#88 #89 & #90

Tuesday May 29, 2012

Dear Aj,

I just want to start off with letting you know how much I hate when I miss writing your letters. You are changing and growing on a daily basis and I feel like I can't keep up. These letter's are just as much for you as they are for me. I never want to forget your infamous stink eye or the way you say dad ddee. Every minute that I am with you I am in awe with who  you are becoming. These letters are a way for me to document who you are through out your life. My goal is to keep up with my letters to you for as long as I can, I am sure they will not always be as frequent, but they will always be heartfelt.

I don't know where to begin. So much has happened in the last three weeks. What can I tell you that I think you would one day want to hear. Well, you went on your first big trip! We just got back from Maui Hawaii. You were such a good boy, in so many ways. The flight was a long 5 hours for you, but you did really well flying there. On the way back it was a little bit harder for you. The trip was long. you were thrown off you schedule. You did your best, but all you wanted to do was run around and play

There is so much that I want to tell you, all of it seems so cute and so important. I feel like I will have to choose my top 3 favorite memories over the last 3 weeks, otherwise this letter will never get done.

It is very important to me that you get comfortable in the water. This year you are old enough to learn how to swim. Of course you will not be learning strokes or how to swim the distance, just how to jump into the pool properly, and get out. You are a little fish! You love to swim to Daddy and myself, jump into the pool and blow bubbles. Everyone always stops and comments on what a good little swimmer you are. I am excited to spend the summer swimming with you.

What is a nose? For you it is something to point out and pull on. You are very into finding your nose, Mommy's nose and even the cat's nose. I love how you walk up to a cat and point at it and say nose. Oh the things that you come up with.


I saved my favorite for last. while we were in Hawaii you took to cuddling with Mommy. Sure you cuddle when you have your milk at night or when you are sick but other than that you are very independent and are happy with a good hug. Because we were in a new place, with a new crib you wanted the comfort of something familiar. For the first time since you were very little (and even then you did not nap with me often) you curled into bed with me for nap and bedtime. I was in heaven! Your little body next to mine, laying in my arms, my heart melt as we feel asleep together.  Of course it only lasted a couple days and now that we are home there is no more cuddling.

You keep growing and I keep loving every minute of this. I wish I could slow down time to enjoy every minute 10x over.

Love your
Mommy,

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is more than BBQ's, the first season trips to the Beach and Sales. It is a time for us all to take some time and think about the sacrifice that men and women made to serve their country's. 

Hawaii

Words can't explain how great our trip to Maui was, times like these don't come very often to our very busy family so when we get 7 whole days to relax and be a family we take advantage.

Day at the Aquarium 

Playing on the Beach with Mommy and Daddy

Going under the sea in a glass bottom submarine

& our first root beer float too!

Playing at the Pool with all Aj's  new toys

Enjoying a watermelon treat after our afternoon swim

Hiking up to Twin Falls

 

 My Hawaiian King and Prince

 Some island treats! Coconut juice and shaved ice

Some Pretty Flowers

Seven Days goes by way to fast when you are in paradise. Hawaii you treated us well and we will be seeing you again soon

Lazy Day

What happens when you put Pj's, Choo Choo's and Music together?

The Perfect Lazy Sunday

Mothers Day

May 13, 2012

Happy to Be  a  Mother

Before I was a Mother I thought I knew what love was but I was so wrong. 

The love that I feel for my child is so deep and true. When Aj is in pain, I feel the pain with him. When  he is happy I feel the joy with him.  Being a mother has been  an experience and a journey. I wake up every morning not knowing where the day will take me. The one thing that I know is that Aj will show me something new and wonderful. All is the days work of being a Mother.

Monkey Bread "aka Banan Bread"

I am determined to find easy recipes that I can bake with Aj. This week, a perfect opportunity presented it self, we had a bunch of banana's go bad so I thought I would make some Banana bread with a twist. This was the easiest recipe that I found and it was a hit. With the few ingredients it made it easier for me to measure and let Aj pour. I did mash up the banana's but can see him loving this task as he gets older.
It taste pretty good too!

Ingredients

2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (5 medium bananas)
1 cup chocolate chips (that's our twist :-)

Directions

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir Banana mixture and chocolate chips into flour mixture: stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated over for 60 to 65 minutes. until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes. then turn out onto a wire rack.

#87

Tuesday May 8, 2012

Dear Aj,

A year ago this month we found your tumor. Those were some of the scariest months that I have had to go through. It all has worked out, but I am still scared when I see a bruise, if you nap longer than normal or anything that could be a sign of cancer. I know that these are all very silly things for me to worry about now. Your tumor was benign, it was completely removed and not the kind to spread. Still I have spent this year on high alert with you, I have gone from Red alert and am currently trying to bring myself back into normal range. You are and will always be my baby and it is my job to protect you from bad things happening to you. I have to trust in myself that my Mommy instincts will kick in again if needed and I will always listen to that voice that a year ago let me knew something was wrong. For now it has been a year, your tumor is gone your AFP is in normal range and you are developing like any normal toddler should. We're so lucky and I thank whomever everyday that the path that we were given was just that and not one down another scary road of chemo treatments and extended hospital stays. That path is out there and I am very much aware that it could have been our world today, but it was not. I feel that on this week, the one year mark of finding your tumor it is time for me to put my fears behind me and know that we will not have to travel down that very scary path. My heart and support will forever be with those mothers, children and families. We will always go the extra mile to support them, because it could have very easily have been us. When you growup and are healthy, remember that please. Remember just how lucky you are. I know I will.

I love you more than you will ever know,
Mommy

Mom and Dad's Birthday

We all came together to celebrate this very special weekend, it was Mom's belated birthday and Dad's Birthday weekend. This was the first time that we ever hosted a who entire party in the front drive way of the lake house. It was perfect! The kids had plenty of room to play and we had shade and comfortable chairs to lounge in. 

With All the celebration we never got a photo of Mom and Dad with the kids. 

Baking with Aj

 French Yogurt Cake

1 single serving of your favorite yogurt
2 yogurt pots of sugar
2 eggs
3 yogurt pots of flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 yogurt pot melted butter

1. Take contents of the yogurt pot and place in a bowl, then rinse the yogurt pot out. You will use the pot to measure the rest of the ingredients

2. Combine all ingredients until the batter is smooth

3. Place in a buttered pan and bake for 350 degrees until brown or 25 min. Check with a toothpick in the center of the cake and to ensure it comes out clean.

4. Serve with fresh fruit or lay on top of a plate of yogurt and enjoy


A quick recipe that Aj loved to help with. I measured out the ingredients and Aj poured them in, he also took care of the stirring and even helped pour the batter into the tin. My little chef was a great help and I can't wait to find new recipes to try with him

#86

Tuesday May 1, 2012

Dear Aj,

You are a crack up! I don't know if your clown like behaviors are what's to be expected from a toddler or if you're just a funny kid. I personal think it's the later. It could be something as small a stare or something as big a gesture that can have me laughing within a matter of minutes. I love your "stink eye" expression. Sometimes people forget how smart you can be, and if they make a comment about you or laugh at, you will slowly turn your heard to look at them with this look that say "who do you think you are" which then of course makes everyone laugh harder because they just got told of by a toddle.

You have your serious side too. When you are coloring or baking you have a very blank stare on your face. I know you are having fun, because heaven forbid you try and disturb you. You really would never be able to tell. You take coloring and baking very serious.

Keep being your self Baby Boy and never let anyone take that away from you

Love Mommy