Dear Don,

I can't believe you are six and a half months old already. Your Dad and I waited so long for you and now that you are here time seems to be flying by. You change so much everyday and I keep getting scared that I am going to forget something, as Momma doesn't have the best memory:). Tomorrow you have your 6 month doctors appointment and I can't wait to see the percentiles you are in. You are such a big boy with cute, chubby legs!!! I love to squeeze and kiss them. You are so close to crawling!! Everyday you get a little better. I can see that you get frustrated because you want to get something so bad but you just can't get there yet. You work so hard to make it a short little distance. I want to help you so bad, but I have to stop myself because you won't be able to learn on your own if I am always stepping in and helping you:). However, it is tough for Momma to watch you struggling, when I know I could get it for you so easily. It is so cute how you get up on all fours and start rocking back and forth...almost like you are willing your body to move.

TEETH!! You already have 5 of them!! Such a bigga boy:). Because you have such great chompers, we have been able to give you some different types of food, which you LOVE! The baby food isn't really cuttin' it anymore, so we have had to give some crackers and add cereal to the food so it is a little more dense. You seem to be proud of your teeth and sure do want to use them. The other day you really hurt your Dad when you bit his arm! When you are around people eating, you sit and stare. We can almost see the wheels turning in your head as you try to figure out how to be more efficient with your eating.

Sleeping is something that is not coming as easy to you as I would have hoped, but you are getting into a schedule more and more each day. The last few nights, you have only woke up once to eat and get a quick diaper change, which has been so nice for your Dad and I, as we have been able to get some good sleep too! You still sleep in your pack and play next to our bed (and sometimes in our bed...hehe). Neither of us are ready for you to be in your own room yet, although I'm sure you would be...I am just not ready to not have you by me:). I am hoping that your naps will get a little more regular. Right now, you usually take a long morning nap and two little cat naps in the afternoon.

Your best friends are definitely your dogs, Baxter and Lady, and your cousins, Griffin, Abby, and Sophia. You laugh at the dogs all the time and they like to keep an eye on you most of the day. Your cousins crack you up and play games with you. Griffin likes to call you whatever he hears Grandpa calling you, for example, on Saturday he kept calling you boy...just like Grandpa:).

Well, sweet baby boy, I think that is a pretty good recap of where you are at in your life right now. I love each and every new phase that you enter, but it always makes me a little sad too because each phase goes so fast. You are always so happy and smiley and I hope that is a character trait that will stay with you forever:). I love you so much and you bring your Dad and I so much joy each day. We waited and prayed for you for so long, but you were so worth it!!! Today as I left the house for work, I went in to kiss you and your Dad goodbye and looked at our queen sized bed which had Baxter, Lady, you, and your Dad...who would have thought that one little bed could hold everything I love the most?!?!?

Love,
Mom

Pumpkin Patch

We took Don to the pumpkin patch before Halloween to pick out the perfect pumpkin to carve out and put him in for some pictures. It was also fun to get some pictures while we were there of his first trip to the pumpkin patch. He thought the pumpkins were pretty cool...and I thought he looked pretty cool sitting with them:). Such a big boy!

Our little family on the first of many future trips to the pumpkin patch. I am sure Don will start to like it a little more as he gets older. I was nice because we went during the week, so there was not a big crowd. I felt like we had the run of the place:).

Daddy got a little cold, but didn't have a hat...I thought he looked a little goofy...

Don also thought the pumpkins tasted pretty good!

I just loved this picture. My two guys:)...

These little goats were so cute. They were miniature or something.

Awwww...my sweet boy. Always so smiley. I love it:).

LOVE...he pretty much has me wrapped around his finger:).

I thank God everyday for the blessing he has given us. Don is such a sweet, happy boy and I continue to me amazed by him everyday. I love my little man!

Our Little Pumpkin

This boy sure has stolen my heart! I know this post is a little late, and I have been a crappy blogger lately, but I figured better late than never:). Don's first Halloween was certainly fun. Even though he couldn't really trick or treat yet, it was still fun to put him in a costume and carve a pumpkin out to put him in for some pictures. At first, he wasn't too sure about being in the pumpkin, but never-the-less we were able to get some pictures where he was smiling. This little guy is always so happy! I love it. All you have to do is say "hi" to him and he breaks out in a big ol' smile:).

He loves his Dad and his doggies. The all make him laugh hysterically when we are home. Sometimes he just looks at Baxter and starts to laugh, which, Richie and I wonder if that hurts Baxter's feelings since Don is just laughing at him being normal:).

He continues to amaze me everyday. He now has FOUR teeth and is already 6 months old. The other night I told him to slow down with his growing...it is all going too fast!! I don't think he is going to listen though. Last night he was getting up on all fours and rocking, so I think crawling is going to be in his near future.

When Don was first born, all I could see in him was Richie. I thought they were going to be identical. However, as he is getting older, I see so much of my little brother in him...especially in the way his hair is starting to grow in:)...Ch-ch-cha-chia (inside joke for my bro).

Like I stated above, I just love this little guy so much and he has completely stolen my heart. It is amazing the way a mother's heart can grow everyday to hold all of the new love you find for you sweet baby. Don truly has been a blessing to Richie and I:).

BABIES!!!!

Babies are everywhere! Two of my best friends have recently had babies and it is so exciting to get to share the joys of motherhood with them. Jessica (far right) had Trent three months after Don was born, and then Beth (middle) had Liv just a few days ago, three months after Trent was born. I know these three are going to be great friends...or at least I know they will be forced to play together! It is so nice to have friends going through the same life experiences as me so that I can ask questions, or just chat about what they are doing with their babies. Just a little Mom talk:).

Here is the first of many pictures to come in their lives! It will be fun to compare the pictures over the years to see how much they all grow and change. I can't wait to see them again soon. We have our holiday dinner coming up the Saturday after Thanksgiving...I am really looking forward to having the kids together again! My visit on Tuesday got cut a little short, so I look forward to heading up again soon to get more chatting time:).

We are all so blessed to have healthy babies, to have them around the same time, and they are blessed with instant friends.

The Dons

My son, Don, is named after my Dad, Don:). My Dad is one of the hardest working, most caring people I know and I really hope that my Baby Don will get a lot of his grandpa's traits. They currently get to hang (just the two of them) for a couple hours on Tuesday and Friday...and sometimes on Monday, while Richie heads to work and I head home. I love that my Dad gets some one on one time with Don. I wish I could be a little fly on the wall:).

Seriously...

...how cute are these kids?!?!?! Granted I may be a little bias, due to the fact that one is my son and the others are my nieces and nephew:), but I really feel like this is a good looking bunch of kids. These two are only six months apart and it is so cute to watch them interact. Griffin is such a little lover and always gets so excited to see Abby...it is so cute. Side note: Please check out Griffin's eye lashes. Why do boys always get so lucky????

I know Amy already posted some of the pictures she took this day, but I still wanted to share a few of mine.

I have a feeling these two are going to be great friends. Don just sits and watches Griffin when we are with them. Almost like he is trying to memorize everything he does...just learning the ropes.

...and one shot of my little family.

First Tooth!!!

That's right...my baby got his first tooth!!! You can't see it in this picture and I have not been able to get a good shot of it yet, but as soon as I do, I will post it. We were on our way up to Woodinville for Kimberly's baby shower for Ty and Don was fussing a little in the backseat. I got back there with him, hoping that he would fall asleep, which he didn't do. :) However, he did start smiling and chewing on my knuckle and that is when I realized that my baby was a big boy with a tooth!!! I have heard horror stories about how much babies will cry and fuss when they are teething, but I guess we got pretty lucky because you never would have known that this kid was cutting a tooth. I have to admit, while I was excited because this is the first step of a new phase with our little man, I was also a little sad because it means that he is growing out of the infant stage and becoming a little boy.

Richie and I have been loving every moment with our little man. We both agree that being a parent is the most fun, rewarding thing that either of us has ever done, but I just wish we could freeze time. It all seems to be going so fast!!!

Money Money Money

This summer my Grandpa Dick passed away. It has been comforting to think of him and my Grandma finally being back together. I am sure they had one heck of a party when they were reunited!!!

As our family has gotten older, it seems like we really only get to see our cousins once in a great while. Of course we were all able to get together and celebrate the life of a great man and it was so nice to see all of them.

Grandpa Dick has not always been known for his generosity:). A few weeks before his death my Dad, his sister, and brother took my Grandpa to the lawyer to update his will. When the lawyer read the portion that discussed what would be left to his grandchildren, he said, "Dick, do you still want to leave each grandchild $100? I know in 1980 $100 might have seemed like a lot, but did you want to increase that now?" My Grandpa responded by telling the lawyer that $100 sounded good...that was a fine amount.

So here we are, the grand kids, holding our inheritance:). We had quite a good time joking about what we were going to do with all of our money!!!!

Every time I look at this picture it brings a smile to my face. The thing is, none of us cared about the money, but I sure love the memories I have from when we got that $100. The laughing and joking...it seemed like each one of us was trying to make all the others laugh harder than the last. So, even if it wasn't Grandpa's intention, that $100 gave all of us grand kids a great excuse to laugh and be silly with each other...the way only family can.

Laugh your AZZ off...

Just a little something to brighten your day....

Sweet Boy....

How did I get so lucky??? Every morning I get to wake up to this smile and every morning I feel so blessed when I see it:). Our little man is really proving to be such a sweet boy. For the most part, he is happy and easy going. Sometimes we feel like bad parents because he really likes to watch TV. Not that we just set him down in front of the TV to entertain him, but while Richie and I will be watching a show we will look down and realize that Don is watching with us. We are definitely a TV household. Richie and I don't really like to travel much, we hardly ever go out, so TV time is kind of our entertainment. We watch a lot of movies and have certain shows that we like to watch together. So I guess we are just training Don a little early:).

Don makes me sooooo happy...with a smile like that, how could he not?????

Bigga Boy!!!!

My baby is getting so big already. I love watching him grow, but it also makes me a little sad because it seems to be going so fast!!! I always knew I wanted to be a mom some day, but I didn't realize just how much I would LOVE this job:). Everyday my little man makes me smile.

My Mom and I thought it was so hilarious to put Don in the doll's high chair:). It was just the right size!!!
He looks so big!!!

My sweet boy just snoozin'.

He loves sitting in his real high chair because he is able to sit up right a little more. I think he likes to look around:).

I just thought these little socks looked so cute:).

And lastly, a shot of his chubby little legs. I love those legs so much, but I guess I love everything about my little Don so much:).

He really is a blessing. Sometimes I look at him and I can't believe that he is mine. He was well worth the wait:)...practically perfect in every way!!!

Happy Birthday Babe!!

Last month (which I can't believe I am already saying that!!!) we celebrated Richie's 29th birthday. For about six months out of the year he catches up with me in age. Meaning that I only get to be a cougar and rob the cradle for half of the year:).

Rich's birthday, July 12th, fell in the middle of the week. We had been really busy the last two weekends and so Richie requested a low key birthday. He actually said he didn't want to do anything except hang out at home with his baby:). Of course I had to ignore that and make him a special dinner and do some cake and ice cream.

I love this picture below...Don is like, "Dad, what are we doing???"
Richie's parents and Natalya also had to ignore the request for a quiet night and came over to join us for some cake and ice cream. Here are Rich and Nats enjoying some delicious Parmesan chicken...thanks, Beth, for the great recipe.

My little family:)...they make me so happy.

Natalya cracks me up in this picture. I guess she didn't want to smile for the camera, but she also wouldn't get out of the shot...who knows...gotta love seven year olds:).

It was a low key birthday but such a great night for a great guy. He said the best gift that he had was little Peanut. Richie is such a wonderful dad and husband and it was great to get to celebrate him for a little bit.

Don and I are so blessed to have you babe!!

Got Milk????

Ever since Don was born he has had trouble latching. We keep working on it, but it still is not a constant thing around our home. For this reason, I have had to pump ever since I was in the hospital to make sure that my milk keeps producing and so that we can put it in bottles for Don to eat. Needless to say, the pumping has worked quite well and I produce a little over twice as much as what Don needs for eating...meaning, I am running out of freezer space!!!! Milk is taking over and the chicken pot pies are scrambling for a new space to live:).These are some of the first bags that I pumped. It is so funny to me because they are a completely different color than the milk I pump now. It must still have a little bit of the good stuff in it:).

See, the poor pot pies are being taken over!!!!

Since Don is not latching I have decided to cut my breast feeding at little short and hope to be completely done by the time I go back to work in September. Hopefully this stock pile will help us to ward off formula for a little longer than that.

Baby Looker

A few weeks ago my Mom, sisters, and I headed up to Beth's house to help celebrate Baby Looker. My dear friend Jessica is just weeks away from having her baby. I can't wait to find out what she is having, as her and Jesse decided to keep it a surprise, which has been driving me CRAZY!!! I am not patient enough to wait nine months for something like this:). I guess we will find out soon enough...

Here is Jessica posing with the food table. Amy made the cake and, of course, did an amazing job!! Jessica looks so cute as a preggo:).
Lauren, Michelle Ashley, Beth, and myself came together to help host the shower. Beth was gracious enough to let us use her house and had everything decorated so cute. Beth always takes such care in everything she does and it always turns out so adorable and professional looking. She made the food labels to match the nursery bedding that Jessica has picked out...so cute.

Of course this big guy had to come with us. Don is also sooooo excited for his little friend to get here. He told me he wants to have play dates so he can show Baby Look the ropes:). Jessica and I have known each other since 1st grade and have a very special friendship...I am so excited for that to be passed onto our children, who will be so close in age!!

My Mom and her girls...well and Don got in on this one too:).

Jessica and her mom, George.

All the preggos. We put them in order of due date from right to left. In fact Beth Berlanga, who is farthest on the right is no longer pregnant because baby Amelia made her entrance a little early:). I love that so many of my friends are having children right now!!!

I am so happy and excited for Jessica and Jesse. Becoming a parent is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can't wait for my friend to experience that feeling as well. It is also so special to me that Don will not only be surrounded by family and cousins that love him, but he will also be surrounded by instant friends:).

Jessica, I am counting down the days for you because I am SO EXCITED to meet this sweet baby!! Love you Lady:).

Our little peanut

...is getting sooooo big already. I have been really bad about getting on the computer and giving updates, but only for the reason that I just love holding and hanging out with our little man, that I forget to do anything else...LOL!This post will be a quick update on some fun events that Don had done over the last three and a half weeks.

Don got to meet our good friends Tyler and Chana and their baby, Bear. Bear was so cute with Don. So interested and excited to be close to the baby:).

Here are the proud Daddies. They are holding each other's baby, but I thought it was funny because the baby they are holding matches them better than their actual offspring...Hehe!!! Richie and Tyler have been good friends since high school and I am sure that Don and Bear will also share a special friendship.Baby Don met his Great Grandpa Dick for the first time. It was really cute how my Grandpa just kept staring at him:).

Don had his first fishing trip and even helped his Dad catch a fish...well kind of:).He was a sweet boy and folded his hands to say his prayers...

He took his first big boy bath and LOVED it...however, he did not like it when I had to take him out!

Uncle Joe gave him his first Peanut M&Ms...he told me he would rather I eat them and he could get a taste from me later:).He went to his cousin Sophia's ballet recital...and obviously had a great time:).

He got blessed at his Grandma and Grandpa Faatoafe's church...now we just need to schedule his baptism at my church. He is going to be the man of many religions:).

Proud Pappa!!!

And he hung out with his Aunt Kim and cousin Abby. It has been such a wonderful last three weeks. I love watching our little guy grow and change every day. We are so blessed!