a birthday for a bff

 
"Mae-me" and "Au-rey" are like peanut butter and jelly... and now that they are both TWO (and boy do they have their "two moments") us mommies have our hands full... we spent Sunday afternoon celebrating one of Jayme's BFF's and meeting her new little brother (slowly, but surely Jayme is getting more used to the idea of her mommy holding another baby that isn't her- JEALOUS much?!)

inseparable trouble.

the birthday girl

some daddy time

candid sweet moment of the proud papa and his new little man

May and June wrap up...

The past couple months have been jam-packed with lots of firsts (air show, ocean play, snow cone...) events (showers, birthdays, graduation of the last Smith kid), and family time (Sunday Fundays, Mother's Day Zoo trip, Belmont Shore visit, play-dates, etc)... so much so that I failed to even post about Jayme's 2nd birthday!!! Fail. So here is my attempt to play catchup with pictures... in no particular order here we go....

Mother's Day at the San Diego Zoo

highlights: bonding with each aunt and uncle and nana, NO accidents the ENTIRE day (yay for being potty trained by 2!), and an impromptu dinner at In N' Out (she ate her entire cheeseburger meal!)

Belmont with Bebba

never a dull moment in this fam

Chino Air Show with Nana

Play-date at "Mermies"

San Clemente camping... Turns out Nugget is like her Bebba when it comes to the ocean... no fear, and LOVES it! I'm sure she'll be surfing before 5 if Bebba has her way

soakin' up the sun and sand...

Last Smith kid to graduate and that makes three 49ers in the Smith Fam! Go Beach!

no shortage of attention for the Nugget

Baby Shower for the soon-to-be Pessa addition

Father's Day with Great Gramps

Baby Shower for our newest niece-to-be Erin Ann

more cake crafting for soon-to-be cousin Eliza's shower

play-dates with the Browns

Sunday Funday at Oak Glen (can't wait to go during apple picking season in a few weeks!)

 I had over 850 pictures to sum up 2 months worth of White Family happenings... but these are the highlights. It was overwhelming to sort through and look back on so many pictures, but that's what I get for procrastinating on updating ;-)  Now on to making July memories....

impatiently praying for patience...

I am thankful and blessed for everything that I am fortunate enough to have or have experienced because I truly believe everything has a purpose... but right now I feel like God is laughing at my impatient prayer for patience... today started off last night like one of those annoying, pesky little flies that won't leave your picnic food alone... not quite one of those "someone died, or got cancer, or is in the hospital" kind of days... just. plain. annoying. (and Someone is teaching me a major lesson in patience today)

After a long beautiful family camping trip this weekend, I came home exhausted (like bones aching, bags under-the-eyes, forgetting how to spell your simple last name kind of exhausted)... and I realized only this morning that quite possibly the reason Jayme hasn't been able to sleep at night is because her two bottom molars are finally breaking through (toddlers stop at 20 teeth right?! I hope!)

I got up at 5:30 to a crying nugget who had fallen out of her bed, I attempt to rock her back to sleep, as I begin to crawl deliriously back into bed myself- Ryan halts me and reminds me its time for our morning smoothie routine- so I march downstairs in a grumpy mood and start to whip together some spinach, kale, strawberries, cucumber and apple into the blender... i grumpily pour three cups, put mine and Jayme's back in the fridge and as I am cleaning up to go back upstairs to hopefully get another hour of sleep, Ryan tries to put Jayme back to bed (she never went back to sleep) and this only excites his little girl who loves to see her daddy off in the morning... after he leaves, i go put her back to bed again and desperately crawl back into bed myself... 7:00- "moooooooommmmmmyyyyyy" all right. i'm up. she wants to go snuggle in mommy and daddy's bed...awesome! I can get a few extra restful moments- until I get kneed in the eye (hoping it doesn't turn bruised!) time to really get up. we go downstairs, take off the pullup, no pee in the potty, have our breakfast smoothies in our coffee mugs (she thinks she's just like mommy when I put her smoothie in a plastic coffee mug, which we have to "cheers" in between every sip)... time to get busy, she plays but nags at me as soon as i step into the kitchen to do dishes... few minutes later i hear her call for help in the bathroom... apparently she had to go potty (which i should be glad she knew to even go to the real toilet on her own), but in the process of trying to climb onto the toilet, she fell in... all the way in... i strip off her clothes and soaked shoes, and wipe her down (not even sure she went pee)... we play, she gives the signal she has to go #2, I put her on her potty- she goes! YAY! then 5 minutes later (literally maybe even 4 minutes) she pees ALOT on the couch.... we clean up, she plays i start to prep dinner, as I begin to pound out the chicken under the plastic wrap (a little too excited to use the meat mallet), juice splatters all over me and the floor (i'm convinced this wouldn't have happened if i wasn't sleep deprived and grumpy) just then Jayme wants to be held and treks right through the mess on the floor. clean up again. go play while mommy tries to get her Proverbs 31 study in... ironic lesson today in cleaning house... but now Jayme is extra whiny and wants snacks (I think she needs a nap. heck we both need naps and its not even 10am). I go to get a gala apple for us to share (because i'm on a gala apple twice a day kick) and realize my produce bag is full of 3 different kind of apples that are not gala, sounds like a lame annoyance, but when you want what you want, anything else becomes annoying (the worst part is its all my own fault for not paying attention at the store) all the while I'm begging (impatiently) to grant me patience.... dishes done. chicken ready to go. Nugget fed. I put her down way early for a nap (praying it doesn't throw off our tutoring schedule/day), sit down to gather my thoughts, pray for more patience, and it hits me... if i put it into words, one day- maybe even tomorrow- i can look back at this and have learned that life goes on, even if a pesky fly won't leave your food alone... (i know i know... lame analogy, but its all i got) annnnnnnd my favorite annoying to hear sometimes but totally true saying- it. could. always. be. worse. So now I will thank God its not worse and get on with this beautiful rainy day.

i had to vent, my apologies for the boring mommy ramble. the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible No Good, Very Bad Day came to mind...

El Cap Camping

Our first family camping trip (legit roughing it- tents, no showers, and campfire cooked meals) was a success! I was as nervous as I was excited to see how Jayme would do sleeping in a tent AND still potty training (3 day method has turned into just over a week... possibly I started too soon, but we can't go back now!)... God answered some prayers and other than the chilly factor the first night (which we reconfigured the tent to be less chilly the second night) and a couple poo-in-the-panties accidents later- Jayme did so well and LOVED it! It only took us 3 hours (including time to stop for some Del Taco) to get from our house to El Capitan (and we left at 5pm on a Friday!!)... Grampa and Bebba weren't so lucky... they had close to a 5 hour drive each (Ryan did some course mapping and we took a scenic back route to bypass most of LA traffic, and I would take that route again even if LA was traffic free!) It was almost as if we were no longer in Southern California once you get off the main freeways! I could almost live up there in beautiful nowhere land, California! Anyway- back to the actual camping trip... we arrived as the sun was just about down for the night, and we quickly devised a plan to set up our new circus tent (note, if we had any prior practice assembling it, we might have had it up within 10-15 minutes... not an hour and 30 minutes later!). Once all of our crap camping essentials were unloaded and semi-situated in the tent, we put the Nugget to bed, and enjoyed the clean air and campfire annnnnd some fancy pink wine in fancy plastic wine cups... highlight of night one- for me personally it was the gorgeous drive to a beautiful destination with little to no traffic on a Friday... for everyone else the highlight was probably laughing hysterically at my attempt to use Jayme's princess potty chair because I am too girly to squat and too lazy/chicken to walk to the dark bathrooms at 11:30 at night (note- 2 liters of water and 3 glasses of wine is too much liquid for one little bladder!)
annnnyway... the next morning we woke up around 6:30 (for some reason it doesn't seem that early when your camping). Operation coffee and cocktails commenced (anything goes when you're roughing it!) and we soon had bellies full of eggs and bacon and banana nut muffins... While Ryan enjoyed some solitary shore fishing (the fish had other plans), the rest of us enjoyed watching Jayme make friends with neighboring campers and exploring the campgrounds... after a lazy afternoon of attempting to nap in the heat, we headed to the shore shop for some ice cream before embarking on a most awesome walk around El Capitan's rocky point and the trails that surround the campground... truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in California! Night two included campfire cones (can't go camping without a little something from pinterest!), ribs and tri tip on the campfire grill and quality fam time... we missed having Stace there though... next time!
Sad as we were to leave on Sunday, it was nice to be home (within 2 hours!) and have the day to unpack, SHOWER, and unwind before the week started back up. Things we learned from this trip: don't drink alot of liquid after 8 or you'll be forced to use a toddler potty chair or squat, sleeping bags are a must for all three of us, leave 2/3 of the clothing at home, invest in a french press for the next time, skuuzi's are incredible, bring more underwear for potty training toddler, and invest in decent chairs to sit around camp...

toddler size headlamp = legit little camper

Grampa gettin his jam on at breakfast

Bebba & Nugget time (gotta soak it up before Bebba leaves us all for Australia ;-)

"Peee-Pa" time (not sure how she went from "gampa" to "peee-pa")

enjoying her uncle Alex visit

Nugget being Nugget...

Ryan getting his morning fish on... grampa going in the ocean (had to get this on camera to prove it actually happened)... and a pretty butterfly along our walk (i chose not to stop long enough to capture a photo of the skunk on that same trail)

camp cookin'

campfire cones in lieu of s'mores... totally worth the change-up!

camp breakfast... banana pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, and fresh strawberries- complete with Ryan's "MacGyver Coffee"

bye-bye baby...

Last week we converted Jayme's crib into a toddler bed (a- so she would stop getting hurt trying to climb out, and b- so she would be able to use the potty at night when we start potty training soon)... I think we mentally prepared as much as we physically prepared her room! Much to our surprise, she LOVES her big girl bed! We baby gated her doorway so she can't get herself into trouble at night, and I spent all of March baby-proofing her room completely (i.e. moved the office stuff out of her room and finding a home for everything that was piled up in her room). The first night we went to put her to bed she was so excited as she ran up to her bed and said, "beh?! beh?!"... she didn't even want to be cuddled by her daddy that first night, she was anxious to climb into her big girl bed all by herself and put herself to sleep- I thought this was just lucky night one, for sure she would cry or get up several times and play, etc... but much to our surprise she LOVES her bed and STAYS in it! There have been a handful of times she has gotten up at night, but I didn't notice until the morning when I noticed toys out, or her babies tucked in with pacifiers she had dug out of her drawer for them in the middle of the night. My favorite part about her big girl bed is that she will wake up and chat with her babies or read a book in bed before calling me in to get her (she doesn't get out of bed until I come get her! LOVE IT!)
So now that we have had 2 weeks of toddler bed success, we are on to potty training. I am anxious to get her trained because a- diapers are ridiculous expensive, and b- her diaper rashes will go away and STAY away (I assume)... however, as excited as we are to get her potty trained, I can't help but think this is just one more transition of our baby girl turning into a little girl. I am clinging to those last little baby phases as she is simultaneously pushing her limits and trying to be a big girl :she sits at the table without her high chair now, diapers and soothes her baby dolls, carries on full conversations with us- even though we understand about 1/4 of it- tries to dress and undress herself, hates having a diaper on if she can help it, says "noooo- good-byEEE!" when she is trying to focus on something and doesn't want help (coloring, when she goes number 2 and needs privacy, brushing her teeth, getting into mommy's makeup drawer...) she is getting so big so fast, it makes me sad and proud all at once. Its precious to watch her and her girlfriends develop actual playmate friendships and I love how she will rehash/gab about her playdates with her daddy after work and for the next day or two she begs to go play with "Au-rey" or "lie-ly"... I wish we didn't live so far away from her friends, but Lord willing we will find a house and a location that meets all of our needs soon enough.

Daddy teaching her how to roll down the hill (she couldn't get enough, and I couldn't get enough of watching his joy in being a hands on daddy)

lovin' on baby Jax with her mommy (she is such a mommy's girl- "my mommy!")

big girls eating lunch at their big girl table (seems like yesterday they had baby food and high chairs!)

loves her big girl swing at Grampa's house

"Au-rey" and "Mae-me" are independent little divas... we are gonna be in trouble with these two!

full on conversating in their own language

my favorite picture. (what you don't see is lil' miss independent wanting to hold Age's bag and walk- no being held by mommy in public!)

February & March wrap up...

29 came and went way. too. fast! i can't believe its already going on mid-April and i STILL haven't written a post about turning 30... (not that anything is drastically different) I think there is this notion that we will wake up a different or radically changed person on these milestone birthdays... but alas, I am officially 30 (and then some) and nothing has changed other than my mindset to live this decade out with a greater appreciation for life and a passion to live it to my fullest potential (check back often as I am sure there will be days I will need to remind myself of this "new-and-improved mindset")
I took the month of March to do some major spring cleaning purging and limit my crafting until I have created a sense of order and necessity within our home (and weirdest thing- cleaning house has made me feel rejuvenated as well! I'm kinda addicted to this feeling and March has now carried into April)... Other than being a homebody (with occasional play-dates and tutoring for mine and Jayme's sanity sake), we really didn't do a whole lot this past month. Rather than write a novel on what's been happening (or not happening) within the past 2 months, I'm just gonna go the picture route (enter the phrase- "picture worth a thousand words" )

keeping me distracted from surprise party shenanigans (food being prepped, jayme resting up on nana's rug, random walk, mission inn date night)

late night preparations for the big day

she had as much fun as i did!

surprise!

 30th Brithday Video Montage (made by Stacey)

B.F.F.'s

Easter (egg hunt, drama queen, precious moments....and jelly beans)

 more to come....

not quite 2... going on 16...

 
In just 2 months you will be 2 years new to the world, although your need-for-independence-attitude and lively personality will beg to differ... you are incredibly sassy, with the sweetest demeanor... we knew from the very moment we first felt you move (you liked to play hard to get with your feet) that you had a vivacious personality, and apparently our instincts were correct! You are extremely animated and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to laugh and be silly!
Other things you currently love:
*"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" with over 2 months of on and off being sick and discovering you have severe allergies you have become a major mommy cling-on (which I am not taking for granted because I know that all too soon I will be missing the days you were my lil' mommy's girl)
*Your daddy's "night night sleepy girl" snuggle time before bed every night (that is one time you DON'T want mommy, only daddy will do)
*Calliou and Happy Feet (you have figured out how to turn on the tv and computer in your room to get your morning or evening fix of your favorite cartoon, and when you can't figure it out you bring the remote to one of us and insist on "ky-ky" or "app fee! app fee!")
*Your girlfriend Audrey (you carry her valentine's picture around with you to the point we needed to tape her back together again)... whenever I say we are going to see your friend, your excited response is always "au-rey?! au-rey?!"
*Gam-pa (it's precious that you recognize when we are a few blocks away we are on our way to "gam-pa's!")

*"ahhhh-ahhhh-ah!" with Nana
*pretty sure you love them equally as much as you love getting a rise out of Bebba and Taycie by calling Bebba "Taycie" and ignoring Taycie all together when prompted to say her name
*Uncle "Alice"
*anything that resembles chocolate or something sweet (it's crazy how you just know a package you've never seen, smelled, or tasted contains something sweet that you MUST have!)
*kitties, puppies, and finding the moon
*headbands, "gasses" (sunglasses), and your shoes- crocs, sparkly TOMS, and your cowgirl boots especially
*going to the park ("side! side!" <slide> or "sing! sing!" <swings>)
*pretending to talk on the phone (even if its a remote control, a shoe, or mom's camera)
*reading, reading, and more reading (and I LOVE that you love to read!)

Other noteworthy milestones:
* the way you say "AAAA-MEN" after grace and bedtime prayers
* the way you say "aaa-mo" after we say "love you!" (Bebba taught you "te amo" and it's awesome that you know to respond in Spanish when we say it in English... but that's as far as we've come with learning Spanish so far)
* the way you say "I wuuuuv ou" when you want to be sweet (and when you don't say it in Spanish)
* you have figured out how to put your shoes on, take your clothes off (and your diaper- doh!) and climb out of your crib... you are also pretty good at putting on your hats, headbands (or insisting that daddy wear one with you) and sunglasses
* you won't eat kraft mac n' cheese (a childhood staple), but you will chug down a spinach and kale smoothie every morning (I love your quirks)
* you count by yourself (with your own numbers) when you go in a time out, up or down stairs, and when mommy is doing pull-ups/push-ups or Jayme lifts (I need to get this recorded because it melts my heart)
* you are learning to pedal your tricycle
* you are great at asking for "help please" (verbal and signing)
* you are pretty good at saying "bess you" after someone sneezes (but if its daddy, you like to copy his sneeze repetitively), and you are getting consistent with your please and "ank you" (verbal and signing)

Your daddy and I can't believe how fast you have grown right before our eyes (and literally overnight!)
Don't grow up too fast though... we are too busy enjoying these little moments while you are still our "baby doll"

terrible two's....

as i am doing the dishes, i notice lil' bug attempting to put her crocs on by herself... earlier today it was her boots (she refused help when I tried to correct right from left), then her black dress shoes (she loves the tapping sound they make everywhere she pitter-patters stomps)... i think what's terrible about two's is that this is when that precious lil' baby you've been coddling for the past couple dozen months really starts growing right before your eyes (the physical transformation from baby to toddler, to little girl), becoming more independent, needing mommy and daddy less and less (or so she insists until a meltdown of frustration overcomes her).... a few days ago Ryan went to check on our chatty (supposed to be napping) princess, only to find her clean diaper in hand and a crib and little girl covered in poo- literally smeared into her hair down between her toes and in every nook and cranny of her crib. She thought it was hilarious as we quickly went into cleanup mode (only time for a mental picture since neither of us had a phone or the camera handy to take a quick snapshot of this "not-funny-now-but-sure-to-be-hilarious-later" moment). It drives me bonkers that she insists on having her diaper off (often times right before she has to poop- maybe time to potty train?) and she is finally able to take her clothes off so needless to say we officially have a stubborn streaker on our hands (of course she is butt naked minus the headband and her shoes of choice- always a little diva). This stage of learning demanding her independence has taught me more than I realized I needed to learn about patience. Sadly (and shamefully), I never actually knew what made Job such a "patient" person in the Bible... so after being fed up one night with my tantrum-throwing-not-quite-two-climbing-her-way-onto-and-out-of-everything-diva, I took a quiet me-time-moment to open my Bible and find out what this patient Job guy was all about... needless to say- I have a walk in the park on my hands compared to his situation, and I have found myself constantly (literally a dozen + times a day) reminding myself of how incredible his patience level was as he was tested in Biblical proportions...  the terrible part about two is saying good-bye to my sweet baby girl, and hello to a little girl who is trying/fighting to find her independence in this little world of hers...

"i'm gonna take this bag out to the trash... what's the big deal?!"

our streaker stripped down and found a quiet place to read her daddy's engineer manual... this is just one of those pictures worth a thousand words i had to sneak (While I was making dinner, I found her here after I realized it was too quiet in the living room- priceless)