4th of July

For the 4th, we had a big party at my parent's house. Both sides of the family came over for a big BBQ with my mom's amazing ribs and endless salads and sides. Of course we had a bonfire and once it FINALLY got dark, we had an awesome fireworks show at home. Josiah slept through it all, only to wake up once it was over, but he wouldn't have remembered it anyways. What a fun week it was to be together, play together, and reconnect with everyone!

Roasting Pollo

So each of us had a night to make dinner for the family so Ariel and I made a Dominican dinner. He spent all day roasting chickens over the bonfire pit. He did an awesome job and tended to them so well. We also had rice (moro de guandules and arroz con maiz), fried sweet plantains, arepita de yuca, and salad. It was fun to cook for everyone (after Ariel and I stopped disagreeing about the fire!) and I know Ariel loved being able to share a little bit of his country with the family.

Family Week

My brother and sister-in-law drove up from California to spend a week with us in Oregon. It was the first time in years that we have all been together.

We did a lot of cooking and eating and spending time together. The kids were outside nonstop playing on the swings, in the pool, and picking berries. We had a little bonfire each night which was almost my favorite part!

7 months

7 months old??? He has mastered sitting on his own and is now working on standing up on his own. He can pull himself to a stand if he is grabbing onto my shirt or something high. We've been working on getting him to crawl...it might happen one of these days!

Cabin time

We took a few days and went up to Mt. Rainier in Washington. We stayed in a lovely little cabin with a fireplace and hot tub and BBQ! In the daytime we went on some hikes on the mountain. Many of the upper hikes were closed because there is still so much snow! It was such a nice time to relax and spend time together with the 3 of us.

Portland trip

We took a trip into Portland during the Rose Festival and got to see all the ships and lots of people. We took MAX across the river and then walked back to where we parked the car. We had a picnic snack along the way in the park and Josiah got to nap in his stroller. I love these sunny days...and so does Josiah since it means he gets to be outside so much!

growing up

It feels like I just brought Josiah home from the hospital but here he is...wanting to stand and hold on and be a big boy. It's incredible to see him change and grow so quickly.

6 months

We've been able to mange getting Josiah's photo done each month which has been fun to compare each one to another. This boy has grown up being constantly photographed, so he is a ham in front of the camera. He knows that when the camera comes out it is time to smile...he never disappoints.

Fingerpainting

So I wanted to send fingerprints and handprints to the DR for Ariel's mom...Josiah didn't know what to do at first. It started out so fun and entertaining, until he decided to suck his thumb (top right picture). He didn't like the taste of the paint too much, but at least it's non-toxic!

Still alive!

Wait a minute, I have a blog? It's been years since I've updated due to a new job, a little man named Josiah, and Facebook. But a part of me misses the writing, the explaining, the more than a little caption on a photo for Facebook updates.

Josiah is almost 8 months and is the joy of every minute of my day. He makes me laugh like no one else can. He has so many new tricks, can do so many things. Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for the blessing of this baby boy. So here are some new things about Josiah:
-he loves being outside, to a ridiculous extent
-he has a farmers tan, a serious farmers tan
-he hates being on his tummy and therefore is not yet crawling...he might go straight to walking as he likes to pull himself to a stand and can "walk" with the help of two hands
-he has tickle spots now
-no teeth yet
-his favorite song remains "We Wish you a Merry Christmas"
-he is an avid thumb sucker
-I have yet to "sleep through the night" with him...maybe by the time he's 15 we'll get that down
-he loves Peek-a-Boo with a blanket and can do it by himself
-his favorite thing to eat is yogurt, to a unbelieveable extent
-he cuddles, which is especially amazing after coming home from work

So we're doing well. The transition to me going back to work (Emanuel Labor and Delivery) has gone surprisingly smoothly. Ariel is a super dad and has gone above and beyond to take care of this little man. We're feeling more and more settled but remain in a continual transition as we get adjusted to life in the U.S.

Thinking

Somehow the time to post a blog is amazingly scarce. So here are a few thoughts on my journey of mommyhood thus far:

I thought babies just slept
I found out they need to be taught good habits

I thought I wanted to give Josiah a pacifier
I was wrong

I thought I would get out more
I found out nap times are important for a happy boy

I thought I would have more free time
I found out that he is active (even with all the extra hands!)

I thought pregnancy weight just went away
I realized we are not all like Angelina Jolie

I thought it would be hard to watch him grow
I found out each stage is amazingly fun

I thought I would love being a mom
I was right

Pacifier Woes

Before I had Josiah I knew I would never give him a pacifier. But then he was born and got a Soothie in the hospital, and I had been gifted a few that I held onto, so why not? He was happier with them, calmed quicker, and they are meant to reduce the risk of SIDS. So I popped it in. And again, and again, and again. He became an addict and we all got in the habit of it. Problem is, he is really good at falling asleep with it and then spitting it out. When he goes through his normal little sleep cycles and starts waking a bit, he wants his pacifier again. Therein lies the problem. It is next to him in his crib, he wants it, but is 4 months old and hasn't learned that skill yet. So...about a zillion times a night, I walk into his room with barely opened eyes and pop that thing back in. He most often calms quickly and sleeps again. Sometimes not so much ,so I bounce him and swaddle and pray he will fall asleep again. That's how we were rolling in the house until 2 nights ago. Yes, we went cold turkey with the pacifiers on him. Poor kid. Didn't know what was coming. It actually does break my heart...I wish I wouldn't have gotten him hooked on them, it's a hard habit to break. It's just not healthy for any of us anymore though. If he were sleeping more soundly and not needing it everytime he wakes up, things would be different. I've tried teaching him where his hands are so he can find them and suck on something there, but it is a process. He has done so well and I know I'll be grateful for it once he is sleeping well. I've been giving him extra cuddles and bought him that stupid "Lovey" to try and make it better. Last night he went 5 hours which was a personal record. Tonight we're going for 6!! He's decided he wanted to go 7-10 hours between feeds, but that awful little pacifier just keeps us all awake. The protest crying has now stopped after 35 minutes, so I guess that means I can breathe again and wipe away my own tears. Phew. This mommy stuff is hard. Sometimes you think you're doing the right thing and it turns out it wasn't. I get the feeling I'm in for a lifetime of these things!

Nonstop fun!

This little Josiah is getting more fun by the day! He loves to smile and laugh now, wants to stand and pretend he's a grown-up, and just today he rolled over! It's amazing how quickly he is changing, each new stage and activity is so fun and exciting. I love watching him grow and learn and doing things he couldn't do before.

Bathtime

Nothing like a big yellow duck tub to bring out some smiles for bathtime!

Dominicans in Oregon!

We celebrated the 27th of February, Dominican Republic's independence day, with a whole group of Dominicans. I'm glad there's a few Dominicans around...brings a bit of the DR a little closer to Oregon.

Snow!

We were so excited to have a few snow days here! We watched it falling and then got out a few times to go on walks. It only lasted a short while, but it was great to get a little excitement from the snow!

Iceskating

Josh and Emily went iceskating in Portland and we went along to watch. Josiah can't wait until it's his turn, although I think he has a few more months!

Rides

Ariel is so good at finding activities for the cold days when there isn't much else going on...

You are my sunshine

We don't see a lot of sunshine these days in Oregon, so when it came out for a bit the other day, I stripped Josiah down and put him on a blanket to soak it in! He loved it and just watched his bear, smiled, chewed some fingers, and got nice and warm!

2 years!!

Ariel and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary on the 14th of February. Two years went by so fast, as does all time these days. I have learned so much from Ariel and our marriage in these years. I am so blessed to have him for my husband, he is so supportive and encouraging and excited about everything. We have been through our share of "in sickness and in health" already and a good amount of trials, but are thankful we can look back on them now and see how we have grown because of them. We are hoping the years ahead are as full as these ones have been!