward the steps since it appears he tends to become more vertical the closer he gets to the wall, as if he is reaching the ground/steps to stand up. He has been trying to swim distances but I can tell he has fear when he swims to the wall. I can see it every time he has to put his head under the water. I wish I could build some confidence in him. Tomorrow is Friday so I can go in the pool with him. Hopefully he will feel more comfortable now that I will be in the water with him.
Day 5

Hesitant before swim- Day 5

You would think that since I got to go in the pool with Julian and his teacher today, there wouldn't be an argument trying to get Jules into the pool. No such luck. BUT, today may have been a turning point. We did a lot of swimming back and forth to mommy and teacher with his teacher trying to teach him to flip and float. He started kicking much better and closing his mouth more with less vertical swimming however he did not flip on his own... When floating or swimming. I do have to say he did pretty well. He even talked more today. But the turning point was after his lesson. A little 3 year old girl named Katie has swim after him and she is one little chatterbox, swimming princess. When he saw her swimming independently, "diving" into the water, laughing and swimming/floating to her mommy, he was amazed. After 3 minutes of watching he told me, "Mommy I want to go in the pool now. I want to do it all by myself!". Mr. 'I-don't-want-anything-to-do-with-the-pool' wanted to jump in the water and swim. So hopefully this is the motivator. He saw how much fun she was having and  didn't realize it could be so much fun. Here's hoping we get through the weekend and return to swim on Tuesday with the same motivation!

House Hunters

I have watched house hunters on HGTV several times and it just seems so nice and simple. The realtor finds 3 prospective homes in their price range and the buyers get to choose in the end which house they like and will put an offer on. Well how simple is that? So not reality! Josh and I have been looking for a home to rent in northern VA since he accepted a new job in the area. We have luckily found a realtor to help us but unfortunately every place that looks Iike a winner online already has applicants and are not actively on the market or end up be a doozy with some modern updates yet old school kitchens/bathrooms. I don't remember it being this difficult to find a house when we were buying but then again that was almost 7 years ago. And I guess its even more difficult when I'm in Florida trying to look at houses online while hubby is trying to make time in his busy schedule at his new job to look at houses 1+ hours away from where he is staying.

So what is on our "want" list? Well this is what our dream rental would include:

1. At least 3 bedrooms with 1800+ sq feet living space
2. Room for ALL our furniture (this includes a living room and a family room; a large master bedroom)
3. Hardwood/laminate flooring
4. Updated kitchen including appliances and countertops/cabinetry
5. 2 Car Garage
6. Deck
7. Fenced backyard
8. No wallpaper/borders
9. Nice/safe neighborhood
10. Easily accessible to the major highways or close to Josh's job
11. Working fireplace
12. Affordable!

Since we will be renting for a long term we hope to find something we are comfortable with for at least 2 years. I hope to find something soon. Once we find a place I can start looking at schools for Julian and then a job for myself.

Let the hunting continue!

Empty

Some people may think that since nothing developed, I shouldn't have any type of remorse.  How can you mourn for something that was never there?  For over 2 weeks, I felt typical symptoms.  I hoped and prayed that I would soon hear the heartbeat of my offspring, to see a circle, a bean growing inside of me.  I kept the secret between a few in hopes of sharing the news to the world with the image of my womb.  But to my utter dismay, the image of emptiness burned a hole in my heart.  All at once, the last two weeks began to feel as empty as what I saw on the screen.  My empty promises to my son that he was going to be a big brother.  The empty plans that left me to wonder what I will do next.  The emptiness that will never be filled with the one who never had a chance in this world.  Who knew you could cry for someone that was never someone?

Today, the remains of what was suppose-to-be have been removed so that my body can start to heal and begin the cycle again. But what has been removed, will always have a place in my heart.  And all I can do is continue to pick up the pieces and keep hoping and praying.  

Tasting the Good Life

During my Spring Break, I asked Josh if we could take a little 4 day get away somewhere.  At first I suggested places close by and where we had a free place to stay- Fernandina Beach and Tahallassee.  But then I got to thinking... why not head to a gulf states to venture and find crawfish?  Josh had been talking constantly about crawfish but in Florida it is WAY too expensive to ship or even eat at a restaurant.  Who wants to pay over $8/lb when it's less than half of that in LA?  So we decided to venture to Josh's hometown of Baton Rouge to eat some good food and watch the spring game for the LSU Tigers.  I luckily was able to ask the in-laws if they were able to meet us and visit since we were about 2 hours away from them and Josh got his sister to come drive over from NOLA.  

After the 12 hour drive from Florida, we arrived at the Residence Inn on Commerce around 5:30 in the afternoon.  We unpacked the car and Josh headed directly to Tony's Seafood for the long awaited crawfish we had been craving.  I was totally stuffed and satisfied that night.

The next day we visited the Louisiana State Capitol.  I remember visiting there in April 2005 after Josh proposed to me the night before at Nottoway Plantation.  I was able to take a few pictures with our new model.  Later, we ventured to a few stores to find an inexpensive LSU jersey for me to wear to the spring game.  Who would've thought we would find one at Albertson's?

The last full day we spent at the LSU Spring Game.  First time I have been to Tiger Stadium.  I couldn't believe people were even tailgating.  But these people love their football games!  It was a pretty hot day too but we all had a good time.  The best part was seeing Julian clap and yell "Geaux Tigers!"

So glad I was able to salvage the last days of my spring break enjoying good food and in the company of family. Thanks Louisiana!  Can't wait till next time!

AZ mini vacation

Luckily on President's Day weekend, Josh was traveling for work. Yes, you are thinking... "Lucky? Isn't that a bad thing?" Well no because that just means Julian and I get to travel to see him.

There are perks to having a spouse that travels... 1) Absence makes the heart grown fonder. 2) He loads up on frequent flyer miles and hotel points so we can travel at our leisure for free. 3) If he travels over a long period of time, the company may even fly me out to see him on long jobs at the company's expense.

So Julian and I were able to enjoy a long 3 day weekend visiting my hubby in Phoenix. I have to say, the thing I was looking forward to the most (of course after seeing my husband) was getting an awesome sunset photo. I've been really trying to get back to "my roots" where my first love of photography originated from. Luckily my husband knew that was a priority.

The flight there was awesome. Julian was an angel... Of course we left after a long day of school so he was knocked out the last leg westward. We arrived at midnight in AZ and I was ready to jump in the sack. Little did I know we were in the middle of the most busiest night hopping spots in Scottsdale. Let's say it took us a bit to get back. It was pretty nice to stay in at another Hotel Indigo (1st one I stayed at was in NYC last year).

The next morning we ended up going to breakfast at U.S. Egg. Our entertainment was the mural of the USA behind our table. Later Josh ventured out so I could get a shot of a mountain. We got lost in a section of Scottsdale called Paradise Valley. Hot Dog! Can I live there? I just couldn't believe how unbelievably gorgeous the houses were in an ungated community. And their yards! Really how can their grass be GREENER than ours in Florida where we get tons of rain? Anyway, needless to say I didn't get a good mountain shot as I was hoping for however a good friend of ours who is a native to AZ was going to take us to a spot to take photos of the sunset. We ended up hiking a bit up Camelback mountain and I got a few photos but not the sunset I hoped for. I did get a great photo of Julian that I was pretty happy with. After the sunset, we went downtown and searched for a restaurant and decided to eat at RA sushi. Yummy in my tummy! Tuna and chips appetizer were off the heezy fo' sho'.

The next day we ended up spending the majority of the day at Railroad Park. This was a fantastic place to take kids. It had lots of open space to have a picnic, several large playgrounds, a carousel and a train ride that takes you around the park. It was a beautiful day, with the warm Arizona sun and little breeze. I was still determined to get a sunset shot and having an awesome husband, he was set out to find me one. My hubby drove out west around the base of White Tank Mountain Regional Park, pulled off a dirt road, and I climbed atop the rental SUV with my Nikon mounted in my Manfrotto and shot away until twilight. I was happy to have gotten a few good shots. On our way back to Scottsdale, we ate at a hole-in-the-wall Thai place in quiet Peoria.

The next morning, Julian and I flew out back east. I was hoping to have a great flight back but of course I knew that would be too goo to be true. If I could, I would've flown back in the evening when Julian was tired... But that would've meant a long day for me. Let's just say he was pretty fidgety the entire flight to the east coast.

2011 Winter Holidays

Lately I've been quite busy with work and haven't had a lot of time to sit and edit my photos.  But I figure I better start before it gets really backed up! So here are some photos from the past Winter 2011 holiday season.

Lots of events happened over the holiday season.  My in-laws came to visit, we celebrated our first Christmas at our home, we held our first ever Christmas dinner in our home, we visited St. Augustine Nights of Lights, and celebrated the new year in Jacksonville with our family.  Here are a few photos of various events during the Holidays in 2011.  

To view more photos- check out my personal FB folder Winter 2011 (*note you have to be my friend on FB).